Thomasville, you do not disappoint!

"We didn't even realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.”
― A.A. Milne, misattribution (but I like it anyway!)

CS Lewis famously said that friends walk "side-by-side, absorbed in some common interest." Such truth! Chris and I feel blessed to call Tristan Merriam "friend" and so enjoyed having him in our home this past week.

We first met Tristan a few years ago in Atlanta through a shared passion for painting furniture and it's grown from there.

Like last year, when he came from England with Annie Sloan, Tristan was back to teach the Joy of Chalk Paint Masterclass in our Atelier. (I'm still processing all the magic that happened during those two days in the shop and will write about that soon.)

This time we had a few more days to show him a bit more of our area (see the reel). And it was such a joy!

We hopped in Chris' Jeep and galavanted around town, with visits to the iconic Big Oak, Pebble Hill, Thomasville Center for the Arts (and a chat with artist-in-residence, Ron Thomson, in his studio), and seeing distinctively Southern things like a field of ripe cotton and the beautiful 1800s homes throughout Thomasville's historic district.

We had dinner at St. James Restaurant (oh, the oysters!) while introducing Tristan to our friends Christie and John, with whom we ourselves have had a few adventures in the UK ~ they were our travel buddies on our first foray into the Cotswolds in 2016. Christie and John met in England and also lived in Bristol in their early married life.

Tristan owns a shop, Doghead Designs, near Bristol ~ so they had loads to talk about. (Oh, and you're missing out if you're not following him on Instagram!)

Our dear friend and neighbor Michele is the epitome of Southern hospitality. She immediately invited us to dinner upon hearing that Tristan was returning, as she previously met him last July when he was here.

Earlier that day, as we drove through the neighborhoods, Tristan asked me if Southerners truly sat on our famous front porches (answer: yes!). Therefore, I was so happy to see Michele and her husband Bill chilling on theirs when we walked up.

The conversations over Palomas on their sofa and then around their round dining table were filled with laughter and "oh, I must read that book" or "see that movie" moments.

Then, Tristan hung out with me at the shop on Tuesday, getting a feel for friends popping in to say "hi" and hearing the wonder of new ones discovering our town and shop for the first time, as he spent the day creating in our side room and wandering Broad Street.

Thomasville, thank you for extending such a warm welcome. As always, you do not disappoint!

I feel these conversations have just begun. Who knows, maybe Tristan will be back ~ and even sooner than you'd think!

xo,