Schoolhouse Spaces: Neighbors General Store
As part of our ongoing "Analog Living" series focused on community, creativity, and the things that inspire us both in our home and in our lives, we sat down with longtime Schoolhouse friend, Alex Creswell, to talk about her recent venture, Neighbors General Store, and the inspiration behind it. From photography, to styling, to designing and curating the sweetest little shop we've ever seen, Alex is one of those rare, all-around creative humans that we're endlessly inspired by.
Below, we chat with Alex about her creative rituals, current inspiration, and how her beloved store came to be.
Neighbors General Store is such a dream! It feels like each and every detail was so carefully and thoughtfully chosen. We'd love to hear more about how this vision came to life, and what inspired you to start this journey.
Thank you so much! I've always enjoyed the process of curating spaces and hunting for unique, functional, and beautiful finds. Looking back it feels like a million little things led me to where I am now, but to sum it all up, I got to a place in my life where I was ready to jump off the deep end and pursue a career that aligned closely with my passions. These last few years during the pandemic really reset and realigned a lot of things for me. When opening the store front, I knew I wanted a bright and cheery space, a place where people felt inspired and instantly comfortable and at home.
If you had to choose three words to describe what you love most about Neighbors General Store, what would they be?
Welcoming, curated, and fun!
We would love to hear a little bit about what's currently inspiring you right now! What are you listening to or reading (music, book, movie, etc.)?
'My Life in France' by Julia Child - always a favorite book of mine. Love her story and how she carved her own path.
Jorietime! Love Jorie and her magical creative powers. She helped me with branding ideas in the early stage of Neighbors and I could not be more grateful.
Lately, I've also been so inspired by the creatives in my community! It’s been so fun to pivot from remote work to working with people again. Lots of time has been spent brainstorming and spitballing fun creative ideas!
Do you have any routines or rituals you rely on to assist in your creative practice?
My life in general is very routine driven - I do best with that consistency! I find that when I have balance in my life, I am able to be most creative. I usually try to have a slow morning before I open up the shop - I make my to-do list for the day and most mornings will have coffee with a friend. I live by that to-do list!
I'm curious what the word "analog" means to you? Are there specific analog practices that you're drawn to?
I love and crave time with friends! Nothing makes me happier than a dinner party with people I love. Taking time to slow down, have a good meal, and catch up on life fills my cup up and then some. I associate analog living with slowing down and celebrate the people, things, and experiences around me.
