In the interests of absolute accuracy, I did not find these Gay Fad canisters or my newest Swanky Swig today. I'm just showing you them today. I ran out of clever titles. I don't know a lot about Gay Fad, which is that brush-strokey, hand-painted kitchenware and barware, but I know it when I see it. I bet you do, too - there are lots of different floral and fruit patterns, but they all have a distinctive, hand-painted look.
It's hard to tell what's special about this Swanky Swig from this photo, but you'll be able to see what it is in a second. First, though, I'll tell you something I learned this week that I've always wondered about: whether it's correct or not to call all decorated glasses Swanky Swigs. I was thumbing through a book at an antique store (feeling slightly guilty, but I already own an earlier edition of it) and boy, let me tell you, it is NOT okay to call every decorated glass a Swanky Swig, according to the author, who's pretty much the expert on this subject. If you ever felt like you got an earful just reading a paragraph, I did. Swanky Swigs refer only to the glasses that once held Kraft cheese products. They come only in specific patterns, and in my experience, at least, they tend to have a very subtle (very, very subtle) ridged pattern inside the glass. Apparently calling every decorated glass a Swanky Swig is like calling every cotton print feedsack or every plastic button Bakelite.
Anyway, you do what you want. I'm just passing along the information because it seemed useful. I have no intention of becoming the Swanky Swig police.
So here's what's special about the new swig: It's big! Most swigs are 3 1/2 inches tall, but the bigger swigs are 4 1/2 inches tall and much harder to find. (I'm reading in my reference book right now that they seem to have been distributed only in Canada. And me only a few hours from the border!) Anyway, although my book is pretty old, the values seem in line with what I usually see. If you'd expect to pay $3 for the small one, you might pay $15 for the large one. Which, let me assure you, I did not.
I know the ONLY reason you are here today is to see whose name I drew from the Pyrex bowl for The Fixer-Upper book giveaway. And the winner, revealed by one of those handy number generators, is my friend Carol at Old Glory Cottage! Woo-hoo! Carol, unless "somewhere in Illinois" will get your package to you, e-mail me with your address. Thanks to everyone who entered!
C'mon, be the Swanky Swig police, do it! Do It! I can imagine all my posts having a comment from you in them "Ummm, Sonya? KNOCK IT OFF!!"
Loving the new glasses, so summer-y!
Posted by: Sonya-Dime Store Thrift | August 06, 2010 at 10:49 AM
How pretty! I know a glass of tea...or cold milk would taste even better in one of those glasses! Love the canisters, too! I have a strawberry tablecloth from years ago! Some of my own stuff is vintage now! lol! ♥
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | August 06, 2010 at 12:48 PM
I don't care what those glasses are called. All I know is that I drink my morning glass of orange juice in them, and it tastes pretty darn good! What I do care about is being a winner. Yahoo! Can you get it here by 5AM tomorrow, so I can bring it along on vacation?
Posted by: Carol @ Old Glory Cottage | August 06, 2010 at 01:02 PM
PS I mentioned you on my blog today! Hope you can stop by to visit! Hugs! ♥♥♥
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | August 06, 2010 at 01:14 PM
Haha! Congratulations, Carol, who probably won't even be "somewhere in Illinois"! Have a great trip.
Posted by: Tina | August 06, 2010 at 03:55 PM
Loved the post! Thanks for sharing! :)
Posted by: Kim | August 06, 2010 at 05:40 PM
Swanky Swig is such a great word. I think more things need to be called that name.
Posted by: Lizz | August 06, 2010 at 07:01 PM
Very nice. Every time I see glasses like those I think of my grandmother. Isn't that to remember? She had glasses and a matching pitcher on a very sturdy farmhouse table. On the table always was a jar of homemade pickles.
Posted by: Toocutedobs | August 06, 2010 at 07:50 PM
Could you imagine the uniform we could come up with for the Swanky Swig police?
Learning more in blogland once again...I did not know they came in two sizes or the Kraft cheese reference...I may have to go take a closer look at mine.
Posted by: laurie magpie ethel | August 07, 2010 at 12:04 AM
Congrats to Carol 'somewhere in Illinois' and I enjoyed hearing about Swanky Swigs! I however not owning a single swanky swig will never be the police. :) I did know they were from Kraft products and came in two sizes, other then that, I'm still waiting for one to fall in my lap! Oh well....
Posted by: Linda @ A La Carte | August 07, 2010 at 11:16 PM