Fiestaware

This picture of our Thanksgiving spread reminded me of another thing we do as a large family. We do fiestaware. My Grandma had the original fiestaware. She used to pack it in a barrel and put it in the back of a pick-up to take to the branding corrals. This was before Costco and paper plates. When I was registering for my wedding I figured if Grandma could treat her plates like that, they ought to be able to take whatever I could throw at them. They have stood up to sixteen years of marriage and our growing family. They stood up to outdoor BBQ, boarders, toddlers, dogs, and thousands of washings. I have two that are chipped. I have broken a few, but they have hit the floor more than a few times.

I also love the colors. I was told once that every good hostess should have a set of white plates to set for formal dinners. I thought that was really boring. I gave in and bought 20 white fiesta plates, and dessert plates for formal gatherings. The dishes I use everyday are a variety of my favorite colors. I am a sucker for the new colors (this year's is chocolate). I try to buy serving pieces in the new colors and keep my plates white. The kids like to play matching games with the colors. They point out who has the plate that matches them. They have favorite colors of cereal bowls that they like to use. I have occasionally put away "out of season" colors. I think they are fun, and maybe someday I'll give my girls their favorite colors to start their own collections.