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Dishes Dishes on the Wall

OUR 2nd HOUSE

Get ready for some crappy pictures y’all. 

I didn’t edit these.  I didn’t have my real camera.  This is easy blogging.  Like back in the day before the word “branding” and “media kit” and “SEO” entered my blog world.  Ahhh…the good ole days.   Or should I say….the lazy ole days 🙂  For all you new-to-blogs people….photos used to be optional on blogs.  And tiny if ever used.  I’m a champion squinter now.  Mom, you would have never survived blogdom.

Anyhoo….I found this really ugly plate.  I think someone at a yard sale gave it to me as a gift.  Does that happen to you?  That happens to me a lot.  I must attract ugly plates.  SOoo..I decided to paint it for fun.    

I was really close to just tossing it in the goodwill pile but then I remembered a stash of all the other random plates that have followed me home.  I pulled them all out and decided to put them in the basement. 

Here they are in the little basement dining room.  I call it that but really it’s only a dining room because I put our old dining room table in there.  We’ve never eaten down there.  It’s great for storage though…of my old ugly free plates…because according to Martha Stewart…everything needs a place 🙂  My mom told me the other day that it would be sufficient for her when she moves in.  I said “Sure mom!  You and Dad don’t even need to move your stuff!”  

Her reply?

“Oh Daddy will be dead.  I’ll be coming alone.”

Gotta love a lady that plans ahead.  Like twenty years.     

So now that this post has been sufficiently random and terribly illustrated….anyone wanna share what you do with random stuff people give you?  I have a sickness that doesn’t allow me to get rid of stuff.  Especially gifts.  Even if said gifts were regifted and I know it.  They were still special.  Or maybe that’s just me…I’m the special one 🙂

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Comments

  1. You keeping all your gifts requires me to confess that I have donated almost every single gift my mother-in-law has given me over the last 4.5 years. I know Jesus will forgive me 🙂 but in my defense, she buys me what she *wants* me to have. Our first married-Christmas together she gave me a pair of Crocs…after my hubby told her I despised them and she responded, oh that doesn’t matter, she needs them.

  2. Oh, your Mom is hilarious! Now we know where you get that from 😀

    I love the plates on the wall and the arrangement. I especially love the one you painted.
    If I had not something on every wall of my apartment I would definitely put up some plates my Mom gave me when I moved out – not because she loved me, but because they were so ugly she would rather die than use them.

  3. you’re not alone, my mister and i save everything as well…its one of our worst habits. although we do have a pretty substantial goodwill/donate/trash box going on right now. just have to actually take the step to get rid of it now haha.

  4. You. ARE. the special one! For sure. Bad pictures get the point across. Love what you love, right? True random post and one of the ones I’ve liked the most. Oh and your Mum, now I know why you are so crazy funny, even if she was totally serious, still funny to me.

  7. I love random posts like this! Not every post needs to be perfectly edited and have beautiful photos. This seems more real to me 🙂

  9. Love the look. Sooooooo….how did you affix them to the wall? Please tell me it was something easy like those 3M hooks or something.

  11. That sickness, my friend? It’s called hoarding LOL!! 🙂 (I have it too, don’t feel bad!) But way to repurpose those old random plates!! Looks totally cool–would never have thought to do something like that!

  12. Hey Katie~ This question is TOTALLY off subject from your post, but I thought I may be able to catch you here while you are responding to comments. We are buying a new house and want to replace LOTS of the carpet in it (stairs, game room, and ALL the bedrooms). The current owner put down something that looks like astroturf (hahaha). I know y’all replaced the carpet in your house a little while back and I remember liking how it looked (neutral and nice- nothing too crazy like frieze etc). We may go that route too through home depot, but I was wondering how the carpet is holding up now? I realize you can never tell how carpet is gonna hold up until you just live on it a while- any thoughts or advice? Is there anything you would change or do you recommend the carpet y’all used? I also worry about putting it in my boys rooms (they are rough on stuff!) Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
    thanks:)
    amy

  16. I have the exact same violet plate. 🙂 It is the official flower of my sorority and they gave them out as gifts one year at a special event. haha

  17. How did you secure the plates to the wall? Did you buy those little plate hanger thingies (technical term) or use some other method?

  18. Cute! Dumb question but what do you use to hang your plates up? I have some I want to hang in my kitchen but I am so scared that they will fall and break!

  19. Hey Katie! I have some of my grandmas china that I was thinking about hanging in my dining room. What hardware did you use to hang these on the wall? I love the arrangement! Thanks!

  20. Looks good! I love that turquoise-y blue plate (looks like flower petals!) and the green honeycomb-looking one too. Your mom’s comment made me laugh (in a sort of sad way) lol

  21. I like the “pattern” or lack thereof that you used to hang them up. I am usually not a big fan of plates on the wall, but maybe it is just the symmetry that most people use that bugs me so much.

  25. Just using those old fashioned plate hangers. They are available at Walmart and most craft stores 🙂
    xo – kb

  27. It’s holding up fine but it is only in the bedrooms so I don’t know how much it would compare to others. I think that it’s a nice carpet (it’s Martha Stewarts from Home Depot) but not sure if its durable enough for a high traffic area.
    xo – kb

  30. I think everyone has their own degree of “specialness”. I like you can’t get rid of anything either. I have a whole tote dedicated to stuff from my college days. Old papers, room decor, floppy discs etc. I have no use for any of that stuff and they have been sitting in storage for a long time. But its my hoarder tendencies that makes me think “someday I might need this”. I am still waiting for that someday to arrive.

  31. I recognized the square plate – is yours navy? I found the exact one in dark green at my local thrift store for $2 – it’s gorgeous. I have mine on the foyer table as a catchall for keys and sunglasses. Do you happen to know what store it originates from? Thanks!

  33. I love this! I really love the way the plates were overlapping on the carpet picture. You have a true gift for making something out of nothing!

    I am now no longer going to bypass the single lovely plate at Goodwill that I always want but never buy. Walls prepare thyself!

  34. OH man! I CANNOT GET RID OF GIFTS!!! Especially if they are from people I love. I may never ever use them but the fact that someone took the time to give me something. Like my sweet sweet great-grandmother… three years ago she gave me a pink and black fluffy zebra bath robe for Christmas. She was so excited watching me open it and said, “I looked and looked for the perfect Christmas gift for you and when I saw this I knew it would be perfect!” How the heck do you give something like that away… even if it’s been in the back of my closet ever since??? She also gave me a spool of thread with a poem attached a few years ago. I CAN’T BRING MYSELF TO THROW IT AWAY. I mean, really.

  35. Also, the plate arrangement… very Anthropologie-ish. Good job! I don’t know why, but it’s so hard for me to capture that style in my house despite lots of determination.

  37. I love the way you arranged the plates on the wall! The colors look great too 🙂

  38. I’m glad that you can relax and just post even if it’s not going to be a “pinable” or pin fire post. 😉

    Yeah…I like randomness. Nice, interesting lil’ corner you made there. 😉

    xo,
    Henna

  40. Just wanted to give your readers another suggestion for hanging plates and other items to the wall. Hobby Lobby (and I’m sure other places) carry these things that look like industrial strength stickers with a metal hoop that you can stick to your item and hang with a nail. I prefer this option to hide the hanging instrument. I googled them, and here is the link to a website: http://www.allplatehangers.com/Plate-Hangers

  41. Too funny! This week, out of nowhere, I have started collecting various plates and browsing through all the plate collection inspiration I could find on Pinterest. Thanks for the additional ideas! Looks awesome.

  42. I’m glad I’m not the only one whose mother has plans for when Dad is dead. (At first, I thought it might be a hint that she was going to kill him. But thank goodness no!)

    Instead every once in awhile she goes to my house when I’m at work alone, she calls it her “going to her Single Girl House”. Packs a lunch and just hangs out alone for hours.

  43. Have you seen those plate hangers that you stick to the back of the plate like a sticker? They have a little metal loop on them to hang them from. I’ve never used them, just wondered if you had?

  49. Navy! Yes! I got mine at a thrift store and love it! I have no idea about where to get it!
    xo – kb

  50. I have several things that I’ve gotten as gifts and not really liked. Some I still have, others I waited a few years and then found a way to get rid of them. I once had to have a discussion with my husband about his gifts for me. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but I didn’t want him to buy me stuff just for the sake of buying me a gift. I wanted it to be either something I really wanted or something I could use. He doesn’t think those kind of gifts are as exciting. But he got me a beautiful leaf shaped spoon rest and monogrammed coasters for Christmas and I love them. Both are something we really needed and he picked out some really nice ones. Whereas my Mother-in-Law’s boyfriend buys at least one funny gift for us. I think I’ve hated them all. For me he found what appears to be part of a costume so it looks like you are riding a horse. It is a big Stuffed animal type horse head that has Velcro straps that go around your waist. I think I’ll find a theater group and see if they want it.

  51. Her old shag rug? I think her’s was green…mine is tan…so they are probably distant cousins 🙂
    xo – kb

  57. I love the boomerang-like shape you created. I did a plate arrangement in my last dining room and I couldn’t help but be so symmetric. I love yours so much more!! Makes me want to give it a second try in our new dining room… p.s. your mom cracks me up!

  58. Ah! Now I have to start collecting cute plates! Love it.

    And I’ll still read your blog even with “crappy” photos. 🙂 I love a relaxed and real blogger. I put too much pressure on myself to have everything “perfect” before I post :/

  59. I’ve used them and they are great! They work wonderfully for china. However, they don’t hold melamine trays . . . mine came crashing down. Maybe I didn’t have a big enough one (size matters when you buy them). Luckily it didn’t break, it was just a tray from Target, not sentimental, but I really love the print, so I think I’ll try again using two this time.

  61. When you showed the pic of the plates laid out, I was hoping you painted more of them! Haha 🙂 The turquoise, the orange and the kelly green one are great. I just donated some random plates – darnit, I could have painted them.

    No frills blogging? = yay!

  62. Hey! I was just curious, do you happen to know the paint colour of the wall the plates are on. 🙂
    Thanks!
    Kaylee

  63. Stuff we don’t want gets either regifted (rare), sold (rare), donated (rare) or put into “the box” or “the room”. Stuff in “the box” or “the room” are likely to stay there until the end of time.

  65. Not the basement dining room……….The games room. I decorated my games room with my childhood game boards, really old monopoly, sorry, clue, etc.

  67. Amy/Katie,

    I’m butting in, and I don’t even know if you’ll see this since it’s from almost a month ago. I’m in school for interior design and I just finished my Interior Textiles class. Here’s what I learned and how it applies to the Bowers’ carpet choice:

    ~ Since most people can’t afford wool carpet, the next best choice is nylon. CHECK!
    ~ One of the most durable types of carpet is the loop and pile combo (which usually creates a geometric pattern). CHECK!
    ~ Yarn gauge is usually 8-12 tufts per inch. Katie’s carpet is 8, so not super high, but the two factors above should help!

    I also learned that carpet sellers will try to upsell you to a more expensive pad, saying that it will be more comfy and squishy. However, in order to make sure your carpet wears the best and longest, ask the salesperson which pad the manufacturer recommends for the specific carpet that you have chosen, and go with that one.

    Hope you see this and hope it helps! 😀

  68. We use old plates when we give someone a cake/brownies, etc. We’re in the South so you have to take people in a crisis something and give ’em a “bless your heart”. We tell them to keep the plate and “pay it forward”!

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