Weddingbee Blog

Ok, as I alluded to in a prior post, my china pattern has returned from the dead.

Orsay Powder Blue by Philippe Deshoulieres.

“But, how ever could a china pattern be so swiftly resurrected?” one might ask. The answer is, it’s fairly easy when the pattern was, apparently, never discontinued in the first place.

Flashback to April 28, 2006. On that day, my mom’s friend went to Bloomingdale’s, 59th Street, to purchase some china off my registry. An unidentified registry sales associate informed her that the pattern had been discontinued. Upon hearing this tragic news (trust me, it *was* bad news–it took us-for-freaking-ever to pick a pattern), my mother also contacted Bloomingdale’s, whereupon the discontinuance was confirmed. Reluctantly, my mom called me to break the news. I wasn’t looking forward to choosing another pattern, but I was definitely far more consolable than Mr. Daisy who highly dreaded another scorched earth china search mission.

Unwilling, to take Bloomingdale’s word for it, I contacted the china manufacturer, Philippe Deshoulieres. In my very poor French, I asked them if this were true. When I didn’t receive any answer, my mom–being ridiculously helpful–went to Bloomingdale’s and switched our registry over to Bernardaud’s ElysÆ’©e, which we had previously seen and quite liked:

The fact that the cost of an ElysÆ’©e place-setting is roughly 2x the cost of an Orsay setting stuck in my craw, but only for a bit. I came to love my ElysÆ’©e even more than the Orsay that came before. But then, I received the following email in my inbox:

From: [Bloomingdale's Registry Guy]
To: Miss Daisy
CC: [Philippe Deshoulieres Lady]
Date: Friday - June 9, 2006 2:41 PM
Subject: Fw:
RequÆ’ªte envoyÆ’©e depuis le site internet Philippe DESHOULIERES

Dear Ms. Daisy,
I’m not sure why you were told that Philippe Deshoulieres “Orsay Powder Blue” is no longer made. It’s our best selling china pattern from Philippe Deshoulieres. It is still manufactured, we still carry it, and we would be happy to register you for that pattern.
Most sincerely,
[Bloomingdale's Registry Guy]

Below his email was my original email, which had been forwarded to him by the Philippe Deshoulieres’ national sales manager. She had written the following note:

Hello,
Sorry for not sending this email to both of you sooner but I am still cleaning up from my maternity leave. I will translate and summarize this email from a Bloomingdales bride: She emailed the factory to find out if the factory was still making Orsay Powder blue, the pattern she is registered for because she had been told by the store that the factory had stopped the production of this pattern.
Best regards,
[Philippe Deshoulieres lady]

So, now, what do I do??? Do I stick with the pricier ElysÆ’©e, or do I take back my poor, beleaguered Orsay? (wasn’t Helen Hunt faced with a similar choice in that movie Cast Away?)
I need guidance*!
~~~

* And, as Mr. Daisy knows by now, despite my own request for such guidance, I reserve the right to ignore any and all guidance with a “Whatever! I do what I want!” It’s kind of my life motto, modeled after the great Eric Cartman.