Clean your plate! (and then hang it!)

If you're like most people, you lovingly got out your best china and for the one time each year allowed people to actually eat off of it. I'm not of that school. I like to celebrate the things I have, whether they be heirlooms or not, by using them in my everyday life. I feel like life's too short to use ugly plates. But, if that idea of everyday use causes you to break out in hives for fear that something might break, at least consider displaying them in a really great wall display. Plate hangers can be found at any big box store for mere dollars and by simply using newspaper cut out in the shapes of all the plates you want to incorporate, you can double stick tape the templates and move them around the wall until you're happy with the look. If you don't have a fabulous collection of plates, there is no shortage of them at thrift stores, online and even at the dollar store. They don't have to be fine china or even have beautiful patterns...they just need to complement one another in some way...or even just speak to you in a random style. As you'll see, dining rooms aren't the only place to incorporate a plate wall, so get outside that box and give it a whirl!