Here's to 2026 and using the "good stuff"

I do love the mess of a post-dinner dining room table! 

 
 
 
 
It means favorite people in my life have lingered around this table. We enjoyed each other's company. We ate good food. We laughed. We may have stumbled down memory lane. We definitely had fun. 

And that makes a mess worth every second of the little bit of extra effort it takes to bring out the "good stuff." 

I do love setting a pretty table, bringing out the "good stuff" that may have belonged to a grandparent or been a beloved wedding gift.

On a recent Saturday night, I brought out my mom's good china when we hosted a very last minute, very casual supper for dear friends. A fancy table didn't mean we had to dress up or plan a formal meal. David whipped up a lovely dinner using recipes he wanted to try out.

I set out my mom's silver goblets alongside our wedding crystal. The place settings mixed and matched our silver pattern with David's grandmother's. Candles flickered. The chandelier was lit low.  

It just made me happy to use things that stay tucked away and saved for a "special occasion." Using them on an ordinary cold Saturday night in January did make us feel a little special. And reminded me there's no reason not to use the "good stuff."

Over the past month, I pulled out lots of the "good stuff" - our Christmas china (which I now share with my goddaughter), my mom's china, silver goblets, fancy serving pieces, a silver water pitcher, silver flatware from three different family members, and a collection of silver napkin rings I've been collecting for years.

Over the past few weeks, this table anchored our Christmas dinner with four friends, a rollicking evening with my high school girls annual holiday soup supper, and a much-needed casual dinner with dear friends. All made even more special because we pulled out the "good stuff."




I didn't worry about dropping a plate, accidentally throwing out a silver knife or spilling red wine on the tablecloth. 


And my favorite dining room hack ... my "rustic looking" tablecloth that is actually a drop cloth from Home Depot ... means no issue if some red wine spills on it.

So here's to 2026 and using more of the "good stuff."


 

 

 





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