Archive for March 27th, 2009

I first met Magnolia a few weeks after my husband and I started dating. I had no idea at the time what an unusual weekend that would be. My husband has four siblings and lots of nieces and nephews, all of which descended on us over the course of the weekend. Apparently my sweet darling hadn’t brought a girl home in a long time and everyone wanted to check me out. But that’s not really the point of this post…

The first night I met Magnolia, she asked me what my silver pattern was. Being from Michigan and growing up with parents who didn’t really care about those things, I was understandably confused by this question. Now, you’d have to know Magnolia to understand why my silver pattern is something she needs to know the first day she meets me. But she did. The only thing I could think of was Oneida. Yes, I know what you’re thinking…bless my heart. I actually told Magnolia that my silver pattern was Oneida. Being the Belle that she is, she did a great job of covering up her horror. Can you imagine? Her precious son finally brings home a girl to meet them, obviously adores her (I’m adding that in myself), and not only is she a YANKEE but her silver pattern is Oneida! Which really isn’t a silver pattern anyway but it was the only thing that came to my mind. Because of my vast ignorance of silver patterns, I wasn’t really that bothered by the whole exchange but looking back now, I’m sure Magnolia was shocked.

I woke up the next morning, opened the guest room door, and found a darling little book outside my door. There was a section conveniently bookmarked for me. I opened it up to find a whole chapter on what your silver pattern says about you. Oh, word. That was the beginning of my being a Belle In Training. It was quickly becoming apparent that this was no ordinary woman. This was a Belle and a force to be reckoned with.

After attending church and hearing a wonderful sermon from my future father-in-law (I’ll be getting to him soon… THE most amazing man I’ve ever known), we came home to a beautiful Sunday dinner. I noticed that Magnolia had very pretty silver with scallops down the sides and most of it was engraved with the letter “B”. During the dinner, the subject of my silver pattern came up again. I quickly picked up one of my many forks and said “What is this pattern?” Magnolia informed me that it was Strasbourg and from that moment forward, my silver pattern was Strasbourg. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind that someone would eventually be getting all that lovely, engraved silver and I decided it might as well be me. And my husband, of course. Plus I really did like it.

I now have 8 place settings of Strasbourg, all courtesy of my in-laws. We received a place setting for birthdays, Christmases and our anniversary until we had a proper set. I don’t use it as often as I should but each piece means a lot to me. And the best news… my silver pattern is no longer Oneida.

Here are some excerpts from The Southern Belle Primer, the book Magnolia left outside my door.

The Twelve Patterns of the Southern Silver Zodiac

1. Francis I Reed and Barton   The Belle who chooses Francis I is a girl who wants it all. There are twenty-eight pieces of fruit just on the knife handle. It’s showy and opulent and so is she. A Francis I girl is likely to want a husband, children, a place on the board of the Junior League, and a full-time career. There is no end to what she can buy in the Francis I pattern. It comes with pickle forks, tomato forks, shrimp forks, lobster forks, grapefruit spoons, dessert spoons, ice cream spoons, even half olive spoons. Francis I girls are always compatible with mothers-in-law who have Grand Baroque or Burgundy. Their styles are similar.

2. Grand Baroque  Wallace International    This is Francis I with roses instead of fruit. Grand Baroque girls also have a sense of the dramatic. But they often also have a literary bent. That’s why you can buy a sterling silver bookmark in the Grand Baroque pattern. Grand Baroque girls often date boys whose families have the Acorn pattern. But they don’t marry them. It’s just a youthful rebellion.

3. Burgundy  Reed and Barton   This is Francis I without the fruit. Burgundy girls tend to be somewhat shy. They have dreams of being splashy, but they just can’t let go. Louisiana girls love Burgundy. It shows up on a lot of tables during Mardi Gras. They do well with friends who have Buttercup. They are not made to feel too competitive.

4. Rose Point  Wallace International   Old-fashioned girls pick this pattern. It’s very popular with girls named Rose. Sentimental mothers who have chosen patterns like Old Master and Eloquence sometimes name their daughters Rose just so they can have a legacy all their own.

5.  Buttercup  Gorham   Belles who choose Buttercup are always cheerful. They even choose the pattern because it’s so uplifting. Buttercup girls have friends with every kind of pattern. They are usually followers rather than leaders, but they are just so upbeat it really doesn’t matter.

6. Chantilly  Gorham  Belles with Chantilly tend to be a bit prissy. They do best with men whose mothers also have Chantilly.  Never put a Chantilly girl with a man whose mother has Francis I or Grand Baroque. They will always be upstaged. Don’t let all that sweetness fool you. Chantilly girls were often fast in high school.

7.  Strasbourg  Gorham  Strasbourg girls are traditionalists and just a bit formal. As good Southern girls, they are entranced with anything that’s festive and use their good silver almost all the time. Southern men love girls who pick Strasbourg because when Strasbourg girls bring out the good silver, they also bring out the good food. They don’t mix well with boys whose mothers have Buttercup. They will both always fight for control.

8.  Acorn  Georg Jensen   Beware of the Acorn girl. This pattern is lovely but foreign (it comes from Denmark). Girls who pick Acorn are rebellious. They march in parades and sometimes have been known to go to colleges in the East and drink beer straight from the can.

9. Old Master  Towle  Old Master girls have spirit but don’t drift too far from tradition. Because of this they are fiercely attached to their family heirlooms. One Texas Belle got thirty place settings of her groom’s grandmother’s Old Master as a wedding gift. When she got a divorce, she took her husband to court over the Old Master and let him keep the Cadillac without a whimper.

10. Eloquence  Lunt  Eloquence girls like nice things. They expect their husbands to provide. They are extremely loyal whether it’s a boyfriend, a best friend, or a pet. Because of this they get along well with more flighty girls who have Francis I or Grand Baroque.

11. Chrysanthemum  Tiffany  These girls have been known to turn up their noses at Francis I girls. They are just as flamboyant and just as demanding. They also usually have a lot more money to spend. Their husbands have to be good providers because they also insist on Tiffany crystal and Tiffany china. This is a relatively new pattern compared to some of the others. Girls with Chrysanthemum sometimes go really wild and live in avant-garde homes. But don’t worry, they still cut the crusts off their tea sandwiches and their daughters always get good recommendations to Kappa, Theta and Pi Phi.

12. Repousse  Kirk  Repousse is one of the oldest silver patterns. These girls often have mothers and grandmothers who also have this pattern. One Charleston woman explains every woman in her family for three generations chose this pattern. Then her son married a woman who didn’t even have a silver pattern. (uh oh) The mother-in-law insisted she pick something out and had relatives fill in the place settings. When the new bride completely bypassed Repousse by calling it “too fussy”, the mother-in-law knew the marriage wouldn’t last. And it didn’t.

So there you have it. Obviously I didn’t make the same mistake of the Repousee girl and I am glad to say that I have been married 10 years… one big happy family…me, my husband, Magnolia and my Strasbourg silver.