Country Home Magazine Shoot on Cape Cod

 Life is sooo glamorous these days!
During the week, sandwiched between babysitting

for my 2 year old monkey Reeve (which entails peanut butter sandwiches and diaper changes), 
I was invited to be a model and play a "guest" at a photo shoot for Country Home magazine
 by my friend Matthew Mead, the multitalented superstar in the magazine and book industry.  Matthew was producing this segment for CH and the location was 
my friend Sandra's beautiful home on Cape Cod.

 Sandra's home is quite famous now.

It has appeared in several magazines and has a devoted following on

Instagram at her account called Old Silver Shed. 

Even I wrote a blog post about it with lots of pics when I first visited it after 

both of our homes were featured in Matthew Mead's DECORATING magazine together.

(You can read that post here.)

 This house overlooks Old Silver Beach and its simply spectacular inside and out!

The CH shoot was about a summer Pie Party on Cape Cod.  

Just like a little movie, the magazine shoot has a script and Matthew Mead was the producer. 

 He advised me to come in a blue and white gingham shirt and to arrive at noon.

This side porch was to be the setting for the "Pie Party", and it is a porch I know well,

as I have slumbered in the dreamy room that leads out onto the stone pillared porch.

Yup, this is MY ROOM when I stay at Sandra's!! Yummy!!

There are French doors to the right that lead to the side porch.

So when I arrived I walked through my bedroom (lol)

and this was the scene, with the ocean as a backdrop.

While Matthew was getting the props together for the shoot, I grabbed

a pic of him with our hostess.  Matthew was going to have one of the pies

cut up and placed on the antique blue and white plates that all the "guests"

were to gobble up while being photographed. Ha! Have you ever seen 

pictures of people actually eating?  I myself cannot wait to see how we all

look at this Pie Party, eating and laughing at the same time!

Sandra Cavallo, Amy Chalmers, Ellen McHale

One of the other guests is also one of my favorite people, artist Ellen McHale.

I met both Sandra and Ellen through Matthew 

when he was doing his own magazines on decorating several years ago. 

 Flashback to 2015.

This is the night we all met up at a party I threw for Matthew Mead 

for the magazine launch at my old shop Maison Decor.  

Read about that party here.

We had so much fun that night, laughing our heads off.

We have remained good friends and our point of connection is style guru Matthew.

 We aren't supposed to share too much of the actual shoot, but I wanted

to show you part of the styling Matthew did.
 Those antique silver glasses were scooped up by Sandra 
at an antique place and they have quite a story to them. 
 They are sailing trophy glasses from the Beverly Yacht Club.

Her kids are into sailing and she loves anything that has a meaningful story behind it, like I do.

Which is why we both are drawn to using vintage in home decor, its so much more interesting!

 He also used a fabric by the fabric designer Paula Arndt 
that is similar to the one I upholstered my Swedish trundle bed. 

You can order fabrics and samples from her Spoonflower account. 
 I ended up choosing the faded blueberry gingham
at the top for my sofa.  Isn't it pretty? 

You can see it in the background at my dining room table. 
Anyway....I digress.

 Ok, here is one shot including a pie....
but really, look at the porch view!! 

OMG

For the last scene we shot, we were all sitting out on Sandra's lawn in the 

old weathered Adirondack chairs and waiting to be handed plates of pie. 

That will be one of the shots in next summer's issue of Country Home magazine.

Which is something to look forward to after the fall and very long 

New England winter....sigh.

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My first box of crayons

My creative journey quite possibly started when I was handed a box of crayons

in first grade.  At least I have strong memories of opening the box and smelling the 

scent of the new crayons. Being excited about it and then selecting a perfectly pointed new

crayon to start coloring on my school work.  I loved to color. Maybe I liked coloring more

than the other kids in first grade....I know creating and coloring did something to me.

If you had to remember your earliest memory of creativity, what and when would it be?

Fast forward a whole lot of years and I am still guided by my need to create.

Many of my friends are in this circle too, and thats no coincidence, as I think

like minded folks tend to gather around each other.  Last year I met a group of

multi-talented creatives when we all met via Matthew Mead when he featured us in

his magazines.  Left to right, Ellen McHale (artist) Matthew Mead (Lifestyle guru), 

Amy Chalmers (designer),  Sandra Cavallo (graphic artist and designer), 

Danielle Driscoll ( DIY design blogger), and Cary Goodrich (antique dealer) .

Its been terrific meeting these people and getting to work and socialize with them.

Of course you all have read my many posts about Matthew Mead.

We have been doing lots of projects together, including a recent trip antiquing

to New Hampshire for the day. Its always inspiring to be around him, as he is the king
of creativity in my book.  We both love antiques and vintage and its a pleasure seeing what
captures his eye and how he would interpret using it in home decor.

Cary Goodrich has a presence at both the famous Brimfield Fair and  Thoreauly Antiques Shop in Concord, Ma. Her creative eye picks the most wonderful smalls for collectors of all types, and 

I am always in awe of her personal collections and those she offers her customers. 

She showcases much of her intriguing collections on Instagram at CPGoodrich.  

Sandra Cavallo's home is the main attraction for her legions of Instagram followers.

Find her at OldSilverShed and see her brilliantly designed Cape Cod home.

Its quite possibly my most favorite house EVER.  Her background in design mixed with her

originality is evident in everything she does.   Simply amazing, this one.

Ellen McHale is a multi-media artist and she presented me with this portrait she

painted.  Her artwork is happy and fresh, and combines old bits of papers with paint 

from her palette.  Its so inspiring to me to see how others are creative.  Things they can do

I could never, and things I can do, they cannot....but we are all using our creative

energy to express ourselves.  And for me it started with a lovely box of crayons...

and a really fun and amazing first grade art teacher, whose name I don't remember.

(Danielle and Ellen at Sandra's house for a party, MM in background)

I was honored to be asked by Danielle to be featured on her blog as part of her 

"Creativity Over Coffee" series. 

 I liken it to a Dick Cavett interview...anyone remember him?  

Always interesting and thought provoking and pleasant. 

Danielle's interview is about the "Creative Process" and how one goes about finding theirs. 

This time it was my turn to share on her blog, Finding Silver Pennies.

It probably isn't as good as this interview, but who knows? 

They really are yucking it up over something Katherine Hepburn said.

  Dick looks embarrassed!! Hahah! 

But isn't it always interesting learning more about people in general?

So, get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine 

(depending upon your time zone and preference)

 and then head over to Danielles' blog to read more 

of this compelling and fascinating interview with moi (!!!!).

"Creativity Over Coffee with Amy Chalmers"

CLICK HERE

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