A What Jar?

According to dictionary.reference.com the definition of an apothecary jar is as follows:

apothecary jar 
–noun
a small, covered jar, formerly used by druggists to hold pharmaceuticals, now chiefly in household use to hold spices, candies, cosmetics, etc., and sometimes decorated, as a lamp base or flower vase.

Sometimes the coolest pieces of decor are the most useless and I love my useless (though aesthetically pleasing) apothecary jars. But I can't tell you the funny looks I got in Sears when I asked them to help me find this set of three apothecary jars they were advertising on their own website.



Well let me back up. A number of weeks ago I was on a mission to find all kinds of antique stores in Austin. I found this one cool place way down on South Congress called Uncommon Objects (http://www.uncommonobjects.com/). The place was packed and for good reason. There were a lot of really awesome things in there to look at. But I felt like I was in a museum. Like we were all the tourists admiring the objects but not really buying anything.

OK, even I didn't buy anything, but I did circle the store a number of times and was really close to picking out about a dozen things. One of the goods that caught my eye was a glass apothecary jar filled with quail eggs! I thought that was so cool. I looked at the price and it was $40! Well I wasn't going to pay $40 for a glass jar with eggs that I could construct myself. So that's what I set out to do.

Now in retrospect I'm realizing why the price was what it was. Talk about the cost of labor. You'd be surprised how hard it is to get something like this all together. First, I had to get a jar. Like I was saying earlier, when I went to Sears to buy this set of three jars, the store workers looked at me like I asking where they kept their three headed dogs. Seriously people, I know working in retail is hard but can't you make a little more effort to help a customer find something they want so they can give you their money? Yeah.

Anyway, I finally found my three amazing apothecary jars (they were quite a steal for the price) and brought them home. Then I had to find the quail eggs. A long long time ago (like a year and half at least) I had gone on an inspection of the Chinatown grocery store in Austin up on North Lamar. And somewhere far back in the recesses of my mind I remembered them selling quail eggs there. Weird that's what stuck with me. So I went, found them in the back of the store with all the regular eggs, grabbed a few mung bean cakes for good measure, and brought the whole lot home.

Here's where things got interesting. If you've ever tried to blow yolk from an egg you know it can be an arduous process. Now imagine that on a scale three times smaller and with a far more fragile shell and maybe you can begin to fathom the nearly impossible challenge I faced. It was HARD people! I had at least eight quail eggs and blew enough air out of my lungs to make me dizzy. I ended up using two different sized nails, a pin and a thirty minute show of My Name is Earl per egg to get the stupid yolks out. Gah! So hard.

And here's the real miracle. I didn't break a single egg!!! Amazing. I really thought I would. Unfortunately I have one more batch of eggs to do before my project is complete but I should whip all those eggs into shape too. (*Crosses fingers*).

Finally the last bit I did was go on a nature walk to find something to cushion the eggs with. I found one of those creepy tufts of moss that grow on trees lying on the ground. Not sure what they're called but they made a great nest for my eggs. Here is what I have so far:



Yes, I think even the most common Victorian can appreciate this little jewel. I can't wait till it's all the way done. :)

I have plans to fill the other two jars as well. One, I'd like to fill with ocean paraphernalia-shells, starfish, and the like. But I can't decide on the other one. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them. Feel free to post your comments down below to give me some inspiration!

Rene's Recommendation: Half Price Books (http://www.halfpricebooks.com/)

I love Half Price Books! This store is great for bumming around on a Saturday. Kick back, browse, let the smell of used, inexpensive books usher you into lands of dreams and possibilities. If you live in a big city you've probably visited Half Price at least once. But if you've never been you should go. Now I should warn you, don't go expecting to find a particular book. You might get lucky, but usually because they have such a high circulation of merchandise it's impossible to keep an accurate record of it all. But hunting for story treasures is half the fun right? (No pun intended of course. ;) ) Alse I've found that the people who work there are nice and quirky and though you don't get much, you can sell your old books back to them no hassle. It's a painless process, I promise. So book, music and magazine lovers go and visit this great store. It's fun for the whole family!