I just had to share with you some wonderful new dishes I got for my hutch…for FREE!
My Aunt Lois, (my dad’s sister), started reading my blog about a month ago, and noticed my love for white dishes.
She just happened to have been storing some white dishes in her garage for quite a while that she had been trying to give away. (They used to belong to her daughter.)
But lucky for me, there were no takers. She asked me if I would want them, of course I said “yes.”
One thing you need to know about me is I never say “no” to anything that someone offers me. Especially if it’s free!
I figure that if it doesn’t work for me, I can just pass it along to someone else.
Now my Aunt Lois could have brought me a big box of the ugliest white dishes you have ever seen. (Though I highly doubted it because she has exquisite taste, and her house is decorated beautifully.) Or it could have been a box of white dishes that just weren’t my decorating “style”.
You can imagine my surprise when I opened the box and saw these beauties…
The back of the plates read:
Fine English Tableware by Johnson Brothers Made in Staffordshire, England
I love the scalloped edges.
It was a complete set including some cute little bowls.
And look at the adorable sugar and creamer set…
They look absolutely wonderful in my hutch.
Aunt Lois is also the blessed mother of four, like me. (Although she got a daughter in the bunch…3 boys, 1 girl!)
Her youngest son, Darrin, is the head basketball coach at the University of South Carolina.
Any Gamecock fans out there?
I shared with many of you that we had a family reunion at my house in August, and we were so excited that Darrin and his family could be there. It had been a long time since we had all been together.
We celebrated by wearing our South Carolina gear.
Here is my oldest son, Jonathan, with Darrin. Jonathan LOVES basketball…just like his daddy!
This is Darrin with my dad and his sisters. Aunt Lois in on the right of Darrin.
I didn’t know what all the fuss was about. Everyone seemed to only want pictures with Darrin!
But I knew better….I KNEW that my Aunt’s wanted a picture with me too…so I obligued…
Okay….I admit it …I wanted a picture with Darrin too! I’m proud of my cuz!
Now all the “cousins” have children too. Boy, do we have a lot!
I love the “crazy” pose!
And my sweetie gave all the great grand children a ride in the wagon.
They loved it!
To thank me for hosting the family reunion, Aunt Lois gave me this great personalized basket.
How cute is that?! I absolutely love it and have already used it many times.
Thank you so much for everything, Aunt Lois! (And Uncle Ed, too!)
You blessed my socks off!
Tell Aunt Lois I love blue and white china and never say no either! Seriously, she must love you if they once belonged to her daughter. I bet your son just ADORES having a cousin who is head coach! You are so lucky to have a big family. I can hold a family reunion in my powder room :)
Traci- I love the dishes! They look wondeful in the hutch, love the crisp black and white!
Dee Dee
Seriously – no one wanted those? I LOVE them…yipee for enjoying the little pleasures of life..free dishes. :)
your family reunion looked like great fun! and HOW beautiful are those dishes! I LOVE your white cake plate in the hutch. I have a "thing" for cake plates…
Hi Tracie! Oh, what a wonderful Aunt Lois you have! The dishes are beautiful and they are a very good brand! They look marvelous in your pretty hutch. You and your cuz look alike! You're so pretty. I guess that means he's pretty too! LOL Love seeing all the little cuzez too! What a great time y'all must have had,
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Gamecock Alum follower!!! Graduated in 2007 with my nursing degree! Love the dishes!
Aren't you the lucky duck? What great dishes and such a wonderful story to pass on.
Pretty white dishes look great in black hutch! I love white dishes also and have been collecting milk glass for years. So fun to decorate and entertain with.
Oh, those are gorgeous! I love Aunt Lois! They look beautiful in your hutch!
My sister lives in Staffordshire England :-) Lichfield, Staffs to be exact. That china is absolutely beautiful, I love the scalloped edges. And it all looks great in your hutch.
Wow, what a family you have :) Love the pics.
LOl all of the pics are great…i of course have to ask about the tractor…its an Allis Chambers right…is it a WD 45? it looks almost exactly like ours but newer.(my husband would be so impressed I recognized it)
steff
Oh, those are fabulous dishes!!! I love everything about them, especially the price!! ;)
What a nice surprise!!!
Suzanne
i WIsh I could get hand-me-down dishes like that!!! I used to live in SC (five different cities). Go USC!!!
What a sweet aunt you have! The dishes are just beautiful! They really pop in your hutch.
You must ask Aunt Lois where she got that adorable personalized basket! I want one! :)
Beautiful dishes! I can't believe there were no takers .. they were meant to be yours! Thanks for sharing family pics … really enjoy reading your blog.
I love your new dishes and they look great in your hutch. It's neat that you have a "celebrity" in your family.
They're perfect in the hutch!! I love them, they are almost identical to the ones I chose for my "pattern" at the dreaded wedding registry. I rarely use them, but they are beautiful to look at! Love the blog, how you have the time, I do not know. Enjoying all the pictures, although sinfully jealous when looking through your treasures & projects! Love you and your family!
Oh wow, you did score! They look perfect in your hutch!
God blesses those..who BLESS others! You truly are a blessing, and I'm NOT surprised how God blesses you.
I LOVE the dishes…so 'lady-like'.
And, I LOVED the family reunion pictures too!!
Happy Friday friend. :-)
Swoon…I am in love with your free white dishes! I love any kind of white dishes but those are gorgeous!
love hand-me-downs! Do you live SC? i live in the Columbia Area. neat!
I have an Aunt Lois too…but she has never given me any beautiful dishes. Actually, she has never given me anything. Want to have an Aunt Lois trade?????
Congratulations, Traci! That's my everyday china–"Old English" by Johnson Bros.! Isn't it pretty? I just love it. And this was really a score for you, because Johnson Bros. discontinued this pattern several years ago.
It looks wonderful in your hutch, but believe me, you can use it without fear. I have three boys, and we're pretty hard on dishes, but these have held up well for a long time now.
Thank God for aunts (and uncles and cousins and . . .)! What a beautiful family you have.
Traci, You couldn't have picked out any white dishes that would have been prettier than those. Wow! Aunt Lois is a sweetie! My Aunt Carolyn left me a beautiful set of dishes that I have in a cabinet in my dining room, too. Love 'em! Honestly, every time you post I find something in common (even though I'm a bit older). We have a Kentucky connection. Also, my aunt (and mother's side of the famiy) came from South Carolina. My uncle went to USC and was a big Gamecock fan! But I'm a Ga. Bulldog! Linda
Love your really super neat blog..
the freebie dishes too..
they were definitely meant for you!
bless dear sweet auntie Lois!
♥hugs
How pretty they are and how sweet of your aunt! My daughter and I will be moving soon and I've ordered a hutch with your's in mind (actually I've got a lot of ideas for my new home from you) and can't wait to get started!
Thanks for sharing your extended family with us – my girl is a sophomore at NCSU and is majoring in Sports Mgt – she wants to Coach women's basektball – that is her dream job!
Hello Traci,
I cannot believe no one wanted those fantastic dishes! I love them and they look wonderful in your hutch! I love the crispness of the black and white.
~Tracy
Oh my goodness. Those dishes are absolutely beautiful! I am so amazed that no one wanted those, but so lucky for you.
And, you did a great job styling them in your hutch as well.
I'm a Carolina Girl and have been reading your blog and didn't know you were Gamecocks! I live in TX (military family) now but get back to Columbia often to visit my parents and brother. Love seeing all of that garnet and black. Also, praying the best for your sweet mom. Bonnie
You Turkey!! I love those! I'm so jealous!!!:)
Aunt Lois is a sweetie, for sure, with elegant taste. I love the handles on the cups, it is a lovely set of dishes, so versatile. Have a lovely weekend. TTFN ~Marydon
Oh.my.word! I will not covet those dishes, I will not covet those dishes, I will not… I can only imagine the smile that crossed your face when you saw those beauties. How perfect they look in your hutch! = ) Happy for you!
Still keeping your Mom in my prayers…
Blessings,
Another Kentucky Tracy ; )
I really enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks for sharing your decorating ideas and life stories with us. Those dishes are gorgeous! I love it when people give you things that are "you." It makes all of the other junk you get along the way worth it.
we're big fans of Darrin Horn's but because we're WKU alumni. We hated to see him leave the hill, but are always excited to see our coaches move on to bigger things.
Hi Traci,
I just stumbled on your blog looking for the pattern name of these dishes. I found three plates at a thrift store and I was trying to do a little research before I list them on etsy. Do you happen to know the pattern name?
Thank you so much! And now I’m off to go listen to your son sing. :)
Buzzingly,
Janelle