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Yesterday, Rowayton had its small yet spirited Memorial Day parade. Norwalk's mayor, policemen, fire fighters, veterans, Brownie troops, Boy Scouts, Little League teams, school marching bands, local gardeners, nursery schools, and lots more came out to remember and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
Here are some red, white and blue views from Rowayton's parade. . .
Happy Memorial Day!
Susan
At last! It's Memorial Day weekend; the official start of the summer season. Here's where you can find me over the next few months . . .
This serene spot is my neighborhood's beach on Long Island Sound. It's located just down the street from my house and I plan to chill out there as much as possible this summer. Most weekday afternoons, it's almost empty so that's my favorite time to relax with a book or iPod. Plus, I just received a wonderful Mother's Day / anniversary / birthday gift from my family --- a brand new MacBook laptop computer! (Perfect timing as my old eMac was on its last legs.) So you may even find me writing a T-Cozy post or two while gazing at the water in one of those comfy Adirondack chairs. I wish you could join me!
Whether you're heading to a park, parade, or picnic this weekend, I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day holiday.
Susan
Recently, I heard from a loyal T-Cozy reader who was admiring the "Great Wall of Cottages" in my studio.
She requested a close-up view of one of the small, non-cottage goodies mixed in amongst the prints and needlework pieces.
Tiny treasures like these displayed amid a larger collection draw you in and invite you to take a closer look. She was most curious about the wooden tulip plaque and the items hanging from it.
A mere six inches high, this vintages charmer has two hooks where I've hung a couple of itty-bitty trinkets. So cute!
Isn't this crocheted basket adorable? And it's so beautifully made.
Beside the basket hangs a miniature plastic "suitcase" probably dating from the 1960s. I bet it came from the 5 & 10-cent store.
Inside you'll find a plastic rain bonnet. Remember these? Back when teased, sprayed and immobilized hair styles like the beehive or bouffant were in vogue, ladies would always have a rain bonnet in their handbag in case of an unexpected shower. I'm glad we don't need these bonnets anymore. And I'm so glad we no longer wear those hairstyles either!
Susan
It's going to be a nice day today. Are you up for a little gardening? If so, here is some inspiration . . .
When I'm out and about, every so often I come across some interesting ideas for the garden. I find it especially fun when unexpected items (that were probably destined for the dump) are recycled into planters.
The toy fire engine along with this sink-turned-flower-pot mark the entrance to one of my favorite shops on Martha's Vineyard called Pik-nik. (I love how they always have a bowl of water on hand in case a thirsty pup comes shopping with its owner.)
Another Pik-nik view, below, has an old laundry sink spilling over with Nasturtiums.
More bathroom fixtures as planters: I snapped these two pedestal sinks outside a funky eatery in Baltimore called Paper Moon Diner.
Concrete busts sport Petunia and Geranium "hair" in the back garden of an Oak Bluffs shop called Craftworks.
More Pik-nik fun: A bright red vintage stove becomes a planter, below.
And one last shot from Pik-nik --- it's a rusty old popcorn machine filled with masses of vintage pottery. If you look closely, the bowl that would normally hold the popping corn is planted up with succulents. Pretty clever!
In my garden, I've converted an antique chair and an old aluminum tea kettle into planters.
With a little ingenuity, just about anything can become a planter. I've seen ones made out of galoshes, little red wagons, potty chairs, teapots, wheel barrows and more. Have you ever made a planter for your garden out of anything unusual?
Susan
Now on newsstands! It's the giant 148-page summer issue of Studios, the fabulous magazine from the folks at Cloth Paper Scissors. And I am so honored to have an article in the issue.
Brimming with ideas for artful work spaces, this issue showcases 30 truly inspiring studios. I love seeing where creative people create. Don't you?
So head out to your neighborhood newsstand and pick up your copy. If you are unable to find it, you can order it online here.
By the way, I'll be taking a little blogging break for the remainder of the week. In the meantime, if you get your copy of Studios, I'd love to hear what you think of my very first magazine article and photographs.
Susan
Look familiar? From time to time, I've shown you this extraordinary mailbox that I pass by while on my morning walk.
It's encrusted with shards of china, buttons, beach glass, shells, beads, and sea faring knickknacks. Pretty incredible, right?
And the fun part is that it keeps changing. Its owner has added some new things over the years, like the puffer fish at the very top.
What a mish-mash of stuff! There are even a few marbles thrown in.
And if one of these unusual mailboxes wasn't enough, look what appeared in front of a different house in my neighborhood . . .
. . . another beachy mailbox! Now my curiosity is really piqued!
Both of these mailboxes must have been made by the same artist. Even the mermaid (obviously originally a bottle opener) looks the same. Except in the first mailbox, she's been painted and a seashell has been added to cover up her "bottle opener" tail.
This one has a pastel, feminine vibe. I prefer the other, more crusty one. How about you?
Aren't these mailboxes fun?
Susan
Warm weather is upon us and that means it's picnic season. Not only am I a fan of heading out to a beach or a park for an alfresco meal. I'm also a fan of vintage picnic tins. I have a ridiculously large collection!
Old picnic tins have wonderful lithographed faux textures. Don't some of them look like they're really woven? And others have pretty flower or plaid patterns. I love the way they look when grouped all together. Plus, they are so useful for storage.
In our house, my picnic tin collection spills over into several rooms. In the bedroom, they nestle inside built-in shelves and store out-of-season accessories like winter scarves and gloves. In my studio, they form a picnic tin patchwork resting within floor to ceiling shelves where they hold buttons, labels, ribbon, fabric and art supplies. And the tins that sit on a rustic bench in our family room corral actual picnic items like plates, cups and napkins.
So . . . who's ready to join me for a picnic?
Susan
May you have a peaceful, pampered, lounge-around-the-house, relaxing, breakfast-in-bed kind of day!
Susan
As I headed out the door for my walk early this morning, I'm so glad I grabbed my camera. Virtually every garden along my way was exploding with color. There were deep blue skies and dappled sunlight on vibrant azaleas. And the lilacs and viburnum were so fragrant, I could smell them long before I came upon them.
Ah, what a morning! My dinky camera couldn't even begin to capture the loveliness, but I tried my best.
Hope you enjoyed the photos,
Susan
We had a weekend of glorious weather, so John and I spent yesterday morning doing two of my favorite warm weather tasks.
Every May, we set up our screened porch, a space the whole family enjoys all summer long. This unheated room is the perfect place to relax or eat a meal on a warm summer day. During the cold months of the year, we use the space to store outdoor furniture and items that need to be protected from the elements.
First thing yesterday morning, the porch looked like this . . .
And a couple of hours later, it looked like this . . .
While John scrubbed the porch floor, woodwork and wainscoting, I worked on planting up our window boxes.
Our garden is in shade, so I've learned over the years that Impatiens and Coleus are the most successful plants for the window boxes.
Bright and early, I parked myself on the back deck right outside the porch and started planting.
An hour or so later, the window boxes looked like this . . .
It will be several weeks before the flowers fill in and look lush and full. However, it rained all night and more is expected today which should help them on their way. All that's left to do is to pop the screens into the porch windows and we are ready for summer. Yay!
Susan
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