Happy 11th birthday, Diary of a Dishie! The cake is ready, now for the plates.
Ah, serving dishes. Not as simple as the cake, which I let the bakery decorate. That was easy. Overall the cake and its bright frosting will be the star of the show.
Choosing one pattern from my stash of small dessert and salad plates, not so easy.
I remembered when I used to sell vintage dishes online, and someone bought a selection of plates for a rehearsal dinner. Her order was delivered in a laundry basket full of charming plates in floral patterns from the 1960s and 1970s. I won’t need that many for this birthday treat, but the experience gave me an idea.
Time for a dish parade, to find the right candidate for the cake and the display pedestal.
I started with some recent acquisitions. It’s always fun to bring out something that I just found in the past week or two. Maybe I’ll use one of those for the first time.
But then, how could I leave out the old friends? I had to pull out a few of those, too.
My dish choice was to be the cake server, a new-to-me pedestal by Temp-tations in the Old World pattern. I hadn’t added any of this ware to my collection up to now, though I’ve seen it often on QVC. It surprised me a little to see some in a secondhand store. I guess it shouldn’t have. When people downsize, they must whittle down their collections.
I believe that Temp-tations will become a sought-after vintage collectible in the future, similar to Pyrex and some of the long-established Pfaltzgraff patterns like Yorktowne, Folk Art and Village.
I may review my collection sometime, but I will not be doing a full Marie Kondo on my dishes. They all spark joy!
After I looked at the colors and motifs on the cake plate, and I started the search for complementary plates.
Retro and Classic Wares by Well-Know Makers
First candidate, Festival by Royal Doulton. I just got them and paid more than I ordinarily would. I had to have them. And I love the colors. They are so retro, Mid-1970s. I did not choose them for my birthday party though. Too modern to go with the cake plate, so they will come out for a future event.
Then I found a sweet little white-on-white number, Whitebrook by Noritake. White goes with everything, and the motifs are beautiful. They could work, especially if I dressed up the table setting with some classic glassware and flatware. I didn’t choose the, though, because I’ve done this color before, including last year.
Princeton by Noritake could also looked nice. This design dates back to the 1960s and was made for more than 10 years. The flowers are springy, the green leaves add even more color, though this pattern has two platinum rims. Another dinnerware that is more dressed up than I was looking for.
The Rustic and Handcrafted Look
The Harkerware plate in the Ivy Wreath pattern also looked like a good candidate. The green is a nice complement to the red hues on the pedestal. This is a very pretty combination, a little like Christmas, so I’ll pass on that for today as well.
First runner up, as it turns out, is called Country Morn by Country Roads Collection. This is stoneware, made in Japan, probably 1980s dinnerware. It has warm tones that complement the cake pedestal, and a somewhat rustic look. I might have chosen this pattern, but I didn’t have enough of it; something to go on my permanent shopping list. I’ll see if I can find a few more pieces of this well-made china.
In the end, I chose an old friend: a plate in the Brambleberry pattern by Cumberland (Hearthside). This is a pattern I collect more often than some others, because I like it. It has some rosy tones to go with the colors of the cake plate and brings in some blue. I like it. It is slightly rustic, almost handcrafted, like the Temp-tations. This pattern has the right note of traditional style to bring my palette together.
Brambleberry it is!
After all, we cannot wait forever for me to make up my mind. It’s time to cut the cake!
Tips to Mix and Match Vintage Dishes
When you are choosing dishes to mix and match, there is a simple list to (hopefully) make your selection easy:
What style? Traditional, modern, or something more eclectic.
What color palette? Monochromatic, complementary, or another group, such as the colors from your main dinnerware pattern.
What piece types? Do you have the right (and enough) of the particular dishes you need for the number of guests and the menu you have in mind?
Even if your dinnerware collection is more focused than mine, your answers to these questions can simplify your choice of party dishes in the moment, or help with future planning for upcoming events. You do plan for Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day and special birthdays all year long, right?
Mixing vintage and new is fun, as is shopping for your favorites in secondary marketplaces. Many people are downsizing these days, a boon for those of us who have particular candidates on the shopping list to acquire.
What kind of birthday surprise will the Diary get this year? I’ll know as soon as I take “her” shopping in coming days to look for more special finds to enjoy at another party or gathering.
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