A Weekend Away

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Recently I visited Washington, D.C. with my sister for a family celebration. We managed to sneak in a bit of time to tour the National Gallery of Art and Mount Vernon.

We only had an hour at the National Gallery of Art. We chose to visit the West Building. We quickly made our way through an incredible collection of Furniture to the Impressionists, then we viewed the Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de' Benci and finished with the Dutch Masters. Both the art and the buildings architecture were equally enjoyable.

Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de' Benci

van Gogh - Green Wheat Fields, Auvers

Sunday we headed out of DC to Mount Vernon.

I hadn’t been to Mount Vernon since I was quite little maybe 5 years old. I was super excited!

When we purchased our tickets we picked the timed option for the Mansion Tour. I would suggest allowing at minimum 20 mins at the Ford Orientation Center prior to your tour time to get acclimated, look around and make sure staff reviews your ticket. We paid for Guidebooks we didn’t receive. Then we made the 10 min walk to the Mansion entrance line. We didn’t understand we would not be reentering this building. After your tour you are led to the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center - which you should allow time to visit. Our schedule was getting tight once we were done touring the grounds and we quickly made our way to the Food Court and Shops before heading home.

We were on property for 3 hours but, easily could have been for 4 or more.

Mount Vernon West Front

A Brief History

1674: The property was granted to George Washington's great-grandfather, John Washington, by King Charles II of England. John Washington and his friend Nicholas Spencer were awarded a 5,000-acre land consisting of the peninsula in the Potomac River, bordered by Dogue Run and Little Hunting Creek. The land would be divided equally between Washington and Spencer, but the entirety of the land would one day become Mount Vernon.

1698: Tenants living at what was then Little Hunting Creek Plantation.

1726: George’s father Augustine Washington acquires the property from his sister.

1734: Augustine Washington resides at Hunting Creek Plantation with his second wife Mary and children including George. The home is a story and a 1/2 in height with 4 rooms of equal size off of a central hall. This is still the center-most part of Mount Vernon.

1754: George leases Mount Vernon from his half-brother Lawrence’s widow. The structure was continually modified and added to until 1787.

The Expansion

Seating on the Piazza

Mount Vernon website has amazing images and a virtual tour.

Mount Version MANSION mini map

Interior 1st floor Model

Interior 2nd Floor Model

The New room is currently closed to visitors for preservation work. The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.

The New room is closed. this image is from their website.

Front Parlor

Green paint was very expensive and was made with copper. This let guests know you are very wealthy. Notice the woodwork is painted as well.

We were told the fact that George and Martha always had visitors and had not eaten dinner by themselves for 20yrs.

Dining Room

Study

We learned the meal schedule at Mount Vernon: Breakfast at 7am, Formal Dinner at 3pm and Tea at 6:30pm and often times tea was taken in the bedroom. This is why we see dining chairs in the sleeping chambers.

Blue Room

Chintz Room

George WAshington’s Bedroom

Garret Bedchamber on the 3rd Floor Where Martha moved after George’s death

East Exterior Piazza

Stable and other buildings

view of the Potomac River

Washington’s Tomb

Slave Quarters

The Greenhouse

So many blooms; the Irises, Peonies and Snapdragons were beautiful.

The Upper Gardens

The Shops at Mount Vernon had a variety of wonderful treasures.

Both my sister and I came home from the weekend with a post card of the van Gogh painting Green Wheat Fields, Auvers and a copy of the Guide Book. The snafu of our buying them twice has been rectified. This little book packs a ton of details and I highly recommend. You can also purchase on-line.

If you have a trip planned to the area I highly recommend visiting both. Til next time friends be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram!

Big Green Barn Visit (April 2024)

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The Original Big Green Barn

Hi Friends - I love nothing more than sharing where I’ve been especially if I’ve been thrifting! On Friday April 19th I made my way to the Big Green Barn and she did not disappoint - so many wonderful curated treasures. I came home with a few new bits for the Chalet.

HARDING TOWNSHIP STORE

If you’re within the Morristown, NJ area give Susan Brierly Bush a follow and DM her for an Invite to her next sale on May 17, 18 & 19.

You can also visit her at her amazing shop in Harding Township BIG GREEN BARN.

I really love this lamp and thought long and hard about where it might live in the Chalet. And these plates were beautiful!

Susan curates the best items.

Amazing pieces that run the gamut of styles.

These wall pockets are brilliant!

I always find these child sized chairs so sweet!

With Susan

I brought home a little plate and ginger jar - both happily ensconced on the Sunporch! I am always excited to visit the Barn and can’t wait to again soon!

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

Let's Meet Amber Clark

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AMBER CLARK

This week I’m thrilled to introduce my friend Amber Clark she’s a Hospitality Specialist. Her focus is Connection Over Impression.

Amber Welcome to the Chalet! Thank you so much for your time. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Hi Meryl - I’ve been married for 31 years to my High School sweetheart Tom and we are parents to three sons Graeme (Graham), Gavin and Ian. We’ve had our Springer Spaniel Lucy for two years.

We live in Holland, MI. I attended a small liberal arts college, Hope College, here in Holland.

Your town is such a special place. Yes, Holland, MI is indeed a special place! It, and the surrounding areas, were founded by Dutch settlers who came over in 1847. They were seeking better economic opportunities and religious freedom. The Dutch are known for their exemplary work ethic. There are many family-owned businesses in the area. Although we are not Dutch, we appreciate that ethic and launched our own deck building business in 2020.

There are Dutch-themed attractions in the area, including the De Zwaan Windmill that came from the Netherlands and is the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the U.S. Every May is the Tulip Time Festival, named the best Tulip festival in the U.S. There are events, parades and millions of tulips on display. Downtown Holland is our favorite. The main street has charming restaurants and shops. We do a lot of downtown date nights. Things are clean, beautiful, and safe. We love our downtown!

The Clark Family

Will you share a bit about your family and growing up. I grew up in a small town in mid-Michigan. We lived in Dayton, Ohio when I was very young but it was becoming a dangerous place so my parents moved us to the small college town of Alma, MI. I grew up playing beneath a huge willow tree in our backyard. My mom Mary was intentional about creating traditions in our home, like waffles and bacon on Saturday mornings. February picnic on the living floor in the middle of wintry February with grilled hamburgers and brownies.  I didn’t have the benefit of growing up with extended family around me but our small church became like family. My Sunday School teacher Mrs. Mayes would take me out to lunch when I was a teenager. She always dressed to the nines when we went out. Another took me out after a high school break up with a boy. These women were intelligent and gracious. They were replacement grandmothers in a lot of ways for me.

First Instagram Post 2016

You started your Instagram account in 2016 with the above image. You have an entrepreneurial as well as educational spirit - am I correct did you once operate a tea room? It was always my dream to operate a tea room, but the timing never lined up. I have had a cottage scone baking business and catered smaller tea events for bridal/baby showers. I began collecting china with the idea of wedding rentals but there were downsides to that and the needs of my family at the time. It’s been a process but I’m finally at a place where I believe teaching hospitality is the best combination of my love for hosting and writing. My plan is to write a book on real hospitality to encourage women in our every day walk of life. 

Oh Amber how wonderful! I want a copy of your Book when it’s published!

Some of Amber’s Collection

You have a terrific collection of China. Have you always collected it? When did you start. I began collecting teapots and cups/saucers many years ago when I was first married. I’m a huge Anglophile. That collection has grown over the years. As mentioned before, I collected more actively when I considered starting a rental business. I sold much of that off. Now, I have a beautiful Spode collection because a friend gifted me her mother’s collection in 2020.

I think you also taught baking classes. I did! I opened my home for scone baking classes in December 2019. It was a hit. Then 2020 came and everything shut down. I just felt afterwards that wasn’t where I wanted to invest my time. Again, publishing seems to make more sense to me in terms of reaching a larger audience.

You seem to be a shining example of welcome but, how did the idea of Hospitality take hold? My personality in general bends towards encouragement and gathering people together. Our family regularly had people over for dinner. My parents made room for others in our home. I’ve always loved parties, coffees with friends, etc. In 2020 especially the desire to talk about hospitality grew as we were all separated. We saw what an emotional and mental toll that took. The other thing was that I noticed many young moms complained of feeling alone. They thought they were connected through social media but we know it’s not the same. People aren’t being taught how to host others in their homes and social media/television makes it look like you have to own a big home and live a perfect life to offer hospitality. People are starving for connection. I believe part of my role in this life is to teach and encourage people to reconnect through hospitality.

Do you have a signature go-to entertaining meal? I absolutely love brunch! It’s so easy and everyone loves it. When serving our boys and their friends, I love doing soups and pasta. I also love to make a simple cream tea (scones and tea) for friends from time to time. 

This Post on Instagram has been liked by 14,700 People. showing People want connection.

You are a contributing columnist at Homemade Homesteading Magazine - how did this opportunity present itself to you? Jenna Smith (The Teacup Homestead), publisher of Homemade Homesteading, reached out last year to invite me to write for the magazine. This was after I really committed to defining my message on Instagram and took growing my account more seriously. 

I also write regularly about hospitality for a monthly publication available only to our local community called Lakeshore Living and I’ve been published in Healing Homes Magazine Article “Tea Time With Littles”

I’ve always been a writer - I received a B.A. in Communications and Minor in English-Writing from Hope College. My first job was writing copy for a small travel trade publication. I eventually became editor and did some traveling for the company. After starting our family, I still wrote for the company part-time. I also did some freelance writing. During my boys’ elementary years, I worked in our middle school library. It was one of my most favorite jobs – introducing kids to reading!

Why did you start your website A Cordial Home? Partly to feature more of my writing as well as grow awareness of how necessary hospitality is in our lives. 

Amber there are several articles on your website I’ve enjoyed but, this one is so impactful!

How has Social Media impacted your brand? When I really sat down in January 2023 and decided on my message of hospitality, followed some good marketing accounts, and started posting regularly, Instagram not only grew my following but gave me a place to practice and hone my message. It’s really neat when people share and adopt your mottos like, Connection Over Impression. Or message you about how they’re offering hospitality in their homes. I try to remember, there are real people on the other side of accounts I’m interacting with. I’ve also met so many wonderful people on Instagram. I think of everyone like a “pen pal.” 

Recently you started a few new things on Instagram. The first is a Subscription feature - offering subscribers giveaways, wedding season sneak peaks, party planning and behind the scenes access. How has this been working out? I am enjoying sharing more details about our families upcoming wedding and more of my china collection and my storage, etc. and parts of my house that I wouldn’t normally share to the broader audience. I am learning as I go some, but I do enjoy it. The subscription is $4.99 per month but I also offer a discounted rate (half off) every couple months or so that remains the same for the life of the subscription :) 

The second is a Series the Hospitality Conundrum. Can you tell us more about it. Yes, I often receive private messages from followers wanting my thoughts about a challenging hospitality issue and I thought with permission - that this might provide help for more than just the person asking the question.

So I share the Conundrum with my whole audience asking ‘What Would You Do In This Situation’ and they weigh in and share their experiences, collective wisdom and I too share how I would handle it. I’ve really been enjoying learning more about how others react to situations.

Tea in the Garden

Will you share a recipe with us? Sure! Here’s my delicious Cream Scone recipe.

Cream Scones

Simple Cream Scones: Oven 425*

  • 2 cups flour

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • Whisk dry ingredients together

  • Add 1 ¼ cup heavy cream to dry ingredients and stir with fork until dough comes together. It will be sticky

  • Form a 2” round on prepared (sprayed with baking spray) baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar

  • Score into 8 pie-shaped pieces and pull pieces apart to bake 10-12 minutes

  Serve warm with jam and lemon curd

Plans for the rest of 2024. I’d like to do more public speaking on hospitality in the coming year. Begin work on a hospitality book proposal. Lots of celebration coming this year as we see our middle son married in September and most likely another wedding for our eldest son in 2025! God is good! 

Meryl Thanks for everything I appreciate your interest and support as always!

Amber how wonderful so much celebration and opportunities await you! Again many many thanks for stopping by the Chalet! Friends you can find Amber on Facebook, Instagram and A Cordial Home.

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

Images: Amber Clark