Kitchen

[Luv_My_Beagle]

On 11/14/2014 glinda said: We usually go to my aunts home for Thanksgiving, and I really didn't have any "good dishes" until a year ago that I would use for Thanksgiving. I USED to have my hubby's family here for Thanksgiving when our kids were small and most likely the dishes I used were "early Corelle"! Last year, my dad passed away and left me a bit of money, not a lot, but enough to take some time to consider what I would do with it. Since my mom passed on before dad, I knew I wanted to use it for something I could honor their memory with and also pass down to my kids. After MUCH thought, I decided that I would splurge and buy "good" Christmas dishes. Both my parents LOVED Christmas and family dinners for any reason or no reason. last fall my hubby and I were traveling thru Lancaster, PA and stopped at a Lennox outlet. I KNEW exactly what pattern I wanted, Well, that went out the window as I saw "Winter Greetings" which was more expensive than the pattern I originally liked. Yes, there was a special, but I still felt like it was just more money than I wanted to spend. I actually left the store and sat in the car. After about 10 minutes, my hubby came out and asked me to come back I and talk to the manager, he had heard my hubby's story and wanted to talk to me. I was blown away..6 piece service for 12.. At exactly what I was willing to pay. Got it! Being that it is not a pattern that is solely "Christmas" , but can be used all winter, and the fact moms favorite bird, the cardinal is on it...it is the best purchase I have ever made! I can still hear my dad saying "use your good things all the time"! So..last year, I had the opportunity to use my new china not once, but three or four times during Thanksgiving thru the New year! Having said that, when we go to my aunts for Thanksgiving, it will be on the stoneware she has had for years and paper plates for dessert...and who cares?? it's the people and the bond we share that makes it memorable!!

I love that pattern and your story... Thanks for posting!

[pupwhipped]

On 11/14/2014 SuesCat said:

glinda ~ sweet story, thanks for sharing that. I got choked up.

I loved that story, too. Thanks for sharing. It just gives you a good, warm feeling.

[ms traditional]

time to use the family heirlooms - polish the silver serving dishes, flatware and candlabra, buff up the crystal, touch up the Army Navy tablecloth and napkins, and unpack the family West Point china to honor family members who went there and all those who served and still serve in the armed forces. we make it into a special event. we do casual on other holidays.

[violann]

On 11/14/2014 sunnysw said:

I use Autumn by Lenox with silver flatware & silver serving dishes & lead chrystal stemware. For Christmas I use Holiday by Lenox with silver flatware & serving dishes & the lead chrystal stemware. My table extends to serve 12 & I have linens that will fit the table fully extended - the table cloth is 144 inches. My table is Ethan Allen cherry wood with the double pedestal & is rectangular. The table for both holidays looks spectacular!!

OMGosh, that must be GORGEOUS! I use a combination of my Lenox Eternal and my MIL's Lenox Bellvue Maroon. I also received sterling flatware as a wedding present, and that will be on my table as well. Lenox "Autumn" has always been my very favorite pattern, but now after time, I'm just happy to have Lenox. Wishing you all a Thanksgiving as beautiful as your dining tables!

[violann]

On 11/14/2014 Bluegrassbaby said:

A dinner shared in love on these plates would taste better to me than one served with sorrow on the finest china. Hearty best wishes for your Thanksgiving.

[goodstuff]

On 11/14/2014 froggy said:

On 11/14/2014 Mochahoney said:

Liberty Blue Staffordshire ironstone. we don't have any fine china, but I just love this ironstone.

I love these! I saw them in an antique shop a couple of years ago and found a bunch on ebay. However I just could not justify another set of dishes. For fall and Thanksgiving I use these that I have had for several years. They make for a very pretty table.

Lovely.......and I'm pretty sure I have a plate with a similar/identical border pattern.......but I think mine depicts a wild deer instead of a turkey. One of the eclectic "treasure plates" I've picked up for next to nothing in a thrift store. I never miss the china aisle and have snagged some gorgeous finds there for just a dollar or two.

Is this English china? I'm thinking the series depicted various English wildlife. I am going to have to scrabble through my cupboard, find the plate, and check this out! Now you have me working on Saturday!

[goodstuff]

Yes! Here's the plate I have -- British, a sister to your turkey plate, and part of the Churchill "Wildlife" series:

[goodstuff]

I also have this English plate from the Churchill "Tall Ships" series. I got it for a dollar or so at a thrift store; I'm on the lookout for other plates from the series of four ships:

Other English china thrift store treasures I've collected:

Johnson Brothers, from the "Coaching Scenes" series:

Queen's Indian Tree:

Royal Stafford black and white:

Kensington hand-crafted stoneware pattern:

......and this flamboyant Calyx British ironstone "Blue Parrot" pattern:

I have many more....but now you see why I love treasure hunting in thrift shops?

[house_cat]

Thank you, SuesCat. You are right on all counts. I have a small place, downsized from a larger place, so we only keep the things we love nowadays. DH saw the kokopelli somewhere and it "spoke to him" The giraffe was a gift to him, from me, because he loves giraffes. When we visit the LA Zoo, they have that giraffe in the gift shop with a price of $300. Needless to say, we never bought it. I was out of town for several weeks last year, closing up my mom's house and a friend told me she saw the same giraffe on Amazon for $60 so I had it shipped to him. He was delighted like a little kid when he opened the box.

The farm canisters were my great aunt's. She was like a grandma to me. I always admired those and she wanted me to take them when she was alive. I preferred to let her keep them but when she passed away at 99 years old, I made sure to get them, along with some pieces of vintage Pyrex and the cow milk servers. Oh, and the coffee pots picture below.

[Carmie]

I host all family holidays at my house and my family is huge. I usually have between 30-35 people for dinner and a few more who drop in for dessert only.

Because I have such a large group, I use white dishes and my Evesham dishes together. I have many, many serving pieces in Evesham and many in solid white too.

Thankfully, my silverware all matches.

What a great thread. I love dishes and dinnerware and I have a piece of this and a piece of that, mostly platters and bowls, that I have collected through the years. I always mix with solid white.