Is this excessive for tableware?

19 years ago

my husband and I have been having a good natured debate on dishes as I love china and flatware. I use portmeirion botanic garden or french countryside for everyday. then i also have pink buffet plates with embossed della robbia fruuts along the rims for casual parties. for formal dining we use white with wide gold bands, then there are an assortment of different soup bowls, dessert plates, bread and a butter plates etc to make the table look more festive and colorful. I also have two stainless steel patterns and three sterling patterns with mixed ornate pieces. Most of them will serve 18. Is this excessive to most people?

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Comments (11)

chitownfifi
19 years ago
Not if you LOVE it and you use it! Different things make different people happy...I just registered for three different 12-piece settings for my wedding - a Haviland Limoges for fancy, Pottery Barn amber-colored earthenware for everyday, and a crisp white porcelain for those "in-between" occasions.
JessyFeldm_speakeasy
19 years ago
Happu -

Good timing. Check out two threads on the Cooking Forum. You'll be right at home with the members who need 'dish-detox'.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg0114030611385.html?48

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/gal0115465819966.html?14
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My paternal grandmothers china was foisted on me. Its sitting in a closet in a spare bedroom,where it will remain, I hate to say it, until my father passes and I can toss it without guilt. I dont hate it,its boring. But I will never use it. I have relinquished any claim to the china,crystal or silver that my parents have and never use anymore. Our family has grown too large to have a sit down dinner with everyone anyway. My sisters want the china and silver and all that, for sentimental purposes. I only want the tacky ceramic bowl with giant blue daisies on it. But to each their own. I will say that in the past 5 years or so I have had maybe a dozen acquaintances who have gotten married. I think only one registry had china. Only one had silver. The rest just had everyday flatware and plates and drinkware and stuff. And in those cases,I dont think it was a money thing,because also on those registries were other very expensive items. More expensive than the China or silver on the other ones. I never wanted china or silver of my own. It never even occurred to me. I only want Christmas dishes and flatware. I have the dishes, (not china) and I am searching for the flatware. Maybe less people are buying such things because they are being handed them down from parents or grandparents. I have some tablecloths and cloth napkins from my maternal grandmother. I will also never use those. My mom brought them to me because they are pink. She knows I will not use them,but thought i would appreciate them, if only for the color. And I do! And not only because my grandma HATED pink and it makes me giggle to think that she bought them because pink was the "feminine" thing to have. She had good taste though, something I will never claim to have. :)
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lindac
19 years ago
And why would care if it was excessive?
How are fixed for stemware?
Linda C
blazedog
19 years ago
I'm not sure why you would care about people's opinions as it depends entirely on one's lifestyle and storage needs.

If you are using it and it is not creating clutter, so be it.

I have acquired lots of china which I would love to get rid of -- old Fiesta, my grandmother's Limoge and my mother's Stangl. I also have silver flatware which I never use because it can't go in the dishwasher.

But one person's clutter is another person's passion :)
socks
19 years ago
I admire you for setting a beautiful table.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
19 years ago
Sounds to me like you need more! How about some Christmas china, and something foxhunt/woodsy/english for Thanksgiving?

And nothing you have will serve asian or mexican very well.

Go buy more. And make sure you get glasses, tablecloths, napkins, and flatware to coordinate.
yorkiemom_chicago
19 years ago
It sounds to me as if you have what my husband calls "the dishes gene." I have it, as do some of my cousins. I have my aunt's Paragon bone china (ornate Oriental pattern), my mom's Royal Copenhagen in Cornflower pattern, Spode Christmas Tree, and the Arabia Anemenoe that we have used for every day for 30 years. I also have a few filler pieces in Apilco. So you are not alone! It sounds like there are many of us. If the china gene does not cause problems in your budget or household, what could be more harmless? There is much to be said for gracious dining.
HappuCooker
Original Author
19 years ago
I am jewish so Christmas china is out, I do have some dishes that have stars of david and plates that say latkes in gold script. for asian i use the rice bowls with holes for chopsticks i found in ashville NC, oh my .. I am sounding excessive (grin)

as for stemware. crystal jumps up and falls over when ever i enter a room so i stopped buying the real stuff. cheapo stem ware form the world market seems to last forever.

sterling is forever too. anyone have frontenac?
lindac
19 years ago
Beautiful silver!!
How are you fixed for platters? LOL!
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: Frontenac
ellen76
19 years ago
When I was young, single, sexy and blonde, men used to give me all kinds of gifts. One day one of them gave me two place settings of china in a pattern I had admired. I promptly married the guy, before he could get away. Now I am old, gray and quite "full-figured," but I still cherish the china and the husband, who has enjoyed indulging my weakness for dishes for all these years.
londondi
19 years ago
My motto is "The one who dies with the most china WINS!". Seriously, if you love lots of different china, then great! I love setting a beautiful table. I have 8 different china patterns. I love each one of them. They range from blue and white china I got at the grocery store to Spode that is about $350 a place setting. (Everyone oohs and ahhs when they see me set that table!) I love china, silver and crystal. We don't go without because of my passion. My daughters have a true appreciation of lovely things. I think it's great!

Is this excessive for tableware?

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chitownfifi

JessyFeldm_speakeasy

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Is this excessive for tableware?

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