"The Cecil B. DeMille of table settings"

Okay, this one is purely aspirational. You may want to file this away under "More is More!!" and pull it out anytime you may be having a Louis XIV or Marie Antoinette moment. This month's Veranda has a spread on Alberto Pinto (think: a restrained Tony Duquette- with boundaries) and his new book Alberto Pinto: Table Settings and to quote the author, "Certain men collect cars or watches. Certain women, jewels or shoes. Myself, I am an incorrigible lover of tableware." And quite the collection he has: the book is replete with his collections of antique and contemporary porcelain, crystal, silverware, and linens, and illustrates how he uses them.

While there may be little for us mere mortals to relate to, his takeaway message is interesting: "If you have it, use it." If "it" breaks, at least you've used and enjoyed what you've had rather than leaving "it" in the back of a cupboard where it never saw the light of day.

I first saw his amazing porcelain dishes and linens a few years back at Maison et Objet, the home show held every year in Paris. That year, he introduced his Les Champignons dishes with each piece hand-painted with different beautifully rendered wild, woodland mushrooms. Quite the statement for a pasta course! We're going back to the show in January... stayed tuned!