The T-Cozy

Our MV Living Room, Dining Area & Sun Room

I am finally getting around to sharing the inside of our Martha’s Vineyard vacation house with you. (Sorry it has taken so long; been crazy busy here.)

During the early spring of 2017, we furnished the home from scratch on a shoestring budget. Packing our car to the gills to bring items on the ferry over the course of several months was challenging. But little by little, we did it. Fortunately, the home’s former owners left several decorative pieces behind, such as the vintage window on the wall, the floor lamp with cork shade in the corner, and the table under the TV. So nice of them!

A few trips to IKEA, the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market, Home Goods, Pottery Barn, Pier One, and various estate sales helped to round out the decor. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that a friend gave us the sisal rug — perfect for a beach house!

Across the way, you'll find the dining area which leads into a bright sunroom. The table (purchased with credit card points for zero dollars at Pottery Barn) has chairs from IKEA, chair pads from Pier One, and a long wooden bench left behind by the previous owners. More points were used to buy the metal light fixture at Home Goods for exactly one penny! 

My favorite room in the house, the sunroom, features woven furniture (thank you Pottery Barn) and a vintage cabinet in the corner that once lived in my tea room. Now it holds board games and puzzles. The previous owners left us the three ocean paintings in that exact spot on the wall. Yay!

Several years ago, we found an old pine table with hand-painted poppies for $25 at a church tag sale. We stored it in the basement of our CT house hoping that it would someday become a breakfast table on the front porch of our very own house on Martha’s Vineyard. 

When our long-awaited cottage finally became a reality, it didn’t have a front porch. So we cut down the table’s legs, turning it into the perfect coffee table.

The little stool, below, was also left behind for us. It has just the right amount of wear/paint loss. LOVE!

Thank you for coming along on this quick tour of our MV living room, dining area and sun room. More rooms to come . . . I promise!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Showering the Bride-To-Be with Love

It has been a while since my last post. Sorry, April was a bit of a blur. I spent most of my free time planning and preparing for my daughter’s bridal shower.  

I worked on lots of fun projects for the event which took place in late April at The Twisted Tail in Philadelphia. We rented their Club Room that has a rustic vibe featuring two fireplaces and a chalkboard spanning the length of one wall. What a great space! 

For party guest favors, I ordered an assortment of mini succulents from The Succulent Source. Once the adorable plants arrived, I made origami boxes for them out of patterned paper in shades of blue and green. 

I then placed tiny “Let Love Grow” tags in each one and used moss as filler. Aren’t they sweet?

To keep costs down, my daughter and I did the floral arrangements ourselves. Using an array of flowers from the grocery store, we placed them in vintage blue glass mason jars gifted to us by a neighbor. We were very pleased (and a little surprised) with how well they turned out.

Another dear friend with mad cake decorating skills made the cake. Sherri does this as a hobby that began when she helped me make a birthday cake for my daughter nine years ago (shared HERE). Starting with that very first one, Sherri caught the fondant cake-making bug and has since made over 50 amazing cakes for family and friends.

With help from Sherri and her daughter (who is the maid of honor), we came up with a few fun party games.

There were questions to answer, faux engagement rings to steal, ages to guess, and more... 

I also asked each guest to fill out a card offering “Advice and Wishes for the Soon-to-be Mrs.” that I placed in a handmade album for Hannah to take home and share with her fiancé.

Speaking of her fiancé, he showed up near the end of the shower with a beautiful bouquet for his beautiful bride-to-be.

What a fun afternoon!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Our MV Cottage Wishlist, a Lucky Rock & a Letter from John

Over the last 11 years of blogging, I’ve shared our various fun-filled family trips to Martha’s Vineyard with you. As you may know, for over three decades, we rented an array of lovely summer homes there. But we always longed to own a little piece of MV heaven. Once our kids were done with college, we realized that we could finally afford to fulfill our dream. We searched in earnest for two years before we found the perfect place — a modest and well-kept cottage in the pastoral town of West Tisbury. Upon entering the house for the first time, both John and I knew it was “the one” because it ticked off each and every one of the boxes on our wishlist.

When we toured the house with our realtor Emma on that cold December morning, it was one of a long list of houses to see. And since we were on the island for only that one day, we had a lot to accomplish. After viewing all of the properties, we got a very good sense of how our favorite compared to others in its price range. In our eyes, there was really no comparison. It was exactly what we wanted! However, it was just above our maximum price. Isn’t that always the way?

We had a lot of thinking and financial calculating to do before we would feel comfortable putting in an offer. We toured the house for a second time that afternoon and then headed to the ferry landing. With a few minutes to spare before our boat home, we stopped by a nearby beach for a moment. It was blustery and I stayed in the car while John took a quick stroll to the water’s edge. When he returned, he was holding a small rock in his hand. We took it home to CT hoping that this little piece of the island would bring us luck in our upcoming negotiations.

Knowing how difficult it is to find desirable houses in our price range, time was of the essence. So the next day, we put in an offer. We also knew how competitive the MV market is and felt we needed something to help the sellers know more about us. We decided to include a letter written by John about his 50+ year connection to the island. Next came a bit of countering back and forth. We also learned that there were two additional offers from potential buyers on the table. Even so, they chose to accept our offer. We were told that it was John’s letter that tipped the scales in our direction!

After doing a happy dance, we placed our lucky rock on the windowsill above the kitchen sink where it still sits today.

Soon I’ll invite you inside our new MV cottage, so please stop by again.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Welcome to Our MV Cottage!

As you may know, John and I finally fulfilled our long held dream of owning a home on our beloved Martha’s Vineyard. It has been a year since we purchased it and I hoped to share it with you sooner. But life got it the way. So here is my first in a series of posts devoted to our little piece of MV island paradise. Let’s start with the exterior...

Our sweet little cottage built in the mid-1990s seems like a mere baby compared to our 93-year-old stone and shingle CT home. Located in the pastoral mid-island town of West Tisbury, it is part of an association with a neighborhood swimming pool and tennis courts. Nestled back from the road on just over an acre of property, our place has loads of privacy.

The home’s previous owners planted lovely flowering shrubs in the garden as well as enclosing and winterizing a screened porch. What really sold us on this house was how move-in ready it was. After doing extensive renovations to our CT cottage, we had no desire to embark on any more remodeling projects.

Our house boasts a large back deck with plenty of room for lounging, dining and grilling as well as an outdoor shower, perfect for rinsing off sand after a day at the beach. 

The view from the deck is quite serene. Our property has a little shed in one corner and backs up to conservation land. Just beyond that is the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest which has miles of hiking trails and paved bike paths.

Once we closed on our MV digs, we were happy to find that the previous owners left us an array of home decor items, one of which was an old window screen with an arched shape and shabby green paint. I decided to turn it into a welcome sign. Here’s how...

I chose a typeface on my computer, printed out the word “Welcome” and enlarged it to the proper size on my copier. Then I cut it out, spaced out the letters and taped them to the back of the screen. Using cream-colored acrylic paint and a small brush, I simply traced over the black letters. Once the paint dried, I removed the paper template — and voilà! 

I planned to hang my refurbished screen in the foyer, but there wasn’t enough room on the wall for it. I then decided to try the space above the front door. It’s a perfect fit!

It took us three months to feather our MV nest — loads of work and somewhat of a challenge to furnish a house on an island. But for me, it was truly a labor of love. In subsequent posts, I hope you’ll come along as I take you inside. 

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

West Elm Pop-Up Prep: Making Vintage Textile Collages, Zippered Pouches & More

Did you know that West Elm graciously offers artists the opportunity to sell handmade wares at their home decor stores? How great is that?! My local Westport, CT store is hosting pop up shops throughout the holiday season and I am so pleased to be one of the artists this year. With my first pop-up fast approaching, I’ve been busily making things to sell. Here is what I’ve been up to...

In my Etsy shop, I sell Swatch Portraits utilizing humble embroidery hoops that frame vintage fabric. To shake things up a bit, I began making textile collages featuring remnants of favorite fabrics, embroidered bits and rick-rack sewn together in a happy design. And once I got started, I just couldn’t stop! 

For kicks, I put them up on the wall of my studio. I love how colorful they are and how they look all grouped together.

In the spirit of the season, I decided to make a bunch more using a Santa Train textile from the 1960s combined with a whimsical dotty fabric and yellow rick rack.

Aren’t they fun? I then embarked on another sewing project that enabled me to learn something new...

In all my years of sewing, I had never put a zipper in before. So I decided to be brave and create an array of zippered pouches made from a stash of yummy fabric remnants.

I am happy to report that zipper installation wasn’t nearly as hard as I expected. Here are my finished pouches...

Today, I am gathering, organizing and pricing all of the handmade items that will accompany me to the sale.

If you happen to find yourself in my area on Saturday, December 9, stop by and say hello at West Elm, 35 Main Street in Westport, CT. I’d love to see you! And for some last minute holiday shopping, I will be there again on Sunday, December 17.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Brimfield Inspiration

On Wednesday, I tagged along with a friend to the Brimfield Antique Show. So many wonderful things to see! I was awestruck by the selection and sheer quantity of vintage items on display.

There was one thing I loved the most, shown below. Too bad it was a bit out of my price range!

We walked the fields for six hours and saw perhaps a quarter of the entire show. I returned home happy, with sore feet and a couple of lovely vintage items for our Vineyard cottage. 

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Dreams Really Do Come True

Over the years, I have enjoyed sharing numerous family vacations with you as we traveled across the U.S., Canada and Europe. You may have noticed that we return to one place in particular every year without fail — our beloved Martha’s Vineyard.

The first time I visited MV was almost 32 years ago in the early days of dating John. He had a long history with this idyllic spot, the proof being the 8mm home movies his parents took of him as a baby there. It didn’t take long before I fell in love with both John and the island, and we soon started talking about how wonderful it would be to have a place of our own there someday. We married, had kids, and continued our annual pilgrimage. For fun, we’d peruse real estate listings and wonder if we would ever be able to afford anything. With two children to raise, house prices were always out of our reach. However, once our youngest graduated college in 2015, we became determined to finally make that vacation home a reality.

And now, I am thrilled to announce that after a long search, our dream of owning a house on Martha’s Vineyard has finally come true! We closed on this lovely little cottage two weeks ago and are so very happy and excited. We look forward to spending time there with family and friends this summer. But first, lots of work ahead to furnish it from top to bottom. I will surely relish every moment of it...

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Autumn Endeavors

Hello there! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while; it has been quite the busy month.

To prepare for the holiday shopping season, I have been furiously listing all sorts of new items in my Etsy shop. A few are shown below, with lots more to list.

John and I enjoyed some time away this month. We visited our daughter in Philly and our son in Baltimore. We also stayed at a lovely B&B called Buttermilk Falls Inn located in New York’s Hudson River Valley. 

One morning, we explored the Walkway Over the Hudson, a 1.28-mile-long linear walking bridge. Quite a view!

Today is Halloween, so here’s Jacob’s dog Lucy dressed up as a taco. Isn’t she adorable?

Gotta go — the first of many trick-or-treaters are at the door... Happy Halloween! 🎃

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Martha’s Vineyard Views

We had a glorious vacation on Martha's Vineyard this summer. For ten days, we rented a wonderful house in West Tisbury that was roomy enough for our whole family and then some. Now that we're back, I've spent this week catching up. Today, I finally had a moment to collect some of my favorite pictures from our time away...

Serene and green: The deck at our rental property had a vine-covered arbor with fairy lights. At dusk, they looked magical.

Wildflowers galore: A path off the backyard led to a beautiful walking trail. (Thank you, Sandy, for shooting this pretty photo!)

Cozy and cute: The gingerbread cottages at the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association in Oak Bluffs make me smile.

New and old favorites: Left, we discovered a restaurant called Little House Cafe where all six of us loved the food. Right, a trip to MV wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Alley's General Store.

Lovely lighthouse: Gay Head Light in Aquinnah on the western end of Martha's Vineyard was recently moved back 135 feet to keep it from falling off an eroding cliff!

Pink flowers: Left, weathered shingles compliment a colorful window box; Right, a sandy path lined with beach roses at Lobsterville.

Fishing frenzy: Everyone in my family (except me) likes to fish. So while they cast their lines, I took pics of the stunning surroundings.

A few finds: With picture perfect weather, there wasn't much time to shop. Even so, I brought home five old MV postcards and a fruity vintage tablecloth.

John and I have been visiting the island together for over 30 years. We cherish every moment spent there and its beauty never ceases to amaze us.

I do hope you’ve enjoyed my Martha’s Vineyard views. Have a great weekend!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Seaside Pursuits

Don't you just love June? It’s one of my favorite months, particularly because of the time spent at the shore with my family. 

Recently, I tagged along on John’s business trip to the mountains of Vermont, a truly glorious place. We had a wonderful time, but while there, I realized that I prefer to be at the ocean. Could be because I don't ski. More likely because, for over 30 summers, we have made an annual pilgrimage to spend a precious week on Martha’s Vineyard, a place that everyone in our family loves more than any other on earth. We go in late June, before the crowds and hot weather arrive. So we are patiently counting the days until we return...

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

A Day at Brimfield

Lucky me! On Tuesday, my friend Karen invited me along to the opening day of the Brimfield Antique Show. What fun!

The largest outdoor antique market in Massachusetts, Brimfield is massive and virtually impossible to see all in one day. Even so, we spent six hours walking the various fields and saw quite a bit. 

Wonderful stuff! Karen was particularly taken with a tent filled with Tin Lizzy doll altered art assemblages, below. They were made by Betsy Wilbur of Red Herring Antiques. Aren’t they a hoot?

Here are my Brimfield discoveries. As you can see, I used restraint and I didn’t buy a lot. Love what came home with me though!

Many thanks to Karen for asking me to accompany her to Brimfield. It was a sunny spring day and spending it perusing fields brimming with vintage treasures was just about perfect.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Farewell to 15

I'm sorry to report that our former house is no longer. Its newest owners decided to tear it down to make way for what I'm sure will be quite the McMansion. Before it was demolished, my dear husband was determined to have a little piece of the home that sheltered us so well for 23 happy years. A few weeks ago, before the wrecking ball struck, he stopped by and boldly removed the old house numbers.

Shortly after, the house looked like this...

 

And before long, the house, and every last tree, were just a sweet memory...

Places get torn down at the drop of a hat where we live. It is often to be expected when properties change hands, particularly in neighborhoods near Long Island Sound (thanks, in large part, to Hurricane Sandy). 

I must admit, it is sad that our kids can no longer drive by the old homestead and say "That's where I grew up." However, all of our wonderful memories remain — as well as the brass house numbers. Thanks, John! :)

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Curating the Norwalk Historical Society’s Museum Shop

A new Museum is opening in my town this weekend! Part of the Norwalk Historical Society, it celebrates Norwalk's history and diversity and is sure to be an asset to the city. Located in a stately brick building behind City Hall, it offers innovative and educational exhibits and will be used as a gathering place for exciting events.

The Museum's curators have been hard at work on the exhibits. I, too, have been a curator of sorts, as I was asked to create a Museum gift shop from the ground up. For the past nine months, I’ve been meeting with local artists, going to the gift show in NYC, searching for display pieces, and finally, setting up and styling the shop in a bright, spacious room on the Museum’s first floor.

My goal is to have the store be a shopping destination featuring gifts for all occasions, filled with interesting and unusual items that you can't find just anywhere. I have used it as an opportunity to feature 25 local artists’ work and their affordable paintings, mixed media, photography, home goods, greeting cards, jewelry, ornaments, housewares, toys, books, accessories and more.

You’ll also find custom tote bags, aprons, dish towels, soaps, hats, tee shirts and hoodies, all with the Norwalk Historical Society’s lovely new logo.

And for the holidays, a very special Norwalk globe ornament has been created just for us. So pretty!

I had such fun putting the shop together and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

If you are in the area this weekend, shop local and stop in. The Holiday Open House (and ribbon cutting) is on Saturday, December 5 from noon until 4 pm. Hope to see you there!

If you can’t make it this Saturday, please note that regular Museum hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 pm with extended Holiday shopping hours on Friday, December 11, noon to 7 pm and Saturday, December 12, 10 am to 4 pm. The Museum is located behind Norwalk City Hall at 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Meleen and Charlotte’s Vermont Getaway

Recently, I spent a long weekend away in southern Vermont. On a sunny fall morning, two friends and I made the 3-1/2 hour drive north from Connecticut through some of the prettiest countryside I have ever seen. We traveled along the Green Mountains and Adirondack foothills to our destination: Arlington, Vermont. Meleen Dupre and her good friend Charlotte Lyons have been hosting craft-based getaway weekends since 2012. For four days and three nights, a group of creative women from across the country gather together to stay in Meleen’s side-by-side vintage farmhouses, eat her home-cooked meals, do a few crafty projects, and experience whatever else lovely Vermont has to offer. 

We arrived late Thursday afternoon and were warmly greeted by Charlotte and Meleen. After getting a tour of both homes and settling into our respective bedrooms, comfy wicker chairs beckoned us on the porch. More introductions were made and we chatted while snacking on grapes, Vermont cheese and crackers. Later, we headed inside to the great room to enjoy a scrumptious dinner at communal tables among the array of distinctive antiques that Meleen and her husband collect.

After dinner, it was off to the craft room for our first project: handmade journals. Meleen repurposed vintage books as the covers and it was our task to decorate and fill them with blank pages. Before arriving, we had a little homework assignment to make tags with our contact information. Now that we were together, we exchanged those tags with one another and placed them in our journals. 

The next morning, we enjoyed a hearty country breakfast and lounged for a bit in our PJ’s. Then we got ready for the next project: a workshop led by talented guest artist Jenn McGlon of Noodle and Lou. Jenn showed us how to paint little wooden boxes in her distinctive style. So sweet, just like Jenn!

That afternoon, we went on a field trip to Wing and a Prayer Farm. We met fiber farmer and baker extraordinaire Tammy White, her beautiful sheep and alpacas, crazy turkeys, and three very energetic dogs. Tammy showed us how she creates a variety of fabric dyes from plants and other natural elements. She also graciously gathered an array of fresh herbs from the garden and instructed us in a fragrant project: lovely little herbal wreaths for us to take home.

The next day, the always inspiring Charlotte Lyons led us in our most challenging project: a shadowbox fashioned from a cigar box and filled with personal trinkets we brought from home. Classes took place in a well-appointed craft room that took up the entire first floor of one of the houses. Chock full of every sort of art supply, it was the perfect place to get to know everyone while crafting. My four-seasons-themed shadowbox, featuring fun vintage pics of me and my sister, turned out better than I expected!

Late that afternoon, we took a shadowboxing break to visit and shop at Battenkill Pottery, the studio of ceramic artist Jessica Putnam-Phillips.

Although our days were full, we still had time to explore on our own. We hit up a few Saturday morning tag sales and antique shops and visited Bennington Potters. We enjoyed Manchester, Vermont, with its outlet stores and one of the best independent book shops around, Northshire Bookstore. We also stopped at Manchester Woodcraft, a family-owned business filled to the brim with affordable wooden gifts, toys and household items. 

On the way back to Arlington, we stopped at Hildeen, the spectacular estate of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s son.

Hats off to Meleen and Charlotte for creating such a fun-filled and inspiring weekend! Where else can you stay in vintage farmhouses, eat wonderful meals, explore the picturesque New England countryside and craft to your heart’s delight? 

Even though I am not a crafter by nature and the projects were challenging for me, I truly enjoyed working on them. It was nice to learn something new in a beautiful setting surrounded by friendly and talented people. What a pleasure it was to meet and spend time with Charlotte, Meleen, Jenn, Kana, Tammy and all of the women who ventured from near and far to attend this very special fall getaway.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Join Us at the Picnic Grove

Now that summer is in full swing, I'd like to share some vintage-inspired outdoor entertaining ideas with you. 

I thought it would be fun to imagine a gathering that utilizes some of my favorite things — my picnic tin collection, 1940s tablecloths, Bakelite-handled cutlery, and more. 

To begin . . . Using Paperless Post, let's invite 10 good friends (6 couples in all), load up the car (my favorite being a Woodie station wagon like this one I saw on MV last week), and head to a shady picnic grove (such as a leafy local park or even your own backyard).

At this fresh air gathering, each couple will be presented with their own boxed lunch housed inside a colorful 1950s tin. Before the meal begins, everything can be artfully displayed upon a wooden park bench or picnic table.

To define the picnic area and make it even more festive, hang fabric pennant banners from the trees.

Next, have each couple select a vintage tablecloth and a tin of their choice.

Then have everyone find a shady spot to spread their cloth for an alfresco lunch.

Vintage flatware with Bakelite handles continues the retro theme.

Time to eat! Inside each tin is an easy, delicious lunch, such as these pressed picnic sandwiches wrapped in kraft paper and tied with twine. 

On the left are Eggplant, Prosciutto and Pesto Sandwiches found on the Host the Toast blog. Pressed Italian Sandwiches from the Season & Suppers blog would also be delicious.

Along with a selection of beer and wine, these old fashioned soft drinks from Wild Bill's have the right vintage vibe.

Fresh salads in glass Mason jars are easy to pack and look beautiful. I discovered enticing recipes for a Cobb Salad (left) and Quinoa Salad on the ValSoCal blog.

For dessert, how about a S’mores Trifle in a jar (below left) from Mom Endeavors? Of if you prefer, a Lemon Berry Trifle, from Joyful Scribblings, is a yummy possibility.

So right about now, you may be thinking . . . I love this picnic idea, Susan, but I don't have a ridiculously large tin and flatware collection like you do. No problem!

This charming picnic lunch was created by the Home is Where the Boat Is blog. It uses a new, plaid metal basket from World Market.

Sadly, the plaid version is sold out online. However, the adorable fruity one is available for only $12.59.

World Market also offers these cute eco-friendly wooden utensils in red or blue. And just $5.99 per set! 

To get the word out, Paperless Post offers dozens of invitations and cards for any occasion. Beautifully designed, you can even customize your favorite one to reflect your personal style.

Happy picnicking! 😊 

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Movie Set Status

We just returned from ten glorious days on Martha's Vineyard. This special place never disappoints and as always, great fun was had by all. Beauty abounds — so much so, the island looks like a movie set. Here are a few of my favorite pretty pics. Enjoy!

Tootling around on my bike, I came upon this jaw-dropping property...

Edgartown Lighthouse is oh so photogenic...

Bicycle triplets at the beach...

John and Jacob fish at sunset on Dogfish Bar in Aquinnah...

In Edgartown, even the garages are beautiful...

Jacob and Hannah take a tandem bike for a spin around the neighborhood...

Back on the ferry heading home...

So long MV! We will surely miss you. See you next year!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Cottage Happy

We're heading into Oak Bluffs this morning, the town on Martha's Vineyard that is funky, fun and filled with some of the sweetest cottages ever.

These humble and historic abodes take charming to an entirely new level!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Land Ho!

We had a perfectly pleasant ferry crossing to Martha’s Vineyard this morning. (Love the cool vintage car that was ahead of us on the boat!)

This year, we’re renting a house in downtown Edgartown so that we can walk or bike to shops, restaurants and an idyllic neighborhood beach.

Down the street from the property is this glorious view. Isn't it sublime?

Gosh, how I love it here!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

 

So Proud

 

Our dear son received his diploma yesterday! Four years of college have flown by and it is time for him to embark on a career in elementary education.

He will be (and already is) an awesome teacher. I am certain that he will have a positive impact on the lives of each and every one of his young students. John and I are beaming with pride. 

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Memorial Day! 🇺🇸

Hooray for the red, white and blue!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

TBT: Views of a Pink Tea Room

Hello Throwback Thursday! Time for a look back at my beloved tea room . . .

Such great memories. A good time was had by all! 

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

“S” is for Spring

We just returned from a long weekend away visiting extended family in my hometown of Cleveland. While there, I popped into a thrift shop where a vintage planter caught my eye. A bargain at $4, it safely made the trip back from Ohio inside my carry-on bag.

This morning, I potted up my newest find with miniature Daffodils. Then I introduced it to a couple of pottery friends on my kitchen counter.

This 1940s relic sports a script letter "S" on its front and whimsical rolls on both sides. Bathed in a chartreuse glaze, its color reminds me of the little leaf buds that will soon emerge this spring. So retro!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Spring!

Wow, that was quite the winter. Thank goodness spring is finally here! I so look forward to getting out in the garden. I also can't wait to open all the windows and let the warm spring breezes in.

But not today . . . We are supposed to get a bit of snow! I guess a little more of the white stuff will only make the warm weather to come all the more enjoyable.

Bluebird image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Please stay tuned for my next post, when I share what's new around here — both in my Etsy shop and in my home, where our two bathroom renos are coming along nicely.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Cozy Time

More snow, you say? Sure! Bring it on!

Yesterday, we hunkered down to wait out yet another snow event. While the white stuff silently piled up around our sweet cottage, John and I were productive and did that painful, yet necessary, annual chore — taxes.

When we were done, it was cozy time. We treated ourselves to a good movie in front of a roaring fire. Along with a cup of hot tea, there is nothing better on a snowy afternoon.

Aside from all of the snow, our driveway is now home to this: a large red dumpster. Why, you may ask?

Because we are about to embark on a final reno project — updating both the master and guest bathrooms. And demo begins tomorrow! This remodeling project should take a couple of months. I promise to share lots of before and after pics with you as things progress.

Happy Sunday,

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

It’s Snow Time!

As reported, a respectable amount of snow fell on southern New England over the last 24 hours. Luckily, not nearly as much as they were forecasting. Even so, it was a quiet, peaceful day where kids got a much-anticipated snow day and most folks stayed put until driveways and streets could be cleared of the fluffy white stuff.

Having grown up in Northeast Ohio, snow really doesn't faze me. However, where I currently reside, it seems to make people very nervous. Of course it doesn't help that the first big storm of the season gets way too much media attention. Hopefully after a couple more snow events, everyone will relax and remember that it is winter, after all.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Finding the Good Stuff

To ready my Etsy shop for a busy autumn and holiday season, I did some shopping myself last weekend. On Saturday, I visited an estate sale at this historic house, below. 

Unoccupied and shuttered for over 20 years, this three-story home is in complete disrepair and has plaster literally falling off the walls. Even though it has been sorely neglected, it was also chock full of interesting and wonderfully obsolete objects. 

I have been to estate sales in some really scary houses. But this one was particularly frightening. Sometimes you gotta be brave to find the good stuff!

On Sunday, John and I took a stroll around the annual flea market on the grounds of the Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk, CT. 

There were several sellers there with an array of interesting vintage items, so I was able to find a few more fun things for my shop.

I'm spending this week photographing my finds to prepare them for their Etsy debut. There's lots to show you, so I'll devote my next three posts to my latest discoveries. Stay tuned!

Susan

And So It Begins . . .

Oh, how I love this weather! Love the crisp, cool air; love wearing a warm, cozy sweater; love the colorful leaves.

Happy Fall! 

Susan

Green, Greener, Greenest

Check out this car I spotted a few weeks ago in Oak Bluffs! Being a Prius owner, I always thought I had a "green" car. But this vintage, ivy-encrusted Volkswagen Beetle is even greener.

Speaking of my Prius . . . John and I have decided the time has come for a new car. I must say, I have thoroughly enjoyed my Prius for the past seven years. But our new home is located in a rather hilly part of town — good if you want to avoid flooding from hurricanes — bad if you want to go anywhere on a snowy day.

Last winter, we had lots of trouble navigating the rolling hills around our lovely cottage. After going to the gym one snowy morning, we couldn't even make it home. We had to leave the Prius at the bottom of a hill and walk back. And that wasn't even my Prius! John drives a company car and it is a Prius, too! Therefore, after last year's super harsh winter, we vowed to get a new car that would get through most anything.

Having been spoiled with the Prius' gas mileage, we began our new car search by looking at Hybrids. The criteria? They had to have All Wheel Drive, be affordable and fit in our smallish garage. Unfortunately, they are few and far between.

Next we focused on fuel efficient AWD vehicles. Want to know my favorite? The Mini Countryman. What a crazy fun car! But it is also crazy small and we deemed it unpractical. Time for a Subaru . . .

We finally settled on a Crosstrek, their zippy, smaller AWD. It even comes in a hybrid version. However, that model costs several thousand dollars more and only gets an additional five miles more to the gallon. So the standard Crosstrek, a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV), would do just fine.

In a few short weeks, we'll be going from being a two-Prius to a one-Prius family. I'm sure it is for the best as then we will be ready for the winter to come. Bring on the snow!

Susan

Scenes from the 146th Grand Illumination

What a magical night! I will be forever grateful to my sweet son for letting me tag along on his spur of the moment getaway to Martha's Vineyard.

BTW: the morning after this glorious event, I rode my bike to a gym in town for a work out. Afterward, I strolled through the MVCMA for one more look and to my surprise, there wasn't one lantern in sight. Everything was back to normal and I found myself thinking — Was that a dream?

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Preparing for O.B.'s Showiest Night of the Year

Grand Illumination Night is the annual summer event that is most emblematic of the magical Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association. This historic community in Oak Bluffs, MA, has over 300 charming homes embellished with gingerbread trim and painted in every color of the rainbow. One August day each year since 1868, cottage owners retreat to dusty attics and unpack Asian lanterns and umbrellas, many as old as the homes themselves, to embellish their picture-perfect cottages even more. Come nightfall, these lanterns will be lit en masse to the oohs and ahhs of thousands of appreciative onlookers.

I spent the afternoon before Grand Illumination last week riding my bicycle around this area so that I could watch as the cottage owners prepared for their showiest night of the year. The result is the photos, below.

Aren't they wonderful? Just wait until you see them all lit up — in my next post! 

Enjoy the holiday weekend,

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

The Ferry at Daybreak, No Lines at the Art Cliff Diner, and a Little House Called "Seashell Cottage"

Last week’s unexpected visit to Martha’s Vineyard was such a treat. Here’s how I was able to go back a second time this summer to my most favorite place on the planet...

Before returning to college, my son and his girlfriend were planning a last minute trip away. MV was where they really wanted to go, but it can be very tricky finding a place to stay and getting a spot on the ferry with such short notice. Luckily, there was space at a camp site and I helped them secure a ferry ticket. (The only boat available was at 7am!) I then checked an online calendar to see what was happening during the three days they would be on the island. When I saw that they'd be there for Grand Illumination Night, I was beyond jealous. I have always wanted to witness that lovely spectacle. So, my son kindly invited me along! Now I just needed to find a place to stay.

I’m not one for camping, nor did I want to horn in on his trip, so I was bound and determined to find a room for two nights near the action in Oak Bluffs. Plus, to further stay out of his hair, I was going to use my bike to get around. I searched every inn and hotel to no avail. They were all booked and had long waiting lists. I was just about to give up when I came upon a listing for a room at a tiny place in O.B. named Seashell Cottage. To my delight, it was available! 

In order to get to Wood's Hole and catch the 7am ferry, we began our journey by the light of the moon at 1:30am. I offered to drive and with almost no other cars on the road, we arrived at the ferry landing in record time — so early, in fact, that we were put on the 6am ferry. How lovely to watch the sun rise as we made our way to our beloved island.

By 6:45am, we docked in Vineyard Haven and headed to our favorite place for breakfast, The Art Cliff Diner. Eating there generally involves a 45-minute (or more) wait for a table but it's always worth it. This time however, we arrived just as they opened and didn't have to wait at all. (I guess 7am is the time to go. By 7:20, every table was occupied!)

After a delicious Art Cliff breakfast, we drove over to Seashell Cottage and met Carol who graciously rents out one of the bedrooms in her darling house. We also met Birdie, her adorable blue-eyed Cocker Spaniel rescue.

Seashell Cottage sits high above Lagoon Pond and is adjacent to a path that leads to a small neighborhood beach. With a white washed bead-board interior, this little cottage oozes with charm. Have a look inside.

Isn't it sweet? And best of all, it’s walking and biking distance to Oak Bluffs. Bicycles are a popular and perfect mode of transportation on Martha's Vineyard because there are miles of paved bike paths that are safe and separate from the road.

Please check back for more about last week's blissful MV trip. Next time, I’ll share pics of the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association cottages as they prepare for their showiest night of the year.

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Three Days of MV Bliss

Talk about spur of the moment... I have just taken an unexpected trip to Martha's Vineyard. Again? Yes!!! And it was all because of an opportunity that arose that allowed me to be there during an event that has been on my bucket list for decades: Grand Illumination Night.

I returned home late last night, so once I have a chance to catch my breath, I'll be sharing more about my three days of bliss on MV.

Happy weekend!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

A Green Thumb Moment

A concrete birdbath seemed like a good idea when I acquired it over a decade ago. For years, it resided in our garden under a shady tree. In all that time however, I never once saw a bird bathing in it. They preferred to splash around in random puddles on our driveway after a soaking rain. Every now and then, a neighborhood cat would drink out of it, but other than that, the birdbath sat idle.

When we moved, the birdbath came along, but I was reluctant to fill it with water. So it sat in our basement until this summer when I decided to use it for something else entirely — a planter.

The birdbath is somewhat shallow, so I figured the only plants that would thrive are tiny succulents and rock garden plants. Luckily I found a few small varieties at a nearby garden center. I planted them and then used recycled glass rocks to improve drainage and cover the soil.

I placed the birdbath on a shabby vintage table in a spot that gets lots of afternoon sun on our front terrace.

This welcoming outdoor area features a couple of wrought iron chairs, my favorite broom that was handmade in Appalachia, a primitive cottage painting on the wall, and now — our birdbath-turned-planter. 

Susan

Our New House, Then and Now

Don't you just love a good "Before and After"? Me, too! So have a look at what our vintage cottage looked like when we put in a bid to purchase it last fall.

And here is what it looks like today . . .

Top to bottom, this home underwent a subtle, yet much needed transformation. First off, we took down several menacing trees and put on a new roof. Then, we selected exterior colors, had it painted, installed new garage doors, and settled in for the winter to work on its interior reno. 

Come spring, we resurfaced the driveway, replaced the gutters, and seeded the lawn. And just last month, we put in a new garden, moving and/or saving existing shrubs where possible. 

And of course, let's not forget the icing on the cake: a historical plaque officially naming the house after its original 1925 owners, Harold and May Wilson.

Ten months after it became ours, the work is finally done. And I couldn't be happier with the end result. It was so enjoyable and satisfying to bring this lovely abode back to life. Now it most definitely has earned "cottage of my dreams" status.

Susan

My Kind of Food Truck

Have you seen the movie Chef? In a nutshell, it's about an uber-talented chef who loses his restaurant job. In an effort to regain his cooking mojo, he restores a broken-down food truck, which also restores his confidence and family ties. Great flick. 

Seems like food trucks are all the rage these days. Here's a vintage one I came across that is just my cup of tea . . .

Isn't it divine? I want it! Wish I could peek inside. I wonder what was on their menu.

Anyway, hope you have a wonderful weekend,

Susan

Coming Soon . . . I Promise!

Yikes! Where is the time going this summer? I have so much to share with you, but it has been crazy busy. So please bear with me. I promise to bring you up to date on what's new here very soon.

Like our new cottage garden . . .

Our finally furnished living room . . .

And yesterday morning's perusal of The Elephant's Trunk Flea Market. 

I found several vintage goodies at The Trunk that will make an appearance in my Etsy shop before long. I'll share them with you, along with other items ready for their Etsy debut, as soon as time permits.

Thanks for your patience. Please stay tuned!

Susan

The House Where Harold and May Lived

One last detail was added to the exterior of our cozy cottage last week. A Rowayton Historical Society plaque was installed. We are officially living in the Harold and May Wilson House!

The RHS plaque program calls attention to the historic character of Rowayton and gives recognition to early buildings and to the people who built or resided in them. Along with our new plaque, the Historical Society provided us with a list of every owner since 1925, as well as drawings showing how the property lines have changed over the years. We learned that when the original owners Harold and May lived here, the house stood on 30 acres. Wow! Today, this sweet little abode nestles on .39 of an acre. And that is just the right size for us.

Susan

Reno Grand Finale: The Garden

There is finally light at the end of the renovation tunnel! This week, we've embarked on our last major project: transforming barren and neglected flowers beds into a lush cottage garden. 

This very skilled landscaping crew put in over 80 shrubs and perennials for us today. And even though it may not be the best time of year to plant, lots of irrigation will ensure that everything will thrive. 

A couple of things were unearthed while the guys were digging: an old red Matchbox car and a teeny tiny real live toad, no bigger than an inch long. A friend for Spike perhaps? No way; he would eat the little guy.  

Stay tuned! Once everything is mulched and looking extra pretty, I'll be sure to share more pics of our lovely new garden with you.

Susan

A Picture Perfect Day

My dear friends Leslie, Kiki and Annalisa and I enjoyed beautiful weather for our very first Out of the Yardinary sale on Saturday. In fact, it was picture perfect, just like this wonderful photo of my pennant banners shot by the talented Leslie Rottner of Abbey Road Photography. Many thanks to Leslie, Kiki and Annalisa for collaborating on the sale with me. What a fun day!

Susan

Out of the Yardinary . . .

Tomorrow (Saturday, June 28), I will be hosting a yard sale and open studio. Not your typical tag sale, this "out of the yardinary" event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at my new cozy cottage.

 

If you are local, I invite you to stop by and peruse an array of vintage items (home décor, kitchenware, books, textiles, collectibles, furniture) as well as wares from my talented artist friends Leslie, Kiki and Annalisa offering original art, photography, summer womenswear, paintings, prints, and more. 

Plus, goods in my Etsy shop can be had at 10% off their listed price. If there is something that catches your eye, please let me know and I will have it available for purchase at the sale. 

Hope to see you there!

 

Susan

The Way Shopping Should Be

Did you know there are no chain stores or malls on Martha's Vineyard? So when I shop this lovely island, I get to enjoy browsing distinctive wares collected, crafted and carefully curated by merchants with talent and vision — the way shopping should be! Here are two of my MV shopping favorites:

Sylvie Bags are stunning one-of-a-kind creations. Beautifully handmade by Sylvie Farrington from authentic 1940s barkcloth, each handbag and pillow artfully combines different patterns, multi-colored zippers and vintage buttons. They truly are little works of eye candy. 

This year, I treated myself to one of Sylvie's Brooklyn Bags, a new cross-body style sporting an adjustable webbing strap and lots of compartments and zippered pockets. I'm wearing it in a photo HERE. It's the perfect summer bag!

Another shopping favorite is Mix, a store that is true to its name. Filled with vintage and modern items including clothing and housewares, the store's whimsical displays entice shoppers with an endless variety of yummy goods. 

Owner Emily Milstein features a meticulously selected array of vintage treasures, many offered in multiples in case one wants to start an instant collection. 

Mix never fails to inspire. A fun idea I came away with this visit was Emily's use of vintage matchbooks with kitschy graphics. She has loads of them displayed loose in a bowl for sale. Others she arranges in neat rows and frames them en masse inside shadowboxes. Super fun!

Susan

Martha's Vineyard Rocks!

Last week, we spent our days exploring the island's many natural wonders. One of the most spectacular is the Aquinnah Cliffs which we admired from the observation deck near Gay Head Light. For an even better view, we headed over to nearby Moshup Beach, a destination for geologists and beach enthusiasts alike.

Moshup Beach offers stunning views of the Aquinnah Cliffs. Composed of 150- feet of sediment from six glaciers, they are made up of red and white clays, green sands, white quartz, black organic soil and lignite.

Protected as a National Historic Landmark, the cliffs are truly spectacular. My photos don't nearly do them justice.

Another day, we felt energetic and hiked MV's Menemsha Hill Reservation. 

Its longest trail led us up Prospect Hill, the second highest peak on the island, then down to a remote rocky beach with commanding views of Menemsha Village and the Elizabeth Islands.

So beautiful. Martha's Vineyard rocks!

Susan
Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!

Catching Up

I am so pleased that business was brisk in my Etsy shop while I was away on Martha's Vineyard. Here are some of the things that are traveling to new homes across the U.S. — and also to Japan!

I'm such a slowpoke. It took me all morning yesterday to pack everything for shipment.

I make extra sure everything is wrapped with care and I always include a handwritten thank you note.

Thank goodness Jacob was here to help me get everything to the post office!

Susan

Glorious Martha's Vineyard

Another wonderful vacation on MV! I've been coming to this glorious island annually for almost 30 years and have fallen in love with it a little more with each visit. 

More posts about our time away to come very soon. Have a great weekend!

Susan

While I'm Gone . . .

Off we go! Time to relax with my family and enjoy sun, sand and surf. We look forward to our time on Martha's Vineyard all year long. So excited it's finally time to return to our most favorite place!

Before I go, I've been furiously adding new listings to my Etsy shop. That way, while I'm gone, my patrons can enjoy some of my latest finds. Here's what's new:

I adore hard to find relics like the soap flakes dispenser, above. Isn't it fabulous? 

I always offer an array of old toys in my shop. So cute and brimming with vintage appeal.

Straight out of my private collection, these Japan pottery pieces have a hand painted pattern of little flower pots set against a grid pattern. LOVE.

This 1933 edition of the Adventures of Sonny Bear has a great cover — perfect to display face out on a shelf in a child's room.

Vintage pottery,  textiles and books — three of my favorite things to offer on Etsy.

And just in time for picnic season . . . pretty floral tablecloths and old picnic tins.

I'm quite pleased with my latest finds and hope they will find good homes soon. Can't wait to see what I discover on the Vineyard!

Susan

Countdown to MV

Our annual trip to Martha's Vineyard is approaching. No where on earth we'd rather be! 

Enjoy the weekend,

Susan

Happy Earth Day!

Hello Spring Flowers!

Since we moved in last fall, I have been patiently waiting to see what would appear in our garden come spring. As the days grow longer and the sun warmer, an assortment of pretty flowers are sprouting. How lovely — and so worth the wait.

What a nice surprise . . . bright yellow Daffodils, purple Hyacinths and brilliant blue Siberian Squill. I've also noticed Hosta beginning to grow and other perennials that I can't identify just yet. 

From the very first time I saw our cozy cottage, I knew I wanted to place window boxes within the three deep window wells along the stone front of the house. At a nearby garden center, I was pleased to find white painted cedar boxes in the perfect size. Score!

Don't they look sweet? I've filled them with pink and purple Pansies. By mid-May, I'll replace them with a variety of colorful, heat-tolerant flowers and a few trailing ones spilling over the edge.

Now that our interior renovation project is complete, we need to give the neglected garden some attention. It needs perennials for smaller beds, foundation plantings along the front, and shrubs to fill in bare spots below the evergreens that encircle our property. Lots to do!

Susan

Spring Ahead

With yesterday's temps rising above 50 degrees for the first time in weeks, we got a little glimmer of the spring to come. At last!

Wow, what a crazy winter we have all had. I'm sure you will join me in saying . . . hooray for spring!

Susan

Vintage Inspired Dishes for My New Kitchen

Yay! At the end of this month, the work on our new kitchen will finally come to a close. So it's time for me to ponder tableware options. You see, we sold most of our dishes at our estate sale in the fall. Now I need to decide what to buy for the new space.

While in New York City on Sunday, Hannah and I popped into Fishs Eddy, a favorite shop I've blogged about in the past. Love this store! I have a fondness for sturdy dishes like the ones found in my family's restaurant years ago. Fishs Eddy is chock full of just such items.

Great stuff! After browsing a bit, Hannah and I decided that solid white restaurant ware is the way to go for our new kitchen. So once I am able to unpack more boxes and take an inventory of what we still have, I'll be heading back to Fishs Eddy to do some serious dish shopping. Won't that be fun? Wish you could come!

Susan