Fiesta Flamingo Color to be Retired

Yes, it's true. Fiesta Flamingo is being retired on 12/31/13 after a less than a 2 year run.

I must say I am a little surprised they picked the pink Fiesta, as I would have thought that Peacock, Plum or Paprika might have been on the chopping block.

The good news for Fiesta Flamingo fans is that Flamingo is not retired yet and you have a month to place your order for the Flamingo fiestaware you want while stock is plentiful. Another good thing is you can add Flamingo placesettings, bowls or other unique items on your Christmas list and very strongly tell loved ones it is all you want this Christmas.

The bad news is that come January, 1st production of Flamingo ceases and stocks will slowly and surely drop until items start sell out. Orders placed for out of stock items have a good shot of being produced but Homer Laughlin will make the final decision on what gets produced over the next month. Our advice is that if you want something, then put your order in and hopefully it will get produced.

Well when one color is pulled from the Fiesta lineup, another is often on the horizon and from now until March we can only guess. For now take a look of the great lineup of Flamingo Fiestaware while we still have it.

Happy Holidays,

Dr. Dinnerware

The Best Turkey Serving Tray for Thanksgiving

You want to make a statement at Thanksgiving then consider purchasing the Arthur Court Turkey Large Turkey Tray.

Seriously, this is the only turkey tray that brings your turkey to life with style, grace and fine details.

Arthur Court Large Turkey Tray

The cast aluminum tray is 24 inches long, 18 wide and has a height (yes height) of 7.5 inches. Your Thanksgiving Turkey will basically fit in / on this turkey platter and make a stunning statement whether or not the bird has been carved.

Arthur Court is known for making detailed serveware pieces including trivets, platters, gravy bowls and more that stand out. Among his Turkey Collection, the large turkey tray stands out as the signature piece that is sure to become a holiday standard in your home during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.

A perfect serving turkey tray for professional offices and family dinner tables.
View all of the Arthur Court Turkey Collection.

I can already taste the leftovers.
#turkeyplatter #thanksgivingdinner #arthurcourt

Dr. Dinnerware

New Villeroy & Boch French Garden Noel

Villeroy & Boch has grow in popularity and one of Villeroy's favorite patterns is the floral French Garden. Villeroy & Boch has taken notice of it's popularity and added a Holiday pattern called French Garden Noel.

Villeroy & Boch French Garden Noel

This is an accent collection and is limited to the following dishes:

Dinner Plate
Salad Plates
& Mug

You can mix these French Garden Noel dishes in with your Villeroy French Garden dishes to make a wonderful holiday statement.

When shopping for Villeroy & Boch, look for an Authorized Villeroy & Boch dealer.

French Garden Noel is a beautiful porcelain dinnerware that is microwave and dishwasher safe. This new Villeroy & Boch dinnerware pattern is now ready to ship.

Please note the Villeroy & Boch seasonal patterns are limited and often sell out before the holiday.
View more Villeroy & Boch Holiday dinnerware.

Dr. Dinnerware #Villeroydinnerware #FrenchGardenNoel


 

Lenox Announces Dinnerware & China Pattern Retirements

The three words you don't want to read once you have selected your China or Dinnerware pattern; "China Pattern Retired."

Lenox has announced new china and dinnerware pattern retirements and here is what it means to you.

1. Better Prices Now
Often the reason it is being discontinued is that it wasn't selling well enough. So in order to move the inventory that is sitting on the shelves, Lenox discontinues the pattern and drops the price to move it. The result is Better Prices for those Lenox patterns now.

2. Stock Up on Basics
If you like your pattern, now is the time to purchase extra place settings, mugs and serving bowls. The basic dinner pieces are likely to get used and one or two might get chipped or broken over the years, plus if you have 10 or 12 people over for a dinner event rather than 8 it is always nice to have the extra dishes.

3. Fill in Key China Pieces
Are there key items you have substituted during a holiday dinner, that you would be nice to have in you china pattern? Then consider getting those items now, because these get much harder to find once they sell out. The table essentials that come to mind are gravy boats, platters and covered bakers that match your pattern. The key is to add the most used items first and then layer on the occasionally used items if you have a need for them.

4. When They are Gone, They are Gone
The big downside to retirement is that if you didn't know about the retirement or are low on funds to add to your Lenox pattern, the deals only last as long as the stock does. While some patterns might take 12 months to clear out inventory other pattern key items could be gone within weeks. If there is something you know you would like, maybe now is a good time to let people know that a few china pieces, nudge, nudge, would make a great Christmas gift.

Here is the List of Lenox Retired China & Dinnerware PatternsSavings on these retired China Patterns can be up to 65%

1. Lenox Apropos China Pattern
2. Lenox Aspen Ridge Dinnerware
3. Lenox Blush Silhouette China
4. Lenox Chocolate China
5. Lenox Confection China Pattern
6. Lenox Collage Dinnerware - Stoneware Collection
7. Lenox Embraceable China
8. Lenox Federal Platinum Black
9. Lenox Federal Platinum Chocolate
10. Lenox Floral Meadow
11. Lenox Floral Patina
12. Lenox Flutter China Pattern
13. Lenox Moonlit Garden
14. Lenox Platinum Ice China
15. Lenox Quatrefoil Dinnerware
16. Lenox Rutledge Legacy Dinnerware
17. Lenox Scripted Platinum China
18. Lenox Silver Song
19. Lenox Twirl China
20. Lenox Vibe Links Dinnerware
21. Lenox Watercolor Amethyst
22. Lenox Watercolor Citrus
23. Lenox Watercolor Indigo
24. Lenox Wisteria

Enjoy the Savings,

Dr. Dinnerware

Fiesta Lapis Color Wheels

Want to know what Fiesta Lapis looks like next to Shamrock, Scarlet or Sunflower?

Well DinnerwareUSA took the idea of a color wheel and laid out all of the current Fiestaware colors, except white, ivory and black, around a blue Lapis Fiesta cereal bowl. They put together the three color groups and took pictures. The results of the Fiesta Lapis Color Wheels are below.

The First Lapis Color Wheel consists of Lemongrass, Sunflower, Tangerine, Plum, Cobalt, Peacock, Turquoise and Shamrock.

The blues and brights (Lemongrass, Sunflower and Tangerine) all look great with Lapis, Shamrock is good but not my favorite and Plum was my least favorite in this group. At least when looking at a just the two colors, however if you mix in other colors it can work.

The Second Fiesta Lapis Color Wheel consists of Turquoise, Flamingo, Scarlet, Paprika, Tangerine, Sunflower, Lemongrass and Shamrock. The Fiesta Flamingo pops with Lapis but it made me think of candy, kids parties and bubble gum. Scarlet and Lapis made me think of Americana and Nautical looks and by adding white the look is complete. The last new color in this wheel was Paprika and when it is placed next to Lapis it invokes a fall, lodge and rustic look.

The Third Lapis Color Wheel removed the bright colors from the mix which then gave the colors a different feeling. Colors included Cobalt, Plum, Shamrock, Paprika, Scarlet, Flamingo, Turquoise, and Peacock.

By mixing in Fiesta neutrals like White, Ivory and Black, Lapis can work with all of this colors and allow you to create unique and dynamic table settings.

Recently retired Fiestaware colors:
Marigold - This rich yellow pops on Fiesta Lapis
Chocolate - Blue and brown works together, but I favor Paprika and Lapis over Chocolate based on Chocolate's deep saturation.  

Fiesta Lapis is a wonderful color that works with just about every Fiesta color and adds a nice denim blue color to the Fiesta line up.

If you are looking to buy Fiesta dinnerware online, we suggest DinnerwareUSA a Fiesta only store that sells Fiestaware dishes from Homer Laughlin & Company and licensed Fiesta products including linens, flatware and more.

To view more of our Fiestaware Pictures and stay informed on Fiesta - Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Dr. Dinnnerware

Flamingo Fiesta Pictures - Our Favorite Fiestaware Pics from Photo Shoot

Each year when Fiesta launches a new color, DinnerwareUSA like to do a photo shoot and fun pictures with the new color and turn it into a video.

Last year, Fiesta released Flamingo Fiestaware which is lovely pink the works with variety of retired and current Fiesta colors. We used a variety of Fiesta dishes and mixed and match color schemes, so you can see the various color assortments that work together.

Just over a month ago Dinnerware USA launched it's Fiestaware Pinterest page and some of the most popular pins have been those from the Flamingo Fiesta photo shoot. We didn't think we would have a need for these Fiesta dinnerware pictures, but rather than us decide which ones you might want to pin we decided to post them so you can select your favorite Flamingo Fiesta pics.

Square Fiesta Plates & Mug - This Fiesta grouping really pops and makes for a vibrant table.
Colors Shown: Turquoise Fiesta, Flamingo Fiesta & Lemongrass Fiesta

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A Romantic Fiestaware setting - Scarlet Fiesta, White Fiesta and Flamingo Fiesta
Use neutrals like black and white to break up similar colors and make them stand out.

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Sometimes we are surprised by how different Fiesta colors work with each other, this is a good example. Fiestaware with Fiesta Tumblers - Flamingo Fiesta, Sunflower Fiesta, Shamrock Fiesta, Plum Fiesta, Lemongrass Fiesta. In the background are various Fiesta Tervis Tumblers

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Mix different plates sizes and Black Fiesta, Flamingo Fiesta, Ivory Fiesta and Turquoise Fiesta for a cool yet colorful combination.

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Stackable Small Pie Bakers, Fiesta Bouillon Bowl and a Flamingo Disc Pitcher - Lots of great colors working together. Tangerine, Lemongrass, Turquoise, Sunflower and Flamingo Pitcher

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Fiestaware Plates, Salt Shaker, Medium Fiesta Vase with Tervis Tumblers - Flamingo Fiesta, Sunflower Fiesta, Shamrock Fiesta, Plum Fiesta, Lemongrass Fiesta in the background is a Fiesta Tervis Tumblers

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This is a Fiesta Color stack from our Fiesta warehouse. Really liked how the random mix of colors came together so well.

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We hope you enjoy our Fiesta Photo Gallery featuring fun color combinations of Fiestaware. New photos and links will be added from time to time as Fiesta releases new colors and when we aren't busy filling Fiesta dinnerware orders in the warehouse.

Dr. Dinnerware
Shop for Fiestaware, Follow Us on Facebook for Fiesta Dinnerware News, Pics and Updates, and for more Fiestaware Photos Join Us on Pinterest

Think Using Paper Plates are Cheap? Think Again the Cost of Paper Plates vs. Dinnerware, Earth Day Blog

The pizza arrived and my friend went to the kitchen to get plates. He brought back paper plates and I casually asked why not use real plates. His response was paper plates are cheaper and makes for easy clean up.

I responded, I bet I can show you that paper plates cost more than regular dinnerware, so after leaving my friend’s house I decided to research this topic and determine which costs less. Plus, with Earth Day coming up it seemed like the perfect article.

In order to get a better sense of things, I needed to review the cost of paper plates and bowls, determine an average weekly usage for two people and determine a cost for dinnerware.

First, I looked at paper plates and found that there are several type regular, medium weight and heavy weight.  My research determined that based on brand, you can spend anywhere from .05 to .16 cents per paper plate and .075 to .15 cents per bowl. For this review I went with the lowest priced paper plates I found.

Second step was to estimate the weekly usage for two people using bowls for breakfast and desserts and paper plates for dinner, weekend lunches and 1 breakfast a week. Taking into account people eat out a few times a week, skip breakfast and eat lunch at work, I came up with 7 paper plates used per person per week and 6 paper bowls used per week.

Paper Plate usage – 5 dinners, 1 lunch, 1 breakfast (7 plates per person per week)
Paper Bowl usage – 4 breakfasts, 1 dessert, 1 snack (6 bowls per person per week)

Third, I needed to determine the cost of standard dishes. While I found a variety of prices, I decided to compare plates with plates and bowls with bowls and a priced Made in the USA Fiesta dinnerware for our comparison. A Fiesta dinner plate is $11.99 and a Fiesta cereal bowl is $8.49.

To make sure that you didn’t have to wash dishes every day, I decided that 4 plates and 4 bowls would be purchased for each person. So a total of 8 plates and 8 bowls would need to be purchase to do a fair comparison.

In this comparison, paper plates and bowls are used once and thrown away and we do not have to replace any of the dinnerware.

Comparison Costs for 1 month, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years
 
1 Month (4 Weeks) Comparison
Number of Paper Plates Used for 2 People: 56
Cost for Paper Plates: (56 x .05) $2.80
Number of Paper Bowls Used for 2 People: 48
Cost for Paper Plates: (48 x .075) $3.60
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Plates at $11.99 each, $95.92
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Cereal Bowls at $8.49 each, $67.92

After 1 Month: Paper Products Cost $6.40, Fiesta Dinnerware Costs $163.84

So after 1 month, paper plates look like a bargain as a full month’s of paper dinnerware doesn’t even amount to the cost of 1 Fiesta bowl. However if you are concerned about the environment you have filled up 1 bag of trash with nothing but paper plates.

1 Year (52 Weeks) Comparison
Number of Paper Plates Used for 2 People: 728
Cost for Paper Plates: (728 x .05) $36.40
Number of Paper Bowls Used for 2 People: 624
Cost for Paper Plates: (624 x .075) $46.80
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Plates at $11.99 each, $95.92
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Cereal Bowls at $8.49 each, $67.92

After 1 Year: Paper Products Cost $83.20, Fiesta Dinnerware Costs $163.84

Even after 1 entire year paper plates look like the smart choice as the cost to use more than 1,000 bowls and plates is barely half the cost of the dinnerware. However you now have roughly filled up the equivalent of 12 bags of trash full of paper plates and bowls.

3 Year Comparison
Number of Paper Plates Used for 2 People: 2,184
Cost for Paper Plates: (2,184 x .05) $109.20
Number of Paper Bowls Used for 2 People: 1,872
Cost for Paper Plates: (1,872 x .075) $140.40
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Plates at $11.99 each, $95.92
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Cereal Bowls at $8.49 each, $67.92

After 3 Years: Paper Products Cost $249.60, Fiesta Dinnerware Costs $163.84

By the third year the value of purchasing standard dinnerware, instead of paper plates starts to show its value as the initial investment in the dinnerware is now less than the cost of buying paper products for daily use. In addition, if you use paper plates you also have sent 36 trash bags of paper plates and bowls to the landfill.

5 Year Comparison
Number of Paper Plates Used for 2 People: 3,640
Cost for Paper Plates: (3,640 x .05) $182.00
Number of Paper Bowls Used for 2 People: 3,120
Cost for Paper Plates: (3,120 x .075) $234.00
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Plates at $11.99 each, $95.92
Cost to purchase 8 Fiesta Dinner Cereal Bowls at $8.49 each, $67.92

After 5 Years: Paper Products Cost $416.00, Fiesta Dinnerware Costs $163.84

By the end of the fifth year, using paper plates and bowls on a daily basis will have cost more than 2.5 times the cost of investing in standard dinnerware and you will have sent 60 bags of paper products to the landfill.

In the short run using paper plates appears to be a bargain, however in the long run it is an expense that costs you a significant amount of money and sends unneeded bags of garage to our landfills where it can take decades or long for some paper plates to decompose.
While I can admit that cleaning up is easier with paper plates and bowls, but rinsing off a plate or bowl is not difficult. However an investment in dinnerware that can last for decades is a smart personal investment, will save you money in the long run and better for the environment too.

So if you are using paper plates for day to day living this weekend is a great time to reconsider, save some trees, pocket money in the long run and know you did something good to help reduce waste this Earth Day Weekend.

Happy Earth Day,

Dr. Dinnerware
Dinnerware Depot your source for your Favorite Dinnerware

Lapis New Fiesta Dinnerware Color for 2013

Lapis is this year's new Fiestaware color and there is a lot of buzz about this color choice.

The new Lapis Fiesta adds another blue to the Fiesta dinnerware line-up. Currently there is Cobalt a rich dark blue, Peacock and bright bold sky like blue and Turquoise which is turquoise a blue-green.

Well the new Lapis comes in between Cobalt and Peacock, in some of the photos it almost has a denim look  to it and in others more of a (as a user posted on Facebook) a Kentucky Blue.

Since pictures went online, several people have noted that they thought it is close to the Fiesta's Sapphire color and while I haven't seen them side by side, friends who went to the Chicago Home Show said that Sapphire has a red undertone. While both are blues, the new Lapis Fiesta comes across brighter than retired Sapphire, hopefully that makes sense.

The new Lapis Fiesta works well with so many of the current colors it is hard to pick a favorite color combination at this time, but we can say that Sunflower & Lapis, Scarlet, Lapis & White and various blue dinnerware table setting are going to look wonderful.

Pre-Order for Lapis Fiesta is slated to Start on May 10th
Shipping of select Lapis Fiestaware is set for June 10th.

Stay up to date with all of the Fiesta news at this Fiestaware Facebook page.

Dr. Dinnerware

Villeroy & Boch introduces Easter Delight Tableware

Villeroy & Boch has several Christmas dinnerware patterns and has offered a few Easter theme items in the past, but now Villeroy& Boch is introducing Easter Delight.

Easter Delight is a design that showcases spring and Easter images on tableware and accents pieces that traditionally go with Easter.

The new Villeroy & Boch Easter Delight pattern includes whimsical bunny egg cups, Easter egg salt and pepper shakers a cute egg spoon.

While the accent pieces are pretty specific to the Easter holiday the plates and three tier server are more generic with a design that incorporated spring flowers and colors.

Please note that this is not a full dinnerware set but includes accents pieces that would work well with your existing dinnerware.

See more Villeroy & Boch Easter Delight.

Dr. Dinnerware

Farmers Spring - New Rooster Dinnerware from Villeroy & Boch

Sometimes a the dinnerware patterns name falls just doesn't live up to expectations, however Farmers Spring  a new pattern by Villeroy & Boch met my expectations.

The rooster, the new growth shade of green and the right balance of color and white, makes this one of my favorite Villeroy patterns. It really is a perfect spring dinnerware.

Plus the Farmers Spring also has wonderful accents pieces like the creamer, cover sugar, salt and pepper shakers and mugs that if your are a country dinnerware or rooster fan, you can just purchase those items to give your table a fresh pop of color or even display in your country kitchen.

The Villeroy and Boch Farmers Spring dinnerware pattern includes plates, bowl, mugs, table accents some very unique tableware items that are unique.

The egg tray, egg boat and napkin ring with egg spoon really speak to country living and the details convey a well thought out design. The rooster and hen boxes make wonderful display items as well as a place to keep items out of view. The 11.5 inch vase is a classic piece that allows for showcasing fresh flowers from the garden.

View more Villeroy & Boch Farmers Spring, Rooster Dinnerware today.

Dr. Dinnerware