The Entire Set of China

Well, the other day I was browsing my local D.I. and came across a set of white china with gold trim. It is exactly what I was looking for to compliment the Depression-Era Jadite china I bought a couple of months ago. I have searched all over Ebay and Etsy and all sorts of online stores and haven't been able to find an entire set of 8 place settings ANYWHERE. "Oh well," I thought. "Maybe someday."

Well guess, what? That some day was 2 weeks ago. It was epic. I cleaned them out, and the poor lady at the checkout stand stood there looking at me cross-eyed for like 3 minutes as if to say "you're really going to make me wrap up all those plates in paper?" I did. I'm picky like that.

The total? $11 for the dinner plates and bowls, $15 for the salad plates, saucers, and tea cups. I didn't really want the saucers or tea cups, but I wanted the salad plates and it was a set they wouldn't break up. Oh well.

As an extra bonus, while wheeling myself out of the store with a hyper and hungry 7 year old clinging to me for dear life I stopped by the "collectibles" aisle as an exercise in sheer masochism and low and behold there was a set of matching stemware. Yup. I'm pretty sure it's real crystal, too, with gold trim. Perfection for $22.

So, my life-long dream of owning a complete set of formal dinner ware is complete for around $85. Oh, snap! Do I care that 2 of the bowls are missing? A little, but not enough to get really upset about it. Do I care that some of the plates are in so-so condition, and that it's actually a mish-mash of like 4 different china sets? Nope! You can't even tell. In fact, I think I like my plates even more because they are a collection of different collections and they all look pretty much exactly the same. Shhh... don't tell.

 I've mentioned the magazine contest I'm entering a few times before. Today I set up the china and took some photos of my dining room/area (I don't really have a dining room- more of a nook, really). I only get to enter 5 pictures total of the whole house, so I need your input. They are looking for light, interesting collections, furniture groupings, dining table shots with a window in the background, clean, and modern sensibility with classic touches. So, without further ado, I present my dinner setting. Ignore the wrinkly tablecloth. Or better yet, pretend I did it on purpose and that it looks artistic and hip. Help me pick which photo to send in to best represent my dining area, pretty please.

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Thanks!

Now to find some flat ware.