Toula's Home Gift Garden

Do you own anything that just makes you happy when you look at it? There are a few things in life that simply make me happy just as they are, and one of them is my handmade R. Wood latte mug. This particular mug is a deep green-blue on the outside and a nice orange on the inside (for those of you who know R. Wood’s color lingo, these colors are “ocean” and “sunset”).

I discovered R. Wood in a gift store in Athens many years ago. There was a table setting of her pottery, and I was taken by the rich glazes and whimsical shapes. Every piece was clearly handmade, down to the finger imprints on the latte mugs. I subsequently learned that Rebecca Wood was a local potter who had met with national recognition. Her pottery is made of deep red Georgia clay, and instead of being thrown on a traditional potter’s wheel, this pottery is pressed into molds and then meticulously worked by hand into a variety of useful shapes.

I don’t typically buy locally for Toula’s, but over the years I have become friends with Rebecca Wood and her gifted crew, and just love the pottery they produce in their colorful Athens studio. More important, our customers are crazy for R. Wood’s boldly colored platters, bowls, and other serving pieces. We have incorporated many of her designs throughout Toula’s, giving customers ideas about how to use traditional pieces in other ways (like popping a nice “surf”-colored latte saucer under a bar of Mistral soap in a guest bathroom).

I like to think that one reason for R. Wood’s success at Toula’s is the fact that we are passionate about the product. All of us at the store use Rebecca’s pieces at home, so we know they “work” as mood-enhancing mugs or cereal bowls, or special pops of color in a room when set out to hold candles or fruit. There are at least nineteen great colors to chose from, and somehow all combinations look good together. These unique pieces make great wedding, housewarming, or hostess gifts. We welcome special orders and would love to make suggestions; as we get closer to the holidays the studio gets extremely busy, so we encourage customers to get their requests in early. Please stop by Toula’s and let us introduce you to one of our simple passions that is produced right here in Athens.

Eric