Flowers for You

Spring flowers for you. Snapped this as I was leaving this morning. There is a story behind this china pattern. I did not pick this out as a soon-to-be bride. I married with NO formal china pattern selected. I had been collecting stoneware dishes for several years and had a full set in my "hopeless" chest. We still use a great number of those dishes everyday.

When Charles's Mama Norvan passed away, we became the recipients of a mixture of oddities, including a single plate from the pattern that matches those salt and pepper shakers. Seems these were giveaways found in boxes of washing machine soap years ago and you could save labels and turn them in for bigger pieces. I have been a cross-stitcher for way more years than I will admit to here, and this was just the thing to trigger another obsession. Building a set of "cross-stitch" china for my formal use. From 1 plate, I have managed to build a workable set of this.

Now I could buy this off Replacements Ltd., but what fun is that. I would much rather have stories to tell about finding this or that piece. I have searched antique stores, junk stores, thrift stores. People have given me pieces. Now not all of them are the same pattern, but the similarities of the colors and the needlepoint/crossstitch theme make them work.

I believe in using my stuff. I have a serving platter in the basket pattern. It is chipped all along the edges because I took cookies to the church on it and someone dropped it when we were cleaning up. I have it on top of the cabinet in the kitchen and it makes me happy to look at it. The chips along the edge barely show.

I think people are far too quick to discard things. We buy far too many disposable things. I have really neat things in my home that I have inherited/thrifted/been gifted with. I look at the old linens with holes patched and I know that those people lived a far more difficult lifestyle thatn I do. I look at an old quilt that was made from jeans and old mens work shirts and know that it was made by a mom trying to keep her family warm using any thing she had access to. And I chastise myself for just going to buy what I want, with very little thought to what I really need. Maybe the Using What I Have is coming from a deep feeling that I have just overwhelmed myself with things that just clutter my life and seeing those things be used in a beautiful creative manner is very fulfilling.

As I continue this process, the clutter in my home is oh so slowly decreasing. I have done an enormous amount of decluttering my life and emotions as well. Thank you all for the comments and encouragement you send me to keep me on this path.

Today, I bring you flowers. A representation of the beauty of the springtime. I send them to my readers because each of you brings beauty into my life. I challenge you to send a virtual flower from your home today. Let's celebrate the beauty of this earth and be a little more concious in taking care of her. Let's encourage each other and share. If you choose to send a virtual bouquet via your blog, please link back to here and lets see how far around the world this goes.

You are beautiful and I wish you a beautiful day.