ROUNDUP: Napkin rings
By Christa TerryThere is but a single quatro of napkin rings in the whole of my house. They’re pewter, and I found them long ago while poking through The Beard’s things. I was mystified…why did The Beard have a set of fancy napkin rings embellished with a single engraved H? They were obviously old–the heavy cardboard box in which they were stored was too nice to be new.
All mysteries aside, I thought that lovely pewter napkin rings really ought to be in the general circulation, so I confiscated them and bought a mess of ecologically responsible cloth napkins.
Who’d have thought mannerly cleanliness could be so much fun? I like sending The Beard to work with a packed lunch complete with a pretty yellow napkin tucked into a napkin ring. He’s told me that his coworkers think it’s awesome, and there are few things I like more than impressing people from afar.
My favorite rings are the porcelain Lenox rings, but that may be because I already have a pewter set. Unfortunately, the rings I have will have to do for a bit…at least until I get some new napkins and start entertaining again. I’ve been too busy lately to even think about rolling a napkin into a napkin ring.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I’m really feeling those gold, scrolled ones top right. Mmmm…Baroque.
When Mr. Twistie and I were married, a friend gave us an awesome set of wooden napkin rings in the shapes of fishes and brightly painted. Purple, blue, red, green, orange…they’re this delicious cacophony of color. Alas! Right now they’re at the bottom of some box stuck either in the very back room upstairs or in a closet somewhere. I need to hunt my pretty napkin rings down.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:42 am
My luck has always been that I either have napkin rings (see wedding showers, 1977), or I have napkins, but I hardly ever have both available to me at the same time. On the other hand, the whole taking lunch with a lovely fabric napkin with a napkin ring tucked in is a terrific idea – really dresses up the tuna sandwich at the desk.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I have those gold scrollwork napkin rings! They were a wedding present, and were presented to me already holding gorgeous ruby-colored napkins.
I should try bringing cloth napkins in my lunch. I already impress my friends with my often-elaborate packed lunches (although admittedly, there are always mornings when all I can manage is PB&J and a banana).
Did you see the “Nancy Drew” movie that came out last summer? There is a fabulous scene in which Nancy has lunch in the high school cafeteria. She has a lunch box, thermos, place mat and cloth napkin that all match. The other high schoolers just stare.
April 29th, 2008 at 11:38 am
My mother’s wedding favors were hand-made glass napkin rings that my cousin created for her. They were lovely. I have two – mine and my boyfriend’s favors from the wedding – and I use them whenever I can.