seaside book party: swag shout-outs and prep!

Ahoy! I am excitedly making preparations for my book party next month and want to share some details and acknowledge the generous sponsors! So, what is a book party? you ask ... It's really just an excuse to have fun and meet 'n greet 'n eat while helping to promote my latest effort: Seaside Tinkered Treasures.

Make it A Day: Nancy's picks for exploring Bristol, Rhode Island

As with any event, it's nice to plan around a theme and since this fete will celebrate coastal-inspired crafting, Sea Rose Cottage just steps from the waterfront is the perfect venue.

Sea Rose Cottage, Holiday Preview 2013

Located in a historic home, it's a combination retail shop and studio space known around New England for carrying Annie Sloan chalk paint. Owner Nancy Chace and I had a great time together when I was part of the shop's holiday preview event in November and we knew we'd like to plan something together again.

Thank you, Beckett Media and Meryl and Jacqueline!

Taking a cue from my friend, stylist and author Selina Lake, I decided it would be nice to assemble and offer Seaside Swag Bags to the first ten people to purchase a copy of Seaside Tinkered Treasures. Nancy pursued businesses local to her shop and I put the word out online for sponsors invited to provide ten items with business cards. I am so excited to share with you the items (so far!) that will be in each swag bag:

THANK YOU to Beckett Media publisher of Romantic Homes of which I am a contributor, for sending the special publication Seaside Style (shown further above) along with the beautiful June issue!

THANK YOU to Alayne White Spa

THANK YOU to Harbor Bath & Body for the handmade soap!

THANK YOU to The Knotty Dog for the drink cooler and coupon for free soap!

THANK YOU to Revival and Tea the Belvedere for the tea sample!

THANK YOU to hostess with the mostest Nancy Chace for the paint sample of Duck Egg Blue!

THANK YOU to Theresa January-Butler of Pat & Toot for sending handmade note cards!

THANK YOU to Jennifer at Sugar Pink Boutique for the pretty packets of vintage millinery and seam binding!

THANK YOU to Stacey at Cottage Industry who is busy filling vintage fabric sachets with lavender!

THANK YOU to Danielle of Finding Silver Pennies who is busy making small versions of her brilliant driftwood boats

THANK YOU to Susan of Two Orange Cats Jewelry who is busy making these charmers!

Check back for updates to this post as swag seems to arrive on my doorstep almost daily! Of course, I will be assembling tinkering packets to include as well, featuring cupcake ballerinas from Specked-Egg!

First Cath dress!

I even splurged on a new dress for the occasion from Cath Kidston!

Thank you to The Greenery for being the provider of pretty posies!

Thank you to Stampington & Company for including the party on your Events Calendar!

I hope you can attend the Seaside Book Party! It promises to be lots of fun. If you can't, please check my Author Page at Amazon for other upcoming events. Please also note that my publisher is looking for craft bloggers to receive and review Seaside Tinkered Treasures for a second online tour. Make your request by emailing publicity@cicobooks.co.uk.

Or ... just order yourself a copy of Seaside from your favorite bookseller, grab some supplies and get tinkering!

Thank you!

xo
elyse

tinkering project: love is (wallpapered) blinds

Left: Savannah by Pottery Barn Kids; right: Antique Rose Bouquet, Cath Kidston

In a recent post (exterior illumination) I detailed my excitement over finally having ideas come together for the exterior of my Cape Cod style house. I still haven't painted either side of the back door but I had been thinking about replacing the existing and broken mini blinds inside with something else, something with pattern. And then inspiration hit and I was out the door to the home improvement store.

Fabric: Spray Flowers by Cath Kidston

Perusing the aisle of blinds I was drawn to the 2" faux wooden ones rather than the narrow 1" sort. The wider slats seemed right for a decoupage experiment. My next stop was the office supply store for color copies of fabric which I intended to adhere on each blind and then coat with a light finish.

I decided to keep the blinds in-tact and simply work around the cords. I started with the decorative valance which I covered with paper trimmed-to-fit and finished with a coat of Mod Podge. The paper began to bubble a bit, which happens, and so I smoothed it out using light pressure from my fingers along with the directed heat of a blog dryer. Blah. This was going to take forever. Was there a better way?

Wallpaper! Of course! No sealer-coat required! And I had a roll that I bought years ago knowing I would find a use for it someday. Now if I had a matte board and rotary cutter I suppose this could've been even easier but instead I tinkered and improvised: I cut sections of wallpaper small enough to fit my guillotine-style paper cutter and then trimmed to fit the two sizes of the three sections required for each slat.

Since I plan to shorten the length of the blinds (after I muster-up the courage), I extended them to determine just how many slats would need to be covered: twenty-three. Unroll, cut, chop. Unroll, cut, chop. Unroll ... you get the picture.

For the final step, I grabbed my trusty glue stick (Elmer's gel) and affixed each piece to a slat, gently smoothing to adhere well. Was each piece the perfect fit? Of course not. Did I even attempt to match-up the patterns slat by slat? No way! This is tinkering, after all.

This weekend's plan now includes prepping, priming and painting the back door so that I can take nice final photos and write this up as a tidy tutorial for Romantic Homes!

To paint shiny white

Hmm. Now I'm thinking the exterior of the back door will be the blue of the wallpapered blinds ...

Fickle-osity continues ...

xo

elyse

souvenir love

Ship and heart-shaped box from Hilton Head, small square box from Cape Cod

I have always adored junky souvenir shops. My sisters still laugh about how as a young girl, I could enter a store with less than a quarter and still exit triumphantly with a purchase. And my boys know that I'm always a sucker for say, a Viewmaster-type toy that displays the main attractions of a tourist destination or a bottle containing shells, even a shark or gator tooth!

In my glory, Harbour Town, SC

My family and I just returned from visiting Hilton Head and Bluffton, South Carolina with a day trip to Savannah, Georgia. Forever the tinkerer with the heart of a nine year-old carrying a credit card, I found myself on a continuous quest for inspiration in ordinary and kitchsy stuff.

Who doesn't love receiving a post card weeks after you're home!

A coastal fave: T shirts to wear whilst tinkering

Fabulous!

Back in the Day Bakery topped my list of Savannah must-sees but we nearly missed going as they closed at 5:00 p.m. (that day) and we lost track of time after a :90 trolley tour of the city. Dejected and lost at 4:55 p.m. my husband responded with, "Call and ask if they'll stay open for you to stop in! Tell them you're coming from Rhode Island!" So, I did and they did! In a whirlwind my sister-in-law Laura and I dashed in, bought cupcakes and cookies, a tea towel and a copy of owners Cheryl and Griffith Day's scrumptious book. I noticed the Days sitting at a sunny table and asked if they could please sign a copy (while I presented them with a gift of Seaside Tinkered Treasures). Boy, those treats were delicious and what a charming shop. What a BEAUTIFUL city!

Best souvenir!

Doesn't this unused/requested bag make a great bookmark? Souvenir times two!

Pretty packaging as souvenirs

Getting back to "the junk" -- I do like a good snow globe. Assembling this post I realized that mine are scattered throughout the house. I should change that.

I generally prefer glitter to white snow but that's not a fixed rule!

When I visited London, I wanted the small impulse buys from Cath Kidston found along the counter near the register.

An eraser or "rubber"

From Paris, a small Eiffel Tower was a must but post cards, a hotel business card, extra Metro tickets and snips of ribbon also came home.

Collage of a batch of projects prior to shipping to publisher

Seaside Tinkered Treasures was inspired by this love of souvenirs and many projects in this book are things I remember from childhood but can't quite find today, like the shell dolls on the cover.

 And just like those adored trinkets from childhood, makes won't cost much and are perfect for remembering special moments, wherever they take place.

xo
elyse

Now, where's that miniature Liberty Bell? (Me and my sister Betsy)

exterior illumination!

A few things you may not know about me:
1) I'm fickle. Exhibit A.
2) I need to be inspired before embarking on a project but once I am, there's no stopping me. Exhibit B.
3) For as long as I've lived in my house I haven't truly figured out what to do with the exterior Exhibit C to give it a more cottage quality.

UNTIL NOW!

2009

After years of seeking advice on my blog and offline, declaring color choices and then reconsidering, it finally all came together the other day after seeing a white door on a similarly colored house. I decided to just go for it and paint the front door white. {What's the worst that could happen, right? Right!}

Unplanned Reflecto-Selfy

'Twas a bit of a hack job because in theory this old door will be replaced at some point and so all I did was clean the door well with 90-something-percent rubbing alcohol; no scraping (tsk), no sanding (tsk), just two good coats of paint. In another cost-saving measure, I spray-painted the brassy mail slot shiny silver rather than spend $40 on a new one.

Then came more ideas! I found outdoor lighting fixtures and finally have shutters in mind.

Note that steps have been painted with lattice added. Hydrangeas have replaced wonky shrubs where illustrated.

I went through my cottage + curb board on Pinterest and realized that I needed to create a collage to sort my thoughts and so I assembled a few at Picmonkey.com. The collages illustrate things that exist such as the flowering plants (thank you, previous owners), things on my to-do list (order shutters, install lights), and wish list items (picket fence with roses, stone path).

Click image to enlarge

The process of creating these collages is very helpful to me in gathering and sorting things in a very visual way. In fact since I created the above collage yesterday, I've changed my mind about the backdoor color to ...

From Cath, natch

See. Told you I was fickle.

xo
elyse

interview (and selfies) with selina lake

Book Selfies (Shelfies?) with Selina

As soon as I found out that stylist and author Selina Lake’s latest (and fifth!) book was completed, like an eager student raising their hand I emailed our shared publisher to request a review copy. Selina Lake Outdoor Living arrived the other day and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. With the last patches of snow melted away I find myself out of hibernation and staring at my muddy backyard daydreaming of ways to make it pretty on the cheap.

Selina's brilliant new book demonstrates how to decorate natural settings as you would an indoor space but unlike so many publications, there’s no fancy fire pit feature or illuminated in-ground pool, instead there are picnic tables covered in florals and jam jars bursting with posies; there are pillows and tee-pees and buckets filled with floating candles and flowers. It’s all very practical and impractical and brilliant! And as with all of Selina’s books, there are signature pops of her rosy pinks, vintage floral prints and china, and a feeling of spontaneity.

Selina Lake Outdoor Living

Okay, enough of my sincere gushing, let’s chat with Selina …

Hello, Selina! This book is extraordinarily beautiful. I love how you show such pretty outdoor living spaces but the best part is that it’s all very do-able. You’re throwing scalloped muslin across a picnic table, decorating SHACKS with floral prints and bunting, and floating candles and flowers in buckets. I can do that! So what comes first? The location or the idea? For example: the mustard-colored velvet chair in a field of buttercups – this sound like poetry! – what came first? The chair? The location? Or is it all very organic and just happens?  
Thank you so much. I’m delighted you're enjoying my new book. I like to create achievable style on a budget and make my ideas accessible as well as hopefully aspirational. Before photographer Debi Treloar and I started shooting the book I spent quite a bit of time researching and thinking up ideas. I knew I wanted to include some wildflower meadows in the book as I just love them -- for me they are the ultimate in outdoor whimsical locations and although not everyone has access to their own meadow perhaps you could take some of the ideas to implement in your own garden -- like leaving an area to grow slightly wild. I’m also a fan of the ‘Indoor Outdoor’ trend of taking typical indoor furniture outside to be used and enjoyed on a sunny day. 

GASP!

So how did I find this particular buttercup field to shoot in? I put a shout-out via Facebook and one of my followers Sarah from Sarah-Jane Down the Lane blog got in touch to say she’d love it if I came to her buttercup field situated in the Kent countryside and of course I jumped at the chance. As soon as the meadow location was booked, I set about sourcing all the props I was going to need to create the dining space in the meadow. I bought mix and match dining chairs from my local furniture charity shop and gathered fresh flowers from my local florist and picked sweet peas, peonies and lilacs from my own garden. I was also on the hunt for a velvet vintage armchair as I had a vision of placing it in the middle of the wild flowers with a beautiful floral bouquet resting on the seat. I spoke to Sarah again a few days before the shoot to double check we were still good to go and I mentioned I was looking for an armchair to use and she said she already had the most perfect old mustard velvet one which I was welcome to use. So that floral armchair shot came together a few days before the shoot and I’m so happy with the outcome! 

Selina Lake Outdoor Living

Was planning difficult for an all-outdoor book or did you just roll with it and pack the Wellies? Any funny stories?   
Before we started shooting we were slightly worried the weather might not be on our side all the time (summertime in Britain is notoriously unpredictable) so when I was booking the shoot locations we kept dates fairly loose and penciled in a couple of days on either side so we could keep flexible. Having said that, last summer was actually one of the best on record for the UK and we enjoyed absolutely glorious sunny and dry days. We had to keep reapplying our sunscreen!

When we met last February, I recall you sharing that you would be writing the text yourself for this book and I want to let you know that it’s wonderful! It’s such a pleasant read – very charming and conversational, beautiful word choices (abundance, dappled – I’m such a nerd). Did you enjoy the process of writing?

Tea and books

Ah thanks! I was slightly nervous about the writing process beforehand even though I write features and shopping pages to accompany my styled features for magazines, writing a whole book was something else! I’m also dyslexic so I was worried I would make loads of mistakes. I wanted to keep the style of text quite chatty as if I was having a chat with the reader about my ideas. Although styling and creating the images is my first love I did really enjoying the writing once I got into it. I also had a really helpful editor Nathan, who corrected my grammar/ spelling mistakes.

Selina Lake Outdoor Living

The layout of the book is very fun. I love the almost scrapbook feel with “I heart” notes and images set in Polaroid frames with scribbled captions. How did the layout come to be?
Thanks, yes I wanted it to have a scrapbook feel and for the font to have a handwritten quality to match my style of writing. I shared my ideas with the book designer Barbara Zuniga, and she came up with the finished design.

My backyard

Okay, last question. My backyard abuts a wooded area and we don’t have a fence but I want to create some kind of delineated area but I don’t know what to do. Any suggestions? 

Wow, how fabulous to have a woodland on your doorstep. If you're looking for a temporary fix say for a garden party or celebration, you could create a washing line effect by tying string from tree to tree around the boarder and then pegging up pretty floral fabrics or for something more permanent you could install some kind of screen, maybe made from woven willow, bamboo canes or recycled timber.

Selina Lake Outdoor Living

Love your ideas! Thank you! Oh wait, one more. What is your favorite color and if you had to give it a name for a nail polish company, what would you call it?
I’m always drawn to Pinks and I’m a huge fan of fluro pink at the moment, I’d call a neon pink nail varnish - PINKPOP!

Thank you so much to Selina for making the time to chat as she plans the Selina Lake Outdoor Living Book Tour 2014. Find Selina Lake Outdoor Living at all good booksellers.

xo
elyse

interview with prairie founder fifi o'neill

Prairie is back by popular demand! Followers of Romantic Prairie Style founder Fifi O'Neill, are sure to swoon over the 144 pages of beautifully photographed stories and nine fabulous homes from coast to coast and Canada. More book than magazine and printed on high-quality paper, this publication is a real treat!

Fifi and me, Barrington, RI, fall 2013

I was fortunate enough to visit Fifi during while she was on location in Barrington, Rhode Island. Last week while chatting on the phone (Somewhere in my youth or childhood ... I must've done something good ...) I proposed the idea of posting an interview to talk about the return of Prairie and the style in general. Fifi graciously provided not only answers but sneak peeks!

For behind the scenes info and more, visit Fifi's post Catching Up

In a nutshell, how would you describe the decor style you have coined Prairie Style?
From taking stock in the environment, respecting traditions, and honoring the past, Prairie Style is the reflection of the American spirit of ingenuity and individuality. These enduring qualities translate into a unique aesthetic in homes with character and grace, refined rusticity, primitive charm and country flair wherever they may be located.

Prairie Style can be colorful!

What are your favorite elements of Prairie Style?
It has been said that what goes around comes around and nowhere is it more evident than in the manner in which Prairie style embraces humble materials, handcrafted objects, and homespun accessories. Reclaiming, reinventing, repurposing, and resourcefulness are among the hallmarks that define and make Prairie style uniquely current and exemplify the new American country.

What are the best places to shop or look to bring a Prairie look to one’s home?
You can easily find inexpensive furnishings and accessories in secondhand and antique shops, flea markets, barn sales, architectural and salvage outlets, and even yard sales.

GASP!

I love how the new magazine includes homes, people, places food and more! Your round-up of artisans for this issue is so interesting – from beekeepers to woodworkers, farmers and more. Traveling for photo shoots must have felt like a field trip at times. Did you try your hand at any activities that were new to you or sample a new dish?
Yes, you are so right! Many photo shoots have a wonderful 'field trip' feel but, unfortunately, I don't get much of a chance to experiment with the activities! However, I do get to taste some of the yummy recipes.

My article!

I’m also excited to have written an article for Prairie about the Grilli home right here in my beloved Ocean State. It just shows how this aesthetic can happen anywhere. Do you have any tips for infusing this style in an unlikely place? Like, how could a tiny city apartment achieve a Prairie look?
I am not going to give you all our secrets but when you read the issue you will see how well people incorporate Prairie style in their interiors. In the issue, we celebrate the unbridled creativity with which homeowners instill personality and their own brand of sophistication into their homes in ways that elevate each from basic to beautiful, regardless of their location. You will be surprised to discover how easy and effective it is. But, to sum it up, the Prince of the Prairie himself said it best: "There is a way of living that has a certain grace and beauty. It's not a constant race for what is next, rather an appreciation of what has come before."-Ralph Lauren
That's beautiful.

Thank you so much to the fabulous Fifi for answering my questions, providing these gorgeous peeks and for being such a special presence in my life!

Limited run on newsstands soon, or visit this link to order your copy.

xo
elyse