Pretty things

It's always nice to have things around that make you happy.  Art on the wall, a comfy afghan, that special mug.  Recently, we replaced our dinner ware and I went back and forth on what I wanted.  I have always loved Fiesta Ware.  It's plain, functional yet so bright and colorful.

My appreciation probably came from my mother  as she collected Fiesta in the late 70's.  Garage sales were full of wonderful pieces and she had quite a few.  She was getting pieces from 40's and 50's and probably in some of their original colors which were red, yellow, cobalt blue, green, turquoise, and ivory -- nice bright colors.  Then in the late 50's "fashion" went toward the softer pastels.  For a while, Fiesta even went to the popular earth tones but that didn't last long.  Consumers want the bright colors.   Each year,  Fiesta puts out one new color and since they were founded, they have launched 38 colors in their line!  They may be plain to some people, but they are good, hearty, made in the US pieces of dinner ware.
When I set out to buy my set, I had a hard time deciding on what color I wanted.  I love red but then the yellow is so cheerful so I put a red and yellow set together and as I did that the turquoise had to join them.  So now I have a beautiful three colored set of Fiesta Ware and every time I open the cabinet I smile.  They are so cheerful and pretty together and I have decided I need to find some of their long lost cousins.  I am hitting the Flea and Antique shops to see what I can find. They need some companion pieces.  The fun will be in the hunt, the bargain and the remembering how much my mom enjoyed her pieces too.