"A true shop has a life... set not by algorithms, but by minds and hearts."

As you know, I've been feeling a little sentimental lately, what with preparing for our 8th birthday!

I love the quote from the book Shopkeeping, above.

And I adore this life, set by minds and hearts within our own true, beloved shop, which opened "on the bricks" in the heart of downtown Thomasville on June 1, 2018.

Okay, so you already knew that we've been open in Thomasville for 8 years, and that we had a tiny little shop for less than a year in Tallahassee before that.

But, did you know this? Our designs were first introduced in a 10'x10' space at the French Country Flea Market in early 2017!

(Go all the way to the bottom of this pto see a pic of that first official day of The Hare & The Hart!)

One collection that debuted that day is called Woodland Creatures, a series of animal portraits inspired by our trips to England. And these watercolor designs have been delighting people of all ages ever since, such as our little friend who visited the shop recently:

This sweet soul ended up choosing the black bear print for her own room! 🐻 And for her grandma, she selected a notepad depicting the hart (which is the word for “stag” in Old English). 🦌

🦊 Our Woodland Creatures collection is designed in-house by artist Maddie Hart. These whimsical watercolor animal portraits adorn a range of goods, from hand-appliquéd pillows to mugs ~ plus art prints to notecards (and more).

🦉 They are just as treasured and in demand now as they were when we introduced them over 9 years ago, adorning spaces the world over, from Japan to England and beyond.

🐿️ I delight in hearing the stories about where they are going, who will get to enjoy them, and what rooms they will inhabit.

🐇 For instance, we’ve had the likes of Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams purchase a hare pillow for her daughter while she was in town filming a movie a few years ago.

🦊 As recently as last week, we took several orders for some of those beautiful handmade appliquéd pillows, and just yesterday, a bear mug started its own journey west to California.

A treasured memory: a fan of Maddie's art came to visit and admire her hedgehog painting in 2019. Like looking in a mirror!

🦔 Oh, how we wish we had a true record of how many pillows, tea towels, notecards, etc. featuring each creature have gone to new homes since their debut at that market, then from our first little shop in Tallahassee, and now during our 8 years on Broad Street!

I'm sure it's even more than I can imagine! And that makes my heart happy.

xo,

☝️There we are! Chris, Maddie, Charlie, and me. In March of 2017. I'll never forget that day, and I would not trade the last 9 years for anything! ✨