We gutted our kitchen and just about everything was new...so I was also tempted to buy new accessories as well. But, when I realized how much we had spent on the kitchen and saw college looming for my children, I finally came to my senses and kept all my current small appliances, utensils, etc. Actually, as I put things back in the kitchen, I realized how many things I had I never really used or that I had duplicates of...I ended up getting rid of a lot of things...some were given away, some sold in a yard sale, and some that were too old & beat up were thrown away (why was I keep them???).

For me I asked myself 3 questions for items:

1. Does it still work fine, despite its looks?

2. Does it only work sometimes or does it not really work at all anymore?

3. When was the last time I used it?

If I answered "yes" to Q1 and the answer to Q3 was in the past two years (not counting remodel time), then I kept it.

If I answered "no" to Q1 & "yes" to Q2, then I got rid of it. Then, if I had not used it in the last two years, I "let it go". If I had used it, then I replaced it.

As to linens, I still have my old pot holders, dish towels, and dish cloths...I didn't see any reason to replace them as they still were usable and still pretty much "went" with the new kitchen. Now, if they had been garish or didn't "go", I might have considered replacing them.

BTW...my every day stoneware dishes are over 30 years old & I still use them. (Pfaltzgraff's Yorktowne pattern.)

But...you know all the quirks of your old skillet! And how hard has that toaster worked for you? Don't they need a little TLC? A thorough cleaning A little polishing. Don't you love them?

If they never really worked properly and are annoying, then yes, what's another couple hundred dollars to make everything functional, but if they're old friends? Make new friends but keep the old... Right?

Thanks, Buehl. The funny thing is my dishes were also Pfaltzgraff - Village pattern - it is great stuff. I might have kept it but when my 2 sons were teenagers they broke so many plates and bowls, I was down to 4 each. But it is going to my 23 year old, so it will still be used.

I appreciate your thoughts, I know I have to settle down. I tried to do most of my weeding out when I packed the kitchen up, so for me, I think it is question number 1 that will be in play. It's weird - I'm usually pretty practical about these things.

It's funny you mention Pfatzgraff. I had a huge set of Yorktowne - lamp, casseroles, servers - because people kept buying it for me for birthdays and holidays. After we redid the kitchen in our old house it just didn't match and I boxed it all up. I was going to sell it but our oldest son, who was a young teenager, said, "Hey I like that stuff, keep it." Now 25 and in grad school, most of it went with him. He (they, really, as his girlfriend of many years is with him) love it and it fills the available space in their rented townhouse.

Even though we didn't have plans for doing the kitchen when he started school last year, I took the opportunity to give him some of my oldest pots and pans and have been slowly replacing them. Now that the kitchen is nearly finished I have been stepping that up! I'll probably replace the dishes, which don't match, and I've bought new glasses, but that happens frequently. Every now and then I also turn the kitchen linens into cleaning rags and buy some fresh new ones, but beyond that, I don't think I've replaced anything else. I like my countertop appliances (mixer, fp, espresso) although the electric percolator is not up to snuff now that you mention it. Hmmmm....

pllog - you are right - that skillet does have quirks and I know exactly how to handle them and I do love it. The toaster? maybe not so much. This morning my DH suggested I put them on my Christmas list - not a bad idea. :)

If you can afford them, ok. If not, don't do it. I bought a bunch of new stuff too, I just couldn't bear to put some of my old junk in that beautiful new kitchen. But I did space the purchases out over several months. And I kept the old stuff that was still usable in boxes in a closet, figuring I'd pass it on to my kids when they needed it. They are both in college now and using bits & pieces, and I'm sure they'll take more when they graduate and set up housekeeping.

Sounds like many of us are in a similar age group/mindset. I also dreaded the thought of some of that stuff making its way back into my brand spanking new kitchen! And the weird thing is, we had built a brand new home about 25 years ago, and that thought never occured to me then (though I guess those things were 25 years newer then- still have many of the same things!)

In fact, we have been back in the kitchen for a year and a half, though it was 'finally done' just a few months ago, and I still have stuff in the basement- ie for some reason never brought back the toothpicks, everytime I need one, I say to myself "gotta find those"- use something else and forget about it till the next time! Anyhow, we did buy a new toaster oven, cuz that you see out on the counter everyday- still have my electric skillet (32 years old exactly- just had the wedding anniversary- was a child bride)- though I think that may also still be downstairs...

My DH says we're just 'prolonging the pleasure' by gradually buying new things. If I'd replaced everything right away, there wouldn't be anything to look forward to. A treat for me was buying a new set of mixing bowels. Instead of the mish mash of assorted sizes accumulated over the years this is a pretty set of coloured bowels that all fit perfectly one inside the other- another 'splurge' that I really like was buying new Rubbermaid containers that all fit together and getting rid of the huge collection of plastic containers that always had me searching for lids!

Still don't have a mixmaster, that was going to be something new for me, have always used a hand mixer... maybe this Christmas...

Anyhow, if it doesn't sit out on the counter, I'd take my time, and replace it eventually, but not be in a huge rush to do it all at once.

You know, shopping's fun but newness is highly overvalued here, to put it mildly, and is gone in weeks anyway. My line was drawn long ago when my mother-in-law helped outfit our new kitchen with some of her and her mother's things that had been used for decades and still had decades, at least, more use in them. I liked that they had history, our children grew up seeing them at work, and now there's a fifth generation "helping" Grandma with them.

That said, my kitchen's a workplace and, new or old, I replace when I have no use for something, it's become obsolete or lacking desirable function due to technology advances, or I just plain don't like it--like the remainders of a set of china I didn't bother to replenish.

If the appliance works well, I'd be inclined to keep it. I had to replace my 20 year old toaster oven when it stopped working and after 4 different new models, have yet to find one that works as well as the old one once did!

I am considering selling my Tangerine Kitchenaid mixer and getting a new one that matches the kitchen. I love seeing it out on the counter. I think I would get back almost what I paid for it, as I got it during a Lowe's weekly flyer sale that was misprinted, and then there was a rebate too! So, that I can justify.

Luckily my cookware is relatively new.

I will draw the line with dishes! We're still using an old everyday china set MIL gave us when we moved here 3 years ago. DH might get upset if I ditch that. And, the plates are on the small side which is good for the diet. All the new ones seem way big!

Toaster, keeping. If it works, why take a chance on something new? Coffeemaker - ditching cause it leaks.

I have lots of stuff still to go through and get rid of - but I'm ruthless!

I'm happy to be getting my Mom's old Ethan Allen kitchen table and chairs- solid as a rock compared with our Ashley cheapo set which won't really "go" anymore. I do have to redo it, or pay someone, but at least I didn't have to buy a new one.

All my every day dishes and glasses are now stored in a hutch with glass doors and I wasn't about to put my assortment of mismatched mugs and chipped stoneware back in there. Most of it I donated to a women's shelter, the rest I gave to a friend who just bought a vacation rental. I also got rid of the cheap white plastic toaster that burned bagels. I purchased an inexpensive but attractive white china dinnerware set for 12 at JcPenney's and everything else I'm buying little by little from Marshall's and Homegoods.

Totally off-topic but speaking of getting rid of old, chipped dishes reminds me of a motivational speaker I once saw on PBS, Loretta Laroche. The main thrust of her talk was celebrating life every day. She questioned why we serve our own families on ugly chipped dishes and then pull out the fine china for strangers and other more deserving and special guests. Her question made a real impression on me. I started using our wedding china and china for dinner on a regular basis. My DD was thrilled.

I found a transcript from one of her talks. She's a hoot.

Here is a link that might be useful: Life Is Short, Wear Your Party Pants

I'd say that's a good opportunity for Christmas & Birthday wish lists. My family's always wanting ideas for those occassions. You can put " new toaster- model #..." or "new kitchen linens" on your upcoming lists. Then either sell your old stuff or give it to Goodwill or another charitable organization, as long as it still works...

Here is a link that might be useful: granite countertops

confession: I like the old, chipped dishes better. Our main everyday set happens to be a hand-applied pattern that has been made in Austria for over 100 years(and they still make it which makes adding a piece here and there possible). Add to that some plain ones, and other hand painted ones we have picked up on travels (Italy, Mexico). Somehow, the chips and crazes make them look better (IMO).

Erika! I didn't follow the link but that's what I always wondered! When my friends were first starting to get married (they were a little older than I but still very young), the price of "traditional" wedding stuff had skyrocketed. I can't remember why. But they'd, as a matter of course, registered for china, silver, crystal, etc., and only gotten a few settings of each. I kept saying they should use the good stuff for everyday and save the stoneware for company. Of course, my idea of a family dinner is minimum of 25. My company dishes are from the Lillian Vernon super discount clearance sale! My better dishes are in the kitchen. The cheap stuff looks formal (especially on equally cheap chargers), and the (moderately) good stuff are in more casual designs.

I keep my mother's old broken out kitchen dishes that I was happy to have in college in whatever hard to reach corner, so that if the whole danged family comes I have enough plates. I could rent--or for the same price as renting, buy some of those entertaining the crowds boxes of stonewaer, but the old, faded dishes have history!

My grandmother's ugly old kitchen stool is going back in the kitchen. And probably, at least to start with, the two superugly, rolling chairs that were in an abandoned building bought by a company I was working for.

When I was packing up I found things like my mother's old plastic spatula. I have lots better. I think it came to me when she was getting rid of some camping supplies. But just seeing it is a reminder of all the times my brother and I played pancake house on weenend mornings. So instead, it'll be given some pride of place as something safe to grab for use in the Le Creuset.

I also consider if it is going to be left out visibly or stored away. I don't really care what it looks like as long as it works, if I only take it out for occasional use and then put it back.

However, I still don't have a toaster oven because I can't find one that I want to leave on the counter.

I went with induction so I have to buy some new cookware; so far I have purchased a saucepot and a frypan. I gave my old and chipped dinnerware to my niece and nephew for their place up north so need to replace that. I replaced the coffee pot only because the old one stopped working. The tall glasses are old and etched so I will replace them. I'd like to replace the flatware but I plan to wait on that. I'm keeping my white mixer that sits out even though I bought stainless appliances.

...but I do totally get Southerstitcher's desire to sell the tangerine mixer that will clash...too bad I'm so far away. It would probably go great in my new kitchen :) (Mine's white. Saw this gorgeous aqua-turquoise color recently but that would look really really really bad. White goes with everything :) )

When I was growing up, we used the "good" china for Sunday meals...even if it was just our family (8 of us!)...so, yes, we were "worth" it. The reason it wasn't used every day had more to do with the fact that the china was too expensive to replace pieces...with 6 kids stuff got broken! Our everyday dishes were dishes from someplace like the "Government Exchange....something or other" (my dad worked as a contractor to the Gov't...making parts for the Saturn 5 rockets, Lunar module, & space shuttle) or Grants (a discount place). My parents could replace broken pieces easily and inexpensively.

When I got married, as Plllog mentioned, the price of china was so high that I got only a few items of each, so no full place settings...I think I have 4 dinner plates, 2 salad plates, and one cup & saucer. I did get about 8 place settings of the flatware I listed, but that was for "every day" as I don't like silver flatware! (Probably b/c we had sulfur water growing up & it did such a number on silver that we had to wash & store it at my grandmother's!)

Of course, now that I can afford to start "filling" in, both patterns have been discontinued! (Lenox's Federal Cobalt & Orleans Blue).

I have to say, though, that we love our Yorktowne dishes & use them for company as well as family...and probably have just about any "accessory" you can think of from sales, etc. over the years! The only other dishes we have are Christmas & Winter. The Christmas dishes are used by family as well as guests for "special" meals. We have Pfaltzgraff's "Snow Bear" for everyday during the winter (I got a great deal on them at a Pfaltzgraff outlet store when they were discontinued.)

Margareta_MI...new pots & pans...that's one of the reasons my DH vetoed the induction! That, and he thought it was too new a technology...despite the fact that I told him it been around for decades (he had never heard of it)!

One thing...we got a new toaster oven & slow cooker for our Temporary Kitchen...mainly b/c I didn't have either one. But, when I bought them, I considered how they would "go" with the new kitchen...function & reliability were first, but then aesthetics (like the kitchen!). So, if you find you need something for your Temporary Kitchen, get it to also go w/the new Kitchen!

Plllog -- hey I could pack that Tangerine mixer up real real good for you. See, I work in shipping, and so it would be a cinch, hehe! I should post a picture to tempt you!

My husband's family doesn't like eating here because I insist on using the good china and silver for holidays - no paper plates unless it's a huge (really huge) crowd, or 4th of July, Labor Day.
MIL and I even had an argument about it. I won - and ever since they don't want to come to my house. Imagine what they'll say about my new kitchen!!! HA

Thanks for all the thoughts. I have pulled back from the deep end now. That good old electic skillet stays, a new toaster goes on the christmas list. I don't want to give anybody the impression that I don't appreciate old things. I am refinishing an old table and chairs that belonged to my DH's grandmother - to put in the new kitchen. A lot of my baking stuff is ancient, including two old rolling pins that I wouldn't trade for anything. I think I just got caught up in all the fun of shopping for materials and light fixtures, etc. And when I had most of those things found - I wanted to keep going!

I do use my china on a regular basis. I never picked any out when we got married, just the stoneware, but have inherited two sets from our grandmas.

I totally like the idea of extending the fun, so thanks to everyone for sharing. of course I seem to keep adding things to the remodel list - so I should be having fun for a long time! LOL - But that's another thread...

Southern, I'm sure you can find someone near you who really wants it (and mine was a gift, so it's nice to enjoy that), but if you can't find a home for it let me know ;)

Sjblick, I, for one, was just having fun thinking of the ugly old junk I'm returning to my new kitchen (whether they match or not). No thought that you didn't appreciate what you have!

My own problem isn't sorting out the old stuff. It's the stuff I didn't have before that I want for my new kitchen! Like an ice cream maker. Ever since next gen wedding #1 this year, where they served basil gelato (bad) I've been tempted to try my hand at ices. But do I need another small appliance?

sjblick--I also didn't think for a minute that you didn't appreciate what you have!

plllog-- now i miss my ice cream maker (in storage, somewhere). basil gelato. that does sound bad (in a good way, of course!).

I'll take the road less traveled. Out with the old and in with the new. I'm only doing this once and I want it done. Everything will age gracefully together.

plllog, if your mixer is a Kitchenaid, you know there is an ice cream attachment for it!

sbjlick, I totally understand. Now that I've gotten my appliances chosen and ordered except for the MW, it's sort of a let down. I want to keep going too!

I don't think I did draw the line. I got a lot of new things. DH gave me some very nice things for gifts over the next year after the kitchen was done - including some All Clad cookware. Most everything I had I got when I got married about thirty years ago so I didn't feel like I was being all that extravagant replacing it. One thing I kept that I actually got some flack about was my Chicago Cutlery knives and knife block - flack like it wasn't good enough. I keep my knives sharp - they work - good enough for me. I got some new things I'd never had before that I've really enjoyed having - like a zester, an electronic kitchen scale, and a Le Creuset dutch oven. I also got new casual dinnerware - to put in the lighted glass cabinets. The stuff I had before was purchased by my mother in law at the grocery store when we got married - lots of chipped and missing pieces. It was really fun to choose my own.

Enjoy the experience but don't blow your budget and there is a lot of be said for considering what you'd really like to have and spreading the enjoyment over time.

Confession. Just cooked shrimp and clam sauce with angel hair in my new cuisinart multiclad and it was delicious! I can't wait till my new baking stone gets here so that I can make some bread. lol

Ruby, don't do it!!! That basil gelato was really foul!!! Basil might make a good ice, but it doesn't belong with milk and sugar. Actually, it might even be okay in yoghurt, which is sour. But the gelato was BAD. The rest of the food was actually good, and I think this was something to please the bride. Her father took a taste, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Why?".

Southern, that would be too easy. Mine is a tilt head, and the one that's tempting me is the Musso. It's no more ridiculously expensive than anything else in my new kitchen, but it's no toy. If I get it I have to seriously commit to frozen delights!!

On a recent episode of Top Chef Masters one of the chefs made basil and chocolate ice cream. The judges were skeptical at first but they all ended up loving it!

We have bought lots of new things for the new kitchen. Actually we have bought them, gotten tired of them and given them away and the kitchen isn't even in yet. It's imortant to keep the economy moving.

Margareta MI,

We're going induction someday soon (!) and will need to buy a few more pots and pans. We have two saucepans, a cast iron skillet that I can't use because its too heavy for me and one short stock pot. So, we need frying pans, grill pan and maybe a large stock pot/pasta steamer insert.

I have looked online but know that I need to test them out for weight and balance purposes. Which ones did you pick out and why?

Thanks!

Oh, we haven't even started demo and I am already bitten by wanting to buy new plates and gadgets! :))

sjblick - I know exactly what you're feeling in your original post. We remodeled 3 rooms at one time and kept very little of our original furnishings with the exception of the antique pieces. In the kitchen, I kept all the small appliances I have (none of them sit out on the counter and they all work fine). Most of my pans worked with induction except for my saute pans which I waited for sales or clearances to replace. I know there is nothing I "need" to add to my kitchen, but when I'm out shopping and see all the neat gadgets and cookware that is available it's VERY hard to resist buying them.

Funny story about our "everyday" dishes. I purchased them at a bank promotion when I was a pre-teen (deposit X amount of dollars and buy the dishes at a reduced price). A few years ago I saw my dish pattern advertised at an auction and I thought I'd buy them to have spare ones in case some broke. I didn't buy any at the auction because I discovered that our "everyday" dishes are now pricey collector's items. I considered buying other everyday dishes so I wouldn't damage any of the current ones, but then I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy them if they were packed away in a box somewhere. So... according to the article that "erikahn" referred to, I guess using my "everyday" (collector's) dishes is like "wearing my party pants" every day!

(It's interesting how some things that you hang onto over the years eventually become antiques or collector's items - like my metal Mickey Mouse lunch box that I used to take to school when I was a child that currently is perched on my hutch in the kitchen.)

I've been bitten by the same bug. We're remodeling and I'm simply tired of some of the stuff that we've accumulated over the years. I need a better set of pots and pans. A lot of our stuff is 25+ years old. I have no hand me down family cookware and no need to worry about sentimentality. We've moved a few times due to job transfers and I have some things that were color coordinated or specifically bought for the kitchens of these homes. Time for change. Time to donate, let go, and if possible, replace. I have 80's Corelle ware (sp) as my everyday dishes. While I liked the weightlessness of them, the pattern is dated (irises). I want new dishes...specifically red Fiestaware.

sjblick, I went through something very similar. Our kitchen was torn up for 6 months (+ I had cabinets sitting in my living room and office for 2 months prior to that) so I had a long time to think about the new space. We were spending so much on the space that it didn't seem like a few hundred here and there for new items that would blend in with the space better would hurt. But as the remodel neared the end every dollar became more and more precious and I replaced a lot less than I "wanted" to. It turns out I was really happy to have my old unmatching toaster oven and old too-small stand mixer sitting out on the counter and old burnt out tea kettle sitting on the new range. They weren't special but they were familiar items in a too new and too spiffy and too unfamiliar space. I am really glad I didn't go as overboard as I wanted to. The old items didn't detract from the enjoyment of the new kitchen at all even though they weren't hidden away and didn't color coordinate with the new space.

I guess this is where my obsession with dishes, glasses, etc comes in handy. For some reason, I have loved collecting different sets of dishes. The kitchen that we remodeled was very country, I had lots of Mediterranean style dishes--Tuscan, Portugeese, Spanish, etc. But I really don't want to use those in the new kitchen. I only want white, silver, or clear glass. So, I just marched myself down to my own store (aka the basement), and have replaced the cobalt blue glasses with all my old clear glasses that look brand new, my hand painted dishes from Portugal are now being replaced with glass ones along with my mom's white dishes. I have always loved switching things around, and I am sure that the dishes that are now housed in the basement will make a triumphant return some day! Perhaps at a dinner party where we have some sort of Mediterranean theme--who knows. I've also been bringing up lots of the silver that has been in a box down there for a long time doing nothing.

As far as appliances go--I am getting rid of my electric griddle and replacing it with one I can use on my new 36" Capital range, my DH and I are discussing replacing the toaster oven with just a toaster. If we do that, I will just stick it down in "the store" for the kids--first one to graduate from college in a year. Didn't have a coffee pot to replace--only an espresso maker and believe me--no need to do that because it works great, looks great, and we love it. Not replacing any pots and pans--too many years of collecting Le Creuset, Sitram, and other stuff to even think about replacing them.

I found it too easy to spend - having to buy so much - appliances, hardware, plumbing, etc. I bought some new cookware, since my old Revere fell off the grates on my new cooktop, I bought new dishes - but I get new ones every 5 or so years - it's about the only rather inexpensive thing I can easily change, new glasses, a toaster oven (which I love and still use every day) lots of stuff like that.

Then I went looking for a new table, since the one I had was now too big for the space - that's when I had to stop spending money, a new table was going to be hundreds, maybe a $1000. I realized things were getting out of control. It becomes $100 here and a $100 there, and pretty soon you are talking about real money.

I asked my neighbor to cut down my table (butcher block top), and he said they were looking for a new bigger table, so we switched.

As for me, I would hang onto things that are real good, heirloom quality like my Copper cookware (Bourgeat and Falk) (which I really bought to be able to give away to my DD who is now 3 :-)). But I can relate to the urge of buying everything new once a brand spanking new space is created!

This whole debate of buy new Vs use old is quite frequent in our household -- not because we remodel all the time, but DH is a very spic'n'span guy, and he likes everything to look perfect always. My take is that, if looking at something that is beat up in appearance evokes good memories and feelings, then keep it by all means. If looking at something only reminds you how beat up it looks, then discard it.

earth_pal

I totally splurged and bought a Demeyere Atlantis 2.3 qt sauce pan and a Demeyere Proline 11" fry pan. Why? I wanted them because they have no rivets so easier cleaning, they are heavy to help spread the heat, they are absolutely gorgeous to look at, and my birthday is coming in a month.

I need to add a pasta pot but I'm thinking Tramontina for that one and probably Farberware Millenium for a non-stick fry pan.

They are heavier than All Clad and I don't know if I would want any bigger pieces but I do plan to add the 9.5 inch fry pan.

margareta, I also need a non-stick fry pan for my induction cooktop. Have you magnet tested the Farberware Millenium? I saw some on Amazon that seemed reasonably priced.

erikanh

I haven't tested the Farberware Millenium non-stick fry pan with a magnet but Bed Bath and Beyond carries them and they are marked as induction compatible.

The Farberware Millenium Stainless Steel line is the induction compatible line according to the Farberware website. The BBB website seems to be dropping the earlier line.

margareta, thanks for the info!

I'm drawing the line here: I'm not buying anything else until my kitchen is done and I see what I have room for!

I wonder if part of this feeling is due to the very polished and elegant styles of so many of the new kitchens--maybe compared to a slightly more vintage, country, or casual look ? I noticed this same issue in decorating styles for other rooms--once you go a certain style and type of materials, then something a bit worn, or using a mix of finishes, don't "go" as well. Similarly, certain color schemes are more tolerant of random colors than others. So you just have to be aware of how that will play out in the smaller details and accessories.

I noticed that in trying to see which direction to go for certain decorating choices in my home, I was going to be more comfortable with a little more casual and eclectic style because it didn't seem to demand such careful matching. I'm trying to keep this in mind when collecting my kitchen wish file because I think my "inspiration kitchen" will need to combine some upscale and updated features and materials but not be too dressy. Or maybe just try to identify some of those classic features that go with most everything.

I don't advise taking this idea so far that you don't get the kitchen you like--the overall look and feel is the most important, not dressing it down terribly just so all our old pots will feel at home! I'd love to be instantly transported into a much nicer kitchen with all my existing stuff than keep my current dowdy one that will never outshine the oldest pot. But just that one choice influences another, and so forth. A concept very well known on this forum!

Plus, the idea previously mentioned, that it just takes some time to get used to it, means that some of this stuff doesn't really stand out as much as we might think--it's probably more glaring to the survivor of the kitchen renovation than to guests.

I couldn't help but buy new dishes and we are not even done yet. I got plain white from crate and barrel and I love them. I donated my lenox china to my church to sell because we hardly used it. The last time we did my husband broke a plate and I thought wow that plate was at least $100 and now it is garbage! Not my kind of stuff! I had another set that I have to my mother in law and a stoneware set that was prone to cracking that I gave to my sister in law and I was left with some very plain corelle. When all I ever wanted was plain white. IT was on sale so I got it. I will buy some new towels and replace any burnt pot holder. I want to get a plain toaster because we have a toaster over that takes up a lot of counter space and we only use it for toast. I will likely just go to target and get these last few things as inexpensively as possible. It is hard to put grungy into gorgeous (or hopefully gorgeous since we are not done yet lol)! If you cant clean the grungy get rid of it IMO

Oh, well, the not done yet shopping is another story!! I was in the doldrums of the neverending wait for tile and nothing was happening, and I was still living in a few square feet clear of the clutter of a quarter of the house. There was this sale... I got a couple of decorative canisters, and a tea set and a cake stand, all to go with the new kitchen. And "kitchen" stemware! But it was a very very good sale, and when I had no kitchen, except a cool floor, it was very good retail therapy. :)

I got a new spoon holder to match the walls. That's about all the cash we have right now. Got it at Xmas tree shop.

Made me smile, though.

Well, ummmm... I started buying new dishes and i ended up renovating my kitchen so I'm not very helpful to this thread :)