Poor Richard's Almanac: Ironstone Envy

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"Good sense is a thing all need, few have, and none think they want."

~Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack

Blast this blogosphere!  A pox on the internet!  It seems as though every nook and cranny of cyberspace is TAUNTING me with beautiful ironstone collections like this one . . .

{via Country Living}

and like this one . . .

{via Pinterest}

and like this one.

{via Frog Goes to Market}

The only serving collection I own is a pile of mismatched Ziploc and Rubbermaid containers.  And just when I think I'm getting really classy by whipping out the Tupperware for special occasions, I think back on these perfectly styled shelves with their perfectly aged ironstone and creamware and realize that my kitchen has been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

But so has my bank account.

So what to do when you have ironstone envy?

Well, as good old Benjamin Franklin would advise, you simply make do or do without.

Today, I choose to make do.

I dug through my cupboards and discovered that I had a small and humble collection of lovely white dishes and accessories.  No ironstone here.  Nothing antique.  Just a few of my favorite gifts and bargain store finds.

But where to put them?  I'd like to say that I have a perfectly chippy French armoire just waiting to be filled my with faux ironstone collection.

But I don't.

What I DO have is a library bookshelf.  I know it may sound odd to put teapots and scalloped plates in a library instead of a dining room or kitchen, but teapots and books go perfectly together in my mind.

Don't you think?

I love rich the wood looks against the clean white accessories . . .

and how fresh the dishes look against the warm backdrop.

My faux ironstone collection isn't going to attract any collectors or wow any antique lovers  . . .

 but at least it is a step above showcasing Tupperware.

Sharing at . . .

Between Naps on the Porch 
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Homestories A to Z
StoneGable 
No Minimalist Here
Common Ground
From My Front Porch to Yours   
French Country Cottage 
At the Picket Fence
Stuff and Nonsense 
Savvy Southern Style