The Mud Place, The Home of Handcrafter Pottery By Leslie

 

The Christmas shopping season gets in full swing on Black Friday even though you can start seeing sales in October. On the first Saturday after Black Friday is "Shop Small Business Saturday". A shopping day where Christmas shoppers are encouraged to purchase gifts from small local businesses. 

This year I totally forgot about this shopping day.  It wasn't until a week later that I happened to notice a road side sign on my way to Sam's Club to get gas. The sign was pointing directions for a local pottery shop.  

On my way back from Sam's Club, I followed the sign to "The Mud Place".  This business is tucked away in business park off Stan Drive in Melbourne, Florida.  

After parking my car, I entered to small shop only to find the owner and the master potter, Leslie, sitting behind a small desk. She greeted me with a big smile on her face.  After signing her guest book, she gave me the history of her shop.  

Her retail shop is the front of her pottery studio. I could see her studio through the open door leading to the back of the unit on Stan Drive. Leslie explained that she calls her retail store a pop-up shop because it is not open every day.  She uses her email list to alert her followers when her shop will be open and any special events she has going on. She asked me if she could email me and I said yes.  

This Christmas season, "The Mud Place" is open each Saturday until Christmas. Being that there are two more Saturdays until Christmas, you have time to visit "The Mud Shop".  

While I was there, she offered me a glass of Mimosa, which I gladly accepted.  Sitting on the small table, that she was sitting behind, was the guest book and a bowl of Leslie's Marinated Olives. She offered me one says that she made these. Leslie had the olive marinate recipe on a card behind the olives for anyone to take. After finishing off my glass of Mimosa and enjoying one of her olives, I photographed her pop-up shop while she continued telling me the history of her pottery business. I enjoyed hearing the part of her history about sewing caddies and the other sewing pottery pincushions and notions holders. There is a patient for the sewing caddy on display on the wall of her shop. 

She does most of her business online. You can visit "The Mud Shop" website and see all the pottery that Leslie has for sale. After spending time with Leslie, I left the shop.  As I was driving home, I call my wife, Kathi, and told her about "The Mud Shop" and my experience. I said that I was picking her up to return to the shop to shop. It did not me 30 minutes to reach home, pick up Kathi, and return to "The Mud Shop".  After we arrived back at the shop, I enjoyed listening to Leslie tell Kathi her story especially the part about the sewing pottery.  Because sewing was a big part of Kathi's mother's life, I could see that Kathi enjoyed this part of Leslie's history.  At one point Kathi reached down to touch the bowl of Leslie's Marinated Olives not knowing they were real.  She thought the bowl with olives was a ceramic piece.  She was surprised to see that these were actually a bowl of real marinated olives to eat. After regrouping, she selected an olive to eat. After Kathi enjoyed her olive, we shopped the store selecting a two items, one to give as a Christmas gift and sponge holder for our kitchen. All the mugs and bowls at "The Mud Place" are microwave and dishwasher safe. 

"The Mud Place" has an interesting selection of pottery in the pop-up shop with many more on line.  

If you are looking for that special gift for someone who appreciates handcrafted pottery, "The Mud Place" is the place to visit either in person or online to find that special gift or handcrafted pottery for yourself.

Have a Merry, Merry Christmas, and remember be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.