Presenting the world's smallest shopping purchase/s from Nove, Italy....

Last weekend, I was out with a friend- we'd gone to the discount yarn store and had later plans for lunch and then going to the big Italian grocery store.   While we were out... she said, "Hey, we're close to Nove and they don't close for an hour-- want to go there real quick?"   Of course, I did.   While I am trying to 'not purchase' extra things that I don't really need... (or will have room for in my future USA home)... once, I saw these little lace detailed small curved plates?  In my favorite color no less:  CELEDON GREEN  ... I couldn't resist.  I thought, what could I use them for to 'justify' my purchase?  (see, how my mind works?)   Then, I got it.   They could be small 'bread plates'... you know how most modern dish sets-- just have a:  dinner plate, salad (or dessert) plate, a soup bowl?  And, of course usually a cup/mug of some sort.   However, there just isn't a small plate to put your bread pieces, or even your lemon slices, your olive pits, or your???  

 Come on help me out people... help me find a reason that I need to purchase these little curved lace plates.   After all, I knew that 'even in my mind' I could not justify purchasing the matching plates and bowls that went with this little lace number in the first photo.   The little small plates that I purchased weren't expensive at all either.   (The matching items much more expensive.)

So, then... I decided... they could be used as bread plates (or whatever they might be used for) and would be Ok with the white dishes that I bought in Germany to 'tie together' my many various other odds and ends of plates/bowls/etc.


So, what do you think?  Does it go well with my big pasta/soup bowls?   

As  you can see... I did buy them and brought them home.  I did resist the other matching pieces of dishware.   I bought 8 of them.  

 Then, I kept going back to this grape leaf design dish set.   Not in Celedon green... but, in a nice green anyway.

I only purchased ONE to see if it would go with my white dishes.   The above large soup/pasta bowls are just plain white and were purchased because they were plain white.



Here's the salad/dessert plate in question.  I only bought one.   To take it home to test it out.  I decided if it didn't go well with my white plates-- that I could simply use it to display cheese slices or something like that in the future.

I liked this very much.   I can't say why exactly.  I guess the grapes remind me so much of Italy?  

I think it goes pretty well with my white dishes.   Remember, these white dishes were purchased simply so that all of my other 'odds and ends' of dishes would at least LOOK LIKE they went with something and made a complete dinnerware set of dishes.  Or at least, close enough. 

That's it.   That is all that I bought.  The 8 small lace plates to be used for various small things like bread, lemon slices (now, I can't say that I've ever had a need to lay out lemon slices at everyone's place setting-- but, you just never know when this opportunity might present itself and I'll be ready, right?), olive pits, crackers, or ????

By the way, the little square lace plates will also go well with the above large white plate set of dishes that I have they -just will not MATCH or GO WITH with the very different sort of green grapes/leaves plate as seen in the above photo- vastly different greens and style of pattern.

I also bought the one salad/dessert plate size that you see above... and one hot plate trivet for a 'host/hostess gift' this summer.

I can't believe that I live so close to this town and I've only been there a total of 2 times now in a year.

*For those who have never been to Nove, Italy... it is a town full of shops that makes hand-painted Italian plates, vases, bowls, etc.   Many of these factories have 'shop' areas where you can purchase (at a great discount) these same items and of course others that aren't exported anywhere.   A ceramic factory needs to make many extra items in case the glazes run or crack, etc.   So, after they fill their orders- many of them sell the 'extra items' in their shop areas.   Of course, some of these items might have 'small defects' but there is nothing wrong with most of the items.   Some of the smaller businesses of course aren't exporting their items anywhere and they are just selling their hand painted ceramics to the public.   Most people when they shop in NOVE are making large purchases... many bags or boxes are usually purchased.   That is why my tiny 8 stacked plates, 1 salad plate, and 2 hot plate/trivets was a very SMALL PURCHASE for almost anyone that has ever shopped in Nove.

It's too bad that both greens didn't go well together.... but, I can live with it.   Because, I've never been a 'real match-y match-y' type of person anyway.   After all, they will both go well with the white dishes- just not together.


On another note:  Last night, (Friday) I was so tired.  I went to bed by 10pm and I did not set my alarm.  When did I wake up?  5:08am.   Sigh.