Fancy Finds

Long, long ago, when I was just engaged, and pondering the perfect wonder that I knew my marriage would be, I went to the Toronto wedding show.  I had no intention of using any of the vendors, but knew I might score some freebies, and hopefully some inspiration.  One of the booths I visited was a fancy kitchen store, where they had a registry just for wedding china.  I had no idea people still got wedding china.  I thought it was ridiculous, and would never ask people to buy me such a pricey gift. But the free glasses offered for creating a registry were cute, so I signed up, picked out my fancy pattern, and never told anyone we were registered there.  (That may not be ethical, but I have no guilt when I use those glasses). 

That was the end of my interest in fine china until Paige's first birthday drew near.  There is nothing like having a growing baby in your house to make you say: "hey, I need more fragile and sentimental items in this house for my child to destroy!"  But her approaching birthday made me remember my own childhood parties.

My fondest birthday memories are not the cute cakes my mom made, the gifts, or playing pass the bag (which I could probably write an entire blog post about).  My best memories are having a birthday dinner on the same disposable Care Bears table cloth every year (which I believe mom tossed when they moved, and it broke my heart a little bit), and eating birthday cake with a slice (not a scoop) of checker board ice cream off my mother's lovely bridal rose china.  There is something so pleasing about eating something messy off of beautiful dishes. 

So I decided that my daughter needed to experience those same joys and traditions.  The disposable table cloth was easy to find, but the china is a continuing adventure.  I looked into buying fine china, and wanted to choke - I am cheap, and fancy dishes are not!  So I put my dream of having a cabinet full of dishes that I would dust off and use just twice a year on the back burner.  But then a couple years later, providence rekindled my desire for fanciness.  My grandparents-in-law were downsizing, so Grandma took me to the china cabinet and asked me what I would like.  I chose a yellow plate, and a yellow cup and saucer. 

I took them home, put them on a shelf, and had an epiphany!

Who decided china collections have to match?  And why am I trying to be fancy and traditional?  My furniture is mismatched, and I like it,  so why not do the same thing with my dishes?  I already owned two yellow pieces of china (three if you count the cup and saucer separately), so what better thing to do than expand my collection?  From that moment, every garage sale, thrift store, flea market and dump (yep, you read that right) I go to, I always check the dishes, looking for pretty yellow china to add to my eclectic collection.  It gives purpose to my thrifting, and it is such a thrill when I find a new piece!  So far I have only found cups and saucers (which make a woodland tea party so fancy and fun), and I have not spent more than $5 on a set.  I would be willing to spend more than that on plates, and far more on a yellow teapot (my dream item).

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea (I couldn't resist), if you want fine china, have a limited budget, and like the eclectic look, this might be the perfect solution for you!




My thrifty yellow finds.

If you want to start a similar collection, here are some tips for you:

• Choose a colour, or theme (I was drawn to the yellow in Grandma's cupboard, because as a kid "lellow" hugs and kisses were the very best kind, and obviously I am trying to relive my childhood through my children).  You could choose roses, or gold, or country of origin, or just simply your adoration for each and every one.  Your collection, your choice!
• If you want to build up your collection quickly, choose a common theme.  Yellow is not common.  My collection will take years to complete, but it will be absolutely worth it!  If I had chosen pink, my cabinet would likely be overflowing by now, but I doubt it would make me as happy as my little yellow collection does.  Plus, everyone has pink and I don't want to be like everyone.
• Decide if you care about quality.  If you care, you will want to educate yourself so you know what you are looking for.  My standard is simply no chips or cracks (unless it's so pretty and cheap enough to make the damage irrelevant).
• Tell your friends and family what you are collecting, and what your budget per piece is.  If they see something for your collection, they can grab it for you before someone else takes it.  Bonus - you might get pretty china instead of an ugly sweater for your next birthday!
• Cups and saucers are the easiest to find, so you can afford to be pickier with which ones you bring home.
• Yard sales are cheapest and flea markets are the most expensive (in my experience anyways).  Remember at yard sales, they don't want to pack it up after.  If the sellers are ready to be done, you can likely get a great bargain.
• If something doesn't fit your theme, but you love it, get it anyways!  Eclectic means you can do what you want.

If you are a fellow thrifter, go check out my sister's blog here, and join her thrift blitz party by linking up your finds!  You can even start your own blog for the sole purpose of joining the party.  Who knows, you might even enjoy it!