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You are here: Home / Archives for Elyse

The Country Living Fair – Part Two & Some News

June 9, 2014 at 8:18 am by Claudia

heidi&me

Part of what made the Fair so much fun was seeing my friends do what they do best. Heidi designed a great space at the Fair, chock full of all her finds. She might not have a brick-and-mortar shop anymore, but she’s still merchandising and styling. Her space was packed, her daughter Whitney and son-in-law Cory were on hand to help, the inventory was fantastic. Our friend, Susan Hill, took this picture. We both worked with Heidi at the shop, so at one time there were three of us Hills on the staff.

Heidi gave a presentation on Saturday and she was great.

elyse1

Then there is my longtime blogging friend Elyse. She is a delight. Her presentation focused on ‘from blog to book.’ Her blog, Tinkered Treasures, showcases her charming crafts made out of simple materials. She also writes for several magazines. Her second book, Seaside Treasures, has just been published and I couldn’t be happier for her.

We had a chance to meet about 4 years ago when I was working in Providence, RI. We met for breakfast and never stopped talking the whole time. So I was very happy indeed when Elyse told me she was going to be at the CL Fair. We had a chance to catch up before and after her presentation.

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So proud of her! (Boy, was it hot under that tent! We were wilting.)

elyseandme

My hair was wilting, I was wilting, Elyse was wilting…..

Right after Elyse’s presentation, I headed home.

trailer 1a

But, at the end of the first day, I ran across some of the wonderful Sisters on the Fly. Have you heard of them? They have vintage trailers and travel all around the country for meet-ups, some fly fishing, some campfires and a lot of fun. Four of the ‘sisters’ had their trailers on display. Since I’ve always wanted to have a little trailer that I could renovate and decorate, I had to take a peek.

trailer 1

Adorable. Pink and jadeite green.

trailer 2

Another trailer. Check out the floor and the vintage stove and the charming curtains and chandelier….hello!

trailer 3

Please, Don…may I have one?

trailer Janine

But the trailer that was the most amazing, by far, was the one that belongs to this lady, Janine. You won’t believe what she’s done with it. (She’s a veteran of this, having renovated several of these beauties.) When you first peek in the trailer and look to the left, this is what you see:

trailer bed 2

Sorry for the very blurry photo, but I wanted you to see this single bed she found on Craig’s List. She cut it down so it would fit. Oh my goodness!

trailer 4

I believe that’s a cleverly disguised heater. The toilet is behind that curtain and to the left.

trailer 5

The sink. The sink! The tiny refrigerator.

trailer 6

The perfect folding table, lots of pillows, a tole tray and that ceiling! This seating area converts to a bed.

trailer 7

Janine told me she had the tin that she used for the backsplash in her stash. And the motto on the wall is The Campfire Girls Creed. Perfect.

I’ve always wanted one of these little gems. Now I want one more than ever.

In other business, Janie F. is the winner of a copy of Eyes on You by Kate White! Congratulations, Janie. I’m sending you an email. I need your mailing address.

And my dear friend and colleague Darko Tresnjak (he’s the director I work with in Hartford) won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical last night! A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (first performed at Hartford Stage and then at the Old Globe) also won Best Musical. I’m thrilled for Darko and Hartford Stage. I screamed and jumped up and down when I heard his name announced – by Clint Eastwood, no less.

Finally, while I was at the Fair on Saturday, I got a call from an Artistic Director who wanted to know if I was available to coach a production of A Raisin in the Sun that starts rehearsals today. It’s a quick turn around – just 2 ½ weeks, so I’m headed out of here on Wednesday. I’m taking the train to the western side of New York state to work at the Chautauqua Theatre, part of the renowned Chautauqua Institute.

Needless to say, I’m bit discombobulated. There’s much to do before I can turn over the cottage to Don – even for just a couple of weeks. But I’m so grateful for the work – we need the income. So I’ll miss a lot of peony time and goodness knows what else will be blooming but it’s only a couple of weeks, right?

Happy Monday.

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Tagged With: Country Living Fair, Sister on the FlyFiled Under: country living fair, Elyse 47 Comments

Tinkered Treasures – the Book!

February 11, 2013 at 7:30 am by Claudia

I’ve been blogging for almost five years (next week) and early on, I met Elyse Major, who blogs at Tinkered Treasures. We became friends. Over time, we’ve done a swap, we’ve emailed back and forth, we’ve talked on the phone, and we’ve given each other presents and advice and encouragement. We were lucky enough to meet each other 3 years ago, almost to the day, when I was in Providence on business.

elyseandme

We had brunch together and it was as if we had known each other forever. If I hadn’t had to be at a rehearsal, we could have talked all afternoon. Elyse is a wonderful writer. She is also a tinkerer, making charming and wonderful things from simple, everyday items you can find around the house or at your local craft store – always in her distinctive Elyse-style. She has always had a dream to write professionally  – and she does. You’ll find her byline in many of your favorite decorating magazines. Now, she has realized another dream – to have a book published.

Cico Books graciously sent me a copy of Elyse’s new book, Tinkered Treasures, to review.

elysebook

Elyse describes her transformations as ‘tinkering’ because there is a sense of play involved. Tinkering is about “leaving behind any worries of perfection and appreciating the flaws. Tinkering is about making a little time to add playful details to your life.” If you’ve seen any of Elyse’s creations, you’ve seen that playful spirit. I’ve been the recipient of many Elyse creations. Here are a few:

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The tinkered can? Adorable and on page 60 in the book under the heading Desk Tidy.

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The clothespins? I have many and I love them. On page 28.

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This adorable clothespin doll? Page 30.

By now you’re getting a sense of Elyse’s whimsical, sweet, and refreshingly down-to-earth style. That style is beautifully realized in the design and layout of the book, with charming illustrations and clear, easy-to-read directions for each project.

elysebookpage

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What can I say? It’s a wonderful book. These are easy-to-make projects. Fun projects. Elyse has been making these tinkered treasures for a long time – offering them in her Etsy shop, sending them to a friend just because, all the while playfully creating things from clothespins, cans, fabric scraps, jars.

I love it when I see a book of this type that is so true to the author’s sense of style. There’s not a false note. And I love it even more when someone who has a long-held dream makes that dream come true. I couldn’t be happier for my friend. And I can honestly highly recommend this wonderful, tinkered-treasure-filled book. It’s available on Amazon and is being officially published on February 14th.

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There she is. Doesn’t she look pretty? And happy? Hurrah, Elyse! And hurrah for anyone fortunate enough to buy this book. You will love it.

Happy Monday.

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Filed Under: blogging, books, Elyse, Fellow bloggers 29 Comments

Elyse, Jodie & Scout

March 31, 2010 at 9:48 am by Claudia

Boy did we have rain yesterday! Wind, rain, flooding and another long drive to and from the airport in the middle of it all. Today will be a tad gloomy and rainy and then tomorrow…sun and at least 70 degrees! Thank goodness. My dear pal Elyse has been coping with flooding in her basement. I saw on the weather channel that the area she lives in had a record amount of rainfall. Speaking of Elyse, I have been meaning to post about this article in Romantic Homes:


I’m so happy for her – you all know how much I adore her. She’s talented, smart, funny and just plain wonderful.

I am continually amazed by the talents of my fellow bloggers. One such blogger, Jodie of Everything Vintage, recently did a post about some jewelry she created. I fell in love with one of the necklaces and zipped right on over to her Etsy shop to order it.

It arrived the other day. It was so beautifully presented:


I saw the button card first – isn’t it lovely? And I love, love vintage buttons. Next was the necklace, wrapped in a hankie embroidered with a ‘C’, tied up with a beautiful ribbon and a pendant. What a beautiful way to present the necklace!


The back of the button card was signed by Jodie and the necklace came in this pouch.


Ah….there is the beautiful necklace! I love it, Jodie. In fact, I wore it that day, although I don’t think it was shown to its best advantage with the old sweatshirt I had on.

I used to be the kind of person who threw some wrapping paper on something and impatiently taped it together. Blogging has changed that. I am much more aware of creative presentation now. Oh, and I am getting the jewelry making bug. I haven’t really tried anything yet, but I think it would be so satisfying to gather up vintage elements and create some jewelry.

Square #31 – remember this photo?


The back of Miss Scoutie’s head. Here is square #31:


Scoutie’s head with the word ‘love’ because Scout is all about love.

Have a great day.

Filed Under: Elyse, Fellow bloggers, Scout 18 Comments

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Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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