Several of you left a comment on yesterday's post about my beautiful, rare, delicate, highly sought after, expensive, limited edition, rich people, and other snooty references, china. Doncha wish your china was nice like mine? Doncha?
Look at that photo above and meet my $2.50 serving platter from a yard sale and my dollar store white plate. This stuff is the opposite of China. It's more like made in China.
I spent the most on this ceramic finial--it was a splurge: $7.99 at one of my favorite stores, TJ Maxx.
White dishes are the most rewarding to collect. They all look great together no matter what the pattern is, they have high impact when placed on a painted wall or interesting background, they are cheep. Cheap. Not only that, but once your friends and family realize that you love white dishes you are totally set for life. I have white dishes spilling out of every thing I own. Thanks Mom and MIL for those great white serving platters! I know my mom got me a set of two huge serving platters from Costco for $20 a few years back.
You can read more about my dish obsession over at Blissfully D. Look carefully at the vase above. It's been broken in this house full of boys--more than once. Super glue is your friend. Oh and see that black and white dotted dish? Have you ever gone to one of those paint your own pottery places with your girlfriends and have no idea what to paint on your $25 platter that doesn't turnout freakeshly cartoonish? Well, paint it all black {yes, your friends will taunt and question you} then get that textured white paint and make dots. Look how almost cute that turned out. And let me tell you, when it was time to pick up our pottery, they taunted me no more.
If you are wondering about that pretty platter above that was a wedding gift--we registered at Pier One. This is one of the few surviving items that we got and I love it and use it. It was a $20 gift. That gingham plate was in a set of 2 for $5 at Target.
Here's the trick to hanging plates on your wall. Oh, and you already know what I'm gonna say about that one up there. It doesn't have to cost lots of money to make you happy and it sure doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!
My Good China
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38 comments:
I love, love, love white dishes and have tons of them, too. Plus, I have an obsession with patterned salad plates. They just "pop" off the other white dishes. And, you can get them for just a few dollars. It has allowed me to have dishes for all seasons/occasions/holidays by just using all my white stuff and adding the small plates for salad, bread and dessert plates.
Ok...when you say white...do you mean like, white white? Or off white, sorta creamy? I must be the only dummy who never seems to see white white, just creamy color.
Love your white "Made in China" collection! The hutch looks awesome too, however you arrange it!
My 8 year old daughter was just looking over my shoulder as I looked at your blog. She said "Hmm. Nesting Palace." I said, "No, it says Nesting Place." She said, "I know that, but it looks like a palace!"
Nester you are a smart lady! White dishes always look great anywhere & the patterns definitely don't have to match. I sell a good bit of white in my store too. Love the plates & your hutch. You should think of writing a book....
Love the white dishes. I have a thing about old meat platters. I used to work for an auctioneer & I bought quite a few of them from estate sales. I never cared if they were valuable or not. I just bought what I liked. Isn't that what decorating is about? What you are comfortable owning & using in your home?
Nester, you are my hero! I, too, love picking up random, super cheap, white dishes at TJ Maxx. And I think your black hutch is so cool!
I know you shouldn't envy anyone, but I do. I totally envy you that you can think of all this stuff. :)
Bless your heart. You're better than a book that just can't be put down. I searched for white dishes today... ALL day and never found anything half as beautiful as you have.
-Julie
I love your blog! So many great tips and ideas! The white dishes are my favorite! I have had white dishes for the past 10 years now (different sets) and never tire of them, I am dish obsessed though so it is always fun to mix and match!
Love all of the mistreatments- I am off to try some myself! Thanks!!
Oh and your hutch is beautiful!
-Heather :)
Hey there sisterseparatedatbirth!! I have been white dish obsessed for years too. Who am I kidding??? I love any kind of dishes, serving pieces, glasses, vases, etc.... I love the paint your own pottery idea of doing the black with the white dots. I am supposed to go soon, so I will have to remember that idea. I think it would look good with tan and white too.
nice stuff don't have to cost a lot. you just have to have style. and you have definitly style. i really enjoy your postings!
You have such beautiful "china"! I love the way you've arranged it too! And thanks so much for writing about that polka-dot plate. I'm actually going to a paint-your-own-pottery place for a stagette, and I had no idea what to do that wouldn't look like a 5-year-old did it. Polka-dots are great! I'll try not to copy your design exactly ;-)
Yes I learned that "light cream, almost white" frugal dish trick years ago.
People don't realize they are from Target and other discount places!
You know what else works?
Clear cheap dishes.
They will work with any fabric you place them over.
This really saves me $ when entertaining around holidays or special occasions.
They can go formal one day to 4th of July the next.
:D
I love china and have many different patterns but my daughter loves white china. I'm amazed at how well she "mixes and matches".
I was in TJMaxx yesteray and saw a ton of white dishes and thought of you! How appropriate that I log on today and find an entire post dedicated to them!
You know...it just came to me...how to spell WHOA properly! NOT "woe" like I wrote yesterday...like woe is me! I am a dork today! LOVE the polka dot plate! Just felt like I needed to redeem my poor spelling skills in the eyes of The Nester!
Brian and Staci, I totally know you are just a Staci reading this blog but girl, you know there is no need to redeem yourself here at the nest. I'm the one who posted that I was a loser and spelled it looser. Never even fixed it.
Have a grate day!
Nester, your comment made me laugh out loud. I'm glad you liked my table skirt. :)
I love that you posted pictures of your, um, well loved glassware. Your collection is just gorgeous!
For all you TJ Maxx lovers - if you can, try to find a Homegoods in your area. It's like the TJ Maxx home aisle on crack. (and is actually owned by the same company as TJ Maxx). They have this style of decor all over the store...
I love it! Of course I do its from the nester! I love all your ideas! I need you to come to my house. By the way have you ever hot glued fringe on a pillow? Let me know what you think! Julie
Oh Nester!!! Here I go falling in love AGAIN with one of your fabrics... Can you PLEASE tell me where you found that GORGEOUS black and white shower curtain (?) in the bathroom picture with the plate (so cool, by the way) and zebra on the shelf????? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!! You are so good at whipping up such classic looks with a fresh little twist! Oh and thanks for sharing your new nest with us!
Karrie in IN
Oh my, no one would ever know those dishes were so cheep. I would have stuck with the snooty story myself. LOL
They are pretty. I love the paper in the hutch too. I'm going to be doing that one now myself. I'll have to go pick up a few and see what works best. Thanks for the idea!
Joanne
Karrie,
target in the drapery isle. they have towels that coordinate too! but, it was a few years ago--goodluck!
comment padding...
I just LOVE you. Honestly. When I saw the post that was so "Pottery Barn-ish" I was in awe....sigh.....then today? You revealed all the cracks and bared yourself....but you showed us that we CAN do this. I'm so inspired....and I LOVE your phrase..."it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" I think you need to trademark that one...
-Robin
And to think I *almost* stopped at TJ Maxx today, too! I love the white plates on the wall look. I have plates hanging up in my kitchen but would like to switch the look to my dining room. Hmmm. Must think!
BTW, thank you so much for the advice you gave me the other day in my blog. I've been busy today painting barn stars and doing mistreatments. I'll post pictures in the next day or so.
http://frillsfluffandtrucks.blogspot.com
~ Sarah
Hey there,
Do you mind me adding your blog to my favourites list? I'd love to stop by again soon!
Beautiful China by the way, I'm an addict too... :)
Regards from Holland,
Anja
I have a set of white Gibson dishes from Walmart somewhere up in my attic, OMGosh, I've got to find them! Who knew they could look so amazing? The NESTER knew, of course! Good thing I don't throw anything away...LOL...this isn't the first time you've inspired me to climb the ladder up to my attic to dig out my castoffs to give them new life again! Remember your throw pillow trick of changing the fabric on the fronts? Yuppers, I was digging for my old Victorian looking pillows that very day... I can't wait till the holiday season to see all your nifty decorating tricks.
You truly have a gift and talent Girl but what makes you so amazing is how freely and generously you share it, instead of hording it like a miser. This why you have such a loyal following, your very own Nest Brigade!!!
Have you put your feet up yet? You're a whirlwind! Take a break from the unpacking, you deserve it.
OK now two comment posts in one morning, lol, but I just went to post a blog and guess what I saw? A comment! From "THE Nester" and my eyes welled up reading it! Girl you are the sweetest, most generous soul, consider yourself hugged so tight your stuffing came out!
OK off to work for me now...
I am so totally laughing at myself right now. Out loud. I read your label "idhtbptbb" and thought it was your bloggy way of sticking out your tongue and doing a "raspberry." Why you would have done that on this post was beyond me, but I just now figured out what it stands for. That is going to make me giggle all day! I am such a goob.
Will you so be my new best friend?
Puh-leese?
That way you can come to my house & redecorate for me cheaply. LOL
I love your collection of white plates! I keep buying white platters at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I love all the beautiful texture on white...it's too hard to resist it!
Oh, how I love dishes, and I love to display them on the wall. My husband once pointed out that we could host a banquet with all the plates I have hanging on the wall!
I love white dishes and platters too and have lots of them displayed around my kitchen/dining room.
One day I bought a white ceramic rooster, a white vase, and a small delicate statue to give the tops of my kitchen more dimension in between white dishes.
My mom was here at the time.
BIG MISTAKE. Since that time, EVERYONE and their grandma buys me white ceramic things.
One day I'll open a white thing's ceramic store with all my loot and I'll be rich.
It all started for me last fall when I found a really pretty set of white dishes at a yardsale. Ever since then, I've been collecting more & more & more pieces of white & they sure do look great together. I've got most of mine displayed in the DR against my red walls. It's such a fun thing to collect!
Rhoda
The best thing about white dishes, is if you break one they are pretty easy to replace and can find them at thrift and tag sales for pennies. I had to do this several times so far.
Lovely idea! I mix and match navy/cobalt dishes and glasses. I get bored with a set of dishes and need variety (plus this means I always have permission to add to my collection, no?). Your white is so soothing and crisp in the muggy weather now. .
What's the deal with Blissfully D.? Are you still a Diva over there?
I haven't been over there in a while because the Blissful Buzz section was too tempting for me. I've been trying to avoid gossip and it's hard!
I love, love, love this post! I've been collecting white dishes, platters, vases, etc., for several years now. I love that you remind us again that perfect does not equal beauty! I started my collection because I regularly found myself drawn to the old white platters at the thrift shops. They are never perfect but always well loved. hope you have a lovely weekend!
Sarah
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