everyday china and silver
(photo: starsmending)
i use my grandmother’s 90 yr. old wedgwood china every day, guilt-free.
my 3 siblings and i were fortunate to be offered a complete set of wedding china to each of us from either of my grandmothers, my mom or an aunt. my mom had them each lovingly and meticulously packed away for safe keeping to share with us when we had our own homes.
we each chose a set of china along with a set of silver pieces (e.g. serving trays, candelabra, samovar, silverware).
that was 15 years ago. i spent those years transporting it from home to home and for the most part, kept it boxed up “for future use”.
let me tell you, i have no plans to have a formal dining room with service for 12.
for the past 5 years, i’ve lived in a ~ 1,000 sq. ft. loft with 2.5 small closets. the boxed china and silver had always felt a little like an albatross, as i spent the last 10 years purging and editing to the essential.
how could i get rid of these beautiful sentimental and functional pieces? then it dawned on me — make use of them, enjoy their beauty and connect to memories of your loved ones everyday.
this winter, i donated most of my day-to-day el cheapo dishes and flatware, using the china and silverware in it’s place.
i regained half of my closet space, greatly reduced the “stuff” in my home, and enjoy sharing the stories connected to these family heirlooms.
