July 21, 2007
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The Search for a Beautiful Life
I remember with shamed face my attitude towards my bridal registry. We were not china people at all. So impractical! So materialistic. So unnecessary. So frou-frou. It was stoneware for us. Not local, hand-thrown pottery, just an ugly orange and yellow flower on a beige and brown background. It was the 70s. We had no patience with spending money on beautiful things. “You can be just as hospitable with a paper plate as with a china plate.” Yep, those words came from my mouth. True statement, but the problem was that I truly thought paper was more spiritual than china. Now I shudder at the arrogance.
The times they are a changing. Really, our minds are changing.
My mother in-law and I had our annual garage sale. The sale this morning was slow, so I went around my MIL’s neighborhood to the other 10-15 sales. I bought a couple bags of books, 6 for a dollar, to post on PaperBackSwap. Then I saw it. A complete set of china in Christmas colors. But there were only 8 place settings and we often have large gatherings for holiday meals. I argued with myself about all the reasons not to get it and walked away.
After the sale was over, I told Mom about the dishes.
“Oh,” she sighed, “I’ve always thought it would be fun to have Christmas dishes, but at my age we’re getting rid of stuff, not acquiring it .”
“Talk me out of it,” I challenged her.
“Does the set have serving dishes?”
“Yes, a bowl and a platter; it even has creamer and sugar bowl.”
“Where would you keep it?” she continued.
“I just cleaned a space in the garage cupboards.”
“How often would you use them?”
“They would be my everyday dishes starting the First Sunday of Advent. I’ll use them through Christmas.”
“Let’s go look at them.”
When we arrived her eyes got large. “Oh my yes, they are lovely.”
Guess what? The set, called Magnolia, includes two extra dinner plates! We can easily have ten adults, and kids can use salad plates. The seller was asking $40. I offered her my entire profit from my own garage sale, $27. Sold!
The First Sunday of Advent is December 2. I can’t wait.
~ ~ ~A platter I picked up for $4 with this tablecloth in mind.
A 5×7 sized art book which I got for a quarter.
…because I especially loved this Degas.
which will go up in my small laundry room!
The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.
If you foolishly ignore beauty,
you will soon find yourself without it.
Your life will be impoverished.
But if you invest in beauty,
It will remain with you all the days of your life.
~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Comments (8)
By far the prettiest Christmas dishes I have ever seen. Congrats on a good bargain and excellent housewifery!
Challenge question: Are there other areas of life where the thought “More poor is more spiritual” is hanging on?
You got a fabulous deal, lady! Less than you’d have paid for one 5-piece setting at replacements.com. If you want to grow your collection, sign up to get a pattern availability listing sent to you. I think they send them once a month. Watch for sales, and collect a little more here and there as you are able.
I’ve already bought my mom a few pieces of her pattern I know she didn’t already have. I’ll inherit her china when she’s gone, but frankly, I don’t want it back for at least another decade! So I’ve been thinking about going ahead and purchasing some of it now so I will have more settings. Prices are lower for imperfect pieces. In the meantime, I’m still using paper plates for my Sabbath feasts. Even with cleanup help, handwashing that many more dishes just seems like too much.
Oh, my! What a terrific deal! I look forward to seeing a picture of your table setting.
Dana in GA
Dear Sister,
Though a few small years separate us, I married in the late eighties, it was always my own conviction that “dainties” and “china” (only properly pronounced with a slight lift of the nose and a sense of scorn) belonged only to the rich with no sense of what was real.
“Real” was things that don’t break when dropped, don’t tear when worn in the woods, don’t smell like soap after being washed (this rules out all plastics and encourages good stoneware and heavy glass) and are of course as functional as pretty. Must have a good balance. Then came a day, after an argument about “why should we buy things the kids will only break!” (among other such themes) when I realized my wife had beautiful taste and yes, it was passingly possible, that Isaiah could use a glass of quality and not break it. Ahh the doors that opened. Next thing you know I was using napkins made of cloth! I had never heard of such fancies. I still hold to functional AND beautiful but I love my wife’s taste and am glad she made me see the beauty that only her touch can bring to my spartan mind.
I love your blogs.
Oh, I love your Christmas china — so beautiful — and so worthwhile! When my husband and I married in ’86, we also did not register for china, etc. — like you, we just thought it would be so impractical and “not us.” Yet, I do love beautiful things, and though I have absolutely no place to display china inherited when my parents divorced, I will keep it (safely stored) until I do.
Oh, and I, too, love Dega’ work! I’m so glad to have “met” you here.
Blessings, Laurie http://www.adhdkids..info/desktop
The china find was a great reward for cleaning out the garage cupboard! I love the pattern. How fun to have the china waiting for you when holiday season arrives. All brides in my small town registered both everyday dishes and china. I received 12 place settings of each, and have never regretted the choices. The everyday set had to be replaced a few years ago, but the china is still in very good condition. I use it quite frequently, too. The 2 pieces that have been chipped I was able to get replacements for at replacements.com. Do send us photos of the table when Advent season arrives!
I have a near complete set of good china that, sadly, I haven’t used in lo these years in Wallowa. I am inspired to retrieve them from the garageand begin using them at least once a month and work up to once a week.
I was given an e piece set of Christmas stoneware with poinsettias. We also use them from Advent 1 through 12th Night. I am not too fond of the pattern and would like a nice, light, Christmas china instead, but for Crista’s sake will keep the stoneware till she can have it. Yours is just beautiful!
BB in Grandchildren withdrawl…they left today.
Oh Brenda, the last sentence is a grief. I’m glad you had a good visit, though.