Color Me Claret

In March the good people at Homer Laughlin announced the new fiestaware color is claret (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2016/03/new-fiestaware-color-claret.html).  It looked like a pretty color when I first saw it, but as I compared it other colors I thought it would look a lot like the retired color, cinnabar.  In fact when my special box of pre-ordered happiness arrived on my doorstep Friday, I peeled the tape off cautiously.  I had ordered my favorite piece, the mini disk pitcher, and a square bowl.  The claret did look to my eye like the cinnabar redone, but when I put the mini disk side by side with the cinnabar and the heather colors I was surprised.  The claret actually is a color right between these 2 older colors.  I don't know that this hue will ever replace my favorite color, chartreuse, but it is a nice rich color.  I am liking it.  What do you think?

Left to Right:  Cinnabar, Claret, and Heather Mini Disk Pitchers

New Fiestaware Color: Claret

Okay, we have established that Fiestaware is my obsession.  I have all the colors, the linens, the flatware, and a tattoo, giving me the all the fiesta cred I need to prove this point.  It is a truth held self-evident by every fiber of my being that I LOVE Fiestaware.  And because I love it so much about every year around my birthday they announce a new color.  Saturday morning I woke up early to see what the new color would be, hoping for fuchsia or magenta, but the new color is Claret,as in a dark wine color.  The color actually harkens back to the previously limited run Raspberry color from  20 years ago.  I am excited and think the color will definitely find a home with the rest of my colorful dishes.  Not to be content with just announcing a new color, the good folks at Homer Laughlin also introduced a new matte black as well.  I am unsure how I feel about a non-shiny piece of Fiestaware, but I do think the matte black will lend to some great bakeware pieces.  Looking forward to seeing the new color and finish in June.



Fiestaware Goes Back to Their Roots

I woke up this morning with no idea the good people at Homer Laughlin were going to rock my world today.  First the good news, they introduced a new color today, Poppy.  It is a very sassy red that looks very similar to the vintage fiestaware red from the 1930s.  You know the red that had the distinction of being just a little radioactive.  The color got pulled because of that added ingredient (good decision).  I guess the company decided it was high time to bring back the color sans radioactivity.  A very vibrant color it is, I am sure a nice selection will come to live with the rest of my collection. 

The Announcement

After getting over the excitement of a new color I read a little further on the announcement and was shocked to hear they will be discontinuing my favorite color, flamingo.  I know you think I wailed and gnashed my teeth, but I did not.  I decided I just need to make sure to stock up on the flamingo fiestaware pieces, I want.  This, of course, means I will need to take a trip to Cornucopia, the local purveyor of brightly colored dishes,  and do some shopping.  That thought made me happy, very happy.

Gusto Bowl in Flamingo and Vintage Red Disk Pitcher

Happy Birthiversary!

Great day to be out and about celebrating my birthiversary (birthday + anniversary).  In celebration of the birthday part, found this photo a good friend took of me looking like a goddess of Fiestaware.  Silly photo, but definitely looks like my day.

My day was about tea at the new London Tea Room location.  Natalie and I had the afternoon tea for our anniversary, which was lovely.  New location a thumbs up (all six of them if you are looking at the above photo).  My beautiful wife even gave me a new piece of bling to add to my collection.  I have been wanting a black diamond circle pendant for awhile, and she decided since the garage I really want isn't coming anytime soon the pendant would have to do.  We took a double selfie to commemorate the day and you can see how dreadful we are at selfies. Natalie looks like she is snorting the phone. However, notice new bling around my neck.

Last year on our anniversary we were married in fewer states and were unrecognized as spouses by both our employers.  This year we are up to 17 states and both our jobs say yes this is a family.  Even the federal government says this is a photo of a legally married couple. 

We have come a long way since we were married 3 years ago.  Next year it will be even better with more states and more wins in the same-sex equality column.  And who knows maybe next year I will get a garage for my birthiversary.

Tis the Season for FIESTAWARE!

The thing I love about my birthday is I get MORE fiestaware.  Because of course you can never have too much fiestaware.  My Minion, who knows me so well, started out the birthday season with Indian food and two new pieces to add to my grand collection.  He gave me a flamingo and a lemon grass heart dish.  So cool.  I love filling these dishes up with brightly colored veggies that pop with color on the table.  And since it was my birthday I bought myself some fiestaware dish towels.  Aww tis the season for birthday indulgence.  A big thanks to my Minion for always making me feel special.



Fiestaware Holiday

My nearest and dearest know I love my Fiestaware.  They make sure my holidays are colorful and bright by giving me new pieces for my vast collection.  This year I was the luckiest Tempest in the world.  I got plates, bowls, and serving utensils in Fiestaware. 


9 inch buffet plates and a lemon grass hostess bowl

 Medium Lapis Sized Heart Bowl with Small Tangerine Heart Bowl

 



New Serving Utensils with Medium Lapis Heart Bowl and Tardis Teapot

 

 

Now to figure out where to put it all.




Day 28: Thanksgiving

The Spread

Today we had Thanksgiving at our house.  I looked around the table and had the three women I love most in the world around me.  My wife, my mother, and my sister.  Each one of them knows how to make me that special kind of crazy, that only someone I love could do. I would be lost without them.  We started cooking last night and worked through the morning to prepare for our feast.  I even made sure I had my fiestaware all ready for the meal.  Everything looked pretty.  Even the dogs got quite a few tasty treats.  I am just so thankful to be surrounded by people I love, serving the them good food on festive dishes.   Feeling so loved today.

 

The Sister

 

The Mom

 

The Clean Up Crew

 

 

 

Lapis Fiestaware Arrives!

The good people at UPS showed up today with a delivery from Newell, West Virginia.  In case you are wondering why packages from West Virginia are so revered, it is because that is the hometown of the Homer Laughlin company.  In other words the new Fiestaware color has arrived!!!



Lapis Fiestaware Place Setting

Back in early March Homer Laughlin announced the new color would be Lapis.  As I opened the box with my new place setting in it I was unsure exactly what the color would look like.  However, I had previously decided to go forth pre-order and wait for the big reveal.  Today my wait was over.  I pulled out the pottery and lo it was good. 

Sapphire Dinner Plate with Lapis Salad Plate (Notice the Slight Difference in Color)

Back in the 90s there was a limited edition sapphire Fiestaware color released for Bloomingdales.  I had suspected the lapis would be close in hue.  Though the lapis is slightly lighter in saturation it is very close to the sapphire.  I do like the color, I just wish it was a more vibrant.

Family of Fiestaware Blues (Sapphire Dinner Plate, Starting from Upper Right Going Clockwise: Lapis, Peacock, Perwinkle, Turquiose, and Cobalt)

Regardless, I always love getting Fiestaware in the mail.  The lapis will look very nice with the flamingo and lemon grass dishes  I definitely see purchasing more lapis pieces to join my ever growing dinnerware collection.  Call me obsessed, it is okay, and so true.

My Obsession

Things to do when you up early on a Saturday and don't want to balance your checkbook:  BUY FIESTAWARE!

Well, really it is the good people at Homer Laughlin allowing me to pre-order Fiestaware in the new Lapis color. Can't wait for it to arrive next month so it can join the Tempesttea home for colorful dishes.  Makes me want to spend the month stalking the mail carrier.  Obsession may not always be pretty, but in my case at least it is colorful.

Goodbye Girl

Okay, I am too old to be a girl, but goodbye woman does not alliterate, so forgive me the youthful reference.  Today was my last day at the library.  Big heavy sigh.  Endings are hard, and today was no different.  I was overwhelmed by the tide of love and good wishes.  Even as I am typing these sentences I am tearing up thinking about the last couple of weeks.  Words cannot express how special my co-workers made me feel.  Tearful verklempt coming on here.

In the end the bad times and crazy customers are forgotten and only the good people will be remembered.  This job is not the first one I have left, and as always I count myself fortunate to have such good people pass through my life.  I can only hope they feel the same way about me.

Today I was hugged and hugged, showered with well wishes and gifts.  My team gave me Fiestaware!  Yes, Fiestaware, they know me well.  My work BFF, Cynthia, gave me an adorable cat pendant and lunch at our favorite spot.  Yarn, flowers, food, and peeps also showed up at my desk this week.  All very thoughtful and appreciated gifts.  However, over the last five years the real gift has been their friendship.  To these fine co-workers I say thank you for so much.

More Fiestaware Comes to Live with Me

As the birthday season continues, I got MORE Fiestaware from my beloved minion.  (Have I mentioned I have a minion?  Well, I do.  He is not always a good minion, but you know like family you can't choose your minion.)  He bought me lunch at Pi, and he came bearing dishes.  I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful minion. (Okay this week he is a good minion.)



Large Flamingo Butter Dish and Tangerine Soap Dispenser

Right before my birthday I discovered the good people at Homer Laughlin came out with some new Fiestaware pieces.  I was in love with the soap dispenser,  and wanted one in tangerine to match my kitchen.  I also saw a new larger butter dish.  Though I only use a butter dish when we have company, I still had to have one.  Minion got both for me and even purchased the butter dish in the wonderful flamingo color.    I love my new pieces of Fiestaware.  Thank you, Minion. 

Larger Flamingo Butter Dish in Back, Regular Chartreuse in Front

Feeling the Blues or Homer Laughlin Loves Me

I know the color of the year is Emerald, and I love, love, love greens, but I am also a girl that just loves some color my life.  So right on cue for my birthday Homer Laughlin releases the news of a brand new Fiestaware color: Lapis.  When I got the email announcement this morning all I could say says, "OOOOOOOOH!!!"  Last year the release of the Flamingo color was almost more than I could bear.  I swooned for weeks over that color.  I find myself not swooning, but still excited by a new color. 

The good people at Homer Laughlin released a color called Sapphire in the late 1990s for Bloomingdales.  The color had a very limited run and finding those pieces can be challenging.  I have a few pieces, but not much.  In 2005 the color Peacock was introduced and proved to be a versatile and stunning color.  I have to wonder where this hue will fit in spectrum of Fiestaware blues?

Sapphire Dinner Plate & Peacock Medium Disc Pitcher

So with the blues on my mind today it is no surprised when I found myself at a LYS (local yarn store) today, I ended up with some Blue Heron cotton blend yarn in my hand.  The vibrant blue needed a home in my stash.  I will never forsake my love of green, but all I can say is today I was feeling the blues.

Fiestaware, Algebra, and My Relationship

I talk about my beautiful wife all the time.  However, most relationships take work, ours needs lots of hard work.  Both of us are complex people and sometimes those complexities are difficult hurdles to overcome.  I find she is worth the time and attention; I can only hope it is the same for her.

In the ebb and flow of our lives, we have not always succeeded in making things work.  When people ask how long we have been together I always just say we have known each other since we were 16.  If they inquire deeper, I make some comment that the number is an algebraic equation.  However, this time around we have been together 17 years.  The first time around we were together 8 1/2 years, but things fell apart.  After the break-up both of us spent almost 3 years trying to get over one another.  When the getting over didn't happen we started working towards a reconciliation.

Now reconciliations take work too.  Lots of work, forgiveness, compromise, and in our case fried chicken.  Lots of fried chicken.  Natalie promised me if we got back together, she would make me fried chicken with all the trimmings (mash potatoes, gravy, and asparagus) whenever I wanted.  There were many reasons to come back, but that fried chicken was just too hard to resist.

Flamingo Fiestaware Place Setting

This year for Valentine's Day my wife cooked for me a very fine dinner of all my favorites including her fried chicken.  She knew I was a little down thinking about my dad, but she worked hard to make it special.  She even plied me with gifts of Fiestaware.  She knew all my favorite things, fried chicken, Fiestaware, and her.  Sometimes relationships take no work at all.

Flamingo Fiestaware 9 5/8 Oval Platter

Oh I Love My Fiestaware!

My loved ones did very well this holiday season in providing me with my drug of choice, Fiestaware.  I got five new items and a gift card to Cornucopia, where Fiestaware lives.  I always get excited when I am handed a heavy package.  I know pottery goodness is within, that or someone is giving me leg weights. 



Holiday Fiestaware Loot

My minion gave me my own rectangle casserole dish in tangerine, which is almost too pretty to use.  My friend Kim gave me new lemon grass oval platter which debuted on Christmas day filled with pot roast.  My mom gave me a new lemon grass canister.  And lastly, I got two new demitasse cups to round out my set.  I am so loved.

Set of Six Demitasse Cups

Purchasing Fiestaware in Doing So I Change My Mind

Today I was in the pink, as in the new Flamingo Fiestaware Pink that I have been gushing on and on about for weeks.  I went to the local source of Fiestaware, the always fabulous Cornucopia (http://www.kitchencopia.com/) with my minion in tow.  As I descended into the basement of dinnerware bliss, my heart beat a little faster at all the colorful goodness around me.  I stood in awe of the sea of pink in front of me and was almost too overcome to decide on what pieces to purchase.  My minion goaded me with a snide comment about buying it all up and locking it away from me.  Did I mention my minion is evil?

The new hue is just so fresh.  In the past the good people at Homer Laughlin have given us the washed out apricot, and the pastel rose as pinkish color options.  I was unsure how the flamingo would stack up to those colors.  Once home with some comparison with other pieces, the new color has more of a pop especially when paired with the green colors, like chartreuse and lemon grass.  In case you haven't noticed I am kind of in love with the new color.

Flamingo, Rose, and Apricot Mini Disk Pitchers

After much indecision I did chose some fabulous flamingo pieces.  I bought a gusto bowl, a ramekin, salt and pepper shakers, the mini disk pitcher, and a surprise purchase, but I will get to that in a moment.  I waffled on a small casserole dish, but decided against it.  The staff at Conucopia was a tad (just a small tad maybe) amused by my enthusiasm over the the new color.  I can't blame them, occasionally, I am a bit, (just an itty bitty bit) over the top.

The Purchase

Now for the shocker of the day.  I have in the past been a little critical of the concept of square Fiestaware (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2009/03/dont-call-me-square.html).  Some even think I have said that I see square dishes as crime against humanity, but they would be exaggerating.  Though my initial thoughts on square Fiestaware were reserved, I find I may have been too hasty in politely venting my concerns.  I did in fact purchase two square serving pieces of dinnerware.  My minion was quite persuasive in suggesting that the the lemon grass and flamingo in square shapes were very attractive together.  Did I mention my minion is evil?  I know it can be a surprise to those who have heard my gentle complaints about squares, but I have, as is my prerogative, changed my mind. 

And the New Flamingo Fiestaware Candlesticks Arrive

The Pyramid Candlestick Holders

Last week my special edition Flamingo Fiestaware Pyramid Candlestick Holders arrived to join the house that flamingos and Fiestaware built.  I would like to say I was not lured by the early morning email annoucing the pre-sale on limited edition new color candlestick holders, but I cannot (I don't even really like candlestick holders).  I gave the good people at Homer Laughlin my credit card number and waited with un-contained enthusiasm.  Fast forward to last weekend and they arrived.   I ripped open the box in the parking lot of UPS wanting to see the new color that badly.  I think I squealed a little when I dug the new items out of a mile of bubble wrap.

Notice Rose Saucer Under Candlestick Holder

I like the new color, it is bright and fun.  The pink will look great with my lemon grass, peacock, and tangerine colors.  I do have the old discontinued rose in several  pieces, I was worried the flamingo would be just a rehash of that shade of pink.  Immediately, on arrival at home I went in and grabbed a rose saucer and decided that yes this color is a different shade.  If anything, I would say the flamingo is the color that should have been produced from the beginning. 

My New Candlesticks are Even Numbered in Gold

Speaking of beginnings, a part of me wishes I could chuck all my Fiestaware and start over again with a complete set of the flamingo.  However, that is not going to happen, instead I think some new place settings are in order.   I have been assured that this weekend, shipments of the new color will be available at my favorite Fiestaware dealers.  I am thinking someone is going to be abusing her Visa card in the near future.  I can resist anything, but brightly colored dinnerware it would seem.

First Pieces of Flamingo Fiestaware Purchased!

Just updating everyone on my special purchase this morning.  The good people  at Homer Laughlin sent me and email first thing today making me aware that I could pre-order a set of Fiestaware pyramid candlestick holders in the new flamingo color.  Oh, to make me want it even more they are "limited edition."  For about half a second I considered not purchasing the blasted things, but I cracked rather quickly and dragged out the visa card.  Of course they are not releasing the new color until mid-June (not mid-May as I had thought), so now I wait.  But it goes without saying, I WANT THEM NOW!

I am in Love with the Fiestaware Flamingo Color

SEE, Aren't they FABULOUS?  I am in love with this new Fiestaware Flamingo color. It is as if Homer Laughlin knew what I would love.  Much, much, much love.

FLAMINGO FIESTAWARE ON THE WAY!

I just heard the good people at Homer Laughlin announced the new Fiestaware color for 2012 is FLAMINGO!!!  Can you hear me squealing with glee?  Trust me the sound was worthy of any thirteen year old girl.  The color looks gorgeous! I will be stalking my fiestaware haunts in search of a first sighting.  I know this is not as big as world peace or global recognition of same sex marriage, but I am very excited.  Go look it is beautiful!!!

http://hfnmag.com/housewares/fiesta-dinnerware-adds-flamingo-color-lineup

In the Soup (Tureen)

So you know I love Fiestaware.  Last fall the good people at Homer Laughlin said to each other how can we truly torture our faithful customers?  They decided in the spirit of evilness to put out a 75th anniversary soup tureen, which would cost almost as much as stove, in their new color marigold. I tired to resist the urge to own one, I really did.  I am not even crazy about the marigold color.  However, time and obsession undid me.  A piece of Fiestaware, I don't own was too much, and I do make a mean bowl of soup when I put my mind to it. My baked potato soup is particularly tasty.  In the end I truly have no willpower against shiny anniversary pieces of pottery.

The power of Fiestaware was strong and I did end up putting it on my wishlist of fantasy dishes I wanted to own.  The price was steep and the hope strong.  Last week my wife gave me a very large box with Homer Laughlin printed on the side for Valentine's Day.  I know they say little packages contain the best presents, but not always.  In my box was the much desired marigold soup tureen.  My wife was happy, I was happy, but in the end she said good luck finding a home for that.  As always she was right, I have very little space for new editions, let alone something so significant.

I fussed and I measured, my china cabinet was too small.  My corner cabinet refused to be worthy to have the soup tureen inside it as well.  So I fussed and looked around the dining room and looked and looked.  With much study, thought, and tea I did find a home for the new Fiestaware.  It took effort, movement of much stuff, and a couple of glass blocks to make it work, but I am pleased with the end result.  The top shelf of the corner cabinet full of teapots was cleared and made way for a burst of marigold to take center stage.  Now to dust off those cookbooks and start thinking what soup would be worthy of the new tureen.

P.S. With the soup tureen my wife also bought me a chartreuse Fiesta Lady (I know I am very lucky to be so spoiled by my spouse).  She is very lovely dancing at the base of the mighty piece of pottery.