Ted Kennedy Watson Ted Kennedy Watson Ted Kennedy Watson

Polishing Lots Of Hotel Silver

February 13, 2025

I have written a good deal in the past of my love of polishing silver. The ritual of it for me is immensely soothing. Generally it is at home at the kitchen sink, with a tub of Wright’s silver cream and all the pieces I want cleaned lined up ready to go in the sink for their polish and then I do a light wash with soap and then a dry with a cotton dish towel. The other day we had the task of inventorying all of the pieces at WK. As one of the largest sellers of vintage English hotel silver in the country, it was a full day task. I took the chance to also clean each piece while we were at it. As there were so many pieces, I used a polishing cloth. They are the handiest things. They have a bit of polish in the fabric so you just wipe down the piece. Since all the pieces were already pretty clean, the cloth is a nice way to buff it up and spiff it up a bit. If a piece is super tarnished, Wright’s is the only way to go. But even the polishing cloth process can bring moments of zen. The end result incredibly satisfying. The photos just a sampling of the stock but it gives you an idea. I slept super well that night after a full day of counting, cleaning & polishing!

Valentine’s Day Approaches

February 12, 2025

As the day nears, we have you covered. All sorts of sweet treats for family, friends and co-workers. Big or small, we are stocked with just the gifts to celebrate this holiday of love. Baskets of heart filled cards to peruse too.

Gifts For All Ages

February 11, 2025

Our kid’s section at our First & Spring shop is ever evolving and grows & grows. I use the word ‘kid’ because it really is a section for all ages, as we all have a little kid in us! We sell the classic, silly putty. Often it is bought by someone in their 50’s or up. They smile from ear to ear when they bring it up to the counter to pay for it, recounting the joy it brought them when they were young. The section has stellar newborn treats, like a first blanket or a first Teddy bear. An iconic yellow rubber duck always a sweet gift to bring lots of joy. Plus books and cards and dolls and kaleidoscopes and animal crackers and so much more. I have such fun buying for this area. A new favorite gift to give when someone has just had a baby, laundry detergent from The Laundress.

Ted’s Tip No. 518

February 10, 2025

A gallery wall can be done many ways, but starting can be a challenge. What unifies the artwork? For us, we decided that would be black frames. That way we could collect many types of artwork and not be confined to a certain type, like oil paintings or photography. The black frames create a cohesive whole. Choose one unifying element, and you are off and running!

Tulip LOVE

February 7, 2025

Flower Friday about our first bundle of tulips of the year from the Pike Place Market. I walked all the flower stalls in search of our beloved blooms, finding one vendor who was brimming with buckets filled with them. Did an arrangement for the dining table and had one left over, which lives on the bookcase in a bulbous Baccarat single stem vase that always makes me swoon with a stem in it. Went with the Veuve-y Hermes-y orange that is a personal favorite any time of the year. Thought they were a perfect way to kickoff the start of the tulip season! Happy February weekend everyone. —Ted