Absolutely you may post my comments.

I feel it is so important for each of us to do our part in supporting locally owned and operated companies for our survival as a country.

My husband and I learned about your company upon visiting T’s Restaurant in Cranston RI for breakfast.  After drinking my cup of tea I flipped the mug over to see where the mug was made and was VERY HAPPY to see that they are made in the USA and not in some foreign country.

I purchased a set T’s mugs for my brother for Christmas since he was the one who invited us out to T’s Restaurant that day.

Upon reviewing your website I realize that you cater to businesses for their local advertising.  I hope one day you will carry a full line of products for in home use for customers like myself who believe and “Trust” in items made in the USA.  There are may of us out here that would prefer to get back to locally made products!

Keep up the good work and best wishes to you and your family and company in 2011 as well!

Yours truly,
Martha Brown

12/28/10 Could this be the last testimonial for 2010?

“I just wanted to drop you a quick thank you for our mug order. We were very happy with the quality of the [handmade] mugs and the delivery before the holidays. I have received many favorable comments relative the the quality of the mugs from our clients. I would like to thank Teena especially for a great job on the design of the emblem! John Gormley PMP • Warwick Neck Associates – Warneck, RI

When you want a beautiful handmade mug, unparalleled customer service, and YOUR customers to comment on the quality of the finished piece then give us a call 888-646-0238. We are a family owned and operated pottery company that LOVES making beautiful handthrown mugs!

Thanks again John for allowing us to post your email on our blog!

Niles Deneen VP, Marketing
Deneen Pottery

/12/21/10 It happened again…

“I have not received my mugs yet, but if they are half as good as Deneen Pottery’s customer service I will be beyond satisfied. The staff at Deneen Pottery is friendly, knowledgeable, and shockingly accessible. I am going to find a reason to use Deneen Pottery again.” S. Beaux Jones • LSU Law J.D./D.C.L Candidate 2011 –Baton Rouge, LA

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Although we do have a full running list of testimonials on our website I thought that it would be nice to have mug designs accompany the glowing words from our happy customers. I am not sure if I will do new blogs for each new testimonial yet but I have found the first one for this effort – Kaleidoscope Yoga:

Dear Peter,

& Niles, Julie, Teena & the those of you that I don’t know the names for who have brought joy & light to my life through your creative gifts & talents emerging from Deneen Pottery…Thanks for the awesome craftsmanship, quality, & beautiful translation of my logo & the organically wonderful feel & look of “my” mugs.

Kaleidoscope Yoga is slated to open mid-January & I look forward to having the mugs available for “sampling” with my students/clients’ drink selections after classes/sessions.  I stayed at a B&B in Asheville a little over a year ago & was introduced to your product with my morning coffee & purchased a couple mugs & thought “one day” in my own studio I would want to offer these.  And, here “we” are.

May the holidays bring peace & contentment & health to your hearts which continues throughout 2011 & beyond.

Gratefully,
Roberta Johnson
Kaleidoscope Yoga

Thank you for reading our blog

Niles Deneen – VP, Marketing

Hell’s Backbone Grill is located in Boulder, Utah, population 180 – one of the most remote towns in the United States! The chef-owners, Jen Castle and Blake Spalding operate their restaurant following Buddhist principles, with a commitment to sustainability, environmental ethics, and social and community responsibility. They serve organic, locally produced, regionally and seasonally appropriate cusine and grow many of their own vegetables organically in the restaurants two gardens and on their six-acre farm! They feature dishes made with fruit from Boulder’s heirloom orchards and rely largely on local ranchers for the natural meats. Every cup of coffee is served in a handmade mug, by (you guessed it) Deneen Pottery!

Now in their 9th season, their mission and passion has not gone unrecognized.

Hell’s Backbone Grill enjoys one of the highest Zagat ratings in Utah and was selected as a Fodor’s Choice 2006 recipient. The restaurant was also named Salt Lake Magazine’s “Best Restaurant in Southern Utah” for 2007 and was awarded the prestigious Utah Governor’s Mansion Award for Culinary Artistry in 2006, presented by Governor Jon Huntsman. In 2005, Blake and Jen received an award from the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Center for Sustainable Environments for being “Culture Bearers of Sustainability in the Four Corners Region.” Additionally, Hell’s Backbone Grill was chosen as one of four restaurants representing Utah’s Slow Food movement in an exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. The restaurant has been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, Sunset Magazine, Bon Appetit, Organic Gardening, Outside Traveler, Travel and Leisure, Washington Post, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Traveler.

Last week as we were just about to send out their latest order I had the chance to talk to Maggie McGuire, the Retail Manager… I was curious to find out more about how our mugs were working for Hell’s Backbone Grill. Maggie suggested I email her a few questions. A few days later I recieved an email from Jen Castle – a big fan of our handthrown mugs – with answers to all of my questions. I thought it would be best to post those questions and answers here.

Q.) What do you like best about your mugs?
A.) They are wildly durable and incredibly gorgeous. Each time I order a different combination of the many shapes and amazing color glazes. The combinations are limitless, Julie and the potters are so patient with my requests and it makes our mugs really collectible. Sometimes I’ll bring an old combo back for kicks, sometimes I’ll find an unstoppable seller that we can’t keep in stock. When a customer orders decaf in the morning, I’ll give them a green mug as a code to myself for easy refilling without having to ask which one they’re drinking.

Q.) Don’t you worry about theft or breakage?
A.) They are practically unbreakable. Sometimes we have a couple broken in transit, but not often (and not this time!). Even dropping them doesn’t hurt them! They bounce and we’re always stunned to see nary a blemish. We wash them in our dish machine where they rattle around, we carry many in one hand dangerously, it’s hard to damage them. I don’t worry about theft– our customers are here to support our small business and are stoked to find that we’re selling these beautiful handmade mugs… if one gets out into the world because someone is a thief(!) it’s still out there with our name on it, advertising our place, and when someone turns it upside down, they see the stamp telling where it was made. The name is still getting play.

And I have to trust that the universe will take care of the bad element. If they need it THAT badly… they can have it. Because really, so many people want to exchange money for art. I trust that those folks will make the stronger showing.

Q.) Do you do anything specific to prevent them from walking away with your patrons?
benefit of the doubt, good faith… electric cattle prod… Really, the uniqueness of the mug is a bit of a deterrent– our dining room is small and our staff keep and open eye and an open heart and interact so much with the customers so they’d notice one of the two mugs missing from the table. They create connections with the customer– most people want to steal from strangers, not from someone invested in their good experience.

We have a beautiful dining room and we want things to be *nice* — the mugs are so gorgeous and add a lot to the experience. The benefits of the satisfying cuppa, the unbreakability factor and the handmade by our talented friends factor all outweigh the sad possibility of losing them to an unenlightened being.

Q.) What do you sell them for?
$18. Maybe too cheap? Or maybe the right price for no stealing.

“We’ve used Deneen mugs for 9 seasons and they have been beautiful, popular, and durable!”

Thanks, Niles. I really love your products.
Jen Castle
Hell’s Backbone Grill
Boulder UT

When you have the opportunity to share in the joys of life, with those who find joy in their work – making a living brings you a life that is bigger than just yourself! Thanks Jen for taking the time to write back and for helping to support my family’s pottery company.

Niles Deneen