O Tannenbaum

This week I’m sharing Christmas Trees from 2019 I find quite lovely!

This is our 2019 tree, because of Covid and where our son is doing his classwork on the porch we couldn’t place the tree here this year. To see where she ended up - in all her maximalist splendor please pop over to my Instagram feed!

Hilary Prall

Charlotte M. Smith

Shawn & Kris

Jo Galbraith

There are just so many different color stories and bits and bobs friends but, just like everything else in the world of design - I find I love it all!

Colleen O’Neill

Ann Lindquist - both were too magical not to share!

Nicole Blackmon

Erica Swagler

Michele Stauts

Erin Francois

Til next time happy decorating and stay safe!

Images: Accounts Listed and Linked.

Thankful for the Written Word 2020

Its time for my annual book wrap-up covering titles from the last year - Be they hardcover or audio through Hoopla.

I touched on some books in my post: Latest Volumes Click Image for link.

You can see my reading taste is mixed.

• Jane and the Twelve days of Christmas - I loved this book about Jane Austen and her family during the holidays.

• *The Forgotten Garden - I have written before about my great affinity for the author Kate Morton. I love all her works.

• The Last Original Wife - This is a fun Dorothea Benton Frank tale of a woman who has had enough of her life and her husband.

• Carnegie’s Maid - This is a great piece of fiction introducing a possible relationship between a domestic and Andrew Carnegie.

• Pretty Much Screwed - Charlotte’s husband leaves her after twenty years and she must rebuild her life.

• The Gown - I enjoyed this story of the ladies who maid Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown - but, I thought the story could have gone farther.

• *The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock - In 1785, merchant Jonah Hancock hears urgent knocking on his door. One of his captains is waiting eagerly on the step. He has sold Jonah’s ship for what appears to be a mermaid - this is a wonderful tale - I thoroughly enjoyed!

Howards End is a favorite - I love tales about buildings. Click image for link.

• *Hillbilly Elegy - a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a look at the struggles of America’s white working class.

• Queen Victoria Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow - By looking at the detail of twenty-four days of her life, through diaries, letters and more, we see Victoria up close and personal.

• *The Dutch House - Another magnificent work by one of my favorite authors Ann Patchett. This book carries with it all the meaning of home and asks what does a building hold of a family when you don’t have either. This work was very meaningful for me.

• The Grace Kelly Dress - I really liked this book - more than The Gown. It centers on the tradition of passing down a wedding dress to your daughter and what if the daughter can’t tell that mother No thank you.

• *The Nightingale - A extraordinary tale of the french resistance during WWII. I could not put this book down! I have been searching for a book that would pull me in the same way - since I read it in May - A Single Thread almost did.

Three more amazing books. Click image for link.

• Negroland - Since the nineteenth century they have stood apart, these inhabitants of Negroland. A region of Negro America where residents were sheltered by privilege. I enjoyed learning more about this world.

• Dear Cary - I loved listening to Dyan Cannon relay her life and times with this icon of American Cinema.

• *Shakespeare - I listened to this while painting our kitchen. The author has pulled together all the facts well known or not about William Shakespeare.

• Folly Beach - Cate never thought she'd wind up in a cottage named the Porgy House living back near family but, thanks to her newly dead husband who left her homeless and broke she is and she’s also finding her way to a lovely new life.

• By Myself and Then Some - Lauren Bacall recants her life’s story.

• Whisper Network - Sloane, Artie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The death of the CEO means their boss Ames will take over the company - each women has a different relationship with him, he’s always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. I found the premise of the book timely, I did not respond to the waffling personalities depicted.

• *The Marble Faun is Grey Gardens - Jerry Torre’s touching memoir about his teenage days as caretaker of Grey Gardens, the mansion chronicled in the iconic documentary Grey Gardens and two feature-length films. The book is a behind-the-scenes look at “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” and their reclusive life of squalor in East Hampton and the family bond that developed between them. I enjoyed learning more about this incomparable pair from the remembrances of then teen Jerry.

This design book by my friend Paige Rien encourages everyone to incorporate their personality into their surroundings. Read my interview with Paige here.

• Goodbye Paris - Grace once a cello player - has a quiet life in a small village repairing string instruments. Paris is where she meets up regularly with her married boyfriend - when he saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, Grace’s life is changed forever - her friends a charming elderly violinist and her store clerk, a teenage girl help her move on - I liked this tale of rediscovering your true self.

• Inside Out - I listened to Demi Moore in her own voice tell the story of her life through Hoopla - I’ve seen the movies and the tabloid headlines over the years - but, I appreciated learning more about her.

• Jackie Kennedy Onassis - I enjoyed this history of the former first lady.

• Losing It - After the death of Eddie Van Halen I found myself reading and watching clips of he and his first wife Valerie Bertinelli - which led me to read this book. I found it inspiring how she gained a healthy perspective about her life and therefore her weight.

• *The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters - I’ve always been a fan of the former first lady … I own quite a few books about her. I also own the book Lee by her sister Lee Radziwill - it was great fun to see images I had never viewed before and to learn more about these sisters together and apart.

• *Paris Letters - Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. “How much money does it take to change your life?” Then she decided to make it happen. Over the next few months, with determination, she saved enough to buy a year in Europe. When she got there during her first stop in Paris she met a handsome butcher. It was refreshing to read a sweet book about someone making their dreams come true.

• *Getting the Pretty Back - Molly Ringwald shares her lifetime of experiences and offers candid great advice and some yummy recipes!

• *A Single Thread - In 1932 after the Great War took both her beloved brother and fiancé, Violet Speedwell has become a "surplus woman," one of a generation doomed to spinsterhood after the war killed so many young men. Violet moves from her mums home to Winchester, home to one of England's grandest cathedrals. There, Violet is drawn into a society of broderers--women who embroider kneelers for the Cathedral, carrying on a centuries-long tradition of bringing comfort to worshipers.

• *Miss Austen - England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles - the family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters.

• Searching for John Hughes - For all fans of John Hughes and his hit films such as National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, and Home Alone, comes Jason Diamond’s hilarious memoir of growing up obsessed with the filmmaker’s movies—that convinces Diamond he should write Hughes’ biography and travel to NYC on a quest that is as funny as it is hopeless.

I’m thrilled to welcome these fabulous volumes to the Chalet! Click images for link.

If you didn’t know what a crazy bibliophile I am - you do now. You’ll see I’ve read 13 books that are personal - I thoroughly enjoy learning more about these humans. I recommend all - the biographies, decor and novels but, any with an * are faves.

Previous years posts:

• Thankful for the Written Word 2017

• Thankful for the Written Word 2018

• Thankful for the Written Word 2019

Til next time friends wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving.

Celestial Stephanie

Stephanie Savage Flynn

Friends this week I feel extra joyful because I get to introduce everyone to my friend Stephanie Savage Flynn. We met through the wondrous world of Instagram. She really is celestial - she folds the most heavenly paper stars which I am fortunate to have in the Chalet. She also creates brilliant paper bows, does amazing needlework, is an avid cook - she is just crazy creative and intersperses beauty in all she does!

my very own Flynn Collection Stars on the Chalet Mantel

So Stephanie tell us about your family and growing up: “I was born and raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, ten miles west of Boston. I have a beloved older sister who is the ying to my yang. I met my husband here, and we are lucky enough to be raising our own family in this special town. I have two kids – a daughter 9 and son 7, both of whom are in elementary school. I spend the majority of my time volunteering with local community organizations and our schools. Life right now is crazy busy, but it is all good! Pre-COVID, we popped into Boston regularly for special meals, shopping trips, museum visits and Red Sox games. We are still Patriots fans despite Tom Brady and Gronk leaving us for Tampa.”

Stephanie’s grandmother Gloria stitched this needlepoint pillow

I know you are an avid stitcher please tell us more: “I love needlepoint! My maternal grandmother Gloria (from New Jersey!) taught me to stitch when I was a teenager. Prior to that, we were ALWAYS doing crafts when we got together. She taught me many things like how to sew, decoupage, garden, cook from scratch and polish tarnished silver. My grandmother was very creative, was meticulous in her craft form and had an exquisite eye.  Although she passed away 14 years ago, I still feel very connected to her, not just when I stitch but, whenever I am working on a creative project or searching for a treasure at a thrift store, something she also enjoyed doing.”

Painting by Anne Packard a well-known Provincetown, MA artist.

Stephanie created the adorable bracelet, clutch; as well as the personalized needlepoint placards on these bags shown in the home of her parents. She comes from a family of collectors - her mom Diane loves antiques and her father Robert a retired surgeon, is now an art historian and collector. Stephanie grew up attending antique shows and visiting many museums and art galleries with her parents.

“I have always loved nature and have been inspired by the natural world around me. As a child who spent summers on Cape Cod – I used to daydream about all the amazing things I could make from objects found by the sea: shells for necklaces, bouquets of foraged beach roses and wild heather, driftwood sculptures. I still love my time on the Cape, as I am endlessly inspired by the ocean. That is what I love - creating new things from what I find in nature. I can think about what I want to make and execute it. Its totally accessible. I also love cooking, canning, pickling and digging for clams. My Aunt Donna was a Home Economics teacher and now she brings these lessons to my daughter. The next generation is learning.”

her daughter and son

“A wonderful memory from childhood is about this chestnut tree I found. It was full of such beautiful shiny objects. Just like a kid finding a beautiful shell. I felt this way about these silly little chestnuts. I asked my dad to drill holes in them so I could make a necklace. I finally made my necklace. Recently I found a chestnut tree – they are smooth they are shiny they fit in the palm of your hand. I took my daughter to collect them. They do look like beads. I made my sweet husband drill them and now I have my new garland. I offer on my website. I love being creative with what we find in nature.”

“Its the idea of using found objects and turning them into something else.”

— Stephanie Savage Flynn

Flynn home mantel decor holiday 2019

Bows Stephanie created for the Wellesley Free Library Virtual Gala Gift Boxes.

Folding stars is just one of the ways Stephanie shares her creativity with those around her. She likes to fold paper into other shapes… like the bows she recently finished for the Wellesley Free Library. In addition, Stephanie assists her local Wellesley Hill Junior Women’s Club with various events including Wellesley Kitchen & Home Tour.

Can you tell the readers where you attended college and what you studied: “I went to school at Connecticut College, a small liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut (also by the ocean, no surprise there!). I was a Government (political science) major with a double minor in English and Religious studies. Perhaps the most impactful part of my college experience was studying abroad in Rome. My mother is of Italian descent, so I have always felt particularly connected to Italian culture. I LOVED my time in Italy – not just studying, but eating, drinking, walking, and exploring Europe.”

Stephanie oh my goodness you must tell us how you ended up with a personally autographed picture of Julia Child: “A neighborhood friend was attending a cooking trade-show in Cambridge, MA, I was about 9yrs old at the time - all I knew was there would be samples and Julia Child was to be there and I had the brochure from the trade-show and she signed it for me… for years it was just tacked up but, my husband had it framed for me. When I met her she was Julia Child – she was not an Icon that she is now, she was the first person who did cooking on Television.”

Stephanie found this Gucci dust bag at her local swap shop and hand stitched it to a denim jacket.

Your original IG handle was Wellesley Picker: “I love treasure hunting! During non-COVID times, our town has a “swap shop” area at our dump. It is a fun place to stop – I have found Tiffany crystal there, a beautiful rattan settee, sterling silver frames, to name a few. You never know what you might discover, which is part of the fun! I also like to visit thrift stores, antique malls and of course, estate sales, all for the thrill of finding a treasure or something that can be beautifully rehabbed. Aside from the fact that older pieces tend to be better made, I love purchasing or finding something with history. I enjoy making my home unique and finding special gifts for friends. There is an environmental component to my madness too. Buying vintage or secondhand is the ultimate form of recycling!”

Can you share with the readers why you decided to start your business: “I am JUST starting my business! I’ve mentioned our “swap shop”- last year I stumbled upon some beautiful Thibaut wallpaper samples there. I took them home because I knew I just had to have them. The only snag in that venture was what to do with random wallpaper scraps. They sat in my craft closet for quite some time, until my daughter was home sick from school. We are digging through my supplies to help pass the day at home, and I was reminded of my beautiful find. I took them out again and was inspired to start folding stars.” 

December 9, 20219 Stephanie shared this image on Instagram. I left the comment: How do we get one?

To my delight, friends and followers on Instagram including you loved my stars Friends even “donated” scraps of their own designer wallpaper for my use. I quickly folded what I had and sold out almost immediately. This year, I planned ahead and started folding as soon as the world shutdown in March. I am very grateful to my friends who shared their leftover paper with me. I have a small inventory stashed for a holiday sale and even have a wholesale order!”

Congratulations on your site and the wholesale client - can you tell us who: “It’s with Dina Holland Interiors for her Honey & Fitz Collection. Last year during the Wellesley Kitchen & Home Tour we met. I created Sets of 3 Stars from wallpaper curated by Dina Holland. I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”

holiday 2020 Flynn Collection

What are your goals for 2021: “My goals for 2021 are to stay healthy and happy. Happiness for me is first and foremost, spending time with family (I hope to see more extended family in 2021!).  Nevertheless, I also cannot wait to get back to traveling and exploring more freely. If the world continues to battle COVID, I will be grateful to have more time to be creative and nest at home.”

Stephanie thank you so very much for sharing your creative beauty with us! You can find Stephanie on her Site and Instagram.

Til next time friends stay safe and wear a mask!

Images: Stephanie Savage Flynn