Okay. I know we’ve all been in it lately. So much big, heavy stuff happening. And for that reason, this one’s just for fun. A little palate cleanser. A reset.
I want to talk about China. (No, not tariffs.) I mean China like the dishes. And silver. And using it. Like, on a Tuesday. With chicken tenders.
Today, there won’t be any sweeping points about capitalism or class (though there could be, but there won’t be). One thing I know about this community is that if you’re reading this, you probably enjoy strolling through flea markets or estate sales. You likely love a fabulous vintage find. And I know you get it when I say that, in these trying times, sparking joy with our drinkware and pretty dishes can be a real delight.
So, if you’re saving your nice china and silver for a special occasion, this is an argument (a nudge) to stop doing that. Go on and pull them out.
I grew up antique store shopping with my mom and her best friend. We’d weave through the aisles of antique malls, scanning shelves filled with Waterford crystal and mismatched china. Even back then, I was always on the hunt. I loved tarnished silver and planned to one day own a whole set of mismatched antique silverware, service for twelve. My style has evolved a bit, but back then, I was all in on the shabby chic aesthetic. Laura Ashley was my girl. I even had shabby chic rose wallpaper in my bathroom, which I adored.
Because of all this, I never really had to 'discover' the world of thrifting or vintage. I was just raised in it. And from an early age, I figured out that if you had a little patience and a good eye, you could find beautiful, high-quality things for way less than anything new. Not knockoffs. Not cheap imitations. The real deal.
And here’s the thing: once you start collecting things that are technically fancy, sterling silver flatware, monogrammed linen napkins, gold-rimmed plates, but you got them for two dollars at an estate sale, it gets a lot easier to use them. You don’t feel precious about it. You’re not waiting for a special occasion. You’re just… eating your scrambled eggs on bone china because you can.
Even now, with kids running around, I’m not nervous about stuff breaking. I mean, yes, there are things I’d be sad to lose. But they’re not locked away. I didn’t spend a thousand dollars on them. I found them. And the fun of that, the fact that these beautiful things came with a story and a scratch or two already, it makes it easier to just live with them.
I think a lot of us grew up with the idea that there’s ‘everyday stuff’ and ‘company stuff.’ Paper towels for you, linen napkins for guests. Regular ole cereal bowls on Tuesday, china plates for Easter Sunday. And sure, I get the instinct. We want to take care of the things we love. We want to treat special occasions like they’re special.
But also… what exactly are we waiting for?
A sandwich on your grandmother’s china legitimately tastes better. Tea in a delicate little teacup hits different. And the truth is, the longer you 'save' something, the more likely it is to sit forgotten in the back of a cabinet until someone else sells it at your estate sale. (Oops, that took a dark turn.)
You don’t honor something by hiding it. You honor it by using it. By letting it be part of your everyday life. Not just when guests come over or when the house is clean enough to impress someone, but the regular life. The one with sticky hands and laundry piles and toast crumbs on the counter.
So if you’ve got the good silver in a drawer somewhere, or your grandmother’s serving platter wrapped in newspaper, consider this your invitation to go get it and use it tonight.
Let your kids eat spaghetti off Limoges. Put your weekday eggs on Wedgwood. Stir your grocery store coffee with a sterling silver spoon. It’s not too fancy.
And if something breaks? That’s just part of it.
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