“What color would you like today, BarWayne?”
My Grandmother -who ran both my names together in her Southern drawl- posed the same question to me each morning during our annual summer visit to her home in Savannah, Tennessee.
“The orange cup and the green saucer!” I’d reply, usually choosing a combination of colors instead of a matching set.
In a sense, I grew up around the brightly colored dishes, each place setting a different color.
Every family member in Tennessee had a service for at least 20. I know this because each time we’d visit, someone hosted a huge BBQ dinner with ‘more food than you could shake a stick at’ (another Southernism). Each dinner was served on Fiestaware.
When my Grandmother passed away over 30 years ago, her set of Fiestaware came to our home. It was packed away and used only on holidays. I looked forward to the occasions when the brightly colored dishes would once again grace my mother’s table with their simple elegance.
Perhaps it was due to the simplicity of their design, or the vibrant colors that remain their chief characteristic, that these dishes made an impression on me in my early years.
I recall making a mental note that when I grew up, I’d have Fiestaware in my own home. Today, because my home only requires a few dishes and because I have limited storage space in the beach bungalow, my Fiestaware is in use every day.
I’m in the process of collecting more pieces in the modern colors. Today there are both vibrant and pastel versions of the color palette. I like the vintage colors better than the modern ones, but I’ll host any color set I can get my hands on. 
The Fiestaware Lineage
My Grandmother bequeathed her setting for 12 to my mother. My mother in turn has willed the dishes and the pieces she’s collected over the last 30 years, to me.
Over the years, a few pieces have managed to come my way. I’ve also purchased a few place settings. One Mother’s Day I gave her two settings (one white and one tangerine) and told her it the gift that keeps on giving. We still laugh about that.
My daughter Bethany has always love the Fiestaware. In my own will, I’ve bequeathed Grandmother’s settings to her. She already has a setting for 6 -8 having cleaned up in Fiesta-related wedding gifts a year ago.
Fiestaware has become a symbol of love and care in our family. Who would have thought that a set of dishes could become the common thread that helps bind together four generations?
I too love this stuff but it is hard to come by as it is quite the collectors item. And thus can be quite pricey.
notasoccermom´s last blog post..All A-Twitter
I find the vintage peices in antique stores and can be pricey, but usually they aren’t too highly priced as most will have some sort of defect: a chip, faded colors, etc.
The newer place setting can be found on sale for about $24 for a 5-piece setting larger department stores.
Solo-Dad´s last blog post..Fiestaware Dishes: A Long Family History