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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Culinary Conundrum

I think it's safe to assume that all our loyal readers have, at one time or another, shopped for a gift from a wedding registry. And, in reviewing the selections on all those registries, have you ever seen one without a KitchenAid stand mixer? Me neither. In fact, I really think it should be added to the standard "So, you're getting married?" line of questioning:
"So, you're getting married?"
"And when is the big day?"
"And where are you having it?"
"Have you found THE dress?"
"And for what color KitchenAid will you register?"

And therein lies the source of our current culinary conundrum. The age-old question: what color will your KitchenAid be? What could possibly be more definitive of our lives together? Okay fine. Wedding vows, and then the color of our KitchenAid. But it's still right up there! These suckers last forever, so you have to LOVE the color you buy, and you have to promise yourself that you will still love it in 30 years.

So we find ourselves in a quandry. What color mixer will enter into this lifetime partnership with us? Though I am almost always the first to default for something colorful over something plain, I initially answered this question in the most practical way possible:
White. It's classic. It goes with everything. It will disappear into any kitchen decor we ever dream up. And you just can't get sick of white. White was the practical choice. I even talked SoundGuy into it long enough to zap it with the scanner at Target.

But the more I think about it, the less enthusiastic I've become about boring old white. (And, in fairness, SoundGuy has been against it all along). Why would we choose white when these things come in the most delicious colors? I'd hate to mosey out to the kitchen for my morning coffee only to be confronted with the fact that, when given the opportunity to be interesting, I chose to be boring. ACK! Thirty years with a boring mixer? Perish the thought! I'd sooner beat my cake mixes by hand. *swoon*

So we've entered into the delicate process of discerning what color suits us best. It's created some pretty interesting conversations with our married pals, and I think it's safe to say that there is a story (and an act of compromise) behind everyone's mixer. It's been a hot topic among my grad school friends lately as Nikki & Henry made the big purchase (Blue Willow) - to the point that the girls' KitchenAid colors have become their handles. Example: "Dear Blue Willow, Granite here! Just checking in to see if you have heard from Pistachio about Erik's job offer..."
You can see why it's super-important for us to get this figured out. I'm still "Nicole" in these emails. That's almost as boring as being the girl who chose the white mixer.

Loyal readers, we need your help! We've narrowed the pool to four colors, but we're stuck at an impass and can't make up our minds.

SoundGuy has weighed in as an advocate for Granite:
The more this thing starts to resemble a power-tool, the more he likes it. If we choose Granite, I'm pretty sure my husband will grunt at it every time he walks through the kitchen. It already happens when we pass a lifted 4x4 on the hiway, but that's a story for another time.

We both like the Empire Red:
It's so classic! And red is my most favorite color. Our current microwave happens to be red, and the coffee pot we have on our registry is a little bit red as well, so there's a "matchy-matchy" arguement to be made for the red.

And then there's Cobalt:
Also a classic, yes? It doesn't really go with anything we have, but it's just a nice color. And what's wrong with a nice cobalt mixer jumping out at you from amongst the decor?

And, finally, there's this quirky Ice Blue:
I'm really drawn to it's retro feel and the "I don't match a darn thing" quality that comes along with it. But will I always feel that way? Over the course of 30 years it will go from retro to "so last year" to "they make nice quilted cozies to cover those, ya know" to "remember when I used to bake" to "hip" and back to "charmingly retro" all over again. I don't know if I can endure it.

Weigh in, friends! Cast a vote for your favorite. While you're at it, tell us what color your mixer is and why. Those are usually pretty good stories ;)

13 comments:

Princess Jessie Pants said...

I like the ice blue or cobalt blue. White is boring... :)

Unknown said...

My sister has the cobalt blue, which looks good in a fairly bland white kitchen, my friend has the granite. The granite is a little to industrial looking to me. My mother has red. And maybe it is because I bought it for her but I like the red the best. It goes with light colored and darker colored kitchens. Will not go out of style any time soon and one of my favorite colors. Red, I would go with Red.

Andrea @ Knitty Bitties said...

:D
Matt has wanted the granite one for a LONG while now ...
We have the cobalt blue and she's served us well, not boring white, but not too punchy to not match anything.
Myself, I want the pumpkin orange or chartreuse green myself ... and maybe a red and ice blue to sit next to each other :).

So I say the red or cobalt blue will see you through the next 30 years quite nicely.

Nikki said...

I could not resist voting...

Granite? Don't even think about it. Two Granite's in my group of friends...to confusing.
Red? I like red, but who doesn't
Cobalt? Love it! Traditional but edgy!
Ice Blue, which I like to call 'robin egg blue'? Martha Stewart's signature color....until next year (grimmace).

My vote: Cobalt! (plus the name really suits you:)

Unknown said...

We got cobalt and never looked back. It's classic and it looks great with our red/blue color scheme in the kitchen. We should have you guys over to see it - that would make your mind up for you! I agree with Jessie - white is BORING. Good luck!

Tracy Hovland said...

Here's Pistachio's two cents...

The Empire Red screams Nicole. It's just so you. Classic, stylish and sometimes unexpected.

Oh, and Jim... I think you're classic and stylish, too. So pick red!

Great blog post. And I'm not just saying it because you reference your friends Granite, Willow, and Pistachio. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm probably not a good one to get a vote from. My mixer is white and you hold it in your hand and cuss it for being underpowered and overly messy. But, I live in limited space and can't afford to add the weight of a Kitchenaid.

Buy a white one and paint crazy designs all over it. What the hell, we're only talking 30 years.

Erin said...

Well obviously you know my color of choice. The one which graces my kitchen is RED of course. As a second choice, I'd say ice blue. I agree with Andrea that these two would look lovely as a matched set :) My mom has the cobalt blue and it is quite nice.

Leah said...

red, red, red! someday, i too will
choose red. it makes a great statement and goes with lots of different color schemes. ice blue comes
in at a close second in my book. my two cents, for what they're worth! :)

NyagraBlue said...

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. Psalms 27:1

Tom and Holly said...

We actually did not have a kitchenaid on our registry. I think my mom gave up hope that I would ever get married and bought me one for Christmas :-)

I like the red.

Stephanie said...

I'm partial to Persimmon or Cornflower blue, but that's just me. Please don't get white. Besides, they get dirty really easily. :)

Janeanne said...

I bought the pink one when the Komen/pink merch stuff was in its infancy. I agree the granite looks too industrial, and the white is boring. I like the empire red but also the cinnamon! The majestic yellow would also stand the test of time.