WE'VE MOVED!

VISIT US AT OUR NEW HOME! CLICK HERE TAKE YOU THERE! 

let us give thanks.

From where we stand most days there seems to be much trouble in the world and YET such beauty all around. We are grateful in and for ALL things...we are blessed.

The G.E.A.R. Collection

Ottomans in three designs, pillows, bags, accent trays and throws...these are just a few of our favorite things!

How many ways?!

How do you/would you use a one-of-a-kind, handmade in Alabama G.E.A.R. ottoman?! 

Thank you, John Conti Coffee & Tea!

We are continually amazed at how people find out about G.E.A.R. and send us bags and fabrics! If you're new here, we use recycled coffee bean bags and fabrics to create gorgeous goods that represent the people we work with. 

Yesterday, the UPS man showed up with 3 pallets of burlap bags from John Conti Coffee & Tea in Louisville, KY. They are the regions largest roaster of specialty high grown arabican coffees....and they roast over 1.5 million pounds of coffee each year! So we guess they do have some extra bags to share!

We want to say "THANK YOU!" to them and all of the other designers, roasters and suppliers that are "Re-Inventing" with us!

We are stocked up and ready for orders!

Commit

What will you say, "Yes!" to?!

We are moving!

After 2 years, we finally have a NEW website underway! We will be transitioning over to the new site over the next few weeks and will be sharing it with you soon!

here's a peek!

Meet Anzella!

World Food Day

"The lines are getting longer."

These are the words we have heard from our friends here in Montgomery who serve food to  the homeless and poor.  It's heartbreaking to us...to know just blocks from our office  are peopl who are hungry, homeless and hopeless.

Just last week as some of us were leaving the office, we saw a man digging through a trashcan on the corner. He was skinny and wide-eyed. He told us he made to One Church Mission, where they serve dinner to 80-100 people a night, just 15 minutes late...and the food was already gone.

He went on to tell us that his monthly disability check goes to his landlord who takes all $650 of it for the mans rent...who lives in a house where he said, "I can see the ground. We confirmed his story with our friends at the mission and know this is not right. And it's right here in our own city!


While it is clear there are many issues facing the poor in our city, hunger is the one we are focused on today as people rally around World Food Day. The Why Care Campaign has done an amazing job raising awareness and getting people to think about the reality of hunger and what it means to the millions suffering from it...and telling us it's something we can do something about in our generation!

At our little spot in downtown Montgomery, we are just doing what we can with what we have. That's all you have to do, too! We invite you to ask yourself to open your eyes to the needs around you and let love be your motivation.

Here's a great article about ways you can help!

Highpoint Market

October Events

We have 2 events on the calendar for what seems to be everyone's favorite month...October!

October 6th in Alpharetta, GA: Crossroads at Crabapple Antique and Art Festival
We will be doing a trunk show with our friends from Urban Farmhouse-Crabapple!  We will be there a 9 am rain or shine!

October 13th-18th 2012 in High Point, NC: It's that time of year...High Point Market! Come see us and find out just why changing the world looks this good!

Our location: PARAGON Corporate Showroom IHFC Suite C203

Introducing: The Hipster!

We have something new just in time for the Holidays!

Introducing: The Hipster!
New to the GO! G.E.A.R. Collection

Perfect for the girl on the GO, the Hipster is made with a lot of love and creativity. With our Signature Patchwork design, each piece is unique and, as with all of our products, tells a story. The interior lining is made of one of four assorted fabrics and the strap is made of vintage military webbing.

Dimensions:10 l x 9w x 2.5 d

To place an order e-mail us at come reinvent@gmail.com

Why Care?

Yesterday on Facebook, we posted this picture. It's part of a movement started at Auburn University that is spreading, and we want to invite you to be a part of it, too! 

So, what's it all about?....

"The Why Care? campaign is an international campaign initiated by a group of students to spark a global conversation about hunger. They began by asking themselves and their peers, “Why should we care about hunger?” This question challenged them to come up with a viable, yet personal, reason to care and to become invested in finding solutions to this global challenge. It might seem like a small act, but solving hunger begins with people like you and me coming together to say: we care."

The campaign has grabbed the attention of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The goal is to create a movement and inspire a generation to reach out, help others and let them know "WE CARE!" . They would love to collect 10,000 photos by World Food Day on October 16th.

For us at R-I, we see hunger almost every day. Each week, we work with women at Friendship Mission where the homeless and poor line up every day for a meal, and the lines are getting longer.

To get involved, upload a picture of yourself or your friends to the Why Care Facebook page and tell Why Care why you care about hunger!

Join the movement and spread the word!

Lee Magazine Cover Story

Click here to read about the amazing journey Kellie and our team is on to "Re-Invent"!

Extra! Extra!

Our owner and founder, Kellie Guthrie, is featured on the cover of Lee Magazine this month in the Auburn/Opelika area. If you live in the vicinity, be sure to go snag one. The writer, Allison, did a beautiful job capturing the story of G.E.A.R. as a whole. As soon as the story is up online we will be sure to post it here!

Thank you Beth, Allison and every one at Lee Magazine for doing such a  beautiful job! We are so appreciative that you would allow us to tell our story!

In Store: Kinnucans!

G.E.A.R. at Kinnucans in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The G.E.A.R. team is excited to announce that Kinnucan's, a favorite store among Southerners and game-day go-ers, are carrying pieces of the GO! G.E.A.R. collection in five of their stores across the Southeast: Auburn (in Tiger Town), Ala., Tuscaloosa, Ala., Athens, Ga., Madison, Ala., and Oxford, Ms. 

The brand new Weekender, Messenger Bag and Garment Bag will be available at these locations. We are honored that a store like Kinnucans is taking this opportunity to "Re-Invent" with us and allow us to share our heart and our products with its customers! If you live in or near these locations help us spread the word!

The time is now! Come "Re-invent" with us!

*The pictures below are the prototypes. More "professional" shots are on the way in a few weeks with our new LookBook!

Surprise, Surprise! Thank you AUBURN!

Sometimes, the surprises come when you least expect it, but need it most.  So it was the case for us last Friday when our friend, Kate, called and told us news that about made us fall out.

Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences and the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences, have seven industrial sewing machines they have used in their apparel production lab, but are replacing. Kate shared about G.E.A.R. with the department and they all agreed that the seven (count them...SEVEN) machines should go to G.E.A.R. on an extended loan, which basically means G.E.A.R. keeps them indefinitely without paying for them.  

For those of you who have followed us for awhile, you know what a huge, gigantic deal this is. These kind of machines are worth thousands of dollars and we knew in order for us to continue to fulfill our vision and hire the women we are currently working with at Friendship Mission would require more than a Singer sewing machine. 

Yesterday, we delivered the machines to the Firehouse via a U-Haul. We cannot say "THANK YOU" enough to the the College of Human Sciences and to the people there who believe in what we are doing! So THANK YOU, THANK YOU! What a blessing! It's always a surprise!

Ottomans for SALE!

Our friends at Platypus Interiors have our handmade in Alabama Provence and Addis Ottomans on sale in their online store! Head on over and take a look! And if you are looking for our Ottomans in a store near you contact us and we'll tell you where to find it!

Ottoman shown in Provence

Introducing...New Products to G.E.A.R.

One thing is for certain, Kellie and the production team are always finding new ways to amp G.E.A.R. up a notch...or two. 

Our latest additions to the G.E.A.R. line are the new Patchwork Messenger Bag complete with each side decked out with our scrap fabric. You see, we never throw anything away! We believe there is always something you can do with the things you would otherwise toss  aside.

We also have a brand new product we are excited to launch: The Weekender! Like the new Messenger Bag, the trim on our Weekender is made of scrap fabric. It's perfect for a weekend away and just the right size to carry on your flight halfway around the world!

*As always, the pictures below are just one of the many options available for these products. 

Patchwork Messenger Bag

The Weekender

Like Us!

We have a new Facebook page we would love for you to "like"! Just click on over and take a tap at the "Like" button to receive G.E.A.R. updates in your newsfeed!

 G.E.A.R. by Re-Invention

New Stores With G.E.A.R.!

We are excited to announce new stores carrying G.E.A.R.

Perhaps one is in a city near you!

*As always, if there is not a store in your area do not hesisate to contact us for ordering information.*


Georgia


Decorating Unlimited - Americus

Illinois

Michele's MSM, Inc. - Peoria Heights

Indiana

Christy Crider Interiors - Bloomington


North Carolina


Crabby Chic - Wilmington


Texas

Laurie's Home Furnishings - Tomball

Lewis Shanks of Texas -  3 locations in Austin, San Antonio and Houston

Searching for Success

"What is true success?"


This is a question we have asked ourselves and talked a lot about over the past few months in regards to Re-Invention and G.E.A.R. For most in our industry, success means sales and profit. In many ways, success means the same thing for us, but we've come to see it also means something else...

changed lives.

Ourselves included.

While it's easy to become focused on counting on every single woman we are working with at Friendship Mission to transition out of the program and into a full-time paying job with a home to call their own we have to remember success is not just a desired end result. It is a process. 

And sometimes they don't leave the mission and go into a better situation, but rather back into the same place they came from. We know we are not their saviors. We can only provide a better option. And love them along the way.

We have to trust even when we show up on Saturday to work with the women and the one we were believing in and cheering on has left, it does not mean our time and energy spent with her is lost. Somewhere in her heart, we hope she has gained assurance she is worth something more than what she walked into those doors believing about herself.

More than profit margins and year-end quotas we have decided as friends and as a business that this is our measuring stick and is the only one that counts in the end. This is the success that exceeds market fluctuations and numbers on a spreadsheet. It comes from our heart as a business and is the life blood of our company and flows into the products we make and love to share with you, our customers.

The time is now. Come re-invent with us!

How do you think about success in terms of your endeavors? How has it changed?

Re-Inventing a City

We love this new video Leadership Montgomery turned out this week and are excited to be one of the many of the dreams taking off in a city that is indeed "re-inventing" itself!

Montgomery 2.0 from LWT connect on Vimeo.

Market Week

We can't believe it's time for The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market!

Going? We would love for you to come see us!

We will be showing G.E.A.R. with our friends at Southern Accessories Today in Building 1 Showroom 12-A-2. 

While you're there, be sure to check out our latest addition to the G.E.A.R. line, the Addis patchwork pillows and ottomans.

Hope to see you there! And if you can't make it to market you can always contact us directly to place an order.

YOU Did It!

You did it!

[insert picture of all of us at R-I cheering for you here!]

Thank YOU for voting for us to qualify for the Chase Bank and Living Social $250,000 grant! And if you haven't voted yet you still can! Whether or not we have the honor of being one of the 12 small businesses chosen, we are nothing less than grateful for all of you who supported us.

At the end of the day, this company is about rallying a community of heros and world changers together who want to see new things for the places we call home. We love being a small part of something much bigger than us along with you.

The time is now.

Take a look...

2012 Spring/Summer Lookbook

click to take a peek

Mission Small Business: VOTE FOR R-I!

We need your support! Chase Bank and Living Social are giving up to 12
$250,000 grants to small businesses and we want to be one of them! It's easy...here's all you need to do:


1. Go to https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/

2. Click the bottom right button that says "Log in and Support"

3. Search for Re-Invention in Montgomery, Alabama

4. Click Support

A grant like this would do huge things as we seek to expand our operation at the Firehouse in Montgomery.  Please know that your continued support means so much to us! We are so grateful! The time is now! 

Miracles

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles."

-author, Willa Cather

A few weeks ago, we realized we needed something or more importantly, Someone.  Production is growing and we were in the market for a new seamstress. Someone who could get the work done and do it well. Someone we could invite into something bigger than just putting pieces of fabric together, but invite into helping put lives together.

Saturdays

Here's a peek into a normal Saturday at the Misson with the girls.  Most of the girls are becoming extrememly skilled.With the addition of the Firehouse and Kellie (finally!) living in Montgomery, we will be doing this on a regular basis throughout the week and providing an environment for them to learn and do more with the hope that some will become  employees of G.E.A.R.!

Re-Invention Has a New Home!

On November 17th, I (Rachel) called Kellie with a proposition.

“Kellie, you need to move into the Firehouse in 5 Points!”

Atlanta Americasmart!

G.E.A.R. at Atlanta's AmericasMart

See the G.E.A.R.

2012 SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION

in Atlanta January 11-18

CODARUS showroom

10th Floor Showroom 10A-1

Dream...DO

We believe 2012 is the year we're going to see dreams unfold!  We believe people, no matter who they are or what their circumstances, are at the tipping point in their frustration over unemployment and the economy.  It has affected everyone and some more than others.


This is when things can get interesting!  


We believe we're going to see many people throw off the shackles and say, 


"That's it, I'm going to do it myself!"  


So DO IT! Whatever you're dreaming of, GO DO IT!  Don't waste time waiting for the right time because...


there's no better time than right now! 


DREAM...find a board, a wall, anything and hang, tack or pin everything you find that keeps your dream front and center.

DREAM BIG...

one day you'll find yourself standing right smack in the middle of it!

Spring/Summer Lookbook

G.E.A.R. by R-I Presents its

2012 Spring/Summer Collection

in the NEW Codarus Atlanta Showroom

Please join us in Atlanta, January 11-18 in the NEW Codarus Showroom, 10th Floor, Showroom 10-A1.  We look forward to seeing you and sharing how our story continues through people like you!

The Time is Now. 

Come Re-Invent With us!