"Yeah, but what about everyday?"

Well, maybe not EVERYDAY, but midweek perhaps, when you have a more informal gathering, and getting out ALL the good stuff would just about kill you- what do you do then? It has taken awhile, and I have, in the process, collected several sets of dishes (stay tuned, they will have their debut, too!), but my latest and greatest find is vintage Dansk Flamestone from the 60's designed by the great Jens Quistgaard (IHQ). Its beautiful matte brown glaze on the outside combined with the fluted rim and crisp, glossy white center is classic, and has the feel of something handmade. They say "company" with a small 'c', not the capital 'C' like formal china. My set is currently comprised if 8 large dinner plates, 8 salad/luncheon plates, and 7 cups and saucers all acquired on ebay in fits and starts. Collecting this way does take patience, but you may actually get lucky and find a "lot" of what you're looking for. If you are intent on the vintage, know that this is being made again by Dansk in Thailand, not Denmark, where the originals were made. Also, there is a smooth version as well as the fluted, so keep your eyes open!

The Tiffany glasses are back for a return engagement, as is the Tuttle flatware (sterling flatware actually STAYS polished the more you use it, so USE IT, but beware the dishwasher, unless you have a steam cycle!). The water glass is another find collected in small doses. It's Simon Pearce's classic hand blown beaker- beautiful, and more on him later, too! The napkins for this go-round were bought for us by friends in France and made by a Basque company, Euskal-Linge . We have several different colors, and no, they don't always get an ironing before using. If you take them out of the wash and give them a good snap and lay them flat to air dry, they look pretty darn good, and will do in pinch. I have to say, I do like a simple fold, and these days stripes for me are going horizontal. The mat is the classic Nito woven mat from Williams-Sonoma . These are the work horse of place mats, and never need ironing. So, high/low, vintage/new. Company's coming, don't panic!