love local, buy local

last weekend we made a road trip up to asheville to our new favorite shop,

villagers

. we had a nice drive and were able to catch up and visit. we talked almost the whole ride about athens and what makes it so great. really, it is the people we have here, and all that they bring to our community. we are very lucky to have such committed citizens in our town.

most everyone we know is working to make athens better, in one way or another...whether in the big picture or the little picture. one of the best ways to help our community stay great, and grow stronger, is to BUY LOCAL. at this time of year, especially, it is important to keep your hard earned dollars in our community. this simple step keeps the cycle going. our small shops and businesses may not have the

individual

impact of a big box store, but, combined, they contribute econmically AND culturally. they help create a community that makes people want to stay here and live and raise their families, and also a place to come visit. that, in turn, yields an economic impact that is hard to measure, but one that certainly could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with that of a larger chain store.

also, it should be noted, that even buying from a chain store locally, is better than buying online, in that a portion of the dollars spent stay in our community, but tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, so please try to buy local (and SMALL) this holiday season, wherever you may live- there is so much to discover! xoxo, Athens

Thank YOU!

This has been a big year for us- we published our first book! here are some images of the behind-the-scenes process of making the book: the proofs on my desk, selecting PMS colors, editing, etc...then, finally enjoying the book...all from one year ago...

thank you for all of your support this year!

words & photographs by rinne allen

southern snow

all week there has been rumors of wintry mix here in the south.  99% of the time it is just a big huge build up of excitement and all we get is some rain.