Today's Dish: Storing Dishes

I inherited this set of china from my mother-in-law. They are Royal M by Mita and no longer seem to be in business but can be found on replacements.com.

Royal M by Mita

 They are pretty enough although not ones I would purchase.

When I got the plates, I bought these plastic storage bags and stored them in my basement. Big mistake! Storing plates is a mistake.  Once stored seldom will they be used because they require too much work. They must be taken from the packing then returned individually to the zippered bags.

I first used them on a past Mother’s Day and soon realized, I wouldn't use them again perhaps ever, if it required all that work to get them on the table.

Since then, I store all my dishes stacked sans plastic bags on the main floor of my house. When deciding which dishes to use for a particular event, getting to them easily is a consideration. I found I was using the more accessible plates most often.

I also found that I was more likely to use these plates if I could make them less old-fashioned looking. By using chargers and bolder colored table linens the plates take on totally different feels.  Now they are used, instead of stored.

              

When I was young my mom had this lovely set of Rosenthal china, which she used twice a year.

                                        

Using them was a big, big ordeal. She insisted they be hand washed and dried. No dishwasher for these beauties. A collective sigh of relief could be heard when the last dish was returned to storage with no breakage.

Recently the question of who wanted the dishes arose. No one,was the answer.  The colors aren’t good, they are dated were reasons no one claimed them. Not wanting them to end up in some consignment shop, I played around with them hoping to find a way to use them. Happy with this result, I will be taking these and using them.


                                                         

My advice is, don’t save your good china for holidays or company only. Live well. Use your good china often. Let the family use the good stuff.  Your china is beautiful.  Use it!