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Anne McD
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That's the one, thank you Jen!
I was desperatly trying to talk my kids into getting their coats and shoes on so we could go to Target while I was posting. Multi-tasking really isn't my thing . . . 
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Anne
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James 8
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and baby on the way! 10/14
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Cheryl M.
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My china pattern is Breathless by Noritake. I have 10 complete place settings and just love using it for special meals and holidays. Sadly, I do not have a china cabinet - beautiful dining room furniture is on my long list of wants. 
Breathless by Noritake
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MacBeth
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Kim F wrote:
MacBeth!!! How did you find that on Amazon??? I have looked for that pattern all over lately. Just when I think I made a final decision on blue vs pink.
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Aw, Kim! I got mine from Chef's a few years ago, but I have an ongoing search for pieces like the creamer and teapot, waiting for the price to be just right. the full place settings just happen to be in stock currently.
My mother went out to some outlet and found more dishes, but they are slightly different in shape than mine. I think that adds to the charm of the collection. And it helps to have others help "hunt" for the pattern.
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
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hylabrook1
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My *good* dishes came from the bank. Seriously, when I was in college, the bank I used was selling place settings for something like $3; you were able to buy one for every $25 you deposited in a savings account. Well, I kept moving the same $300 between savings and checking until I had 8 7-piece settings and a nice variety of serving pieces.  Funny how,before kids, 8 settings seemed like enough! The pattern is the same kind of blue and white as Blue Willow, but it's some other picture.
After 20 years, the *everyday* Corelle Indian Summer was pretty well depleted (I think I had 5 plates -- which kind of worked, with the youngers eating off plastic baby plates and/or nursing....) We replaced it with Pfatzgraff that I don't remember the name of. The edges are blue and white sponge-painted checks and each plate has a fruit picture in the center (pear, peach, cherries, or plum). All but 5 of the bowls of that have since broken (why do I always come down to 5?)
Anyway, that has been supplemented with Henn Spongewear in blue and cranberry, both of which coordinate beautifully with the Pfaltzgraff set. The *good* dishes are actually easy to add on to as well, if you don't mind a little bit of mix and match, as the blue and white are available in lots of different patterns.
I guess the key for me is not being too fussy about things matching exactly. When we got married dh and I were both in school and we needed every gift we received to be absolutely practical. As much I enjoy looking at China patterns, there was just no way we could go with that.
Peace,
Nancy
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mary
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i have eight place settings of lenox langdon gate in my china cabinet. i often wish i'd picked a less fancy china and then used it everyday instead of having fancy china that i never use AND my noritake everyday china.
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doris
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| Posted: Jan 13 2007 at 6:28pm | IP Logged
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Oooh, great thread.
We don't have a china cabinet, nor indeed any china . But we do have two sets of tableware because my husband strongly felt that one shouldn't have the same set for breakfast and supper (!). So we've got this (Mason's Denmark) for breakfast and Mason's Old Chelsea (but not antique LOL) for dinner.
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JennGM
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Enjoying this thread. I love, love, love china, pottery, crystal, silver. Stef, you'll see I'm more obsessed than you are!
We made a few mistakes when we registered. We picked more expensive china and silver, had crystal on our registry. Our china is discontinued, we only got 5 place settings, 2 place setting of silver and almost all of the crystal...which is chipping.
So you live and learn. Our everyday is similar to Dawn's, except it's Italian Countryside by Mikasa.
Our china is Lenox Jefferson which I just love, although dh really picked it. We do use it occasionally, but of course it's only small dinner parties. My family think I am nuts when I serve a plate to my young son, but I think he should enjoy beautiful things, too.
kingvozza wrote:
| There is a Lenox factory outlet in NJ somewhere. My mother has been going there for years, and was able to purchase many of my Lenox Celtic Braid dishes (as seconds) at incredible prices. You'd never be able to tell that they're seconds. I didn't have a lot of guilt about that. |
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Noreen, I've been there! I've bought a few pieces, and my girlfriend has bought some for me, too. I also keep my eye on eBay and Replacements.
My mother-in-law has given me 12 settings of Pfaltzgraff Winterberry to use at Christmas time. They are pottery, and more casual. I wanted Johnson Brothers Friendly Village or Friendly Village Christmas but dh thought it was too busy. He's changed his mind now, but we both enjoy our Winterberry. Maybe I'll get the Johnson Brothers for china use at Christmas, as the Winterberry is everyday? My mil also embroidered matching napkins and tablerunner for our Winterberry, and she buys all sorts of pieces every year for me. It's a great gift. My mother never had Christmas china, so it's new to me, but I love it!
I've mentioned this before. I got married in 2000, and saw a lovely centerpiece floral arrangement in Martha Stewart's Weddings that was a copper teakettle with a lovely mixed bouquet of garden flowers. That was my inspiration...I found teapots, copper, china, pottery for the flowers and teacups and saucers to float candles.
But since the wedding then I mix and match pieces. I'm a sucker for blue/white settings, like Kim's Blue Willow and Angel's Blue Danube. I also love the Dutch Delft pieces. I have a few serving pieces of Blue Nordic that were given to me that see daily use. Since my everyday china is cream/white I can mix and match. Maryan has put together my dream kitchen -- yellow walls and hung blue/white china throughout. I love that look!
I also look for English stoneware, particularly Ironstone, and Polish pottery (I now have a few Christmas pieces, courtesy my mil). Antique stores are a fun place to see different patterns to pick up a few pieces. You can find some bargains if you keep your eyes open.
Lately I've been buying little creamers or pitchers so my son can do some pouring practice at the table.
I do have a china cabinet. It's ugly. It's a light yellow, but it was given to me, so beggars can't be choosers. I'm so happy I have something to display and store my china and crystal!
I don't have a real matching tea set. I've had dreams of getting a Belleek tea set someday. But first I want more place settings for my china. I find it fun to have long term goals for my china closet and search around for additions and bargains.
I could go on and on...but I'll stop for your sake.
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stacykay
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My china is Noritake Etienne. We were married in '85, and I think it was $35 a place setting back then. Of course, it was discontinued not too long afterwards.
We have 14 place settings, using them mostly for holidays and special occasions.
I couldn't find any clear images of the plates. Here is one of
the bread and butter
I also have my grandmother's blue willow ware.
This is so fun! Thanks all for sharing your beautiful patterns!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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Cici
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Everytime I go away for a few days, I come back and Alice has started these wonderful threads!
When we were married, I didn't want to register for China because I didn't want it to sit in our cabinet unused. So, for everyday wear we use Pfaltzgraff Choices inSpringwood, Wyngate Stripe, and a few pieces of Wyngate Floral thrown in for good measure. I still love it - I love the coordinated mish mosh. At the same time, I registered for a Williams Sonoma (I worked there at the time) plain white set. It's really worked well for us...
Until recently when I've had this unexplained desire to have Tea Parties with daughter (and not get a handcramp trying to sip from a 1/2" cup decorated in ballet shoes/christmas trees/Molly's tea set! ). So, for Christmas I asked (and was lucky to receive) Royal Albert's Old Country Rose. And, I found a few other pieces at Marshall's - for a good price I might add.
Then, my MIL saw this new teapot and remembered that my husband's grandmother had a similar set only with Pink Flowers (will have to look up name and link later). So, now my China is a mish mosh, too.
Thanks, Alice, for starting this thread. I love being nosy - I mean admiring everyone's China hutch!
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alicegunther
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Cici wrote:
| Everytime I go away for a few days, I come back and Alice has started these wonderful threads! |
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Christine, you are too, too, too kind! In fact, all of you are too kind! Thank you!
By the way, dear friends, I have been quietly admiring your marvelous china and reading your stories, but with so many links to enjoy, I do not think I'm even half way through the thread! This is all so great to see, and a couple of times, I have to admit, I was wishing I could order some of your pieces for myself!!! You are all so much fun!
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Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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SuzanneG
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Dawn wrote:
| I love to talk china! Through high school I worked in the china and fine gifts department at Filenes! Helping brides (and grooms) pick out china was so much fun. |
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I did this too, Dawn! Except at Carson Pirie Scott in MN during my college years.
Love seeing everyone's "tabletop!"
stefoodie wrote:
| but i can just walk up and down the china aisle at department stores, oohing and aahing and drooling, and leave without buying anything. |
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whooo-hoooo! me too! and here I thought you only liked maps
We have Mikasa "Trousdale" for our fine china, which is a simple ivory with gold trim. And, plain white dishes for every day.
And.....we just started collecting polish pottery this Christmas, as a result of drooling over it for a couple of years after inheriting a couple of beautiful serving pieces.
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MichelleM
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Oooh! Dawn, I love your everyday dishes!
We registered for Dansk Ruby Flowers for our everyday dishes. I like them so much that I've been looking for some inexpensive dishes to use instead because I'm losing so many to little hands & the tile floor. I've been saving the broken dishes to make a mosaic with them.
For our good china we have Lenox Kelly. We haven't used it much in the past, but this year we finally hosted Thanksgiving here and brought it out.
My mom actually surprised me at Thanksgiving with a gravy boat in this pattern. I was just telling my dh to run to Wal-mart to buy one, when she called to say they were on their way. I asked if they had a gravy boat we could borrow since there wasn't time to run to the store. She said she thought she could find one and when she arrived it was wrapped as a gift for me!
For tea we have Mad Hatter tea parties with our
Alice in Wonderland tea set.. It seems we've out grown this in numbers and will need to add to our collection.
I still don't have a China Cabinet but maybe someday...
I love seeing everyone's china--it's fun to see everyone's taste!
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teachingmom
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It has been so much fun reading through this thread!
I registered for the same china pattern that one of my best friends had received for her wedding a few years before. I thought it was both beautiful and practical, since it could go with any future color scheme. It's called Noritake Chandon. One of the reasons I chose this set is that it was rather reasonably priced at the time. ($50 per place setting, I think.) I just couldn't see asking for china that was $100 or more per place setting. Well, one big benefit of that was that we received lots of china. If I remember correctly, we received a total of 19 place settings and quite a few serving pieces.  I kept 14 place settings to allow for future breakage and large family gatherings. (Although 14, which seemed like so many back when we first married, will only cover dh and me, all our girls and spouses, if they all marry. None for future grandchildren at all!) We ended up returning the extra place settings and using the department store credit to buy our first television set.
I rarely use my china now -- only once or twice a year. But I know there will come a day when the girls are a bit older when I will begin to use it more frequently, just like my own mother did during my teen years.
I have my china and crystal in a beautiful old mahogany china cabinet that I inherited from my maternal grandmother. I also received her dining room table and a sideboard. We rarely use our dining room. But I love the way it looks because of my grandmother's beautiful furniture.
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stacykay
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Irene,
your china is lovely. And to have your grandmother's china cabinet holding your china is so special. I have some china display plates that are from my grandmothers and my mum. Everytime I look at them (every day) I smile to think of them all. Like a memory of their homes, here with me.
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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alicegunther
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Thanks so much for the peek into your china collections! This was fun!
(And I hope a few more of you will show us what lovely things you have stashed inside your cabinets! It is very interesting to see.)
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
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Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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almamater
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I thought it would be practical to register for one complete set of dishes that could be used for everyday and dressed up nicely for special occasions. So, we choseLenox Casual Elegance, now discontinued.
Then, we registered for only dessert plates, cups and saucers in the fancier Noritake Shenandoah pattern. I didn't want to have to store an entire second set of dishes and I really liked my Casual Elegance.
Funny thing is that my mother said she thought this was a fantastic idea and told lots of people what we had done. Years later, she and my dad saw a super sale on the Noritake and picked up several whole place settings for us. I hate to have unused things stored in closets, so I guess I will get them out and use them sometime...
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juststartn
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Hi--I'm a newbie, and this is my first post...you'll have to bear with me if my links don't work..
No actual china cabinet here...We didn't register for any when we married (military movers are notoriously bad about breaking things), but we did register for everyday, Pfaltzgraff's "Acadia"--white with a sort of weave around the outside--now retired, unfortunately. Here's a link to it:
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/PFAACAW.htm
A few years back, wanting to start collecting some nice older china, I happened across a "starter set" of an antique Pope-Gosser pattern at an estate sale. Here's that pattern:
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/POPTRA.htm
It's not the best image, unfortunately. But the roses are in pinks, and there are purples, and grays in the design, as well as the green of the vines.
I've since been able to pick up A TON of pieces on ebay--and this company went out of business back in the 50s or 60s, I think...so it's been a LOOONG time retired. This company made LOADS of beautiful, feminine china patterns, if anyone is interested in something not too terribly expensive, but unique. My mom has their pattern called "BlueBelle", which is gorgeous and was VERY popular back in the day. There is loads of it on ebay, and if you are careful and choosy, you can get it very inexpensively.
Rachel
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stacykay
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Rachel,
welcome! You're china is beautiful! So is your mom's!
I really like the "frillyish"-like my new word? - looking edges and the delicate flowers.
All of the china talk has prompted me to plan on using ours on Sunday. My mum always set a beautiful table-(just as I have noticed so many of you do on your blogs!) Maybe I can make that another New Year's resolution!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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juststartn
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Stacy--I know my pattern was available without the scalloped border...cause I accidentally bought some pieces that were that way...lol. They have a pink version of my moms--I cannot remember the name of it for the life of me. One of my favorites is "Clementine"...I also like "Princess" and "Fleurette"...I could start collecting for my dds....but where would I store it? Besides, they are not even 7,5,and 3 yet! LOL.
I'm going to hopefully be very lucky and inherit my grandmother's silver flatware(Gorham's Strasbourg) (I registered for that particular pattern, and received two place settings...my grandmother's set was already complete for 12, I believe, including serving pieces)...it would be nice. One sister registered for the same pattern as my mom (Gorham's Chantilly)...and the other sister will likely choose someting else entirely, since she has more modern tastes.
As far as crystal is concerned...well, for non-antique pieces, I really like "Lady Anne" from Gorham (without the metallic lip). But I'd really love to get some mis-matched but matching sets of antique pieces...you know, 12+ water goblets in one pattern/etched design...12+reds in another, 12+ whites in another...
Oh yeah. And I have mentally planned into my "if we ever win the lottery/write a best selling novel/have every rich relative die and leave us a chunk of change" dream house a huge built in china cabinet in a wall in my dining area...HUGE (and a butler's pantry for the "excess"--I love china and crystal and such, and there WOULD be excess...esp if I had that kind of cash to lay out, lol)....
Oh well. I can dream.
Rachel
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teachingmom
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juststartn wrote:
| As far as crystal is concerned...well, for non-antique pieces, I really like "Lady Anne" from Gorham (without the metallic lip). |
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I received the plain Gorham "Lady Anne" crystal goblets and wine glasses for wedding gifts and think they are really pretty. A few years back, my mom found some Irish crystal glasses (both tall and short, I can't remember the name for those) that match the Lady Anne design almost perfectly. They were from Tuesday Morning, I think and she bought me twelve of each size. That was a great gift.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: May I see inside your china cabinet?
