June 21, 2023

Let's Meet Kim Jenkins

June 21, 2023/ Meryl

I’m thrilled to share this month’s feature my friend Kim Jenkins with you.

Kim welcome to the Chalet please introduce yourself - Hi Meryl - Happy to be here - Hi everyone I’m Kim. I have been married to my husband Tom for 34 years. We have four children, Blake 34, Lindsay 32, Carter 28 and Olivia 24. We have six grandchildren, Easton 10, Reagan 8, Wyatt 8, Kinsley 5, Willa 4, and Camden 3.

Kim can you tell us a bit about your growing up years? I was born in Edina Minnesota and moved to Wisconsin when I was 12. My parents divorced when I was 7 and I have a brother Chris he’s 2 years younger than me. My favorite childhood memories are of spending summers with my Grandparents Bob and Jean Vaughan on their farm in Prior Lake, Minnesota. It was a magical time.

Your followers on Instagram, customers at Lulu and Olive Vintage located in Roost Mercantile in Pewaukee, WI or your on-line Lulu and Olive Vintage shop know you’re passionate about Mid-Century furnishings. Can you share what draws you to vintage items and specifically Mid-Century? I was married young and my love a vintage started out of necessity really, raising four kids on a tight budget and wanting my home to be pretty and welcoming. I would find pieces that I could paint or up-cycle. I was more of a shabby chic girl at that time. So my love for mid-century has been a process that started probably 10 years ago. I just love the bold colors of mid century design, the clean lines, the pottery and the glass items! You just cannot find that same quality and beauty these days. And if you can find these pieces at thrift stores or estate sales you can have fabulous design on a shoestring budget too!

Did you thrift growing up? I did not grow up thrifting or rummaging. My love for that didn’t really start until I was married and had kids. And even then it was not at the same scale as the thrifing I do now.

Kim you’re on the hunt not only for yourself now but, to fill a need for your customers as well. I love when you share a thrift haul in your Instagram stories. Yes, Meryl you’re right - I am constantly looking at what my customers are buying from the shops and seeing how to find more of the same. Nothing better than knowing a specific item will go to a great home!

Kim happily in her shop space at Roost Mercantile

I ask every interview regardless if they are an Interior Designer or not - Did you decorate your bedroom while growing up? Oh yes I did!! I can remember going to target and buying accessories for my bedroom and rearranging my room, picking out paint colors!

Kim’s Livingroom including the Stencil she hand-painted

Where and What you went to school for. What was your day gig before you became a vintage shop owner? I went to a technical school for nursing right out of high school. I got close to finishing the program but, I ended up quitting. I had gotten engaged and couldn’t think of anything but getting married at the time. Before we had kids I worked at a daycare and then once I started having babies I pretty much stayed home with them. After a few years I did start working as a nursing assistant second shift at a local hospital. I’ve always loved helping people! After working in the hospital I also worked in my kids school for a bit during lunches and as an aid to a special needs student. I never had a full-time job and I’m so thankful I was able to be a stay at home mom. And up until very recently I was watching my grandkids too.

When did you decide to start Lulu and Olive Vintage? I’ve always loved the creative process whether it was creating art, painting furniture etc. My business started 15 years ago. My girlfriend Penny and I started selling vintage finds periodically in a space on her property called the Cottage. After a few years of doing that we found a brick and mortar store and we went in business together as Twirly Birds. We were in business together for 8 years then life started getting crazy with kids getting married and grandkids coming along. We decided to dissolve our partnership but, remain dear friends to this day!

That’s when Lulu and Olive Vintage was born. Lulu and Olive is named after my two daughters Lindsay and Olivia. We would call Lindsay - Lindsay Lou and shortened Olivia to Olive. As you mentioned I currently sell at Roost Mercantile in Pewaukee WI. I have a ton of fun keeping the shop stocked with curated vintage goods! I also sell on-line through Chairish.

How long you’ve been in your home and do you have a list of projects you’ve tackled? We have lived in our house 30 years this summer, and basically have touched every surface, from flooring to knocking down walls, painting, windows, bath remodels, roofing, siding, landscaping etc.

Wow Kim I hear you…. I love knowing you and Tom have stayed and made the house your own over all these years. What would you say out of all the projects you’ve done is your favorite? I think my favorite project is my bathroom. My brother Chris Vaughan is a general contractor - how lucky am I?- and he has helped us so much. We’re currently in the middle of redoing our kitchen - so that may very well be my next new favorite when we’re all done!

A little peek at some shelves in Kim’s kitchen!

Can you talk a bit about your decorating process. What is your design philosophy. My process usually starts with some sort of inspiration, whether it’s a piece of art or fabric. I usually pull colors from those pieces and work my way from there. I also love to collect pieces that I want for a particular room whether it’s pillows, art, accessories etc., and when I feel like I have a good collection, I start the decorating process. So for example I’m redoing my daughters bedroom it’s becoming a guest room. I have already collected art, a rug, a mid century side table, campaign chest and a vintage gold chippy mirror. So now I feel I have everything I need to execute my design plan. I’d say my philosophy is that I always work to strike a nice balance between vintage and modern.

A few moments and spaces in Kim’s home including - the campaign chest she painted pink, some of her mid-century collectibles and a bedroom gallery wall.

The swan wallpaper and geometric design runner say High Style

How has Social Media specifically IG impacted your brand? I really have enjoyed this platform! I’m growing slowly and that’s ok with me. I have met some lovely people, a few in real life and more that I would love to meet in person! I draw a lot of inspiration from so many friends on here! As far as my business is concerned, it has definitely helped with sales, and even just getting eyes on my new shop space.

Kim I can’t say Thank You enough for saying yes when I asked if I could interview you my dear! Before we close let me ask you… What’s your To Do list for the rest of 2023. At home I’m hoping to wrap up my kitchen reno. I’m on the hunt for the perfect tile backsplash and flooring. And the guest room redo. For the shop I’m thinking about beefing up my on-line presence but, my first love is really brick and mortar - I recently moved my locations and now have 2 locations in Roost and they are doing really great. Actually there was a news story last week about the Lynndale Farm Shops and it took place in my space.

Friends here’s the link for the news story Kim just mentioned. You can find Kim on Instagram and Lulu and Olive Vintage on Charish. Give her a follow on both!

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram!

Images: Kim Jenkins

May 24, 2023

Let's Meet Sandy Devaney

May 24, 2023/ Meryl

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.

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.

Tutorial

Mapping the Garden

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

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

April 26, 2023

Let's Meet Claire Tanner

April 26, 2023/ Meryl

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.

David Bowie

Vincent van Gogh

Queen Elizabeth II

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cow

Blueberries

Winter Buds

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.

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.

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.