inspired to create

Love is in the air ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Sugar hearts and Tea sachets

" ... Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay -

Love isn't love, 'til it's given away - " Oscar Hammerstein

This is one of my favorite quotes that really does ring true and in that spirit, I wanted to come up with two sweet gifts that are easy to make and give away to those you love this Valentine's Day.

The first "sweet" gift is the sugar hearts and tea sachets pictured above. You will love making these and the ingredients are few. How you package them is totally up to you.

How to:

Ingredients

Gather your ingredients. I am using Domino Organic Sugar because I like the color, the texture and the taste but you can use whatever you like or have on hand.

Water

You will need a few teaspoons of water to wet or dampen the sugar.

Dampened sugar

Stir in your teaspoons of water one at a time until your sugar begins to look like wet sand like above.

Rolled out sugar

Flatten or roll out your dampened sugar to about 1/8 of an inch thick. Pat it down.

Cut sugar hearts

Use a small heart shaped fondant or cookie cutter to cut out the heart shapes into the sugar. You will have to keep patting it down. Gently remove the heart shaped sugar from the cookie cutter.

Sugar hearts

Once all of your hearts have been cut out, let them sit out on the counter for at least an hour or as I did - overnight. The sugar will harden and will be ready for packaging.

Sugar and tea sachets ready for packaging

I put six sugar hearts in each tiny bag and stapled a little stamped card stock to the top of the bag for a finished look. (see the picture at top)

Harney and Son's Fine Teas

I happen to love Harney and Son's fine teas plus they have the most darling little "tag-a-long" tins for gift giving. Each tin contains 5 gorgeous tea bags in a silken tea sachet. So beautiful that you almost don't want to dip it in hot water! You can order these directly from Harney and Sons or they can be found in many places that sell fine teas.

Vanilla Sugar gift

My next little sweet gift is a small jar of vanilla sugar. It is so easy to make but it smells so divine and tastes so incredible that it shouldn't be this easy.

How to:

Gather ingredients

Gather your ingredients: Sugar (again, I like to use Domino Organic Sugar), Madagascar Vanilla Beans (From Trader Joe's) and a large jar to hold it all.

Sugar and Beans

Split the beans down the middle (the long way) and place 4 or 5 of the split beans into your canning jar. Scrape up any extra vanilla seeds into the jar (nothing goes to waste). Pour sugar into and around the vanilla beans and fill it to the rim. Close and secure jar and let it sit for a week or two. The longer it sits, the move the vanilla will perfume and permeate the sugar.

Decant sugar to smaller jars

Decant the sugar to smaller jars for gift giving. Add a piece of the vanilla beans to each of your smaller jars. Cut out a little tag and stamp it with a heart and tie on a little bit of twine and voila! A sweet gift.

This sugar is scrumptious when added to your oatmeal, a cup of coffee or tea, or for the top of a creme brulee.

Happy February!

See you soon,

Ellen

Hello 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:51:00 +0000

My version of Whistler's Mother

Happy New Year to everyone. Still no snow in the Northeast but we do have plenty of gloominess to remind us that we are indeed in the dark days of winter. I find that it is hard to find inspiration in the weeks that follow the sparkle and delight of the Christmas/holiday season. In a way, you have to actively search out things to bring you out of your creative slump and get yourself moving in the right direction. It just so happens, that I started to work on a new series that would feature women in art. Right now, I am just calling it my Hello Women series. I started with one of my favorites - my interpretation of James McNeill Whistler's, "Whistler's Mother. Like eating potato chips - you just can't stop at one ...

My version of Frida Kahlo

So I moved on to Frida. I had so much fun thinking about the artist and viewing her self-portraits. It was here when I thought that I would have each of my women say "hello"; plus I needed some fun cards to send to friends and family - just to say "hello". I always think that you need at least three of something to begin to call it a series - so I moved on to ...

My version of "Mona"

The Mona Lisa or at least, the way I view her in her simplest form. She looks thoughtful and at peace - I guess the way that I would like to be feeling. My wheels are turning and now I am thinking of expanding upon my women in art series. Maybe Vermeer's, "Girl with a Pearl" or Botticelli's, "Birth of Venus" will be what I tackle next. No matter what I pick - it's humbling when you really study these works and see the incredible genius behind each piece. I think it's time for a museum visit, a time to wander and explore.

My favorite museum is reopening, after extensive renovation, on January 18th. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston reopens it's doors next week. Inside, ISG's incredible collection of art still remains on display in her Venetian Palazzo as does her gorgeous courtyard garden. The renovation has given the museum a new music room, expanded cafe, greenhouse, and a place for new exhibitions.

The Gardner Museum is one of my favorite places to be inspired from the incredible artwork by the likes of Sargent, Whistler and Rembrandt to the ever-changing courtyard garden displays. Walking through the ISG is like walking through a palazzo in Venice. It is very reminiscent of my other all time favorite museum, The Sir John Soane Museum in London. Like Isabella Stewart Gardner, John Soane bequeathed his home to the city with the stipulation that the home/museum and it's collection was to be preserved exactly as it was left upon his death. I believe that I've read that ISG was inspired by Sir John Soane's home and decided to do the same upon her death.

If you haven't been to the Gardner Museum in Boston or the Soane Museum in London - you have to put it on your must visit list. I believe that the Gardner Museum is one of the most romantic museums of all time (take that Louvre!). It is a great date place but is an equally great place to go with friends. I'm heading there once it opens - first with some friends for lunch and then again in February with my hubby!

I think I'm now inspired ...

See you soon,

Ellen

Homemade holiday embellishments ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:04:00 +0000

gift tags by Nelley Kelley

... 'tis the season for trying your hand at some homemade gifts and embellishments. Each year I try to create all of my own gift tags, holiday cards and homemade gifts. There is a satisfying feeling knowing that you can craft many of the things that you see in the stores especially paper items like cards, tags and wrapping paper. It takes only a little time to gather your supplies and then you're off! I love it when friends and family look forward to the wrappings each year and then repurpose them as bookmarks, framed prints, trinkets or their own gift toppers - It becomes a little gift to me!

Holiday Gift Tags by Nelley Kelley

I've printed out holiday sayings on lovely water color paper. I've cut them out in a banner shape and then folded the top of the banner for a finished look. Next, I punched a hole in the top and finished it with a tiny red grommet. Lastly, string a little silver thread through the top and tie it on to your gift or slide it into a book gift as an added little something.

...more Nelley Kelley tags

Some of my tags are scaled down versions of my artwork. Here I've reduced the size of my art and printed it on fine art water color paper. Punch a hole in the top, add a grommet and thread with silver string. Think about taking your children's artwork and scanning it into your computer. Make all your holiday tags out of their artwork. People will be delighted.

Clay tags by Nelley Kelley

My clay tags are so simple but are probably the most beautiful little tags that I've made. These can adorn a special little package or can be given as ornaments. Either way - they will not be thrown out. I guarantee that they will be saved over the years. This is a wonderful project to do with your children and isn't limited to the holidays.

cookie cutters

Grab some of your cookie cutters. The size of the finished tag is totally up to you.

air drying clay

You want to use white air drying clay (not clay that has to be baked in an oven). Roll out your clay to about 1/8inch thickness.

clay cut outs

Cut out your clay in the shape you like. Use a tooth pick to put a hole at the top of your cut out so that you can string them up later. While the clay is still wet, you can press different objects in them or leave them as is.

printed clay tags

I stamped my clay tags with holiday words and tied on little bells to make them more festive.

clay button tag

Here I pressed a button into the clay for a sweet little gift tag. Your imagination is your only limit here so have fun. The clay needs to air dry for a day. I found that your tags will look best if you turn them over from time to time when they are drying. You can smooth out the edges with sandpaper but I kind of like the roughened edges because it seems more organic.

Chalkboard gift tags by Nelley Kelley

I used some chalkboard paint to dress up some balsam wood heart shapes that I had leftover from my ornament project. A quick slick of chalkboad paint, some wire and a little jingle bell and you've got a sweet little ornament, gift tag or place setting (thread a ribbon through and tie around a napkin and you've got a little take home gift for everyone).

Chalkboard hearts by Nelley Kelley

Jam Jar by Terrain at Styers

While I've got my chalkboard paint out I thought I would try my hand at dip-dying some inexpensive pottery. I'm using this jam jar that I bought at Terrain.com as my inspiration. It's lovely don't you think? I bet we can pull off something just like it at a fraction of the cost and it would be homemade.

Plain white milk bottle

Plain white jam jar

I had these inexpensive white porcelain pieces at home and thought we could turn these into something a bit more special. I filled a plastic paint bucket with chalkboard paint and then dipped the bottle and jam jar in half way. I held them over the bucket so the excess would drip off and then I turned them upside down on a piece of paper and let them dry.

my milk bottle chalkboard

My chalkboard jam jar

Look how great these turned out! I just love them. They are not perfect but that does't matter. The character comes from the little imperfections. Can't you see the milk bottle being put out with Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve? How about your homemade jam in the jam jar being served with some yummy toast on Christmas morning. Now these would be sweet little gifts to give.

Winter Wishes

I hope this inspires you to create some of your own little gifts. You don't have to be super artistic to create any of these things and you don't really need to go out and buy a lot of supplies - many of them you have right at home. Wishing you a happy December.

see you soon,

Ellen

twinkle, twinkle ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:37:00 +0000

... little star (and heart)

I was inspired by an ornament that I spied in a BHG magazine posting a while back and thought I would put my own creative spin on an ornament or two. I used some balsam wood hearts and stars and decoupaged them with pieces of vintage sheet music. German glitter glass creates a warm and shimmery outline to the ornaments. Lastly, each ornament is topped off with a vintage pearl button and a dangling chandelier crystal to catch the light of your Christmas tree.

Glitter Glass heart and star ornaments

I can't decide whether to hang them from the tree or tie them to packages as an added little something.

Nelley Kelley Ornaments

They look beautiful grouped together. The German glitter glass is exceptionally shiny and develops a lovely patina over time. (unlike glitter which dulls, true glitter glass tarnishes and takes on a worn vintage look).

ornament kits

I thought I would put together some ornament kits as hostess gifts this year. It was fun to be out on the hunt for papers, buttons and crystals to add to my kits. Everything you need to make an heirloom ornament is in the kit (except for the glue). For those who don't like to make - I've got completed ornaments to give in it's place.

Inside the tin

Half the fun for me is in the packaging ...

All the goods you need ...

Inside are the ingredients needed to make a star and a heart ornament. The only thing needed is glue to decoupage the paper on to the wooden cut-outs and for adhering the glitter glass to the sides. They are ever so easy to make and look absolutely beautiful when they catch the light. You could add beads or shimmery jewels instead of buttons or crystals and the shape is totally up to you. These would make beautiful Valentine's gifts as well.

Letter bundle by E. McHale

With Thanksgiving days away, I'm working fast on this year's holiday card. I've got a great family photo from our trip to NYC this past weekend and the card is in the works. Creating the annual Christmas card is one of my favorite holiday activities. Wrapping gifts comes in at a close second.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving,

see you soon,

Ellen

New Product Peek ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:41:00 +0000

Nelley Kelley holiday garland

I am happy to share with you a peek at a new little item I am working on for the upcoming holiday season.

vintage modern aprons by Nelley Kelley

These aren't your Grandma's aprons ... although they do have the vintage vibe going for them. They are a little more modern for us modern gals. A half apron that just brushes the knee in beautiful Belgian linen. Perfect for the stylish hostess who needs a casual cover for her fashionable frocks.

photos by Ellen McHale

The aprons are 20 inches from waist to knee and have a generous amount of twill tape to tie around your waist. I've included a cute little Nelley Kelley loop on the other side so you can hang your apron on the pantry door.

apron with text

This apron features old text printed on linen.

Nelley Kelley apron

Vintage mother of pearl buttons anchor each side of the apron strings. Just a pretty detail because I like pretty details!

apron

my mannequin all decked out in her finery

More to come as this elf gets busy in her workshop creating more special somethings for the holiday season. I just wanted to share what I am working on right now and get your feedback ...

Happy Thanksgiving garland

One more thing to share ... the above Happy Thanksgiving garland is a great little project to complete in record time. You need some metal tags from your office supply store, some twine, a little kitchen string and some stamps. I soaked my tags in some tea to "age" them but you can keep yours bright white if that's the way you roll. Stamp them with your message of choice and tie the tags onto your twine roping with kitchen string.

Right now my garland is adorning my mannequin awaiting it's Thanksgiving debut when it will be displayed on an antique cutting board. It looks ever so cute in person so come on over and take a peek.

Thanks for reading and see you soon,

Ellen

Water Jug Makeover ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:33:00 +0000

my galvanized tin water jug

Don't you just love a good find? I was rummaging through a bin over at the Cambridge Antique Market last week and came upon this vintage galvanized tin water jug. For some reason it just called to me. Maybe the under $25 price tag was doing all the calling. I thought it might make the perfect prop for my front porch but it needed a little makeover first.

naked tin in my studio

Here is the tin before I gave it a makeover. I used some painter's tape to mask off the areas that I wanted to keep paint free. My thinking was that a little bit of the zinc colored tin would look great peeking out from the new paint job. It also would keep the vintage vibe that it already had going for it.

all dressed up and ready to go!

I sprayed the tin with flat black enamel spray paint and then carefully peeled away the painter's tape to reveal the galvanized tin. I like it and think it's ready for it's close up ...

standing sentry with the gourds

mini makeover complete

I love the extra pop of black to finish off my montage to autumn on the porch.

Wilson Farm autumn display

Thought you would enjoy an Autumn view of Wilson Farm in Lexington. Such a great and inspiring pumpkin display - don't you think?

Enjoy your week and I'll see you soon,

Ellen

Black and White

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:38:00 +0000

all photography by Ellen McHale

Black and White photography can elevate the lowliest of objects to "artwork" status. If you are in the market for some original artwork for your home - why not grab your camera and take a hike? Did you know that you can set your digital camera to "black and white" before you point and shoot. By starting in a black and white mode, your camera will do all the work for you in terms of settings and light. If you choose to convert your color photos to black and white via your computer after your photo shoot - you won't always get the quality that you are hoping for. Take a few moments to get to know what your camera can do for you.

garden angel

portal to the heavens

Knowing that you are shooting in black and white kind of takes the pressure off of you. You don't have to worry so much about lighting and color. You can focus on the object or the shape and line that appeals to your sensibilities. I think it frees you up in terms of taking a good photograph. You are free to play.

Kenney Farm Wagon

It is surprising the types of things that look good in black and white. Rustic, beaten-up objects look divine in monochrome. Black and white focuses all the attention on form and shape.

crumbly wheel

"s" is for style

rings

When you set out to do a session in black and white you start to see things that your eyes were not open to before. You begin to look at things from another angle and see art.

tractor seat

tractor seat up close and personal

The tractor seat above would look beautiful blown up and mounted in an oversized matting with black frame. A collection of "farm" photos would look amazing grouped together on a wall. Think outside of the box and photograph the suggestion of the item and not the literal translation - this keeps things interesting for you and the viewer.

keeping predators at bay

chain link

a walk in the park

Be open to beauty no matter what form it takes. A length of chain is just as interesting as the more predictable scenic view of the bridge in the field.

beans - good for you!

farm stand

don't overlook signs as art

You can pretty much take your black and white photos in almost any kind of lighting. The shadow play is what makes the artwork pop.

tree roots

bench

iron gate

ironwork

All shape is good shape when it comes to creating visually interesting photographs. Get up close and personal when taking your photo - you will be happy that you did.

a wing and a prayer

bird on pole

a crisp Fall day

Maybe you will be inspired to try your hand at some black and white photography. Grab your camera and set it for black and white before you leave the house. Open your eyes to the extraordinary beauty that surrounds us in ordinary things. Get up close, change your view and snap away. You will be surprised at how beautiful your photos are. Blow them up, display them proudly and don't forget to sign the artist's name at the bottom.

(all photos by Ellen McHale)

see you next week,

Ellen

Terrarium DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:08:00 +0000

a simple terrarium

Terrariums are glass or transparent enclosures where plants or nature's beauty reside. They run the gamut from a simple topiary under glass to an entire miniature world existing in an elaborate container. The trend over the last few years has been a return to an appreciation for hand-crafted goods and repurposing items for home decor. The creation of a terrarium is particularly rewarding as we usher in the colder weather and put to bed our warm weather gardens.

Anything can be captured in a terrarium. Fond memories of a beach vacation can reside in a jar in the way of sand, sea glass and driftwood. Small clippings from a loved-one's garden can be nurtured in a protective enclosure while providing a little piece of beauty in a room. Your creativity can really let loose by planning out an elaborate miniature garden complete with pint-sized statuary among tiny hills.

Terrariums are relatively easy to make and even easier to care for. There are many choices of containers - that is up to you and what look you are striving for. Apothecary jars, deep glass bowls, aquariums, a cloche or bell jar or the Wardian case - the original terrarium container. The containers can be closed or open, that is completely up to you. An open case may need more care because there will be more evaporation of moisture compared to a closed case that captures the moisture and requires less watering.

Let me show you how easy it is to create a little nature under glass to get you through this winter ...

gather your ingredients

Pull together your ingredients just like when you are trying out a new recipe. I've got my container - A Wardian Case that I found on One Kings Lane and my plant material that I found over at Gerard's on Rt. 2 in Lincoln, MA.

more ingredients

You will also need some river rocks or pea gravel, horticultural charcoal or aquarium charcoal (to keep the smell out), soil and moss (here I have some irish moss).

plants

Don't forget the plants. You can find tiny plants, succulents and topiaries at many garden stores. You can also take your own clippings and try your hand at them.

gourds and pumpkins

My terrarium is going to start out with an Autumnal theme so I am using some mini-pumpkins to add some interest. You can add little toys and statuary to make sweet vignettes.

Instructions:

Add your layers in this order. First you want to line the bottom of your vessel with your pea gravel or rocks for drainage ( a good couple inches of pea gravel). Next you want to layer charcoal over the rocks to filter the water. You should use horticultural charcoal whenever you are planting anything that does not have drainage. You can add your soil next - make sure you have enough so that you can plant your plants. Pack it down so it is even and add more where necessary. Next you can use your moss. Some people use sphagnum moss under the soil to help with soil drift. I did not - I used the irish moss on top of my soil to add some visual interest. Lastly, start planting!

my terrarium planted up

I've added my plants, succulents, pumpkins and moss. Once you like the composition, you are good to go. Give it a light watering or misting and then close your terrarium and enjoy nature's beauty!

My completed Terrarium

Case closed! My terrarium is complete and you can see some condensation forming at the base of the container now that it is closed. You will want to monitor your terrarium whether or not your container is open or closed. Check to make sure the plants are thriving. Have you over-watered or under-watered? A light hand is best.

You don't have to plant up live plants in your terrarium. You can collect twigs and acorns on your Sunday Stroll and put them up in a glass jar. Your beach memories can live on in an apothecary jar on a shelf in your office. An exquisite mini orchid can live happily under a glass cloche on a cake stand. Even a mini topiary takes on artwork-status when displayed under a dome.

My beach Terrarium

Display your summer vacation in a jar. This is an apothecary jar that I bought at Ikea. It is sitting on an antique clay pot that I am using for a base.

gourd terrarium

Sometimes simple is best. Here, I've placed a tiny white pumpkin on a clay base and topped with a glass cloche. It is simply lovely.

display

Display is the thing! Have fun showcasing your terrariums - they are truly pieces of art.

table top terrarium

My new terrarium on display at home ... I kind of love it and I hope you did too!

I had a lot of fun shopping for my "ingredients" at Gerard's on Rt. 2 in Lincoln. For those of you who haven't slowed down enough to jump off of Rt. 2 and explore his shop - you really should. There is more to it than meets the eye. It is like a little piece of Europe (Belgium to be exact) fell from the sky and landed in the strange location of Rt. 2. What looks like a road side farm stand is actually a curiosity shop of the best kind. Antique garden statuary, obligatory plants, topiaries, green house, pies, fruit stand, jams, jellies and chocolates! Inside you will find a carefully curated collection of European antiques and vintage finds. I actually found one of my favorite purses there that receives more compliments than seems possible - considering I bought it at my roadside garden shop!

take a peek at a few pictures of Gerard's:

Gerard's (Panetta's was previous name)

Gorgeous Floral Creations

Seasonal Finds

Fruits, Jams and Pies

Shop for European Antiques Here!

Well, this was a long post but I hope you enjoyed. Let me know if you make your own terrarium. send me a picture and I'll post it to share.

See you next week,

Ellen

Before and After: A house gets a facelift

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:45:00 +0000

peek of my new window seat

I wanted to share with you our summer project now that I have downloaded about 3 months worth of photos from my digital camera. We knew we needed a portico for our "flat-faced" house after the never ending winter of last year. The relentless snow and ice made entering our home a mission impossible particularly on our front porch. The bricks were slick and the icicles threatened any and all who dared to enter. We needed to tackle this problem before another winter was upon us. It also gave us an excuse to give our house a little face-lift with some much needed architecture.

A portion of the house before

This is the best "before" picture I could come up with. Half the house is out of view on the left but you get the idea. It is a rambling mid-century multi-level with beautiful gardens in the back and a really lovely layout inside. The outside did not match the inside and this was the time to remedy that. We worked with our friend, Nile Ziemba, of Northriver Builders to develop a vision for the front of the house. He was able to pull together the three separate parts of our house and make them flow as one piece ( like they did inside our home). Of course our project grew from just a portico to "let's do the front of the house over" but that is what happens when you work with a design builder who has some pretty neat ideas.

our house after

Now you can see that the house flows from one end to another. He gave us architectural details that finally gave the house an identity. We removed the one car garage that was in the middle portion of the house and repurposed it as a much needed mudroom. We replaced the windows with larger ones and added more of our beloved window boxes to the house.

portico

As you can see, I did get my portico. I just love the chunky corbels and the curved eyebrow above the door. I can't say enough good things about the entire process, particularly about the lead carpenter, Andre Finn. His work and craftmanship was amazing, we were sad to see them finish the project.

Side view of house

Above the new bay window you might notice the exposed rafters and the trellis to the side. Next year, you'll see some climbing hydrangea making it's way up the walls. We did have to rethink some of our landscaping because once the beautiful corbels came into play, we didn't want to hide them with overly large bushes. Instead we went to lower profile shrubs in the front beds.

new walk way

As they say, "It takes a village" and it did in our case. Ben Gifford created our beautiful "old" rock wall and brick pathway leading to the mudroom. He was able to create a nice flow from the old brick stairs and patio to the new doors leading to the mudroom and back gardens. His rock wall sits in front of what used to be the third garage ( I believe it was original to the house before the add-ons).

another view

Added bonus

With the addition of new windows came the ability to create a window seat in my living room. It looks out onto my front gardens and has proved to be a comfortable spot for a cup of tea. I worked with Mary Bablitch from Phillips Design in Concord to design the window treatments and window seat cushion. I couldn't be happier.

front stoop

So glad to finally be able to share our summer project. It's almost complete - we need to finish the driveway and then it's a wrap. For now, I think I'll grab my art books, a cup of tea and sit in my sunny, comfortable window seat.

See you next week,

Ellen ~

Sunday Strolls ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:21:00 +0000

signs of autumn

It has been quite some time since my last post. I blame it all on the summer. Once upon a time, summer seemed endless but now it is action packed and frightfully quick. Most of our summer was spent doing renovations on the house - now that seemed endless! I'm pulling those photos together and will showcase those before and after pics next week. For now, I've got a fun new find (for me that is) that I want to share with you. It's a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. I stumbled across it by accident on the way to September's Brimfield Antique Market. Let me show you how that turned out ...

vintage duck making get away

It rained and it rained and it rained some more. We got there on Friday and the poor vendors had had it. Many of them spent the majority of the week under 8 inches of rainfall. Their stock was sunk in the mud and their spirits seemed that way too. This little antique duck pretty much said it all ... I've got to get out of here so might as well swim! The sun finally arrived on Friday (the same time we did - is it a coincidence?) and we did do a little shopping ...

Sweet little table

I found this sweet little table at the tent of Tula Antiques. We met the proprieter, Lisa Bobinski and spent some time chatting and checking out her fabulous finds ( there were many). She told me that she also sells her finds at the SoWa vintage market on Sundays and that we should make an afternoon of it one day. I was intrigued ... SoWa! you say? I need to know more but first I need to take this table home with me ...

my new table

Here it is happily at home in my living room!

SoWa Vintage Market Poster

I found out that the SoWa Vintage Market is THE place to be on a sunny Sunday morning or afternoon.

It is a super cool venue where you find an eclectic bunch from artists to gourmet food trucks and farmers to vintage furniture, decor and clothing vendors. It is crawling with hip people and their babies and pets. It is located in the South End of Boston between Albany Street and Harrison Avenue. They neighbor the Pine Street Inn if that helps to point you in the right direction. I have to say that it has been awhile since I've spent time in that area and was pleasantly shocked to see just how beautiful the buildings and surroundings have become. Boston has some pretty cool architecture and great old mill buildings. It is so nice to see these places put to great use.

ceiling of the parking garage - pretty cool isn't it?

Sowa Vintage Market

So off I went with my friends, Grace and Alice. The parking is easy and cheap and it is very easy to get to. We had an awesome afternoon and would recommend that you take a friend, your husband or wife and even your kids. There is something for everyone... food, art, antiques, people watching, farmer's market, small start up companies and even live music to accompany you. They are open only on Sundays from 10-4 and only until December 18th. I have it on good authority (Lisa from Tula Antiques) that the holiday market is fab!

at the Farmer's market

veggie stand

creative flower crates

honey jars

this way to the vintage market

Once you get through sampling all the delicious goodies on offer at the farmers market then you follow the signs in to the vintage market. Once you get there - it is an entirely different world filled with lovely artist studios, boutique shops, gourmet food trucks and the Vintage Market located in the brick mill building.

Tula Antiques at SoWa Vintage Market

Now we are back where we started at Tula Antiques but in SoWa and not Brimfield. Take a look at that interesting mirror - you may just see it hanging in my house! This is one of the first vendors you encounter when you walk into the building. It makes for a great start.

elegant painted tables

inside the vintage market

This picture is a bit blurred but only because it was a bee hive of activity with so many people on the move. It's organized chaos of the best kind. We are going back soon - well, very soon because we have to pick up those totally cute tables in the picture above. I hope you check it out - you won't be disappointed!

Our Concord Grapes

I couldn't resist showing off our first batch of Concord grapes. We planted our vines (thank you Ephraim Wales Bull) two years ago and this is our first season of honest to goodness fruit! We had more fun picking the grapes and eating them right off the vine.

Next week, I will show you some pretty great before and after pictures of our summer project here in Concord. Until then - have a great week!

Ellen

Birds of a Feather ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Egret by Ellen McHale

Birds - I love them and I don't love them. I love to hear their song and watch them frolic in our fountain in the garden. The bird feeder is always full thanks to my husband. I think the cardinals actually talk to him and tell him when the food needs to be replenished. As a show of thanks, they hang around the garden and build their nests and treat us to a colorful show of reds, yellows, blues and greens. They bring the delight into our garden.

I'm also afraid of birds. It began when I first watched Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds - that did me in. I think I was 4 or 5 years old and my brothers were watching The Birds on our little black and white televison set. I wanted to be with my brothers so I decided to be brave and watch - just so I could hang out with them. Unfortunately for me, they moved on to better things and left me sitting on the couch alone. My mother found me. Since then, I'm afraid of birds.

I am also inspired by their beauty and have tried my best to capture their serenity in my artwork. I thought I would show you a few of my favorite pieces ...

A Mother Goose by Ellen McHale

Cardinal in Winter by Ellen McHale

Xenops by Ellen McHale

Bill's Cardinals by Ellen McHale

Rooster by Ellen McHale

Peace Dove by Ellen McHale

Partridge in a Pear Tree by Ellen McHale

Owl by Ellen McHale

" A wise old owl sat on an oak;

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke, the more he heard;

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?"

~ Edward Hersey Richards

Have a great week and see you soon,

Ellen

I see London, I see France ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Queen's Guard

Just back from a wonderful vacation in London and Paris. We had the good fortune of some pretty spectacular weather. Who knew you could get a tan in London or in my case - a sun burn? I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures of our trip - who knows - it just might inspire you to visit.

Camping outside of Westminster Abbey

There is still a lot of love surrounding the recent marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. This sign was just outside of Westminster Abbey in the area where the protestors usually are set-up. It looks like anything but a protest.

Outside of Buckingham Palace

While I am still on the subject of love ... I snapped this picture of a couple just leaving the Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. They seemed more real than the other couples leaving in their top hats and garden frocks.

Inspection of Guards

This is one of my favorite pictures. Even though the guards were oh-so-serious in their inspection of the soldiers at the Tower - a little smile could still be had if you looked close enough.

Yeoman Warder

Queen's Guard at The Tower of London

Raven

This raven is one of 8 that reside in the Tower of London. There is a superstitious story that says if the ravens no longer exist at the Tower then the British Monarchy will be no more. 6 of these birds wander the grounds and 2 extra birds are cared for within the palace just in case something happens to any of the 6. The birds' wings are clipped so they cannot fly away.

Wire Monkey Sculpture

The Fox guarding the Thames

Ship in a Bottle, Trafalgar Square

Living Landscape Artwork next to National Gallery

Artwork is everywhere you look. The above pieces of art were found in our travels around London. Some were outside museums and others were on top of bridges, towers and columns. Whether you visit a museum or just take a stroll - beauty is everywhere.

Skate park in London

This was one of my son's favorite finds. The pictures do not do it justice but under this overpass near the London Eye was one of the coolest skate parks ever. We watched a modelling shoot happen all the while bikers and skateboarders were competing for attention.

Big Ben

The London Eye

Tudor Courtyard at The Tower

After enjoying the sites in London we rode the Eurostar from London to Paris. If you have the time, it is worth the extra bit of travel. The Eurostar travels through the Chunnel and arrives in Paris in just a little over two hours. I've done a day trip to Paris with my friends when I lived over in London but to see Paris properly you need to spend an ample amount of time.

Liam in front of the Pyramid at the Louvre

I.M. Pei's pyramid marks the entrance to the Louvre museum. This was our first stop when we arrived in Paris. It truly is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Louvre Courtyard

Cooling our tootsies in the fountain

The courtyard at the Louvre is breathtaking. You don't need to do anything more than sit with your feet in the water and take in all the sites around you. If there wasn't so much to see - we would have stayed there all day long.

Best view of Paris

Liam and Erin had the best view in Paris in this ride over at the Louvre Carrousel. It is an area only steps from the Louvre that has some of the finest shopping, hotels and restaurants in Paris. There is even a Ferris Wheel and other rides in the Tuileries Garden to keep kids of all ages happy.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower never fails to impress day or night. We had the most magical evening one night at a restaurant called Les Ombres. It is one of the most romantic restaurants that is encased in glass so that you can gaze constantly upon the Eiffel Tower. Les Ombres actually means "the shadow" and they are referring to the looming Eiffel Tower that can be seen wherever you look within the restaurant. You can take your cocktail outside on the roof deck to gaze on the Tower or just sit back and allow the magnificent waiters to bring out incredible food. If you are so fortunate to be there at night as we were, then you are treated to the magic of the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower that show themselves the first 10 minutes of every hour. You really have to pinch yourself.

Arc de Triomphe

Carnivale on the Champs Elysees

Love Lock Bridge

Closer inspection of Love Lock Bridge

One of my favorite surprises was coming upon Love Lock Bridge on the Pont des Arts footbridge leading toward the Academy of Arts and Letters. People in love from all over the world set their "love lock" onto the bridge wires overlooking the Seine. It is really a sight to see. If you don't happen to have a lock with you, a vendor is there to offer up a lock to help you profess your love.

Mona Lisa

Of course, you can't travel all the way to Paris and visit the Louvre without being pulled to view the Mona Lisa. Even if you have seen if before, it is always worth the trip again.

Montmartre

Montmartre is one of our favorite places in Paris. It is a village of artisans and a very colorful neighborhood. It is known as the premiere artist's enclave in the city. Pissarro, Degas, Matisse, Renoir and Picasso all lived in Montmartre at one point. It is so wonderful to spend the day, have some lunch at an outdoor cafe and wander among the artists stalls. You can have your portrait sketched or a silhouette made by any one of the talented artists that call this village home or you can just peruse the aisles of oil paintings, water colors and prints - and maybe bring back a memory of your trip.

Liam having his portrait done

Portrait Completed

When Liam was six years old, we had a portrait drawn of him here in Montmartre. We wanted to have another one made of him and this time, Liam walked through all the stalls and he chose the artist to draw him. He has a good eye because this artist was one of the best in Montmartre. Liam said it was his favorite memory of Paris!

Do we have to go?

There is too much to see and there never seems to be enough time to absorb it all. We had a fabulous trip and yet we would love just a little more time to sit at a cafe and watch the world go by.

There is always next time ...

Bon Jour

See You soon,

Ellen

CSA ~ Local Harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:10:00 +0000

Sunflower by Ellen McHale

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Summer is moving into full swing as the school year winds down and our local farms are getting ready to harvest the first of their crops. If you were lucky enough to buy a "share" in your local CSA then you are only a few weeks away from your first delivery of freshly picked produce.

Participating in a CSA connects you to your community, your farmer and your food.

How does it work?

Early in the year participating farms or farm stands will offer a limited number of shares or seasonal memberships for the coming harvest. Your money helps the farms fund the seed, planting and harvesting of those crops.

What's in it for you?

You get a box or carton of freshly picked produce each week from your CSA. In the Northeast, your produce is harvested and ready for first pick up mid to late June and will run for appoximately 20 weeks - ending in November. A typical share gives you just about a half bushel of vegetables and herbs on a weekly basis. Some of those veggies will be familiar to your kitchen and some will be unfamiliar and there lies the fun of it all. Exposing yourself to new vegetables and herbs and trying out new recipes. It's eating locally, seasonally and healthy - the way we were meant to eat.

This year we are "splitting" a share with another family because often there is a surplus of produce especially during a good growing season. Our local CSA is Kenney Farm in Concord. If you are looking to find a CSA in your area then log on to www.localharvest.org or www.justfood.org and type in your zip code and they will direct you to a CSA in your area.

Is there a risk involved?

Sure - the weather is the big factor in determining what crops do or do not come to market. Some seasons are better than others. But there is the "We are all in this together" philosophy which just feels right for the times. We are supporting each other during the lows and we get to reap the rewards together during the highs. I think that makes the food taste that much better - don't you?

Rooster by Ellen McHale

There may be still time to buy a "share" or split a share with another family. If you are interested in eating locally then check out Local Harvest , Just Food or Kenney Farm. I am really looking forward to our first delivery and will share some recipes on how to cook or serve some of the less familiar veggies.

see you soon,

Ellen

The Caesar Robbins House finds a new Home ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Sat, 21 May 2011 14:53:00 +0000

Caesar Robbins House - most recent address

There is quite a bit of excitement in Concord, Massachusetts today. After a two year effort by The Drinking Gourd Project of Concord, The Caeser Robbins house is on the move and heading to it's new location. The house formerly on Bedford Street is the home built and inhabited by the descendants of a former slave and Revolutionary War veteran, Caeser Robbins. It is believed that Caeser Robbins son, Peter Robbins, built the house and that three generations of the Robbins family lived in the home.

The house being prepped for the move

The Drinking Gourd Project Inc. has worked tirelessly to save the house from demolition and to find a location for the home so that this piece of history can be shared by many. Their mission is to raise awareness of Concord's African and Abolitionist history from the 17th to the 19th century. How fitting that this house's final resting place will be directly across from the North Bridge and the Old Manse.

Caeser Robbins house on the move

It isn't everyday that you see a sight like this one. Standing on the corner of my own street and seeing this home being paraded through town was a sight to behold. Minutes before the house turned onto the corner, the local public works department were only steps in front of the parade cutting down low tree branches and hoisting up telephone wires.

The house on the flatbed truck

There was a sense of solemness as the house passed by. This is our country's history being carried down the street on the flatbed of a truck.

The Caeser Robbins house comes home

Here the house is only yards away from it's last stop. Once the house is settled in it's new site it will be known as the Robbins House Interpretive Center and will serve as a historical marker to remember the African and Abolitionist history in historic Concord.

Bravo to all the people who took up this cause - it is a good day for Concord.

see you soon,

Ellen

Back from Brimfield 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:50:00 +0000

Egg by Ellen McHale

We are back from our "Moms Day Out" at the Brimfield Antiques Market. A great time was had by all but - man - are my feet killing me from all that walking! It was a glorious day weather wise and that would probably account for the numerous people flooding into Brimfield on Thursday. There is always too much to see and take in - you can't get around to everything and you vow each season to begin in a different locale. Somehow we always end up starting in the same exact spot so we can peruse our favorite booths in the beginning of our trip.

Brimfield Beauties

I was the photographer so I didn't make it into the picture this time. It was early in the day - so everyone looks happy, relaxed and ready to shop. We were armed with our wish lists, our trolleys and our cash. Truth be told - the fun is in the friendships and the journey - no need to buy a thing because the day is already such fun with just being together and sharing a laugh. We felt that this show was bigger than last year's with more booths and loads of great stuff to sift through. Perhaps it is a sign of some economic recovery or merely a sign of a winter that refused to let go. We were all out there enjoying the sunshine and the camaraderie.

Spools

We found vintage spools with worn paint still clinging to them. Perhaps a table top vignette for these?

More Spools

Maybe we had a thing for spools this year - who knows? One of us collects them in their largest size to make little side tables and plant stands out of them and they look absolutely gorgeous in her home.

Vintage tin

There was quite a bit of tin to be found in all manner of decrepitude. I like just a hint of wear and tear on them and enough of a clean center to place my artwork within. These are great to manipulate into picture frames or mirror frames. On their own they are works of art.

Jo and Grace checking out printer's trays

We took home vintage printer's trays ... which were so lovely and worn with a hint of color still clinging to the sides. Mine will be turned into serving trays once I attach my vintage handles to the sides. Grace and Jo are thinking of using the trays to corral their collections of potted herbs.

It was a fun filled day - the only thing missing was a pedicure and a glass of wine at the end of the journey. Next time we will make room for those activities as well. You still have time to take a friend to the Brimfield Antique Market as it is ongoing until Sunday May 15th.

Stay tuned to see how we transform our finds and use them in our homes ...

see you soon,

Ellen

It is that time again ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:52:00 +0000

antique clocks

If it's May then it must be time for the Brimfield Antique Show! For some people April showers bring May flowers but for me, the warm days of May tell me that it is time to dust off my shopping cart and head out to Brimfield in search of some treasure!

vintage spools

Almost anything can be found at the Brimfield Antique Show. Some people say that if you can't find it here then you are not going to find it anywhere! Brimfield is the largest antique market in the country. It features approximately 6000 dealers in over 23 fields. There is something for everyone here and you don't need a purse filled with cash to enjoy yourself either. The people watching alone is worth the drive but don't stop just at people watching come out to search for fine antiques or vintage ephemera - it really is a "must-do" at least once!

Silhouette of Woman

Silhouette of Man

I have found some of my most treasured pieces in the fields of Brimfield especially if you go with an idea of what you want for your home. For first timers, the scope of the show can be completely overwhelming. Where do you look first? How do you navigate the endless booths of things? It is easy - really. Before you set out for Brimfield, take stock of your decorating needs. In a small notebook write down your wish list of items you hope to find. Make notations of size constraints or color choices that appeal to you. With this notebook in hand, you will be able to expertly navigate through the stuff that you want versus the stuff that is not on your list. It is like putting blinders on a horse - you have to get to your destination without all the distraction and maybe you will be rewarded with those antique his and her silhouettes that you've been coveting!

antique urns and candlesticks

Bring cash (a lot or a little) it makes the difference between a good deal and a great deal. You can use a credit card at most booths but cash is definitely king and helps you in the bargaining department. You need cash for parking and for food. Most of the fields are free admission with the exception of some of the more popular fields like J & J which draws a crowd looking for fine antiques. Many dealers are at this field bright and early to get some of the best deals of the day. And speaking of dealers - don't dress like one! Dress in casual, comfortable and scruffy clothes and that might just get you a better price break.

egg basket

One of my all time favorite finds did not cost an arm and a leg. It was my vintage egg basket that I use for EVERYTHING! It is one of my favorite photo props and when it is not working in the studio, it holds my lemons in the kitchen. When it is collapsed - it makes the most beautiful piece of wall art that you could imagine. Hard working - indeed! Don't overlook the small things because they just might become your favorite thing of all. Remember that once you bring your treasure home, the item will take on a completely different look as it nestles in to your home decor.

trays and urns

Did you know that many of your favorite stores and catalogs find their props at the Brimfield show? They do. The next time Pottery Barn's catalog appears in your mail box pay close attention to the props that they use throughout the pages. Better yet - look at their products and you will find that many of their items have been "inspired" by vintage objects found at shows just like Brimfield. Why not go out and get inspired yourself? Create your own look and your own vibe - it is easy, fun and can be done inexpensively.

salvage

Many of us are drawn to items that have a patina. Old and crusty is not going away! It can be used in your home whether you decorate in a traditional manner or in a contemporary manner. You only need to let your imagination go - a wire or wicker basket can be made into a wonderful lighting accessory. Salvaged sconces without their wiring can make the most beautiful candle holders. Ladders of all sizes and shapes look great indoors as side tables or magazine/ blanket racks.

little bunny

Garden statuary of all sizes abounds at the show as does vintage ephemera like letters, postcards and maps. Beautiful handwriting makes gorgeous artwork for your wall - put it in a frame and voila - instant art.

antique stools

Another favorite photo prop of mine are these little stools. I use them throughout my home to hold books and little vignettes. They look great under sofa tables for a shot of texture and look great on top of tables to hold flowers or platters of food.

100 year old urns from Turkey

Great Stuff by Paul has a booth at the show. It is one of my favorite stops for antique urns (I collect them). You will find a booth that features whatever you collect - I am sure of it. One of my favorite things to do is to see just what makes other people excited. What do they gravitate to and what is their must have item? You will see some of the funniest things/treasures sticking out of people's baskets. To each his own - that is just about the joy of it all.

garden treasure

Grab a friend or two or twelve and head on out to The Brimfield Antique Show the week of May 10-15.

Our group grows each year. We meet at a local spot and caravan out to the show. Each of us takes off in a different direction and then we all meet up for lunch at a designated spot to discuss our finds. We have had more laughs and more fun during this time and what better way to spend a day?

I hope to see you there ~

Ellen

Solar Art: my blue period

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Sun Art by Ellen McHale

Solar prints, sunlight art, sun prints, cyanotypes are all ways to describe the process of capturing shadows on light sensitive paper. Its like taking a photograph but without a camera and the image captured is a shadow of the object that you placed on the paper. This is a fabulous way to create some spectacular artwork for your home and it is relatively easy to do.

Sun Art Paper

You need to purchase some Sun Art paper to begin. It is relatively inexpensive and can be found at your local art and hobby supply store like Dabblers in Concord or even Amazon. It is sold in many sizes so let your imagination be your guide.

Nature's Artwork: Ferns

Gather some stems or ferns from your garden. I chose to clip a few fern leaves from my indoor house plant. I pressed them in a heavy book overnight just so the leaves would lay flat.

Ferns ready for their Close-Up

With a tweezer, carefully position your ferns on the cyanotype paper. You will need to lay the paper on some cardboard or in this case - I used my cutting board. Once you are happy with your arrangement, place a piece of acrylic (it usually comes with the kit) over your leaves and paper. Bring your board out into the sunshine and let Mother Nature do the work. Once the paper fades to a very light blue (1-5 minutes) bring your set up back into the house.

Bath Time!

Again with the tweezer, pick up the paper and place it in a tray of tepid water. I squirted a few drops of lemon juice into the water because it will turn the paper a deeper shade of blue once it is dry. Submerge your print for a minute or rinse under running water and then lay your paper on some paper towels to dry.

Repeat the process

While your paper is drying, why not try another arrangement of ferns? It is so easy to do and most kits come with multiple sheets of cyanotype paper.

Solar Art

Once your prints have dried, you will need to press them in or under a heavy book overnight. Now it's time to think about how you plan to display your new artwork.

3 Ferns by Ellen McHale

2 Ferns by Ellen McHale

Floating Ferns by Ellen McHale

How you choose to display your artwork is important. Whether your artwork is made by a master artist, your child or yourself - all can be made into an "important" work of art by the way you choose to display or treat that piece of art. In this case, I mounted my solar prints onto carefully torn water color paper. I signed and titled each print with a white pen. You will notice in my prints that there are water blobs that seem to float in the frame - I find that magical and I want to highlight those little imperfections.

I chose frames from West Elm that were clean-lined. These frames actually came with artwork in them but I removed the prints that were inside and placed my own original work into the floating glass and was more than pleased with the results.

An Original by Me!

The art looks fresh and modern and I couldn't wait to find a place to hang it. Give it a try - you may just find that your original works of art deserve to be on display.

See you next week,

Ellen

Flower Power

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:09:00 +0000

"Flower Power" by Ellen McHale

Spring finally arrived this week but somehow forgot to pack it's warmth and sunshine for the trip. One can't despair because there are signs of Spring all around - we just have to look carefully and don't forget to bundle up because "Baby, it's cold outside"!

Ranunculus

I took advantage of the sunshine today to create the illusion of a garden in my backyard. All of it shows that I have a hopeful spirit. A trip to the farmers market the other day yielded me some inexpensive treasures to place in and around our home to begin to flex my garden muscles.

all photos by Ellen McHale

Ranunculus are my favorite flower. I love the haphazard way they spill out of their vase with each blossom going in their own direction. Whether you have one or many the result is a casual display that screams carefree and wild and yet romantic too.

Rosemary

Sage

thyme

Now is a perfect time to buy some herbs at the market and plop them into interesting containers that you have on hand at home. A little twine tied around the container provides a little more texture and visual interest and while you are at it, a little handmade sign that tells you what herb you've potted completes the picture. Place them on your sunny window-sill and you've got fresh herbs to cook with. Come May - plant your established herbs in your garden and you are good to go!

Bird House

Last week my husband and I took a quick trip to the Boston Flower Show that was held at the World Trade Center in South Boston. It is a much smaller show than the ones you may remember when it was held at the Expo Center but it still singnals Springtime in New England to me. One of the more striking garden features was this gorgeous blue oversized bird house. The size is extreme but it definitely makes a statement. Perhaps scaling it down a bit for the average sized space would bring a beautiful focal point to your landscape.

terrarium and topiary

A trend that you are seeing more and more is the return of the terrarium. I think it speaks to the DIY in all of us. A little bit of green in an antique or vintage vessel or large apothecary jar hits the mark just right in interior design right now. It looks great on a table-scape and is pretty easy to build yourself. Maybe we will do a DIY on terrariums in the coming weeks as a way to patiently wait out the sunshine.

Garden Party chair

Moss covered garden chair

Another trend that I noticed was the chair as garden. You've all seen the one-off chairs being used as decor in the house ( ie: antique chair as bed-side table or in bathrooms to place stacks of towels) but this took it a step further. Using a cast off iron chair as a base for a moss garden placed somewhere in your landscape or the back of an outdoor chair tied with a basket of flowers for each guest to take home at the end of a garden party. It makes you long for the outdoors - or at least an invite to that garden party!

Stone Urns

We loved the stone urns that were planted up with trees and enormous hydrangeas. I've got a thing for big, old, bold urns. Just ask my husband who wondered why we had to drag a massive urn across the Atlantic from our home in London to our new home in New England! It made it here intact and has housed trees, plants and all manner of holiday greenery. Can't you see a wonderful old crusty urn in your garden or on your deck? It just adds a little extra something.

window boxes

The window box display on the shed at the garden show was great as well. It's got my wheels turning on what to plant up in our window boxes this season. It's coming, I know it is because look what I found in my backyard today ...

First sign of Spring

Jonquils! Despite the snow this week, Jonquils are making their appearance. The March birth flower that signals happiness is making it's way to your door.

Think Spring!

My Mom one Spring at the Public Garden

I'll leave you with one of my favorite photos of my Mom over at The Public Garden (one of her favorite places) in Spring.

Enjoy the Sunshine,

See you next week,

Ellen

Irish Soda Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:47:00 +0000

a Saint Patrick's Day treat

I guess I can't have a company with the name of Nelley Kelley and not have a little posting on St. Patrick's Day - can I? So here is a fail-proof recipe for Irish Soda Bread to help you celebrate the day.

Simple from your pantry ingredients

True Irish Soda bread is made from simple ingredients that you would tend to have on hand in your larder or pantry: flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. My recipe has a few extras to moisten the bread and kick up it's taste a bit. I particularly love the addition of a little orange zest suggested by Ina Garten - the Barefoot Contessa. She has a great Irish Soda Bread recipe in her book: Barefoot Contessa at Home: Every Day Recipes. In addition to her orange zest, I like to add a dash of vanilla extract to perfume the bread. Other than the buttermilk, I am sure most every ingredient is already in your pantry.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

4 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 extra large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dried currants or raisins

1 tsp. orange zest

currants

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into your stand mixer. Cut up the 4 tbsp of cold butter into 1/2 inch dice and sprinkle over dry ingredients. Process ingredients at low speed until butter is incorporated into the flour mixture.

cold butter, diced

In separate bowl combine buttermilk, beaten egg, vanilla and orange zest. Stir gently to combine. While mixer is on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and combine. The mixture will be wet and sticky.

Orange Zest, Buttermilk

Add about a tbsp of flour to the currants or raisins so they will not sink to the bottom of the bread when mixed in. Add the currants and briefly stir. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead into a round loaf.

Irish Soda Bread Dough

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the loaf onto it. Using a serrated knife, cut a cross into the top of the bread. Bake the bread in a 375 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes. The loaf is done when a cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry.

Fresh from the oven

Cool the bread on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy this easy bread with a cup of tea this afternoon or toast some up for breakfast in the morning.

I am having mine with my friend, Jo's orange cardamon marmalade. She dropped some off the other day and it just so happens to be the perfect companion to the orange zest Irish soda bread.

Enjoy it and Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

See you soon,

Ellen

Books I am loving ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Bookplates by Nelley Kelley studio

Some of you may know that I was sidelined by a skiing accident over our February vacation. I broke my pelvis chasing my 14 year old son down the mountain at Sunday River in Maine. I have learned that I am no longer 14 as I no longer bounce like I used to and I am currently learning the virtue of patience ~ probably one of the more difficult virtues to master.

I have had a good deal of sitting around time and thought that I would share with you what I'm currently reading to keep my spirits high and my creative juices flowing.

My reading list

Let's begin with Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - an exceptional read that takes place in Ethiopia, New York and Boston. It is so beautifully written that I was moved to tears by the end of the book. The Los Angeles Times said it was so good that "...you may never leave your chair." Well, I couldn't leave my chair and yet this was the one time that I was glad that I didn't have to.

The Encyclopedia of the Exquisite by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins is a perfect little read that requires little from you. Each one or two page entry details the history of various luxuries or artifacts in food, art, travel, home, garden and beauty over the centuries.

Water, Paper, Paint by Heather Smith Jones and Paper + Craft by Minhee and Truman Cho have kept me dreaming of getting my hands dirty in the studio again. This is where the patience comes into play - I want to start trying out some these projects so badly but instead will just keep bookmarking them. Soon!

You can't think of crafts without looking through Martha Stewart's Enclycopedia of Crafts - there isn't a thing that she left out in this book. It belongs on every aspiring crafter / artist's bookshelf.

Maira Kalman's book, Maira Kalman Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) is inspirational to me. You may know Maira Kalman as the creator of many covers for the NewYorker. Her artwork inspired me to be confident in my artistic abilities and to feel comfortable enough to put it out to the public.

All of these books can easily be purchased at Amazon but why do that when you can visit your local bookshop and make it more of an event for yourself. My favorite book shop is The Concord Bookshop located on Main Street right here in downtown Concord. It was my first official outing when I felt safe enough to take to the streets with my crutches.

A page from Vera the art and life of an icon

I almost forgot to mention Vera, the Art and Life of an Icon by Susan Seid. I'm sure you remember the famous Vera scarves from the 70s and 80s. One of my first jobs as a teenager was working in the iconic Filene's Basement. It was a coveted job by any Boston girl and I got this job courtesy of my Uncle George's friendship with one of the executives of Filene's. I worked the booth that was stocked with scarves and most of them where by Vera. Oh - if I knew then what I know now!

Her imagery has stayed with me for all these years and when I saw this book - I knew, I just had to have it. Right now I'm inspired by her florals and am currently working on my own floral series that I hope to turn into fabric and ultimately some cool products. Stay tuned - and check out this book if you love great, graphic artwork!

Flowers from my husband

My husband sent me these flowers the other day. They are from my favorite florist of all ... Winston Flowers. Are these not the most gorgeous calla-lillies that you have ever seen? Every morning that I wake up they bring a smile to me because they just scream happy and sunshine! A big love-filled thank you to my wonderful husband and son who have taken such great care of me and to all my friends and family who have visited and kept us well fed - thank you.

I am mobile and getting better every day and I'm planning to tackle some of these wonderful projects that I've dog-eared over these past couple weeks. Stay-tuned next week to see what I come up with ...

see you soon,

Ellen

A Lemon Pick-Me-Up ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Meyer Lemons

Last week I was at Costco shopping for my pantry staples and I stumbled upon these gorgeous Meyer Lemons. Just when winter has got the best of you, little jewels like these beckon to you and whisper that sunshine and warmth will indeed return. Meyer lemons show up in gourmet stores January through April and are more expensive than our garden variety lemon. They have an orange tint, are less acidic than regular lemons and much sweeter. They smell divinely floral ... mmmmmm. I couldn't pass these beauties up and the price could not be beat.

Meyer lemons can be thrown into a salad or juiced into a delicious salad dressing. Use them in any recipe that calls for ordinary lemons - the result is sweeter and less acidic. I'm going to make a meyer lemon curd with my extra lemons and will show you how ...

ingredients

Gather your ingredients. Pantry staples really - with the exception of the Meyer lemons, all the ingredients are most likely in your kitchen:

1 stick unsalted butter

6 eggs (yolks only - save egg whites for tomorrow's omelet)

1 cup sugar

3 Meyer lemons (you will need the juice and zest from the three lemons)

egg yolks

Separate your egg yolks. As you can see here, my eggs are probably not the freshest as the yolks just collapsed when I put them in the bowl. I saved the egg whites and plan to make some merengues later.

Meyer Lemon Zest

Zest all three Meyer Lemons. You are going to love the aroma of these lemons. Just a beautiful floral smell that really will perk up your day.

Juice Lemons

Juice all three lemons. You should find yourself with about 1/2 cup of Meyer Lemon juice.

Sugar

You will need 1 cup of sugar. Many recipes call for superfine sugar (because it dissolves easier). If you don't have superfine sugar on hand (as I did not) just run the cup of sugar through your food processor or grinder and that will do the trick.

Straining the curd

I used a double boiler but you could also cook this in a heavy bottomed pot. The main thing to look out for is turning your yolks into scrambled eggs. Try not to bring your curd to a boil and remember to keep stirring and adjusting the heat as you go.

In your double boiler (or pot) whisk the yolks and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Add your lemon juice and continue to stir the curd until thickened (appox. 15 mins). You should find that the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cut up the stick of butter and stir in a couple of chunks at a time until all the butter is fully melted into the curd. Take your pot of the heat and strain the Meyer Lemon curd through a sieve over a bowl. You'll be able to extract any cooked pieces of egg this way and ensure yourself a silky, smooth curd. Discard the solids that remain in the strainer. Whisk the Meyer lemon zest into the finished curd.

1/2 pint jars from The Concord Shop

Pour your finished Meyer Lemon Curd into 1/2 pint jars. This recipe will make 2 half pint jars. Meyer Lemon curd will last in your refrigerator for approximately 1 week so it is probably best to create little 1/2 pint jars to keep and to give away. I found these darling jars at my favorite kitchen store, The Concord Shop. (If you find yourself at The Concord Shop one day make sure you say hello to the owners, Meg and Bob, and let them know that you are following one of these projects.)

Meyer Lemon Curd ready to give away

Voila! The finished product. Yes, I did lick the spoon and the pan and could have eaten the entire jar but I did manage to restrain myself. I kept one for my family and I gave one away to a friend. She served hers with croissants in the morning and used the left over curd to spread on merengue cookies. I confess that we ate our's out of the jar with a spoon. It was simple and without ceremony but it was delicious!

Give it a try especially if you find yourself with a plethora of Meyer Lemons like I did. It is simple to make and requires few ingredients and is totally worth it.

See you next week

Ellen

Destination: Family Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:35:00 +0000

A Day at the Beach by Ellen McHale

Mid-Winter break begins today, pretty much as soon as the kids get off the bus at 3:00pm. It has me thinking about some of my favorite places that we have travelled over these years - some during February break, others in April and many during the summertime. I gathered a few of my favorite pictures and some of my artwork that was inspired by our travels to share with you.

Atlantis Resort

No matter where we have travelled in the world, if you ask my son what his favorite vacation spot was, he will always say Atlantis in the Bahamas! So, I thought it fitting that I start with a picture of his favorite destination of all.

Flying Fish by Ellen McHale

The beautiful waters of the Bahamas and the abundance of gorgeous fish inspired this piece of work.

The London Eye

I am partial to London. We lived there for two years and my husband still works there now - so we are lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel back and visit our friends and see our favorite sites. It is a wonderful walking city with plenty to keep you occupied throughout your stay anytime of the year.

The Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace

Travel Series London by Ellen McHale

My version of the Queen's Guard ...

Hampstead Creperie

The Hampstead Creperie is our number one destination whenever we get back to London. It is worth the long queues to have a crepe with chocolate and banana for dessert or our favorite savory crepe, ham and oozing melted cheese. Yum! These guys can be found on the High Street in Hampstead. Simply the best.

Venice

This past summer we finally got to Venice. It was one of the most beautiful places that I have been to in my lifetime. If you have a "bucket list" then make sure that Venice finds a place on that list.

Travel Series Venice by Ellen McHale

My version of Venice ...

A place to tie up your gondola

The streets of Venice

Even the mundane tasks are made beautiful

Travel Series Paris by Ellen McHale

Paris is an all time great destination for any age. So much to see and do and get swept away by. You can never get tired of Paris and what she has to offer.

Paddington Bear at a cafe in Paris

Many years ago our son had a school project where Paddington Bear had to travel with him on vacation. He had to document Paddington's trip in photos and in a journal. This Paddington Bear had some of the best trips courtesy of the children at The American School of London. I wonder if he ever made it back to Peru?

An artist in Montmartre, Paris

There is my young son having his portrait done by one of the many artists that set up shop in Place du Tertre the artist filled square atop Montmartre.

Park Guell, Barcelona

This little Hansel and Gretel house in Park Guell by Antoni Gaudi is located in Barcelona Spain. We had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona last year and were transfixed by the surrealist works of Gaudi. His imprint is on architecture everywhere from the famous Park Guell to the Sagrada Familia. Barcelona is a warm and welcoming place to visit with food that is out of this world!

Sagrada Familia

My pictures do not do Gaudi's Sagrada Familia justice. You have to stand before it to begin to process it's magnificence. The Sagrada Familia has been dubbed the 8th Wonder of the World and you will agree when you have to opportunity to lay your eyes upon it.

Finland

I can't talk about great vacations without giving a shout-out to our trip to Finland - quite possibly the most adventuresome trip that we have ever taken. Above is a picture of one of the Sami-people, reindeer herders, that we met. He taught us how to drive a reindeer pulled sleigh and introduced us to the indigenous people of Scandinavia. It was a trip of a lifetime.

Wood Island Lighthouse, Biddeford Pool, Maine

Maine has always pulled at our heartstrings because of it's rugged beauty and beautiful unspoiled beaches. There is nothing like a lobster roll from our favorite little places in Maine. The real-deal: a toasted bun, fresh lobster meat and just the tiniest amount of mayo to hold it all together. It's pure and it's simple and we crave it all year long ...

View from Little Beach in Biddeford Pool, Maine

A gorgeous Maine sunset

My version of Wood Island Lighthouse

Travel Series Boston by Ellen McHale

There is so much to do when you vacation at home. We are so fortunate to live in an area where there is so much to offer. From the ICA to the MFA and the Celtics to the Red Sox there is something for everyone both young and old...

Segway Tours in Boston

A few months back we decided to act like tourists in our own hometown. You will be surprised by how much fun you have. The segway tours in Boston are a really fun way to see the city. We went with Boston Gliders as our tour guides. You get a wireless audio tour that is led by a guide that takes you to all the hotspots in Boston. Sure you look a little goofy but that is half the fun of being a tourist - isn't it?

Travel Series NYC by Ellen McHale

New York City can't be beat for a fun filled travel destination especially when you are travelling with teenagers. The city offers so much excitement from theatre, restaurants, tourist spots and just plain shopping. This is one of our frequent mini-vacation spots throughout the year.

The boys take Manhattan ...

Times Square

Franconia Inn, New Hampsire

If you are not tired of the snow as of yet and a skiing adventure is on your list, the Franconia Inn is a great place for a weekend stay. Cannon Mountain (the ski home of Bode Miller) is a stone's throw away. You can skate, cross country ski, snowshoe and sled all in it's backyard. You are only 2 plus hours away from Boston so it is easy.

The barn at The Franconia Inn

Charlie the Horse in Franconia, New Hampsire

We loved meeting Charlie the belgium work horse who pulls the sleigh for his owner Charlie ( which came first - I don't know?!) at the Franconia Inn. There is something magical about a sleigh ride on a crisp, cold night with the stars twinkling above your heads.

Thanks for letting me share some of my favorite destinations with you. No matter where you go or what you do this week or this weekend, I wish you a happy time with your family.

see you soon,
Ellen

diy: Vanilla Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and if you are looking for a sweet gift to make for your "food-loving-valentine" than this is a delight to make. It is oh-so-pretty in it's presentation and it is also the kind of gift that keeps on giving. Vanilla extract is particularly easy to make or should I say "assemble". It is a wonder that more people don't make it themselves instead of buying the expensive supermarket substitutes that quite frankly - are not so good. This does require a small amount of patience as the extract does have to sit on a shelf for approximately 2 months before it is ready yet it will only improve with age (like a fine wine) and it has an indefinite shelf life.

Flask Bottles from The Concord Shop

You will need some pretty bottles to hold your liquid gold or vanilla extract. I found these lovely flask bottles for $4.99 a piece at my favorite kitchen store, The Concord Shop. You can get large bottles and then decant to smaller bottles if you are giving them out as gifts or you can start with a bottle that holds about a cup of liquid - a nice size for a generous gift of vanilla extract.

Gather your Ingredients

The ingredients for vanilla extract are few and fairly easy to source. A liter of premium vodka, a small bottle of your favorite dark rum (optional) and good quality vanilla beans. Remember quality always counts in cooking. Always use wine and liquor that you would drink in your cooking - it ensures that the taste of your finished dish will be superb. The same goes for making vanilla extract - use only premium liquor and vanilla beans and your gift will be a luxurious treat.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans

I am using Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans that I purchased at Whole Foods Market. The "bourbon" in these vanilla beans refers to the Bourbon Islands in Madagascar and not the liquor.

Vanilla Beans in Bottles

Clean your bottles before you use them. I run them through a full cycle in the dishwasher. Split your vanilla beans from top to bottom with a sharp knife and place three beans in each of your bottles. You will be using three vanilla beans to every one cup of vodka (or other liquor).

Vanilla Extract by Me for You!

Use a funnel to pour one cup of vodka into each flask. (if you prefer to use rum instead of vodka you can). I am also adding one teaspoon of dark rum to each as well. The usual recipe that I use is 1 cup of vodka to every 3 vanilla beans. In the book, Gifts Cooks Love by Diane Morgan, she recommends using a dash of dark rum - so I think I'll try it for this batch. Seal your bottles and then the fun stuff begins - presentation! You know that presentation is everything to me ...

Preparing a wax seal for my bottles

I really want my gifts to look thoughtful and let's face it - a little decadent. I am going to put a wax seal on each of the bottles to elevate my simple gift. I am using a stick of sealing wax, a votive candle to melt the wax on a spoon and a wax seal to press into the melted wax. Even though a wax seal seems to be from a bygone era - you can still purchase the seals and the wax sticks at quality stationary stores. Paper Source, a favorite of mine, has many seals to choose from as well as a plethora of colored wax. You can even put the wax sticks into a glue gun to make it that much easier. I am sitting in my kitchen and have a votive candle at hand, so I am going to do it the old fashioned way ...

Glue Dots

I am laying out a sheet of glue dots so I can make a sheet of wax seals that I can use not only for my bottles but for my valentine cards and some future art projects that I'm planning. You will pour your melted wax onto each glue dot and then press your wax seal into the wax for about 30 seconds. Gently remove your seal when the wax has cooled and hardened. Your seal will remain on the glue dots and can be peeled off when needed. It's back will be sticky from the dot and you'll be able to place it anywhere.

Seal placed on Glue Dot

Strip of Wax Seals

I will use the wax seals for my bottled vanilla extract gifts and will also save some for future projects. They are a great finishing touch for all your gifts or special cards. You may want to add a dab of glue to the back of the seal if you are using it on a bottle so that you can be sure that it will hold otherwise the glue dot is strong enough for an envelope or paper box.

Vanilla Extract with Seal

Tie some twine or ribbon around the neck of the bottle and press the seal (I placed a dab of super glue) onto the bottle.

Ready for Gift Giving

Do the same for all the bottles that you plan to give as gifts ...

Tag on Bottle

You will want to tie a small tag to the flask giving the date that the Extract was bottled. Your vanilla extract will be ready in approximately 2 months from the day it was bottled. As I said earlier in the post, that vanilla extract improves with age. The longer it is on the shelf, the darker it will get and the stronger the vanilla extract will become. You want to give it at least 2 months to cure. Once a week, you will want to give the vanilla extract a gentle shake to mix the ingredients that settle to the bottom. Because of the high alcohol content in all pure vanilla extracts, it's shelf life is indefinite. You need only to pour more vodka into the bottle when you want to replace the extract that you have used up.

Nelley Kelley Valentines

Use your extra seals to decorate the envelopes of your valentines cards.

Sweets for the Sweet

This is a wonderfully easy project to take get you through these next months of winter. What a sweet surprise to be able to use it come Springtime. This is a thoughtful gift anytime of the year not just for Valentines Day. Make some now and store it away so you can give it as a hostess gift or a Mother's Day gift this May. Make some for yourself - you will never go back to buying expensive and tasteless vanilla extract again. Use this in your morning oatmeal or in your banana breads and cookie recipes. Elevate a Creme Brule with your homemade vanilla extract. You can even soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract and place it in a little container at the back of your refrigerator to eliminate odors. Plan on making some in the Fall so you can give them out as your holiday gift.

Wishing you a happy Valentine's Day!

see you soon

Ellen~

A February self-portrait and other thoughts ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:24:00 +0000

Self-Portrait Winter 2011

Yes, this is me or at least how I feel during this very cold, very long and very snowy winter. Each week a new blizzard bullies us and keeps our kids home from school. The sky mocks us with glorious sunshine and glistening snow piles but once it lures us out of our home - the ice and freezing cold reach deep into our pockets and steal whatever warmth we have hidden. I want it to end ... but wait, there's more to come and February has only just begun!

My house and backyard this morning

We shovelled, although you can't tell can you? This is my deck and backyard. It is very quiet here except for the sound of icicles snapping and plummeting into the snow.

My house and backyard in my dreams

This is a picture from my dreams ... or maybe it's an actual picture of my backyard in Spring time. It is usually filled with the sounds of birds singing, kids laughing and the trickling of our water fountain. I long for this picture to re-appear.

Brimfield Antique Show this Spring

When a relentless winter has held you captive in your home for so long, you begin to dream about sunny climates, vacations that don't entail skiing or snowshoeing and other fun things to do in Spring. The Brimfield Antique Show signals the real start of Spring for me. This year it will be held May 10-15th.

But that seems an eternity away ...

Cambridge Antique Market

I recommend that you bundle up, strap on your snowshoes and get yourself to the Cambridge Antique Market at 201 Msgr. O'Brien Highway in Cambridge, MA. If you enjoy the thrill of the hunt at Brimfield and want to get a head start on your treasure hunting then the 5 floors of vintage and antique goodies will definitely delight you and help to get you out of your snow rut. Grab a friend and a little bit of cash and have a fun two hours or so hunting down something fabulous for your snow covered home. I'll share with you some of my finds all for under $100 ...

Vintage Brass Tray with bamboo details

I was looking for a sweet tray for our bar area and came across this beautiful vintage brass tray for $19! It was covered by years of tarnish but had a beautiful shape and design to it.

My Brass Tray

I gently cleaned and polished the tray and found it to be so beautiful - now I use it for display as well as for my bar. Great find and a great deal too!

Vintage Bench

Hidden under a pile of junk, I found the perfect little antique bench. It needed some sanding and some polishing and now fits perfectly into a little nook near the front door. A little perch for handbags and packages ...

Tapestry with nail head trim tops my found bench

Hand Painted Pochoir Prints by Davis Gray

These prints may have been my best find of the day. They are now hanging in my son's "man-cave" or as we mother's affectionately call it, "the playroom". I actually stumbled upon these on the top floor of the market. It was my last walk through and I saw them in a crate on a chair. Through the layers of dust you could see that they were hand painted or so I thought. No matter, the scenes were dear to me ... 4 paintings of the American Revolution including the battle at the North Bridge.

It turns out that these prints are very collectable. They are hand-painted pochoir prints by Davis Gray (aka: E.B. Walden 1929-1995). Pochoir means "stencil" - these are actually lithographs that have been hand painted by watercolor artists. The originals were created by Davis Gray and he then created lithographs which were then given to one of his talented artists to watercolor. These hand painted pochoir prints are no longer being produced and have become extremely collectable over the years. You can buy laser prints of these very desirable scenes at Grays Watercolors. Let me give you a closer look at my find ...

Pochoir print of Battle at North Bridge

Pochoir print of Boston Massacre

Pochoir print of Battle of Bunker Hill

Pochoir print of Lexington Battle Green

I just thought these were great. The subject matter was so exciting to me and that is really where the value is - as long as it is something that speaks to you - you really can't go wrong. The fact that I paid only $14 for each of them, meant I really didn't go wrong at all!

Frozen bird statue in my backyard

So, to all you snow birds that are looking for an adventure close to home and more importantly away from home ... do some treasure hunting. You just might find something magical.

...the whited air Hides hills and woods,

the river and the heaven,

and veils the farmhouse at the garden's end.

The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet Delayed,

all friends shut out,

the housemates sit Around the radiant fireplace ...

Ralph Waldo Emerson

self-portrait after the next blizzard

see you soon,

Ellen~

Alphabet Soup ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen at Nelley Kelley) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:32:00 +0000

Love Letters by Ellen McHale

The creative process is an interesting thing. You start out making one thing and the next thing you know you are off in a million different directions. I have been thinking about doing a series using letters or the alphabet as my inspiration. First, I needed to come up with my alphabet and see how the letters felt to me.

Paste paper alphabet by Ellen McHale

I cut my individual letters out of my paste paper supply. As beautiful as the paste paper alone was - I really wanted to add a bit more oomph so I embellished the paste paper with my white pen for some added interest.

Paste Paper Letters in Letter Tray

Once my paste paper alphabet was completed I let them sit for awhile on my desk in a tray. I started to think about how and where I would use them. Perhaps on a new piece of artwork or maybe they might make their way onto a new product. It was time to come up with some samples or a prototype of sorts to see how they might look.

Love Letters paper weight

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I came up with my Love Letters piece and thought that it would look lovely under a piece of french crystal. A new paper weight was born - maybe just for me or maybe for someone I love.

W Monogram

E Monogram

I began to randomly place my E initial and my husband's W initial on some of my vintage letters to see how they might look. It got me thinking about some frames that I had found last year at Restoration Hardware. They have been sitting on a shelf without anything in them as of yet ...

W and E monogram on vintage map

I printed out our monograms on decal paper and smoothed them over some vintage maps that I shrunk down to size. The monogram decal ended up looking like a watercolor wash an effect that I wasn't expecting but ended up loving ...

Monograms in Restoration Hardware frames

The frames alone were lovely and sculptural. With the monogram on the vintage map the frames are now fantastic. They will be going upstairs to decorate the top of our armoire in the bedroom.

Monogrammed Hand Towel

I've got monogram on my mind so why not a hand towel or a tea towel or some great linen napkins? The wheels are really turning now ...

Butcher Apron

I've been working on a prototype for a line of aprons for Nelley Kelley 2011. This "alphabet" day has given me the motivational boost that I've been in search of. I decide to take some of my flour sack fabric and finally commit to making my apron sample. The E monogram is just what I need to dress it up until my Nelley Kelley fabric line comes in. I love this apron - no bib - perfect length. I'm excited and you will be too when you see some of the fabrics that it will come in ...

Nelley Kelley Fabric coming soon ...

Here is a little sneak peek of one of the Nelley Kelley fabrics coming this Spring. Won't this look great on my butcher apron?

So you've got a little glimpse into my erratic creative process. One thing begets another but that is just the way I like it. There is nothing like a snow day in New England to pull one out of a creative slumber.

See you next week with some vintage finds that I'm sure you'll love ...

Ellen~