katyelliott.com » boston and metro

Boston Flower & Garden Show: Part II

Katy Elliott — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:39:05 +0000

The theme of this year’s Boston Flower & Garden show was Celebrating the Container Garden. I stopped in my tracks when I spotted Snug Harbor Farm’s gorgeous hydrangea in a large footed pot. Can I order a dozen? Included in the display was a boxwood in a low terracotta pot. I write about Snug Harbor Farm a lot. I’m a bit bias but you’ll be too, once you visit their amazing nursery in Kennebunk, Maine. The beautiful succulent basket below; also from them!

I spotted different variations on wood planters around the show. Tall containers filled with flowers and ornamental trees, longer versions arranged with tight rows of boxwoods and a more rustic version from the Garden Design School.

After the show I tried to convince Greg to build me a hundred different sized containers to cover my someday driveway/patio. I like that containers can be moved and displayed differently throughout the season. I can use the containers to create displays that give us privacy along our sidewalk. Or I can create displays in the yard’s trouble spots. The possibilities are endless…

Boston Flower & Garden Show: Part I

Katy Elliott — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:25:08 +0000

Greg and I went to the Boston Flower & Garden show on Saturday afternoon which probably wasn’t the best time of day to attend. I have a low tolerance for crowded spaces; we checked out the main landscape displays but skipped the retail booths.

Peter R. Sadeck’s display won Best In Show. A beautiful wood slice path wound through a landscape of mossy tree stumps, rocks and ferns. The indoor landscape was completely convincing and had me wondering if we had been suddenly transported the woods of New Hampshire. Beautiful owls, a turkey vulture and a falcon sat peacefully perched on tree stumps; surprising the crowd when they suddenly moved. The owl above was my favorite, so freakin cute!

In 2008, I spotted a similar walkway at Portland’s Flower Show designed by Landmarcs. Am I sensing a wood slice trend? Sadeck’s slices were much larger, thicker, and looked like they were laid using dirt and moss. Both examples are stunning and would be amazing paths for a garden in the woods.

Beacon Hill Exteriors and a Rock Path

Katy Elliott — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:07:01 +0000

After the Boston Flower & Garden show (post to follow) on Saturday we took a walk over to Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill is a beautiful 19th century neighborhood in downtown Boston. It’s super fancy and I always find great inspiration. Above a house I spotted on Pickney Street. The exterior colors are a stunning collection of green/blue/cream with a gray undertone. I love the combination but I be going green overboard? The den molding will be basically the same color. My favorite exterior in Marblehead has a greenish/gray/putty clapboard and the shutters are a dark hunter green.

Below snapshots of Pickney Street and few front doors we spotted. On the left a red door with beautiful hardware and a bell jar lamp. The snapshot on the right doesn’t do the entry justice. The angle of the stairs plays with your eyes as you pass by. At the very bottom a rock pathway Greg spotted—he tried to convince we should do our driveway in rocks because we’ve found so many on our property and in the dirt basements.

Rock paths are common in New England check out these paths spotted in Marblehead and Salem. I played around with the rock driveway idea last summer too but I don’t think they’re practical for a driveway. I want to turn our driveway into a large patio in the summertime (we have a parking ban in the winter) and the bumpy rocks make me nervous that every table, chair, flower pot will be tippy. We’re a long way off from putting in the driveway, first we have to work on the rotten clapboards and painting the house this summer.

Historic Purple Window Panes

Katy Elliott — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:46:51 +0000

One of my lovely readers (thanks Ginger!) pointed out my new amethyst glass lamps reminded her of old crystal doorknobs with the manganese in them that turn violet over decades in the sun. In Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood old window panes can be spotted in this lovely amethyst hue too. The hued panes were originally created by accident around 1800-30. The excess of manganese oxide in the glass caused the window panes to turn purple overtime. Above a shot I took of a window in Beacon Hill back in 2008. How lovely to think my new lamps could be a reflection of this gorgeous historic glass.

Art of Americas Wing at MFA

Katy Elliott — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:13:17 +0000

It’s cold and the middle of winter, um who else is experiencing a serious case of cabin fever? On Saturday, Greg and I went into Boston to check out the new Art of Americas wing at the MFA. Fifty-three new galleries on four floors, devoted to Pre-Columbian era through the third quarter of the twentieth century. My favorite Level 1: 18th-Century Art of the Colonial Americas and Early 19th-Century Art. Just a few of my favorites below.

Double chair-back settees have caught my attention lately. I spotted one for a split second in the Social Network and have been obsessed since (more to come on this topic) . This example spotted in the Lynch gallery showcases a rare example with double carved owl faces.

Update the MFA contacted me with the information on the wallpaper below: Waterhouse Wallhangings East India #158484.

I’ve been on the hunt for wing chairs with graceful lines. These two examples have beautiful swoops. Cording wasn’t used in the arm of the curve but a simple piece of upholstery was hand-stitched on the seam. According to the plate the chairs retained most of their original upholstery. Also, included is the photo is an early American Windsor chair. I’ve come a number of documents indicating all Windsors in the Boston around the 18th-century were painted this dark hunter green.

A room removed from an 18th-century house in Bath, Maine displayed a gorgeous hand-painted landscape. I know it’s hard to see but the molding is painting a green/blue. An arm chair in the room was slipcovered in a gray stripe…maybe I need one too?

I believe I spotted this piece on the second floor in the folk art gallery? I don’t remember much about it specifically but it’s hung on this amazing wall displaying some of the most beautiful and interesting weathervanes I’ve ever seen.

The exterior door and frame were taken from a rural home outside Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The door was massive and grand. At the very top grapes(?) hung down from the pediment, which is something I’ve never come across before.

At the very bottom one of my favorite new to me paintings I spotted on the very top floor of the new wing. The way the artist painted the snow was really captivating. Country Doctor (Night Call), 1935, Horace Pippin, American, 1888–1946.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA
mfa.org

South End Gardens: Rutland Street

Katy Elliott — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:47:11 +0000

My only complaint about my house is the lack of garden space. I want a huge garden full of flowers, herbs, and vegetables—I’m talking insane big. Let’s ditch the driveway! Ok maybe not?

I was in South Boston this week and spotted community gardens all over the neighborhood. Phlox, Black Eyed Susans, Russian Sage, Echinacea, and Sunflowers were all in bloom. The garden above and below was on Rutland Street (click the link for an amazing google maps view) in the South End. The lush green escape covers a block and half. It was a totally amazing place to stumble upon in the middle of the city. Happy Weekend!

Picking Strawberries

Katy Elliott — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:34:47 +0000

I went strawberry picking this morning at Connors in Danvers, Massachusetts via a new friend suggestion. The field smelled like a giant decadent strawberry daiquiri, um yum! If it wasn’t frowned upon to drink cocktails before noon on a Wednesday I would have sparked up the blender as soon as I got home. The picking was great! The strawberries were still small and perfectly sweet.

I loaded up my 6 quarts thinking I was going to use them all for jam. But I realized I have a whole list of strawberry concoctions I want to make like sconces, pancakes, muffins and my favorite salad in the world: spinach/blue cheese/toasted walnut/strawberry salad. So maybe I’ll going picking again on Sunday at Russell Orchards in Ipswich for jam?

Did I share with you why I’m trying to break my internet habit besides the obvious? Over the last four years I’ve done more sitting then is acceptable for a person that is healthy and mobile. I’ve been trying to workout and Monday I took my first, Whole Body Ball Workout class—which means I had to jump on balls, twirl balls, and do stuff with hand weights. I always feel stupid in classes. I wonder why my arms look so long and awkward, why my boobs are sagging (is it the bra?), where did all these smoking hot moms come from? Lord. The class kicked my ass which made it difficult for me to squat down to pick strawberries. Sitting down in the straw and picking in a 360 degree rotation was the best method. I should probably go back to the gym tonight? The soreness must mean my butt is getting tighter, right?

Below a very short video. I’m trying to get the hang of the focus on the video mode while I am doing something, but it’s kinda cool? Maybe I should try one of those flips or I should get the new iphone? But I really don’t need more crap to carry….

p.s. my fav song to get my butt running on the treadmill right now, Say Hey by Michael Franti & Spearhead. Which isn’t new but it’s perfect for summer!

Sara Elizabeth Block Printers Studio

Katy Elliott — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:40:44 +0000

Over the weekend I visited Sarah Elizabeth Block Printers studio in Rockport, Massachusetts. The thirty year old shop is a living museum honoring the work of Folly Cove artist Sarah Elizabeth. Established in Gloucester in 1938, the Folly Cove Designers were a guild of designer-craftsmen that grew out of a design course taught by Virginia Lee Burton Demetrio. After the designers disbanded in 1969, Sarah Elizabeth continued block printing and in 1974 opened the Sarah Elizabeth Shop.

Today the shop is run by her apprentice, Isabel Natti. Isabel started block printing as a weekend job, and now, after thirty years continues to print the linoleum blocks she has designed and carved. The prints include scenes of nature and marine life on the coast of Cape Ann. The prints are available as placemats, runners, cards, and wall hangings. My favorite is Oceanside a multi-block wall hanging depicting a fish company in Gloucester.

Above and below a photos from inside the studio. Isabel is shown sitting in front of her 150-year old Acorn Press—a press she inherited from her Aunt Lee Natti. To find out more about Sarah Elizabeth including shop hours and purchasing info visit: sarah-elizabeth-shop.com.

Sarah Elizabeth Block Printers
5 Whistlestop Mall
Rockport, MA
(978) 546-6541
sarah-elizabeth-shop.com

Upcoming Antique Shows in New England

Katy Elliott — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:00:52 +0000

On Sunday I went took a very early drive up to Todd Farm in Rowley. I scored a few vintage textile pieces. Textiles are my weakness. I can’t help but imagine them as beautiful pillows, runners and napkins. Below a list of antique shows and flea markets in New England starting in May. Would you like to add one to the list? Send me an e-mail or leave a comment.

Sage Farm Antiques
Monthly antique show on the grounds of a 1780 colonial
May 7-9
North Hampton, New Hampshire
sagefarmantiques.com

Vintage Fashion and Textile Show
Collector quality textiles and vintage clothing
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
May 10
vintagefashionandtextileshow.com

Brimfield Antique Show
Thousands of dealers at one of the largest flea markets in the world
May 11-16
Brimfield, Massachusetts
brimfieldshow.com

Trade Secrets
Event features rare plants and garden antiques including garden tours
Sharon, Connecticut
May 15-16
tradesecretsct.com

Rhinebeck Antiques Fair
Focus on American Antiques
May 29-30
Rhinebeck, New York
rhinebeckantiquesfair.com

Todd Farm Antiques & Flea Market
240 vendors from around New England
Every Sunday through November
Rowley, Massachusetts
toddfarm.com

For a full list of antique shows around the country visit antiquesandthearts.com to download the 2010 list of events.

Inspired By Eggs & Sofra

Katy Elliott — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:23:01 +0000

I picked up a pack of fresh beautiful eggs from Siena Farms at Sofra in Cambridge this afternoon. I now know what color I really want to paint my walls, Araucana. The Araucana is a breed of chickens that lay beautiful blue/green eggs.

I know Martha Stewart carries a paint color called, Araucana but it looks a little too teal.
When I held the Araucana egg up to my paint samples it was really close in color to Verte De Terre from Farrow & Ball. The egg was just a few shades lighter.

Below my super yum lunch I shared with fellow blogger, Kate Flaim at Sofra. We had a blast trying out different flatbreads and sweets. My falafel style flatbread had a really interesting beet spread. Above and below photos of my eggs and lunch.

Sofra Bakery & Cafe
1 Belmont Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 661-3161
sofrabakery.com