Valerie is a 42-year-old, single, Reformed Christian lady who lives in Baltimore. She doesn't remember a time
before she knew and loved Jesus, but she does remember accepting John Calvin into her heart in March of 2000.
Valerie is a member of Christ Reformed Evangelical Church in Annapolis.
Though her career aspiration is to be a housewife, Valerie has not yet found anyone suitable who wishes to hire
her for employment in that field (or, more properly, anyone suitable has not found her), so in the meantime she
earns her daily bread working in communications -- editing, writing, print design and website management.
On October 19, 2007 10:07 AMAbrawrote... Really? I've dropped those babies before and they've been okay. I wonder if you just got it at the wrong angle. Hmmmm.
On October 19, 2007 2:17 PMpentamomwrote... Yep. Those things are pretty tough. I can think of two things that would make it shatter: dropping it on its edge onto a really hard floor (not vinyl, for example, like my floor, which makes most things make a minuscule bounce rather than splat) and dropping it before it's thoroughly cooled after being microwaved. No doubt the fast heating of the microwave does something to its molecular structure that makes it more brittle.
The weirdest thing ever was when I managed to break a melamine bowl by dropping it. You wouldn't think anything could break that stuff. That one had been recently microwaved.
On October 19, 2007 2:52 PMValerie (Kyriosity)wrote... And yet, I have managed to break three Corelle dishes in the past year or so...after owning them ~15 years without incident! And I've got several with chips in them, as well. Do you suppose this is just a sign that I should go buy myself new dishes? ;-)
On October 19, 2007 3:39 PMAnonymouswrote... Do you have a stone/ceramic tile floor? I have a ceramic tile, and usually what goes down doesn't come back up, or not in one piece, at least. Corelle included.
On October 19, 2007 3:43 PMValerie (Kyriosity)wrote... Nope...it's vinyl. And I smashed one on the living room floor once, too, and that's wood. I'm just extra-specially talented, I guess! ;-)
On October 19, 2007 6:44 PMThe BadgerMumwrote... I hate Corelle for that very reason. And it's what I asked for for my wedding, so I had plenty of it - but I sold it all and bought stoneware instead when I got tired of picking shards out of my children's feet three days after shattering a dish. And I think every single one I ever dropped shattered, and I always had either vinyl or linoleum floors.
On October 19, 2007 6:51 PMValerie (Kyriosity)wrote... I'm not particularly fond of stoneware because it weighs so much more and takes up so much more space. I've long had a hankering for plain white dishes. I have lots of tablecloths, and something simple and white would go best with everything. Of course I never eat at a table when I'm by myself, and I usually end up using paper plates with guests (cookware + dinnerware without a dishwasher is just too much for me), so I don't suppose it matters much at this juncture!
On October 19, 2007 8:10 PMpentamomwrote... Kelly would know this -- hasn't there been some recent question as to whether eating off of melamine might be harmful? Maybe I'm thinking of something else, though. I gradually replaced all my melamine with Corelle a while back anyway.
You know what you can't find anymore? Non-expensive, pretty, semi-formal looking, non-Corelle dishes. It's all either stoneware, which can be nice but just screams "casual," or Corelle, which is also nice-but-too-casual. Time was you could get "cheap china." I can't afford good china, and my Pfaltzgraff turned out to be a major disappointment (it's a wonder they can still sell that stuff, the way it scratches), but I haven't found anything affordable that I like.
On October 19, 2007 8:17 PMnonnobis1wrote... I remember seeing TV commercials for Corelle when it first came out (yes, I am that old). Bouncing plates, etc. I've toasted my share of Corelle too, smaller items falling on the kitchen floor. Ouch.
We haven't bought melamine in years because of the microwave. I didn't know there was an updated version of it (is there?)...have passed up many a cute dinnerware because (duh-duh-DUHH!!)...it's melamine.
Our wedding Pfaltzgraff (Yorktowne vintage 1982) is still intact, thank goodness. We use quite a lot of paper plates too...same reason (no DW).
On October 19, 2007 8:43 PMValerie (Kyriosity)wrote... Jane, I was just browsing at Target, and they seem to have quite a selection of porcelain dinnerware. Can't vouch for the quality, of course, but that might be a good place to start. Of course a lot of their items are available only online.
On October 19, 2007 9:05 PMThe BadgerMumwrote... Jane, I haven't heard - but then I wouldn't have paid attention if I'd run across anything since I've never had any.
On October 29, 2007 8:37 PMJanetwrote... Valerie, I just bought a set of white dishes (Villeroy & Bach!!) at Tuesday Morning. I love them so much and use them more than my original everyday dishes.
