Can't seem to get those photos showing the Sophie Conran "wonkiness" to translate. Anyway, they're not perfectly round. And I wish they were. :-(

I'm not having visual problems, am I? These are wonky ... aren't they? Starting to second-guess myself now! ;-)

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

LOVE the simpler look and feel of so many china/pottery patterns -- instead of the ones that I have too! :(

Have you checked out Denby pottery? There may be some very classic shapes there .... in the softer sage colors ...

Yes they are wonky and I wouldn't buy them. I had a beautiful set with wonky bowls that I loved because they were different. Took me about a month before the being different part began to drive me nuts! Plus the whole set chipped like mad. It's one thing if you are inclined to have multiple sets and want an interesting bowl for entertaining on occasion but I would not do it again for an everyday set.

Are you looking specifically for a set? I swear by the Pearl dinnerware I bought at JCP - can't be beat for the price and they are wearing like iron 3+ years in. I use the coffee cups all the time to bake individual desserts like apple crisp but rarely use them for coffee unless we have a crowd. They do come in green although not that soft, soft green you show. Check out the link to their sets - and there are more choices if you don't want sets.

oh, and btw - does not surprise me at all that you are 'over' your fiesta party! Your taste has been transitioning - still involves color and pattern (thank G-D!!) but you are now drawn to softer looks.

Here is a link that might be useful: JCP Dish Sets

yep, wonky they are. I love your kitchen and am coveting your breadbox!

How about incorporating a soft neutral new set with vintage? The vintage would be so fun to scout out and collect.

AuntJen - it's looking so fabulous! Truly a magazine should come knocking on your door. Let us know when they do!

Just noticed they have totally changed the pieces that come with that Pearl set. No longer cups and saucers but mugs - and there are 3 different bowls in varying sizes and shapes - wish i had that!!! I like those bowls much more than mine which are shallow and rimmed - fine for salad but I had to buy non matching soup bowls.

I have the set in white, which is porcelain and I hand wash a great deal, too since it's just the 2 of us. As I said it wears like iron. The colors in that set are stoneware and will never hold up like porcelain, unfortunately.

Thanks so much for the kind words!

Teacats - I love Denby! It holds a special place in my heart, as that is what our English friend (recently passed away) had, and she served our meals and tea on it when I made my very first visit to England, and stayed in her little thatched cottage. I've been looking at their pieces online and do like what I see ... I just wish they were priced a bit lower.

dlm2000 - I'm glad you confirmed my suspicions about the wonkiness being a deal breaker. I would be so all over that Sophie Conran set, had they been made in a normal shape. (Why did they do that, anyway?) I love those Pearl dishes from JCP. I'm not 100% sold on all white though - I think I'd prefer a cream or ivory, which is why I kinda keep going back to the Fiestaware (yeah, old habits die hard) - but in all ivory.

deedee99 - That photo makes my heart go pitter-patter! That little dotty pitcher ... swoon! If I did opt for the ivory Fiestaware, I could easily do as you suggest and mix/match vintage pieces. Or Cath Kidston - or 222 Fifth Avenue, which are precious (but I fear a full set of them, as I may grow tired of them too!) -

TheFoxesPad (love the new name!) - Thank you so very much! You're too kind. It's very humble and imperfect, but I am really feelin' the colors and decor so much more than before.

dlm2000 ... I'm a dish-buying dummy, but is porcelain stronger than stoneware?

Creamy yellow. We have the same color scheme...I've put up all my depression glass, and I'm bringing in more yellow, light yellow. Yellow blends right in with the colors you have.

After I posted I spied all the pretty vintage dishes on the wall and sideboard. You're done! Shop from your kitchen!

Love that square blue floral salad plate you posted above.

LOL @ deedee99! But you see, if I shop from my kitchen, I'll have to buy more things to display on the wall and sideboard! ;-D

Oakley, I can envision a creamy yellow plate - I'm sure I've seen just the thing at some point. Your kitchen sounds so pretty, and I'd love to see pics of your depression glass displayed! It's those "creamy" colors that get to me. I just love 'em!

What about starting to collect jadeite glass dishes? Those are so pretty and vintage which fits with your aesthetic.

I did have to smile a little at your original post because I just gave away my huge set of Johnson Brothers Heritage White that I've been using for the past umpty-ump years because I was tired of white and wanted dishes with more color.

Fun2BHere, I love jadeite. I'm going to peruse eBay and Etsy to see what's currently available.

I also see that I can get service for 8 of the Fiestaware ivory for $245, including tax and free delivery, from Kohl's. I am so tempted. Should I just go for it?
:-)

Here's the FW ivory. It's got that yummy, creamy quality to it too!

Amazon has the fiestaware sets (the 4 pc ivory ) for 28.45. That should work out to less than the Kohl's price (although if you google around, there's always a Kohl's coupon so I don't know if your price factored that in or not). I've ordered lots of fiesta online -- some from amazon and some from a place called Mega China. Been pleased with both vendors.

A few years ago, I traded in my cobalt fiesta for white because the cobalt was just too much of a statement. I still loved the lines and the durability of Fiesta, but like you, I just wanted less color. I love the white dishes (though at maybe 5-6 years old, they are show silverware marks -- I really need to polish them with Barkeepers Friend soon!) The nice thing is that they do mix and match with other sets very well -- you could easily mix in some vintage pieces. One thing though - the ivory might be harder to match with other sets/vintage pieces than white. Any reason why you wouldn't just go for white?

While Ivory is nice, I think you'll get bored with it. What about the light blue that's in the pictures above?

I have some Jadite, but I never display it for some reason.

I boxed up all the depression glass except the Watt Pottery and other little pieces. It got too junky. lol

Jen has The Vintage Buuug. :) Honestly? I think you'll stay with it because of the colors. Happy colors are Vintage, IMO.

And you will never run out of ideas on little vignettes and stuff. That's the fun of decorating vintage!

Well, I just did it. I ordered 8 sets from Kohl's. The large Fiestaware bowls that I ordered from Amazon arrived literally thrown into a box that was much too large, with minimal packing material, and one was shattered - so I decided not to trust Amazon to deliver 8 sets of the stuff to me unscathed. ('Course, Kohl's could be just as bad - but I can always just drive to the store and exchange anything that arrives damaged.) I guess I'm just more drawn to the hue of the ivory than white. There's something about it that reminds me of vintage ironstone. I've got both ivory and white throughout my kitchen though, and I like the way it mixes together. Oakley, Fiestaware doesn't come in the lighter shades that I'm most drawn to - at least not currently. There are some wonderful colors, such as the Sea Mist above - oh, and a Rose that's to die for - but those pieces are discontinued and it would be a process to amass all of the pieces that I want. I want instant gratification. ;-D The vivid Fiestaware colors that are out now would have appealed to me very much during my "I want everything to remind me of Mexico" phase though!

I think I've always had the Vintage Bug. It may have gone dormant a time or two, but I've always been drawn to it in one form or another.

Thanks for helping me reach this "crucial" decision. (ha!) Now I've got to get my bright colored dishes photographed and boxed up, ready to sell. I realize I'll not get much for them since they're used, but surely somebody will appreciate a very colorful bargain, no?

It's so exciting when a box arrives filled with something beautiful for your home. You might want to put your brightly colored FW aside for a day or two just to make sure that you don't want to keep one color as an accent with your ivory, like the red.

IF you really want pieces that are no longer sold retail go to a antique show/sale. Very often you will find a Fiestaware vendor who has the discontinued pieces for sale. Most times they have a tractor trailer full of the stuff.
Bouckesville in NYS has them every year in August.

I love (loved, lost it in the divorce) my Portmeirion Botanic Garden

I just pulled out - and packed up - all of my brightly colored Fiesta dishes. I sat and looked at them for the longest time, and while I'm still drawn to a couple of the colors, I gotta say that for the most part, I'm over them. I do like the idea of hunting down discontinued pieces and I may do that to pick up some of the softer FW colors (like the Sea Mist and Rose) to use along with the Ivory.

Graywings, I love those pieces, and I'm so sorry your ex retained custody! I've developed a little routine when I'm coming back from England of stopping in the Harrod's shop at Heathrow airport and picking up a little piece of Portemeirion Pomona to bring home with me. It's one last little thing to look forward to, and somehow helps make the end of a holiday a bit easier to handle. I've only got a few small serving pieces so far, but I so enjoy using them daily when making my coffee or tea.

Jen,
If you get plain white you can switch bowls and plates around with dishes in different shapes, colors, or patterns. You will never get bored this way. Also, white makes food look yummy.
I have Maison dishes as my base dishes from Crate and Barrel. I mix and match all the time. I love the fact that if I break one, it's easily replaced due to being able to buy them by the piece. I get a lot of mix and match along dishes from HG.

Thanks for your thoughts, jerseygirl! I agree that white is timeless, classic, and easy to mix in among other pieces. I have, however, ordered the Fiestaware in ivory. (And I thought I would get away from Fiesta! ha!) I said yesterday that the color reminds me of old ironstone, but in looking at the bowls I already have in that shade last night, it occurred to me that the color is actually exactly the same as some vintage crockery pieces that I have. I think I'm going to be very happy with the ivory. And now ... I've just gotta sell all of this:

I've always been a fan of Fiestaware but I couldn't live with a missmatched rainbow of brights.
So I went with Cinnabar and Ivory (Chocolate was/is tempting too) when I bought mine. The ivory is a great go with everything color. I think you'll be happy with your new toned down Fiestaware :)
If you want to add a little pattern down the road Franciscan Desert Rose or Apple pieces would pair up nicely with the Fiestaware in your kitchen.

I wouldn't sell it. Someday you will be tired of all that white and pastels and long for some vivid colors.
As much as I love white dishes, as of my recent slew of magazines, I am getting bored of everyone having the same look. You know, shelves with all white dishes, pitchers, etc. It's beautiful and I have wished for that look for quite awhile, now I am thinking enough!

I love your new kitchen!

Thanks, CozyFarmhouse for confirming my thoughts! I also love Franciscan Desert Rose and Apple - my grandmother used both patterns in her kitchen, so they're pure nostalgia for me. I currently have 5 Franciscan Apple plates hanging on the wall leading from the kitchen into breakfast area.

Bumblebeez, I have thought about keeping my colorful stuff, but I just don't have room to store it. I'll see what kind of interest I get with my sale advertisement here at work, and if I can't sell it easily, I may consider keeping some of the colors that do still appeal to me. (I can safely turn loose of the Plum, Cobalt and Tangerine though! ;-)) Thanks for your kind words too!

I think ivory is as versatile as white.

So glad you got the ivory instead of stark white - it will mix and match with other vintage serving pieces that you have or may collect. Lovwe your

I love your new "direction".

I'd be tempted to keep a few Fiesta colors too. I don't have a "set" of dishes. Most of my dishes are cream or in that family and have been purchased from TJ Maxx/Marshall's. A couple years ago I bought a few plates and bowls in bright orange and yellow from Crate & Barrel ... just to have something fun to use every now and then.

I just sold all of my colorful pieces! Wow, that certainly didn't take long! Now the "fun" part ... packing them all up and getting them ready to go to their new home. Ugh!

Thanks so much to everyone for your kind words and thoughtful suggestions!

That was fast but I'm happy for you! I have borderline hoarding tendencies, there's always the question of "what if I need it someday?".

Have you looked at drabware? That would go well with your new look.

I can relate. I went through the exact same spontaneous Fiesta purge last summer. I just couldn't handle the explosion of competing colors and tones, so I sold 80 pieces on Craigslist, kept two colors, and bought some Ivory to "cut" the colors.

It feels much calmer now. I even restrict each color to its own cabinet shelf. Funny how our tastes change, huh?

Have you seen the Fiesta rice bowls? I think they're still a Dillard's exclusive. I bought four ivory ones and we much prefer them to the bowls that come with the place settings.

There's also a heart shaped bowl that would go well with your decor. I've never seen it in a store, but it's sold online.

I love, love, live your kitchen!!!!

I have FW and what I did was get a base of chocolate and ivory, so that there are 2 of each set. Then, my plan was to bring in other colors depending on the season. For example, I have 2 of orange for fall, 3 red for winter and fall, and 2 turquoise for spring and summer. That way, there is color but not too crazy. Of course, then the kids and dh decided they like all the colors all the time so my plan went out the window!

I think you made a great choice. I love the sturdy Fw quality and fact that you can get more!

Wow! Auntjen, that was fast! I think I need to have you come sell all of the extra stuff in MY house!

I love the creamy color of your new dishes - and plain.

I did recently buy some colorful bowls in green, gold, turquoise - and another color - maybe yellow? Bobby Flay. I wanted something more colorful for my soups/chili. or ice cream.

'I also love Franciscan Desert Rose and Apple'

I had the apple dishes - I inherited from my MIL and used for over 20 yrs. I just got tired of them and there were soooo many! being alone since the kids are grown and gone I just didn't want or need them anymore. I gave them to one of my best friends (along with some silverplate serving dishes). She a lot younger and her girls were still young and she loved to entertain. Someone who could really use them!

I bought myself a set for 4 of corelle that I still love after 14 yrs. The colorful bowls tho will add a spark of color.

Sometimes we just need a change!