Today Adam and I played hooky from work. This is something that we try to do once or twice a year -- we each take the day off work and we arrange to go on some sort of adventure, whether it be wine tasting or driving through the countryside. Today we planned to finally watch the Washington Capitals hockey team practice but, alas, when we got to their practice rink (located above a mall) all we saw were figure skaters. What a disappointment.

We made the best of the situation and headed downstairs to get coffee and check out the china patterns at Macy's. We're not actually registered at Macy's (we opted for the convenience of Amazon.com), but we wanted to see all these china patterns in person before committing to a set.

Picking out china patterns is intimidating, because in theory we'll be eating off these plates for the next fifty years, then passing them on to our imaginary grandkids. China sets are an investment and, for me, having enough matching dishes and serveware to host Thanksgiving dinner represents some heretofore unknown level of adulthood. Other levels of adulthood have included going to a movie by myself (Pacific Heights, in high school), having framed pictures on the wall (grad school, Spanish tourism posters), and taking my first business trip (Safety Counts training in Miami, Florida).

I think the problem with most china patterns is that they are so much fussier than Adam and me. It's not that we don't want to host nice dinner parties, but platinum/gold bands and delicate tea cups with matching saucers have very little to do with our more earthy style. At the same time, we're getting married. Shouldn't we be stepping it up a little? Will Adam's pork chops in a blackberry-thyme port wine sauce with crisp haricot verts taste even better on matching plates?

Well, I'm happy to report that we have found a set of dishes that we can use for both everyday dining and formal parties. Meet the Mikasa Swirl. Cream-colored stoneware, modern and simple, with a jaunty asymmetric bowl that's perfect for salad, cereal and ice cream. And large mugs for people who enjoy their coffee and keep their pinky fingers down while sipping tea.

It may seem silly, but it feels really good to have that decision made. Now we just need to find an agreeable set of silverware.... sigh!

1 Comment

1. Anonymous on February 19, 2009 at 6:26 PM

   I love it!! Food will be the best decoration in the table. I think the rings will make it less slippery than the smooth patterns. Anything that is painted over starts fading and you can not put those in the dishwasher at all so this is a great choice.