Inspired by imgoingtodisney...Do you keep "good" items for special occasions only??

[SeaSpray]

The thread by imgoingtodisney got me thinking about something....

When I was growing up, my mother always had "good" slips, and "good" blouses (and other items) that she kept in a drawer, but never wore. They were very pretty things; lacy, light, delicate. She basically said she kept them wrapped up to wear on a special occasion. I never did see my mother use that pretty slip or wear that pretty blouse.

Then when I was 19 years old I met a woman who eventually became my mother in law. Over the years I learned a lot from her. One of the things I've learned and still practice is to NOT keep your "good" things in a drawer for "some day". The day is NOW...TODAY!

I don't keep ANYTHING for a "special day". Of course I don't wear my real pearls outside to do yard work. But I do wear them throughout the year. The same thing when my sons were young. I did not clear away my Lenox or Waterford crystal pieces that I had in my livingroom. I kept them out, and taught my sons to not touch them. A few of the pieces are now glued back together, but they are no less valueable to me now than before.

Anyway....before I get rambling too much... Do any of you do this? Have special items you're keeping for a "special occasion"? Or are you like me and consider every day to be special and use your valuable or special things regularly?

(By the way, I am not knocking anyone who keeps items locked away...I would be doing the same thing had my MIL not shown me otherwise. I love my mother and wish she would've used her pretty things...)

 

[Cindy B]

WEll, I have a set of hand painted china that my aunt bought for me when she lived in Italy .. (it was a wedding present)

I boxed it up since our move to PA, since I didn't have a China cabinet... to store it in, and the current cabinets we have were too small.

However I did break out a few serving dishes and I use those throughout the year.


As for jewelry, I have a few beautiful pieces that I inherited, and they are incredibly lovely.. I do wear them on special occasions.. I will probably wear one of the "good rings" (diamonds/platinum) on Christmas, since it was a Christmas present from my MIL...


(See, I can't complain about my MIL, even though I am not a diamonds/platinum person...)

 

[aprincessmom]

No. An unfortunate circumstance caused our family to lose everything we owned when I was younger. All the "good" stuff went with the everyday. From that point on, my parents never had "good" stuff that was saved and never used.

I love it when DD and I have hamburgers and fries on china dishes and make milkshakes to drink out of crystal goblets. Feels so decadent and fun!

So I'm like you...everything in my home is used and can be touched by everyone. Quite honestly, they are only things which can be replaced.

Any sentiment attached to the item lives in your heart to begin with..and no one can take that away from you when it is housed there.

 

[JasonLyons]

no

 

[Lucky4me]

No. However my Mom did, Maybe it's a generational thing?

I use everything and my kids break everything. Maybe they had the right idea.

 

[browneyes]

Not that I can think of.

 

[jipsy]

No I don't save "the good stuff" for "special occasions". What's the point? Every day is a special occasion, if you make it so.

 

[suzannen]

My boss comes from a very wealthy family. When his mother died 3 years ago (at age 100!), she left a huge estate and he asked if would help him catalog all the possessions and help the division among the family. One of my bosses selections were a set of china plates valued at $2,500 a plate and not replaceable.
Not long after, he hosted a dinner I attended and lo and behold, he had set the table with those plates! No one else knew their value, but everyone kept commenting on their unbelievable beauty and uniqueness. It made me nervous just touching my fork to the plate in case I scratched it!
After dinner, in private, I told him I recognized his mother's plates and how beautiful they were. He told me his mother had loved them dearly, so dearly, she kept them in a box and rarely used them. He felt that by not using them, she had actually deprived herself of the real joy of the plates therefore he planned on using them and loving them for the rest of his life. They would play a role in every important family occasion so every child, grandchild and great grand would recognize these plates.
From that point on, I began to use my "good" china and silver a quite frequently, wear my good jewelry, my best clothes...and do my best to ENJOY them now!

 

[Saffron]

Yes.

I have a set of china, serving for 12, that is absolutley beautiful. It was given to me by a patient's family after the patient passed away. They told me she loved me so much she would have wanted me to have it. I was totally shocked and thankful for such a beautiful gift. I use it for special occasions, like Easter or Sunday dinners with the family. The only piece I keep out and use more often is one of the platters which I use for turkey.

Same with some candlesticks and glassware. I have some that I only use for special occasions. I love a beautiful table all set up for a special occasion. I would love to do it more often, but I don't have the time to set it all up and tear it all down. So, we just have paper plates or our everyday dishes the majority of the time.

I also have some jewelry and clothing that I tuck away for special occasions. I wear my pearls often though. I love pearls!

 

[tedsmom]

Nope.Life is short, and most people's "good" dishes outlast them!

 

[CamColt]

For daily use I have a plain blue bath mat, but when company comes over I put out the Mickey & Minnie one.
I think thats it though.

 

[ratsrule]

Does underwear without holes count as "good stuff"?

 

[Jeafl]

I use all my stuff. I wear all my good jewelry (although not all at once!), I use my china and my crystal whenever we have company and for all special occasions. What good is it if you don't use it?

I have many pieces of Lladro that have been given to me over the years. I have always kept them out in plain sight and my kids were told not to touch them from the very beginning. The only time one got broken was when a neighbor child was over. He picked it up and dropped it on the wood floor. I was devastated, but the child's mother was able to claim it on her homeowner's insurance and bought me another one. I never knew that your insurance covers you if you break something in someone else's house. It's a good thing to know.

 

[FOJMO]

...it's not so special, if you use it everyday! I like the feeling of using something I don't always use just for a special time each year.

I like the feeling of getting out my pearls, etc. for dressing up.

The other advantage is that it will be in good enough shape then to pass on to your child, when the time comes.

I don't think you should NOT use it at all, but on that rare occasion throughout the year.

 

[mickey65]

I never used to use the 'good china' but I do now. there is a wonderful book 'use the good dishes' that talks about just that.

My mom ahs a beautiful set of Silver Birch china that always just sat in the china cabinet for all to see, but was never used. At Thanksgiving this past year my dad and I were joking about never being able to eat off the good china, and to our surprise my mom said let's use the Silver Birch

It is very nice to have 'the special stuff', but it is also nice to make everyday special and use the good china

 

[Serena]

I have good stuff and everyday stuff. Jewelry, coats, dishes. But it's not locked away never to be seen.
It is for a special occasion, but that may be like my dd (10) set out my good dishes and crystal for cookies and koolaid last week just because she wanted to surprise me when I got home from work.
The rest of it is the same way. Special, but seen, worn and used.

 

[msdznyduck]

I use my "good" things whenever possible. I remember my grandmother saving all the pretty slips, nightgowns, sweaters, etc. and never using it. What a shame she died before she really got to enjoy it. She really didn't have a "good" dishes. When I got married, I got a few good things for gifts, which I use frequently. One of my fondest memories is seeing dandilion flowers in my crystal and Lenox vases that my kids picked in the backyard. Or the single daisy (Picked with no stem to sit in the water) perched on the lip of the vase.
My MIL told me that if you save stuff for only special occasions, it will hardly ever get used. I remember going to my grandmother's for Sunday dinner and fighting over the "red" plastic plate with my brother and cousins.........that was the special one all the kids thought the food tasted better on it. When she died and we all went over to her house to get something to remember her by, we all fought (lovingly) over that red plastic plate. It was still in her cupboard over 40 years later. I got a mismatched bowl that she always used for gravy and a cup and saucer that she always drank tea out of. I guess the "good" things are in the eyes of the beholder.
msdznyduck

 

[Kallison]

I keep good towels in case we ever have overnight guests other than my parents or the kid's friends, which we never do. Other than that, everything else is pretty much a free for all around here.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

I inherited some stuff that I don't use. I was just thinking about this the other day. I keep the fine china in a really nice cabinet. I just don't feel comfortable using gold rimmed china or wine goblets. I also don't wear the ruby earings, because I feel like they are too dressy for most of the places that I go.

Maybe I should use the stuff, this is an interesting post!

 

[Kitty 34]

I used to have good china that I would just bring out during the holidays but a few years ago I decided I liked it too much to use just twice a year.......we eat on it all the time now.