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CatPat

Washing Up
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Messages
2,126
Location
Asheville
You all know already that I have a new stove. Now DA is paying for me to have cookware and all the things I need for a good kitchen in my lair.

I must have this done before Mamma and Papa arrive. I need plates and glasses and everything. I have been using DA's things but she thinks I should have my own.

I have decided upon stainless steel cookware, some non-stick frying pans, but that is all. I am looking of these things to buy, and if you all here have any ideas of this, please tell of this.

This is a large task!

With love,
~Cat
 
Have you considered LeCrueset? I've had my set for over 30 years. I also have some stainless pans/pots, but love my LeCrueset pans.
 
What do you like re: plates and glassware? I have basic white dishes (Wedgewood) for my everyday dishes and Christmas Spode china for Christmas. My china-china is Limoges which I picked up at an auction for next to nothing (and hardly ever use). I bring out the Christmas Spode around the 1st of December and put it away New Year's Day. My glassware is German crystal (Nachtmann).
 
What do you like re: plates and glassware? I have basic white dishes (Wedgewood) for my everyday dishes and Christmas Spode china for Christmas. My china-china is Limoges which I picked up at an auction for next to nothing (and hardly ever use). I bring out the Christmas Spode around the 1st of December and put it away New Year's Day. My glassware is German crystal (Nachtmann).

I am not very sure of this. DA and Mamma have flowers on their plates, and I love flowers! But there are so very many patterns of them.

DA said I must have an ordinary set of plates, a holiday set, and a good set. I do not know where to start!

I am looking to Oneida for flatware. There is a Dish Barn in the next county that has beautiful things! I will look there also. DA says Wedgewood is very good, and also is Lenox and Mikasa and Noritake. I shall look to these.

The Walmart has plain white plates as DA has and I do like those! They are of Corelle. I like Corelle for it is practical.

Does everyone in America have three or more sets of plates? Mamma and DA have three. Gwen has five sets!

There is a very large china cabinet in the dining area of my lair. It is empty. I will have very much room for three sets of plates. DA brought it with her from Romania and it will become mine one day. It matches the dining set down here. It is very heavy!

DA said I must learn to make a good home for myself first before to make a home for a family. She says I must learn to entertain guests properly and she says I am doing a very good job! DA says a home tells of the lady inside, and I do want to be as gracious and charming as my Mamma and DA.

I have so very much to learn of all this!

Thank you CWS! I have a little more than a month to be of pulling all this off well.

With love,
~Cat
 
What a wonderful gift! That's very nice of DA. Do you really have to decide on all three sets at once, though? That seems like a lot, since these will be items you will live with for a long time. Before you buy things like that, you want to have an idea of what your style is: Sophisticated, casual, country? French provincial, Victorian, Scandinavian?

To get some ideas, you might want to take a look at some decorating and design magazines and see what draws you: Top 10 Decorating Magazines

Buy a few at a bookstore and look through them. Cut out pictures of patterns and colors you like, and print pages from their websites. Then put it away for a few days and come back and see what you think. Use those patterns and colors to guide your choices.

People in the U.S. entertain much more casually than they used to do. I would doubt that a lot of younger people here have a set of china. Maybe a set of inexpensive holiday dishes, and certainly everyday dishes.

I have gone to the Parade of Homes - the builders' association builds and decorates model homes and then opens them to the public - here several times. Recently, some new home designs don't even have formal dining rooms, because people use them so rarely. They feel it's wasted space, so they expand a living room or build a media room instead. I'm not saying you would feel that way; just answering your question about how many dishes Americans have.

For the cookware, Le Creuset is one of the best brands you can get, especially for enameled cast-iron and ceramic bakeware. I haven't used their non-stick, but I would think it's of good quality as well. All Clad is generally acknowledged to be the best stainless steel cookware, but it's quite expensive. I have one All Clad pan and a set of Calphalon, next best, imo. I love them all :)
 
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What a wonderful gift! That's very nice of DA. Do you really have to decide on all three sets at once, though? That seems like a lot, since these will be items you will live with for a long time. Before you buy things like that, you want to have an idea of what your style is: Sophisticated, casual, country? French provincial, Victorian, Scandinavian?

To get some ideas, you might want to take a look at some decorating and design magazines and see what draws you: Top 10 Decorating Magazines

Buy a few at a bookstore and look through them. Cut out pictures of patterns and colors you like, and print pages from their websites. Then put it away for a few days and come back and see what you think. Use those patterns and colors to guide your choices.

People in the U.S. entertain much more casually than they used to do. I would doubt that a lot of younger people here have a set of china. Maybe a set of inexpensive holiday dishes, and certainly everyday dishes.

I have gone to the Parade of Homes - the builders' association builds and decorates model homes and then opens them to the public - here several times. Recently, some new home designs don't even have formal dining rooms, because people use them so rarely. They feel it's wasted space, so they expand a living room or build a media room instead. I'm not saying you would feel that way; just answering your question about how many dishes Americans have.

For the cookware, Le Creuset is one of the best brands you can get, especially for enameled cast-iron and ceramic bakeware. I haven't used their non-stick, but I would think it's of good quality as well. All Clad is generally acknowledged to be the best stainless steel cookware, but it's quite expensive. I have one All Clad pan and a set of Calphalon, next best, imo. I love them all :)

I will start with the casual and the holiday dishes. Mamma and Papa are coming for the holidays and I need my table to look as very festive for them. With Papa here, he can carry DA down the steps to my lair so we can eat together at my table.

My table seats of eight people. DA said a set for eight people is proper to start with. DA has a very large formal dining room. Maybe Mamma can help me find the good dishes later.

Le Creuset is very nice! DA has Calphalon frying pans. I want those. Those are very nice. I also want the cast iron because it is what Mamma has and DA has some and I use the cast iron very well. I do not know of All Clad. I shall look for this.

I like bright colors of things. Victorian is nice! And rustic plates like Mamma's stoneware plates are so nice. Mamma fixed my suite at home of French Provincial. I do not know what those plates might look like. My lair has all very old, very heavy, very carved furniture of it. It is what DA brought with her to here. The other two floors are very much the same, but they are American heavy furniture. My lair looks like a small Romanian house which I like very much!

I think maybe I like old things. I love my lair because it reminds me of Romania, but I have put American things in here to stand for my new country. Yes, as I type, I like old, colorful things. The furniture has maroon, blue, green, beige, and dark purple paisley patterns of the upholstery, except the ottoman. I think it was supposed to be beige but it is the color of cat barf. I shall get that recovered in blue, I am thinking.

I am thinking I like the white Corelle for the ordinary dishes. I shall find and do postings of photos of things I like and I shall show these before to buy them for the opinions.

Thank you so very much! You have given me very much to think of in this matter.

With love,
~Cat
 
Just something else to think about ;) I like colorful things, too. When I first started buying Le Creuset, I had a hard time deciding which color I wanted. Then I realized - why choose one? So I have bought them a piece or two at a time and have Flame, Soleil (yellow), Cherry, and Kiwi. I love having a variety of colors and they look great on a buffet.
 
I like bright colors of things.

I am thinking I like the white Corelle for the ordinary dishes. I shall find and do postings of photos of things I like and I shall show these before to buy them for the opinions.

Thank you so very much! You have given me very much to think of in this matter.

With love,
~Cat

You have a very daunting, and fun, task ahead of you. I've had Corelle since before my children were born, which was in the early '70s. I still have many of the dishes. My current Corelle is something called Summer Blush, but it has been discontinued. It has pretty pastel pansies as the border on the plates.

Our "good" china consists of three different patterns, of which I've collected for nearly 30 years.

One set is something called Blue Willow and is the oldest continuously produced china pattern in the world. You can read here about the history and romantic legend of it. It's a lovely pattern and I've managed to collect a service for 18 over the years and have pieces from many different countries. Some of my pieces are 100-years-old and I have no hesitation to use them. I accompany it with glassware in cobalt blue.

Another set is a pattern made by an American maker named Homer Laughlin and is called Virginia Rose. The variation of the pattern I collect is called Fluffy Rose. It's a lovely floral design and each piece is edged in platinum. Unfortunately the pattern was discontinued in 1934 but I've managed to accumulate enough pieces to complete a service for 12. Here's a nice photo of the design. I use clear, pale green and pale pink glassware to compliment it.

I've attached a photo of one of my Thanksgiving tables set with the Virginia Rose dishes.

A third, and final, set I have is something called LuRay Pastels and was made by another American manufacturer, Taylor, Smith & Taylor. I have equal pieces of the four colors, enough to serve 12, which means 3 of each of the four colors for all pieces. I've seen but never owned any of the grey pieces. It's wonderfully pleasant and cheerful. Look at this for some neat photos and more explanation.

Since you like pottery-like wares and also enjoy vivid colors, you might investigate Fiestaware. It was first sold to the public in 1936 and is still made today, although some of the colors have been discontinued and others have been created. Here's more more about Fiestaware.

If you are near a large china/pottery/dinnerware/cookware outlet, you will probably find Fiestaware there. You've also mentioned Mikasa and Noritake. Many reputable outlets sell those brands, too.

LeCreuset, with all its many colors, would look great with Fiestaware.

I'm a china and glassware nut and spent many years of my business life selling and appraising antique china, glassware and silver. Unfortunately, I wanted every piece I came into contact with.:ohmy:

One thing I've never accumulated any holiday china. Not sure why, especially since I truly love the holidays. Hmmmm! Maybe....No, no, no. I have to be good.:rolleyes:

I'd love to go shopping with you and enjoy your adventure.
 

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Just something else to think about ;) I like colorful things, too. When I first started buying Le Creuset, I had a hard time deciding which color I wanted. Then I realized - why choose one? So I have bought them a piece or two at a time and have Flame, Soleil (yellow), Cherry, and Kiwi. I love having a variety of colors and they look great on a buffet.

I looked at the Le Creuset website, and I did like the colors! I think I shall mix them also if I get them. Le Creuset is cast iron! I did not know of this! I shall speak of this to DA. The set I am seeing is over $1,000.00. That may be too expensive for DA. I was not told of how much I can spend. She only told me to get what I wished and she would pay for this.

I want nice things which will last for a long time, but I do not want to take the advantage of DA.

With love,
~Cat
 
I looked at the Le Creuset website, and I did like the colors! I think I shall mix them also if I get them. Le Creuset is cast iron! I did not know of this! I shall speak of this to DA. The set I am seeing is over $1,000.00. That may be too expensive for DA. I was not told of how much I can spend. She only told me to get what I wished and she would pay for this.

I want nice things which will last for a long time, but I do not want to take the advantage of DA.

With love,
~Cat

Cat, there are less expensive vendors for LeCreuset so do some sleuthing and get more for your money. As I said earlier, there are outlets for such things, even LeCreuset.
 
You have a very daunting, and fun, task ahead of you. I've had Corelle since before my children were born, which was in the early '70s. I still have many of the dishes. My current Corelle is something called Summer Blush, but it has been discontinued. It has pretty pastel pansies as the border on the plates.

Our "good" china consists of three different patterns, of which I've collected for nearly 30 years.

One set is something called Blue Willow and is the oldest continuously produced china pattern in the world. You can read here about the history and romantic legend of it. It's a lovely pattern and I've managed to collect a service for 18 over the years and have pieces from many different countries. Some of my pieces are 100-years-old and I have no hesitation to use them. I accompany it with glassware in cobalt blue.

Another set is a pattern made by an American maker named Homer Laughlin and is called Virginia Rose. The variation of the pattern I collect is called Fluffy Rose. It's a lovely floral design and each piece is edged in platinum. Unfortunately the pattern was discontinued in 1934 but I've managed to accumulate enough pieces to complete a service for 12. Here's a nice photo of the design. I use clear, pale green and pale pink glassware to compliment it.

I've attached a photo of one of my Thanksgiving tables set with the Virginia Rose dishes.

A third, and final, set I have is something called LuRay Pastels and was made by another American manufacturer, Taylor, Smith & Taylor. I have equal pieces of the four colors, enough to serve 12, which means 3 of each of the four colors for all pieces. I've seen but never owned any of the grey pieces. It's wonderfully pleasant and cheerful. Look at this for some neat photos and more explanation.

Since you like pottery-like wares and also enjoy vivid colors, you might investigate Fiestaware. It was first sold to the public in 1936 and is still made today, although some of the colors have been discontinued and others have been created. Here's more more about Fiestaware.

If you are near a large china/pottery/dinnerware/cookware outlet, you will probably find Fiestaware there. You've also mentioned Mikasa and Noritake. Many reputable outlets sell those brands, too.

LeCreuset, with all its many colors, would look great with Fiestaware.

I'm a china and glassware nut and spent many years of my business life selling and appraising antique china, glassware and silver. Unfortunately, I wanted every piece I came into contact with.:ohmy:

One thing I've never accumulated any holiday china. Not sure why, especially since I truly love the holidays. Hmmmm! Maybe....No, no, no. I have to be good.:rolleyes:

I'd love to go shopping with you and enjoy your adventure.

Oh I wish you could, Katie! Your table is beautiful! I love the pretty plates and the flatware. How beautiful this is!

I shall look to these links you have given me. Thank you so very much! You have given me very much help.

When I looked at your photo, I felt as if I was invited to sit down at your table and have a wonderful meal! This is what I want others to feel.

With love,
~Cat
 
Oh my, Cat! When I was your age, and in college, I had a few battered aluminum pots and pans, a cheap nonstick frying pan, and a few mismatched plates, bowls, and cups! Oh, and some cheap Libby glassware. I bought my first dish set for 8 after I got married, we didn't have a formal wedding and no gift registry. I have one nice set of Noritake, and no formal or china set.

Some of this stuff, it might be better to wait until when you get married. No need to rush!

I love my Cuisinart SS, along with my cast iron hand-me-downs.

Gorgeous tablescape, Katie!
 
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Cat, I guess the pictures below demonstrate why I don't have holiday dishes. i like to create an "environment" for my holiday tables and this one for our family in 2011 was all rich blue, white, crystal and silver.

I forgot to add earlier that I also have a service for 12 of china(?) that's all clear glass, which makes it easy to design 'scapes of my liking.

In the photos, I made the napkins, decorated the cobalt glass napkin rings, filled the hurricanes with crystals for the silver candles, and made the centerpiece.

Each plate had a silver charger under it and the wine glasses sat on flat silver snowflake coasters, which were really ornaments that I clipped the hanging loop off.

The napkins were made out of fabric that had a rich blue background, white and silver snowflakes printed on. I sewed a rolled edge on them using silver metallic thread.

I wanted lots of wintery shimmer and sparkle. I used mirror tiles down the center of the table and sprinkled acrylic "diamonds" randomly on the tabletop.

The guests took as many of the diamonds as they wished as a favor of the event. The granddaughters loved it!:LOL::LOL:
 

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I looked at the Le Creuset website, and I did like the colors! I think I shall mix them also if I get them. Le Creuset is cast iron! I did not know of this! I shall speak of this to DA. The set I am seeing is over $1,000.00. That may be too expensive for DA. I was not told of how much I can spend. She only told me to get what I wished and she would pay for this.

I want nice things which will last for a long time, but I do not want to take the advantage of DA.

With love,
~Cat

Le Creuset cookware is enameled cast iron; their bakeware is ceramic.

You don't necessarily have to buy an entire set at once. Sets often come with pieces you seldom or never use, so it can be more cost-effective to buy a few pieces to start with. You can always add more later.
 
Oh my, Cat! When I was your age, and in college, I had a few battered aluminum pots and pans, a cheap nonstick frying pan, and a few mismatched plates, bowls, and cups! Oh, and some cheap Libby glassware. I bought my first dish set for 8 after I got married, we didn't have a formal wedding and no gift registry. I have one nice set of Noritake, and no formal or china set.

Some of this stuff, it might be better to wait until when you get married. No need to rush!

I love my Cuisinart SS, along with my cast iron hand-me-downs.

Gorgeous tablescape, Katie!

It is what I thought also. DA and Mamma say that to our traditions, the wife has the makings of the home and the husband buys the home.

But I will also have my own home! DA's home will be mine. But her kitchen and dining things will be going to others of family.

I know you have nice things, Dawgluver. Noritake dishes are very nice!

With love,
~Cat
 
Cat, I guess the pictures below demonstrate why I don't have holiday dishes. i like to create an "environment" for my holiday tables and this one for our family in 2011 was all rich blue, white, crystal and silver.

I forgot to add earlier that I also have a service for 12 of china(?) that's all clear glass, which makes it easy to design 'scapes of my liking.

In the photos, I made the napkins, decorated the cobalt glass napkin rings, filled the hurricanes with crystals for the silver candles, and made the centerpiece.

Each plate had a silver charger under it and the wine glasses sat on flat silver snowflake coasters, which were really ornaments that I clipped the hanging loop off.

The napkins were made out of fabric that had a rich blue background, white and silver snowflakes printed on. I sewed a rolled edge on them using silver metallic thread.

I wanted lots of wintery shimmer and sparkle. I used mirror tiles down the center of the table and sprinkled acrylic "diamonds" randomly on the tabletop.

The guests took as many of the diamonds as they wished as a favor of the event. The granddaughters loved it!:LOL::LOL:

Oh my! How beautiful, Katie! You are so very creative! These remind me of Mamma's tables. She is creative also. She does very much with just simple things.

I want to sit at your table!

With love,
~Cat
 
Traditionally here, Cat, before you get married, you register at a bunch of high-end (expensive) stores, listing all the stuff you would like, then people who are invited to your wedding buy you that stuff and either send it to you before the wedding or drop it off at one of the inlaw's places. It's nice, you get to pick out all the things you want.

I'm wondering if your tastes will change if/when before you get married. It might be best to get the bare minimum right now, like a nice set of everyday dishes, and save the expensive stuff for later.
 
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