A seed of an idea starts to take form

I researched the technique, taking tips and tricks from all sorts of fellow creators. YouTube is great for that. I chose patterns and art I found appealing and I got our dishwashers at Meritage to start saving our oysters.

We would run them through, deep sanitizing them at the end of the evening and then clean them by hand of any residual meat or abductor, then run them through again.

We learned to paint them, decoupage, then gild, to protect and decorate them. Each oyster unique, each design choice slightly different, there was an idea here that was really starting to take shape. I called upon a former Meritage staffer and now friend, Lianna, to begin a creative conversation about.

Both of us feeling the societal pressures of women, who are balancing both sides of the generational obligations and care. That is when it hit me - take this resource we have available, that can be accomplished by the hands of the women in our lives which would then provide a small income and dignified work with purpose, satisfaction, and freedom. Just another way that oysters can matter.

Desta Klein’s first love is Meritage, and the life she has created with her husband Chef Russell Klein. This is her personal side project, based in female empowerment and creating a sustainable future for mature employment for her Mother, her community, and even for herself.