Walking through the small village of Midland, Michigan, we stumbled upon a store called “Hoot”. My husband, peering through the window, looked at me and saw the smile on my face, “let’s go in” in succumbed. We spent quite a bit of time browsing the creative works of Sarah Barnett. I was drawn to her “dog tags” that included sayings, initials and vintage photos of people of years gone by. My husband was intrigued by a wall filled with quotes and inspirations mounted on black plaques. Moving away from the “bauble” table, my eye caught a rack filled with hand sewn tops, scarves and children’s clothing. Further on were hand crafted dishes, vases and cards and tags.
Amidst all this creative eye candy I could hear a humming noise but couldn’t figure out what it was. Once I had absorbed everything surrounding me, I tried to figure out where the humming was coming from. As I turned a corner, I saw the artist at work sitting behind a sewing machine. She sat surrounded by mounds of fabric and ribbon.
Sarah’s smile was contagious as I recognized the expression of someone experiencing true joy. We chatted briefly as I marvelled at her ability to have created a space that enabled her to work, create and, simultaneously, sell her wares. She was in artist’s heaven.
I, of course, purchased “dog tags” for me and my daughter. I did so because I was drawn to them and because I wanted to support the creative genius living in Sarah. She packaged each chain and the trinkets in lime green tissue, a “hoot” gift box and then placed them all in a polka dot cellophane bag with a ribbon to finish it off.
I wished that I could have spent more time in this treasure cove of creativity, but I knew that my husband would only last a certain amount of time, and I was probably nearing the point of leaving. I walked out with my package valued at $57 and decided that it was worth as much as this season’s hottest Coach bag.
Thanks for the literary virtual tour around a shop I know I would have loved! xo
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