Finding the right flatware

You know you're an adult when you throw a dinner party, and all of your flatware matches (and is nice). B and I have thrown a few dinner parties, but adulthood continues to elude us, as our flatware is a Frankenstein collection of his, mine, and ours, and we don't have more than 6 sets of any kind.

I lost some flatware (and all of the lids to my pots) because I moved so much after college, and living with a roommate who hoarded my dishes, glasses, and flatware in her room contributed to the attrition rate. Throughout my nearly two-year stint with her, our flatware tray was frequently out of forks, spoons, and knives. The situation got so bad that we had to buy forks to keep in my room so we'd be able to eat our dinner. We'll never run out of forks again, that's for sure, because now we have about 20.

If you're wondering why I continued to live with the roommate for two years--well, heat was included, the rent was cheap, I had a parking space, and if you could look past the arrests that took place next door, the location was excellent. But I digress--back to flatware.

We've been looking to replace our Frankenstein flatware with a set with the right chromium and nickel percentages (18/10, s'il vous plait) but haven't had any success. There was the Laguiole set that we liked, but it couldn't go in the dishwasher (unacceptable). The search continued for fun and unique but not too flourishy flatware--and I think I found it.

The set is by Vera Wang and is called Equestrian. It is unique and fun (I love the little belt buckles on each piece) and is a little edgy (see the angles at the bottom of the pieces). And the stitching would complement the edging on our china nicely.

I haven't purchased any--we should probably find the set in a store and make sure that we like the weight and the way that each piece feels in our hands--but I'm thrilled that I've finally found a set that we both like (B gave his approval) and that fits all of our requirements.