Photo SpecialFirst Lady Perks!

PICKING OUT CHINA

One of the first lady's traditional responsibilities is picking out the state china – and it's a serious one. Hillary Clinton spent two years fine-tuning her design (bottom right). But a note to Michelle Obama: Don't go overboard. Nancy Reagan was blasted in the press for spending almost $1 million on the project. Mary Todd Lincoln was also excessive when she picked out two sets of china (top right) during a trip to New York. "Mary was a bit of a shop-oholic," says Robert P. Watson, author of The Presidents' Wives. "Lincoln had to cut her off and say, 'No more.'"