My mother came this morning to take all three housechildren for a few hours. How many seconds do you think elapsed between the time her car pulled out of the driveway and the time I was tearing into a pint of Dove Butter Pecan Pleasure? I don’t know exactly; it was all one smooth movement, from waving goodbye to digging with a spoon.
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I would like to own Better Dishes, and since my mother-in-law is visiting soon, the timing is good to buy them now. To be better than our usual dishes, all the new dishes would need to do is match: my current dishes are a “one of this, two of that” assortment because I have a commitment problem combined with a butterfingers problem, and any set where the plates match the bowls and/or each other is going to be an upgrade. However, as I was browsing I awarded sets extra points if they were dishes I thought most people would think of as “good dishes”: more expensive, more dramatic, more breakable than what you’d use every day.
I looked at Walllmart and at Target, and I also looked at Amazon.com. The dishes I bought were at Amazon: service for four was $50 down from $200 (Swistle + clearance = TRULUV4EVA), and they’re a type I’ve always liked when I’ve seen similar kinds in antique stores. They’re English; they look fancy-pants to me; they’re blue and that’s my mother-in-law’s favorite color. I like them, I’ll be excited to use them–but I don’t mind them living in a box in the basement most of the time. They are the perfect “good dishes.”
Are you prepared to evaluate–and to agree with me, I hope, since they are already ordered? Here is a picture:
(image from Amazon.com)
And you can also go visit them at their Amazon.com home. Here are the points on which to evaluate them:
1) Are they “the good dishes“?
Yes, I think those do in fact meet the “good dishes” critera. Your MIL should be pleased..
Yay! Fancy down-home patterns on a plate definitely says “good dishes” to me. My grandma had a similar set in brown.
Love it! Perfect for a MIL visit, too. You can even pull them out if you need more dishes some day and not worry if they break.
You are better than I am. I would just go to Goodwill and buy stuff for her and then give it back to Goodwill.
Most excellent.
Love them! They remind me of the dishes in the book “A Bargain For Frances”
I think they definitely qualify. Good shopping, Swistle!
You know what? They totally look like “The mother in law dishes.” I don’t know, there’s just something in-law-ish about them.
Good pick.
From what you have told us about her, I think she is going to love them.
Did you get her nice towels and sheets also or do you already have that stuff set aside?
Perfect!
They do look like our good dishes. Lorid – I inherited my grandmother’s brown set. :)
These are unequivocally MIL dishes. Nice choice.
Those look like good dishes to me. Excellent. (That was a Mr. Burns “Excellent,” by the way.)
My MIL actually HAS those dishes. Not only does she have them, but she has them on dish hangers hanging in her kitchen as DECOR! So they would be great over here!
Maybe I should do that, too. Except my MIL isn’t allowed to stay in my home when she visits anymore, so we always eat out.
You could go that route, too, I guess…
(I’m a big chicken so I’m posting this anonymously so my FIL won’t find it in a search. I have these CRAZY in-laws, have I mentioned that?)
Mamadb- *sitting in stunned silence* *running down to consult ancient copy of A Bargain for Frances* GOOD CALL! I’ll bet that is EXACTLY where my idea that these blue-and-white-with-pictures dishes are “the best”!
“housechildren” – funny!
Yes, they are most definitely “good dishes”. The look fancy and anyone who would see them would not confuse them with “everyday dishes”. I mean, some people probably use that type “every day”, but those same people probably do NOT have small children, and most certainly not FIVE small children! =)
Nice!
Also, I love Shannon’s idea of going to good will- maybe for the sheets etc?
Oooh. They look antique-y even. Like you would spend a ton of money on them. And I must now tell you that you have given me one more thing to contemplate when my mother in law comes over. I have “special” mugs just for her coffee/tea because she wears lipstick and it grosses me out…even when they are cleaned. Now I can obsess about this.
woo hoo! They will definitely go over well with her. The only way they could possibly be any better was if they were the same style, only instead of pretty houses and happy little trees, that there was subtle drawings of broken windows, house fires, homicides, dead things hanging from the trees, wolves eating grandmas, etc.
They look like real grown up dishes and everything. Very fancypants.
Um, you’re not going to make me eat off of them we we’re married, are you?
You are cracking me right up! And yes, of course, the dishes are perfect!
not only are they “good” dishes, they’re “awesomely good” dishes!
I don’t know who anonymous is above, but I want her to be my friend. She so doesn’t have her IL stay at her house? How does she work that? It would be blessed.
I also have to have the nicest and bestest out for the in law family. Since I am the heathen witch that took the oldest son from my awesome MIL I have to make the house seem perfect when she is there. Plus I never cook anything that she can cook well when she visits. I don’t want her to win you know. She can so totally make better bread than I can but since I never make it when she is around, she doesn’t know that!!!
I am ridiculous. I have shame over this.
They are *SO* the good dishes. They’re actually very similar to the “good dishes” my mother has from her mother and her grandmother before her. Very nice!!
these dishes are TOTALLY awesome good dishes. (and my grandmother had these in red!)
Oooo, I like them. My mother has a set almost like that (hot with the Old Ladies too-bonus!). I think they call that family of patterns “Blue Willow”.
“swistle + clearance = TRULUV4EVA”
Hahaha, that is awesome! I clicked over here from my Google Reader just to say so. You are my shopping idol.
I think they are perfectly lovely dishes.
I can’t wait to hear her response!
I love them! I, like Marie Green, love the “housechildren” reference.
Here’s MY thing- if I had “fancy” dishes for my in laws, she would say I was spoiled and spent too much money. She would talk about how poor she is and how I’m a “princess”
She can eat off of a paper plate
I really like those dishes, I would want to keep them.
Just imagine, 50+ years from now, when you are gone from this earth, and your 5 children are fighting over the household goods, and more than one of them wants your “good dishes” “b/c mom treated them SO well and only brought them out for special occasions, such as grandma’s visits!”
i love love love this solution. good dishes! box-up-able! you, swistle, are teh smart.
Good choice!
I wish I could buy a new bed and sheets every time my smelly MIL came to visit.
My Nonny had these in purple. They are in fact the dishes that were handed down to my sister that she only brings out on holidays when I visit…. hmmm… :)
I’m pretty sure she likes me though, so I don’t think it’s for the same reasons.
So has the lady told you yet WHEN she’s coming?
FAbulous!! Very Delft. When I lived in Holland everyone bought these dishes. Okay, the Dutch folk didn’t, but the tourists sure did. You could even invent some kind of “they’re exotic, and I brought them out just for you” element to the scheme.
Love them! I would drop hints about how they are the good dishes, they are the best! around all family members so it will be repeated in the presence of MIL.
:)
Kelli in the Mirror- We now know it’s October, but not when or for how long. She told us she took THE WHOLE MONTH OF OCTOBER off from work. And, I will note that October starts in less than 2 weeks. She could be here in less than 2 weeks, and I don’t even know.
A Whole Lot of Nothing- Maybe reserve one side of the mattress and one set of sheets just for her.
Laughing Mommy- EXCELLENT TIP!
I agree that those are the perfect choice. . . I love the thought of the kids fighting over them one day! :-)
I like ’em. They do look fancy. I think she will be pleased. And that perhaps, you have given this way too much thought! :-) Now, that ice cream moment. The one where your kids are riding away with a trusted caregiver? That sounds like bliss. Congrats to you. And shopping without a double stroller, without ANY stroller? Oh my, heaven.
agree with Alice! Good thinking all around here!
Whoa. Very good dishes! Such good dishes that SHE MIGHT COME BACK MORE OFTEN. Be careful Swistle: you might make her feel so welcome with all the good stuff that she starts visiting more. Maybe make sure that Henry has a blowout diaper while on her lap, or let the twins eat fruit roll-ups and then not wash their hands before they climb on her. Just to make sure she feels “at home,” you know?
Yes, as thousands have already said in your comments, Good Dishes!
Although I bet you’ll get some kind of comment from her along the lines of “Well, I know this one woman who buys expensive things like dishes when she should really be spending the money on fabric to clothe her family…” You just can’t win with her kind.
Wow, I have quite the pessimistic attitude today, don’t I?
perfect!
Holy cats, Swistle, you need to post something today because my nervous tick keeps bringing me back to check again and again…
Is this how an addict feels?
I have an unrelated-to-this-post question for you. You recommended a Pilates DVD with Ellen Barrett awhile ago, and when I went to add it to my Netflix queue, I saw that there is a whole series of those Crunch with Ellen Barrett DVDs. Is there any reason why you picked the Super SlimDown over some of the others? I am thinking of doing the Fat-Burning one since it incorporates cardio, but I am curious if you read a review or something that said the Super SlimDown one is the best.
These are fab’ :).
PS: Gorgeous though they are and similar in colour and style, “Blue Willow” they ain’t. Well, not the traditional ‘Blue Willow” which do indeed have blue willows (& lovers & birds & bridges) and are based on the Chinese fable of the forbidden lovers changing into birds so they can fly away and be together :).
Good luck with the visit :).
Virtuous and reasonably attractive, and all on clearance. Sweeeeeet.
Okay these work too. :-)