I love this time of year. I truly do. Not only do I love the cooler weather, I love all the colors associated with the season – the yellows, oranges, reds, browns and greens.
I also love to decorate my home for the holidays and seasons. As soon as the weather starts to cool down I look forward to getting out my pumpkins, fake autumn leaves and other seasonal decor.
I go all out when I decorate. I even decorate the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and hallway. Almost every area of our home is decorated – even the balcony.
One thing I never thought about was the dishes that my family eats breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack on. Why not change out your dishes to reflect the holidays and seasons too?
I have a fine (expensive!) dish set with a Christmas tree on it. My mom bought it for me decades ago. They never saw the light of day. They are still packed in the original box and for the life of me I have no clue where the box even is. They are the type of dishes you only use for fancy dinner parties. Even thought that is lovely, it’s not practical. I rather have dishes that I can use everyday.
Rachel Ray has a beautiful array of dishes ideal for the fall season. Best of all they are great for every day use. They are NOT dishes that you have to hide away and only break out when company comes over.
Here are some of her sets.
Cucina – Inspired by Rachael’s passion for Italian culture and handcrafted Italian pottery, the organically shaped, solid colored stoneware collection features six muted, Tuscan-style shades to choose from. Cranberry Red, Pumpkin Orange, Mushroom Brown and Almond Cream are seasonal favorites for fall and holiday entertaining, and mix together beautifully with other Cucina hues, such as Agave Blue and newly launched Lavender.
Gold Scroll – Perfect for setting an elegant tone for holiday festivities, this richly textured stoneware collection features a gleaming gold scroll motif that recalls the beauty of old world frescoes, gilt, and decorative tapestries. Available in four colors — Orange, Red, Blue and Cream – Gold Scroll naturally complements and adds a celebratory touch to Rachael Ray’s Cucina collection.
Cocktails – Fun for serving appetizers and snacks at parties anytime of year, the contemporary set of four 8.25-inch plates feature an assortment of cocktail images on the front and the recipe to make the illustrated drink on the back. The cocktail recipes are courtesy of Rachael’s hubby John, who is the undisputed mixologist in their house.
Seasons Changing – A simple palette of white, green and rich brown eloquently expresses nature’s transition from summer to fall in this striking porcelain collection. A reverse pattern technique for the colorful salad/dessert plate lends an air of sophistication to this lighthearted pattern.
Pendulum – Crafted using a time-honored “resistant” technique used in fashion textiles and pottery industries, this graphic stoneware collection offers a fluid design of oversized circles and ovals in contrasting shades of blue and brown on a crisp white background.
Paisley – This floral-accented porcelain collection features the iconic tear-shaped paisley – a design motif favored for centuries in textiles. Paisley’s simple white body provides the perfect canvas to offset a medley of warm hues, including muted gold, carrot, celadon, russet, and chocolate.
Ikat – Bringing a modern, global vibe to table settings, this bold and colorful stoneware collection combines cool shades of deep navy and light blue with small pops of olive green on a white background. The textural interest in this contemporary pattern is achieved using the “resistant” technique favored in fashion textiles and pottery industries.
Circles & Dots – Also crafted using a time-honored “resistant” technique, the stoneware collection features a string of dots, bands and circles in an intricate pattern. Earthy tones of brown, sage green and pale yellow complement a soft neutral background of cream. Accent pieces, such as salad plates break up Circles & Dots circular motif with bolder graphics in dark brown to modernize and energize the collection.
Rise – Inspired by mid-century American design, this sturdy stoneware collection features a solid interior with a reversed white exterior. Unfussy and streamlined, Rise plates slope dramatically for aesthetic interest. Vibrant colors include Purple, Green, Orange and Red, as well as simple White.
I have one of her sets that was sent to me to review. I have the colorful and adorable “Little Hoot” set.
Little Hoot – Rachael’s personal favorite, this playful, porcelain collection features a diminutive owl accented with stripes and a bold pattern of multi-colored leaves on a crisp white background. Delightful for all ages, Little Hoot balances its youthful spirit with well-grounded design elements in an earth-tone palette that’s especially welcoming in the fall.
I adore this set. It’s very colorful and the adorable little owl (“Little Hoot”) makes me smile every time I see him, especially at the bottom of the cereal bowl. You don’t realize he’s there until you eat the last morsel and see his cute little face looking back up at you from the bowl.
The plates (dinner and lunch) are a nice size – not too big, not too small (pretty standard). The mugs are big, just the way we like them.
I’m used to using scratch and break resistant plates. I believe these plates will break or chip if not careful with them, but so far, so good. They seem pretty durable.
They wash well (we hand wash). The color has not faded and nothing is peeling off.
This pretty set is perfect for use every day. It can also be used when entertaining guests for a fancy dinner party. These dishes are are very versatile.
Having a set of dishes specifically for Autumn and the Autumn holidays has inspired me to look for dishes I can use for other seasons too (Winter, Spring and Summer).
Rachael Ray Cucina, Gold Scroll, Season’s Changing, Little Hoot, Pendulum, Paisley, Ikat, Circles & Dots, and Rise are offered in a 16-Piece Dinnerware Set ($69.99 suggested retail). Several collections also include dinnerware items in sets of four and open stock, as well as serving pieces.
Gold Scroll is offered in sets of four (appetizer plates, salad plates, mugs) for $21.99-$24.99, in open stock (mug and salad plates for $5.99 each), and serving pieces (10-inch Round Serving Bowl and 12.5-inch Round Platter for $29.99 each).
* All prices are suggested retail.
This delightful set is available at PotsandPans.com. The other Rachel Ray sets mentioned in this post are also available on the Pots and Pans website.
In addition to lovely dishes, Pots and Pans also sells cookware, bake ware and other kitchen products.
What do you think about the Little Hoot set? Do any of the Rachel Ray sets stand out to you? Feel free to share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
shelly peterson says
What a great Fall line! These dish sets are beautiful, I have a hard time picking a favorite.