Homer Laughlin is my home boy....

If you have ever had dinner at my house, you've probably noticed that everyone almost always eats on a different colored plate. You might not have given those dishes a second thought, but they make me so very happy.  There is something special about Fiesta made by Homer Laughlin China for many, many years.  Right here in the USA.  Newell, WV to be exact. I love that they are made in the same styles as the 1930's, I love that American hands are hard at work making them, I love that they have never chipped and that they don't have to all be the same. My Fiesta is close to my heart and it makes me happy.

The first time that I ever laid eyes on Fiesta was in a Betty Crocker catalog. When I was a young wife I saved the tiny little white rectangles on Betty Crocker products to turn in for credit towards products that they sold. You still had to pay for the products, but it was at a very good price.  So I started ordering a few pieces here and there, including my lovely Plum colored "Betty Bowl". We definitely didn't have enough pieces to use every day but I was hooked. Then there was a scare regarding dishes made in China containing lead.  I purchased a test kit and to my horror, the test turned red and I had been feeding my family on dishes containing lead. Yikes.  My first thought was of Fiesta and how those lovely dishes would also be safer for my family.

Over the years I've become more of a collector than I thought I would. I had the opportunity to purchase a nice selection of factory seconds, so I did. After our years of military moving, my husband bought us our first dining room set with a china hutch. Guess what it is filled with?  I've purchased many items at thrift stores, made a visit to the Son's of Anarchy House (that's a story for another day) to buy some from a Craigslist ad, and shopped around for really good deals. I really prefer the pieces that have been made after 1986, (when Fiesta reintroduced their new lead free dishes after taking a long break) but there is something wonderful about stumbling upon something in "radioactive red" that was used for decades and still in fantastic condition. 

Here's a peek at some of my favorite Fiesta pieces:

Hanging above the china hutch is a painting by my late grandfather. When my grandma passed away last year, this was brought to me. Not only did the color of the walls match the painting exactly, but the colors of my Fiesta set the colors in the painting on fire. He would LOVE how good it looks here.

These are vintage salad plates made in the 50's and before. Missing is the "radioactive red". My husband needed a trip to the emergency room (I'm not kidding) after trying to save it from falling. Gotta love a man that will dive for vintage Fiesta.

Memorial Day through Independence Day I feel pretty patriotic. Here is my thrift store carafe and some other pieces sitting right next to my front door. I love the way the colors look mixed together.