Entertaining Essentials: Host an Oyster Shucking Party!

Fresh off my trip to North Carolina, I’ve been reminded once again that folks do things a bit differently in the south than here in go-go Los Angeles. The days move a little more slowly; the cocktails and the laughter flow a little more freely; and maybe it was just me, but the sun seems to sink a little more lazily into the horizon each night. The atmosphere below the Mason Dixon line fosters a laissez-faire sophistication that we West Coasters often try to recreate but can’t quite imitate. Yet it doesn’t stop us from trying!

If genteel refinement is on your shopping list, then look no further than Garden & Gun’s Mercantile + Co! The region’s leading lifestyle publication has rounded up all of its favorite home goods and entertaining essentials. You’ll find everything from ceramics and glassware to table linens and pantry goodies, all of it made by southern artisans.

oyster shucking party essentials // anne sage

Not only is the curation in the G+G Mercantile a spot-on mix of classic and contemporary, but the wares are often grouped to complement the magazine’s recent features, like this gorgeous oyster shucking party! Tiny gold salt cellars, pale shades of pewter and ecru, and of course the craggy mystery of the oysters themselves. It might be inspired by a Southern tradition, but the style statement it makes appeals in 50 states—and so does the shell-cracking good time it will inspire with guests!

Shopping Guide: 1. Striped Linen Table Cloth 2. Gold Salt Cellar with Spoon 3. Wood Handled Oyster Shucker 4. Honeycomb Serving Platter 5. Oyster Shell Salt Cellar 6. Pewter Base Rocks Glass Images courtesy of Garden & Gun.