Maria, thanks for posting the link. I never thought to do that. Each dinner plate is different as are the sandwich plates and mugs. Cups and saucers do not come with the basic set, the mugs do instead. I like them better anyway, less to load in the dishwasher. I bought the rice bowls to use as soup/cereal bowls cause they are nice and deep. They are all alike in butterfly design, as are the dipping bowls (small squarish shape). I use them for fruit, which we have nearly every night for dinner. I also have the big platter and serving bowl, salt and pepper shaker, creamer and sugar bowl. I just found the little loaf dish at Belk's and I will probably use it for cranberry sauce or such at the holidays. There is a bread platter but didn't catch it on sale the last time I saw it. They do have matching napkins, placemats. However the only place I could find them was at Dillard's and they were so expensive. So instead, I bought the tablecloth, white with butterflies, to use for bigger dinners. (I found extra pieces at Marshalls so I now have a service of 8, basic set is for 6.) I found white placemats, bordered in green that I use just for us. At the time I couldn't find a matching green for the napkins, which would have worked since there is green on each plate. So I decided to mix up the colors. The napkins are either coral, a marve color pink, or a lavendar, medium blue or yellow. I recently also found the napkin rings at Marshalls and they have the same leaf pattern with ladybugs on them that the dipping dishes do. This past Christmas DH gave me the dessert plates. A set of 4 has a yellow plate, pink, green, and blue one. Each with a different butterfly in the middle. I see now they have the bowls to match and the mugs. Yes, DH is a sweetie. Especially when it comes to my butterflies. I bring in the eggs, caterpillars and raise them to chrysalis stage and release them when they emerge. Besides, it makes it easy for him to shop for me. Anything butterly-ish makes me happy. Jewerly, clothes, dishes, gardening. HA!

Yes, they are brass. The thrift shop throws away much nicer things than they have in the store. Saturday night, just before they closed, someone dropped off a big donation of several boxes of stuff and the workers set it all by the dumpster, because the dumpster was full. Most donations go to the dumpster. They have a distribution center that sends a truck every day, and their back room is crammed, packed full. Anyway, I brought home a truck load of stuff. A lot was bird houses and wooden novelties and lots of interesting jars and bottles. I kept a few bottles, one bird house that had the Texas flag on it, and gave the rest to a friend of mine who sells that kind of stuff anyway and is going to open a shop. I also got a nice braided rug and a cut glass (not pressed) bowl...it isn't a real old one, but it is very nice, despite 3 chips on the rim from being tossed in the dumpster. They aren't really obvious tho. I got a lot of other stuff...can't remember it all now. There were 2 sinks in there too, but they were rusted very badly around the drains. Oh, another thing I got was a little teapot made to be a trinket box. It was made by Baum Bros. and was in a box from Harrod's in London. The medical cabinet came from my favorite junk store. They had it sitting outside under a lean to, so fortunately, not damanged any more than it is. I am going to spring for another beveled glass for the door. It will be expensive, but will look best, in the end. I paid $70 for it.

I've just found this thread. My best treasures from yard sales fall into 2 categories. - one is decorative things that completely matched the bill of what I was looking for, and had been unable to find at any price. I have a den that has an African/international theme. I wanted large art for the walls that had certain unusual color combinations and fit the feel of the room. AFter years of exhaustive searching in galleries and catalogues, I found a wonderful Eastern European batik - it's looks more African - yellows and reds, looks like a man and woman facing each other (similar profiles to some African carvings), with some fertility-like symbols. It was $4. I would have spend 100 times that and couldn't have found anything more perfect. Then a few years later, I found an Asian cloth painting - probably from Thailand. Again, perfect colors and fit. It was already framed and cost $5. Lastly, we were looking to replace an ugly offwhite accordian lampshade, with colors to match an atypical combination in our LR. Looked in lots of lamp stores, catalogues, art fairs. No avail. Then found one that was tailor-made - can't remember if it was $1 or $3. Hand-painted, colorful, but washed colors (like Alexnadra Julian watercolor sheets). - The other categories of great finds is all the toys I've discovered for my daughter (whose 5). At less than $1, I can afford to buy many things to find the few she might like. It's a great money savings. But mroe importantly, I've discovered toys I didn't know existed and some which are no longer made (like the English Bluebird polly pocket compacts). I love everything about yard sales. Exploring neighborhoods, talking to people, getting bargains, and finding treasures I might never have found elsewhere. pp.s. Oh, and boxes and boxes (hundreds of dollars worth) of Christmas village decorations for $20.

OMG, I can't wait to find one. I have to pick my battles with my DH. He is 32,000+ days old and still doesn't know what is junk and NOT junk. If I find one, I will surely need to get my brother to pick it up for me. He will have to put it in his basement for me to work on (that's why God made brothers). I already have a spot for it in our dining room. But that means I will have to put my china cabinet in the room off the dining room. And, that means the DH's ugly "Man" desk will have to go upstairs in our bedroom (another reason God made brothers). I have the same veggie strainer and rack (have glasses in it now, but that will change) as you have and a few more oldies but goodies that are crying out for this stove to show off. Yes show off!!! How did you paint the door and leave the wording? I love the color just the way it is, and agree with a touch of red such as potholders, pepper shakers or whatever. Did you paint the inside? Do you use it for storage such as pots or pans? Let the hunt begin. I will definitely post pictures--hopefully someday. Here is a link that might be useful: My blog