Art Crawl XII, a beloved eatery, and a shop that feels like an art installation

Have you noticed that people are just happier lately? Amazing what a break in the heat will do for our spirits. And it's just in time if you ask us, because October is packed with events, gatherings, and brilliant folks doing amazing things.

In this issue we meet some of those entrepreneurial neighbors who are feeding The Shoals with culture, inspiration, beautiful things, and literal food.

Ancestral roots, personal history, and intentional details are a shared theme.

Before we get into those stories, we want to share with you a very special date.

This week marks Fernhill Realty's One Year Anniversary!

We started this company with a vision to change the way real estate changes hands. We don't do "deals". We guide people through seamless property transactions. In other words, we put our clients first, our bottom line after.

In one incredibly short year we've grown from seven agents, including Owner/Broker Matt Golley and Co-Broker Sami Lamb, to over 20 agents in Florence and Birmingham. We've sponsored countless cultural events in the community and last week we launched this newsletter as another way to celebrate and spotlight our beloved communities.

Here's to the next year of seamless transactions and very happy home owners!

Thank you for being here,

The Editors, Fernhill Edition

Feature Story

A working artist curates craftsmanship and beauty in one of The Shoals' most unique shops

If the Seven Points shop Idyllwilde had an artist statement (and it has certainly earned one) it might go like this...

"Objects are the embodiment of somebody's intentions, through their choice of materials, through their process of how they make it. Physical objects carry that history. They are containers for other people's creativity and intention. I care deeply for how people make things and what materials they use and what impact that has on our environment," says Idyllwilde proprietor, Nadene Mairesse.

Idyllwilde is named for the artist community in Northern California where Nadene spent her childhood and early teenage summers attending art workshops and collecting things from the wilds of the area. That influence is on bold display in a shop devoted to art, craftsmanship, and nature.

Researching the roots of each item sold in Idyllwilde is a core tenet for Nadene. The curation is as detail-appointed as each hand-stitched garment you'll find on the rack. To talk with her about the ingredients in a bar of soap is to quickly learn the difference between something that looks and smells good, and one that's made with ingredients that are safe for you and the environment.

You can find products from local makers including Mother Herbs soap and elderberry syrup; Remedy, a Huntsville-based line of tinctures and herbal teas; and a Greensboro, Alabama chef's aromatic and delicious Zatar spice blends.

Idyllwilde also carries a selection of house plants from Rudy's Nursery in Killen, postcards by local photographers, unique and delicious pantry items, and many more beautiful gift ideas for the home.

“The basis of art is freedom to create. I think it’s essential to well-being. I think it’s essential to a healthy culture, through whether it’s artwork or a crafted object for your home. It’s how you learn about other people and appreciate their skills and talents.” —Nadene Mairesse, artist, designer, Idyllwilde proprietor

Her own line, Redux, salvages stained and worn-through vintage or thrifted garments by re-imagining them with natural dyes, hand-stitched patches, and embellishments that give them new life. The result? One-of-a-kind wearable heirlooms.

Nadene works in the back of the store, which serves as her art studio where she does all the dyeing and making. Evidence of her natural indigo dye practice is often found on her hands and fingernails. With a background in fashion design, a degree in architecture, and the aforementioned childhood steeped in a world where life is art, the shop/art studio seems an organic evolution of an artist, maker, and entrepreneur.

We are lucky to have her, and Idyllwilde, in The Shoals.

Stop by during Art Crawl XII on October 8th to see two special installations for this year's gathering.

At the Table

The handcrafted vision behind a Florence destination spot

When Rob and Lindsy McFarlane first dreamed up North Wood Social, the vision was to create a social club where friends and neighbors could enjoy a high-quality cocktail and a good time outside of the downtown hustle. Then the pandemic delayed the opening by six critical months.

The McFarlanes, both Shoals natives, put their last few hundred dollars into beer, wine, and pierogies for a pop-up during Art Crawl in 2021, and the community rallied. They raised enough money that night to get North Wood Social officially open the very next week. The community also brought their own ideas around what the place would become.

"We weren't even doing burgers when we opened. That was a late-night menu item that we were trying to pull people in," Rob says. Then people started showing up at four in the afternoon wanting a smashburger, so they added it to the menu. Eventually North Wood Social became the restaurant the community wanted it to be and what it is today—a standalone dinner and cocktail spot that serves as both a neighborhood favorite and a destination restaurant in the heart of Seven Points.

The small, cozy space is decked out in antiques and original art, textured walls and dark accents that feel like an intentionally appointed living room. It's both welcoming and cool. The back patio features community-style picnic tables and a wall mural by Lindsy's niece, who was 15-years old at the time she painted it.

Craft is the operative word here, from the handcrafted cocktails with house-made syrups to the hand-rolled pierogies developed from the handwritten recipes of Rob's Polish mother and grandmother, to the family antiques, artwork and decor created by local artisans and friends of the McFarlanes. This is a space that encapsulates ancestral roots, comfort food with sophisticated imbibement, and zero pretentiousness.

Lindsy makes the desserts from scratch, having learned her baking skills from her own mother and grandmother. Rob, too, is a self-taught cook, "I like to call myself a Chef Lite, like Miller Lite," he says. The marketing, flyers, images you see online and on social media are all crafted by Lindsy, and they are all human made. "You can tell if someone spent time on it," Lindsy says, unlike some of the juiced up, AI-driven images that have become so commonplace.

That "someone spending time on it" philosophy is evident in everything North Wood Social does. The ability to serve the people what they want and still maintain your vision is a rare flex that has kept this Florence gem alive and going strong.

This year for Art Crawl XII the restaurant is hosting artist Heather Fleming.

Looking Forward

Mark your calendars for Art Crawl XII on Thursday, October 8th from 5pm to 9pm. Various store fronts, studios, and restaurants will host artists and their work. Meet the artists, witness the art, take home an original piece or commission a future piece for your collection.

Follow 7 Points Artist Group on Instagram to see who will be exhibiting this year and where you can find them during the event.

Fernhill Realty is a proud sponsor of Art Crawl XII and we'll definitely be on the scene. Join us!

Also coming up:

Ernest Barber Family Reunion "One Last Evening of Music" on October 9th, sponsored and hosted by Fernhill Realty.

Court Street Books "Adult Book Fair" at Singing River Brewery on October 10th.