While living in Alabama Carla and I have a what you could call, quant kitchen. It small but did its job. Counter space became an issue quickly with are huge microwave (it was cheap and worked well, no complains from us!) and Monica (the coffee maker) a later addition Chandler (the espresso machine) and of course our personal cute touches (a kinda scary picture of us with Moses in face masks and some candles). We dreamed of decorating our future homes someday in that kitchen (well, I know I did at least) and I always thought a coffee theme kitchen would be a lot of fun. Not cheesy coffee cups everywhere, but a nice coffee shop type feel, with shades of browns and creams. Ive seen pieces I want to buy and store till I get to have a place of my own to decorate. But Ive made the rule (for the respect of not taking up my whole parents garage of my storage stuff) of only if I really think I couldn’t find it again or if just a really really good deal that I cant pass up. So far, I only have two things which I actually keep in my room, so all is well in that department.

Well, all was well till my mom and I visited a store called Sur la Table (its french, as Jason reminds me of how to say it everytime I tell him about but to me it still reads “Sir La Table” not however the french say it) and that’s when I fell in love with the famous red dishes. I didn’t know what they were or where they had come from but I held a plate in my hands and just adored the deep red that my eyes feel upon. That was it, I had to have them for my kitchen. But wait, my coffee kitchen with red dishes? How could this be? Would they go? I showed my mom find and asked her the question that nagged inside. Would these two loves of mine really work, I was doubting my scene of correlation. She said yes, they would bring a nice touch of color to a brown tone kitchen. And that’s how Ive come to make Waechtersbach’s line of dishes my “red dishes” as call them everytime I’m at a store that carries them “I going to go visit my dishes.”

Last week when visiting with Polly I peered into her kitchen cupboards and saw red gleaming from the corner of my eye. I opened it up all the way and pulled out a dish (squared even) and turn it over to look for the Waechtersbach’s logo imposed on the bottom. There is was and all its glory. Then I realized, Polly and I had never shared this love for red dishes. When she got married she registered for a lot of cobalt blue and white items and Pier One. That was in their studio apartment, but I guess now they live in a house, red dishes are for them. I told her about my love for the red dishes that graced her shelf’s and she said “I got them for like two bucks at Ross.” My eyes lit up with delight. If you don’t know what Ross is, its like a TJ Maxx or if you don’t have that, its like a really really cheap Wal-Mart, but with designer items. Waechtersbach’s dishes go for at least 8-12 bucks a plate, depending on the size, etc. So 2 bucks was most definitely a deal. Actually, it was a steal. I made my journey over to Ross as soon as I could to seek the treasure.

I found a mug, a bowl and a big plate once I arrived. I got way to giggly. After having all three items in my hands, I realized that the mug and the bowl were chipped. Oh but I didn’t want to put them back for only around two dollars each. But then I remember the whole storing issue and sadly, put them back. Another item Ross had was these plates that looked in certain light just like mine. But if you turned them over there was “Made in Spain” marked on them. I want German plates, not Spain. As much as I wanted to take the mug home just to have on my desk as a pencil holder, I decided against it. It would be almost sadder to have chipped dishes than none at all. Also, it made the red plate all that more special. I came home with my red plate and showed my mom. She actually sold me on the idea of these dishes being that “I could always replace ones that brake” if I used them as my main dishes.

Apparently, my grandma, who loves finding a good deal heard about my Ross find. She’s a frequent shopper at Ross, especially on Tuesdays when she gets her extra 10%. This is one thing I don’t understand about my Grandma. She lived through the tail end of the depression. I remember when I was little not finishing my plate and my Grandma would think it was a waste and eat it. The other night when we had dinner out, she wanted to doggie bag the other table’s food. She doesn’t like to be wasteful. But if something is on sale, whether she needs it or not, she buys it. Her apartment is full of good deals she just had to have. When finding out my dishes were at Ross, she took it upon herself to look for them for me. Sadly, she mistaken them for ones that read “Made in Spain”. I felt so bad to tell her they weren’t the right ones because they looked so close in color. Despite the failed attempt, she said shed keep her eyes out for my dishes just the same. It was quite sweet. So, until then I will have on lone dish… standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce. And my dish answers “I am a lone reed.”