ladykemma2

i'm in a dishy mood today.

i wrote this for me to get it out of my head so if this blog entry appeals to one person on the planet, yay! talk back!

i have a huge collection of plain white dishes (service for 16 - plain white porcelain "pottery barn" "great white coupe", pillivuyt, williams sonoma, BIA, and apilco). last week at the goodwill i found a large lion tureen (with a lid) by pillivuyt for 5 bucks. score!

last week i put away all the white dishes. I got out the brown transferware -johnson brothers "friendly village" - for the fall season. service for 10. i use wilton armetale pewter "plough" for the serving pieces with this set. currently for this set i seek a large teapot or coffeepot in the wilton armetale pewter plough or federal pattern.





most of my stuff is found used, garage sales, secondhand, ebay or thrift stores, so there is not a lot of money invested. one of my hobbies is to go to thrift stores looking for pieces to add. thursday i found a wilton plough serving bowl in the salvation army for 2 bucks.



i am certifiably insane when it comes to dishes, but never have understood why people don't use or don't buy fine china. is it that they don't want to hand wash them? can't use the dishwasher? simply not interested?

i get tired of my dishes, which is why i switch them out.

i was pleased to learn that lenox, trying to stay in business, has introduced a microwaveable, dishwasher safe, fine china. very pleasing shape and a gold rim, which i like.

here's how nutty I am. after thanksgiving i switch out the dishes for lenox "winter greetings". i use czech crystal serving pieces (TJ MAXX) with this set, this set will stay out until february.



then for the spring out comes the dansico pink "tea rose" - green stamps china. remember green stamps? these are definitely garage sale quality china. i think i bought the whole set 10 place settings for ten bucks at a second hand shop. i use pink molded glass and pink depression glass serving pieces with this set.



My "good" fine china is lenox "federal cobalt" gold. this is the set i rarely use - the expensive wedding china. i use silverplated and the czech crystal serving pieces with this set. a lot of work to polish the silverplate and my tastes have changed - don't really like the silverplate anymore. i think if i pull it out (minus the silverplate pieces) and it's in my face i will use it. it's gorgeous to the touch. I have always prefered lenox china for the way it feels.



i have a royal tara "book of kells" tea set i picked up in ireland. i use it every weekend. sadly, i broke the lid for the teapot and cannot find a replacement.



it's "just me" since the divorce and just serve from the stove and skip the serving pieces, but they're pretty to look at. i used to host dinner parties all the time.

my advice when buying china is to skip the expensive serving pieces that match the set. buy only 10-12 place settings and use generic crystal, pewter, armetale, silverplate or plain or cut glass serving pieces that can match any set. then hunt for people getting rid of place settings and buy them cheap.