Peonies are in Bloom!

Got a fab new Sony Digital camera for my birthday from my wonderful husband. The first thing I snapped were these 10 inch peonies growing in my garden. Can't take the credit for them, the previous home owner did the planting. The hubby says all my flowers having sex is wreaking havoc with his allergies!

Career Change!

I've been putting together a travel website of Connecticut and New England as a sort of first step in exploring the possibility of generating income online. ANYWAY...in researching my lovely home state I came across a local story of the ultimate career change.
Dolores Hart, who was the recipient of Elvis' first on-screen kiss in the 1957 film Loving You, and went on to star in the 1960 cult classic, Where The Boys Are, made the ultimate career change when she left Hollywood behind to become a nun at the tender age of 25. She joined the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis, in the rolling hills of Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Here, in a 1961 interview, we can perhaps see evidence of her future inclinations when the subject turns to men and marriage:
"Every man," she said good humoredly, albeit with conviction obviously born of experience, "is guilty until proven innocent." She had men neatly pigeon-holed in two classifications—those who want to tarry and those who want to marry. Nor did she lack the sophistication to recognize that the two roles were easily interchangeable. " [A] girl has to be on guard until she gets married. She must keep a wary eye on the situation. Now when I'm tempted to relax and have a good time, I try to think of how the man may react—what he may have in mind."

I Remember Tierney

Tierney Gearon, photographer, former model, dancer, mother, daughter.
In my search to find a new direction in my own life, I have been seeking out those I've known and taken a look at where their passions have led them. Like my old friend, photographer Donna Demari, fellow model Tierney Gearon also chose to express herself by shooting the world as she sees it, through the lens of a camera. After a controversial 2001 showing at the Saatchi Gallery in London, where some of her work contained nude images of her own young children, Tierney was thrust into the international spotlight when the English press pounced on the story and Tierney came the reluctant poster child for artistic freedom. In 2006, The Mother Project, a documentary, four years in the making by Jack Youngelson and Peter Sutherland follows Tierney as she puts together her most recent body of work, a series of 70 photographs focused on her mentally ill mother entitled Daddy, Where Are You?
As for the years when my path coincided with Tierney's - we were both living in Paris, working with the same agency, both American and former dancers. We would often end up in Hamburg, Germany, working for the same client, staying in the same rooming house and traveling to and from Paris together. She stood apart even then, in a very personal way that you could never put your finger on. Years later, we both married, moved to London, eventually divorcing and returning home to the States. I am not surprised by her work, despite the alarm the images have caused in the media. I admire her for being true to herself and when I heard her voice on the The Mother Project video trailer, it made me smile.

Connecticut - New England's Jewel

One of the things I love when I view other blogs, is getting a glimpse of how beautiful places are all over the world. Views of stunning homes, cozy cottages, gorgeous geography - a looking glass view into how the rest of the planet lives. Among those blogs, are the design divas (you know who you are) who day after day post exquisite photos of interior design, each decorated room more dazzling than the next. And although I long as much as anyone to recreate these spectacular scenes in my own abode, I think my heart truly lies not with the interior, but the exterior. So I thought I would show everyone out there what my little corner of the world is like - out under the blue skies of Connecticut. We are located on the east coast of the United States and are fortunate to be located on the sea, but also close to rolling hills, rivers and forests. Although we are located very close to New York City and Boston, Connecticut can be very rural and my favorite homes are the old ones, dating from as early as the 1700s. Though I live in a contemporary house at the moment, I spent many years living in an 1855 Colonial. Yellow with white trim and a cornflower blue door...loved it.
So here is my quick tour...of Connecticut.

Antique Farm House

Summer Mansion by the Ocean.



Old Stone House at the end of a Lane.


Antique Cape - circa 1787



Classic New England Seaside Home with Porch.

Antique Greek Revival Colonial in the country.

Coral Bay Inspiration!

Coral Bay, St. John U.S.V.I.
I had the good fortune last month to take a week and relax in St. John, United States Virgin Islands. I hadn't had any time off since last July, so believe me - it was a long overdue break!
We stayed in the sweetest cottage overlooking Coral Bay and spent our days swimming, hiking and sailing. The owners of the rental cottage, Mary & Jay are in semi retirement, having moved from Cape Cod several years ago. They were wonderful hosts and introduced us to many of their friends - most of them transplants from New England as well. On the bed in our cottage was the most beautiful quilt. Apparently Mary has been quilting for years and has incorporated a sewing room into her new island home. I think she has a real gift for color and all of her pieces are finished beautifully. She is just another inspiration for me on my quest to create my own Cottage Industry!