The First Mug of Fall

Hi friends,

There’s something about that first crisp morning—the steam rising from a handmade mug—that feels like coming home. Coffee tastes a little richer, tea feels a little sweeter, and suddenly fall is here.

As I watch the leaves begin to turn in North Carolina, I’m reminded that change doesn’t have to be jarring. It can be quiet, steady, and breathtakingly beautiful. Clay teaches me this too. Every piece changes as it moves through its stages—soft and pliable, centered and formed, glazed and fired. Each transformation is necessary. Each step brings it closer to becoming what it’s meant to be.

September invites us to notice those shifts. To celebrate the in-between, to pause at the table with warm hands around a favorite mug, and to trust that change can be comforting.

This season, I’m leaning into the beauty of “becoming”—both in the clay I shape and the life I live. My hope is that you’ll do the same, and that somewhere in your September mornings you find a small moment of comfort, too.

With muddy hands and a warm heart,

Cris

 The Potter