In a little white house by the side of a Mississippi back road, sisters in-law Rhonda and Lauren Nunley make pots. Outside, cats stretch themselves in the sunshine; hens hurry by to no particular destination. Inside, the potters mix glazes the turquoise color of the ocean at sunset, the red of ripe cherries. But it was a long and winding road to this idyllic setting. The charming fairy tale house
near little Iuka, Mississippi, didn't always look like a Provencal garden and art gallery. It once stored hay. During another business venture- indeed, another life- the two enterprising women had, by themselves, totally renovated the structure to house a kindergarten and day care center. They quickly learned that power screwdrivers have a reverse, and that life has a forward. In 1999, Lauren was looking for a schnauzer puppy in the newspaper classifieds. Instead of "puppy," her tracing finger found "pottery classes." She immediately phoned Rhonda, her best friend and business partner to say, "Guess what we're going to do." Five years of pottery classes with several area teachers helped prepare them for amazing things to come. In December 2005, they felt ready to open their own studio. They prayed they would be able to pay their bills. "That," says Rhonda, "is exactly what we got." But together had five children in college. So again they prayed-to be able to help support the family scholars as well. And that's when the biggest miracle of all happened. At a Canton, Mississippi, flea market, the famous Savannah cook and author Paula Deen met Pray Pottery when Rhonda and Lauren presented her with a batter bowl. So impressed by the work, Paula Deen invited the potters to make a place setting for the Christmas issue of her glossy and popular magazine. Their trademark red and turquoise dishes with their magnolia embellishments made a visual splash in the beautiful magazine. Pray Pottery got national exposure-and hundreds of new customers. Rhonda and Lauren design and create pottery for admirers of their art all over the world. What began as a search for a fulfilling way to pay the bills has evolved into a love affair with art. The walls of the old hay house are filled with exquisite color and shapes. No two pieces are alike, and, through their art, they share a story of faith with all who walk through the door. We are a new, locally & family owned self-serve frozen yogurt shop in the heart of Iuka. We offer high quality frozen yogurt in a variety of healthy and delicious flavors including low fat and no sugar added with a seemingly endless variety of toppings including fresh fruit, candy, chocolates, & sauces.
