Really Fried My Goat!!!!!

Amy Chalmers recently wrote about the wonderful people she has met through the crazy world of blogging.

And I agree.....

I have made some great friends and met some interesting people.....

BUT THEN THERE WAS 

THIS GUY!!!!!

Before I get into my ranting and raving, let me give you a little of my background on doing promotions for fabric companies........

A MILLION YEARS AGO.....

(15-20)

(maybe, can't remember.....)

I did an international ad for Sanderson Fabrics.

It was really exciting for me.
It was shown in all the shelter (home) magazines, from Architectural Digest to Better Homes and Gardens.....

Here's the ad.....

Next week, (or the week after), I will go into more detail about this room.

But to give you an idea of the amount of fabric Sanderson gave to me for the ad, check out this picture.....

photo from Design Times Magazine by Eric Roth photography

The walls were upholstered, the draperies made, the furniture covered and the trim all from Sanderson. I obviously loved the tea dipped look of the cabbage rose linen.

I KNOW!!!!!

Me and Cabbage Roses!!!!!

Hickory Chair, the furniture company, supplied all the furniture, as it was an ad for them also..... 

Both those companies were a delight to work with, and I still have fond memories of the whole process.

Soooooooo......

That's where my mindset is set.....

In my mind......

Like that there above.....

Last week I received this email.....

I've blocked the name of the company, 'cuz I don't want them to get any publicity from me, even if it's negative.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello,

I’m contacting you on behalf of I’m blocking the name. We discovered your blog recently and really like what you are doing. Because of this we have an interesting proposal for you:

We would like to give you some free fabric.

It may sound like a strange proposal but hear us out. We want you to use our fabric and create something cool. We will send you the fabric of your choice (within reason) and the amount you need (again, within reason.) We really don’t want any money, instead just mention we gave you the fabric.

For example, you use our fabric to make a cool pillow. You then write about that pillow and post lots of pictures. At some point in the post simply mention that the fabric was courtesy of I’m blocking the name and link to our site.

That’s it.

Simply head over to  I’m blocking the name , pick out the fabric you want to use and respond to this email with a link to that fabric. Also, make sure to mention what you plan to make with it. We will take it from there.

Hope to hear from you soon!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I clicked over to the fabric site, and spent quite a bit of time trying to find some fabric that I could use to make pillows for Maison Decor Boston.

Amy let me know 

(in her subtle way.....)

That she wanted to stick to a somewhat neutral palette.

SOOOOOOOO.......

She and I finally found a blue and cream linen stripe that wasn't too bad that I could make a couple of pillows out of for her new store.

SOOOOOOOOOO.....

I emailed the company back letting them know the fabric I had chosen by responding directly to the email they had sent to me.

This is what I received.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey Betsy,

I have the stripe for you, just measured it and there are just over 5.25 yards left.

Today is the last of the Free shipping, so you might as well grab it.

Please let me know asap

Michelle 

Designer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whereupon I responded.......

This is supposed to be for a blog post, where your company supplies the material for no charge in exchange for me featuring the fabric with a link to your site.

I'm confused about the shipping charge.

Are we not on the same page?

Betsy Speert

betsyspeert.blogspot.com

Whereupon......

She responded.......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so sorry Betsy, we sell the best fabrics for hugely discounted prices.  We are not able to send fabrics of your choosing to you at no charge.

Regards

Michelle 

Designer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By this point I was getting 

VERY CONFUSED!!!!!!

So I emailed her a copy of the original letter.

Then, being a big fan of mysteries!!!!! I called the company to see what was going on.

I spoke to an absolutely lovely women who was as confused as I was.

She asked me to send a screen shot of the email, which I did.

With this note attached.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paula, here it is right side up.

Oy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

(I sent it wrong side up on my first try.....)

THEN I WENT OUT AND HAD FUN WITH MY BIDNESS PARTNER KRIS, LOOKING FOR STUFF FOR AMY'S STORE!!!!!

We found some great things.

When I came home, I had received this email from the fabric company

(whose name I won't divulge......)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Very strange. None of us have seen that email, ever

Who is it signed by?

Michelle 

Designer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Up to this point.....

Everything had been professional, courteous, but just confusing.

THEN I GOT THIS EMAIL!!!!!!

OY OY OY OY OY!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Betsy:

I own and run  I’m blocking the name. 

The letter you got was sent by a company  we have on Retainer to come up with ideas to give our company more exposure (even though our exposure and ranking are already VERY high).  

This was an idea only, one which I had not yet approved and, by some misunderstanding, they thought I had approved it and sent out the invitation to swap fabric for honorable mentions in people's blogs. 

I did not intend to approve it, and rather, just intended at most to approach a small group of people who's blogs we would be interested in associating with. 

Sadly, your blog is not on this list. I find your blog quite negative in its general tone, and though your readership may find your "attitude" amusing, I find it casts a negative pall over all your articles, even those where praise is given. 

Sorry for the confusion, but you may now consider this matter closed in terms of bartering fabric for a mention in your blog. 

Should you wish to purchase the fabric you like, you can do that directly on the website, or call us for assistance.

Thank you, 

John Fuller, Managing Partner

I’m blocking the name

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whereupon.....

I responded.....

Dear John,

I have been nothing but pleasant in my correspondence with your company.

As a designer of more than 30 years with 2 design books under my belt, many magazine covers and an international following, I do not want or need free fabric.

I was willing to do this post as a fun project that would have given a small company exposure.

I am very disappointed in your disparaging  comments about my blog.

They were neither necessary, gracious or professional

All you had to write was that there had been a misunderstanding and that you were sorry for any confusion that an agent under your employ may have caused. 

Someone representing your company contacted ME.

I responded in good faith.

Then you insulted me.

Again, not professional.

Elizabeth Speert

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am very grown up!!!!!

Then this guy still had to have the last word!!!!

What is his problem?????

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY BLOG,  LEAVE ME ALONE AND GO READ SOMETHING ELSE!!!!!!

He wrote.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for you reply.  

You yourself advertise " a lot of attitude" right on the front of your blog. 

I find this " attitude" one which I don't wish our products or company associated with. 

I am entitled to my opinion, and to make these sorts of decisions for my company  

If you have " attitude",  and tell it as you see it, dont get insulted when someone looks at your blog and does the same. 

Certainly to get insulted when someone does exactly the same as you do is ridiculous in the extreme. 

John Fuller

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stick a fork in me.....

I'm done.

But I really had to write about it because his behavior was so bizarre.

Thanks for letting me rant and rave, you guys.

You're the best.

And then I received this comment from one of my readers.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katherine Wolak has left a new comment on your post "Redoing the Front of My Cape Home": 

What an adorable post, made me smile, youre such a happy and positive person! :D 
hugs, 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tell ya, my readers ROCK!!!!!

Latah, Gatah

A Cottage Pocket Garden

I love little spaces. 

Maybe it's because I'm the youngest of 5, 

and that's all I could eek out of my family home growing up.

I found all sorts of hidey holes in our yard where I could curl up with an apple and a book.....,

(or a bar of chocolate and a comic.....)

(don't tell my parents)

Sooooooo.....

today I'm going to show you guys one of my terraces....

I know! 

right?

ONE!!!!!

I've got two!!!!!

This is my barbecue terrace.

Not to be confused with my lie on my @$$ and read terrace.

See my grill on the left at the back?????

It's plumbed into the house's gas supply, so I never have to deal with a propane tank.

I am living large I tell ya, 

living

 LARGE!!!!!

Let me show the class how I got to this point of grilling bliss..... 

When I first bought my condo, there was no terrace here.

Just a rectangle of crab grass with no way to get to it.

Not that you'd want to get to a rectangle of crab grass,

unless you're a crab.....

Although, I don't think crabs have lawns.

And if they did.....

I don't think they make lawnmowers small enough for them to use.

Okay, now I'm just being silly.....

Speaking of being silly.....

You wouldn't believe the idiot I have been dealing with over the last couple of days, 

so he says......

WAIT!!!!!

I'm supposed to be writing about design......

I'll tell you about that later.....

BACK TO THE GARDEN!!!!

This terrace is off my dining room.

I changed the window in the room to sliding doors, and now I can get to my new terrace!!!!!

Here's a shot looking into the dining room when I bought my condo.

So I changed the window to this.....

I like it better.

Sooooooo.....

Now I had a way to get outside, I needed to make it purty....

I had a bluestone terrace installed in a round shape.

Why round you ask?????

Because it's more expensive that way!!!!!

The mason has to cut the stone.

why can't I do anything

 the simple and easy way?????

I have had this garden table for eons.

EONS

EONS

EONS!!!!!

I made it out of the top of an old white metal table from 

Scandinavian Design.

For those of you over a certain age.....

(you know who you are.....)

remember that store?????

I put the top on a resin figure of Pan.

I am no longer thrilled with this design decision.

But I have it, it works, so I've kept it.

Didn't look that great with the old, rusty, dirty, white top.

 Ruins the overall look.....

There's old chippy cool.....

And then there was my table.

Then I met Amy Chalmers.

Then I found out about chalk paint.

Then I realized that I was not a prisoner of dirty white tables.

Bwa ha ha!!!!!

So I whipped out the Annie Sloan Graphite.

And painted up this baby.

(first I washed the top with a little soap and water.)

The whole thing took almost no time at all.

Two coats later and it looked like it had a stone top!!!!!

Past the round terrace and grill is my little rose arbor I put up.....

This is how the back looked the first year I live here.

I could see the condo units behind me.

So I planted climbing roses on the arbor I found online.

Installed a Kousa dogwood behind it, 

and have had the association let those round bushes grow up and together.

So now.....

I can't see anyone behind me.

And I hope they can't see me either. 

 I had stone steps added outside the new doors with platforms on either side for my cement dogs.

I tried to fit in all the things I loved when I moved to the condo.

The little tree on the right is a tree hydrangea.

It fills in over the summer and ends up like this in the late summer, early fall....

I ringed the whole area in large hosta that have a wonderfully fragrant flower that blooms in the middle of the summer and perfumes the night air.

I love leaving my windows open in my family room for the wonderful scent.

They have large white trumpet shaped flowers that get really wet and drench me when I'm grilling.

I'm too lazy to trim them back.

Oy.

I've run out of things to talk about.

Now I have to go grill my chicken.

Today is the sell by date on the  package, so I can't put if off any longer.

Latah, Gatah

Redoing the Front of My Cape Home

I don't know why I keep telling you guys what I'm going to write in my next post,

 'cuz I always change my mind.

I was going to start showing what I've been doing to my niece Miriam's chairs.

I even told a really nice fellow blogger, Lisa, who shared some great tips with me that I would write about the tips and show her blog here....

BUT THAT IS FOR THE NEXT POST, or the one after that.....

 (unless something else comes up.....)

However.....

I've had several requests to show the outside front and back of my home up here in the north.

Now that I think about it.

This is going to be a multi-post story.

Let's start with the front.

'cuz that's what you see first.

Unless you're breaking in, 

and then maybe you'd be coming in the back.....

Below is what it looked like when I bought the place.....

I had the stoop enlarged so I could place a bench next to the door.

This is important.

You needs a place to set your groceries when you comes home from the market.

Also, 

being the klutz that I am.....

there was a good chance I was going to fall off such a small stoop

 one of these days.

Then I had the front re landscaped.

Then, half the stuff died, so I had to do it again.....

The first time, I had Shamrock Inkberries planted as the main foundation plant.

That was (I think) 3 years ago.

Then we had a hellacious winter with tons of snow, and they were annihilated.

As were the euonymus planted along the path.

And some of the boxwoods.

And then 

the perennials that I thought were nicely behaved started spreading and taking over the planet.

Watch out for Fake Indigo!!!!!

It turns into a massive garden sucking hog.

Sooooooo.....

It's now at my brother's house, where there is room and it can stretch its legs.

I replaced the inkberry with rhododendrons which have been very happy to come and live with me.

I edged the path with hosta, pulling out the dead euonymus, which I never liked to begin with, but allowed someone to talk me into it.

I know, I know, there goes my rep for being a hard @$$

In between the rhododendrons and the hosta I filled in the space with pink and white knock out roses. 

If you want a no fail rose bush. These babies are the ones to choose.

I decided that I was not around early enough in the spring to control perennials, so I set a variety of annuals around the roses, and they filled in nicely.

So that solved my problems for the front flower beds, and created the English cottage garden effect I wanted.

Next, I got permission to change the color of my front door.

Oh, yeah, and I changed my front door,

The red one was metal and dented and crummy.

The green one is fiber glass and not dented and not crummy.

And I changed the screen door to one that closes, and works, and all that good stuff.

And I added a door knocker.

I am now going to go take a picture of it, and it is night, so the picture is going to be crummy......

See, I told you it would be a crummy shot. Check out the shadows.....

I put a nice new door handle and lock from Baldwin on my nice new door, too. 

Then,

I added a trellis to hang next to the door for the Clematis vines I planted.....

The vines are there.

I see them in the spring.

They grow a couple of feet.

Blow me a Bronx cheer, and disappear.

Oy, OY, Oy, OY.

But I like the look of the trellis, even without any plants on it.

So there!!!!!

This past spring, I splurged and had a drip irrigation system put in.

Then I had new know out roses and annuals put in.

WOWZER!!!!!

Water is just amazing.

Who knew plants needed it?????

So that's the front of my home in Massachusetts.

I still have the back to show.

There's actually stuff to see back there.

Weeds.

Bugs.

My parents.

Latah, Gatah

Maison Decor Comes to Call and Doesn't Bring the Paint.!!!!!

Amy Chalmers of Maison Decor came over to visit yesterday.

She was supposed to bring me the paint I needed.

She sells Annie Sloan chalk paint.

SHE WAS LATE AND DIDN'T BRING THE PAINT!!!!!

WHAT THE #$% IS THE POINT OF BEING HER FRIEND?????

OK, now that I got that off my chest.....

I feel better.....

How are you guys doin'?????

SOOOOOO.....

Amy came over to see what I've been up to.

I showed her the chairs I'm painting for Miriam, which I will be sharing in my next post.

BUT NOT TODAY!!!!!

Today, 

Believe it or not....

I have more stuff to show you in my study!!!!!!!

(If you're sick of looking at it.....

This is Amy's fault, she thought I should share with the class.....)

I finally got the plantation shutters for my windows in my living room and my study!!!!!

I showed you the wood grills I snapped into my other windows to make them feel more cottage-y.

But since my living room and my study are in the front of my condo, I'm not allowed to put them in those windows.

So, I went to my buddies at Back Bay Shutter, and had them install my new shutters.

This helps disguise the contemporary look of single pane windows.

 Here they are closed.

I thinks it's very cozy.

But then, I spent a #$% load of money on them, 

so I better like the damn things.....

 This is what I had before.

These are wooden Venetian blinds.

They were nice but didn't cover the look of the modern windows enough.

But this isn't what Amy wanted 

me to talk about!!!!!

She wanted me to show you guys this!!!!!

 I had a horse nine years ago.

She and I were a team.

We won some ribbons!!!!!

 Her name is Daisy.

She's a good girl.

So I sold her, and now she has a better life with a family.

 We won some ribbons!!!!!!

 Here I am riding her, thinking.....

"Don't fall off, don't fall off, don't fall off....."

She's not pissed off at me, her ears are back in case I have anything pithy to say to her.

She liked it when I sang.

Yes she did TOO!!!!!

I never touched a blue ribbon till she came into my life!!!!!

Except for the blue and white one below,

 but that was for a vignette in the Boston Flower Show, 

and decorating doesn't count.

 I wanted you guys to see how productive Amy and I were yesterday.

Here we are taking pictures of each other.

('course, you can't see me,

'cuz I'm taking a picture of her, 

taking a picture of me, 

taking a picture of her.....)

For those of you who commented on the horse show ribbon I have hanging in my bedroom.

I didn't go to the college shown on the ribbon.

That was the college hosting the horse show!!!!!

Jeesh, 

don't you guys know nothin'?

HEY! like the way this post is meandering around?????

Stream of consciousness.

Or

Unconsciousness....

Can you have a stream of unconsciousness???????

Ow, my brain is hurting.....

Soooooo.....

before Amy left my home, she looked in my inventory that I have with my bidness partner Kris,

 (stored in my special storage in my basement special place that I have that's very special)

 and took some things to sell in her Boston store.

This is a table on a stand that

 I repainted and decoupaged the print onto the top.

 I cut a stencil for the border and painted it with real fake gold.

Every night after dinner, I would go up to my workroom and add another layer of ModPodge on the top so the print would be on the same level as the top surface.

I am now selling this table for what I paid for it.

So you would get 

ALL THIS DAMN WORK FOR FREE!!!!!!

No that's wrong.....

You'd get it for less than I paid.

I'm not including the cost of the print!!!!

I AM 

A GOOD BIDNESS WOMAN!!!

The tray sits nicely on the stand.

Being an idiot, I didn't notice it wasn't in place when I took this shot.

So that's today's post.

A little of this.....

A little of that.....

And a lot of nothin'!!!!!

Latah, Gatah

Making Modern Windows Look Cottagey

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know how I am not a fan of windows without mullions. Actually they are muntins, but most folks call them mullions. 

My father would insist on using the correct word, but what's the point if no one understands what I'm trying to say???????

Anywho.....

I live in a condo, so I am not allowed to change the window style.

Don't these people know that I am the arbiter of taste?????

DIDN'T THEY GET THE MEMO???

Wellllll............

Being the clever vixen that I am.....

I figured out a way to work around this dilemma!!!!

I mainly get away with this, because I am just doing this on the windows in the back, so no one can see them.....

Steve, the associations president, just shakes his head, and has decided to choose his battles......

BESIDES.....

NO ONE CAN SEE THEM!!!!!

My windows are Pella casement windows....

Here is a shot of my sewing/upholstery/project room...

BEFORE THE BIG TRANSFORMATION!!!

 OK, OK, OK....

I didn't clean it up for the photos.....

I am an important and busy babe, and have too much other stuff to do.....

I ordered the snap in wooden grills from Pella.

I just had them look up my order from 8 years ago....

and they were able to get me the correct sizes.....

 Here's the first one installed with my own little hands....

It just pushes into place....

Here's a side by side comparison with two grills installed....

I can't get over the difference it makes to the look of the window....

 All three snapped in place!!!!!

I think it looks tres cottagey!!!!!!!!

 Just had to show you guys the view from the other direction!!!!

 Now I have to make the valence for the window.....

I'm freaking out, 

'cuz I'm running out of projects for my house.

But my niece Miriam

HAS STARTED ME BACK ON HER HOME!!!!!

I've been in my basement for days painting her

 @#$ 8 dining room arm chairs.

actually.....

I've only worked on 4 so far......

I'm doing them in milk paint......

reupholstering the seats......

making pillows for the backs......

I KEEP REMINDING MIRIAM THAT ALL THIS IS FREE!!!!!

SHE REPLIES THAT IT AIN'T!!!!!

'CUZ OF ALL THE ABUSE I'M HEAPING ON HER LITTLE HEAD!!!!

She feels, that that is her payment.

Ha!!!

Wait till she receives the karma bill when I'm old and need help.....

Because that's the only reason I'm doing this.

I hope you're reading this, 

MIRIAM!!!!!

So campers.

That's it for today.

Go out side and get some fresh air.

Latah, Gatah