 |
    
    
April's
Articles for Giftware News:
back
to articles>>
"A Place Remembered"
Makes Good Memories
July 23, 2007
The last weekend in June I had the pleasure of spending a day
in Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a small town in Southern Alabama
on the Mobile Bay. A Place Remembered is a pretty shop with a
French country point of view—fine soaps and beautiful linens
are the fitting décor for the wonderful cottages and homes that
dot the Mobile Bay. I was there as a prize for the owners—they
won my presence for the day—signing books, painting and
demonstrating the multiple uses of a tea towel to the customers
and friends of Mary Jane Jones, Lynne Wells and Ceann Watcher—the
owners of A Place Remembered.
They won "me" at the January 2007 Atlanta International Gift and
Home Furnishing Market where a drawing for licensee customers
of April Cornell offered me as the grand prize. And was it grand!
A grand day that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Though "A Place Remembered" had only the pleasure of
my company—I had the pleasure of meeting its customers—the
locals, and the out-of-towners—some from Florida and Birmingham,
and some from as far away as Texas and Georgia.
Southern Lady magazine out of Florida requested pictures
of the event, and "A Place Remembered" arranged for
a charming photographer, Steven Savage, to cover the event, and
we all tried to pull in our tummies and smile at the same time—there
was a lovely newscaster from the ABC Charlotte affiliate, Debi
Attorri, was in town for a Junior Miss America Beauty Pageant.
She stopped in and bought a round tablecloth and napkins, a lovely
older woman had three books signed and two rugs, some aprons and
teatowels, and by the second hour, we had run out of all the books
and then tea towels became the autograph fabric of choice.
The conversation was warm with Southern accents, hiding in a soft
way the intellectual vigor and artistic underlife of the community.
I learned about some of the charitable interests connected to
the owners of "A Place Remembered"—even with the
heavy work of rebuilding the business, their own damaged properties
and participating in the revival of the town since Hurricane Katrina
[and Ivan], the women have continued to give back to other charities
as well. They raised $25,000 after the Tsunami on behalf of Children
of the World—that is a lot of money for a single shop! This
money helped build wells and water purifiers and provided fishing
nets for people on the devastated coast of Southern India. Children
of the World was introduced to them by Pat Lee—who has adopted
many children internationally and by Mary, who has herself, visited
Children of the World in India.
Lynne, who has a second career in Atlanta as a floral designer—Lynne
Wells Design [she has done flowers for Elton John among others!]
has a husband, Bill Wells, with a full white beard and a curly
head of white hair who has an interesting and appropriate career
as a year-round Santa—he belongs to a group that brings
Santa to sick and dying children on a year-round basis—all
strictly volunteer—called Santa America. Santa America is
now in four countries and opening new chapters regularly.
With that full white beard, Bill qualifies for another organization—The
Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas. I didn't know that I
would have to travel to gator country, to the country of the ancient
and sprawling live oaks, to the country of blue crabs and mind
confounding "Jubilee" fish phenomenon to find the summer home
of Santa— but there he was. Bearded and smiling.
It is so interesting to see the many ripples that business creates,
amplifies and assists. A successful business impacts its community
and further by being the focal point and the launching pad of
opportunity for both ideas and individuals.
Fairhope is a gentle town, with gentle folk, a town that supplies
flowering baskets and gardens the public places 16 times a year—it
is a town where sculpted painted pelicans dot the downtown shopping
area. Its downtown facades mimic the French quarter of New Orleans
and it is currently looking for its twin city in France. In fact
it is a town that harbors a softer personality and a gentler lifestyle—a
town that we all want to know exists—even if we cannot visit
it.
Thanks to A Place Remembered and to Fairhope, Alabama—for
a lovely weekend—the delicious gumbo - the flaky palmiers
- the sparkling champagne—the beautiful flowers—the
tire swing [!] and the nearby accordion playing as the sun settled
over the Mobile Bay—I will remember your Southern hospitality
for a long time to come.
April Cornell
Fairhope, Alabama
If you are interested in learning more about being a Santa year
round, visit www.santasamerica.org.
For more information on Children of the World. |
|
|
