There's laughter at the dinner table. There's a bit of (very sweet) dessert wine floating around somewhere, but you have your heart set on another cup of coffee. On your left, someone passes another piece of cake. ("I'm not kidding, it's the best you've ever made!") Your friend has (right on cue) started to tell that story about the glasses in the fountain again. Down the table, your sister (the clumsy one) drags her sleeve through the small puddle of sauce on her plate as she reaches for the water carafe. The tapered candles you lit at the start of dinner have (already!) started to drip down their holders.

These are the moments that stay with you all your life. The connections you make with the people you love—the table you share, the stories you tell, and the food you eat together.

That's why I began Parenthetical Ceramics. I make tableware and home goods that (much like the words within parentheses add context to a sentence) add subtlety, texture, and richness to your table.