10/17/2026
Today feels like one of those days you'll wish you could have back someday.
Fall is in the air.
Take your mom, your daughter or your grandkids out today and make a memory.
Try on some GOOD jeans, buy that camo shirt you LOVE, buy your Momma something sweet, get one of those ½ scoops of ice cream and spend a little too long looking at things.
One day, somebody might remember this ordinary Saturday as one of their favorites.
And here is something to talk about on your walk, did you know there's a boutique on the Harrison Square where every mannequin is named after a real customer?
Every single one of them named after a woman who shops there.
Definitely go in there and ask for their names.
Here's everything you might not know about Early Bird Boutique.
Eleven years ago, Judy Cape Greenhaw had a two-year-old daughter who insisted on dressing like a princess every day. Her little girl's love of clothes eventually inspired Judy to start selling clothing herself.
It started in a spare bedroom and grew into a 600-square-foot boutique that opened August 1, 2015. I bet a lot of businesses can relate to starting small, in a garage or a closet, and working hard to grow. That is Judy.
Early Bird Boutique is on our historic Harrison Square, just from the old Commerce Mall.
I think some people might be surprised by what's inside. Look at that photo.
What do Judy and her employees say about helping women shop?
Their number one recommendation?
A good pair of jeans.
I am listening.
They pay attention to your style and body type and they want you to buy clothes you'll actually wear again instead of something that hangs in your closet with the tags still on it.
Which brings me to something I think most women can relate to.
You can order three pairs of jeans online, return two and keep the third because you're tired of messing with it.
Or you can walk into a store, try them on and have somebody help you find a pair that actually fits.
Customer service? Not sure you can’t beat it.
Listen to this.
A woman visiting from Missouri was shopping in the store when she smelled a candle that reminded her of a friend. She mentioned the friend's name to an employee.
Turns out, her friend was a regular customer.
So the woman asked for a piece of paper, wrote her friend a note and left it with the employee. The next time her friend came shopping, the employee gave it to her.
I love that somebody could leave a handwritten note in a clothing store on the Harrison Square and know it would find its way to the right person.
That IS Harrison if you ask me.
Remember when we used to go downtown shopping just for fun?
Montgomery Ward, Walters, Lefflers.
We'd go with our moms or sisters, look through the racks, run into people we knew and maybe come home with something we hadn't planned on buying.
We talk about missing those days, but we can still do that.
Judy and her team also support local school clubs, PTAs and youth athletics. If you've ever had a child raising money for something, you probably know how often our small businesses like Judy’s are asked to help.
I've wondered what would happen if every family in Harrison made a point to shop at one of our downtown businesses just two or three extra times a year?
It doesn't have to be a big purchase. Those little visits add up.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EARLY BIRD BOUTIQUE
Where: 124 N. Willow Street, west side of the Harrison Square
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 AM–6 PM
What they sell: Women's, men's and children's clothing, jeans, shoes, purses, jewelry, candles, beauty products, accessories and gifts, including Harrison Goblin and Razorback merchandise
Phone: 870-754-1222
Shop online: www.earlybirdboutique.com
Owner: Judy Greenhaw Cape
Interviewed by: Leslie Hinson
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