The T-Cozy

After the Storm

As expected, Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on our low-lying neighborhood. Lots of flooding, downed trees, and many folks without power. How did we fare? Our yard is a salty, soggy mess, we have no phone service, and our crawl space is in the midst of being pumped out. However, we feel fortunate. Thankfully, we didn't get a drop of water in our house and we still have power. 

We've spent all morning cleaning up after that messy Irene. Later today, we'll be off to take Jacob to college. So bittersweet: I'll miss him dearly yet I'm very excited for him.

Our nest is looking mighty empty!

Susan

Vintage clip art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Keeping an Eye on Irene

I have only one good thing to say about the upcoming hurricane scheduled to slam into the eastern seaboard tomorrow. It has given John and me an opportunity to spend a little more time with our son. The move-in and opening weekend festivities at Jacob's mid-atlantic college have been postponed until further notice.

Original artwork by Briana LaBonte.

I truly enjoy living near Long Island Sound — except when a hurricane is looming. And unfortunately, we may be in for some major flooding this time. Living here for twenty years, we've witnessed several floods, but it has been a while since we've had a really bad one. So now it's time to batten down the hatches. 

My first introduction to hurricanes occurred in September of 1985, less than three months after I moved into my first house. It was a sweet little cottage on the banks of a peaceful stream, one that Hurricane Gloria transformed into a raging river. We lost power, my sump pump couldn't work, and my basement quickly filled with water. However, this story has a silver lining. I got to meet all of my new neighbors when they graciously came over to help me bail out the basement.

The last bad flood in our current neighborhood was during a nor'easter back in December of 1992. Hannah was two years old and I was six months pregnant with Jacob. When the tide came in, it just kept on coming. Before we knew it, we were unable to leave the house and John couldn't get home until the tide turned. But luckily, our house is at the apex of the street and we stayed high and dry. We can only hope for the same once Irene comes to town tomorrow.

Susan

Our Soon-to-be Empty Nest

As this week winds down, both of our kids will be flying the coop.

So many mixed emotions — I'm sad that they are leaving, proud that they are going off to great colleges, wistful for the days when they were little, happy that John and I still have a wonderful marriage where we truly enjoy each others company, and so much more that I can't even put into words right now.

Yes, it's sure to be a busy and emotional few days!

Susan

Vintage clip art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Much Ado About Buttons

Another new acquisition! I found a vintage button lot that is rather unusual. From the estate of a very organized sewing enthusiast, it contains loads of button sets tied together with thread.

It isn't often that I come across this many sets of matching buttons, so I decided to offer some of them in my Etsy shop.

First I divided up my favorites and placed them into plastic bags.

Then I designed a pretty little tag which I stapled to the top of each. So quick and easy! Being a former graphic designer comes in very handy sometimes.

When time permits, I'll be listing more from this vintage button lot. If you'd like to see the ones, above, which have made it into my shop thus far, please click here.

Susan 

Why I Love Where I Live

I spent my first 22 years in the Midwest. I grew up in Cleveland and went to college in St. Louis. However, after I graduated, I heard the New York City sirens calling me eastward. Eventually, I found my way to the coast of Connecticut, and for the past 30 years, I've enjoyed the best of both worlds. 

This lovely beach on the shores of Long Island Sound is a short walk from our house. Or for a change of pace, I hop on a commuter train and arrive at Grand Central Terminal in under an hour.

If I want fresh fish, I bike down the road for the daily catch.

If I desire hustle and bustle, I roam the midtown Manhattan streets.

I am treated to serene views on my morning walk.

I enjoy the range of architectural styles the city offers.

I can peek between columns on a seaside porch . . .

 . . . or walk between stately marble columns to enter the New York Public Library.

In the 1980s, I spent seven years working in New York and I still have a great fondness for Manhattan. A day in the city is always fun and inspiring for me. 

And then I come home to views like this.

Susan

Pretty Vintage Pottery

Wowza! Have I been lucky lately! While out and about with my family on Saturday, we happened upon an estate sale that was chock full of just the kind of items that I love to both collect and sell — vintage pottery. 

Here's what came home with me . . .

Shopping this sale was rather overwhelming because there was so much great stuff to choose from. Although I was tempted to bring home a boatload, I decided to only purchase my absolute favorite pieces. That way, if some don't sell in my Etsy shop, I would easily and happily find a place for them in our house.

Eventually, these lovely relics will find their way into my Etsy shop. When time permits over the next two weeks, I'll be working on their listings, in between helping Hannah and Jacob get packed and ready to head off to college. Yikes, so much to do!

Susan

Bloom Where You're Seated

As we approach mid-August, my antique chair-turned-planter is just about in its glory. Have a look . . .

Located on my shady front stoop, I usually fill this piece with predictable Impatiens or Pansies, as shown in summers past, below. 

This season, I was slightly more adventurous and potted it up a little differently. Even though the Coleus has taken over, I'm happy with the result. 

Hankering for a project this weekend? If you'd like to make a chair planter of your own, check out my tutorial here.

Enjoy!

Susan

Vintage Artificiality

Every so often, I get a chance to attend the estate sale of a passionate collector, sewer or crafter. I've toured the homes of doll collectors, quilters, record album enthusiasts, art pottery lovers, and more. To me, these sales are such fun.

Last week, I went to an estate sale that was a little different. It was in the home of a lady who was crazy about creating floral arrangements using plastic flowers. 

From basement to attic, boxes were filled with her handiwork dating from the 1950s and 60s. For instance, there were loads of vintage lady head vases sprouting fake blooms. I've never been a fan of these pieces, but I bought a couple to give them a try in my Etsy shop. The one above sold the same day I listed it!

I discovered all sorts of other planters, like the two green McCoy Floraline bowls below.

This arrangement is actually two tiny planters stacked together and packed with fruit. Very Carmen Miranda.

I've always liked McCoy's Harmony line of planters. The aqua one, below, holds a kitschy plastic composition.

Here is the second head vase I purchased. (Why do they always have their eyes closed?) She can be found in my Etsy shop here. 

As you know, I have my own collection of vintage planters. I use them to corral small items like pens, paper clips and other supplies in my studio. However, this estate sale has given me a glimpse into what these planters were used for back when they were manufactured. I know they were utilized by retail florists. I'll bet they were potted up with Ivy or African Violets on a 1950s kitchen windowsill. And now I know that they held plastic flowers, too.

Now that you've seen these unusual concoctions, I have a question for you. When I bought these pieces, I originally intended to remove all of the wacky fruit and flowers before listing them. But now I am wondering — should I keep their arrangements intact? 

Susan

Inspiration For Your Art and Craft Space

I have some thrilling news! I am in the upcoming book titled Inside the Creative Studio by Cate Coulacos Prato, the former editor of Studios magazine!

You can be sure that this new book will provide lots of innovative ideas to help you turn your vision of a dream studio space into a reality. As stated in its online summary, "Experts will show you how to repurpose furniture, integrate recyclables, and showcase vintage items to establish a space with purpose and personality. Artists and crafters of all types, including quilters, fiber artists, mixed-media artists, jewelry makers, sewists, painters, writers, bloggers, and more, share their stories, tips, and studios. Beautiful photographs and friendly dialogue walk you through these active spaces as if you were getting your own private tour. From spacious oases to cute and compact retreats, each space offers countless inspirational ideas." 

I am so honored to be a part of this wonderful book! For a peek at the Table of Contents, click here. As you can see, I have a piece in chapters three and four. So exciting!

Look for Inside the Creative Studio at a bookstore near you this November. It is also available for pre-order here.

Susan

Bookkeeping at the Beach

Are you a "numbers" person? Not me. In fact, I'll do just about anything to avoid an encounter with mathematics. I'm not usually a procrastinator, but when the time comes for me to enter my sales and update my inventory list every month, I drag my heels.

This time, I decided to try a little experiment to make it less torturous. Could I do my bookkeeping at the beach?

Worth a try! I packed up my laptop, cell phone and paperwork, then headed down the street to our neighborhood beach on Long Island Sound. At 10:45 a.m., I had the entire place to myself, so I cranked up my iTunes. I even brought along a little snack. 

Lo and behold! I breezed through my bookkeeping in record time!

I discovered that I don't mind doing bothersome paperwork when I have this beautiful view to keep me company. 

Susan

Trash Day Treasure

Can you believe it? Last week, an antique display case was left by the side of the road, destined for the town dump. While out on my morning walk, I spotted it curbside sitting on top of a neighbor's garbage can.

Doesn't it look like it belongs on the counter of an old general store? Why would someone throw out this lovely piece? Who knows . . .   What I do know is that I had to rescue it.

Made from solid oak, it weighs a ton and I knew I couldn't take it along with me on foot. I still had about a mile left to go, so I picked up the pace and continued on my way with my fingers crossed, hoping that no one else would notice it.

Once I arrived home, I jumped in my car and headed back to get it. Luckily, it was still there. I loaded it into my trunk just as the garbage truck rounded the corner. 

Primitive and simple, this display case has an angled glass door on the front that lifts up to reveal two shelves. And aside from some grime, it was in remarkably good condition with no musty smell. 

I gave the piece a good scrubbing to remove a few decades of dust. Then I set it on top of a cabinet in my studio. A perfect fit — and best of all — it was FREE!

I decided to use the case to display and store some of the smaller items in my Etsy shop. For the past week, it has done a very good job of keeping them dust free and safe from harm. And as things sell, I will have fun rearranging what's left and adding more items. 

Having walked in the early morning for years, I often see furniture discarded by the side of the road on trash pick-up days. Usually the items are damaged beyond repair, so I'll pass them by. But this display case stopped me dead in my tracks. I'm so pleased it now has a new home in my studio. Guess it was meant to be!

Susan

Final Martha's Vineyard Views

I bet you're wondering when I'll stop gushing about my recent trip to Martha's Vineyard. Sorting through pictures and writing these posts about our beloved island has kept that relaxed, just-back-from-vacation feeling alive for me. So will you indulge me this one last time? I promise to move on to other topics after today.

Just look at this shot of the Edgartown harbor! Postcard worthy, don't you think? Here are more views of lovely Edgartown . . .

A trip to MV wouldn't be complete without breakfast at the Art Cliff Diner. It's a funky, intimate place that was established in 1943 and has retained a vintage vibe. I had one of their delicious French crepes filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Yum.

Flowers and more at the West Tisbury Farmer's Market. (Love that flower sign.)

Isn't this the most charming fish market ever? Called Larsen's, it is located in the quaint fishing village of Menemsha.

We attended a fabulous concert by Ben Taylor, the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. (He grew up on the island, that lucky guy.)

A final photo from our last night on MV. We had a delicious dinner at an Edgartown restaurant called Alchemy, took a leisurely stroll around town, and then headed off to see the last Harry Potter movie (which we all loved).

What a perfect trip! And the best part of all was that both of our college-aged kids, with their busy summer jobs and friend-filled lives, were able to join us. 

Susan