Lamb’s Ears

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Photos by Madoline Markham.

1212 Lamb's Ears

Sisters Elizabeth Gilmore Roberts and Julie Gilmore Howell own Lamb’s Ears in Crestline Village. The store has a variety of unique holiday gifts and décor items as well as unique gifts for any occasion.

Lamb’s Ears has only been selling gifts and décor from its Crestline Village storefront for a year and half, but the store as it is today has been decades in the making.

Sisters Elizabeth Gilmore Roberts and Julie Gilmore Howell bought the 20-year-old Cahaba Heights business and moved it Crestline last May. They thought the space was perfect to fill the void the Quilted Cat gift store had left when its owner passed away a few years ago.

“Lamb’s Ears had a good reputation as a place to buy a baby gift or a retirement gift or wedding gift — you could always find what you needed,” Roberts said. “We wanted to carry on and respect the work of the prior owners.”

The two had grown up in McCalla as siblings four and five of six children in a tight-knit family. Roberts, a resident of Mountain Brook for more than 20 years, has a background in accounting, and Howell recently moved here from Daphne, where she owned several businesses including a furniture retail store.

A stroll through Lamb’s Ears reveals collectors items like Radko ornaments, hand-carved German nutcrackers, Italian hand-carved nativities and the whimsical creations of Patience Brewster. Quirky items like a bobble tail dog can be found amongst upscale holiday décor.

Local artists who sell work in the store include jewelry by Leigh Ann Hurst, Shalla Wista and Laura Gaines, Sara Cavender, Kim Davis (Severity Beads) and Sherri Fairbain; and paintings by Barclay Gresham, Debra Hewitt, Tom Findley and Vaughan Spanjer.

In addition to gift items, Lamb’s Ears sells unique tables, lamps mirrors and other home furnishings — all of which the owners pride themselves on selling at great prices.

“Customers can come in and tell us an occasion and a price point, and our associates can find something for you,” Howell said.

In keeping with Lamb’s Ears’ “12 Days of Christmas” tradition, the store features a different category of gift each day. Its owners announce each day’s item the night before via email, Facebook and a sign on their door. The store also offers wedding registries for items like china and glassware and a Wish List – what Roberts calls a “registry for everyone.” Customers can come in and add what they like to their Wish lists, and family and friends can access before a birthday or any other gift-worthy occasion.

“We have had such a good welcome from Mountain Brook and its business leaders,” Roberts said. “People in Mountain Brook really like to shop local. We always find nose prints on our windows from where people have looked in when we are not open.”

*After Thanksgiving, Lamb’s Ears extends its weekday holiday hours to 5:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Thursdays. It is also open Sundays from 1-4 p.m.

Market 46: A Sister Business of Lamb’s Ears

Like their store, the Gilmore girls’ latest venture started with family. When planning Howell’s daughter’s wedding, the sisters found a strong interest in vintage décor but no local resource for it. And so Market 46, a vintage rental business, was born. And what was the inspiration for the name? The owners’ parents married in 1946.

Market 46 can provide vintage china and flatware for up to 300 people, as well as vintage chairs and other furniture items. More information about Market 46 can be found on market46.com.

Howell’s now-married daughter, Emmie Arendell, a professional photographer, now runs the store’s facebook page, blogs and Pinterest account, as well as works with Market 46.

Upcoming Events at Lamb’s Ears

Dec. 3-14 – 12 Days of Christmas Sales

Dec. 6 – Sherri Fairbairn Jewelry Trunk Show

Dec. 11,18 – Men’s Nights Out

Dec. 13 – Shall Wista and Laura Gaines Jewelry Trunk Show