Laura leaves Michelle a housewarming gift (new China.)

[Clio the Leo]

Not to worry, paid for by private donors.







I love that painting of Edith Roosevelt in the background btw.

While I have no problem with Mrs. Bush buying new china with private money, that's a good thing, (and better the Bush's than the Obamas) the need to have a press conference over it is a bit odd.

There's apparently another set I can't find shots of. But a really pretty floral pattern. I like it anyway (and let's face it, that's really all that matters.)

And, here's a random shot of her recently departed cat India. Funny, but not worthy of its own thread. Poor India, you just DONT dress up a cat ... I dont care if it is Halloween.

[firedupdem]

1. That was very nice of Laura. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

2. Dishes probably have lead in 'em!

[Clio the Leo]

4. Well, it does bring out the flavor of the food. NT

[tabatha]

5. what i thought

[Sannum]

3. India is not amused.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. Not in the LEAST. Poor kitty. It did make me laugh though.

Terrible, I know, but........... :rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

17. Must have been really old or drugged to put up with that silly crap.

Finding out they have a cat is kind of like his mother FINALLY saying she was "pro-Choice" when it didn't matter a damn.

[Clio the Leo]

23. Isn't that crazy?

Who knew they had a cat all this time? I feel like I've been lied to ..... again! lol

[Captain Hilts]

30. It's like how folks here in DC can't get over Cheney lying about his dog's health...

It was in the paper that he accompanied his dog to Friendship Animal Hospital - where my Little Skeezix goes - "for his regular check-up."

A week later, his dog dies. I mean, couldn't the guy say "Dave isn't himself," or "Dave's not eating as he should," or something like that?

I was talking to the folks at Friendship yesterday and explained to them that the way it was all reported it looked as though Dave was "fine" until he went to FHA. They hadn't thought of it like that.

But, gee whiz, the guy lied about his dog's health!!!

Don't ask him the weather before you go boating.

[Barack_America]

64. It also doesn't look like a very Christian costume.

A wizard? A pagan cat in the White House? Oh the scandal!

[Thrill]

7. Wash them

[Clio the Leo]

9. Well, I dont think Mr. "Cheeney" will be eating off of them...

.... at least I hope not.

[ellacott]

8. That was nice(I guess) but I would rather buy my own China

I probably WOULD still choose my own pattern.

[my2sense]

11. Yeah - it seems odd to pick out China for the incoming First Lady

[Clio the Leo]

13. But would you rather have the press reporting.....

... "The Bushes buy new china while the economy is in the tank" ...or "The Obamas buy new china while the economy is in the tank." See my point?

And to be practical about it, there was only one set large enough to use at the State Dinner and it was the Clinton set, now 8 years old and no doubt in need or replacement. (WHY do I know this stuff???!!!) .... so new China was going to be purchased either way.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

38. you mean that much of it was chipped or scratched???

Jeebus.

I don't know much about china, but shouldn't porcelain be more durable than that????

Porcelain is hard to break unless you lob it forcefully from several feet.

[Clio the Leo]

46. And based on your story below....

.... sounds like you may know this from personal experience. lol

All I know is, Laura gave a tour of the house to CSPAN and when they were in the China room she pointed out that they only had one full set they could use and even in was in need of a lot of replacements.

Unless of course that was ALL a grand conspiracy to set us up for this very moment! ha ha

[YDogg]

10. George leaves Barack a housewarming gift (new China.)

India is not amused.

[Clio the Leo]

16. Turkey .... we gotta work Turkey and Greece in there somewhere. NT

[dixiegrrrrl]

48. Greasy Turkey is easier than working in Afghanistan.

But I will never underestimate the genius of DUers.

[rug]

12. Why would private donors pay for it?

[Clio the Leo]

22. You want US to pay for it? lol

The china cost approx. $500,000 btw.

When Jackie was First Lady .... the house was filled with a hodge podge of furniture that was more recent than historic. So she established a commission that helped restore the house and get the old furniture back. The commission had to be funded by private donors. This gave her a LOT more flexability than she would have otherwise when it came to aquiring furniture that had once been in the White House. (In the past, first families could take stuff with them when they left and Mary Lincoln pretty much gutted the place.) So through this commission, again, founded by private donors, Mrs. Kennedy returned the White House to the national showplace it is today. She made it something we can all be proud of.

And you thought they just named that rose garden after her because she was pretty? ;)

Anyway, now first families cannot remove from the White House items given to them as a gift while in office or with money purchased by the government or by this commission. And so John John's crib still sits there in storage, waiting for a first lady in need of a 40 year old baby bed.

Long story short, it's a GOOD thing.

[Captain Hilts]

14. Edith Roosevelt was a real hardass. TR feared her.

And it was her starchy take on life in the White House that made Eleanor want to bolt, run and change her name to 'Smith' when FDR got elected.

I think it's a nice gesture, but I'd kinda like to select my own.

[Hutzpa]

15. I'm not superstitious but....

a black cat dressed like that signifies BAD LUCK, unless I'm mistaken.

Don't like that last pic one bit....eeeewwwwwww

[Clio the Leo]

24. ha ha, that's because you've probably never had a black cat....

.... black cats are GOOD luck, as their owners will tell you. ;)

Now, DRESSING the cat like that is probably bad luck for whomever has to try and get the cat undressed. I wouldn't do it without protective gloves.

[WolverineDG]

55. Yes, black cats are good luck nt

[rateyes]

18. And, in return, I would like to give Laura and George a farewell gift:

Hey, I made it myself. :evilgrin:

[pipi_k]

47. Looks more like something

Dubya would have left in the punchbowl


And been damned proud of it, too...

[Raven]

19. That's what we need in this country today...dishes, fucking gold

rimmed dishes. We have people eating out of trash cans and this brain dead ditz gets dishes...not just dishes, china. What the hell happened to the dishes they had? Did George break them all? I cannot be rid of this plague of a family soon enough!

[Clio the Leo]

27. See there, that's my point....

.... better Laura buying them than Michelle.

And trust me, either way, they would have been acquired.

[Mz Pip]

20. It was the least she could do

after they told the Obamas the Blair House was booked.

[merh]

21. It would have been a much kinder gesture if she had let

the Obama's move into Blair House over this past weekend.

It also would have saved the taxpayers a bunch of money.

[Clio the Leo]

28. I'm all for the Obamas staying WHEREVER they want to but....

.... taxpayers didn't pay for the china and they're not paying for the Obamas to stay in the hotel.

If you want to get technical, I would imagine that IF the Obamas were staying at Blair house the public WOULD have been paying for it. Which, again, would have been fine with me.

[merh]

36. Go look - the taxpayers are paying for the extra security that is

required to protect them at the hotel.

The Blair House is considered a secure location and wouldn't have required the extra security.

[elleng]

25. dupe

.

[elleng]

26. In movie ? American President,

he called it the 'Dish Room???'

[polichick]

29. Strange timing for such a purchase.

[Captain Hilts]

31. When it's time, it's time. nt

[Clio the Leo]

32. Oh it's NEVER a bad time to buy more dishes....

..... and the fact that I'm a former department store china saleswoman and a woman in general has NOTHING to do with that statement! :)

I could go buy more right now!

AND some flatware!

and some chargers!

[monmouth]

44. And some lovely Waterford crystal, you can never have enough!

[Clio the Leo]

45. Nope....

..... Wateford is Irish. That wont do.

Has to be more Lenox I guess.

[Danascot]

49. Waterford Wedgewood just went under

maybe once they knew Laura was buying their product, they knew the end had arrived.

[Clio the Leo]

50. That's what I heard. Sad. NT

[monmouth]

58. I know they went under, am imagining the prices are really good right now...n/t

[Lifetimedem]

33. The Press coverage was for publicity

For Lenox China that I believed contributed to the China

[Clio the Leo]

42. ok now THAT makes sense....

.... I knew there had to be a reason.

[AtomicKitten]

34. Better new china than an upper decker.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Upper+Decker

[Vinca]

35. I'm sure she only bought them for the sake of history.

They'll be known as the George W. Bush service. Honest.

[jberryhill]

37. The Obamas should buy the Bushes a set of these:

[EraOfResponsibility]

56. The commercial for that is the funniest thing I've seen on tv n/t

[jberryhill]

61. Then you need to see the one for the Joe Biden commemorative plate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXXlQDn5dac

[Manifestor_of_Light]

39. But but but....ya can't stick it in the microwave.

I found this out the hard way....

Once upon a time I put my grandmother's Theodore Haviland china (from Limoges, France) in the microwave.

It flashed and sparked like Star Wars.

The gold rim was ionizing in the microwave. And it left gray spots where it ionized.



I learned my lesson.

[Clio the Leo]

40. oh my....

.... reading your post just made my eyes bleed! ahhhhh!!!!!

I hope it's a lesson you will NEVER forget!

[1620rock]

41. She must have thought they were going to do a third term.

[valerief]

43. Looks like China won and India lost. nt

[Raine1967]

53. Too Funny!!! eom.

[NV Whino]

51. Wow all that gold

Gotta hand wash it and you can't microwave on it. Fail, Laura, fail.

[Clio the Leo]

52. ha ha...

.... suddenly you've given me this mental picture of the White House kitchen with all of these little microwaves in it.

Serving up the Lean Cuisines to the Prime Minister of Sweden.

[onenote]

54. sure, the white house is sticking its good china in microwaves all the time.

Fail.

[rvablue]

57. ABC News just said the china cost $250,000....and yes, NEVER dress up a cat

whoever put that costume on India has some scars on their arms.

[ellie]

59. Poor nice kitty.

[fed_up_mother]

60. Reagans and Clintons bought new china

Of the last several presidents, only two-term presidents have ordered new china since it takes years to design and then make.

http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/furnishings/china.htm

[Veruca Salt]

62. I LOVE the design on J.Q.Adams china!

Really interesting site, thanks for linking!

[Jennicut]

63. I got some china from my wedding 7 years ago that I never use, maybe I can donate it!

And poor India. Such a cute kitty, but cats hate dressing up. I used to try to dress up my cat Pierre when I was a kid. He was not amused.

[janx]

65. YOU MUST CHECK THIS OUT!

As I posted in another thread, I want it!



A serving platter from the flamboyant Hayes china, made in France by Haviland & Co., 1880.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour/china-samples.html


(Martha Stewart I'm not. I'd love to have a set of these with some simple silverware and crystal glasses. Can you imagine what the table would look like?) :rofl:

[OwnedByFerrets]

66. I, being a mean bastard, would sell it at auction and give the money

to the nearest food bank.

[Captain Lance Bass]

67. Mrs Pickles might have bad choice in men but great with China nt

[janx]

68. kick

because I want people to see the Hayes turkey china!

[CK_John]

69. Private money. . . probably built in transponders, look at grid pattern. n/t

[WinkyDink]

70. I'd have preferred Michelle to have chosen her OWN set.

[janx]

71. She will. It's tradition. n/t