< Previous20 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 FEATURE GIFTS FROM THE SEA Artists transform shells, sea glass and driftwood into ornaments, decorations story by LAURA PENNINO | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T wo artsy island entrepreneurs are fashioning sea shells, sea glass, starfish and sand dollars into ornaments, wreaths, jewelry boxes and other holiday decorations. Gigi Steele, a retired art teacher and founder of Gigi’s Altered Objects, moved from the Dallas area to Galveston Island four years ago. She and her husband went shelling in January 2021 when they found white angel wing clam shells. Steele used the delicate shells as the base for decoupaging napkins with Christmas and coastal themes. She also began making Christmas ornaments from the angel wings and other shells. Next, she made coastal-themed wreaths and seashell jewelry boxes she repurposed from wooden cigar boxes. Her friends and family expressed inter- est in buying her creations, so she began selling them during the 2021 Christmas season at local craft stores, she said. Steele mostly collects from the beach behind Woody’s Beach Bar on the West End of Galveston Island. “There I find sea glass, sea beans, shells and driftwood,” Steele said. “I buy some items from Florida such as sand COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 21 Gigi Steele, with Gigi’s Altered Objects, shows off some of her coastal-themed Christmas decorations at Diana’s Bartique on Stand Street in Galveston. (Opposite) Glass terrarium globes crafted by Steele feature shells, sand and other nautical finds.22 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 Jennifer Moore, owner of Jennika’s – A Bazaar Place on Market Street in Galveston, creates decorations and ornaments from driftwood, shells and other beachcombing finds. (Opposite) Driftwood Santas and painted seashells created by Moore.dollars and star fish that are harvested in an environmentally responsible way. For my or- naments, I use sand from craft stores, which is cleaner than actual beach sand. I buy glass globes and terrariums from craft stores. I also like to use recycled bottles, wooden cigar boxes and discarded jewelry for my ‘altered object’,” Steele said. Steele sells her work in Galveston at Di- ana’s Bartique on The Strand in Galveston’s downtown, craft fairs, Dickens on the Strand, the Steampunk Festival, the Ghost Coast Festival and ArtWalk. She also sells directly to customers who follow her on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, or who email or call her directly. Steele makes custom items upon request. Her prices start at $5 for holi- day cards and ornaments. Her crowd-pleas- ing wreaths sell out every season, ranging in price from $45 to $75 each. To those who might want to comb the beaches and make their own gifts from the sea, Steele offered this recommendation: “Be conscious of the fact that some sea critters are still alive and are living inside,” she said. “So please be responsible.” Jennifer Moore, who owns and operates Jennika’s — A Bazaar Place on Market Street in downtown Galveston, enjoys making brightly painted Santa Claus tabletop dec- orations from driftwood, and she creates ornaments and decorations from sea shells, sea glass and sea tiles. “I am a Santa collector, so I decided to paint driftwood Santas,” Moore said. “Now I am making driftwood snowmen, gnomes and angels. I use the sea tiles and glass for mosaics. I enjoy painting sea shells, and I donate 100 percent of the funds that I collect from selling them in my shop to the Hopeful Hearts Ministry. I am always grateful when any of my artwork sells, but the driftwood Santas are the most anticipated by my cus- tomers each season.” Moore, who said she’ll paint “just about anything,” believes her best days are those when she’s wearing her paint clothes and working in her studio at home in Bayou Vista. Moore’s driftwood Santas and ornaments are available only during the holiday season, but her painted shells and shell angels are available year-round. Prices range from $10 to $200, she said. Moore is of Czech descent, and her name in Czech is Jennika. She credits her father and her grandmother for her artistic inspiration. “I have always enjoyed handcrafting gifts for family and friends — decorating and updating projects,” Moore said. “My dad’s family was in the construction business, which meant there was always a project in the works and there was always paint around the house. My grandmother was incredibly talented. She was a cake decorator for over 45 years, creating the most awesome designs from icing.” Gigi’s Altered Objects: www.youtube.com/ @GigisAlteredObjects Diana’s Bartique: www.facebook.com/ DianasBartique/ Jennika’s – A Bazaar Place: www.facebook. com/JennikasABazaarPlace/ COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMBer 2024 23 FEATURE•Book Your Holiday Events Now •Catering •Event Venue Chef Alena Pyles What Gift Do You Give the Vegan/Vegetarian in Your Life? The Gift of Fine Dining!! Tickets Available for the EATcetera 3rd Annual Vegan Dinner February 2025 See our website for purchase Join us Sundays at Galveston Owns Farmer’s Market Soups, Spreads, Selected Sandwiches 9 am - 1 pm (Oct thru May) 9 am - noon (June thru Sept) 408 25th Street Call (409) 248-4500 www.eatceteratx.com Corn, Potato, and Poblano Chowder26 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 FEATURE ‘THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS’ Locals celebrate holidays while blending cultures story by LAURA PENNINO D ecember is a month of many cultural and reli- gious holidays, not just Christmas. This year, Coast Monthly visited religious leaders and families about their traditions, which sometimes includes helping others, even those of different cultures. Rabbi Peter Kessler moved to Gal- veston from Pennsylvania to serve as the senior rabbi at Congregation B’nai Israel. Hanukkah this year falls on Dec. 25 and goes through Jan. 2. As many know, Hanukkah celebrates a miracle in Jewish history. The Jewish Festival of Lights commemorates a time more than 2,000 years ago when Jews won a battle against the Greeks to practice their religion freely. The Greeks had banned all Jewish rituals. To celebrate that victory, temple worshippers wanted to light a golden menorah — a candelabrum that orig- inally had seven branches and now has eight. There was only enough oil to light the lamp for one night, but the lamp miraculously burned for eight days. On Dec. 27, Rabbi Kessler will host a private gathering for about 120 congregation members. Everyone will bring their menorahs from home, and they’ll light menorah candles together. Afterward, they’ll celebrate with a meal that includes traditional Jewish potato pancakes. Kessler will play music and the children will sing three traditional Hanukkah songs. The children will spin dreidels, which are four-sided spinning tops, for a chance to win “gold coins” filled with chocolate. “I have a group of friends from Galveston Central Church,” Kessler said. “On Christmas morning, I will help them feed the homeless. One night during Hanukkah, I will invite my friends from that church to come to my house. I enjoy making potato pancakes for them.” RABBI PETER KESSLER’S POTATO PANCAKES 5 large russet potatoes 1 large onion ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon salt Vegetable Oil Peel the potatoes and let them soak in cold water. Grate potatoes using hand grater or food processor. Peel the onion and grate into potato mixture. Drain excess liquid. Add flour and salt. Mix well. Heat oil in a sturdy frying pan. Drop a large spoonful of the potato mixture and fry until the edges get crunchy. repeat until mixture is used and all pancakes are prepared. Serve hot with sour cream, applesauce or both. COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 27 J e NNIF er re YNOLDS rabbi Peter Kessler lights a menorah in his office at Congregation b’nai Israel in Galveston.28 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 FEATURE ••• Shawna Ocaranza met her hus- band, Victor, a native of Mexico City, when she was a college student in Wisconsin. They married in 2007. The couple moved to the Clear Lake area in 2015. With their daughters Isabella, 9, and Ariella, 3, along for the journey, Shawna and Victor Oca- ranza sometimes travel to Wisconsin to spend the holidays with Shawna’s family. In other years, they go to Mexico to be with Victor’s family. “When we are in Wisconsin, we attend Lutheran Christmas Eve services, and we exchange pres- ents,” Shawna said. “When we are in Mexico, we are making tamales and cooking all day on Christmas Eve. Then we have a feast at mid- night. Last year, we stayed home. We hosted Victor’s family. There were 14 of us in our house. It was a little crowded, but we had fun.” Bella enjoys writing letters to Santa and putting them in a “magic red mailbox” at home. Bella and Ariella also eagerly watch and wait for a “magic red Santa bag” to be filled with toys on Christmas morn- ing. During the holidays, the Oca- ranza home sparkles with Dr. Seuss Grinch ornaments, fragile glass or- naments from Mexico and assorted Green Bay Packers ornaments. “Victor has been embodying The Grinch for four years now,” said Shawna, who is an occupational therapist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “He loves to dress up as The Grinch, and we go to visit the NICU at UTMB in Galveston. The holidays are hard for the parents. Their babies are sick, and they can’t take them home. We take photos with the staff and the families, and everyone loves it.” ••• Natives of South India, Meena Jayant and her husband, Jayant Ra- STUA r T VILLANU e VA Shawna and Victor Ocaranza and their two daughters, Isabella, 9, and Ariella, 3, celebrate the holidays with a Grinch- themed Christmas. Victor dresses up as the Grinch every year and makes an appearance at the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where Shawna works. COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 29 makrishnan, are practicing Hindus who also enjoy many Christmas holiday traditions. They moved from California to the Houston area in 1992. “In our culture, something is hap- pening every month,” Meena said. Diwali is the beginning of our Indian festival season. In general, Diwali is the celebration of good over evil. We light oil lamps called diyas and make the house look festive. We enjoy making and eating food with family and good friends. Diwali, commonly known as the festival of lights and one of the biggest festivals in India, is celebrated each year in the Octo- ber-November timeframe. Jayant lights a diya each morning. The reason? To attract positivity and express a desire for spiritual enlightenment and divine guidance. Many Hindus also light a diya at dusk. December signals the beginning of 30 days of worship and prayer, Meena said. December also typically is a good time to visit India because the temples there are always beau- tifully decorated and attract many worshippers, she said. But this year, she and Jayant are staying close to the Galves- ton-Houston area. Their home is always decorated with tradition- al Christmas lights and wreaths. When their sons were younger and living at home, their family ex- changed gifts. Now that their sons are married and living in other cities, she and her husband spend Christmas Day with close friends, savoring vegetarian foods and watching American football games on television. “Growing up with two cultures is the best,” she said. “I tell my kids that all the time that we have the best of both worlds celebrat- ing both American and Hindu traditions.” PHOTOS: STUA r T VILLANU e VA (Clockwise from left) Meena Jayant and her husband, Jayant Ramakrishnan, natives of southern India, are practicing Hindus who also enjoy many Christmas holiday traditions; Meena Jayant lights a candle in a home shrine. The shrine bears images of Hindu deities as well as photographs of family; a paper with written Hindu prayers is rolled in a prayer wheel held by Jayant Ramakrishnan.Next >