Blog
New Tempest in Black Mountain
I was in the shop arranging the incredibly fragrant essential oils soaps I just got it when I I was surprised by a phone calk from Lorraine this week. She was up in arms about the Black Mountain Public Library. “Stephanie, have you heard what’s going on? It’s...
Crazy Changes at 44 Cherry Street
I had a few minutes between customers, so I called Lorraine back to ask about the rest of the crew at 44 Cherry St. Once again it took several calls before she called me back. She was in a crabby mood, too, so I asked her what was making her so mad. Crow...
What’s Lorraine Up to Now?
Someone asked me the other day about the folks at 44 Cherry Street, and I realized I hadn’t spoken with any of them in a while, so I gave Lorraine a call. It took a few attempts before she called me back. She is one of those people who hardly ever answers her phone...
Julie’s Dreamy Home
Looking towards the backdoor from the entrance. A Handmade Home is not necessarily rustic or filled with objects handmade by the owner. To me, the Handmade Home is one designed by a person with a distinct sense of style. This home could belong to no one else because...
Getting Pissed Off
Nothing bugs me more than a whiner. I want to run screaming for the hills when someone with seemingly nothing in the world to complain about comes into the shop and starts whining. So, what am I about to do? I’m going to whine. Feel free to take off running. Cloth...
Get a Load of This!
Sheila repaired these beaded heads from Africa Sheila Martin has what people call “A Good Eye.” She has a divvie’s ability to suss out folk art gold whether she is in an upscale shop or a down-at-the-heels Goodwill. When she finds treasure, she gets her patient...
Sheila’s House: Drop Dead Gorgeous
Sheila and Bill's log cabin I can’t remember how I first met Sheila Martin because she is someone I feel as if I have known forever. She Is one of those creatives who has no choice but to create all the time. She is a collector of beautiful things, some of which she...
So What’s Next?
If there’s one thing computers have taught us, it’s that when the device goes haywire, you turn it off, wait a bit, and then turn it back on. Nine times out of ten, your computer glitch has disappeared. My hope is that the same technique will have worked for us flawed...
Mama’s Cooking
I have been working on a memoir throughout the pandemic, and I’m not sure at this point if I am more tired of face masks or of writing about myself. I have been ruminating about my past, my horrible father, and his influence on my life for too long, and so I have laid...
So What’s Next?
Baby Max smiling at his Grandpa Ron! I have been thinking lately about my take-away from this past year. Even though my life has been mercifully untouched by tragedy, I empathize with fellow humans whose lives have been torn apart. The virus has killed over half a...
Peek into Abby’s House
Spring comes to Abby's land Abby’s house is still a work in progress, but already it has all the charm of a “Hand Made Home.” It is a place where the fingerprints of the designer are apparent, and it wears its uniqueness like a crown. Abby aided by Ron Davis and crew...
Change is in the Air
Daffodils getting ready to bloom Change is in the air! The weather is a bit more Spring-like with days of warm temperatures sprinkled into the gray procession of cold wintery ones. Looking up at the mountainsides, I can spy a hint of pink as the branches get ready to...
Look at Abby’s Handmade Home (so far!)
The new floor and subtle wallpaper look great. I love how the accessories add color It’s exciting as a parent when you see your children besting you. All three of my kids far surpass me in many ways, and I am often amazed that they are even related to me. Seth, among...
A Time for Healing and Moving On
You may remember the name Joyce Black-Woerz from an earlier newsletter where I featured her home in my series featuring Handmade Homes. If you live in Black Mountain you will certainly know her as an active member of the beautification committee, a master gardener,...
We’re Getting There
We watch way too much HGTV. It started with Chip and Joanna Gaines, a photogenic couple who transformed falling-down shacks into their clients’ “Dream Houses.”. If you like shiplap, white kitchens, and a few shabby chic...
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
The tarot card called The Tower I just know if I were still reading Tarot, the card I would certainly have pulled would be the Tower. This card indicates a crumbling of existing norms and the beginnings of a new order. You have to admit that that describes what’s...
Abby begins Her Reno! Take a look!!
Work has begun in earnest on Abby’s house in Black Mountain. As Friend Fred Morgan told me recently, “We all need partners like RonDavis!” This is true. Ron with the help of his guys has begun a magical transition of what was a cute but rather decrepit little house...
Black Mountain Homecoming
Handmade lamp by folk artist $95 As we enter a bright new year my daughter Abby begins work on her first home here in Black Mountain. She went to college in New York and has been there ever since. Living in New York City has meant living in cramped apartments with...
My Wedding: a memoir
I frequently lose touch with reality, and in the early days of my relationship with Alec I occasionally forgot who I really was and imagined myself a debutante. After all, Alec took me to the best restaurants and when I moved in with him, I became accustomed to...
Lorraine’s Latest Woes
Dog in Christmas Finery It was that magical/stressful time between Thanksgiving and Christmas and Lorraine found herself daydreaming about holidays past and anxious about the pressures of Christmas present. She loved the holidays, but wanted everything to be perfect,...
What a Surprise on Cherry St!!
The dust had settled on Cherry Street after the influx of tourists for the Thanksgiving weekend. All that was left was a heap of turkey carcasses, bins of empty wine bottles, and the memory of overeating and falling asleep in front of Netflix. The residents of 44...
Visit Lynette’s Hand Made Home
How I made the acquaintance of Lynette Miller is a typical Black Mountain story. I was at the counter reading an article about Lynette in Asheville Made Magazine when a friend walked into the shop.“Wow!” I exclaimed. “I love this woman’s work. These floor cloths are...
Frederick Prepares for the Holidays
It was Halloween Eve and Frederick awoke at 44 Cherry Street with a song in his head, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!” Everyone knew that Halloween was the official start of the Christmas season, even though Walmart had started weeks before. He was...
Brooke’s Sweet Handmade Home
An antique cabin stands in front of the larger structure Tenth grader Brooke Bresnan smashed onto the scene at Charlotte Country Day School from Connecticut like a lightening bolt. Her hair was green and she wore huge Jenco jeans, while the rest of her class dressed...
FAKE NEWS!!!
Bittersweet Wreath $35 Elrod was awakened in his sour bed by the sweet tones of Dolly Parton singing “i can see the sun of a bright new morning, I can see the sun of a bright new day, I can see the sun of a bright new morning, and I know everything’s gonna be okay.”...
Elrod Gets Fired Up
Portrait of Elrod by Ellen Phillips Elrod was saddened and confused by the death of the Notorious RBG thinking it had been The Notorious BIG who had passed. He was confused, because he thought that Biggie Smalls, the Notorious RBG, had died long before in a shootout...
Trouble in Paradise
Our heroes socks $15 Lorraine was concerned about the current unrest in Black Mountain. According to her source the town leaders had declared Martial Law and had grown too big for their boots. When the Mayor resigned, the Aldermen chose one of their own to replace...
Party of One at the Bluebird Cafe
Fresh sunflowers in Jim McDowell Vase Lorraine was stunned that she had sung her heart out for an audience of only one at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. “Big Jimmy! I thought I was supposed to make my Nashville debut tonight. I spent a fortune on my new...
Lorraine Busts a Move
Lorraine at the Bluebird Cafe by Ellen Phillips Lorraine spent a whirlwind day shopping for her country music debut later that night. It was so hard to decide what clothing would work best for this audience. Her previous singing experience had been with the Asheville...
Bluebird Cafe, Here She Comes!
Water Lettuce Lorraine was so thrilled about her conversation with the big man at the Nashville club that she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned in her motel bed and imagined herself as a big star in the Nashville scene. The man who told her to call him Big Jimmy...
Hours
Every Day
10:30am - 5pm
Location
132 Cherry St
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Phone
(828) 669-2743