‘Tis gift-giving season again! Need something special for those special to you? Check out our list of gifts from Alabama makers and a few items that will say “you mean a lot to me” AND support the vital work of The Joy to Life Foundation.
Alluring Lures: Weston Epperson comes from a fishing family, one that works in the industry and enjoys the sport as a pastime. He’s been making lures since he was a kid, but until 2020, they were only for his personal use. When COVID hit, his relaxing hobby became a business, WSE Lures, based from his home in Montgomery. His lures are functional bait designed to hook the big ones, but each is also a work of art, hand-carved from a block of wood, usually without a plan other than the picture in Epperson’s mind. “Every lure is truly the only one of its kind,” he said. “I could use molds or other methods to replicate a certain design, but I get satisfaction from the lengthy process of seeing a piece of wood turn into a fishing lure.” Find the fishing lure that catches your eye here. Epperson also does custom orders.
Gritty & Good: Dothan native chef Kelsey Barnard Clark owns KBC restaurant in downtown Dothan and made big headlines in 2019 when she was named the winner “Bravo’s Top Chef,” making her the first Southerner to earn the coveted title. The popular television show introduced the world to Clark’s signature kitchen style, a fresh take on Southern classics, and her recently released her first cookbook “Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook,” brings this philosophy to the home cook. She’s described the book as a love letter to the South, and the volume is packed with stories and memories, kitchen skills and tips for entertaining, plus recipes to create sips and dishes like Bourbon Cider Mimosas, Sorghum & Pecan Sweet Potatoes, Butter Bean Hoppin’ John, Marinated Crab Claws and OG Buttermilk Biscuits. Grab a copy here.
Time for Tea: Becca Gardner can’t remember her first sip of tea, but she knows she’s loved it ever since and has strong recollections of having hot tea with her mother, stirring up rousing conversations over a cup of tea at a favorite tea-shop study spot in college and then learning more about the drink’s health benefits. In 2014, she and her husband Jonathan put this passion to work and founded Tea Town Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The couple’s goal is to create loose-leaf teas made from honest, homegrown and wild-harvested ingredients, including locally grown herbs and fruits (many from their own garden) and organically grown teas. She stressed the powerful preventative punch they can pack. “When you add more plants to your plate, or cup in our case, you are lowering risks for a variety of health issues. Drinking (or eating) a variety of plants can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, decrease your risk for heart disease and cancer, heal and strengthen your nervous system,” Becca said. Tea Town strives to create combinations that pair well together, like its Folk Remedy tea, which contains echinacea to help boost your immune system, sage to soothe the throat, rosemary to clear congestion, hibiscus for a dose of vitamin C and oatstraw and red clover for its high nutritional content. Becca’s personal faves change with the seasons but include the lemon zip of Sunnyside, the warmth of Roasted Cinnamon and the minty My Sweet Roselle. Find your favorite here.
Mother Nature as Muse: Margie Whatley has always been an artist, originally painting with oils and watercolors, but when she took pottery classes with her daughter, she discovered a new medium to love. After making wheel-thrown pieces for a while, she moved into hand-forming clay, finding this technique offered more creative expression. In 2018, she started her business, MW Designs, and the porcelain jewelry she’s now hand-making is catching eyes and catching on. Her earrings and pendants range from clean-lined geometrics to shapes mimicking Mother Nature — think crinkle-edged leaves and rounded flower petals — in earthy hues like watery blue, sage green, mushroom brown and tawny amber, often accented with 22k gold. It all began with her affinity for the outdoors. “I’ve always enjoyed foraging outside, so it was natural for these things to find a way into my work,” Margie said. “I love to use plants from my garden like lavender, rosemary, mint, sage and thyme, and to use leaves and different types of ferns which grow naturally down by a stream behind our house. Thanks to nature, there is an endless variety of design ideas.” And the colors of every piece are one of a kind. “The various colors happen from combinations of glazes and pigments and how they react between each other, along with where they are located in my kiln,” she said. “Heat does the work and creates the magic. No two pieces are exactly alike, even if I try to duplicate them.” Find MW Designs jewelry at The Local Market in Auburn’s J&M Bookstore, look for her at local craft fairs and other events, or message her on Instagram (@margiewhatley) to buy from her directly.
Give the Gift of Good: Snag one of these bundle boxes for some lucky someone on your gift list and unleash the power of pink. Proceeds from all benefit the life-saving work of The Joy to Life Foundation. On sale for the holiday season, the SHE Bundle, the Tote Bundle and the Hip Pack Bundle -- Get yours here.