I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, but I really don’t think that 15-year-old me would recognize 32-year-old me at all.

I hear people talk about loving to decorate and accessorize since they were toddlers. But I didn’t. I didn’t decorate anything. Ever. Not one single poster on my bedroom wall. Until I got my own house.

And I tended toward simple, minimalist jewelry–usually a sterling silver ring or necklace that I’d wear for months and months without taking it off.

And now look at me.

I genuinely love rearranging rooms and accessorizing myself with fun, funky, bright pieces (although, my everyday look tends to be very simple with a pair of sparkly studs and my M is for Mama necklace as my constant companions).

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(Kind of cruel to look at this picture considering that I’m on an eating cleanse at the moment, but if you’re not, well, then try that million dollar pound cake recipe. It’s delish!)

I especially think that if you’d have told 15-year-old Abbie that she would one day love cake plates that she would have been like, “WHY?” right before she ran off to play a really sweaty round of racquetball.

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Nowadays, though, I think a cute cake plate might be the number one “frivolous” serving piece that would immediately pop to mind if someone asked me my kitchen “essentials.” (Not that anyone did or anything; the beauty of writing your own blog is the ability to hose the world down with the contents of your brain–ew!– whether they asked for your thoughts or not).

I mean, it’s no spatula (boring) or salad bowl (useful and potentially not boring at all), but somewhere along the way, I’ve amassed a small collection of fun plates that I use for everything from house decor to photo props to parties and baby showers to a way to make an everyday treat for the kids feels a little more fancy.

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My favorite, by far, is this PiP Studio Home 12-Inch Diameter, Khaki Cake Tray (the one in the above pics) that Shaun gave me for Mother’s Day a few years ago. The pattern is just gorgeous, and it makes everything feel more festive.

But most of my others are either from Goodwill or Marshall’s and cost less than $15.

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So, on the off-chance that I’m preaching to a fellow cake plate loving choir, or I’ve managed to convince you of your need for one, I’ve rounded up a group of cute, affordable options for your viewing pleasure.

cake plate collage
1. Loire Glass Square Cake Stand – Blue 2. Antique Gold Beaded Small Cake Stand 3.  Erin Pedestal Stand 4. Winco CKS-13 Stainless Steel Round Cake Stand, 13-Inch 5. Traditional Style Decorative Cake Stand by Benzara 6. Fusionbrands Serve It Up Plate Stand, Large

Numbers 1 and 5 are my faves and miiiiiight just meander their way into my collection one day.

Pssst: these would make great Mother’s Day gifts (only two more weeks!)

Any fellow cake plate lovers out there?

Would your 15-year-old self recognize you? Honestly, although it has nothing to do with my preference for cake plates, I am very grateful that I’m different than my teenaged self. By the grace of God (mostly through the growing process of mothering six small humans), I am a very different person. I hope, when I’m old, that I can look back on my 32-year-old self and say that I no longer recognize her either.

Disclosure: most of these are Amazon affiliate links, which means that I receive a small percentage of any purchases at no extra cost to you!

6 Comments

  1. I like cake plates but definitely need more. I need some with color! Three (or two) tier plate stands are my true addiction. I have… a lot. I don’t know how many, and I don’t want to count them . : ) I use them all the time, for special events AND for everyday. They were a life saver when we had a too-small table. I’m cheap so none of them cost much, …and that’s why I’m still waiting to add to my cake plate collection. What’s wrong with people that they aren’t donating their pretty stuff to the second hand stores?!?!? I’m waiting!

  2. The 15 year old me would definitely not recognize me. As a whole person, I wouldn’t recognize myself or how God through His grace and love have brought me HERE to this place… On the whole lover of decorating, I didn’t even start liking writing until I hit my 3rd year in college – meaning I was 22-ish. I wouldn’t recognize my 15 year old self either… <3 Thank God – He never gives up on me. He never stops working in my life.

I love hearing from you guys!