On the Square

This couch in the east window was a great perch from which to drink prosecco and watch last year's Fayetteville High School Homecoming parade.

One door off the Fayetteville downtown square at #3 E. Mountain is where you will find windowshop in the storefront of an old three story building, which also houses Kathy Thompson's art class space, her huge art studio on the upper floor, and a music studio in the basement.  The ddp art gallery is two doors down.

The shop is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment other times. I'm only a few minutes away and do most of my business in off hours.  Saturday is a great time to visit downtown Fayetteville because March through November the Farmers' Market is in full swing on the square.  My  corner of the square is home to the animal rescue operation's personnel and their pack of tail wagging adoptable dogs.  A Thai family runs a produce stand on this corner as well.  A good thing since their little girls love to pop in an out of the shop all morning for chocolates, to visit, and to sit in the pint size bentwood rocker parked out front.  

Close by in the next block are vendors selling coffee, baked goods, and a gringo in a sombrero who sells great breakfast burritos and tamales out of an ice chest. Music from the numerous street musicians fills the air.  I am always late for work and hurry to unlock and prop open the door, turn on some music, and drag some chairs out into the entryway for the many visitors who stop by to visit each Saturday.  

The shop is filled with vintage furniture, friends' artwork, and decorative items that I pick up at flea markets and estate sales.  I do consignment furniture sales for people, so I don't have to spend too much time looking for large pieces for the shop.  

I started the business a little over a year ago as a creative outlet and way to meet people since at that point I was a new resident of Fayetteville, having moved here recently from Little Rock with my husband who now works for the U of A.  I teach writing online, a solitary job, so the shop is a social outlet as well.