gift ideas

Beautiful Handmade Pottery

I have been doing quite a bit of shopping for our house on Etsy. I probably go on there three times a week looking for something specific. Because I’ve been on there so frequently, I have been getting served a ton of ads for Etsy all over the internet. I have no idea who or what is behind the AI behind the ads, but they are targeted SO WELL. Every one I get is #onpoint and I can’t help but click through to discover these new to me artisans. This pottery brand was one of those ads and I promptly placed a giant order. I went to write this post because I had to share how amazing it was, only to discover the Etsy shop was closed! I panicked! BUT Susan Gordon Pottery had just moved to their own e-commerce site… woo!

I hope you love this as much as I do. I haven’t even received the items yet– but I know they’re going to be winners and I think I may order some more to keep on hand for gifts!

Leopard Spot Jewelry Pottery

WAVY BOWLS WITH LEOPARD SPOTS

So these were in the ad I originally got. How cute?!?! Her wavy dishes come in various colors, patterns, and sizes. 

Candle

FALL CANDLE

The best part of this is that once the candle burns all the way down, you’re left with a gorgeous bowl! So, it’s a two for one… and would make an excellent gift.

Cake Stand

CAKE STAND

I bought a cake stand too. Could not resist. I love the wavy edges. It’s elegant and fun.

Cracker Tray

CRACKER TRAY

Can we talk about how cute this would be for a party?

Susan Gordon Pottery

JULIETTE BOWL

I also bought this to keep on our kitchen island. Mike likes to have a bowl of lemons ready to go at all times and I thought this would look beautiful.

Heart Dish Pottery

LEOPARD HEART RING DISH

These would make great bridesmaid gifts– or just a gift for yourself to keep on your nightstand to collect your jewelry before bed. Or by the kitchen sink if you’re like me and take off rings before doing dishes.

Monogrammed Smash Cake

MONOGRAMMED SMASH CAKE SET

Okay, this set might just be my favorite. A monogrammed plate and mini cake stand for first birthday party smash cakes. (Or really any birthday? Who am I to judge.) Also comes in blue.

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50 Comments

Laura

Dear Polly,
Please use your energy to contact your Congress person and work to fix the ills that plague our society at this time. Time spent correcting a blog one reads for enjoyment is a waste of time.

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Melissa

Time spent writing and publishing poorly written blog entries that represent a brand/business is also a waste of time.

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LF

Carly, I’m surprised by this comment. I’m a longtime reader and you have been disappointingly silent for years on anything related to politics or political engagement. In addition, despite your flexible schedule and enormous privilege, you do not seem to do anything of substance to improve your community or help others. What are YOU doing to “fix the ills that plague our society”? Perhaps look inward before firing off a snarky response. You could be using your platform to do so much more.

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Nora

I do agree that the typos in your posts have become frequent and distracting. I’m sure there are various options for proofreading that you could explore. On a positive note, I love Susan’s work and I look forward to seeing your photos when your order arrives.

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Laura

Carly was NOT the one who made the comment. I did. I find comments such as these to be unrelated to her post with the only purpose of just being mean. You have the right to not read her posts if they bother you so much. Exercise that right. I find Carly’s heart to be in the right place and appreciate the content she brings to us. Everyone is human and capable of mistakes. But the individual(s) who chooses it to be his/her mission to be hurtful and mean spirited is not doing so by mistake.

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Mary

Please note that Carly did not write that “snarky” reply. That was written by someone else. This is my first time commenting on any blog, but in an era with so many mean-spirited online comments in various mediums, let’s be kind to one another. Constructive criticism is fine, but let’s be kind in the process.

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Emily

I agree with Polly. It is distracting to read so many errors and sort of disappointing that Carly does not seem to care about her readers enough to proofread her posts before hitting publish. It’s sloppy and not what you would expect from someone who self-describes as having a Type-A personality — or really from anyone who takes pride in the quality of their work. At the end of the day, Carly’s readership contributes a great deal to her livelihood and it would be nice if she considered this feedback from her audience.

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Holly

WOW! No one is forcing any of you to come to Carly’s blog – if you don’t like what you see here then maybe go read somewhere else! She’s human, no one is perfect.

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Casey

But this is Carly’s job. At my job, I am expected to proofread my work, because I am a professional and a certain level of quality is expected. Turning in sloppy work shows a lack of effort and lack of respect for your audience. Why wouldn’t you want to put forward your best effort? Mediocrity is not preppy.

Felicia

Polly, your presence here detracts from my experience of reading my favorite blog. But seriously. You seem like someone who has tons of friends. Here’s a hug. 🤗 Among other things, you clearly need one.

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Katie

I agree with Polly. I have also noticed many typos lately and they do detract from the experience of reading your blog. Carly, maybe consider downloading Grammarly or having someone quickly read through posts before publishing?

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Tricia

Agree, this blog is your job. You should have a little more pride in your work. If I sent a work email with a bunch of typos I would be embarrassed.

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Georgetown AF

Agree with everyone noting the grammar errors all over the place – very distracting and devalues the brand. I never understood why a person with a limited grasp of syntax, grammar and spelling is always humble-bragging about being Georgetown educated. A case of grade inflation, perhaps?

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Amy

We are all human. Let’s be less judgmental here. I love reading your blog, Carly.

Polly

No one is asking Carly to be perfect. More of her posts have typos than not – pointing that out isn’t expecting perfection, it’s fairly communicating how the errors and sloppiness are perceived. I enjoy reading New Yorker magazine. If a particular New Yorker writer – who was paid $350K+ year like Carly (not that any writers at any magazine earn anywhere near that) – kept writing pieces with typos, I’d point it out to the editor. If other readers of the magazine defended the sloppiness and suggested I just stop reading the New Yorker, that would be crazy. #workhardercarly

Em

She makes more than many physicians for THIS? I don’t know who should be more embarrassed, her or readers that buy her sponsored stuff.

Laura

I think we’ve discovered the originator of these comments……a disgruntled writer. I’m sorry you are experiencing such trials and tribulations in your career. Times are tough for many, but attacking Carly will not solve your difficulties. We wish you well, whether you are an author, journalist or blogger. Sometimes we all need to be reminded to support print magazines, print newspapers, local bookstores, etc.

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Melissa

Weird that this disgruntled reader’s comments posted at all as I thought she’d hired someone to filter her negative comments.

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Jan

I find it is better to be kind than to be right. Life is too short.

Carly, keep up the great work!

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Kelly

These comments break my heart. I have been a long time follower of Carly and love her work and what she brings to the table for inspiration in my own life. What a waste of time to spend your energy putting her down over typos. If you don’t like what she offers, carry on your way to somewhere else. It’s clearly no loss to you.

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Abby

I especially love the cracker tray! I could see it being used as a long jewelry tray as well 😍

Abby
abbymeister.com

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Laura

You should do a post about how and where you store all these pottery pieces. I am forever trying to find the best option to store these kinds of party serving ware. It actually keeps me from buying certain things because I don’t know where to put them when not in use.

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carly

So our house has beautiful old school built ins in the dining room (plus open shelving in the kitchen). I’m planning on stocking our shelves in the dining room with beautiful dishes (and there are drawers underneath for even more storage)!

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Jessica

Love this! Could you do a round up of other etsy favorites? And a follow up on how the candle smells?

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Emily

Very pretty! I was curious where the artist/shop is actually located but it’s rather difficult to find on the site. Any ideas?

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Jaime

I live in Birmingham, AL, where Susan Gordon Pottery is based out of and was so happy to see this post. I wear a pair of the Round Dipped Studs a few times a week and love them!

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Allison

I’m obsessed with Susan Gordon pottery! I have one of the smaller leopard bowls and I love it! I can’t wait to get more.

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Rhonda

I am waiting for my Susan Gordon Etsy order to ship right now! I was so excited to see your post. I also ordered two ring dishes (nightstand and kitchen) and three charms with a chain with my kids initials. Not only are her dishes stunning, but the jewelry is beautiful too. I can’t wait for it to arrive! It’s so exciting to find someone who makes such beautiful, unique items.

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Laura

Carly, Thank you for sharing your current find! I appreciate your efforts in reminding us to fill our lives with beauty and objects we love.
#filltheworldwithkindnessandbeauty

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Nicole

I’ve been looking for bridesmaids gifts and those ring dishes are PERFECT! Thanks for the recommendation (and I also want to buy every piece of pottery in this post, haha!)

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Michelle

I love all of these! That cracker tray is PERFECT! Thank you for sharing, Susan’s pottery is gorgeous!

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Pearl

It’s so sad to see people pick someone apart. If you do not like the quality of someone’s work, don’t come to the blog. It’s your perception of her work and perceptions are subjective. No one is perfect. I love Carly’s work. I like her fashion choices and her positive vibe. There are other bloggers’ work that I don’t like–fashion choices, price points of outfits, topic choices, etc. I would not go on their blog to tear them apart because I would not like someone to do that to me. Why would I do that to someone else? I just don’t visit their blog. It really is a form of bullying to put someone down in that manner.

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Emily

It is a bit rich to label pointing out distracting errors in a blog post as “bullying.” This is feedback from her readers about a continued problem. This is not a one off typo or random error. Almost every post have an issue. Many of us have read her blog for a decade and would like to continue to do so, but reading post after post with so many errors is upsetting and really shows no care for the people who pay her salary. Instead of simply losing her audience, we have requested the simple solution of proofreading her work. The extreme defensiveness on your part is a bit wild. If the comment in question was something like “I don’t like the way you look” then yes, that’s rude and unfounded and not okay. Commenting about continued grammatical errors? The simple solution to this very fair constructive criticism is for Carly to simply proofread her writing before hitting submit.

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Lizzy

Susan Gordon’s studio is less than 5 minutes from my house! She also makes adorable earrings that are SO light and comfortable. I’m pretty sure I have 6 pairs now in constant rotation.

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Kelly

These are such cute pieces! Like another comment above (below?) I would love to see what else you have been finding on Etsy. We’re in the middle of building a home and will move in in a few months. I am all over the place looking for new pieces!
And as always, thank you for your hard work and energy you put into your blog. You are doing great!

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