Every devoted shopper knows: It’s not what you came for, it’s what you leave with that matters.
Which is why, when I spotted these little guys while aimlessly cruising the aisles at Crate and Barrel, I knew they were coming home with me. Heaped in a big, shiny pile, the deliciously simple, glazed white rectangles called to mind classic French porcelain kitchenware.
They were cool and weighty in the hand, offset with a tactile unglazed edge. But the thing that made it love at first sight was this: The rectangles, perfectly sized to cinch an ample linen square, are also perfect to write on. Armed with the pen of all pens, a Sharpie, or a china marker, you can turn these napkin rings into place cards. Or choose words that evoke the spirit of your dinner party. Draw, stencil, monogram, teach your kids a new word at breakfast … these napkin rings are a blank white page in miniature, just waiting for your input.
Need an eraser? A quick wash (handwashing is recommended, though ours fared just fine in the dishwasher) reset the rings to shiny white and ready for that next inspiration. Now if we can just find a cure for writer’s block.
Cost: $1.95, or $4.95 for set of four, crateandbarrel.com
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