In the City I refer to all my properties by their address – come to think of it – even my childhood homes, 30 Cornerwood Drive, and 530 Main Street, were referenced by their number.  On the island, houses have names, and I look forward to discovering our house rental’s name each year upon arrival.  They are clever like “ACK Lantis”, adorable like “Sweet Pea”, often nautical like “Ebb Tide”, “Three Buoys”, or  “SEAsons Greetings”, and a few sad houses that have no name at all.  Such was the case with 7 Gardner Street – our rental.  It didn’t feel right that it was nameless.  Perhaps the owners didn’t want to get too attached, a name gives a place character, and personality, and this property is for sale, after all.  I’ve decided that it deserves a warmer address than 7 Gardner Street, so it will be known to me henceforth as “Knot-All-Us” a play on Nautilus of course, and in deference to the reality that the owners must share the property with others.

These owners are architects and did a lovely job of renovating and decorating, though the project isn’t done.  I’ve never had an issue with that.  I like to think of ownership in the collective rather than the individual.  Particularly with old properties.  Nantucket has the nations largest pre-1850’s houses, according to the Nantucket Historical Society.  This is due in large part to the whaling industry going kaput.  Everyone left, and left those beautiful homes behind.  They need a lot of work, and it’s too much to ask one person to take it all on solo.  Do your part, pass it along to the next person, that’s my motto.

The design is minimalist, seaside, summer home.  Not to be mistaken for a collection junk attempting to pass as pieces with character.  From the abundance of towels, to the fine bedding – the Oly Studio hide stool, and under the sea designed pillows, all set against clean white walls, and glossy painted floors, Knot-All-Us, has pizzazz. The artwork consisted largely of seascapes of their own making, and collected beach finds – coral, starfish, seashells, and rocks, decoratively displayed in bell jars, and baskets.

I was inspired.  I found my own piece of driftwood with it’s knotty branches, bleached by the sun, and naturally sculptural, that will return from the Island with me.  Oh it will take some doing, as it is no small piece, but as always, I am up for the challenge.  A home must have a mix of new and old, of natural, and of one’s own creation.  It must include bits, and baubles, and framed scraps of paper, ticket stubs, or cocktail napkins that mark your history, and tell your story.  Sterility is not allowed.  It’s simply too sad for words.

Today is too beautiful for sadness.  Save it for a snowy day, and go find your own piece of art.  ACK nice while you’re doing it.

Two Little Birds

I awoke this morning to the sound of a little bird singing a song and the fog horn sounding as the ferry-boat entered the harbor.  It was so sweet and calming.  I often think that if I had a soundtrack that followed me through my day it would be decidedly more pleasant.  I could pull myself along to the beat of a song through the traffic, on my morning run, hard at work at the computer in search of inspiration and the perfect combination of words intent on eliciting a “yes”.  Music has such powerful qualities:  to jog a memory, pump up your energy level, help you drift off to sleep at night.  It makes a party better, road trip bearable, a day at the beach – well you get the picture.  All this got me to thinking about my apartment to be, and sound systems.  I’ve never had an integrated sound system in one of my homes.  So fancy.

Soundtrack of my life…

The architectural details that abound in my new place have me reticent about doing anything too invasive – though I know a great electrician can make it virtually impossible to detect the locations in which they entered and snaked the wiring.  Still I am a bit hesitant. I know too that the advances in technology make your television a sound system in its own right.  With the use of sound bars connected to your TV you can create a theater like entertainment experience for music, movies, gaming – if you do that sort of thing – and programs.  Sadly, my set isn’t that sophisticated.  Without a man in my life, I continue to happily use my “non-smart” flat screen television set.  I know I would never be allowed to keep such a thing if I was consciously coupled, until that day is upon me, and/or that flat screen doesn’t survive another move, it’s staying.  So, I’ll need to find another way.

Bose SoundTouch

Bose has a wireless Soundtouch System which is designed to transmit sound throughout your house via your wifi.  This sounds like it’s right up my alley as it allows you to manage your existing music, and access other internet radio stations like Pandora or Spotify.  At just $350. the SoundTouch 20 Series II, and control panels for multiple rooms available at additional cost.  I can see myself marching to the beat of my own drum.

Today my soundtrack will include Zac Brown’s Toes in the Water….

Ian Mood is an English artist whose found his way to Nantucket.  Here he passes his days painting the sea and the sky.   Having studied the sky at great length, its cumulus and wispy clouds, stormy, dark and foreboding, it’s bright blue, its vivid pinks, and shades of violet, midnight, and all the colors in between.  I can understand his fascination with the subject matter.  His brilliance is expressed most vividly in his ability to capture the essence of a cloud. I think back to my childhood drawings.  Landscapes that depicted clouds like bales of cotton candy, pasted on the page.  My appreciation for the mastery he exhibits in representing the same, grows proportionally in sharp contrast to my infantile attempts – happy though they may have been.  If you have a similar love affair with the sky, and the shimmer and movement of the ocean, I encourage you to stop by Robert Foster Fine Art . 8 India Street . Nantucket.

Ian’s talent comes with a tag – not so hefty for many of the visitors that come to the island, but for me….not possible at the moment.  My mortgage broker has me on restriction until my deal is done….those regulations can really cramp my style.  Poor me.

His paintings range from $800. for a small 6″ x 6″ to $8000. for larger 32″ x 40″.  If that isn’t in the cards for you, I would like to say again, as I did in an earlier post – create your own art.  It’s fun, packed full of personality – yours – and hopefully will elicit wonderful memories.  I plan to send a number of photos I have taken on my trip here, off to Big Acrylic where they will make them look like they were dipped in lucite and ready to hang.  www.bigacryrlic.com.

Everything in its time Mr. Mood.  One of yours will be mine.  Everything in its time.

The Cottages at the Boat Basin, Nantucket

It’s lovely to see a home or apartment with perfect moldings, fine finished floors, all the paint between the lines. I strive for that in my own homes.  I am reminded here, in The Cottages at the Boat Basin, that in the end that isn’t necessarily what makes the overall experience a good one.  Zena’s Coffin is a little crooked, its floor slopes toward the back corner, finding there lowest point in the tub in the bath. The exposed beams – I mean 2 x 4’s, the simple louver doors that transmit every whisper of a conversation, painted masonite board walls, it doesn’t exactly scream luxury, and yet it is.  These little wharf cottages have the perfect layout.  The economy of space is proof that two beds, a bath, a kitchen and living room all fit into 450SF.  Amazing.

So what’s the trick?  Everything is kept immaculately clean.  The bed linens are 800 plus thread count and feel as soft as a baby’s toy bunny.  The pillows are pleasantly plump, and there are plenty.  The bath towels are plush, and again, they aren’t stingy with them.  There are few things worse than worrying about whether you’ll have a clean towels.  At this base camp we started with four travelers, and when a last minute guest found their way from NYC via the new ferry service, we made room for a fifth. Plenty of room and the pull out sofa – already made up in similar luxurious fashion meant that are last minute guest felt perfectly at home.

I hate to decamp, but this was just a layover to our next destination, our rental home for the week.  You didn’t think I would stay in one place for long – even on a vacation – did you?

I’ll miss the Boat Basin.  For me, it’s the heart of the island.  To run up and down the docks, to be free from supervision, to feel light, and happy, and full of possibility….who wouldn’t love this place?

Who wouldn’t want their life to be in pink.  To be “tickled pink” is to be very pleased.  To be “in the pink” in top form.  It is the color associated with charm, love, beauty, sweetness, sensitivity, tenderness, youth, and romance.  It whispers the promise of a new day, when you’ve been barraged by the sound of too many voices, honking of horns, and the general cacophony of life.  It soothes…and draws you in with its feminine charms.

Audrey Hepburn said “I believe in Pink”  Picaso had his pink period, and Elizabeth Taylor fell off her pink cloud.  While falling off the cloud doesn’t sound so great, having one in the first place seems pretty fabulous. And so is the color pink.  I love it’s softness.  It’s pretty and there is certainly a place for pretty in this messy, dirty, chaotic life of mine.  I feel the need to find a place for pink in my new home, but where?  Living room, no that will be deep midnight blue, kitchen, absolutement, non, bedroom maybe though I have done it before, bathroom is a possibility though I don’t want it to feel like Lilly Pulitzer with it’s green tiles…somewhere though.  Perhaps hidden in the closets of the bedroom.

Just five days until my long awaited, and much needed vacation in Nantucket.  Perhaps I will find the answer in the sunset at Galley Beach.  It’s a shooting star of a view.

I know that happiness cannot be traveled to, but if it could, you might find it on Nantucket Island.  At the very least, I plan on having a whale of a time.

Boathouse Boutique . 94 Main Street . W. Harwich . MA

If only life were that easy.  Stay in the lines, every color a number, every stroke a proper spot, a predestined image takes form, et voila – your life…pretty as a picture.  Well it’s not that easy, who wants easy anyway? I sure wouldn’t want it all the time, what a bore it would be, but now and again, it’s so wonderfully comforting to come across a song, or an aroma, a memory or an object that takes you back a decade or two.  That nostalgic connection can feel so expansive – so uncomplicated…not unlike those paint by numbers kits.  What fun I had, what a sense of accomplishment – not beautiful exactly, but beautiful to me.

Paint by Numbers …think again . I left with it.

To my surprise and delight, Helen Baker of Design Discount Fabrics, 94 Main Street, West Harwich, Ma has created the Boathouse Boutique, a tiny annex inside her design HQ, which is charming with its vintage finds, and furnishings of her own design.  Her nautical glassware collection took me back to a boathouse we bought on Herring River in the 70’s – glassware and all, and one of my very favorite boats – The Curlew a two mast, Slip Jack Ketch.  She too came equipped with nautical glassware that would have made a fine accompaniment to Helen’s collection.  From the quirky, think painted rocks – perfect paper weights or door stops in whimsical seaside themes, to the nautical chic – framed vintage Hermes Scares, fitting whether you summer in St. Tropez or Buzzard’s Bay, as long as you’ve got the dough, they’re ready to go.

A fine vintage…

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that in addition to Helen’s fetching boutique, she is a wonderful interior designer, and was a savior, in the height of summer, when I needed curtains fabricated for The Surf Shack.  The light in me shines at the light in you – except in the bedroom where your brilliant blackout lining ensures not a sliver of sunshine slips through.  A gal needs her beauty sleep after all.  Thank you for that.

In this 21st century, fast paced, need it…want it…got to have it, can’t live without it world in which we exist, I’m compelled to think about things that are worth savoring.  Things that will ground me in the moment.  While I desperately want November 2nd to arrive, to move into my new home, to sleep in my own bed – I imagine that bed calling out to me in muffled desperation, accusations of neglect and abandonment flying from inside the storage unit in Allston – “you said it would be just a few short months” – it’s already been three months, and three more before this nomad crawls onto her beloved PranaSleep mattress, lies spread eagle across it, it gives it a warm embrace.   If you knew how much I love my bed, you could forgive me for wanting November to arrive quickly, but that would mean the end of summer, and I am not anxious for it to come to a close so quickly.  One must submerge oneself in summer here in New England.  It should not be rushed, but truly be appreciated – the taste of the salt in the air, the beautiful buoyancy of floating in the sea, the intoxicating scent of honeysuckle, lilac, and rosa rugosa should not be missed.  But one must still be participatory in this century, soooooo  my ode to the instant is the launch of my Instagram Account.  Follow me at:  jackiefalla and see where my week takes me.

Instant Gratification

Charles Bukowski said “Some moments are nice, some are nicer, and some are even worth writing about”.  I think some moments are captivating, some are more captivating, and some are even worth sharing on Instagram.

I hope this week brings moments worth savoring.  Bon Appetit!

Ship to Shore

We all came from the sea.  It is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came.”  John F. Kennedy

Design by Tiffany Hubanks – Boston

Every color and nuance of the ocean informs my design.  It is an expression of every emotion, tumultuous and violent, serene and radiant, and every part bright and dark, salty and sweet, gritty and smooth as glass that exists in me and that I ever want to be.  It is the perfect expression of life, with all it’s amazing dimensions.  I am drawn to the ocean wherever I go.  I want to be near it, in it, on it, feel its buoyancy and heaviness, its power, its gentle touch.  It’s the fullest expression of a single non-human thing that I know.  I endeavor to pour a little of that complexity sass into my design.

I’m on a seaside sourcing expedition for a spark of inspiration.

Pretty as a Picture

To be clear I never plan on going to shopaholics anonymous.  The expression “shop until you drop” makes me feel a little sad for those that don’t experience that invigorating rush of adrenaline at the prospect of zipping from shop to shop, of discovering new treasures, of immersing yourself in textures and colors and visual delights .  To me it is a  blissful past time, bound only by the shop owners pesky hours of operation. To lose an afternoon to shopping is to find happiness.  I wonder if I could ever really know or understand someone that doesn’t feel this same way.  Line them up, make them handsome, and witty and wise, and I’ll conduct the research.

Christopher Wilcox . Waves

Every year I am sad to see a favorite shop has moved on to another local.  I like to think they’ve found their way to Palm Beach or Saint Tropez or some other enchanting local that supports business for more than the blink of an eye eight weeks of summer that are granted here on island.  While some must go, new shops pop up in their place to make a go of it.  I deboard with a bubble of excitement for what’s to come.

My favorite new shop is definitively Atlantic Nantucket.  Others that I visited yesterday afternoon include:

Flowers on Chestnut

Coastal – Nantucket . 7 S Beach Street . Nantucket.  www.coastalnantucket.com A beautiful combination of art and a mix of new and vintage furnishings are worth the visit down South Beach Street.  It’s airy and refined and the sailboats, which adorn the walls in the form of paintings and photographs, and the old school Hawian surf boards displayed in the shops corners are, well not priceless exactly.  They are in fact very expensive at over 6,000 clams but someone will buy them for sure.

Flowers on Chestnut . 1 Chestnut Street . Nantucket.  www.flowersonchestnut.com This really flower shop/home decor – find that on its second floor, but not until after you wander among the exotic blooms, inhale the sweet smell, and marvel at the host of colors. Each stem is a fortune so choose carefully, or select from their bucket of one dollar roses.  They last longer than one thinks.

Anderson’s . 29 Main Street . Nantucket . www.andersonsnantucket.com Home furnishings, and art, this shop always profiles artists that I haven’t seen elsewhere, and many furniture makers that I know and love including Bugalow 5 and Ro Sham Bo.

The John Rugge Antiques Shop. 5 India Street . Nantucket. Quirky mix of antiques and vintage items and curiosities.  Worth a pop-in.

There isn’t enough time to visit them all.  I’ll be back at the end of the month for 10 days and will continue to explore and report the best of what Nantucket has to offer.

Nantucket Harbor

I love this island.  I have since I was a little girl.

Nantucket Boat Basin

Whether I sail over, take the ferry or fly like I did yesterday afternoon, I get a tingle of excitement, a smile on my face.  I’ve loved it in every iteration from the seventies when it was a spot for locals and sailors and few others knew or cared about it.  We slept on the boat in the Boat Basin and run wild and free on the docks and in town while our parents did who knows what with who knows who.  I loved it in my twenties when I had nary a nickle to my name, in my thirties when the New Yorkers woke up and discovered it, bringing with them their money.  Boy did they bring the money, and like a light switch being flipped to the on position the restaurants, the shops the hotels, well they all lit up.  The food, the home decor, the fashion, the design it sparkled. Manhattan has nothing on ACK when it comes to home decor.  Conveniently and neatly tucked in along the wharf, on Main Street, and scattered around town are these gems.  I commend them for their inventiveness, their design acumen, and their ability to pluck the most unlikely objects from the wild, rendering them chic under their practiced eye….a tumbleweed chandelier, please I wanted to tumble right home with those crazy beautiful desert dust balls.

Atlantic Nantucket . tumble weed chandeliers

Then I remembered that I have no home – not yet anyway, and so sadly for me they remain hanging in Atlantic Nantucket.

16 Federal Street . Nantucket .  www.atlanticnantucket.com two other stops yesterday before the shops sadly closed for the night were Space at 4 Old South Wharf . Nantucket. Owned and operated by EliseGura.  Elise worked at one time for the famous Architect Peter Marino.  Famous to me anyway.  He designs the Channel stores around the world is fabulously talented, eccentric – clad head to toe in leather.  It’s what a Harley Davidson biker might look like if they too were dressed by Alexander McQueen.  Interestingly, he’s very approachable and like most great designers is a wonderful story-teller.

Elise Gura . SPACE and me

This all a long way of saying – Elise’s Space too is special.  A quirky mix of vintage furnishings, art finds, and fashion her shop is full of curiosities.  Her curating abilities have caught the attention of NYC big fashion buyers, but I am proud to say that I have seen her wares at Space first!

Bodega has these last few years become one of my favorites.  2 Candle Street . Nantucket.  How cute is that address?  www.bodeganantucket.com.  Stephanie is an interior designer and her store has a wonderful mix of furnishings and accents appropriate for city or seaside.  Last year I carried home with me a 5′ tall framed geode print on the ferry is if that was normal people did it all the time.  Stephanie would have shipped it for me but I couldn’t wait another moment to hang it in my home, so with me it came.

Bodega Owner Stephanie Sproule and me

And come here you must!  Nantucket….I feel young again when I am here.  Now for the beach, more shopping, great food and wine and we’ll see where else this day takes me.