The first set of dishes I ever owned, I purchased on sale at the Hudson's Bay. They were white with turquoise/blue and green flowers and leaves around the edges. They were simple but pretty. They were also the last dishes I would choose for 37 years. DH chose our next set of dishes. They were Corelle; the unbreakable dishes with the orange and brown pattern and they certainly did their job when the kids were at home. My next set of dishes were my fancy, only to be used for company or special occasions. They are a blue pattern on white with a silver coloured rim. Woodward's grocery department sold them at a reduced price if you bought over a certain dollar's worth of groceries. I got the plates one month, the bowls another month, the cups a different month, etc, etc. Right about the time I could have gone out to buy a nice new set my father-in-law passed away and The M-I-L (they were separated at the time) gave us his new dishes. They were the exact same Corelle that DH had chosen years before. When DD#2 moved out she asked for and I gladly gave her most of the Corelle dishes. Safeway had a special similar to Woodard's. If you bought $50.00 worth of groceries you could buy a complete set of 20 dishes for some ridiculous price like $5.00. I couldn't resist the bargain and assumed one of the kids would take them when they left home but I got stuck with them and when DD#2 took the Corelle I got the bargain dishes out for our use. My mother gave me a cheque for $100.00 for my birthday and I got to pick out a set of new dishes with it. I absolutely love them. Thanks, Mom.