My aunt Gladys passed away a year and a half ago. She had lived with my grandmother Mollie for her entire life, and coveted Mollie's belongings for decades. When Gladys passed, I was left with the task of cleaning out her estate, which was a cluttered NYC apartment.

Gladys took care of my grandmother's possessions and they are in great shape, especially her collection of teacups. They are a thin fine porcelain, some hand stamped, some handpainted, each a different pattern.

It was difficult cleaning out her home. There was a part of me that thought it would be exciting, unearthing treasures, but it was an arduous task. I felt responsible for finding the right home for her possessions, creating care packages for my siblings and parents, and finding homes for objects where I knew they would be appreciated. The teacups stayed with me.

There is a store on Madison Avenue called Bardith, www.bardith.com , where I used to get beautiful porcelain pieces for shoots. Back then I was doing a lot of work for New York Magazine and needed special gift ideas for shopping guides. Now, in addition to Bardith, I search on Ebay and Etsy for special pieces to round out this mixed set.