Shiny glass in gold or amber is just right to give some extra pizzazz to your dinner table for the coming holiday season. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are not so far away on the calendar. If glassware in gold is not on your permanent shopping list, now is a good time to add […]
Grandma’s vintage Christmas platter can do extra duty as holiday décor, if you don’t need to use it to serve your special dinner. This platter by Fine China of Japan (circa 1980s) can be the basis for a centerpiece using natural elements, like greenery, ornaments made from walnuts, and frosted tree pretzels. The platter pattern […]
I like to use my vintage china. One challenge: setting a table for a group, when I only have a few of the piece types I want to use to serve the foods I’ve cooked. What can you do, when you have only two? Secondary marketplaces are spotty in their detailed offerings. Yes, there’s lots […]
When it comes to St. Patrick Day’s (and other “green” holidays), if your dinner table is wearing green today, you have a lot of choices in vintage dinnerware and glassware. These are just a few examples. Just choose your favorites. Greens are easy to mix and match. Green also works for Easter, and for the […]
I just cannot resist those trays of Danish sweet rolls at Costco. And what better way to serve them in sweet, small bites than some vintage dessert plates? In this case, the plates are in the Maytime pattern by Franciscan. This is an uncommon pattern, from the 1960s, during the period when Gladding McBean […]
The simple beauty of white dinnerware is classic. You cannot go wrong with a table setting based on this elegant color. Some tones are creamy, some are bright, but no matter the specific white shade, the impression is understated and refined. The differences in the white tones give texture to your table setting, when you […]
I’m a dish flipper, no doubt about it. Dinnerware is my weakness. My collection of plates, glasses and mugs has outgrown the kitchen cabinet space, moved into other rooms, and headed off toward the hoarders end of the spectrum. Since you’re here, you know that I’ve been writing about, and for a few years selling, […]
Vintage dinnerware mixes with new china just fine, when it comes to setting your table for the fall season. Homecoming by Noritake is one of my favorite vintage patterns, and the new pumpkin plate by Better Homes & Gardens works so well with it. I could bring in some colorful leaves, to add to a […]
Whether you’re serving candy corn or pizza, some colorful dishes can bring sparkle to your table for Halloween, and for parties on the day or the weekend after. It’s also an opportunity, once again, to play with mix and match table setting ideas. Here I’ve brought in my very favorite Poultrygeist mug. He turns […]
Why I won’t have a Downton Abbey dinnerware set, but you might want to. I like mixing my collection of vintage dinnerware and glassware, to create different table settings. That doesn’t mean I don’t use classic china dishes, just that my party style is eclectic. One important element of an authentic Downton Abbey table is […]
There are always new ways to celebrate, and mix the best of vintage dishes with current holidays. When I saw this pairing of two Swedish Modern vintage glass pieces, an idea dawned. Let me serve chips and salsa for Cinco de Mayo in this vintage glassware, design inspired by a colder part of the world. […]
Finding special vintage dishes is fun! See what I brought home with me in recent weeks, including some extra special items.
My dishie antennae perk up when I see pieces of Mikasa’s Mediterrania line in my shopping travels. The patterns are so retro. Many of them show the best of modern style from the 1970s. The shapes are simple and sleek. The colors and motifs just work for me. I think Blue Bird is probably my […]