Update, up to the minute

Hey friends. Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope you are able to be with your family this week and enjoy relaxing, eating, and watching the Razorbacks. I hope that you take time to stop and count your blessings, too. That's what I have done here. Since I don't blog everyday (nowhere near) I have made a list of things I am thankful for- one for each day of the month. I promise to be brief and not explain each one. And these are in no particular order.

Okay, really fast, here goes:

1. my computer, my pandora radio, and my phone
2. chocolate
3. tea and coffee
4. my parents, sister, and brothers
5. my extended family (ALL of them)
6. my home
7. my BIBLE
8. my friends- old ones and new ones
9. boots
10. on-line shopping
11. electricity
12. living in Fayetteville, AR, USA
13.  my husband who loves me and is handsome and handy
14. Hudson
15. Grant
16. Amelia
17. Georgia
18. my (minivan) vehicle
19. public school teachers who love my kids
20. restaurants
21. sleep
22. a new day every morning
23. sunshine, rain, snow, and fresh air
24. Books & book stores
25. Music (especially my kids playing piano & singing)
26. Paint, Paper, and Fabric
27. my church
28. exercise videos so I don't have to go to the gym
29. good manners
30. My husband and kids- I am putting them on the list twice because I am especially thankful for them and it's my list. :)

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Thanks for reading! See you Friday at the store for some 'Black Friday' fun!

Fall in Fayetteville

After our freakish Winter,  a Spring of floods, and a Summer with record high temperatures and very little rain, I am so thankful for Fall!

I (normally) enjoy all the seasons. In fact, I am so glad to live where there are distinct seasons. But I can easily say Fall is my favorite. I LOVE Fall. NOT just because school starts, although I do enjoy routine. It's more because I love to wear jackets and scarves and boots. And I love all the foods that go along with the cooler weather- soups, chili, pumpkin pies, even tailgate foods! I love the sense of community that comes with Razorback football. I love the craft fairs that are all over the place in October. I even love the un-creepy parts of Halloween. And then, Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday- friends, family, tons of great food, with the focus on being thankful for what we have, not on what we want! A perfect holiday.

Here at the store, we're in full-gear Fall from now till November, when we will switch gears to Christmas! Can you believe it is coming so soon? Our Open House for the holidays will be on November 4 & 5 (with a sneak preview on November 3). You won't want to miss it. Also in November, we'll be at the NWA Boutique show. And Red Hill Gallery & Homewares will celebrate our one year anniversary. It's hard to believe, but we are happy to reach our first big milestone.

The store looks great and is really a fun place to shop. We have lots of new merchandise in stock and get new stuff almost daily.

So, after a rather long blog break, that's the update. Thanks for keeping us busy! We are really having fun!

Uncool...

Besides the literal reference to the blazing hot temperatures, I have been informed by my younger sister that I am pretty much very uncool. Let me explain - she is four years younger, a buyer for a major department store, married just three years and no children. Can I repeat that last one in case you missed it?...No children. She gets uninterrupted sleep at night, she can still wear a two piece and she does not have to go to Chuck E. Cheese...ever. That being said, she is often embarrassed when shopping with me at "mom" stores, laughs at my bedtime and is just plain astonished at my choice in television programming.

Just last night on the phone she was mentioning the live-streaming episodes of "24" she and her husband had religiously been watching the past few weeks. Then, I (mistakenly) thinking we had something in common, mentioned that we had also become addicted to a show on Netflix- The Andy Griffith Show! There was silence on the other end of the phone....I think she had covered it up with her hand to laugh.  I spent the next few minutes trying to defend Andy, but I just couldn't make her understand- she would have to see for herself.

Our family watches two, maybe three episodes a day. This totally fine, because there are hundreds of episodes. Alongside Seinfied, The Andy Griffith show ran eight full seasons and actually ended when it was still was at the height of it's popularity. It is funny, nostalgic, clean and wise beyond it's time. Trust me, it is very much worth any "un-coolness".

I think I should mention some very "cool" new products we have in our store...


These are handmade, letterpress signed and numbered prints done by two friends just north of us in Missouri. They are called 1canoe2 and you must go check out their website and all their cool products. We are currently carrying the above print, the "Round" things coaster set, the Storybook House Kit, and the recipe cards.

We have lots more new stuff in our store, we are working on stocking up for the fall and planning for the Christmas season, too.

Needless to say, we have been "busier than a cow's tale during fly season!"....(The Andy Griffith show, Season 1, Episode 21).

Hotter than a $2 Pistol

Hello Friends! Happy Friday to everyone. 

It has been a long time, but (as they say in the movies) we're back!! Thanks for hanging in there with us. Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we celebrated our grand RE-opening. Thanks to all of you who braved the heat to come out. (and WOOOIE it is hot!!) It was lots of fun for us and hopefully, you too.

We are SO happy to have found such a great spot to relocate to, 

as well as having such fun ladies to work with at House Special Interiors. 

You've got to love the convenience of having two great stores in one really easy to get to location!

Congratulations to:

Robin Primm

Gina Hellum

and

Lynn Fisher

They were the lucky winners of our cool chair giveaways. 

Enjoy ladies! We hope you love them as much as we do. (especially the vintage quilt seats)

Over the weekend, we got this 'new' old piece in the store:

How great is this? It would look perfect in so many places- a screened porch, a bedroom, a home office. I'm thinking it won't last long.

We also have a fun new line of rings and earrrings by local Mimi Bird. Check these out:

And, of course, you'll find our usual fun stuff!

So, stop in.
See you at the shop!

Comments, please!

So, I posted on Facebook on Monday and I guess I assume most people are on FB, but I know not everyone is. Besides the store, I probably would not be if I didn't have a teenage on there.  Anyway, here is the scoop:

Post a comment either here on our blog (thanks Idyll Hands) or on our Facebook page today through Friday for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate. We will announce the winner on Saturday (June 18).  We really want to hear from you!

Thanks!

Exciting News!!

Who is ready for the GRAND RE-OPENING of Red Hill?

Well...maybe we are flattering ourselves just a little? But many people have asked about our new location and when we are re-opening our cute little shop. Starting this week, Cari and I (and our very handy husband helpers) will begin our move into our new space. We'll have a larger store, easier parking, and will be open more!

The new location of Red Hill Gallery & Homewares is in the Kantz Center in East Fayetteville, next to Neighborhood Market in a shared space with House Special Interiors. Kelly and all the ladies at House Special have been so generous and kind already and we are seriously looking forward to working with them. We really think our different stores will perfectly complement each other.

We are planning a Grand Re-Opening with all kinds of fun stuff including a great giveaway- a set of chairs painted with our Annie Sloan Chalk Paint- and of course snacks! We will be posting on Facebook all the ways you can be entered to win gift certificates starting immediately and repeating several times leading up to the big day.

Cari and I have been busy with restocking and have found lots of new good stuff to add to our mix. We have a new batch of vintage book journals, lots of Mason jar soap dispensers in various designs, yummy salsa from just across the state line in Missouri, more antiques painted with our favorite colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and lots of stuff for back to school.

Check here for dates and all the info you need. We will keep you posted!

More Space & Annie Sloan Chalk paint

You may have noticed, we are no longer located at 440 College. We hated to move, really. But, we had to have more space. We wanted to have more space. We have stuff we want to do, and it just takes space.

For a variety of reasons, we decided to go ahead and close temporarily, even though it will be a little while before we can open at our new location. So, we hope you will hang in there with us during this transition time. Very soon, we will let everyone know our re-opening date and new bigger location (with more parking, too!).

Between now and then, though, Cari and I are busy working on all kinds of exciting things! For example, we now have a website: http://redhillhome.com/. You can check it out now, and in the near future, buy stuff on-line.

Our other REALLY BIG NEWS is this: Red Hill is now offically the first (and currently ONLY) stockists for Annie Sloan Paint in Arkansas. It is one of the first things we will have available on-line. Why is this so exciting? Because this paint is the coolest thing we have seen in a very long time. And we are totally convinced that you will love it! Because we love it. Check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000756034604#!/pages/Annie-Sloan-Paint/238287625304   and read about it here: http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2011/03/mystery-paint-revealed.htmle

This is my very first project painted with Annie Sloan Paint. I wish I had a 'before' photo to show you, but trust me when I tell you, this table was not pretty. It was in my bathroom with a basket of toilet paper on it! I went outside as soon as I got all my kids off to school one morning, painted it with 1 coat of Paris Grey, let that dry, then waxed. No surface preparation required! You can apply directly to prefinished wood, particle board veneers, metal, etc. It saves a ton of time and the end product is a beautiful smooth finish that is so easy to antique or distress.

We are so excited about this paint, we will be taking pre-orders. If you can't wait to get some, shoot us an email or message us on Facebook. We will be carrying every color, as well as the brown and clear waxes.

The Golden Rule

I hope when you come to Red Hill Gallery you will find us to be pleasant and helpful. And happy to see you- because we are.



Horsey Boy by Shannon Peters - Original Painting 16x20

This week, one of my kids had a problem that required me to make lots of phone calls and visit lots of different stores looking for something specific. It was slightly stressful and at times frustrating.

Cutting straight to the point:

Kindness goes a long way. A smile goes a long way. In fact, even a FAKE smile goes a long way.



Parker the Pig by Cari Humphry- Original SOLD - Reproduction available

I talked to people whose job it is to help me, and they acted as if I was bothering them. This goes against everything our parents taught us and everything we are (hopefully) teaching our kids. And it annoys me.

Something is really wrong when a store clerk's kindness nearly brings me to tears! (That girl must think I am a nut case!) But that is where I was this week-on the verge!

So, today's thought is 'Treat others the way you want to be treated.'

I hope we are all practicing this everyday. Life really is too short to be a grump!

Okay, now that I've vented...

It would be great to get some comments from some of you. Have you been to the store? Planning to come but haven't made it? Love it? Hate it? Let us know. We are on facebook, so if you do like us, maybe 'like' us there, too. It would make our day!

In other news, we are working on a new line of t-shirts for the store. We plan to have kid and adult sizes in time for the warmer weather.



Toddler t-shirts featuring original art by 5-year-old Hadley Humphry

Other new merchandise is still coming in regularly. Our new candles in fun scents are in the store now.



Paint Can candles with Vintage design labels 



Well, come see us soon! Have a happy day!

Spring Cleaning & Stuff I Love

Even though it is still nearly a month until the official start of 'spring,' I have spring fever. I know I am not the only one, as evidenced by the fact that I have seen folks in public wearing shorts-who, by the way, would be my children if I would allow it, which I won't. (My grandmother always said you shouldn't wear shorts in a month with an 'r' in it. Lucky for my turkeys, I let that go in April and September.) While I have NO urge to wear shorts just yet, I am itching to open my windows and let in some fresh air, to change the bed linens from flannel to cotton, and to hide the coats and gloves that are still scattered all over the place.

So, I am going to start my spring cleaning before spring gets here.

In my heart I am a neat freak. Or maybe that is in my dreams. Either way, I know I have it in me somewhere to be that person who always has a tidy house. If you've been to my house, that might be hard to believe, but it is true. It is the goal.

Happily, right now my house is pretty tidy because I had company yesterday and we were out of the house most of today. I love having company. And I love having clean sheets on all the beds. And I love making lists.

Just for fun, here is a list things that I love:

I love pictures of my family.

I love dishes.
I love quilts (and all kinds of linens).
I love old glassware.

 

I love my kid's artwork.

And she's not a 'thing' but I love my dog. (and I am buying her some "Critter Repel" handmade soap!)

Okay, enough of this. Off to do what must be done- laundry. NOT on my list!

February, the beach, and Valentine's Day

So much for January being unpredictable. February just set some new records! Actually, February is our usual month for snow around here, but NEVER EVER have I seen anything like the snow we've had this year! In particular, last week's snow. I went to bed expecting a few inches and woke up to nearly 2 feet! It was beautiful and amazing and really wonderful. During the previous week at home due to only 6", I felt  frustrated and trapped. (I knew Target was probably open, but I couldn't get there.) But with 18"  of snow covering ALL of  Northwest Arkansas, I knew we were ALL in the same boat- nobody's going anywhere. Somehow, that made me happy. Maybe because I didn't feel like I was missing the fun somewhere else. (Am I totally selfish?) So, what to do with kids at home for days on end? We made our own fun. With four kids, you can pretend it's a party without even calling anyone to come over! We played Phase 10 (a lot), made  popcorn everyday, snow ice cream several times, and brownies and homemade pizza and and and...you get the idea! We fed the birds and we fed ourselves. I decided I would cook my way through the Pioneer Woman cookbook. Until last week, I had only looked at the pictures, though I have had it awhile. Anyway, Ree (the PW) seems like a kindred spirit to me and I like to eat, so...pot roast, chicken pot pie, soup, muffins- all good. The turkeys (my kids) are really hard to impress. (I only get 'Mom, this is really good!' when we have Hamburger Helper.) But they ate it! I also did quite a bit of on-line shopping. And, at some point during the week, I booked our family a house at the beach for a week in June.

Obviously, the idea that I had to wear a swimsuit to the beach was not really on my mind. Oh, but it is now! Just in time for Valentine's Day- the holiday of love and chocolate. :) I will eat chocolate, I'm sure ( I have never turned it down), but this year I am getting my kids wax lips. They are so fun and funny and I can't resist.


Well, it is Saturday night and nearly bedtime at our house. I will be in the store on Monday. The romantic in me hopes you all buy your love a Valentine. And the mother in me hopes it doesn't snow again till next February.

January is NOT my favorite month. In fact, I somewhat dislike it. It is cold and unpredictable and usually has nothing to look forward to in it. This year, however, January was actually kind of exciting: Cari and I, along with Cari's sister Cristie, went to Dallas to the buyer's market for the first time ever! It was really lots of fun. (Cristie is a buyer for a department store and has been many times. We begged her to go with us and help us- thank you Cristie! If we were dorks, it was not her fault.) As I said, we had lots of fun. The mart is HUGE

 and the whole experience was rather overwhelming. We concluded that we felt like we were at the world's biggest shopping mall, but unable to buy anything (at least, not immediately). Or like we were at a party we weren't sure we were invited to-in other words, slightly intimidated. Everyone was nice, but it was difficult to appear confident while trying to make so many simultaneous decisions: Is this something we like? Would it fit in our shop? Could we sell it? Can we afford it/ keep it affordable for the customer? Along the way, we were distracted by the popcorn, ice cream bars, dips, candies, and coookies. Honestly, I had no idea so much food was involved in these events! While we snacked, we were able to snag a few items cash and carry and ordered several items that will be coming in over the next month or so.

I'm completely satisfied with what we did buy, and I think RedHill customers will like it. Our shop is still so new, we are still working out exactly what we want it to be. Of course, we know what we want it to be, but a shop changes almost daily, and we want to make sure we keep it moving in the right direction. Overall I think we accomplished a lot- and learned a lot- and laughed a lot, mostly at each other. We will definately go again, and next time, we will go confidently and we will wear our comfortable shoes!

Craving Spring

I don't know about you, but the snowy weather has given me spring fever!!!  Just walking into the gallery puts me in a better mood because all the new inventory is just ALIVE with color.  There are so many fun things to brighten up your home (and your mood)!  Take a look.

These antlers would be perfect in a grouping on the wall.  These are made from REAL antlers, not molds!  We currently have 3 in stock: turquoise, red, and champagne.  We will have more soon, or if you would like a specific color, just let us know! 

We also have these great checkbook covers/business card holder combos.  We have lots of different designs,  and they are all super cute.  Every stylish lady needs one to jazz up the mundane tasks usually associated with checkbooks! 

Another great addition to our inventory are these adorable tea towels.  We have 2 different styles -- screen printed with various designs (such as bicycles, honey combs, and electrical poles) or accented with pretty spring colored fabrics and brick-a-brack. 

In addition to the new inventory, we've rearranged the store.  Come by and see -- you never know what you might find!

Artist Feature: Helen Eaton

We thought it would be fun to do a feature on each of the artists whose work hangs in the gallery.  Each painting carries a little piece of the artist within it, and we wanted you to know their stories!  We are starting the series with Helen Eaton, an elementary school teacher and Fayetteville resident who took up painting when her children learned to drive and she had time to learn something new.  Helen took her first art lesson, a 6-week Intro to Oil Painting class, in 2007 and hasn't stopped painting since!  Helen has always told stories through her writing, and now she is doing the same through her painting.  And we are so glad!! 

Check out our "interview" with Helen.....

RH: What is your favorite piece that you have painted? 

HE:  My favorite painting is always “the one that I just finished.”  I always love the one that’s still drying on the easel.  But, if I have to pick one that I never tire of looking at, it would be “Aspens in Autumn.” I love the big size, the colors, the shapes, and the warm, peaceful feeling it gives to my living room.

RH: Where do you get your inspiration? 

HE:  I choose to paint images that tell a story. I love to paint people (especially toddlers) from a back or side view who are doing something that they love – blowing a dandelion, feeding ducks, touching a butterfly, reading a book, climbing a tree...

 

I love to paint flowers or vegetables that I planted, watered, weeded, and picked myself.

I love to paint places that trigger memories of where I’m from, where I’ve been, or where I know I’d feel comfortable.

RH: What would you like to paint, but haven't yet?

HE: I want to paint a big tri-panel piece – a large piece that continues across three canvases.  I have kind of a vision for it in purples and greens, but I haven’t found the image that feels right for it... Maybe it will be mountains... or a bed of irises... or turnips!  I’ll know it when I see it.

RH: When is your favorite time of day to create your art?

HE: Evening.  But, really anytime that there’s not a long “to do” list of housework or errands waiting.

RH: Do you do commissioned work?

HE: Yes.

RH: What's the strangest request you've ever had?

HE: I painted the three portraits of someone’s pet monkeys.  Any truth about the human face or anatomy that I’d learned was skewed in a weird way to make this human-like animal... well, not human...

Helen combines her love of writing and painting in her blog, Art by Word Weaver.  You should check it out to see more of her work and read the story behind the piece.  Then, come by and see her paintings first-hand here at Red Hill.  We have several new pieces, including this adorable original that is perfect for Valentine's Day!

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year! I hope y'all had a great Christmas

and were able to spend time with the people you love.

The shop has been open more than a month and so far, so good!

We are grateful for the response we have had to what we are doing. We are still adding new goodies to the store, almost daily. We have lots of ideas and plans and are looking forward to sharing these with you in the coming days. (Along with LOTS of photos, of course!)

In case you didn't get one for Christmas, we still have some 2011 calendars.

There are super cute! and 25% off, too.

Have a happy weekend.

P.S. Find a copy of @Urban magazine to read an article featuring Red Hill Gallery's own Cari Humphry. One of her chickens even made the cover!