New businesses boost holiday options for St. Clair

Story by Paul South
Staff and submitted photos

As the number of rooftops, restaurants and retail shops continues to grow in Pell City, local entrepreneurs are expanding the options for residents looking to shop and find personal services close to home.

They are also a sure-fire way to draw more business to town from across the county and region.

Three relatively new businesses are part of that momentum. Stonehouse Antiques and Mercantile offers a mix of antique, vintage and new merchandise for customers updating their homes or looking for one-of-a-kind pieces.

Little Stitches & Co. specializes in children’s clothing for newborns, toddlers and children up to age 8, giving families a local option for boutique-style apparel.

Inside Little Stitches, customers will also find Heirloom Salon Studio, which provides hair services in the same convenient location.

Here’s a glance at each of these new holiday stops:

Stonehouse Antiques & Mercantile
3440 Martin Street South,
Suite 12, Cropwell

Becky Anderson has always loved to dabble in antiques and restoration, painting and refinishing furniture. The former surgeon’s assistant first indulged that love at an antique mall in Illinois. Now, she shares that passion at her Cropwell shop, Stonehouse Antiques & Mercantile, which opened in late August.

Her love of antiques and vintage items was born of necessity. “When I was young, we didn’t have a lot,” she said. “I knew I wanted the house to look nice, so… I refurbished and repainted and restored on my own. You remember that show, ‘Design on a Dime?’ I’ve been designing on a dime my whole life, even before the show was popular.”

At Stonehouse, shoppers can browse 2,100 square feet of antiques, vintage items and some new items. Two or three vendors also have spots in the store, offering more variety.

“I’m always proud of the furniture I bring in,” Anderson said.  “I try to pick real quality. Whether it’s vintage or antique or some new or fairly new piece. I try to make sure that it’s quality and I’m not passing along junk to somebody.”

There are times in her hunt for antiques that she finds an item that her post-purchase research reveals to be worth 10 times what she paid. It’s a moment straight out of PBS’ Antiques Roadshow. But the cornerstone of her pricing is fairness.

 “I don’t try to put that kind of price on it,” she says. “I put a price on it that’s reasonable. But the piece is worth the price that I put on it.”

An example: She once found a pair of colorful Asian Foo dog bookends – symbols of good fortune – that she found that were worth $200 to $500. She sold them for $85.

“I still made money, and the customer got something that was really worth something,” she said.

Along with the larger items, Stonehouse also carries small gifts, perfect to give to teachers, classmates or friends.  Watercolor print greeting cards are also available.

On Wednesdays, shoppers can purchase fresh loaves of homemade sourdough bread from Brittle Heaven, the wildly popular candy and baked goods shop.

“It’s usually gone by the weekend,” Anderson said.

It began to look like Christmas even before the calendar turned to December.  Stonehouse is set to host a Christmas open house in mid-December.

“Some people have theirs in October or November,” she said. “I’ll have Christmas inventory out then, but to me, a Christmas open house ought to be special. I’m not knocking anyone who does it early. But as far as food, or something to eat or drink, mine will probably be after hours.

The store may also stay open later during the holidays.

Stonehouse is not a giant antique mall, and that means personalized attention.

“We’re quaint. We’re not some big antique mall that takes all day to go through,” Anderson said. “We’re a store that people can just pop in and get a little gift, greeting card or a loaf of homemade bread. We won’t pressure them into buying something else while they’re there.”

She added, “We have people who come in all the time just to look, and that’s fine, too. People will come back if you treat ‘em nice.”

Jon and Abbye Grimes

Little Stitches & Company
Children’s Boutique
Heirloom Salon

1801 1st Avenue South, Pell City

Two of Pell City’s newest businesses have taken families to another level in a unique concept. Sisters-in-law Abbye Grimes and Tina Dailey operate two distinct shops under the same roof on First Avenue South.

Grimes owns Little Stitches & Company Children’s Boutique, and Dailey owns  Heirloom Salon. Both shops had their grand opening in October. Little Stitches is an ideal spot for quality children’s fashions, and Heirloom can add its special styles for customers for holiday events or any time a woman wants to look her best.

While there’s an old adage warning against going into business with family, Grimes and Dailey make it work – joyfully.

“Honestly, we love being together every day,” Dailey said. “Most of my customers shop with (Abbye) anyway, so it just clicked.”

Grimes agreed.

“We’re living a girl dream, I guess you could say. We get to be together every day even though our jobs are completely opposite. It’s fun being together.”

At Little Stitches, after four years of selling kids’ clothing online from her home, Grimes decided to move to a brick-and-mortar shop.

“We really just ran out of space in my home office,” she said. “I was looking for places to rent and found this place. The timing was perfect.”

She added, “When I was looking for places, I wanted to be open by Oct. 1 because of retail season. We’re in prime shopping season. … It really just worked out.

Grimes carries children’s clothing from newborns to size 5 and a small selection of children’s sizes 6 through 8. Grimes hopes to expand her inventory in 6 through 8 “as soon as we can.”

Among the brands Little Stitches & Company offers are Paty, TRVL, Noodle & Boo, Warmies and other top brands.

Noodle & Boo offers skin and laundry care products for babies and new mothers with sensitive skin, including shampoos, soaps and detergents.

Warmies are stuffed toys that bring comfort and joy not only to children, but to people of all ages. After being warmed in the microwave, the toys ease stress and anxiety.

Tina Dailey

“They’re really big,” Grimes said. “We completely sold out of them and had to restock.

Paty offers timeless baby clothing from onesies to gowns and dresses made for softness and comfort. TRVL Designs offer quality accessories for babies and the entire family.

 Grimes wants to create a warm environment in the store. The same is true at Heirloom.

“We want everyone to feel welcome,” Grimes said. “I want people to come in here and feel happiness and joy. That’s the goal, also to feel loved and wanted.”

Among the many special items at Little Stitches are those “coming-home” outfits for newborns coming home for the first time. That outfit becomes a timeless keepsake.

“A lot of that is what we specialize in,” Grimes said. “It’s very sentimental to be a part of that.”

The store also features popular “gender reveal” festivities. “That’s really special,” Grimes said.

At this time of year, Little Stitches offers outfits for the holidays and beyond.

A former teacher, Grimes started the online clothing business as “something to do, and it just kind of took off,” she said. “It’s never too late to start something different, never too old to do something you want to do,”

Like her sister-in-law’s store, Tina Dailey’s Heirloom Salon wants to create an inviting environment. Her mom was a hair stylist for four decades, and Dailey has done hair for 10. She calls her shop, separated from Little Stitches by French doors, “a luxury color and extension salon.”

She specializes in hair extensions and coloring. In fact, she’s offering 50 percent off all extension hair.

Like any beauty salon or barber shop, Heirloom is where customers can hang out and visit with friends old and new while having their hair done.

What does Dailey like best about the work she does?

“That I get to make women feel beautiful every day,” she said.

Helms Healthcare opening second location in Pell City

At 90 days after opening Helms Healthcare in Vincent, Dr. Rock Helms could see his business plan was working. Be a good listener and deliver personal, quality healthcare like days gone by, and patients will follow.

One thousand patients three months later are testament to that.

It didn’t stop there. At the eight-month mark and approaching 2,000 patients, Helms announced that he will be opening a second location in his hometown of Pell City.

Targeting May 1, 2026, Helms Healthcare plans to open the new location near the industrial park at Comer Avenue and John Haynes Drive. Helms is renovating an existing building to accommodate the medical offices, an imaging center and infusion suites.

The 7,500-square-foot building is space he said is going to be developed into “really nice” state-of-the-art imaging center with a cutting-edge CT scan capable of a comprehensive range of diagnostics for coronary cardiovascular risk.

Cardiac imaging of this caliber will be able to serve certain patients for precision cardiovascular screening, which may not be covered by insurance. But, Helms predicts by 2030 in the healthcare industry, it will be standard and covered. “The fact that we’re going ahead now tells you just how good the technology is.”

The new clinic will offer extended hours for urgent care and a full-service lab. They are adding new staff – CT technician, laboratory technician, ultrasound technician and more office and support staff.

At present, the Vincent clinic is led by Helms with the assistance of three certified nurse practitioners.

Jonathan Windham, CRNP, one of four providers now at Vincent clinic. More will be added.

Helms will divide his time between the Vincent and Pell City clinics, but plans call for the physician roster to increase to meet the needs. “We expect to quickly grow providers over the next 24 months,” he said.

The decision to return to Pell City with a significant presence was guided by his ties to his hometown. Pell City, he said, has “excellent healthcare with multiple services available. It is my community, and I want to maintain that level of care and build on it.”

While he acknowledges the tremendous strides made with Helms Healthcare since its inception only eight months ago, he stressed that it was not a solo effort. It came from “the Lord and good work of good people.”

As for returning the practice of medicine to days gone by, he said Helms Healthcare will continue this path of care. “When you call, a person answers the phone. They’re happy to see you. They care. All those things are really important.”

He expects Helms Healthcare to “continue to grow and be marked by excellence and doing it in a loving, old fashioned way. I don’t want that to go away.”

In 2001, Helms founded Northside Medical Associates in Pell City, beginning with only a handful of providers and staff. He grew it into an expansive campus of medical facilities, a pharmacy, urgent care and multiple specialties and locations in other communities with over 200 employees.

After selling the practice and fulfilling contract commitments, he founded Helms Healthcare in Vincent.

Gilreath expands to new location

Story and photos by Carol Pappas

From ink to digital presses, from invitations and business cards to signs, vehicle wraps and at bed printing, Eddie Gilreath and his family have seen it all. Just like the printing industry itself, Gilreath Printing & Signs has evolved over the past 32 years.

A new era has dawned for the family-owned company with the opening of their new facility a block from their old location in downtown Pell City.

Jeremiah Gilreath under special lighting system

The difference? A state-of-the-art, 10,000 square foot facility that is expected to grow to meet the current needs of the varied formats in the printing industry and well into the future.

Gilreath Printing began in an 800 square foot building behind where Pell City Coffee Company is now. At the five-year mark, they outgrew it. He eyed a piece of property on Cogswell Avenue at the corner of 20th Street, which had been vacant for 30 years. A friend was building custom log homes at the time, and he asked if he could build one for his office on that lot.

The lot’s owner, Johnny Turner, sold it to Gilreath, they built their office in that log home, “and we had plenty of room.”

“Or so we thought,” said son, Jeremiah, who has taken the lead in operations today.

In 2004, they started printing signs. Their first wrap – vinyl signage that conforms to the contours of a structure like a vehicle or a window – came in 2008. It was on their own vehicle – a Ford Explorer.

Now, the business is 50-50 printing and signs. They even do wall wraps and offer any type of advertising specialty.

New cutting-edge equipment giving them the ability to print directly on any substrate, has been added. Many more technological advances are on the way. “When we started, we didn’t even have a computer,” said Susie Gilreath, Eddie’s wife and Jeremiah’s mother.

More cutting-edge equipment allows Gilreath to meet the needs of customers

As they walk through the new, spacious facilities, they talk about their ability to do the job better, faster, and at competitive pricing. The newly installed equipment helps them meet demands of the future and grow their business in the right direction.

A suite of offices is just beyond the lobby with a glass window that lets visitors see the open bay area, where work is done. That vantage point allows them to observe the whole operation.

Through the window, a freshly wrapped service van is spotted, ready to be pressed into duty by Allen Service Company.  A Mustang wrapped especially for Talladega Superspeedway sits nearby under a special lighting system that allows the Gilreath crew to do their work without reflections and shadow.

Digital printers of all shapes, sizes and capacities anchor the center of the floor, and a flurry of activity is ongoing throughout the day by family and long-term employees. There’s even a third generation, Jeremiah’s son, Brody.

The log cabin still stands at the corner of Cogswell Avenue and 20th Street, ready to lease, Gilreath said.

The Gilreaths still believe in doing the right thing, creating value and helping businesses get results.

As for the size and scope of the operation as it heads into the future from its new headquarters, it’s all in a day’s work at Gilreath Printing & Signs.

New OB/GYN services at St. Clair Hospital

Dr. Sarah Whitehead seeing patients in Pell City

UAB St. Vincent’s Women’s Health is expanding gynecologic services to UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair. Dr. Sarah Whitehead will now be holding gynecology appointments at the Pell City hospital located at 7063 Veterans Parkway.

 Whitehead is accepting new patients, and appointments can be scheduled by calling the main office at 205-939-7800. Patients should specify UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair facility when making an appointment with Dr. Whitehead.

 Whitehead is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and provides gynecologic care to girls and women of all ages.

She strives to provide compassionate service to her patients by listening to and understanding their needs.

She has a special interest in treating polycystic ovary syndrome and helping patients achieve their weight loss goals.

Trying to be better…

What if, instead of making lofty New Year’s resolutions, we all agreed to simply try a little harder to be a little better than we were the year before?

To be kinder – not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard and inconvenient. To be more honest, even when it’s uncomfortable, and to forgive more readily, knowing we’ve all fallen short at some point.

What if we gave a little more – of our money, our time and our patience? What if we extended a little more grace to the people who need it most, including ourselves?

What if instead of looking too long at what’s behind us or constantly chasing what’s next, we took more time to appreciate what’s here now?

What if we loved a little better the people we often take for granted? The people who stand beside us and see us clearly – flaws and all – and choose to love and support us, not just for who we will be … but for who we already are today.

What if we try a little harder to find joy in the present moment – and keep our feet firmly planted in appreciation for the beautiful gift of life right now?

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

Piecing together a story

Quilting is art, storytelling, therapy

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free

It was 1863, and America was imploding, ravaged by the effects of the Civil War. Brother met brother in battle, homes were burned and cities destroyed.

In Bennington County, Vermont, 46-year-old Jane A. Stickle channeled her energy, creativity and wartime grief into creating what is now one of the most famous quilts in the world. She stitched into one corner of her masterpiece the simple, yet haunting words – “In War Time 1863.”

Stickle’s quilt, now called the “Dear Jane” quilt, is a sampler, meaning that each of the squares is unique. Unlike most sampler quilts which typically use blocks created by different quilters, Stickle created each of the elements herself. She created most of the patterns for the blocks herself, utilizing established patterns for less than a third of her quilt. She also did not repeat a patterned fabric in any of the blocks.

The Dear Jane quilt has been housed in the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont, for nearly seven decades. To protect the integrity of the fragile fabrics, the quilt is only displayed for one month each year, with thousands of quilters making the pilgrimage from as far away as Europe and Australia to view the piece.

County historian Joe Whitten talks history of quilts in special presentation

Rhonda Humphries has not yet been to see Stickle’s Dear Jane quilt but has spent thousands of hours on her own replica. Humphries, a member of the Friendship Quilters Guild of St. Clair County, was encouraged in the project by other guild members and her friend and mentor, Brenda Franklin.

Undaunted by the 5,602 individual pieces it takes to make the project, Humphries worked for two and a half years until the 169 five-inch blocks, 52 triangles, and four corner kites came together in her own finished masterpiece.

Humphries used Civil War era reproduction fabric and followed patterns created by Brenda Manges Papadakis, who viewed Jane’s original quilt in the museum in 1992 and meticulously traced each piece.

Papadakis so admired Stickle’s work that she was inspired to write a book published four years later called The Two Hundred Twenty-Five Patterns from the 1863 Jane A. Stickle Quilt, which included the patterns quilters could use to reproduce the quilt. Many quilters are inspired by the Dear Jane Quilt, and many bring their finished pieces when they make the trip to the Bennington Museum to view the original.

Like the Dear Jane Quilt, Humphries’ quilt is hand-pieced and hand-stitched, an effort that took incredible patience, perseverance and precision. “The most difficult part,” says Humphries, “was one block with a star inside. It’s made up of 30 pieces and, by itself, took three days to complete.” She has been quilting for eight years and has made 40-50 quilts but hadn’t done many quilts at the time she took on this challenge.

“Most people who start this quilt do not finish. It’s pretty involved,” admits Humphries. The blue ribbon and people’s choice awards from her recent entry in a quilt show pinned to the top say the effort has been well appreciated.

Humphries’ quilt was on display recently in a special exhibit at the Museum of Pell City, along with dozens of other quilts made by members of the Friendship Quilters Guild. Looking at each quilt is like looking at fine art in a gallery. Each quilt tells a story, whether one of whimsey or of more important historical matters.

Naomi Kircus is the creator of The Underground Railroad quilt. Its blocks relate the story of the freedom seekers during abolition. Created with Civil War replica fabric, the quilt is made up of 16 blocks, each a reproduction of one that would hang in the windows of safe houses. “When the slaves were running for their freedom, people would have safe places for them to stay,” explained Kircus. “They would display quilts [in the windows] where each of the squares was a message they were communicating to those they were helping.”

The personal narratives and messages communicated through quilting continue to be a source of pride and precious history for families and communities today. Quilts are handed down from generation to generation, becoming treasured heirlooms.

The Friendship Quilters Guild occasionally offers classes in quilting for those wanting to learn the skills and process. The guild has been together for more than 25 years and meets on the second Saturday of each month at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Pell City.

Rhonda Humphries and her Dear Jane Quilt

Organizer of the quilt exhibit and guild member Deb Cearley adds that the group has a passion for service. They make covers for cancer ports, fidget quilts, hospital bedrail bags and full-size quilts that they donate to area hospitals, cancer centers and hospice groups. 

“Service is the main thing we do,” said Cearley. “I came to a program here for Veterans and saw many of them come in with their blankets on their laps in their wheelchairs, and that just inspired us to make more.” They also provide placemats for Meals on Wheels and pet beds for Pell City’s animal shelter.

Florence Kerr, one of the oldest standing members of the organization, adds one more benefit to quilting, beyond its artistic and storytelling value. “Quilting is therapy,” she says. “It’s therapy because you have to be in a quiet place and really focus on the process.”

Perhaps the process really is the heart of the matter for the quilt’s creator, though it is the product that inspires the rest of us.