I am not an impulse buyer. I’m not a “shopper,” per se, which makes it even easier not to be an impulse buyer. You will only see me in a mall or clothing stores if I *have* to be, and it has to be a REALLY big need first. I promise that 75% of my clothes come from my mother-in-law as either Christmas or birthday gifts, and I love her for helping me out.

And then there are a few times when it becomes necessary to shop. I won’t shop for a new bra until the underwire of the second one (I do buy two bras at a time, by the way) not only snaps, but then eventually stabs me with the broken points. And just last week, I was required to wear pink to a Going-Away party for a very dear friend of mine. While in the shower (about one hour before the party’s showtime), I asked my husband to go through a small bag of hand-me-downs from a friend & see if there was anything pink. He found a hot pink striped shirt, and ta-da! My outfit was set!

But NONE of the above is true when it comes to dishes. Nope, then my resolve goes right out the window! I can’t pass up a neat bowl, a funky tray, a sweet saucer, or a beautiful plate. And that’s exactly how this gorgeous girl ended up in my cabinet:

I saw it, and I knew I needed it. I looked at my husband with the biggest puppy-dog eyes, and he was already saying, “Just get it, Honey.” I was all set to explain (and sometimes, you really *want* to explain, and they cut you off with niceness, darn husbands!), and I already had his approval. But you see, I already had THE PERFECT USE for it!

Remember when Haniela invited me to “Smell the Flowers” in her virtual project? Well, I could instantly see all the pretty pansy cookies on that plate, and in my mind, it was just PERFECT. For a refresher, here’s how it turned out:

And when I knew my pal SweetSugarbelle was going to make poppies, I only wished there was time to get the red plate to her for the photos, too! Even though the plate is a zinnia flower, I thought it would’ve been just too sweet as a backdrop for her spectacular poppies!

And that’s when it hit me: the red plate is too special to keep for myself! It’s picture-pretty, and it needs to be a STAR. In my own kitchen, I would only use the red plate every once in a while, but by sharing it with the world, I’m hoping it will be loved & cherished by others. It can bring joy to so many, knowing that a blogger thought especially of you & decided to send a little piece of their world your direction…

And that’s the idea! I’ve sent the red plate out into the world, and I want it to travel, to be a rockstar for your cookies, pastries, cupcakes, and whatever else you can dream up! If you can make a mean egg salad sandwich – hey, take a picture of that on the red plate! If the red plate evokes a memory of your gramma’s flower garden, tell me the story!

And when you’ve made your special treat, be sure to write a blog post about the red plate. (Or you can Tweet it, or even Instagram it. Just be sure to use “#theredplate” when you do!) And then pack the red plate up nice & safe and send it along to another friend so they can create a memory as well! Then come back here & I’ll link it up so we have a running story of the red plate & its travels. How sweet will that be?! 🙂

I’m SO excited to see & hear all the goodness that the red plate can bring to the blogosphere, and I’m ready to watch how many different friends it can bring to the table!