Another thing we did yesterday was go Newell WV to visit the Homer Laughlin China Co and Fiestaware Outlet.

As previously mentioned, I have Fiestaware for my dishes. I like the variety of colors, and the fact it’s a WV company is just icing on the cake. However, I wouldn’t have gone to the factory/outlet except for the fact that Jeri was considering Fiestaware for her new dishes, so we went. (Why yes, Michael does have the patience of a saint.)

I added some extra dishes to what I already have, and picked up some matching napkins, but what was most awesome (and what Michael talked me into) was Fiestaware flatware.

Just perfect.

However, what fascinated me most was the giant pile of broken dishes outside the factory.

Since I was quite tired and sore by this time, Jeri got the closeup of the pile.

Go view the larger size. It’s fascinating.

For quite awhile now I’ve wanted Fiestaware for my every day dishes.

First, you’ll have to understand that we don’t have a china pattern, we have place settings, including one from my grandmother’s set and one from Michael’s grandmother’s set, and random patterns that various family members have picked out for us.

And I don’t own sets of towels in the traditional sense. When I buy towels, I pick up three of the same brand in colors I like, usual shades of purple and blue and green. The only matching towel sets in the house belong to Grandmom.

Why? I like variety. I like the fact that if I there is a china pattern I like, I can pick up a place setting and it will fit in with what I already have.

Fiestaware is perfect for this, since it comes in many many different colors, with colors coming and going every year. If they come out with a color I like, I can pick up a place setting in that color. And if a plate or bowl gets broken, no big deal, since that’s just an opportunity to get another color!

And as an added bonus, Fiestaware is made by the Homer Laughlin China Co, in Newell, West Virginia, so I’m supporting a West Virginia business.

So when we were wandering around the mall yesterday waiting while my grandmother got her haircut, we saw a sale on Fiestaware place settings–plus a free fruit bowl with each place setting! And the store had a sale going, so we ended up saving significantly more money than we spent (Deal!).

And now I can buy place settings whenever I find a color that catches my eye, and can have a different colored dish every day of the week if I so desire. (Yes, there are six plates, there, and two are cobalt blue. I ordered two other colors from Amazon, which was also having a sale. So we’ll have eight place settings and seven different colors. Woot!)