patcworkbutterfly vintage tablewareI learnt a very valuable lesson very early on in my life. It was all about best things. As a child probably about 7 or 8 I was given this beautiful pink skirt it had two rows of cotton lace and I loved it so. I would have worn it every day if I could and chanced my arm and put it on most days. The reply would come from mum "save it for best take it off and put something else on." Well the sad end to my tale of woe is that I probably wore the skirt FOR BEST about 3 times. I went to put it on at the end of the summer, and I had out grown it. I made up my mind there and then that I would never have any such thing as best in my world. And I haven't.
My Nang ( grandma) has her best china which stays in the cupboard dust catching apart from it's twice yearly outing, she has her best clothes and best jewellery. I do admire this way of thinking because there is always the joy of using , wearing or pinning your lovely best brooch on your jacket. My Nang's generation was all about best even the words used to describe things, There was your Sunday best for church, the best living room that was only used at Christmas and high days and holidays. Those poor Aspidistra stuck in the corner of best rooms never to be seen.
So I save nothing for best. The cat eats off a 100 year old plate, we use vintage china to eat from everyday, if there is champagne in the house drink it for breakfast. I bought a loving friend this week as a thankyou the beautiful 013 Christian Dior lipstick, she was thrilled and said she would use it sparingly, I said no use it every day lavishly. What is there to save it for? Every day should be an occassion. But is it me who is wrong because there are problems created by not having best like this week coming. What to wear to ladies day? I have beautiful vintage hats, bags, and clothes all of them with splatters of paint or a little torn and ragged round the edges as they have been worn to do a bit of gardening quickly before you go out, or you have gone into the studio to check on a painting and swept past leaving a new pattern on a vintage chanel velvet wrap that you treasured. All of these war wounds come at a price because you never look your best.
http://www.patchworkbutterfly.co.uk
My Nang ( grandma) has her best china which stays in the cupboard dust catching apart from it's twice yearly outing, she has her best clothes and best jewellery. I do admire this way of thinking because there is always the joy of using , wearing or pinning your lovely best brooch on your jacket. My Nang's generation was all about best even the words used to describe things, There was your Sunday best for church, the best living room that was only used at Christmas and high days and holidays. Those poor Aspidistra stuck in the corner of best rooms never to be seen.
So I save nothing for best. The cat eats off a 100 year old plate, we use vintage china to eat from everyday, if there is champagne in the house drink it for breakfast. I bought a loving friend this week as a thankyou the beautiful 013 Christian Dior lipstick, she was thrilled and said she would use it sparingly, I said no use it every day lavishly. What is there to save it for? Every day should be an occassion. But is it me who is wrong because there are problems created by not having best like this week coming. What to wear to ladies day? I have beautiful vintage hats, bags, and clothes all of them with splatters of paint or a little torn and ragged round the edges as they have been worn to do a bit of gardening quickly before you go out, or you have gone into the studio to check on a painting and swept past leaving a new pattern on a vintage chanel velvet wrap that you treasured. All of these war wounds come at a price because you never look your best.
http://www.patchworkbutterfly.co.uk
I so agree about not keeping things for best. I used to hate that as a child, not that I had much 'best' stuff! These days I don't have 'best' clothes at all.
ReplyDeleteI remember going to old relatives' houses and their "front room" would be like a shrine with the furniture wrapped in plastic. These rooms were used for sunday visitors, christmas and funerals!
ReplyDeletei am still in the keep for best mode, i have cothes for work,town and going out etc,so to speak,i have too many things that are not used everyday but put away for different occasions.
ReplyDeleteMy daughters never have anything for best,if i buy them something new, it is used,worn straight away with the words thank you Mum this is too nice to keep in the wardrobe looking at me!!
xx Judi
I remember best, we don't have best, I do have the more fragile wine glasses on the top shelf but I think thats about it.
ReplyDelete:o)