Stoke-on-Trent

For those of you who know me well, you know I love a nice pretty dish. So yesterday was one of the most fun road trips I have ever taken. Some of my friends and I headed to Stoke-on-Trent where the English potteries are located - you know, like Burleigh, Wedgewood, and Royal Doulton?

It was great fun to see the vast selections of different bone china and earthenware - and at factory store prices! I also really enjoyed driving through the several villages that make up the pottery area. Even today, with many of the factories closed it looks exactly like I would picture an 1800s factory village in England.

I surprised myself by discovering that I really do love the cottage-style patterns best. Somehow I always wanted to like elegant things, but I've decided that charming is more "me."

The find of the day was a Wedgewood Peter Rabbit cereal bowl to replace the one that broke in my parents' move. My Aunt Karen gave me a Peter Rabbit set when I was a little girl and I have such fond memories of eating chicken noodle soup with a grilled cheese sandwich whilst drinking out of the mug. Now, I can recreate the memory when I get home with a complete set again!

The enormous bottle-shaped kilns where they fire the pottery.