Pittsboro Courthouse in Flames

Yesterday was absolutely surreal. It was nearly closing time when I got a call that the courthouse (less than a block away) was on fire. At first it seemed like maybe just the tower, and there were already fire trucks on site.. Workers had been renovating the facade, hence all the scaffolding. By the time I got home, which is two blocks away, our lovely courthouse was in flames. Even last night when I went out for a walk it was still very much on fire 4 hours later. Last night the floors fell through as well as the tower and the roof. The Chatham County Historical museum was housed on the first floor and is most likely destroyed.

My store smells so strongly of smoke.. as do my clothes and home. Downtown Pittsboro is blocked off today, and possibly longer.

My heartfelt admiration goes out to the firefighters and police who were out in abundance until late into the night.

I hope we can rebuild to its former state. It was such an icon, such a pleasure to drive into town and see the nice shape of the clock tower. Perhaps this can be a town-wide movement for renovation and rejuvenation of this lovely little place that was already on the edge of being taken over by big box stores. I hope this will be a new beginning, and not an end.

Angelina's Kitchen 1 Year Anniversary!

I am so thrilled that my friend Angelina and her wonderful family at Angelina's Kitchen are celebrating ONE YEAR of being open in Pittsboro. It is hard to imagine the community without her, she has brought such warmth, joy, and amazing local fresh delicious food to town. The first time I met her, I felt like I had known Angelina my whole life.

Angelina is trying to expand into having sit-down dining, and I admit, I spent an enjoyable afternoon dreaming up some buttons for her to sell in her fund-raiser to support these efforts. Get 'em at her restaurant~ give as much as you can, and rest assured, Angelina and Co. will give back just as much!

Gentle Beauty

Jeremy came running into my shop this afternoon saying "there is the most beautiful dead songbird outside your shop". He wanted me to use it as a display, (yes, interesting fellow he is) but it was so sweetly detailed and beautiful I couldn't resist taking some photos of it. I wished I could have gotten out a nice sketch book and to sit down and draw some renditions of it. Although to get the full effect I would have needed to paint the gentle color shifts in it's beautiful feathers. Luckily, Link came by and I sent the bird along with him in a little white box for him to study it with Jasper later in the afternoon. Perhaps they will draw some pictures of it.

P.S. Two friends wrote in to tell me this little bird is a Cedar Waxwing, and that they love holly berries. That probably explains why it was at the base of the Holly tree.. And why I've been seeing flocks of birds fluffing around in the trees all up and down Hillsboro Street!

My Heart Belongs to Chatham

A little celebration of this great community and county I live in~ with options for other folks in the area (heart and star)...

Carefully sawed out of a sheet of silver (check out that coastline!) then tumbled to work harden it, and finished with three levels of polishing to give it a nice matte finish. Click here to visit them on my Etsy page

Show that Chatham Pride!