Midtown Tulsa has a fairly diverse group of coffee shops–one for nearly each district. One favorite of mine is Shades of Brown (“Coffee & Art”) on Brookside, a coffee house which brings as much to the community table as its baristas brew damn good coffee. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that each drink is served in a unique, hand-crafted mug.

The mugs led me to Melinda Borum (owner of Shades of Brown) and her mother, Marcia Borum. Though Melinda’s home remodeling and approaching marriage have kept her from the wheel lately, she paid biting attention to the piece in front of her as she sculpted for the photograph. Melinda and Marcia have been hand-crafting Shades of Brown’s mugs and pottery from their South Tulsa home for almost a year and a half now. After taking a class at Brookside Pottery and eventually deciding to craft their own pottery, the Borums’ work has evolved from basic glazed to vibrant color-toned pieces. They’re on display–and in use–at their coffee shop. Make sure you take a closer look next time you have a sip.

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