I like those, Jesse. I've bought various inexpensive dishes over the years, but when it comes to the possibility of "good china" I want, Want, WANT ones just like the chipped, broken, incomplete set of porceline dishes I got at a garage sale for my first apartment in college. Only, you know, new and complete. Friends were known to ask to use our place for a romantic dinner because we had such elegant dishes (out of service for eight, there were still two perfect plates with no chips). But I have never seen any exactly like them since. For some reason similar but not quite the same seems worse than totally and completely different. Second choice is Blue Willow ware and/or Calamityware.

Yeah, I've been looking for years, and these seem to be the closest to what I want. I also have my grandmother's china, which I really like, but only use for good.

If you stack more than 3 (we have 8), the stack falls over.

Oh, that's annoying!

In other news about me, my mother brought down two stories from the Sunday paper for me to read, and I know people in both of them! Maybe I actually have a network here, finally.

Second choice is Blue Willow ware and/or Calamityware.

I love Calamityware!

I am drinking tea from a calamityware mug right now, AIFG!

I'll probably never buy dishes that aren't either sentimental vintage pieces, or Corelle. I recently dropped a Corelle bowl onto a concrete floor and it bounced and did not break. I've been using Corelle for 30 thirty years and only one piece has ever broken. And it's inexpensive and available everywhere! I'm a Corelle fangirl.

If anyone is every looking for chine, they should try estate auctions. fancy china is so not in right now, so I've seen huge settings go for very cheap.

I always regret not having my favourite potter make me dishes. Unfortunately, he no longer pots.

I'm taking a stab in the dark and asking if anyone here works or has worked for Lear Corporation. I'm doing a paper on their corporate culture and would love some added insight. Inbox me, if you can.

I have a set of china that I received for my wedding in 1987. I have yet to open the box. It has moved from place to place with me. I think I remember what the pattern looks like. I really should either open it and use it or sell it. Shoot, even donate it. I just haven't been able to let go and I'm not entirely sure why.

Oh, oh, separately I went to a party last night. I didn't know a soul there, had just talked with a couple of them online. I did NOT stand in a corner. I introduced myself to many of the people there, had some great conversations, and came away feeling pretty good. Not sure I recognize my introverted self sometimes.

I get aggravated that dish sets almost always come with coffee mugs. Because I like my dishes to be matchy, but coffee mugs are an entirely separate thing and anyway I've got tons of those.