October 09, 2019

Autumnal Inspirations

October 09, 2019/ Meryl

So happy the weather is finally starting to feel like fall! I hope you enjoy these fitting images.

IMAGE: Francesco sALVAGGIO — IMAGE: **Francesco sALVAGGIO**

IMAGE: rALPH Lauren — IMAGE: **rALPH Lauren**

IMAGE: Ellen O Hubbard — IMAGE: **Ellen O Hubbard**

IMAGE: Pipkorn Kilpatrick — IMAGE: **Pipkorn Kilpatrick**

IMAGE: meryl Gallagher king — IMAGE: **meryl Gallagher king**

IMAGE: Rita Konig — IMAGE: **Rita Konig**

We’ve been placing Pumpkins in our window boxes for years but, now we have a touch of spooky on the Chalet too!

IMAGE: Michelle Catherine — IMAGE: **Michelle Catherine**

IMAGE: Chinese Laundry — IMAGE: **Chinese Laundry**

IMAGE: Taste Of Home — IMAGE: **Taste Of Home**

Til next time!

October 02, 2019

Chaletmomma Turns 2!

October 02, 2019/ Meryl

POP the Prosecco Friends!

I can’t believe year two is in the books! This past year has brought exciting growth. I’m thrilled with where the business is and I’m super stoked about where it’s headed!

When I started Chaletmomma I had an LLC and a dream! I knew I loved all of the following: chatting, my home, design and styling. I’m proud to say this is my 103rd post. This space has always been a little bit about me, a little bit about design with whatever strikes my fancy thrown in for good measure! I was pleased to write about my favorite books and have friends share theirs - now, there’s a permanent link to this article in my sidebar under my Current Read section. I love learning about people and sharing this knowledge with you my readers. - so it was a natural progression to incorporate interviews into the mix. I’ve published six:

I redesigned my logos in 2019 I think Navy with Gold is so very me… it’s basic like a favorite navy tee topped off with a great necklace - everything needs a little touch of something!

This year we got real business cards…. I love ‘em and since I love notebooks…we have those too! Now, I’m always thinking about where else the Logo would look brilliant!

The reason for the cards…for a tool kit, for proposals and invoices - CLIENTS! I have had the best time realizing this dream of helping people feel better about their spaces both living and virtual ones - I’ve assisted clients with their websites as well as retail related queries.

I’ve always said that this space and Chaletmomma is about

Design Blog Brand.

The one aspect of Chaletmomma that continues to blow my mind is the connections… the wonderful friends I’ve made through social media - specifically Instagram. The growth of my brand has been helped exponentially by Instagram but, it’s not about followers for me. Its about connections. It’s about inspiration. I am beyond exited about the creatives I am fortunate enough to “meet”. They are friends be they someone who lovingly comments on my posts daily or simply likes a comment I leave for them. I have found designers and bloggers to follow and in turn collaborate with.

The friendship game is strong on the Gram and I’m a huge fan.

My top three images in 2019.

Thank you to my friends both in and out of design for having their businesses associated with Chaletmomma! Thank you to my advertisers! Thanks to my family. A humongous debt of gratitude to you my readers. I thank you all for being part of the Chaletmomma Family!

Til next time! xoxo

September 25, 2019

Always Art

September 25, 2019/ Meryl

Since the Chalet is chockablock full of Art I am often asked for my sources. Now, I won’t go piece by piece through all the rooms… because that is way more than a single post that’s a book unto itself my friends - but, I thought I would pick a few spaces around the Chalet and share where I found them.

The hallway has been curated in various ways. Through thrifting - the Steamship, The Arc de Triomphe, The Chalets and more. I purchased through Retailers - Painting of Camille Monet La Japonaise. The photograph of Central Park was bought on the street in NYC. I’ve been fortunate to acquire works directly from the Artists - Bright Floral by Renee Gibson, Pink Flowers by Anna Nord, Sunset Fog by Leigh Viner. I’ve received delightful gifts - the Bermuda watercolor, the Chalet drawing, the Kings Highway Label a beautiful Irish landscape. And there’s more…pieces I photographed/printed and framed, pieces that belonged to my mother, a photograph of my husbands ancestors farm, a piece my son created.

The Art in the Master is a mix - The Eiffel Tower is by Leigh Viner, The Paris Map a gift, I purchased the wonderful pink Cherry Blossom Grove during a local Art Festival. The bird is one of two paintings that belonged to my Aunt. The small drawing at top right is a post card of a James Abbott McNeill Whistler work The Little Mast I picked up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The other Paris scenes were thrifted in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

This grouping in my sons room is from two places: Society 6 and my brain. Lego Batman and the Dinosaur were brought through the on-line retailer. The clipper ship is a photograph I snapped on my iPhone while shopping - it is actually the carved top of a box. I liked it and since my son didn’t need a box - I turned it into wall art.

The Portrait gallery started with Rembrandt’s painting The Man with the Golden Helmet. It is a canvas my father received for opening a bank account in the 1960’s. It’s an honest to goodness painting my friends - a copy of a master. He has always hung in this spot in the Chalet but, once we painted the hall last spring I needed to decide what this wall would become. I am thrilled every time I walk by this group that includes family photographs, a print of the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, a modern print of George Washington, a print of an auburn haired young lady my Grandfather gave me and a print of the painting of newsboy Jimmy O’D from the Montclair Art Museum. Nothing here is thrifted.

In the Livingroom is where you’ll find one of my favorite pieces; a collage of blue on the mantel by artist Allison Ford.

You can also see the corner gallery reflected in the mirror. This gallery is made up of mostly thrifted items, I do have another piece in that mix by Leigh Viner a one-of-kind original painting of Hermes store front, the London scene of the Double-Decker bus was purchased on Art.com as was the Empire State Building print, there is a small piece of the York Cathedral Church I purchased through the Etsy site Milras and quite a few pieces were gifts.

The art at the top of the Diningroom wall is by artist Lisa Congdon Birch Forest No. 7. I purchased it years ago through 20x200 this incredible site has been offering affordable art directly from the artists who create it since 2007. Leigh Viner created these beautiful pink flowers and I love how they pop. I thrifted other works or created them myself. A snow scene was a gift from my Mother-In-Law. The Davos print from All Posters.com. My Uncle created the sketch of the tree top view from our neighbors home. Just out of view there is a lovely floral watercolor by artist Erisha - A Thing Created. I also own an amazing modern pointillism by my dear friend and talented artist Ekaterina Ermilkina.

Here’s a list of my thrifting haunts:

New Jersey:

Black Rose Antiques & Collectables - Phillipsburg Mall 1200 Rt 22 East Phillipsburg NJ 08865 - 908.859.6083

Cape May Antique Center - 1228 NJ-109 Cape May NJ 08204 - 609.898.4449

Days of Olde Antique Center - 110 S New York Road Galloway NJ 08205 - 609.652.7011

Hamburg Antique Center - 1 Main Street Hamburg NJ 07419 - 973.823.9700

Lafayette Mill Antique Center - 12 Morris Farm Road Lafayette Township NJ 07848 - 973.383.0065

The Antique Center of Red Bank - 2 locations: building II 195 West Front Street 732.842.3393 / building III 226 West Front Street Red Bank NJ 07701 - 732.842.4336

Tomato Factory Design and Antiques Center - 2 Somerset St Hopewell NJ 08525 - 609.466.9833

Scranberry Coop - 42 Main Street Andover NJ 07821 - 973.786.6414

Valley Vintage - 168 S Valley Road West Orange NJ 07052 - 973.323.1711

Pennsylvania:

the Olde Engine Works Marketplace - 62 N 3rd Street Stroudsburg PA 18360 - 570.421.4340

Pocono Peddlers Village Antique Mall - 246 Stadden Road Tannersville PA 18372 - 570.629.6366

New York :

Gristmill Antiques - 2250 NY-7 Troy NY 12180 - 518.663.5115

Pretty Funny Vintage - 80 S Broadway Tarrytown NY 10591 - 914.631.3368

Happy shopping and remember to #saynotoemptywalls !!!