I hate to admit it but Frank is right.
After unpacking most of my china
(boxes of which still randomly pop
up), I must confess that I have too,
too much. It's not the scope of my
collection that's daunting. It's more
the reality of how much room it takes
to store it all. Somewhere along the
way I lost count on several patterns.
Hence I can now easily serve twenty
four on the same set. How could one
have been so foolish? Am I truly as
addicted as I'm oft accused of being?
It's not just the china, it's all
the additional accoutrements.
Glassware is also the cause
of my closet case. Part of the
problem is that while living
in multiple locations, I must
have bought multiples. Out
of sight, out of mind so now
that my tabletop babies have
been reunited, I must admit
that I'm a porcelain porcine!
But oh... there is still a thrill
as I open each treasure...
While shameful, it's not like I don't
use the stuff. As I survey all of my
fragile finery, the fact is I've used
every single piece. While I do have
my favorites, my table is an equal
opportunity board of fare. Every
pattern will get it's chance to shine
on the appropriate occasion. The
scariest part is that it may be very
possible to not replicate any table
setting for several months. While
hospitable, all of this mania could
put me into the hospital! Asian flu!
Slowly I'm gaining the upper hand.
All attempts at editing are futile so
I stack them deep and high. My one
concern is that the walls of Jericho
could come tumbling down. Layer
on top of that the fact that my china
collection is behind glass. Therefore
it must look good! I've organized by
color. Neutrals with gold, browns to
amethyst, persimmon to cinnabar,
indigo to forest green. It's like styling
the tabletop department at Marshall
Field's on State Street all over again!
Ultimately it will be worth all
of this hassle. You see the only
reason for having all of these
dishes is to be able to dish out
some hospitality. Our home is
large because our hearts are
even larger. Soon we'll be able
to welcome all we adore and
all of this "stuff" is a necessary
evil when it comes to a dinner
party. Nothing makes me more
happy than creating the perfect
setting JUST FOR YOU!