FREE and FABULOUS!

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First off, I want to thank all of you for visiting my posts. I know you are all busy planning for summer and taking care of others and I'm truly humbled that you remember to stop by. Right now, like many of you, life is taking us for a spin and I am a bit emotionally spent... I've been "escaping" in my blogs, so please be patient with me if I don't get to visit much of you. I know things will settle down soon and I can have a clear head. No one is sick, but my side of the family is dealing with so much right now that I can't help feeling helpless. Ok, I've ruined your morning already. Sorry for venting, you are all so wonderful to have even bothered with my blog and I can never repay you for that. For now, I simply thank all of you...

On to a happier note... It's Sunday again and that means we get to dig out through our blog archives for another great past post to share! Chari, if I haven't told you yet that you're a genius for coming up with this meme, I'm telling you now, you're a genius! Heart ya dear friend!

Ok, just to remind everyone, I started this blog just back in February and I practically had no readers until I saw Susan of "Between Naps on the Porch" tablescape posts and I commented on it and on a few others. Now that I've found all of you, I hope you enjoy this repost!

From February 9, 2008

PAGNOSSIN 851

If you look on the sidebar, you'll see that I also use FreeCycle to add to my collection. I've only been a part of it since early this year, so I haven't fully utilized it. But those few times that I've had, I've gotten a white cake stand (sidebar), a bird cage (no, it's not for the table...) and today, I picked up this morning...

Seven (7) FREE Italian ceramic Pagnossin salad plates!

It is a solid beige plate that has a simple chocolate striping on the verge and rim edge. That means... each one is perfect to pair with my Mocha Swirl plates for the next V-day table!!! Yes! And since there are seven, if one breaks, I still have a full six place settings to use! I love that guarantee!

Thanks, Teri K, for parting with these very chic cosmopolitan looking plates. Did I mention they are authentic Pagnossin's? (they are among the better ceramic and china manufacturers in Italy since the '70s, but have been making ceramic dinnerware since the '50s.) To compare, the current pricing for the salad plates, I found Pagnossin Taupe-Rim; a salad plate is steady at $11.99 and dinner plate at $33.99 each at Replacements, Ltd.

So, yes, "Brain" and I are celebrating!!! Yes, yes, yes!!!

Here's what the back looks like:
(This is no longer the logo you'll see in the back of Pagnossin dishes. The new one looks embossed, similar to what you'll see on http://www.pagnossin.com/ I presume this is just before they were fully automated. I can't find this pattern- 851 on any English written sites, nor any pictures, so I don't know if it is still being distributed in Europe. I placed the stack on my pink cake stand to drop a hint of what's to come...)


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TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain is feeling FREE!) You know the feeling of being given something wonderful, better than you expected kind of a gift? Well, why not interpret that into a tablescape! Dishaholics like me can easily pull this off... LOL Gather all of your "free items" and create a table with it. For a centerpiece, just gather flowers from your garden or your friends' gardens. Scrounge up a menu from your cupboards that were bought three months ago. Yes, even meat if you froze it right! ;-) Caveat, most non-big ticket items are considered well-paid-for after three months, so you can use that in grabbing your items and planning a menu. Gather your family after everything's ready and have a great evening reminding them why you gathered all these items and the wonderful feeling getting something FREE is. Then tie it to the FREEDOM we enjoy in this country, how it is constantly paid for by bravery, sacrifice and even lives of those who wish to maintain it...