Most days this time of year, you’ll find me in comfy sneakers, hands covered in clay, hair in a messy bun (paintbrush optional), trying to remember where I put my tea before it goes cold for the third time. It’s busy. It’s loud. It’s a little dusty. And it’s exactly the kind of chaos I love.

This past weekend, someone picked up a handmade mug at the shop and said, “This feels like it was made for someone. Like it has a story.” And just like that, I remembered why I haven’t sat down in days.

Not Just a Gift—A Connection

Handmade gifts are more than just things. They carry the time, talent, and heart of the person who made them. They’re not mass-produced. They’re not one-click-and-forget. They’re chosen. Touched. Crafted by someone who probably spilled glaze on their jeans or glued their fingers together at some point along the way.

When you gift something handmade, you're not just giving an object. You’re giving meaning. A story. A piece of someone’s time and talent and soul.

And sometimes, a slightly crooked handle, because—if you’ve ever used one of my mugs—you know that’s part of the charm.

The Story Behind It — And The Story It Goes On To Live

Handmade pieces carry the story of the maker—sure.
But what I love most is that they go on to become part of someone else’s story.

That mug the customer held this weekend?
I don’t know who they’ll gift it to.
I don’t know where it will sit.
I don’t know what conversations it will overhear.
But I know it will live a life far beyond the wheel it was thrown on.

And there’s something quietly powerful about that.

Why It Still Matters

There’s so much noise this time of year. Big sales. Fast shipping. Algorithms telling us what we should want. Pressure to check the boxes, fill the cart, and move on to the next thing.

But handmade slows us down—in the best way. It asks us to pause. To notice. To connect. To be thoughtful. To be beautifully imperfect.

It’s the difference between giving someone a thing and giving them something that means something.

When someone holds a mug that was thrown by hand, they’re holding hours of work, countless decisions, a dozen glaze tests, and probably at least one moment where I stood back, squinted, and said, “Well, that’s not what I planned, but I love it anyway.”

There’s beauty in that kind of imperfection. There’s humanity in it.

And at the holidays—when everything can feel overwhelming and overly polished—I think we’re all craving something real.

That’s why it still matters.
Not because it’s trendy or curated.
But because it’s honest. It’s personal. It’s a way to say:
I thought about you. I wanted this to feel good in your hands. I wanted it to be part of your story.

Whether you’re giving a handmade gift or creating something yourself, it’s not just about the object—it’s about what it means to give with heart, to share something someone else made with care, to connect.

That’s the kind of holiday season I want to be part of.

The Experience of Creating (or Letting Someone Choose Their Own)

This season, I’ve seen more people gifting experiences than ever. Pottery, soap making, dot painting, even build-your-own snow globe sessions. I love it. I love that people are saying, “I want to give you time. Joy. A little creative mess.”

And if you’re not sure what they’ll love most, we now have gift certificates—beautifully packaged and full of possibility. (shameless plug… but also genuinely useful)

Thank You for Letting Me Be a Part of That

Whether you’re drinking from one of my mugs, gifting something handmade from one of our artists, or just stopping by to look around and sip cocoa—thank you.

Thank you for letting pieces made by real hands become part of your world.
Thank you for including our stories in yours.
Thank you for being the kind of people who find meaning in the imperfect, the intentional, and the handmade.

Until next Tuesday,
❤️ Jen