Fiesta Fun ~

Today I'm sharing photos of a few pieces of my sister's collection of Fiesta dinnerware. One of the things we both love about Fiestaware (aside from the scrumptious colors!) is that it's made right here in the U.S.A.  Manufactured and distributed by the Homer Laughlin Company, located in Newell, West Virginia, Fiesta dinnerware dates to the 1930s. It's still manufactured today and collectors abound, of both the vintage pieces and new. My sister has a mix of both. I love her turquoise wall that makes the colors really pop!

According to the Smithsonian Institution Press, "Fiesta's appeal lies in its bright colors, modern design, and affordability."  The design is Art Deco (love!) and approximately 50 items are available in many different colors. Some colors are manufactured in limited runs, as other colors are added.  For more information, including a list of all the colors and the years they were in production, plus where to purchase Fiesta dinnerware, visit the Homer Laughlin Company website HERE.

Fiesta dinnerware plates photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Until next time, have a colorful Friday!

Linking this to Potpourri Friday on 2805!

Aunt Verba's Quilt ~

Today I'm sharing a quilt that was hand-made for me 37 years ago by a very special lady - my Aunt Verba.

A  bit faded and worn, this quilt is still in good shape, considering I've lovingly used it for many years. Sometimes I'll fold it up and put it away for a while, simply because I don't want it to ever wear out. But every time I get it out of the closet and cuddle underneath it, it's like a big warm hug from my Aunt.

Aunt Verba was a gentle southern lady who lived in the hills of West Virginia. She was married at 16 and lived in the same house where she "took up housekeeping" until she passed away ten years ago at age 85. She raised 5 children in a two-bedroom home, and could sew, quilt, crochet, and cook like a dream - good, old-fashioned southern favorites like chicken and dumplings and pecan pie. I also got my love of gardening from her. I never heard my Aunt Verba raise her voice or say an unkind word about anyone. Someone once said she was the type of person who would be herself, and be comfortable, whether she was having tea with the Queen of England or her next-door neighbor. I was lucky to have had her as a role model in my life.

 Linking this to Pink Saturday on Beverly's How Sweet the Sound and Time Travel Thursday on The  Brambleberry Cottage

Almost Heaven ~

"Almost Heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River..."

Lyrics and music by John Denver

My roots go deep into the mountains of the beautiful state of West Virginia. On my father’s side I can count back 8 generations to the first of my ancestors who settled there (which at the time was Virginia.) On my mother’s side, Congressman Kellian Whaley (my g-g-great Uncle) gave a speech that was pivotal in West Virginia becoming a state. I have so many lovely memories…of playing with my cousins under the hot summer sun…eating fresh strawberries from my Grandpa’s garden…sitting on my Aunt’s front porch gazing up into the mountains on a crisp autumn morning.

The mountainous state of West Virginia has more than one million acres of land in 2 national forests, 9 state forests and 37 state parks. The steel-arch bridge that covers the New River Gorge was, for a long time, the longest bridge of that type in the world (it’s now the third longest.) Just a few of the other attractions in West Virginia include Harper’s Ferry, the Cass Scenic Railroad, National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the world-renowned Greenbrier Resort. Nature’s canvas at some of its’ best. In the words of John Denver, “take me home…country roads.” Sometimes a picture really is worth a 1,000 words.