The latest dish

We love dark wood. Chocolatey, rich, heavy, wooden furniture. Our bed, dresser, tables, china cabinet, crib, ceiling beams, kitchen cabinets...everything in shades of dark expresso. Even our picture frames. We like the feeling of old, comfortable, and familiar, and it seems to be a trend in everything we own...even down to our shoes.

I've noticed I've been thinking a lot, maybe too much, on life and how my outlook on it is changing. My last few posts are examples of the randomness my mind has been conjuring up lately. It may be because we're about to move and start a new chapter in our lives, or we're getting pregnant soon (another chapter to add to the new chapter), or as delve deeper into my 30's, fears of midlife are approaching, or I am so far away from my family, or I'm really, I mean really, noticing my shrinking family with all but one grandparent passed away, and I miss my Granny so much lately. Whatever it is, I have this urge to cleanse, change, and lighten everything.

My mother once told me she always knew I was having an emotional issue as a child when I would come down the stairs in a crazy outfit - the crazier the getup, the more something was bothering me. I do that now with haircuts and jewelry (not the expensive kind) and re-decorating. The artist in me somehow can't put these things on watercolor paper like I should; I do it all very physically. And loudly. I smile as I say this because I know my husband is going to think of about 25 times he's seen this as he reads this post.

So here I am wanting to redecorate. Not just with different accent pillows, throws, and the random plant or rearrangement of miscellaneous decor. I mean redo everything. I want to create new paintings to hang (I should, these are about 11 years old and fading rapidly), change the carpeting, change the wall colors, everything. Not that we have the budget to do any of this...and I suppose it's good we're moving so I can start with a new canvas...but unlike our last move to here, we won't have a pretty savings to use to help fix up our next house. Which leads me to...

We came across a Dillard's gift card Nich received several Christmases ago (this card has been lost and found all over Texas, and it is currently FOUND and in my purse) and since no one knew how much was on the card anymore, we  went to the store and found it was for a GOOD amount of money. It's been burning a hole in our pockets, and we're trying to decide whether practicality should win over playful. It's is ultimately Nich's decision...but I can dream :)

Here's what I want: new dishes.


I would describe our dishes as "rustic." Clearly made of heavy clay and glazed in earth tones. They are square with rounded corners, and make even the most elegant and prissy meals look hearty and homey. At least, we think so. They are casual, dark, and familiar, like our heavy wooden furniture. BUT They're also getting chipped and many have become the casualties of a hard tile floor.





We found a gorgeous set of dishes at Dillard's that we both actually agree on (Nich's initiative I might add, which I love!) They too are rustic, but that is all they share with our current set. They are white, clean, round, and far more decorative. But, they LOOK old. They could have belonged to my great grandmother, or Mrs. Ingles (from Little House on the Prairie. I never wanted to be Laura, I always wished to be Mrs. Ingles...but that's a whole nother story). The decorative motifs are delicate, raised, and look worn. Familiar I suppose.

Aren't they beautiful? And they have a whole line of serving dishes and gorgeous cake stands! LOVE these!

I have never been one to gravitate toward dishes with loud patterns or band of color around the edges. I also want each piece to look different. This line has the octagonal option, and the salad plates are amazing with 4 different motifs and shapes.

I know it's funny to talk about dishes in this way, but man, I really like these! Just imagining helps calm my desires for drastic redecoration. We'll see what finally comes of the gift card...fun or functional...or FUNctional! Ok, yes, I'm a dork, ha ha ha!