Give Away..... Oyster Mugs {Give Away}

A few weeks ago, I shared a post, More Love for Oysters, and I received many pageviews & positive comments about the oyster ceramics by dk clay.

I worked with Debbie of dk clay to create coffee mugs and soup bowls. I simply suggested my vision, and Debbie created the "masterpieces".

Voila! I am so excited to announce my next give away.

Debbie of dk clay has generously donated 2 ceramic oyster shell coffee mugs to be given away to one of my blog followers.

Here are the rules of the give away:

1. You must be a current follower of my blog. Simply go to the left hand margin of my blog, and click on "Join this site". Follow all prompts.
2. You must be a Linky Follower. Simply go to the left margin and click on "follow me" under Follow by Linky.
3. You must post a comment to this blog post below.
4. You must reside in the continental United States.

I also suggest that you "follow by email" so that you do not miss any of my blog posts.

The drawing for the 2 oyster coffee mugs will be on Thursday, April 12 @ 6:00 p.m. central time. Winner will be announced on Friday, April 13. The two mugs will be given away as a set to one follower meeting the above criteria.

Good Luck, friends!

Let the games begin, y'all!

More Love for Oysters.....

From past posts, you know I am in love with all things oyster. To me the mollusk is a symbol of Southern coastal living.

Upon one of my Uptown walks, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lovely oyster-topped tureen in the window of dk Clay, located just 3 or 4 blocks from my home. The tureen, glazed white pottery topped with three realistic oyster shells, stopped me in my tracks. I had to know more, but since it was a Sunday the shop was closed and the phone number I goggled was no longer working. A couple days went by, and I spied an “open” sign on the door. I hurried in and began what would be a lovely relationship with more oyster inspired serveware and accessories.

I worked closely with dk clay owner, Debbie Kraemer, to create coffee mugs, soup bowls, and more. And I just had to have my own custom soup tureen.

So, my orders were placed, and I waited impatiently several weeks until all were complete. Just last week, I was able to pick up several of the newest custom pieces to add to my vast serveware collections.

Here are the custom oyster pieces created just for me. Check out how DK placed the oyster shell on the mugs and soup bowls. It is a perfect placement for my thumb.

And by the way, I placed another order for cereal & pasta bowls. The waiting continues….

Shuck ‘em again, y’all!

Ocean Springs.....Hillyer House

Walking down Washington Avenue in Downtown Ocean Springs, you cannot help but notice the charming façade and sea-inspired entrance of Hillyer House. The white-washed paint color screams coastal ambience. And what a treat it is once you walk through the front doors. Wow!

I was enveloped in the array of colors of all the hand-blown glass, finely sculptured pottery, and art by many local watercolorists.

Established in 1970, Hillyer House features works of art from over 300 local, regional, and national artists.

The sculpted pottery by artist Connie Mickle of Pensacola, Florida really caught my eye. The organic nature of her work kept my focus. Connie is greatly influenced by the coastal waters and their contents, either real or imaginary. Her work is functional as well as decorative. I snapped photo after photo of all her work displayed within several vignettes in the gallery.

I loved her sculpted pottery so much that two pieces became mine--- a crab chip & dip and a crawfish cheese tray. Just look at the lines of these pieces. I cannot wait to serve from them soon.

I was also fascinated by the oil paintings that filled the walls and lined the shelves of Hillyer House. I would have loved to add one to my ever-growing collection of Southern birds or oyster favorites.

Hillyer House also offers a local selection of soaps, lotions, sea salts, and candles.

Make sure you put Hillyer House on your to-do list next time you are in Ocean Springs.

Happy Shopping…Ocean Springs style, y’all!

And a Happy Pi Day!

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Savvy Southern Style

for Wow Us Wednesdays

&

Primp

My Favorite Things.....Oysteria Hysteria

BFFs AOW, MOS, and I have dubbed our love for all things oyster as Oysteria Hysteria. From the moment I was gifted my first Oysteria piece by J, I was smitten with the shapes, textures, and organic nature of Oysteria’s sea-inspired creations.

“Oysteria Inc. is an oyster plate & accessories business established in 2010 by friends Monique Chauvin and Leslie Stidd Masonny. Their works reflect their love of this city, our culinary culture & decorative arts. All pieces are handcrafted, fired in New Orleans and are made to be used, enjoyed and collected.

The two teamed up creatively when Leslie joined the staff at Mitch's Flowers, owned by Monique Chauvin. They loved to challenge themselves artistically beyond their acclaimed floral talents. Their hobbies: studying art, painting, playing around with clay, and entertaining.

Leslie's life-long love of oysters helped shape their artistic focus. According to Leslie, "being a real New Orleans girl, an oyster was my first solid food!" And when she and Monique were asked to come up with a plate design for a gift ...Oysteria, Inc. was born.

Although only established in 2010, Oysteria products are now hot items coveted by locals, as well as fans across the country. The Oysteria line can also be found in many fine New Orleans shops and of course, Mitch's Flowers, where it all began.”

You can find Oysteria products at Little Miss Muffin & soon at Chic Chateau in Thibodaux.

I am smitten with Oysteria, and I am sure you will be too! Here are my own Oysteria finds:

Joining the following:

A Stroll Through Life

Shuck more, y’all!