Weddingbee boards

Okay so I feel a little ridiculous even posting this but...

When we first started our registry I knew exactly they type of dishes I was looking for.  Mostly white with cobalt blue accents, somewhere in between dressy and casual for use with almost everything, and with a little twist of uniqueness without being too wacky.  Well, I didn't find it anywhere.  And I really thought I looked everywhere.  So, I settled. 

A few months ago I picked two sets, these pretty white and red casual plates (almost everything I wanted except for the blue, and not quite unique enough), and these white, silver, and blue fine china settings (again, very close, perfect color, but a little too dressy).  And I had a bridal shower, and got all of the reds I'd requested, and half of the blues, from someone near and dear to my heart.

Fast forward to today, just casually browsing the internet, and I just about die when I found these dishes at Crate and Barrel. White. blue. Funky/pretty floral accent. Neat subtle shapes. Not too fancy. Gorgeous. Me? Drooling. Exactly what I was looking for.  A few months too late.

Obviously, three sets of dishes is excessive.  But I don't think I can return the others, because the giver wasn't just some random great-aunt I'll never see again--it was someone who will be over for dinner often and will know exactly what dishes I am using (and wonder why they aren't the ones she gave me, although she would be too polite to ask).  But I have never been more in love with a set of dishes in my life!

Why oh why couldn;t I have found these earlier? Is there anything to be done?  Or should I just resign myself to the fact that after all, they are just dishes? 

[Okay, so this is mostly a rhetorical post, I KNOW I have to get over it.  They ARE just dishes.  Just venting, is all!]

Yeah I totally feel your "pain".  The crate and barrel dishes are beautiful.  Also, I'm a girl who always knows exactly what she wants and I hate settling for less.  I agree with Suzzanno.  Your friends gave you what they thought you wanted.  But since there's been a turn of events I don't think it's tacky or rude of you to exchange them.

Thanks for your support, guys!  But I would have a really hard time returning the ones we've already recieved.  For one, I *did* see them in the store, not just online. And I would just feel really wierd about it.  However, buying them as an "extra" set also just seems frivolous; while on sale, they aren't exactly *cheap*, and in addition to the two sets I've already received, I actually have a third set of antique fine china coming from my FI's parents.  We just don't need that many dishes... sigh.  Well, I'll think about it.

(KateMW, BBB has a really awesome cash-back return policy for registry items, so if it were to work out, that wouldn't be a problem.)

So I think I've come up with a solution... what if I bought just a tea set of the C&B dishes (cups, saucers, teapot/sugar/creamer, and the gorgeous serving bowl and tray)?  Still not cheap, but I don't really have much in the way of serving pieces for the red set, and I actually think the C&B blues would mix in nicely.  And the cups from the red berries set are my least favorite piece--I do still like the rest of it a lot, as does my FI.  That way I get some of my beautiful cobalt blues, but I don't have to dissapoint anyone or spend a ton on the whole new set...

I love your little red dishes!!  The blue C&B set is nice too but I wouldn't put necesarily put one set over the other.  Sticking with what you have is certainly the easier choice.  (I personally don't like dealing with returns...) And for sentimental reasons, someone gave you a gift.

I understand how this is a difficult dilema.  I've struggled with being satisfied with choices I've made.... and it usually involves shopping --like buying one dress and finding another I like even more a few weeks later and wishing I waited.  The internet has only fueled my obsession by providing endless choices at the click of a button.  I've learned that it's less stressful to just be sastisfied with what I have.  The dress in my closet would serve the same purpose as the other.  I have to tell myself that what I have is enough.  There will always be prettier dresses, better shoes, bigger diamonds, fancier dishes... but I'm really trying to be satisfied with what I have because it's enough.  

I would keep one of the sets your friend gave you, return the other, and buy myself the Crate and Barrel. That way you have a set to use in front of your friend and the set you love. 

Hello again... Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement.

To clarify, it was actually two different people who gave me the two different sets.  And one of them is my FMIL...

So, an update. I talked to my mom about it tonight and we both agree that it isn't possible to return them without risking my relationship with my FMIL (which is good now, but you know how those things are).  She also likes the tea set idea, so I stopped by C&B this evening to check out the pattern in real life.  (Needless to say, it is even more beautiful than online.  But I digress...)

I picked up a few small pieces to see how they worked with my existing red set.  I actually really like the effect.  Apologies for the crappy cameraphone pictures, but here are some samples (click for larger):

The photos don't capture the blue at all, it's really not almost black.  It is a beautiful true, dark cobalt (not quite navy, more... vibrant).  And I love the mix of blue and red, and I think I'm really happy with this solution!