To Buy or Not to Buy...

It's been just shy of 4 years since I bought the house and moved in. Back when I lived in an apartment I had a small, mostly mismatched collection of china and silver that I used, which is common for people living in apartments who are single.

I purchased some simple, white dishes at Pier One for really cheap. They have lasted for a good while. I've even kept the dishes I broke to use in mosaics. The big problem with these dishes is that they aren't microwaveable and they chip easily. I learned the hard way about the microwave when a plate that I was heating food on cracked. Slowly this set has dwindled to almost nothing and the ones that are left I only use when everything else is dirty. Somewhere along the line I purchased a new set of white dishes from Target that ARE microwavable and that I like moderately well, though they're pretty heavy. I'm not sure what happened, but it seems the number of dinner plates in this set has dwindled even though I don't recall breaking any.

Now for the issue of silver and stainless flatware: I have a hodge podge of pieces from a cheap set I purchased somewhere during the years mixed with some random sterling pieces that I got from my Nana's house. Dave doesn't like to eat on the sterling because it's old and the finish is mottled. Not what you'd expect to see in the kitchen of someone who enjoys cooking (and eating) as much as I do.

Now, I've always really liked the idea of having a fully-functioning and well-stocked kitchen including the necessary pieces of bakeware, serving pieces, cookware, china and stainless to accomodate my love of cooking and serving my cooking to others. So, I've decided that I want to go ahead and start buying the china and stainless that I plan to register for when Dave and I get married.

This is the casual china that Dave and I have agreed to have, "French Countryside" by Mikasa . I really like the simple white china because it's versatile. Dave likes it because he doesn't like patterns on his plate fighting with his food. Good reasons. I haven't totally decided on stainless yet, but I have narrowed it down to these three: Country French" by Reed and Barton though Dave is scared by the salad fork, "Ashland" by Reed and Barton, and "Marquette" by Oneida. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sterling silver and desperately want to register for this pattern when we get married. I love the line of the pieces and the fact that they can be engraved. Yeah, I realize that sterling is expensive and requires upkeep. But it's so beautiful and it can be passed down. I have a sterling serving piece that belonged to my great-great-grandmother and I think that's the neatest thing!

No need to buy new sets of china and flatware that aren't what we really want just to hold us over until we get engaged. Right?