Mikasa for Me!

It's all your fault, Susan of Between Naps on the Porch! Well, I could also blame Anita of Far Above Rubies and, more recently, Alycia of Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One. All three lovely and talented ladies have set beautiful tables with Mikasa china and hosted giveaways that led me (like a moth to a seductively shiny flame) to Mikasa's Facebook fan page. From there, to the Mikasa website to pick my favorite pattern …

I've accepted that I'll probably never win a Blogland giveaway, but I couldn't deal with thought of not owning a set of Mikasa's Parchment. I usually prefer vintage china and love buying it at estate/tag sales and antique shops, but there's something timeless and elegant about this particular pattern. It reminded me that it's OK to buy dishes in stores that specialize in selling new merchandise! This would probably be a good time to mention that I'm not employed by, nor affiliated with/compensated by, Lifetime Brands. I purchased this beautiful Mikasa china locally but, if you'd like a set of your own, it's currently on sale for a great price (with free shipping) at the Mikasa website, HERE.

Before I bought it, I read several online reviews. Parchment won praise for being elegant, but dishwasher-friendly; for looking beautiful displayed in a china cabinet; and for being a cost-effective option for bridal registries. I love the fact that the standard place setting includes a soup/salad bowl! There's also a salad plate that could serve as a generously-sized bread or dessert plate. These days, most other companies seem to only offer bowls as (expensive) open-stock options. By the way, I checked the Mikasa website and, while Parchment CAN go in the dishwasher, they suggest hand-washing to maintain its beauty.

Some reviewers said this china could be dressed up or down. Perhaps ... but I vote for UP! The platinum trim, pearl-like soft gray border, and shimmering, overlaid tapestry design seem to demand romantic table linens, flowers, candlelight, and silver serving pieces. I did opt to use stainless flatware, American Harmony by Oneida, and stainless napkin rings. The crystal is vintage Rose Point by Cambridge (1934-58) – which I definitely will not be putting in the dishwasher!

I arranged garden flowers, foliage, and flowering tree cuttings (with a few leftovers from a week-old supermarket bouquet) in silverplated champagne buckets. I used plastic freezer containers as liners and inserted a glass flower frog in each one to hold the flowers upright.

I think that's all I have to say. I'll just invite you to view the pictures without interruption. There are a LOT of images -- probably more than I should have uploaded. I couldn't resist -- it's been quite a while since I've photographed a table when the late afternoon light was so clear and bright. I hope you enjoy … Mikasa for ME!































































































































I forgot to mention that I included my favorite set of salt & pepper shakers -- also by Mikasa, and that I added an edible element to the floral arrangements. Grapes were on sale at Kroger, and I thought, "Why not?" It was easy to secure them by draping the clusters over short lengths of dark green bamboo plant stakes. I'd inserted the stakes in the glass flower frogs next to the outer rims.

Hope you have a great week and that you'll join Susan of Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!