For some reason, I love little dishes. Maybe it reminds me of the little blue willow tea set I had when I was a girl, but whatever it is, I love little dishes. I have found that little dishes make great travel souvenirs for myself and for others.
Some dishes have been given to me. I have a small blown glass art piece that I put my vitamins in each morning. It was given to me by a friend who bought it at the Ft. Worth Arts Festival. I keep Rotary pins in a small blue Delft dish that a friend gave me from a trip to Holland.
Some dishes I have purchased as souvenirs while on vacation. I have a small vintage souvenir dish from Canada. It makes me laugh! It clearly states that it is a souvenir from Canada and features a Royal Canadian Mountie on horseback. Of course, it reminds me of the trip my sister, nephew and I took to Canada. I have a small dish that commemorates the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 that I bought on Portobello Road in Nottingham Hill.
I enjoy using dishes in and around my house. I have figured out so many uses that I even purchased a few small hotel dishes on eBay. I have a matching set of six Hotel Ritz Paris tip dishes that have a million and one uses in my home. I had originally planned them for the dining table to use for shrimp tails or amuse bouche. However, after receiving them, I thought they would be perfect for guest soaps in a bathroom. But, I also could see them near a cash register for pennies or mints. Or on a gentleman’s vanity for cleaning out his pants pockets at the end of the night. Or maybe for jewelry while washing dishes.
Decommissioned airplane dishes are another form of useful small dishes. They can be readily found on eBay and are great for all sorts of things as well. Right now I have one holding counter cleaner and sink stoppers by my kitchen sink. I have another on my dining table holding a salt and pepper shaker.
The next time you are on vacation, take a trip to a local antiques market and see if you can find a useful souvenir to take home with you. It doesn’t have to say the location because you will always be reminded of where it came from. They also make great gifts because they pack easily, are light weight, and because they are small, unlikely to break in your luggage. Or if your vacation is more of a daydream, hit eBay and find exactly what you need and will use. Search terms to use include vintage hotel, vintage small dish, and/or airplane dish.
