Color Me Claret

In March the good people at Homer Laughlin announced the new fiestaware color is claret (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2016/03/new-fiestaware-color-claret.html).  It looked like a pretty color when I first saw it, but as I compared it other colors I thought it would look a lot like the retired color, cinnabar.  In fact when my special box of pre-ordered happiness arrived on my doorstep Friday, I peeled the tape off cautiously.  I had ordered my favorite piece, the mini disk pitcher, and a square bowl.  The claret did look to my eye like the cinnabar redone, but when I put the mini disk side by side with the cinnabar and the heather colors I was surprised.  The claret actually is a color right between these 2 older colors.  I don't know that this hue will ever replace my favorite color, chartreuse, but it is a nice rich color.  I am liking it.  What do you think?

Left to Right:  Cinnabar, Claret, and Heather Mini Disk Pitchers

Fiestaware Goes Back to Their Roots

I woke up this morning with no idea the good people at Homer Laughlin were going to rock my world today.  First the good news, they introduced a new color today, Poppy.  It is a very sassy red that looks very similar to the vintage fiestaware red from the 1930s.  You know the red that had the distinction of being just a little radioactive.  The color got pulled because of that added ingredient (good decision).  I guess the company decided it was high time to bring back the color sans radioactivity.  A very vibrant color it is, I am sure a nice selection will come to live with the rest of my collection. 

The Announcement

After getting over the excitement of a new color I read a little further on the announcement and was shocked to hear they will be discontinuing my favorite color, flamingo.  I know you think I wailed and gnashed my teeth, but I did not.  I decided I just need to make sure to stock up on the flamingo fiestaware pieces, I want.  This, of course, means I will need to take a trip to Cornucopia, the local purveyor of brightly colored dishes,  and do some shopping.  That thought made me happy, very happy.

Gusto Bowl in Flamingo and Vintage Red Disk Pitcher

My Obsession

Things to do when you up early on a Saturday and don't want to balance your checkbook:  BUY FIESTAWARE!

Well, really it is the good people at Homer Laughlin allowing me to pre-order Fiestaware in the new Lapis color. Can't wait for it to arrive next month so it can join the Tempesttea home for colorful dishes.  Makes me want to spend the month stalking the mail carrier.  Obsession may not always be pretty, but in my case at least it is colorful.

Have I Mentioned I Like Fiestaware?

No wedding this weekend, I have the joy of working instead of celebrating with people I love.  Don't despair dear reader, next week I go to my final wedding of the season and I will report with joy for the newlyweds.  In the meantime I will gush lovingly about my latest Fiestaware acquirement.

I have been working on getting a complete set of Fiestaware mixing bowls, five in total.  The problem with getting the set has been I wanted each one in an individual specific color.  Homer Laughlin decided to retail these in blocked sets.  Initially it looked like I was going to have to purchase either one color set or buy multiple sets to create the set I wanted.   The later being a very costly endeavor.  So I was a little sulky about the whole thing.

My sulk actually gave me time to accept that I am powerless to powers of brightly colored dinnerware and  with my credit card in hand found myself at the local place where Fiestaware lives, Cornucopia ( http://www.kitchencopia.com/ ).  As I stepped into the liar of Fiesta I was happily surprised to see that they actually had individual bowls for purchase!  If there had not been so many breakable things around me, I would have danced for joy.   Three of the five bowls went home to live with the rest of Fiestaware family.

Three down, two more to go.  Getting the last two was trickier, they also were a two piece set.  Utilizing patience, resolve, and much time spent on the internet at last victory was mine.  The set was complete in all the colors I wanted: Evergreen, Shamrock, Lemongrass, Marigold, and Ivory.  Once I had all my bowls, like a possessed thing I stacked and restacked them, lined them up on my table, rubbed them down with a towel, and general stared at the glory of my new set of mixing bowls.  I swear I heard angels singing at one point.

I told Natalie about my quest realized.  She snorted and said, "So when are you actually going to use those to cook with?"  I think my face fell at the thought of actually using a hand mixer in my new bowls.  Natalie just looked at me and laughed.  "That's what I thought," she said shaking her head and walking away.  

Oh well, did I mention Homer Laughlin has put out a new 75th Anniversary soup tureen?  It is stunning with a ladle and a tray.  Sigh, I know where my next quest will take me and trust me it isn't making soup.