Living Beautifully in the Red Hills

I've got but a moment to pop in here (still knee deep in all those boxes that keep arriving!) and tell you that we are THRILLED to be announcing the line-up for our autumn events and workshops all the way to December.

(And I have a HUGE announcement I've been dying to share with you... at the bottom of this letter.)

Oh, my aching legs, arms, and luckily so far... not my back!

Hannah and I have been moving and shaking all week long, making major changes to the layout of the shop, painting furniture, and otherwise doing contortions even the most serious yogini would find impressive!

The last two weeks, I've been walking around with clipboards, creating a vision board on Freeform, scribbling lists in notebooks, drawing layouts, and making Google docs with detailed tasks in order.

Because this plan's goal is to make the best (and loveliest) use of our space for both our retail and workshop experiences, I've consulted with and involved many others whose input I value.

Lately, I've been thinking of our precious shop a little bit like that river. It has grown up in these past 8+ years, and it's at the edge of the proverbial Forest. It knows now where it is going!

To that end, during this time of summer "unplugging" I've been able to step back and daydream the best dreams for our shop.

As a former 5th grade science teacher and someone whose birthday is right at the autumnal equinox, astronomical summer is what I've been most familiar with.

But if I had to choose only one of these to consider as summer, it would be meteorological summer because it most closely matches the summer school holiday when I was young.

And usually by mid-July I truly feel like summer is halfway over. Do you?

The responses in the comments by longtime friends and new followers have made my heart happy, such as this one: "I love how you connected the dots of your true identity and calling, and how it has worked itself out in various facets of your life! AND I love what I see in your shop. So glad to have found you!"

Creativity can take many forms, and it actually can be woven into several of the other tips (such as exploring new recipes, taking photos on your morning walk, etc.)

I felt that familiar artistic itch while planning our summer window displays and was soon on the hunt for a big piece of furniture to carry out my master plan.

The concept represented by this portmanteau combining “stay” and “vacation” has been embraced by people everywhere as a way to explore your own area, to slow down and relax, and to go on holiday without the hassle of traveling.

I’ve also heard it called “nearcation”, “holistay”, “daycation”, and even “microtourism” ~ so clever! But no matter what you call it, I highly recommend it.

The other day... I took a "photosafari" around the historic district here in Thomasville.

Something magical happens when you start looking at the world through a lens. You see details you've never noticed before, like carved wood finials, or a colorful mailbox.

I started seeing the colors on the houses and architectural details through the kaleidoscope of iconic colors created by Annie Sloan for her Chalk Paint line.

BUT, how about if we try to recapture some of the magic of childhood summers? What would that look like? What would it feel like? And I'm talking of childhood summers before the advent of the internet and streaming TV.

This year, I've made a game plan in order to get the most out of the season. I've already started it, and it's got me looking forward to the coming months despite this south Georgia heat!

...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?

As Hannah and I have moved displays around, giving each shelf a spring cleaning and reassembling collections in their new spots, I've reminisced about the collections and why and how they found their way to us (or we found our way to them)!

There's truly a story behind each one and how it revolves around that English/Southern/French theme.