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Here's what we're doing to keep everyone healthy and safe...

7/5/2020

We Are Open

Appointment Only

We will limit the number of customers in the store to a maximum 12 people at one time.
Also, we are allowing a maximum of two social groups to shop concurrently.

A social group is anyone you are shopping with. A single shopper is also considered one social group. Social groups can be no larger than our maximum capacity of 12 customers.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Mandatory Face Masks

All staff and patrons who choose to visit the shop must wear a face mask at all times.

Forget your mask at home?
No worries we have extra!

Hand Sanitizer

Contactless hand sanitizer at the front door to be used by everyone who comes in. Additional hand sanitizer will be available for use by staff and customers at each register. We also have 2oz containers of hand sanitizer for sale. The sink in the kitchen is available as a hand washing station.

Temperature Checks

Every staff member will check their temperature everyday upon entering the shop.

Shop Online

Slowly but surely we are adding artists and collections to our online store

shop.heartofthehome.com

Curbside Pickup

We continue to offer curbside pick-up for the lovely things that you have seen online. Not finding what you want? We offer concierge remote shopping experiences. Tell us what you are looking for and we will email you suggestions and options. We include images and descriptions and will tailor our experience and knowledge to help you make an informed choice.

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Phyllis in the Garden

4/21/2020

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Here's a picture of some bright yellow algae on a branch of dark purple elderberry which caught my eye. Also the usual disappointments - this beautiful parrot tulip was the only one I got a chance to cut. The deer ate all the rest of the blooms that night before I could spray them with the nasty smelling stuff. Darn! Oh well, something else will be blooming any day and there's always next year...

The last couple of weeks have been a true demonstration of what mid-April is like. Lots of cool days, rain every other day or so, a couple of killing frosts - On the left is a picture of my yellow magnolia before the frost turned the blossoms brown. For me it's a time, especially right now, to slow down and look at the minute things that are happening.

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Birthstone Focus: Aquamarine

2/24/2020

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Aquamarine beryl in its natural state. Photo by Rob Lavinsky.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March, but we love it all year round. Calling to mind cool water and summer beaches, it can also be incorporated into a winter wardrobe to evoke sparkling ice and clear winter skies. The gemstone’s name - from "aqua" (water) and "marina" (of the sea) - honors its color. Where sapphire and lapis make commanding statements in primary blue, aquamarine’s hues tend toward the gentle. The most spectacular examples of Aquamarine are a crisp, clear, sky-blue color, but it ranges from soft greys to almost green, and sometimes bears unique inclusions that earn the moniker “mossy aquamarine”. Aquamarine plays well with others, equally amenable to the company of golden or silvery metals, including the rich patina of oxidized sterling silver.

Sterling silver pendant with aquamarine in a "Four Star" pattern, by Adel Chefridi
Oxidized sterling silver earrings with aquamarine and lapis beads, by Sarah Chapman

Aquamarine is part of the Beryl family - a family of prestigious minerals that also includes verdant Emerald (May's birthstone) and romantic pink Morganite and obscure but brilliant yellowy Heliodor. Like Emerald, it has long been popular as a gemstone for adornment, populating the crown jewels of many nations, but similarly adored by private citizens. For those who love minerals for their purported metaphysical properties, aquamarine’s watery hues are said to encourage a calm and tranquil disposition.

Tassel earrings and pendant by Philippa Roberts. Gold vermeil with aquamarine, rutilated quartz, and citrine.

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Birthstone Focus: Garnets in January

1/8/2020

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Garnet teardrop and oxidized silver statement necklace by Ashka Dymel

Garnets have been worn and loved by gemstone collectors for millennia. They have adorned the finery and armor of royalty in ancient Egypt and Renaissance Europe, and were carved into signet rings used to seal the deal on matters of state and personal correspondence. In the modern day, they are loved for their beautiful color, and treasured as January’s birthstone. But there is more to garnets than might come immediately to mind - they are wonders of the mineral world, and a diverse family of intriguing gemstones.

When imagining garnets, the color that comes first to mind for most is deep red - the word "garnet" derives from the word pomegranate, whose red interior the gems were thought to resemble. In truth, garnets are a group of related stones with similar chemical and geological properties. Those January babies in search of variety need not despair: the unique conditions under which the different "species" of garnets form give them different sizes, shapes, and colors. From rich wine-red pyropes and cheery orange and coppery-brown spessartines, to brilliant green grossular garnets, the garnet group offers a rainbow of colors for gem lovers to adore.

Bronze and artisanal glass pomegranates on garnet beaded necklace by Michal Michaud

Geometric mixed-metals and garnet necklace by Art by Any Means

In addition to holding pride of place as January's traditional birthstone, garnets are a popular gift in celebration of second wedding anniversaries. And of course, their lovely red varieties are a romantic choice for a Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie! Let us share a few of our favorites from Heart of the Home’s selection of designs featuring garnet. Some focus on a single one of garnet’s gorgeous colors, while some play with different shades in splendid harmony. We think you’ll like them all.

"Grace" earrings by Adel Chefridi, with green tsavorite garnets surrounding white diamond

"Grace" pendant by Adel Chefridi featuring green tsavorite garnets surrounding white diamond

"Lotus Petal" earrings by Vannucci, featuring garnets in shades of burgundy, red, and orange

"Tuscany Wine" necklace by Vannucci, with garnet and gemstones including prehnite and aquamarine

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The Most Delicious Bar-Bee-Que Recipe from Savannah Bee Company

7/3/2019

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Made with honey and love, this is The Most Delicious Bar-Bee-Que Recipe you'll Ever Eat. This is not a quick and easy solution to your summer celebration. This is a low and slow labor of love that results in the most tender, bone-sucking, finger-licking ribs you've ever had the pleasure of tasting. When we're lucky, our very own Jack Carr makes his world famous ribs for us.

This recipe is for 2 racks of pork ribs. It takes 6 hours total, and yes it's worth every minute.

The Rub
Jack starts with any old base pork rub then adds:
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Morton's Season-All Seasoned Salt
1 short tablespoon paprika
1 short tablespoon crushed red pepper

The Soak
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
The Sauce
1 cup Tupelo Honey
3 cups ketchup
2 cups apple juice
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 drop of liquid smoke
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Bring to boil, then reduce, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
Add 1/2 cup of regular pickle juice. Jack uses Mount Olive pickles.
Add red pepper flakes as desired

The Ribs
Jack uses the 3-2-1 method. Cover in rub, grill bone up for 3 hours at 220 degrees.
While the ribs are on the grill, make your sauce.
Wrap ribs individually in foil with butter, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Keep them moist. Put them back on the grill for another 2 hours.
Unwrap, place bone side down on grill at 220, and glaze generously with sauce. Cook for 1 hour or until ribs come to proper pork temperature (145 degrees).

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A Year of Anniversaries: First and Second

2/12/2019

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2019 marks Heart of the Home's 25th anniversary! (The big day is April 1st. Yes, really!) Visitors often tell us that we're a favorite place to find a really beautiful, unusual wedding gift, but we also have lots of ideas for anniversary gifts, too! We'll have traditional and modern ideas for twenty five years of anniversaries on our blog throughout 2019.

First Anniversary
Traditional Theme: Paper / Modern Theme: Clocks

Paper seems like a simple thing, but we find the infinite potential in a brand new journal a thing of beauty. Imagine - a handmade journal, perhaps with a personal inscription on the first page? Or a photo of you and your beloved, tucked between the pages? How romantic! Personalize it a bit more by choosing one that speaks to your beloved's roots. We're mad for the gorgeous leather-bound journals by Tactile Craftworks, adorned with vintage cartography of Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and more.

And of course, no Paper anniversary would be complete without the perfect card. A sweet sentiment, or a bit racy? That's up to you, but either way: Tiramisu Paperie has you covered!

Clocks are the modern theme for this anniversary. How perfect a way to feather your nest and commemorate the time you've shared together, and will continue to share! From classic to contemporary, organic wood to stylish metal, a clock can be a beautiful gift. We like the traditional Appalachian influence of Sabbath-Day Wood's wooden and copper-face clocks, and the intriguing industrial aesthetic of Pendulux.

Second Anniversary
Traditional: Cotton / Modern: China

"Socks?" we can hear you say. "Socks? For an anniversary gift?" For the Cotton anniversary, you bet! Solmate socks are not just any socks. They come in a kaleidoscope of perfectly mismatched colors. How about comfy-cozy socks, and a romantic evening by the fire? And yes, these are beloved by ladies and gentleman alike!

We love opportunities to think outside the box. The modern second anniversary theme is "China", which sounds limiting at first blush, calling to mind connotations like "fragile" and "only for special occasions only". But it doesn't have to be.

Consider: china - or, more correctly, porcelain - that can be worn. Boston studio Porcelain & Stone elevates this material to exquisite ornamentation. Hand-crafted from colored porcelain clay, their earrings and necklaces defy expectations about where this material belongs. Each piece in their marbled collection is unique, with whorls and swirls unlike any other. Exactly as unique as your love.

We can't go long without talking about pottery here at Heart of the Home. It's one of our passions, and has been a part of our store since our very earliest anniversaries. Our founder's motto has always been: "no useless pots!", and that unfussy, thoroughly practical philosophy brings the china anniversary into everyday functionality. A beautifully made, dishwasher-safe mug can be enjoyed over and over again. Or ditch the generic glass florist's vase and present an anniversary bouquet in a gorgeous ceramic vase that can hold cheery blooms for anniversaries to come. For coffee or carnations, Bill Campbell's creations have you covered.