Let's Meet Sandy Devaney

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Sandy Devaney

I’m so pleased to introduce this month’s feature an incredible creative, entrepreneur and friend Sandy Devaney.

Sandy I’m so happy you could take the time to pop by the Chalet and chat with me. Hi Meryl! Thank you so much for reaching out to share a bit about The Collected Garden. My name is Sandy Devaney and I live in Cranford with my husband Bob, and our two sons. Cranford has such a strong sense of community with beautiful homes and a great downtown ranked #1 by NJ.com.

Oh Cranford is absolutely delightful. I so enjoyed the Cranford Historical Society Garden Tour last June.

Here are some images from Sandy’s garden on the day of the tour June 11, 2022.

Will you share a bit about your youth. Both my husband and I grew up nearby so we were very familiar with Cranford. As a child I loved spending all my time outside – the 1970’s in the Burbs! My mother Michelen had a garden that bordered our yard, and she filled it with vegetables and flowers. My mother learned much of what she knew about gardening from our older neighbor Mrs. Traut, who had a tidy bed of perennials in her yard. Mrs. Traut shared her plants with my mother (as a gardener always does), and ultimately some of them now live in my garden. My mother shared her plants with me when I moved in, amazing to think some are probably 80 years old? I think that part of my childhood and visiting my Gram Kate helping in her tiny rose patch probably created an interest I wouldn’t find till much later in life.

Tulips and Rananculus bouquet for Larger Cross

“I truly believe nature is the very best mood booster”
— Sandy Devaney

Sandy while I know you’re a gardener I’ve seen snippets of your home on Instagram and you have an eye my dear. You are so sweet to notice the very tiny “non-flowery” bits on my IG. I always say there are so many incredible and talented accounts in the Design/Decor lane–I will stick to the flowers! My mother loved antiques, decorating (which involved lots of wallpaper!), and really any and all things to “make a home”. I used to say she was ”Martha” before Martha...As a child I spent so many weekends at dusty flea markets staring table high at “old stuff" and watching my mom negotiate a deal. I remember telling her when I was teenager, “I will never have any antiques or wallpaper when I have a house someday” Famous. Last. Words. Which of course, cracks me up! I love all of it–and every time I visit my Mom I am always trying to get her to part with something.

Tell us where and what you went to school for and your career path. I graduated college with a degree in Elementary Education/Fine Arts. I realized I wanted to change my major as I enjoyed all of the classes in my Fine Arts minor far more than the Education classes. In my Junior year I was accepted to F.I.T. for Jewelry Design but ultimately did not pursue it. The reason I share this is because looking back, it’s so interesting to see the threads that ultimately reveal themselves far later on. After graduating I was an elementary teacher for a year then worked for Tommy Hilfiger for several more. After I had my son Jack, I made the choice to be at home and raise my boys.

Please share the garden journey of your home and business The Collected Garden. As a new mom with two very young children, I was looking for something that was just mine. I wanted something I could do after they went to bed, and give me a creative outlet. When we purchased our house it had no plantings of any kind. There were no foundation plantings, no flowers, no trees–just an overwhelming blank slate. I borrowed the neighbors roto-tiller and carved a bed on the edge of the front lawn. I wanted a pollinator garden so the boys Jack and Will could play in the flowers/dirt, and watch the birds and butterflies. Lots of plants and flowers died and just as many thrived. 23 years later, and that first garden bed is now filled with roses, perennials, annuals, and pollinator friendly plantings.

I named my business The Collected Garden for two reasons. The first because of what I have created here, several different gardens on a small suburban lot. I have a perennial garden, white garden, side hydrangea/shade garden, patio garden, and the cutting garden with Minnie the little greenhouse. The other reason it is called The Collected Garden is that much like a collected, layered interior over time, I believe that gardens have those same characteristics as well. A garden of any size is grown and layered through collected flowers & shared plants, garden statuary, lighting, a cozy dining area, and so much more. My favorite spot is our patio because it functions as an outdoor dining and living room in the warmer months. Morning coffee on the weekends and dinner outside a few nights a week. My husband Bob has a fire going most nights he is out there. We have just added an Ooni pizza oven so I’m really looking forward to pizza nights with friends this summer.

a Glimpse inside Mini

So what are you currently working on? I am excited for this upcoming season. Flower arranging workshops, small event work, and growing on additional space are all happening this year. I’m currently creating Friday Flower Bouquets for Dreyer Farms and Larger Cross. This is actually a lean time of year - flower wise - until the abundance of summer kicks in.

Dahlia, Nasturtiums, and more from last weekend sale at: Dreyer Farms and Larger Cross

I am also working on the website for The Collected Garden and hope to have it up by the fall. So I have a spot “for everything” that is not on IG, maybe a blog, and definitely a place for “mini pop-up” sales.

Sandy I’m super excited for your website and I’ve already signed up for your Postcard list. Yes, my newsletter is just a postcard. You know me, I keep it light and brief. Just a fun little note to pop in your email with a heads up on things, or just share some thing I think everyone might enjoy.

Readers can sign up by emailing you: thecollectedgarden@gmail.com

The Collected Garden May Postcard

I’m curious do you have a gardening philosophy? I do not have a specific gardening philosophy, but maybe more of a belief? I always say “I truly believe nature is the very best mood booster”... By that I simply mean bring a tiny bit of the outside in–and see how it changes your mood and makes you feel. Maybe everyone doesn’t want to garden, or feels intimidated “they’ll fail”--you can’t and you won’t, because that’s not what gardening is about. Take a clipping of a few herbs, or snip a stem of that hydrangea by your driveway, bring it in and enjoy it! When you make that connection and see how you feel, there’s a really good chance you just might plant something–and just like that, now you’re a Gardener!

Thank you so much for having me Meryl! It was so nice meeting you last year, and then finding your lovely account on IG. You are the sweetest and generously show your support to so many in the IG community.

Sandy you’re making me blush!!! I love your passion and the beauty you share in the world. Friends go find Sandy on Instagram and give her a follow. Her blooms are currently for sale at Dreyer Farms 831 Springfield Ave, Cranford NJ and Larger Cross 3 James Street Oldwick, NJ. Check websites for hours.

You might enjoy revisiting the post A Garden Tour - that’s how I met Sandy.

Images: Sandy Devaney & Me

Let's Meet Claire Tanner

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Claire Tanner

Hi friends I am super excited to share this month’s feature Claire Tanner. Claire is an artist and we met through Instagram. She creates the most amazing watercolor works of art.

Claire welcome to the Chalet let start with you introducing yourself to the readers.

Hi Meryl thank you for having me! My name is Claire Tanner and I am 43 Years old. I live in Sandy, UT with my husband Todd and our 3 daughters. Sophie(19), Eden (17) and Emi (12). We have a bernedoodle named Finn and he is my faithful sidekick.

 What can you share with us about growing up? I am the youngest of 3 children. I grew up in Calgary Alberta and much of my family still lives in Canada. I grew up playing and adventuring in the Rocky Mountains. I have always loved camping and backpacking and just being outside. My parents still live in Calgary and I don’t have the opportunity to see them super often. Calgary was a great place to grow up. The whole city shuts down for the Stampede for a whole week practically and there are pancake breakfasts every morning. What is better than that? 

A fun memory from childhood was every Christmas Eve my siblings and I would sleep in the same room. I loved it, it was probably my favorite thing about Christmas. My siblings would always make me, the youngest, tell them stories to fall asleep. They would name a topic and I would carry on with some elaborate story off the top of my head to tell them. It made me feel special and they loved it. This would usually go on for at least a couple hours.

Claire flanked by her sister Elizabeth and Brother Ian

Was art always a passion? I have always dabbled in art. As a child there was nothing more fun to me than coloring, drawing, painting etc.I feel like without knowing it I have always used art as an escape. I considered what I used to do as doodling, but they would turn out to be large elaborate designs that I would color. Art was always my favorite subject in school and often other kids would have me draw things for them. I really didn’t think of it as a talent back then.  As an adult and mother I lost that creative side of myself for a long time. I let so many other things define me and my time that I really forgot what other talents I may have to offer. I started doing small coloring projects for fun or for friends who were having babies. But years later after a lot of heartache and challenges, art became something that became a defining feature of who I am and want to be. Creating art has become necessary in my life for me to have balance and peace. It centers me and I am so grateful for it.

I understand art is your passion but, did you decorate your room growing up? Many times these disciplines cross over. Oddly enough my room was a place where I experimented and organized. I would say that I have never been good at decor or design but I have always really valued organization. I feel like I am in turmoil if my space is unclean. I would probably change that layout of my room every couple of months because it felt fresh and new. If I was rearranging furniture it was a good bet that I was feeling stressed. I love things to look pretty and match or not but I feel like I have never been very good at this particular skill. I feel like now I am learning to find my own style and have more opinions about what I do and don’t like.

Where and What you went to school for. Are you a trained artist? I am not trained as an artist. In fact I had a very difficult time calling myself an artist at all. I didn’t feel deserving of the title. But I have grown a lot and realized that I am not here to prove anything to anyone and if I have the courage to create, and share what I create with others I deserve to be called an artist. I was never very thrilled with school or how that whole system worked. I found it stifling actually. After High school I went to college and realized it wasn’t for me. So I quit and started working in a dental lab. I was able to work with my hands and be very active and busy and I was very happy. That Dr encouraged me to go to dental assisting training and so I did a trade program through the college. I loved every minute of the dental assisting program and worked as an assistant for years. I specialized in orthodontics and worked with some amazing people.

Bold and Iconic Watercolor Artist

Botanical

How did you decide on portraiture? Honestly I fell into it. A couple of years ago my children introduced me to watercolor. I have NEVER drawn people or even had much interest. But I was so enthralled with watercolor painting, literally hooked after the first time, that I decided to try a person. Christmas was coming up and I wanted to do something special for my parents. I decided to try and paint the famous author James Joyce. My dad is a huge fan and wrote his thesis on Joyce. So I just started and I loved what I did. For the first time. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed painting a person. Since that painting I haven’t stopped trying to do portraits and practicing different styles. I also like nature studies and animals. Finding my own groove and style has been fun. I already see a ton of growth since I started.

Tanner Family

I am happily married and have 3 girls as stated above. My husband and I love to adventure together. Whether that be hiking, running, camping, boating you name it. We love to get out and see the world. We now have a camper van and have basically planned our whole future around it.

Little Bird

Tell us why you decided to start Claire Tanner Art? For years my husband has encouraged me to spend more time in art. I have spent a lot of time on physical goals over the years. I finally ran several half marathons, a marathon, bike races, and was training pretty much every day. But my mind was very very tired. I have battled depression my whole life and the exercise stopped working. The last few years with a lot of therapy and medication I started to feel like myself again. I would never have allowed myself to even think about starting art, or dreaming to have a business. But as time progressed I met a friend who owns her own vintage art shop and she encouraged me to dream a little. Why not? Once that fire was lit I felt like I had a whole new sense of purpose. I knew that art was going to be pivotal in my life and that I needed to allow myself to find peace and joy in something.

Ann of Green Gables Home

You are gaining followers daily on Instagram - what has helped you with regards to growing your business and your social media presence. I have grown on social media but I have no idea what I am doing. The social media thing has definitely been the most challenging. Learning to engage with others and form meaningful relationships on social media has been important. Changing my  brand to my name was pivotal and it took time for me to have the confidence to make that change.

In a past life I was married and abused, belittled and mistreated. That experience changed who I was to the core and has left scars that are still very visible. I felt so exposed being online and was so use to hiding that all of this has been a process. I feel healthier now than I ever have as I challenged the voices in my head that said I am not good enough or worthy enough of happiness. Long story short, I'm not hiding anymore and I’m willing to be more vulnerable with people. Many kind people, like you, have given me the opportunity to share my work with them and have been very encouraging. I have gained followers on Instagram by wonderful accounts and friends sharing me and one large account the Artverse has been really supportive.

I have a shop on Etsy but I’m not selling that much yet. I have worked on a few a commissioned pieces - regardless of the sales I love every minute of having something that is my own to work on and grow. 

Wildflowers

Claire please share your work plans for the rest of 2023. I have an Etsy shop - Claire Tanner Art that I sell prints of my work from. I will be adding original paintings on that site in the near future and will continue to take commissions. I would love to work with more interior designers in creating unique works of art for people. I plan on applying to art shows and participating as much as I can in that community. I love that there are so many different styles and artists out there. People are so amazing and I’m excited to keep learning from others. My dream of all dreams is that someday I will be able to afford a Studio for myself to work in. That is the ultimate goal. Right now I work at a desk in my living room and I love it but it is limiting. I also want to try painting big original pieces this year and go out of my comfort zone with size. I really have a never ending list of what I want to do. But these are top of my list for 2023.

Abraham Lincoln

Claire the colors you use and the way you place them on the paper is brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. I am so excited by your beautiful creations and I can’t wait to see how high you soar my dear. I’m thrilled to own a piece of Claire Tanner Art here in the Chalet! Abraham Lincoln is a treasured addition to our collection!

You can find Claire on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram and email her: ClaireTannerArt@gmail.com

And Claire has graciously offered us a promo code CHALET20 for 20% off Etsy purchases through midnight May 6, 2023.

Til next time friends be well and I’ll see you over on Instagram.

All Images: Claire Tanner

Let's Meet Sadie Arnold

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Sadie Arnold

Friends this month I’m excited to introduce the wonderful creative Sadie Arnold to you all. Sadie is a designer specializing in scarves, jewelry and key-chains. I own several pieces Sadie has handmade and I have my heart bracelet on as I type this!

Hi Sadie well my dear you’re finally here… welcome to the Chalet! Hi Meryl thank you for this sweet opportunity.  I'm so grateful and excited to chat with you!

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Hi I’m Sadie Arnold I’ve been married for 20 years and I have two teen boys who happen to be (ballaholics) ha! and two rescue pups. I was born and raised through my early adolescents on the Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific North West and currently live in a suburb of Seattle. We spend a ton of time on baseball fields and basketball courts. Logging so many hours cheering all the live long days. I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love being a Mom, raising boys is crazy fun!

I see your family love of baseball can be found in some of your designs! Yes, I Iet myself be inspired by life! I’m very inspired by Nature, landscapes, the legacy for my kids.

So tell us about your youth. I’m the oldest of 3, my younger brother and I are exactly 10 years apart. I grew up in a very small town, Sequim, WA. My maternal grandparents owned and operated a 40 acre working dairy farm. Jakeaway Farm is still very much a part of our family. The original farmhouse, built in 1969 is a cozy slice of reprieve for our families, while operating as an AirBnB as well. Cattle still graze on the land and are raised for beef.

My mother has often said “I came out of the womb talking” - the other constant in my life is creating.

I was always crafting and creating from a very young age. I would create items tailored to my style. Anything from crafty home projects to clothing and accessories. A visionary need/want for myself or something I saw that I felt I could create for less and give my style a flare.

My earliest sewing memory was around 7 years old. I sewed a ‘dress’ for my 5 year old sister. My mom ‘may’ have fudged my age when registering me for local sewing classes when I was rather young.

Creating has always been my lane, I was the girl that much preferred to stay in at recess to color, create, etc. My affinity for Rainbow Brite was beyond as a child.

“Seattle Girl | Momma | Advocate”
— Sadie describing herself.

I love hearing about spaces inhabited by creatives in their childhoods. Well my bedroom had THE most magical rainbow wallpaper. I acquired quite the unicorn collection for several years, earning me 1st place at the Clallam County fair at 10 years old. Nevermind, I was likely the ONLY unicorn collection that year. ;)

Limited Edition GlassBead Collection

What did you study in school? I was all over the map. Fashion design, interior design, architecture and business. I always dreamed of attending FIDM, but that was never in the cards for me.

While still in college I was asked to help launch a tech startup in Seattle. Although hesitant at first I’m forever thankful I said yes to a highly successful company. Shortly after my time there, I joined another incredibly successful tech startup working remotely with two toddlers at home. After 6 years there, I was so grateful to be home full time caring for my two boys. I’m beyond thankful to care for my family, while creating with my small business. It still blows me away that I am able to create items with my two hands that people love to wear. Wild! I’m so grateful!

Sadie with her wonderful family

Tell us how Sosadie Designs started. I’ve always loved to create. It is a meaningful and needed outlet for me. Many may recall the Martha Stewart crafting days in the early 2000’s. Friends would often reference my creativity as “So Martha” and then it became that’s “So Sadie” thus sosadie designs was born. I regret not taking the opportunity to capitalize on the punny name ‘sewsadie designs’ though. How did I miss that!? Ha!

Like I said I was always sewing items for myself and I created an infinity leather enclosure scarf with the intent to create a chic scarf that didn’t require me to tuck it back into my coat or re-tie the knot when sledding with my kids or out and about. I wanted function and style and I loved the idea of using leather remnants, that would otherwise go to waste as the enclosure.

You could say my business was really self-evolving - it initially built from me creating items I really wanted to wear and accessories I felt represented me. Then my family and friends started asking if I would create scarves for them because they really loved them. I was of course happy to do so, I love creating and gifting unique items. I love using sustainable items and repurposing. 

Next came jewelry. I still had plenty of leather remnants leftover from the scarf enclosures and this was around the time I noticed HGTV and Interior Designer Joanna Gaines wearing leather earrings. I really loved the look and lightweight earrings are my jam. So it felt like a natural fit to create these pieces; first earrings and then it evolved into bracelets. Theses pieces feel both unique and organic which is definitely my style.

At first I was solely creating these pieces for personal use and gifts, along the way a dear friend wore one of my scarves into the salon she frequented. The salon owner loved the scarf and reached out to me asking if she could carry some of my creations in her salon. So in 2017 my business launched and my website was born.

Selling at the Bothell Main St. Outdoor market

This image is from an outdoor market I participated in a few years ago. I have been really lucky to live in a area that supports artisans.

How has Social Media assisted you with your business? Social Media has played a huge role, especially early on for small businesses. It may be an ever evolving race to keep up with their algorithms. Yet, it is still essentially a free marketing platform depending on how you choose to use it. I certainly don’t think my business would have grown as quickly as it has without social media.

What are your plans for the rest of 2023 for Sosadie Designs? I’m always seeking and building relationships with small boutiques. A dream would be to have my wares carried in small shops across the US.

I’m forever challenging myself to be ‘seen’ more on social media. I want to be relational driven with those I interact with on the platforms and not only driven my a business model.

Creating and gifting one of a kind handmade items gives me exceptional joy!

Sadie I own pieces you’ve created and I know the dedication you put into your work. The pieces are lovingly well-crafted. I especially love your support of others and I can’t close out this chat without mentioning that each month you give back through charitable giving. Thanks Meryl yes, it’s so important to me to give back. I am lucky I’m able to live the life I am as a woman, mother, creative and business owner. The Equal Justice Initiative is one charity that is really important to me and I’m grateful I can lend support.

Thanks so very much for taking the time to visit the Chalet Sadie!

Friends you can find Sadie on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and her Website.

Til next time be well!

All Images: Sadie Arnold