For those of you who know me, you’ll be wondering about the title of this post.  As you know, I am a big fan of both Ikea and Target.  I’ve collected salad plates from both which are used almost daily. Yes, we’ve had to replace a few here and there. We still use the 15-year-old matte black glazed dinner plates I made during graduate school. We’ve only broken one.  Ironically, our Burmese cat Kofi actually prefered to eat her food out of the “princess kitty” porcelain bowls I made for her as opposed to one commercially manufactured.  We were surprised to find that she actually has preferences about her dinnerware. Who would have thought?

   The point is, Ikea sells beautifully designed tableware which is cheaper and plentiful due to manufacturing processes . But there is something special about eating oatmeal, pasta, chili (or cat food), out of a bowl which has been lovingly created on a potters’ wheel. The same goes for enjoying your morning cup of coffee out of a mug created by the hands of another.  The cycle of human connection between artist and user is completed when you take that ritual first sip in the morning.  Cheers!