I always wondered why they’re called ginger jars. After all, who uses THAT much ginger?

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A ginger jar is a Chinese porcelain jar with a wide mouth, a domed lid and a bulging, spherical body. Although the Chinese traditionally used the jars to store a variety of goods, the jars acquired the name “ginger jars” because they often contained ginger when they were exported to the West.

Historically, ginger jars held provisions, including not just ginger but salt, oils and other spices. In the West, ginger jars are mostly decorative rather than functional.  Read more

The different colors and motifs on ginger jars have traditional meanings. For example, white jars were wedding gifts and and yellow jars were intended as the most valued gifts, often to the Emperor. Here’s a good synopsis.

Now I know, and now I have a resale mission: using a collection of ginger jars as a canister set on my kitchen counter. Or maybe I’ll look for one to turn into a lamp.

If you love ginger jars too, go find some you love at your favorite consignment, resale or thrift shop!

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Get inspired by the shapes and materials you can find in ginger jars.

Now comes the REAL dog days of August.

You’re loving the new fall fashions you’re seeing at your favorite resale shop, but you need something “new” to wear tonight or tomorrow, and it’s still HOT. If you have combed the shop for something summer-y, but the clearance racks are pretty well barren…

… check the scarf racks.

Did you know that you can turn scarves into pretty, floaty, summer-y fashions? Watch this talented lady and soon you will be saying,

“aw, it’s just a little something I whipped up…”