A bit of washing up to do...

'In another life' I was a mad keen collector of china. I had an ally/urger  in this endeavour; my former MIL. She too loved fine china, including the 'Blue willow design which I also loved. When she came to town and stayed with us, she and I would always check out any shops that sold such items, both new and old. In my last home I had a number of display cabinets to show off my collections.

My MIL always felt that you could never have too many teasets and for a number of years she bought me an item in Royal Doulton's Old Country Roses collection for my birthday and Christmas gifts. In the meantime I was still buying china and my collections grew. Then circumstances changed and I left that home rather abruptly. Gradually that china meant less and less to me and when, 4 years later, when I again was able to access my belongings, I began to think of them as clutter. I packaged them up with some help from friends and most have lived in boxes stored under the house or in the depths of cupboards...hardly used these last 10 years or so.

So...when SDD2 asked if she could borrow some teapots for her engagement party (which is themed Alice in Wonderland Tea Party), I also offered tea cups and saucers, cake plates etc. The offer was gladly accepted and yesterday I scrambled around in the bottom of cupboards and rummaged in boxes and brought out what I could find...I know there are more cake plates...but I found a lot just the same.
So I have a big wash up and dry up time ahead of me!~ lol But it will be a pleasure to do! Just like it will be a pleasure to see my china being used on Sunday by the younger generation.

Hmm...maybe one day I'll 'drag out' my Blue Willow china collection and work out what I can do with it.