What a great idea! I have some old Depression glass my Grandmother left me in her will. They're in a cabionet gathering dust.

Okay, I'm gonna start living like you and begin using the crystal glass and stemware.
Hey, who said I can't drink Kool-aid from a martini glass?!

I use alot of my good stuff and give some to my DD's now so they can enjoy it too.

Life is short and so I am going to live it my way from now on LOL!!!

Lunchlady who is turning 60 this year and wants to shake her life up a bit!!!

Don't forget the red Fiesta ware is high in lead content.

My MIL gave me her 1950's era Fiesta about 15 years ago. They sat in the basement because the kids were too young and I was afraid the dishes would be distroyed. Oh, did I mention that it was service for 12, all the accessories and they had only beeen used ONCE!
4 years ago, during a total kitchen remodel, I had installed a glassed front "built in kitchen buffet" just to display those dishes. I finally got up the nerve to use them and you know what? They have held up much better the the new fiesta pieces I have bought.
You're right, life is too short.....Mom

Haven't used my fine crystal in I don't know when.
So got them out, the martini/cocktail glasses and served shrimp cocktails in them, for New Years.

Tried to sell them and no one wants fine crystal anymore!

A friend of mines' favorite saying is "Life's short; eat dessert first."

Ron

My Aunt used to say that about dessert too...and she did, for as long as I can remember she'd have her dessert first! She was a sweet lady, maybe that's why! Bless her heart, she's been gone for about 8 years now and I think of her often.

I got rid of my "good dinnerware" some years ago. But we were using it at the time... :-)

I use my "good silverware" daily. I can't imagine NOT using it.

Retire in May and spend time with my Grandbabies. I will do some traveling, too.

I have beautiful China complete service for 8. I think I may have used it 3 times since 1973. I even gave it to my Mother and now it is back in my Possession.

You guys keep reminding me of things I've forgotten I had. I may have to start selling on Ebay.

Gayle

That's the ticket YaYa! I agree, there's no time like the present. I do use most all of my dishes, none of it isn't worth enough not to use it actually. We're pretty casual around this house. Only thing, be sure to not let Twinkie use a steak knife on the collectible Fiesta Ware. Men are deadly with those things and can scar the crap out of a good plate. When serving anything that requires a sharp knife, the Corning ware comes out at our house. LOL

I have recently given some of my better dishes and silverware to my girls.I haven't used them in a long time so I figured they might as well enjoy them.Youngest DD is into having formal family dinners and such so I know she will enjoy them.
Here is something I found about the lead in the red dishes.Thought it might be of interest.Go ahead and use them!LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Lead in red dishes

I have been gradually collecting good dishes and silver for over 30 years. We eloped -- no silver or china wedding gifts. In fact, almost no gifts at all. DH bought me my Haviland Limoges antique dishes from a Chicago PBS tv auction fund raiser in the '70s, and I still love them. I wanted them when they showed them because they reminded me of my grandmother's china. I have my mother's crystal and silver serving plates and bowls. Recently, the family has been gifting me with pieces of sterling flatware in a pattern that looks nice with my lovely old plates. I got some more this Christmas because I had to borrow from my sister to have enough sterling ware for son's girlfriend who joined us at Thanksgiving. I use the good stuff for all our holiday meals, and the table looks lovely and holiday appropriate. This year we used the banquet cloth I recently crocheted to fit the dining room table with both leaves in it too. It was very pretty too.

Ive been using my good crystal dishes as everyday ware for years! Otherwise, what's the point in having it? Besides, I and my family deserve it! (JMHO)

Laurel

I have a heavy cut-crystal fruit bowl that was collecting dust, but for the past 5 years I have been using it for anything that I can think of....salads, soup, egg nog and this year as a plant pot for my pointsettia arrangement. I arranged some sparkling battery operated fairy lights around the inside of the bowl and sat the plant pot in the middle.

You guys, I guess I'm one of those "strange" women (don't you say a word...) but I've never had, nor wanted, china, silver, crystal, etc. I'm not a formal person at all and those things are beautiful - just not anything that I would ever want or use. I DO have a lot of vintage/retro type things and use a bunch of them.

Don't have any red fiestaware, that I can recall, so I guess we're okay. Although, thanks for the reminder about the steak knives, Summer! LOL

Good for you! I use everything now but couldn't really use any stuff from my collection of Pyrex and bone china before because I didn't have the kitchen to store it in or to even entertain.

I used my Mom's depression glass trays and crystal trays for serving my cookies this year and I used my Pyrex snowflake patterend pieces for Christmas dinner. I have Pyrex for every season. LOL

Now I have some of my Grandmas stuff I will use.

Life is too short to not use the stuff you enjoy.

I feel the way about putting money aside for your adult children to inherit when you are dead. Leave them enough to pay for your funeral expenses and debts and enjoy the rest if you can for vacations and things you really like. I've seen too many people while working for the bank who live like paupers, not spend any money on themselves only to leave their tens of thousands of dollars to their kids. Enjoy it now!

Anne

i have an incomplete set of noritake pre ww1 that was my ggm, and i just can't bring myself to use it...but at least i can see it daily, it that counts...

i used to love stoneware but over the years it just got too difficult to "lift" and put away so have switched to corelle...

I've always used my depresion glassware as "ordinary" bowls and dishes. ..the same as my grandmother did. Shocked me a few years ago when i realized the worth of some items.
Same as with the hand-cut lead crystal bowls and vases...family pieces that go back to my great-grandfather bringing them here from England. Everything's used, out on tables, etc.

It makes me happy to use the good stuff, so we do it all the time. Even water lately, we're drinking it out of cut-crystal highball glasses. lol And we use our Tiffin Killarney all the time, even when wild women wave their arms around and threaten to send it flying, YaYa. :)

Ya Ya, with her head down and stubbin' her toe in the dust...."But I ALWAYS talk with my hands that way, Miss Flamingo..."!

Go for it, you ya ya gal. I use it all, as often as I can, which is not nightly with just the two of us, but often. If it breaks while using, washing, etc., so???

Enjoy what you have and use it! Can you imagine lying in a casket with all the "good stuff" piled around you???????????? Me either!

I don't have any formal stuff, except maybe some crystal glasses. I could have taken my Grandma's good dishes, but honestly I had no place to store them and doubt I would have brought them out for special occasions anyhow. I use whatever I have (which isn't much! lol).

Speaking of lying in a casket with "all the good stuff" piled around you....one of my favorite possessions is an old concrete water trough that my husband moved here for me from our old place, which had been a dairy. Not exactly an easy feat, mind you. It is just over 10' long and 3 1/2' wide and has 8" thick sides.

I love that old trough...was poured with boards for a mold and you can see the faint outline of the wood grain in it, and whoever did it, did a great job and beveled the edge.
It is poured with finely crushed oyster shell and green moss grows on it. I go out and lovingly stroke it and splash water onto the moss. Of all my junk, I think I love it the most.

I had told my husband I didn't want to be buried when I died...unless I could be buried here on the place. I'm just too "queer", as my mother said about me, to go in a cemetary with all those other people...so I told him, put me in the trough and then pour a layer of concrete over me, and put the waterlilies and water back in. A second idea...put me in the trough, and pile in as much of my old junk as you can, and pour in concrete. Top off with my hundreds of old marbles. What a lovely tomb that would be! :))

When we moved in '98 I sold my "every day" dishes and stainless steel forks and stuff. Been using the "good stuff" ever since, even the crystal glasses. I also use grandma's table cloth and hand embroidered apron.

No use having those great items, if you have them stored away and never see them.

I LOVE using all that fancy stuff. Should have used it more often from the git go.

:)

Moni

oklahmoni - love the way you think!

Not too long ago, I retrieved all the good china and silver (that was only used on holidays) and gave it to my daughter...I figure, she can clean the silver and do whatever with the china...
I remember reading a little story or poem about putting things away or saving it for "good"...You know all those pretty sweaters etc., that you get but still wear the old ones...When my DMIL passed, we found alot of those "good" things in her drawers, never worn....You know, we only go around once, maybe we should do it in style.....

I sold all my "good stuff" at auction.

I started flying and I was always scared to fly. Have been to Arizona and surrounding states. Last November we went to California and this March we are going to San Antonio.
So that is my life is short splurge. Now I love flying!!
Kathy

I use all the things that I love. Dishes,linens,antiques that I've inherited and some that I've purchased. We don't live in a museum. DH and I intend to leave this world with everything used up. Our possesions and our bodies!