Let's talk dinnerware!

I'm a fan of classic white rimmed china. It's timeless, makes the food look good, and I'll never get sick of looking at it. For entertaining, it's nice to have fun appetizer plates and salad bowls. You can also get fun chargers to dress up table settings and fun cloth napkins.

Ditto everything Tiny Dancer said about classic white china!

We registered for one set of bone china from Crate and Barrel that we plan to use for everyday and entertaining (it isn't all unpacked yet b/c we'll be moving soon.) We do have a few serving pieces in our cabinets now and they are so lightweight, the color is beautiful, they're really durable, don't scratch or chip, and we throw them in the dishwasher and microwave on a regular basis.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/white-pearl-dinnerware/f1534

I think it looks good accessorized with all sorts of different linens and serving pieces which is great b/c I LOVE dishes and tend to collect them, and I really like to set the table. So over the years this china set will just go right along with whatever I set with it. At least that's my plan!

I like your second selection but I'm not sure how you could dress it up with other pieces because of the different shape. Although I think I like it because of the different shape. You could always use nicer napkins, glasses, candles etc on the table to dress the whole thing up.

We are doing Colorwave Graphite by Noritake! I love that look!

I got some ivory colored ironstone plates from BB&B. Not happy with the gray scuff marks on it left by flatware.

Have you seen that Mikasa set in person? B/c I think it's actually more of a cream color than a bright white, but I could be remembering it wrong.

We looked at 52927 white china patterns before finding one we really loved.

There IS another one I ADORE but it's Wedgewood, it's pricey, it's only sold in-store at Bloomingdale's, and it doesn't have a completer set.

@Kris~ I LOVE that set at C&B. I already have two sets of white china (round & rectangle) from C&B so I can't rationalize a third :-(

Thanks Tiny! And I know that's going to be me!!! How has everything held up from C&B? Which ones do you have?

I still lust over that Wedgwood pattern I posted just now. I tried convincing H that it would be cool if we registered for a mismatched set of 12 place settings - 6 of one, 6 of the other, and set an alternating table. But he thought that was really weird and since he had virtually no other opinions on the registry other than he wanted a breadmaker I thought I should listen to him.

I kinda want those plates for Christmas. Is that bizarre or what?

After lots of debate, because if I could I'd be stocked with china as if I were a restaurant, I ended up getting these in both the white and the aqua so I can mix and match for every day use. The blue is deeper in real life and the white is whiter.They are nice quality. Not top of the line fine china, but nicer than walmart stuff for sure. Not a bad price either.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UW9RCW/sr=1-1/qid=1345136276/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1345136276&seller=&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Gordon-Ramsay-Royal-Doulton-16-Piece/dp/B0039XHQSY/ref=pd_sim_k_5

I'm still working on the fine china, because every time I think I figured out what to get I see something else I want. I do love the Wedgewood Baroque pattern Kris posted. That is my dream china pattern, but Hubby said no. Maybe I'll just save my pennies and buy it eventually......or at least the set of 4 teacups. They are so adorable! So cute!

@Kris - I love C&B china. I got my round set at the outlet store, it's rimless (which I don't love) but super durable. I've had it for 6 years now I think. It even survived hand washing and getting thrown around the sink. I stole the rectangle set from my dad. It was way too chic for him ;-) One plate got a chip in it (Thanks to DH), but the edges are pretty thin so it was inevitable.

-- and I think the Wedgewood would be fabulous for Christmas! I may have to copy you on that one. I guess I can rationalize 3 sets of white plates.

I ditto the classic white ladies. We got the Essential line of dishes from Crate & Barrel, which I fully intend to use for fancy occasions as well. All you need is a nice tablecloth and napkins to fancy it up! And that way the dishes go with whatever accessories I happen to like that day.

I also like to liven up the table by using the plain white dinner dishes, but for dessert or salad I have a mini collection of fun plates I've amassed from Home Goods and Pottery Barn and Anthropologie over the years. Same for mugs, I don't like matching mugs for some reason. : )

Fun anthro plates: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-new-kitchen/A073194.jsp

We have the French countryside and have for about 3 years. They hold up great!! It is more of a beige than white, as Kris said.

We registered for Kate Spade's larabee dot china. I HOPE we get it! It's beautiful. Even though I didn't think I wanted china in the beginning. I so want that!!

Kristen I friggin love those plates. That is sooooo exactly why I love white china!

@Pan why didn't your H like that pattern? Just curious, it's pretty simple. Is the shape too girly?

Those teacups are adorable. Have you seen any other pieces? I've seen the place setting I posted, the teacups you posted, one very long oval platter and one very large round bowl and I think that's it. But that's all online.

The other dish lust I have is for Vietri. But it's even more expensive than Wedgwood and looks like it could chip. I worked in a boutique in Denver that sold a knockoff pattern by Rosanna and holycrap the mockup table was so cute.

There's a Vietri outlet 8 hours away, I'm trying to plot how I can convince H to "swing by" it and buy a bunch of plates we don't need.

http://www.vietri.com/store/CategoryDisplay.cfm?cat=11744&cid=251

@ Kris, I have also read that the Mikasa ones are more of an off-white.

After talking with FH (not that he really even cares about dishes at this point, he just wants me to make up my mind), I think we are going with the square bone china. It will go great with our flatware (which we love), its more our style, I think.Plus it can be easily coordinated with round pieces.

The shape was too girly and he did not like the price no matter how many times I puppy dog eyed him lol. Pretty much he only liked how smooth they were, and that they were white. Men! They just don't understand how pretty things are.

I haven't seen anything you didn't list other than the mugs. If we actually got the set I'd probably go with the mugs and not the teacups or half of each for DH. But yeah, I'd have to save my spending money and buy it as a splurge treat for myself.....which if I'm honest I probably will lol

Kristen--I LOVE those plates!! Those are fun for sure!

My FH and I registered for the Colorwave place settings in graphite, yellow, blue, and green(?)--3 sets of each color because I need color and variety. But we're also registering for china because there's not much you can do to fancy them up.

So if you're sure that you're only going to get one set of dishes, I recommend going with the white ones, specifically the second set. But I don't know how to liven those up, either. You would just have to make the food look extra good.

Keep an eye out if you're interested, Anthro puts their dinnerware on sale a few times a year to make room for new styles and they are much more affordable that way!