I am honored and flattered and strangely speechless about being the first feature in my friend Erin’s new series, Show Me YOUR Roots.
The prompt is to write about what brought you to the place you are in now — personally, professionally, in regards to your blogging/writing.
I hope you’ll click over and read. Erin is a brilliant writer and I’m sure you’ll want to add her site to your reader as well.
Wow! I’m so thrilled with the turnout for the first ever #FineChinaFriday. I’m going to call it a huge success!
I’m going to give you a photo recap, but first I want to tell you a little story.
Years ago, sometime in the 1960′s, my grandparents went to a gift show to purchase for their jewelry store. Since they are both no longer with us, I can’t ask them specifics, but the story has been told a million times over about the Wedgwood display at this gift show.
The bone ash that makes bone china well, bone china, makes it stronger and more durable than regular porcelain. Combine the bone ash in the piece with the glaze, which acts as a strong glass, fire it for 8+ hours at 2050+ degree temperatures and you’re left with an incredibly durable and strong piece of dinnerware.
The Wedgwood display at the gift show my grandparents were at showcased this in quite an amazing way.
A Rolls Royce sitting on top of 4 Wedgwood teacups.
A 5000 pound car sitting atop 4 “delicate” teacups.
Rolls Royce sitting on 4 Wedgwood teacups at a JC Penney's at a 1985 visit from Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the US.
Think your china is fragile? Think again.
Now, don’t go throwing it against the wall in anger, but I have personally dropped my Wedgwood Nantucket dinner plate on the floor and NOT A SCRATCH. They’re incredibly durable.
My grandmother told this story over and over. Every time a bride came in and was comparing Lenox to Royal Doulton to Wedgwood, the story would be told.
So, are you still scared of it? Probably. But we’ll take baby steps with this, y’all.
Anyway, here are a few pictures from friends (it’s not all of them, I’m sure) who participated in the first #FineChinaFriday. Next week will be even more fun!
The first post of the day from my friend Amy who enjoyed her coffee in style!
My friend Lee served her 2 year old on Peter Rabbit china that she used growing up.
Lizzie's family had hot dogs!
S&S tastes good AT S&S but better on fancy plates!
Mama and Daddy enjoyed dinner on one of their patterns.
Jill's family had casserole and biscuits (and I wasn't invited). Her son said it tasted better on these plates!
Lean Cuisine + Fancy China = Heavenly
Janae started her day with breakfast and coffee on her finest!
Claire's family enjoyed pizza on their finest on the living room floor for movie night!
See how easy that was? Now, get excited for next Friday. Or go ahead and make #FineChinaFriday happen on any day that ends with d-a-y.
Thank you all for participating!
Share a link in the comments if you posted pictures anywhere else!
At last it’s time! It’s our FIRST #FineChinaFriday! I’m so very excited at the response that I’ve gotten about the project!
It’s time to get out your china or crystal or sterling flatware and USE IT!
If you’re going, “What in the world is she talking about?” go here and read the intro post about it. My friend Leah at Walmart Gourmet wrote about it, too.
I’ve been asked by a few people what they could do if they don’t have fine china. Well, a few things. If you normally use paper plates, pull out the real china. If you don’t do that and want to be fancy, hit up a yard sale, estate sale, consignment shop and see if you can pick up a couple of pieces of china, even if they don’t match.
Now, go forth and be fancy!
I want to know about it, though.
Easy peasy, right?
I grew up around fine things. China, crystal, sterling flatware and holloware. My grandparents (and then parents) owned a jewelry store that also sold giftware and dinnerware.
In the later years, the bridal registries slowed down with the advent of department store and online registries and OMG TARGET! But over the 65 years our store was open, thousands of couples registered at our store for fine and casual china, crystal and flatware.
A lot of girls had sterling flatware or fine china handed down from a grandparent or parent, but most people wanted to register for their own. Great thought went into the decision. My grandmother would set their choices up as if they were being used on the big mahogany table we had in the china section. She would let them look at everything together, with different flatware, different crystal, different color tablecloths, everything.
Brides would spend sometimes hours in our store choosing just the right items.
I don’t have to tell you what happened to the complete 12 place settings they all ended up with (at an average in today’s prices of probably $175 per place setting) do I? It was placed nicely in a china cabinet for all to see, but never to touch.
If the china and crystal was ever used, it was at Christmas, Thanksgiving and maybe Easter. A romantic evening may call for it, but probably not.
The silver was meticulously placed in a tarnish-preventive box and taken out only to polish and for those holidays.
When I was about 8, Mimi (my grandmother) took me to the silverware wall and asked me to choose a sterling pattern. Yes, I was only about 6 months older than Henry is now when I chose the flatware I wanted for the rest of my life. Even when I was 8, I appreciated simple with deep engraving.
Old Maryland Engraved by Kirk.
My sister chose her pattern 4 years later when she was 8. Hers was more elaborate and ornate. She and I are so different. I would’ve never in a million years chosen what she did, but she still loves hers now.
Every year for Easter, our Easter basket contained a piece of our sterling flatware. Plastic grass, Peeps, some other crappy candy and a sterling fork. Or knife, spoon, tomato server, serving fork, ladle, etc. You get it. We cherished the candy more, though. I mean, what 10 year old wouldn’t?
Jason and I got engaged and I didn’t have to think long about choosing a china and crystal pattern. I’d picked it out a thousand times over… every time I was at the store working. It was always on the top shelf and nearly always in the center. Nobody ever picked the china on the top shelf. It was expensive. But in my opinion, it was the only one to get.
Pickard is a china that is made in the USA and in 1977 it was chosen to manufacture the official china used in embassies and other locations around the world by the Department of State. It’s been the china of choice for Presidents, Queens, Kings, hotels and the US Air Force. Obviously it’s good stuff.
I chose a pattern with a beautiful cobalt and platinum band on an ivory bone china.
Lincoln by Pickard.
I did give Jason the choice between two different Waterford patterns for our crystal. He chose the one I really wanted, mainly because it had the best highball glasses.
Kildare by Waterford.
So before I tell you about my big plan that a few other bloggers are going to be helping me spread the word about, I want to tell you a secret.
I use my sterling flatware every single day.
Yup. And there’s more.
I put it in the dishwasher and have every day since 1998.
I’ve polished it one time since then.
It actually looks better now than it did when I got it!
Catch your breath. One more.
I don’t even own a set of stainless.
Ok. So, what’s this plan I have?
I hope you read that like I say it. You have to read it in the most Southern accent you can muster. Some of you won’t have to try too hard, I’m afraid!
What’s #FineChinaFriday, you ask? Great question!
On Fridays, I challenge you to take out your china and eat supper on it.
You have questions and I have answers.
“But Jana, I’m having spaghetti (insert pizza, beans and rice, takeout Chinese, etc) for supper.”
But SuzieQ, spaghetti tastes so much better on china and with a sterling spoon. And we ALL know wine tastes better in real crystal. I’m very serious. Your bland spaghetti will taste so much better with your fancy stuff. I promise.
“Don’t I have to hand wash all this?”
You can. Manufacturers say so. I don’t. My grandmother never did. My fine china with a platinum band goes in the dishwasher when it’s used.
The trick is (pay attention) to leave it in the dishwasher until it’s completely cooled down… like a few hours or overnight. The gold/platinum bands actually get hot enough to get soft so you want to make sure it cools down all the way to harden back up. This is very important. Your crystal and silver will be fine. I’ve tested mine for 13 years. However, I can’t be held responsible for any broken pieces. Do what you want with the information given!
“My husband thinks it’s dumb.”
Ask him right now if he thinks that it’s dumb that you likely have $2000 worth of china, $2000 worth of crystal and (if you have sterling) (holy crap this number is high) $5000-7500 worth of sterling in your cabinets that aren’t being used? Does he think THAT is dumb? I’m sure he does.
“It seems silly to take it out of the cabinet just to use one time.”
It’s possibly one more than it’s been taken out before. Just sayin’.
“Do we have to eat at the dining room table, too?”
If you want. Or at TV trays. Or just on your lap at the sofa. I recommend the dining room table because why not?
“What if the kids break one?”
Then buy a new one. No. I don’t mean buy a new kid. Buy a new plate. Or glass. Or don’t. If you don’t use it and only look at it, what does it matter? It’s just a thing. I promise. It’s JUST. A. THING.
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Consider this your invitation, engraved on linen paper, to join us as we start spreading the word about #FineChinaFriday. Maybe we can make it a trend that others pick up on. Maybe it will take over the world and instead of Friday nights being boring for us old married folks with kids, we can put the fun back in it by being fancy!
So pull out a few pieces of china and crystal to clean it up. Polish some of your silver and get ready for Friday.
Don’t have fine china? Do you use paper plates? Use real plates instead. Do something fancier than normal. Enjoy it!
If you have a blog? Blog about it. (Grab the button up there)
Put pictures on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Google +. Pin them to Pinterest or post them wherever. (use the hashtag whenever possible – #FineChinaFriday)
Don’t want to do any of that? That’s fine. Just get your fine stuff out and enjoy using it.
Remember that a lot of people spent a lot of time choosing it and buying it for you. It’s a shame to let it sit and collect dust.
What are you waiting on? A special day? Well, make Friday your special day.
It’s been a long 9 months in the Auburn – Alabama rivalry.
There has been a poisoning. There has been a tornado.
Two sides of the football and state have been devastated.
Alabama’s finest have rallied for our trees. Our finest have rallied for tornado relief.
There has been death of people and of tradition.
These two things have served to both bring together and further divide the people who call Auburn and Alabama their family.
I was in Auburn last weekend and was left speechless when I walked up to the Toomer’s Oaks and saw the sadness in their branches. Yes, there was sadness seeping from each leafless branch of the two trees that have stood tall on the corner of Magnolia and College for generations.
One year ago, this is what Toomer’s Corner looked like, all vibrant and green and ALIVE.
One week ago, THIS is what Toomer’s Corner looked like.
I just… there are no words for how I feel about this. Don’t you see the sadness in the leaves that are left? The branches droop in a way that says, “Goodbye, Auburn, the Loveliest Village on the Plains. Thank you for making us feel at home.”
One man chose to speak for an entire fanbase, alumni group, entire university and desecrate and kill another school’s landmark tradition.
We won’t be broken. We just won’t.
But we’d be lying if we said it didn’t hurt an awful lot. Look at those pictures. Imagine that at least 5 generations have taken part in rolling them after wins by Auburn, celebrated engagements, graduations, as well as other moments in history.
Yes, they’re just trees. Yes, they can be replaced. Yes, there WILL be something for generations to come to roll and gather around. But it won’t be the same.
It will always carry the aftertaste of Spike 80DF and the eerie echo of a twangy “Roh Tahd.”
But Auburn will be ok. We may not win against Alabama tomorrow and our trees are going to have to be cut down soon, but our spirit will never die. Because once you have the Auburn Spirit, it can never be taken from you.
WAR EAGLE!
