Several of my favorite blogs (you know who you are) are posting their collections of favorite things, and never being one to shy away from an opportunity to show off my favorite dinnerware collections, I'm jumping on the band wagon right along with them...
Up firs,t a service for 12 of Noritake china in the Graywood pattern, that is currently residing in my china cabinet.
This set belonged to my mother, and if I'm not mistaken, she bought it at a 'second-hand' store years ago for next to nothing. Both of my kids want this set and since I will not split up the service, I'm on the hunt for another set to keep them both happy.
The simple, yet elegant shape is timeless mid century modern, it went into production in 1959 (the year I was born) and retired in 1971. I use it for Thanksgiving dinners because the gray and platinum leaves remind me of fall, I also use it for most of my dinner parties.
I use modern wide banded platinum white wine glass for both white and red wine, and the stemless red wine glasses for water.
Up next is a fun, hand made set of zebra plates that I use with solid black stoneware.
I use this set for buffet style parties because they hold a lot of food... and who doesn't run out of room for food at the buffet line?
When our kids still lived at home, and were past the age of Trick-or-Treating... I would have a special Halloween dinner to fill the void, and would sometimes invite friends to join us. When Trick-or-Treaters would come to the door during dinner, it was customary for the diners to don a witches hat and go to the door to hand out treats.
I use these orangish tinted Fostoria crystal water glasses, Pottery Barn's Spider salad plates and jet black napkins with my solid black stoneware to set the perfect Halloween table.
Next on the dishes tour, is my first of many picnic baskets. This Brookstone willow basket was a Mother's Day gift from my husband when our kids were in grade school. This basket has seen many a 'winner-winner chicken dinner', and has been to more Forth Worth Symphony's Concerts in the Garden than I could count.
The glassware that came with this basket are bistro style instead of stemware. The cheese board and the handles of the cheese knives are real wood, the plates as well as the handles on the flatware are stoneware, and all the handles and straps are leather.
This is my favorite set of Christmas dishes, I love the simplicity of the simple reindeer silhouette with the large dots on the rims.
I bought 6 of these napkin rings at Pottery Barn a long time ago. I think they are retired and are now hard to find, if anybody knows where I can get some more
please let me know!
I use this set with gold accented stemware. The water glasses were my mothers, and the stemware is from Pier One.
This is the white dinnerware with gold rims that I use with my Christmas dishes, they are currently hanging out on my sideboard/bar in the breakfast nook.
I have a service for eight along with the serving pieces, it made by Sango and the pattern is Empress Gold, it was discontinued in 2001. I love the coffee pot, it's actually held more flowers than coffee.
Now for my personal favorite... Blue Garland by Johann Haviland. This setting for 12 also belonged to my mother, and I always use it at Easter because the tiny blue flowers remind me of Spring.
The pieces are really small, making it perfect for brunch or fancy luncheons, and I love the feminine scalloped edges lined in platinum and the sexy curves on the handles.
I like to use my blue stemware that I bought at a going out of business sale at a Bombay store in Fort Worth.
The last set I will show you is my 'everyday' brown stoneware, that also came from Bombay. It's well worn and comforting with its embossed wide rims and homespun color.
I hope you have enjoyed my 'Tour of Dishes'. I really don't consider myself a collector of anything, but I have acquired a lot of dinnerware over the years and enjoy bringing them out for various family dinners, holidays, parties and special occasions. And when you have a lot of dinnerware, you have to have a lot of stemware... but that's a whole nother post!
