Natalie Off Duty

Our travels for Grandmother's Buttons brings us all over the United States from New York to Vegas. Last year while in the Big Apple, part of our team had the privilege of meeting model and style blogger, Natalie Suarez. Natalie is also a designer for luxury shoe brand, Modern Vice, a company who is revitalizing Made in America in New York's garment district.

Recently, Natalie traveled to Barcelona for the MANGO runway show and hit the streets in her favorite Grandmother's Buttons necklace! Her effortless boho style is perfect for our long and sinuous bolo necklace.

See more of Natalie's travels and style on her blog, Natalie Off Duty.

Making a Country Living

Last year the Grandmother's Buttons team loaded up and drove the more than 500 miles
from St. Francisville, Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia for the Country Living Fair.  We were so excited to meet the editor of Country Living when she came by our booth, and never dreamed that brief encounter would lead to a feature in one of our favorite magazines!  Now, as we gear up for another Country Living Fair this summer, Grandmother's Buttons has the honor of being featured in the May 2o13 issue of Country Living Magazine!  Words cannot really express how much this recognition means to our small business.

You can download a digital version of the issue HERE.

Every part of working with Country Living has been fabulous.  The article covers the inception of Grandmother's Buttons to our current endeavors, and the importance that family has played in the success of GB.  Now graduated from college with a degree in art, I (Susan's daughter) have enjoyed coming back to the business that began before I was even born.  As a photographer, I am extending the family ties that have allowed Grandmother's Buttons to flourish by taking on photography and social media for the business.  You can see Mom and me in the article, pictured with the famous image of my grandmother (in  her affectionately nick-named 'Movie Star' picture).  My grandmother, Miriam Garrett, died last fall at age 94, and for years served as both muse and head cheerleader for our family business. We know she would love being a part of this article.

We are all excited to be participating this year in the new edition of the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY (June 7-9 th).  And we hope to see some of you there!  Here are a few flashbacks of last year's fun in Atlanta:

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming

There is a reason Grandmother’s Buttons settled in tiny St. Francisville, Louisiana many years ago.  It isn’t the most convenient location from which to run a business.  There are many limitations involved in setting up shop in a small, rural town, but we make it work.  You may ask why?  Because small town life is more than just quaintness.  It is more than simply cute streets and picturesque buildings.  While St. Francisville has these in abundance, it also has a steadfast community that you would be hard pressed to find in a city.  In much the same way that the community raises its children, St. Francisville has raised Grandmother’s Buttons from infancy to adulthood.

[caption id="attachment_1538" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Rod's Sister Ruthie"][/caption]

So imagine our excitement when we learned that our very own Rod Dreher was writing a book about small town life, entitled “The Little Way of Ruthie Leming:  A Southern Girl, a Small Town, and the Secret to a Good Life.”  The book covers his sister’s battle  with cancer and the way in which the community here stood by her until the end.  As soon as he was old enough, Rod moved away from St. Francisville, opting for big city life and a successful career as a journalist.  However, through his experiences with Ruthie’s illness, he came to learn the value of a small community again. He came to value the support it can provide and the overwhelming feeling that comes from an outpouring of love from an entire town.

We waited for months and months to finally get to read Rod’s creation.  And it didn’t disappoint.  Last weekend, Grandmother’s Buttons had the honor of hosting the very first book signing on Rod’s tour.  Hundreds of St. Francisvillians came out to support him and Ruthie’s family, lining up an hour before he arrived to have their copies signed.

[caption id="attachment_1542" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Rod Dreher"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1551" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Rod and his mother, Dorothy Dreher"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1553" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Rod, his wife Julie and their daughter Nora"][/caption]

We had the fortune of having the talented Emily Branton, a local school teacher and Rod's  first cousin, perform for us as well that day!

Now we have to mention the Bopontamus Stew.  Bopotamus Stew is a creation of the community in St. Francisville called Star Hill, where Rod grew up.  It looks and tastes suspiciously like gumbo, but is delicious none the less!

British artist Alice Tait did a wonderful drawing of a map of the Starhill community for the book's endpapers.  We are offering a limited edition 11" x 14" print of the map in our store and on our website for $25, half of which will go to the Ruthie Leming Scholarship Fund for West Feliciana students.

GB's Amber, Breanna, and Daria  after a long, but wonderful day!

Rod, we can't thank you enough for sharing this amazing day with us.  Your book and your family are inspirations to us all!

Images provided by

Grandmother's Buttons in Giftware News

Grandmother's Buttons was featured in Giftware News February 2011 issue - they consider our "upcycling" by using antique buttons "Earth Loving Style," and we couldn't agree more. 

We think using found objects to make beautiful jewelry is a great way to go green.   And we're doing the same thing with our display pieces by using old spools for the earring tree Giftware News spotlights here. 



Got any new ways for us to "upcycle" other found objects?  We'd love to hear from you - just comment below and we'll let you know if we use your idea.

Southern Living Magazine - "Made by Southern Hands"

We made it!  Southern Living chose our cuff link watch for their "Best of the South" feature in the December issue.  We knew immediately when the magazine hit the stands - we suddenly started receiving dozens of orders for the watch on our website. 

We've been overwhelmed with response to this piece - Southern Living featured a two-page layout of beautiful gold and silver gifts, all of which we wanted for our very own!  

We've NEVER had so many calls and orders from a magazine photograph.  Plus, stores are calling and saying that customers have been coming in asking for Grandmother's Buttons. 

We congratulate Southern Living on having such a uniquely avid and dedicated readership, especially considering the decline in readership most magazines are seeing these days.  We're so glad they've chosen to do a feature on items handmade in the South, and really honored to be included in it.

Thanks Southern Living, for helping end our 25th Anniversary year with a bang!