I love dishes. It's a family trait. My mom loves old covered dishes. My sister also loves dishes. We once drove 40 miles mostly to look at a tablescape. My grandmother was not a woman who was frivolous about anything. She was all business, frugal, and straight as an arrow. But, even she loved dishes. She had beautiful Noritake china which was divided up among all the female children and grandchildren when she went to be with the Lord. I have a very treasured platter from her pattern, and several stems of her crystal.
When I was a young mother, I discovered flea markets and garage sales. I bought a lot of 10 cent pieces of crystal and china over the years and have quite a collection now.
My favorite set of dishes are my turkey dishes. I bought these at a flea market about 15 years ago for $65 which was quite a splurge for me then. The set came as 8 turkey plates and the platter. If you've read my blog before, you know that I love Martha Stewart. I've seen an old Thanksgiving special of hers, and was very tickled to find that she has the exact same pattern. I would love to find a few other pieces in this pattern, but it's very old.
I have found that even though I really really love all dishes, I like the old dishes better than new ones. I like transferware, and plates that have a lot of "stuff" on them. I have Blue Willow, and Old Britain Castles, and a set of Royal, Old Curiosity Shop...all richly patterned. Blue Willow has a special story behind it. I used to tell it to my children every time we ate Chinese food. My daughter bought me a tiny Blue Willow tea set once for Mother's Day. It's a treasure! I am now in love with Wedgewood Fallow Deer an old pattern that Martha uses on some Christmas specials. They are way too expensive for my flea market taste, even if I could find them.
Lately, I've been enjoying this blog, Between Naps on The Porch. Every Thursday, Susan hosts Tablescape Thursday. I've decided to participate in a Tablescape Thursday very soon. Each year, we have what we call the "First Fall Weenie Roast". It happens when that first, highly-anticipated cold front manages to push through our Texas heat. I'll be posting a "mini-tablescape" then...using my collection of old, mis-matched brown dripware. Hope you stop by.
