Sunday, March 31, 2019

Around the Kitchen Table: Setting the Table + #Giveaway





LESLIE: One dish, two dish, red dish, blue dish.

Nine sets. That's how many dishes Mr. Right and I have collected, from four hand-rolled and glazed plates by the renowned potter, Dave Shaner, to service for four in my parents' Poppy Trail and service for who knows how many in my late MIL's Wedgewood. In our nearly 20 years of marriage, we've added to the classic "everyday white" Buffalo china and brought home the colorful melamine picnic set.

And we're not even talking stemware, flatware, or serving pieces. (Hands OFF my Fostoria Americana, you Kondo-maniacs!)


So when I saw this piece in the Washington Post about restaurants moving away from "the big white plate" to a more eclectic style, often mixing vintage patterns (or sturdier modern versions), I thought "Ha -- a trend I'm ahead of!" The red and black Poppy Trail -- I think my father, a traveling furniture sales rep, scored it on a visit to one of his dealers in the early '60s -- mixes artfully with the edged white Haviland plates Mr. Right grew up with. (In this photo, I've topped the two plates with a cup and saucer a dear friend brought me 30 years ago from Hong Kong. And a feather.) If more than 11 show up for our annual holiday brunch, we just slip those red plates into the stack of Haviland and four guests feel extra-special. More than 15? I haul out the pressed glass luncheon sets my mother used for her church circle gatherings. (I suspect they were freebies or "traffic items" my dad's company offered retail customers with purchases.)

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How do you set your table, Kitcheneers? Classic white or mix-and-match? Vintage? Heirlooms? One set sparks joy and begone with the rest?


DENISE: Like Leslie, I've picked up sets of dishes from various sources. When I married my Mr. Right, we registered for a  Pfaltzgraff Folk Art set for our every day dishes and bought a set of good china from some party we attended.

Our next set  came from my Grandma Swanson's estate. No one wanted the old green dishes she used for everyday so I took them. Later, I discovered they were Jadeite and highly collectible.




After that my mom gave me a 1950's Capri Seashell snack set and my mother-in-law gave me a violet snack set.



I also have a complete set of Christmas dishes thanks to my mom's luck at raffles.




So what do we eat on? You guessed it--plain white plates I bought in bulk at Meijer.

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LUCY BURDETTE: Most of my plates have come from Ebay, both fine china and everyday, believe it or not. We have one set of beautiful china, which I fell in love with when John and I were looking years ago. He couldn't quite get over how "wild" it was (see the little animals and palm trees,) so we gave up looking. Some years later he realized how cute it was, but by then it was no longer made. So he found it for me on Ebay, great guy that he is. 

And P.S., I'm not a famous decorator, so mostly I use little props from our daughter's wedding to complete the table.
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Daryl:  Moving around a lot has made me divest of lots of pieces. I have my favorite platters and bowls and such.  An earthquake took a lot of my stemware, including pieces I inherited from my mother. But I still have all the fine china that my husband and I received for our wedding. Royal Doulton. Simple and elegant. I remember shopping with him for just the right pattern. I have used it yearly for all  holidays that aren't Christmas. Why not Christmas? Way back when, Chuck surprised me with a complete set of Spode Christmas Tree dishes and glassware. What a treat. Every year since, we've added a serving dish to the collection. I love "breaking out the dishes" for the holidays. I stack them up, wash them, make sure there are no chips, set the table... It's festive and fun. As for everyday, I use a set of plain white dishes. Food looks good on white.  However, I do have an eclectic collection of single pieces of china and simply colorful plates that I use to display the foods I cooked for Mystery Lovers Kitchen. 
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PEG:  Over the years, we collected a beautiful set of dishes from Cerulean called
"Vieux Chine."  The dishes are very "precious" and need to be hand washed so consequently I don't use them all that much anymore.  But they look very pretty in the china cabinet!

One day I went into TJ Maxx and saw a dozen plates with a toile de Jouy pattern.  I think they were about $4.99 each.  I convinced myself I didn't need any more plates even though I had fallen in love with them--the plates depicted each of the four seasons in the well-known toile pattern.  We went on vacation and when we got back two weeks later I decided if the plates were still there, I would buy them.  They were and I did! 


I did a little research on them (Wikipedia so nothing too deep) and discovered the Niderviller pottery manufacturer, which is listed on the back of the plate, is one of the most famous French pottery manufacturers of faience. It has been located in the village of Niderviller, Lorraine, France since 1735. My husband is convinced they are "Christmas plates" because the toile is red and white and because I generally only use them in December!


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Sheila Connolly: Generations of my family seem to have been avid collectors of fine china, and somehow I ended up with 69 bone china teacups and 14 teapots. And a lot of dessert plates. (You'd think the family had been obsessed with dessert!) There's only one inherited dinner service, which belonged to my great-grandmother, and I use it only for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as it must be washed by hand.


But I thought you might enjoy this doll's tea party. My grandmother worked for Lipton Tea in Hoboken and then New York in the 1950s, and this would have been a promotional picture for them dating from 1952. I love all the doll-size furniture, and we kept the Chinese porcelain miniature tea-set for years, and for a time I had the doll's high-chair that the bear on the right is sitting in. Don't miss the cat sitting under the table!

P.S. I'm having a wonderful time picking up mismatched plates at Irish flea markets and second-hand stores! No sets any more.



Cleo Coyle: Good food on a white plate describes our daily routine. Because Marc and I grew up in working class households, we have no heirlooms to speak of; and because we make our living in the arts (LOL!), we have never splurged on fine china. Older New Yorkers may remember a famous store called Fishs Eddy (Broadway & 19th Street). The store is still around, though it's very different these days (selling mainly new and novelty dishware). Years ago, however, Fishs Eddy primarily featured an eclectic mix of old plates, cups, flatware, and glassware excavated from NYC basements, restaurants, diners, etc., which they would re-sell in their retail store front. Marc and I always enjoyed going through the store to see the interesting lots the owner found. Here’s a pic of one of the restaurant plates that I purchased years ago—a great canvas for serving steaks and chops. 


If you'd like this recipe,
click here or on the photo above.

Whatever plates you have, whatever good memories they bring, we hope you will always eat with joy! 


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What about you, readers? Classic white or mix-and-match? Use "the good stuff" or leave it in the china cabinet? Leave a comment below with your email address for a chance to win our Mystery Lovers' Kitchen prize package -- an ARC of Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson, the new paperback edition of Death on the Menu by Lucy Burdette, and a paperback of Wreath Between the Lines by Daryl Wood Gerber! (US addresses only; winner will be chosen Thurs, April 4.)





107 comments:

  1. Cleo, I remember Fishes Eddy! We bought dishes there --a dozen large white (heavy) plates for $.75 each! Also some oval ramekins we used to make individual pot pies. I remember they had sets of dishes from some of the old ocean liners and we spent hours looking around!

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    1. Peg - So glad to know you also have great memories of the store! I remember those ocean liner dishes, too. The store is still there (Broadway & 19th) and still run by the same woman. She still sells old china and mix and match plates, too. For anyone visiting NYC, it's still a fun place to shop and a great part of the city to visit--between the Union Square farmer's market (open Mon., Wed., Fri, Sat.) and Eataly.

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    2. Paper plates. I shred them afterwards and put them in the worm bin. Retired to a house without a dishwasher and I am on strike.

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  2. We have a set of Corelle that we use. The china stays in the cabinet.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  3. I have Fiestaware, which I love, love, love, and I add new colors when they come out and pick up old ones at garage and yard sales. I only registered for China because my mom made me, they are still in the boxes, never used. We have one holiday meal every year, Thanksgiving, which loans itself well to using the Fiestaware, so looking to offload the China on someone. My mom, on the other hand, has about 3 different sets of China, including one for Christmas and one for Easter. Kkcochran (at) hotmail (dot) com

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    1. Oh, I love Fiestaware -- and so does my gal, Pepper! Both the vintage and the new colors are so pretty and dish-washer safe so they can be used every day and still look great!

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  4. I like to use the good china on special occassions and have a very nice set we received as a wedding present. I also have a stoneware I use on a daily basis. I feel paper products should be used sparingly. bernice-kennedy(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  5. For many years, we used a yellow set of what was called Melmac for our every day dishes and the Butterfly Gold Corelle set that was a wedding gift from my parents for our "company dishes". Now I use my Mother's Corelle (flower pattern) for every day. Still have the Butterfly Gold Corelle. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

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    1. I bet there's a lot of Corelle in MLK readers' kitchen cabinets! Ours -- ee-gad, a 10th set -- is in the garage in a box of dishes we took out of the camper when we sold it!

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  6. I leave the "good stuff" in the china cabinet. It was here already when we moved in and to be honest, I don't really like it, but it belongs to my husband's grandmother so I can't get rid of it. I have mixed sets that we use for everyday. JL_Minter@hotmail.com

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    1. Hmmm. Any other family members who might think they're just the thing? I firmly believe dishes want to be used!

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    2. I have a full set of my mother-in-law's china in boxes in the basement. It's supposed to be for one of my girls to have eventually but I'm pretty sure neither of them is going to want it.

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    3. I've got my MIL's Wedgewood for a similar reason -- her daughter had a set and *her* daughters weren't interested, so my husband said "sure!" I hope the girls will change their minds... And my niece has my mother's Noritake, which is fine with me!

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  7. If I had more cupboard space, I'd have a lot more sets. It seems I give them away every time I move. Mixing them? I'd never thought of that!

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  8. Oh goodness! The dishes! Lol! Well, for years we were a family of 6, so we had to have LOTS of dishes. My mom bought us 2 sets of John Deere dishes (plates, bowls, cups, etc). My MIL gifted us 3 sets of Christmas dishes for our first holiday season. We have moved from the farm (and the farm décor) and so I have gotten rid of most of those John Deere dishes. Now I have an eclectic mix of other dishes given to us. I have a set of 4 clear glass plates and bowls. I have a set of 8 springtime colorful plates and bowls. When we had family coming for a wedding this fall, we realized we may need more dishes, so we bought several types of navy and white dishes. Now I have 16 plate settings. Lol! wjcline (at) att (dot) net

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    1. I forgot about my 2 formal china sets, one from my mom from 1972 and one from my grandma from 1948. Those only come out on rare occasions.

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    2. John Deere dishes? What a hoot! Years ago, I visited a client who had a John Deere toy and model collection -- hundreds of pieces -- but no dishes! Those navy & white sound classic, and great for mixing and matching!

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  9. We have just about worn out our everyday dishes, and I am thinking maybe that it is time to use our good china from time to time instead of just letting it sit in the china cabinet. I also collect Gaudy Welsh China which I inherited from my maternal Grandmother, but it's more for display than use. bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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  10. I love using Fiestaware. I like mixing the colors and it makes for an interesting table setting. My "good" China is all packed away in my China cabinet. My Mom gave it to me when I got married, but I can only remember using the "good" china a few times. These days I want dishes I can put in the dishwasher.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Fiestaware is perfect for mixing and matching! Our Metlox is comparable to the Fiestaware, so it goes in the dishwasher, as does the all-white Haviland. I have friends who put their good china, with designs and all, in the dishwasher -- modern appliances have a delicate setting, so if yours does, you might consider it. My only hesitation would be for metallic trim, though a friend with gold-trimmed china does use hers everyday and uses the dishwasher.

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  11. We have a mixed collection that we use.
    1.Fiestaware
    2.Plastic plates with whimsy designs from Kohl's (I've had these plates since my kiddos were little)
    3.BGH plastic picnic plates with southwest design.
    Bakingcookies32(at)Gmail(dot)com

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  12. I just love plant themed dishes and though I promised myself no more purchasing due to lack of space, I just found a set at TJ Max last week that are beautiful. After reading Peg's comment, I might go back next weekend. I have a large set if wheat dishes as I am originally from Kansas and it was fun to collect at antique shops. I also have my mom's wedding set of fine china with a pattern name of Patricia so how can I not keep that? Everyday is a beautiful set of Correlle with purple flowers. And I keep one or 2 of other botanical plates I can't resist buying, like my sunflower dessert plates from Pier One. Retirement coming end of May and I plan on entertaining more and getting more use out of my collections. patruta.mcghan@gmail.com

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    1. Go get those dishes! You won't regret it. I'm retiring at the end of April and plan to do more socializing as well!

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  13. Being married almost 45 years we've had plenty of dishes. We registered for Noritake stoneware (which now is in the hands of my nephew and his family), Corelle ware, and now I have Phaltzgraf "Naturewood" which I love. We entertain ever so often and plan only light meals. I like to use my "mismatched" dinnerware and glasses. It's fun to change things up. I have also collected a couple dozen "platters", Jadeite restaurantware, tea cups and saucers (Grand daughter and I have tea parties a lot). To go along with all these collections is my massive amount of vintage linen.

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    1. forgot to add my email: lsum1258 at aol dot com

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  14. I went Fiesta. Everything I had I no longer had, due to a combination of circumstances (long and boring), so it was time for a clean slate. My mom always wanted Fiesta and never got it, and I am fickle - I knew i'd never decide on ONE pattern or ONE color. So, Fiesta. I've now interspersed some Pioneer Woman patterns in there for serving pieces, but I have 14 place settings of Fiesta, all different colors. We truly do eat the rainbow in this house! Well, we eat off of it, anyway!

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  15. I'm pretty darn eclectic! I love to mix & match colors, styles and patterns. If it makes me happy, I use it! I collect vintage/antique china and linens 😊
    Cheers-
    Kelly Braun
    Gaelicark(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. I did not want china when we married so I registered only a stoneware pattern from Independence Stoneware. It's a pattern I haven't seen since! It has a grayish background with stylized flowers in dark blue with a little metallic gleam to it. Then four or five years later I ordered more stoneware from England through an American Express offer. The plates are a lovely off-white or cream. The design is molded: grape leaves, grapes, strawberries, strawberry leaves and flowers. The molds were found and reused. It was originally produced by Davenport, 1794-1887, Burleigh, Staffordshire, England. Both sets are used all the time! I also have some clear glass dessert plates with round nobs all along the rim. My aunt had those and I'm sure they were inexpensive when she bought them.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. Oh, I wish you could all post pictures with your comments, but Blogger doesn't allow that. :( Your aunt's dessert plates sound like Depression glass -- so many wonderful styles, including my Fostoria Americana and the still-popular green and pink dessert sets.

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  17. Mix and match except at Passover.

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  18. Out everyday dishes are Corelle and I also have my Grandma’s China that is probably from the 50s

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  19. I use old stuff right now, stuff my bought at the grocery store when they had dish deals. My good stuff is boxed and in the closet. I plan on using it when I get tired of the old stuff. Vickiela3@hotmail.com

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  20. I have fiesta dishes all different colors. My favorite is purple. Also corelle

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  21. I use plain white porcelain for everyday, and the Christmas stoneware comes out every December. As for "good" dishes, I have my classic Lenox Eternal plus my mother's, grandmother's, and great-aunt's China. I also have several random cups and saucers and my other grandmother's wedding dishes and snack set. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com

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  22. The china and crystal stay the the china cabinet. I have a full set of white stoneware that was used only once that sits in the basement. We use corelle for everyday---I'm just too uncoordinated to use anything that breaks easily when dropped---but even corelle breaks if it hits the floor at just the right angle.
    farrell@crosslake.net

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  23. My husband and I still use the dishes we got when we married in England, 43 years ago--Quince oven-to-tableware by Wedgewood. They were discontinued years ago, but I find replacements online through Replacements.com or on Ebay. I love a properly set table--with a cloth napkin. Easy to throw in the wash and saves on paper use.

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  24. My daughter didn't select a wedding pattern. Instead, she likes the Chinese willow pattern, and she periodically finds pieces at antique or junk shops. They are all mix and match, but she enjoys them.

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  25. Many moves meant that we did not keep anything but a generic plate ware. That way, when something was broken or chipped we were not too upset. The set is white and used for family and company meals. Would love some fun pieces to mix and match. Maybe after the next move.
    Little lamb last at yahoo dot com

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    1. Sounds like that will be the time to treat yourself!

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  26. I use classic white, but I like the look of mismatched vintage tableware—I guess I don’t have enough confidence that I could mix them successfully. Legallyblonde1961@ yahoo.com

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    1. Give it a try -- if you use your classic white as the common element, almost anything will look great!

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  27. We have a set of matching dinner plates, which we found at a thrift store in the neighborhood. We've been collecting mismatched bowls whenever we go to street fairs and find something we like at one of the pottery booths. Finally, a co-worker gave me a lovely set of bowls that are painted in mediterranean colors of fruits and vegetables. My husband is now on a quest to find matching plates. Wish us luck! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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  28. I love how nice fine china looks, but I'm too afraid to use it. It might get damaged. I just use regular every day dishes that are turquoise. I also have some random every day pieces that get mixed in every once in a while. They don't necessarily match the main set, I just thought they were pretty so picked them up.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  29. Everyday dishes are a beautful set of fine china I picked up at a flea market. I love the pattern and weight of the pieces. Who shouldn't enjoy eating on fine china? I also have a very old set of Limoges china and pick up random pieces of Limoges as i find them. Pam pellis07@gmail.com

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  30. I only have one set - my parents had everyday & special occasion - I love the idea of mix and match ! thanks for the contest - tr Williams 69 (at) msn (dot) com

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  31. Aren't dishes interesting?
    When I married we chose a Mikasa set that was heavy and colored in warm orange colors with a brown trim. It did little for showcasing the food on it and we grew tired of it quickly.
    As we come across interesting pieces, we buy them. Mostly ones with a blue motif.
    I enjoy the eclectic mix.
    For fancy times, we use family dishes (yes, hand wash only). Older dishes show how much larger our portions are now. The dinner plates are about the size of today's lunch plates.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. It's true -- modern dinner plates are larger, though I'm seeing a trend toward shrinking them again.

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  32. We don't have special China, but I would love to have one or two nice teacups. Since I am the dishwasher, we tend to use paper plates more often than the Corelle set I have. Already have Wreath between the Lines.
    jeaniedannheim (at)ymail(dot)com

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  33. Our everyday dishes are corelle which is practical. When we have special dinners I use our good set which was my aunts. A very pretty flower pattern. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. I have a full set 12 piece China that my brother brought home from Japan in 1955. I would love to know its value
    We use it at holidays. We have a set of octagon shaped white with black flowers we got when we got married 48 years ago that dosn't get used often. I also had a wonderful set with moose and black bears big square plates from Kohls. I collect moose but they got mostly broken using Temtations stoneware currently with pansy pattern

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  35. Forgot thanks for the chance Candykennedy46@gmail.com

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  36. I enjoy using the fiestaware for our lunches and dinners but for occasions I use a very fine china which is stored in the cupboards and never used. It is very delicate and I have to be careful. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  37. We rarely use the good stuff. Corelle ware is good for us
    Ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

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  38. I like to mix it up and we have several mixes we use on a regular basis. But I keep my wedding china in a china hutch. My mom gave them to us and while she was alive I would use them every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But since she passed away I haven't been motivated to use them. Maybe someday, or I will pass them down to my granddaughters.

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  39. My mother, who died in 2010, left my sister and me 29 sets of dishes, the one I put my dibs on was the set of Fostoria Americana for 16 along with the largest punch bowl made in this pattern along with 50 cups. She bought the punch bowl & cups after I'd left home. One of my favorite memories was my 10th birthday in early January. It was the first boy & girl party, limited to 8 of each sex. We were all in our Sunday best and my mother had pulled out the Fostoria and the the sterling silver-Wallace Grande Baroque-and the beautiful square cake stand for the cake. All of our birthdays featured that cake stand. My dad grilled hamburgers on the patio and the wind was blowing (it always blows in Wichita) and it was below freezing. We ate hamburgers and potato salad off the dinner plates and cake & ice cream off the salad plates. Mom had started her set of Fostoria and Grand Baroque after she married 1941-a small "wedding" in the pastor's living room. She always worked because she wanted fine things and was rather independent. She started out with 4 salad plates, 4 cups & saucers, and 4 salad forks, adding pieces as she could until she ended up with this huge set for 16.
    Also, there was the Fiesta Ware for everyday use, a set for 8; Franciscan "Desert Rose"-our Sunday dishes-a service for 12, which she gave to me 25 years ago; 6 sets of Frankoma (mom and dad were both from Oklahoma) in different patterns and glazes-the "Mayan Aztec" in Desert Gold for our "other" everyday dishes; 4 sets of Mikasa-I kept the "Tender Violets" set; and the biggest surprise, a set for 12 called "Blue Garland" made by Johann Haviland in Bavaria, Germany. Bluish-white bone china white with tiny blue flowers edged in platinum. It belonged to mom's great aunt, who died in the mid-1920s. Two sets of Christmas dishes-the breakfast set and the china set for dinner. There was a lot we'd never seen before and there was no bickering among the women in the family about who was getting what dishes-we were swamped! Of course there were table linens for all the dishes-usually a couple of sets for the crystal & china and more for the everyday dishes. I bought my first set of dishes when I was 20-Metlox "Cinnamon". I bought a set for eight not thinking about breakage when one has roommates. I packed it up when the "Desert Rose" came to me. Unfortunately "Cinnamon" was not a popular pattern and was discontinued after a year or two. Mom made much better choices with her many patterns!

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    1. I also forgot to add my addy.

      pminutah@yahoo.com

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    2. 29?! You win! Desert Rose is still popular, along with the Apple pattern. I've seen Metlox "Cinnamon," but you're right -- never popular. I've got "Poppy Trail," the red and black, and do see pieces from time to time. But of course, you had me at the Fostoria!

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  40. I have a set of Royal Albert China that I got when we lived in Canada 36 years ago. I use it on special occasions. I also have many China tea cups that I use when I have a ladies tea. So much fun to use them!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

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  41. Ooh dishes, one of my favorite things to collect! (I've stopped now, I think.) ;) I opted not to get china when we got married, so picked Lenox Temperware "Blue Breeze" dinnerware that could go in the dishwasher or oven. (This was before we had one, but they're also microwave-safe,too) They've gone well with the blue-and-white decor of most all my kitchens. (Only got 7 dinner plates, though.)Then I started "antiquing", hitting the flea markets, garage sales, ceramic shops,etc. and gathered an abundance of various beauties through the decades. In the late 90's 3 friends and I each got a complete set of 12 pretty white with floral-&-blue striped rimmed ones at bargain prices from a grocery store promo-sale. Those became our everyday, besides the set of 4 Fiesta turquoise plates and bowls, and complete set of 4 pink with turquoise rimmed set, which I'd previously used to mix and match at dinner parties for 8, and mixed things up when we had more people, which was often. Meanwhile, M-I-L & mother both gave us 2 different sets of 6 grocery-store bargains, in beige and brown tones. In 2000 I inherited late M-I-L's set of Haviland "Apple Blossom" china, still in boxes. We have plates hung on the walls, on shelves, on the sideboard and in the china cabinet & 2 corner built-in display cabinets in the kitchen & dining room. Along with tea cups, and glassware. (Love cranberry glass and pink depressionware)I only regret that I just have one Franciscanware "Desert Rose" plate, but too late now. Yep, I'm overrun with all my "pretties"! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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    1. Love that turquoise Fiesta, and mixing it with the stripes set and white pieces would look so fresh -- perfect for spring!

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  42. Proudly display AND use three sets of china. I have my Granny's set - late 1930's, my Mom's set -early 1960's and our set - bought in the 1980's. Each set has it's own special memories and I love to use them all. It will depend on my mood and what emotions I may feeling that day on which dishes we use. I'm a firm believer in using it. While nice to look at it was made to use and we do. There are a couple pieces that have a little nick and we say they add character and memories of when they happened. I'm sure there was heartache when they happened. I wish they had known the memories they would bring up years later and maybe they would have smiled instead of frowning.

    Now grant you we have dishes/dishes too for that bowl of cereal or for a snack. I do love Corelle dishes which are almost indestructible. I say almost because when they do break they don't crack they shatter. I mix those with old odd and end dishes as well as things like the bright colored 50's pyrex mixing bowls for serving bowls.

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Oh, Kay, love your attitude! And I've got those Pyrex bowls, too -- the set I grew up with!

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  44. I use nice everyday and the good stuff when I can. I have decided recently why have all of these nice things, and never use it. Silver, China and crystal all ready for use! dubecara (at) gmail (dot) com

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  45. Everyday dishes are a mix and match. We use my grandmother's china for holidays and special occasions.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  46. I adore China and had a hard time working in the china department at Belk because I wanted to bring it all home! My favorite is fiestaware in all colors as everyday and it’s hard to pick a “fine” china brand and pattern because I love it all! Mostly due to my RA we use paper plates (less chance of breaking) but I have a few mix matched pieces of colorful everyday plates and I did have a whole set of Yorktown that my Grandmother gave me but the plates are slowly breaking and cracking so they don’t get used much.
    tiggercat24alisha@yahoo.com

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  47. I decided a few years ago to use my Lenox China and Waterford crystal daily. Not sure why I was saving it. I do not use my sterling though because it’s just too dang hard to keep shiny. carters@columbusacademy.org

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    1. Susan, try a silver chest with an anti-tarnish block inside! We use my mother's sterling a few times a year and NEVER have to polish it! In fact, I want to find a similar box for my jewelry!

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  48. I haven't really used all my good china from when I got married. Always afraid that I would break things! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com!

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    1. I get that, but how often do you actually break a dish? And if you do and have service for 11-1/2 instead of 12, that's not really a big deal, is it? At least you'd have the joy of using it!

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  50. We've decided to use the good stuff. Life is too short.

    kckendler at gmail dot com

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  51. No china here, just mix and don't match. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  52. I have the set that was my grandmother's. It was let to my mom and she never took it out of the box. I brought the box with me to FL and they are beautiful. Gold trimmed with small pink roses, which are my favorite. There are a few pieces missing which doesn't matter to me, I just think of my very southern grandmother every time we use them. I save them for special occasions. pgenestt7 at aol dot com

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    1. They sound lovely, and of course, the memories are part of why we love this stuff, right?

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  53. What I use depends on the occasion. And the size of the gathering. For everyday use? White Corelle. Large group? mix and match of red Cape Cod and Winter White Corelle. Small gathering? Blue Crystal. Moderate group? Hummingbird Lead Crystal deepotter (at) peoplepc (dot) com

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  54. I have been dragging from house to house my grandmother's china for years. I only had it out on display once. Some pieces have never been used and still wrapped in plastic.

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  55. Fiesta in cobalt, peacock and white.
    Kdegenn1@gmail.com

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  56. Mix & Match. It stays in the cabinet. 1cow0993(at)gmail(dot)com

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  57. I had to put dishes away in China cabinet. My table has my son's college applications and college scolarship essays stuff all over it. Cathiturnbull1@gmail.com

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    1. Ha! We just got the tax stuff off ours! (Good luck to him!)

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  58. We have, and use daily, TBD Corelle Butterfly Gold that we got in very early 70s -- WOW, we have been using them for over 45 years!!
    We also have, and use, the matching pyrex mixing bowls, casseroles, and coffee mugs.
    There have been times I have seen pretty dishes I liked, but we have never wanted to have to replace the quantity we have of the corelle -- 16 large dinner plates, 16 salad plates, 16 little dessert plates, probably that many cereal bowls, but less of the little bowls, 2 each of 2 different sizes serving bowls, plus platters. We have added a few of the plain white corelle pieces over the years.
    And I do think the butterfly gold sets a pretty table.
    We do not have a China cabinet, so everything is in the kitchen cabinets.

    donna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

    [maybe this time it will post]

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    1. Where did that "TBD" come from? Auto correct strikes again.

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  59. Usually it's miz and match. Don't entertain much anymore.
    judytucker1947(at)gmail(dot) com

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  60. I have all white dishes and change up linen colors and table decorations for each season and holiday.

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  61. I have just plain white dishes but colorful placemats and table runners make them stand out. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  63. I love a nice table presentation. I have always preferred matching dishes, although lately I am getting more comfortable adding bowls, platters, napkins, glasses, etc. to change it up a bit.
    After my MIL passed away, my husband and I got her dishes. I loved them! Especially because they were from her. I did not use them often, but the last time I did was several years go when I broke one. I was afraid to use them again, sure I would break more.
    A year or so ago, we gave the dishes to my daughter. She makes wonderful holiday and family meals using her grandmother’s dishes. She is an excellent cook and her house and kitchen always looks fantastic. (It smells fabulous as well!!!) My daughter has brought these family dishes back to life. Besides her paternal grandmother’s dishes, she has and uses my mother's silver cutlery. (I am proudly to have my grandmother’s silver cutlery, which I have not been able to break!)
    Christmas of 2017, my husband, dishes knowing I liked everything to match, got me two sets of plain white dishes. They are perfect for me and we use them every day. For fun, I can dress them up with my favorite tropical theme. For holidays, I can add a holiday tablecloth, platters, napkins, and centerpiece.
    I always hope everything will look just right so we can display my Mr. Right’s excellent kitchen creations. He is a fabulous cook. My daughter obviously inherited his skills.

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    1. Jo, what a perfect way to share the legacy of those dishes by passing them on to your daughter! I love that you said she brought them "back to life." And you're spot on with the flexibility of the classic white!

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  64. We have white Corelle, as well. I do have Mikasa's Mediterrania dishes, too, as a friend was selling them in a garage sale. They're both in the cupboard for everyday use. I have no dishes that are for "special occasions" either. I'm just a functional-use sort of person. beckri1 at yahoo dot com

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  65. We have a pretty set with ivy that I inherited from my aunt, and a rose set from my mimi. But, we eat on Corelle. My parents, and many other family members, worked at the Corning Glass factory, and everyone gave it as gifts. It keeps me linked to those days in the past.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail (dot) com

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    1. What a nice memory, Gloria! This past Christmas was the first without my mom and I really enjoyed hanging on our tree the red and green glass bells she bought at the Corning Glass factory, probably in 1981.

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  66. I use my Mama's Vintage Fiestaware. I love using colors! I've added more to it over the years. I feel my Mom there. ..

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    1. So many Fiestaware fans here! (I don't have any, but my gal Pepper, in the Spice Shop Mysteries, collects it!)

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  67. In the RV, we use classic white Corelle. At the condo, we use Corelle or special dishes collected from family. It’s fun to mix it up when we can. My niece has my Royal Doulton wedding china now and I am happy my set found a new home.

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  68. I love mix and match My a Holiday China are different place settings from many different companies! I do have a set of Lenox Eternal, my wedding China that I use daily but I also collect old Spode pieces or set at Estate sales, I love the tableware being part of the conversation: mybarnie@optonline.net

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    1. Sounds lovely! My BFF's older sister didn't get wedding china, so over the years when she'd see a set she liked, she'd buy one place setting. Every guest at her table gets their very own pattern!

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  69. Mr. B isn't much on mix'n'match dishes but we do have several sets of varying settings of dishware. Some from his bachelor days, some from mine, a set of nice china my sister found at a crazy 'junk' store, the set Mr. B bought to replace the everyday set we'd had since we married in '01 and used for ten years. I was ready for a changeup and he ordered a new set.
    VWinship at aol dot com

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    1. We might be tempted to call Mr. B an old grouch, but we have to admit, he's a generous one!

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