Chaletmomma

The Beauty! The Scent!

Friends I was thrilled to visit to Long Valley Peonies in Long Valley, NJ with my sister yesterday. When I looked back at images from last years visit it was a year ago to the very day May 28th!

BREATHTAKING

If you live within a few hours’ of Long Valley, NJ you must visit. Luckily the weather won’t be too hot this week - which means I’m able to go back this coming Monday June 3rd - this time with friends. But, only Mother Nature dictates how long the farm will be open!

Located at 227 West Mill Road, Long Valley, NJ, 07853 Hours: 9am-6pm daily, rain or shine. It costs $10.00 CASH to visit. The bouquets are $35.00 for 10 blooms - I did see details about Venmo but, CASH is preferred. There are great options for dining just down the road from the Farm. The Long Valley Pub and Brewery, Chesapeake Tavern - I recommend both.

It’s heavenly friends - walking around breathing in the scent, seeing all the blooms - so many different varieties and it’s so quiet. You are surrounded by amazing beauty. I have over 50 images on my phone - I just couldn’t stop trying to capture this immense experience.

This my mixed bunch of 10 blooms I brought home.

I encourage you to visit Long Valley Peonies. If you’re very far from New Jersey look in your area and find a farm or garden to visit. 🌼

Give Long Valley Peonies a follow and check out their Website.

Til next time friends be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram!

last year’s visit: Long Valley Peonies (2023)

Amie Buice

Hi Friends this month my featured interview is the ridiculously talented Amie Buice; an Artist, Interior Designer and Art Teacher on top of being a momma to two sweet boys.

Amie thank you for carving out the time to pop by the Chalet with your very busy schedule - can you introduce yourself to the readers. Hi Meryl, thank you for having me! My name is Amie Buice and I am 37. I have two boys, Trask who is 8 and Oliver who is 6. We have a golden retriever named Posy and a muted calico named Clover.

I grew up in a family of creatives. My great uncles were architects, many of my relatives were artists, and my parents have a great eye for all things design. Designing and decorating my childhood home is a passion of my mom Maria and she has a greater talent for and knowledge of design than anyone I know. My dad Bill also has incredible vision for architecture and landscape design. I was fortunate enough to grow up watching them build a beautiful home together, which is where I learned to love interior design. It is also where I first experienced the way your home’s style is a form of creative expression.

One summer when I was in high school my brother and sister were both at camp. During this time, while I was home without siblings (love you Will and Rainey haha), my Mom and I took on the project of redecorating my bedroom. It was the first time that I had a real say in the way that my room was decorated, and my Mom went all in with bringing my vision to life. We painted the walls a deep purple, the ceiling a dark blue with gold stars. The carpet was a gold shag (which I still stand by!), the light fixture was a star medallion and the bedding was black with beautifully embroidered flowers. It was a dream! We spend the week painting and decorating, listening to the Train album on repeat. I can’t listen to “Drops of Jupiter” without thinking of my Mom. It is one of my favorite memories, and my first hands on experience with Interior Design.

You studied art and interior design in college and recently you entered the world of teaching as an Art Teacher - can you share this evolution. I started out at the University of South Carolina (go, Gamecocks!) and graduated from the Art Institute in Charleston. Entering college, it was my plan to become an Interior Designer. I started out with a major in Studio Art and minor in business. Along the way I realized that I really needed an Interior Design degree, something that was still relatively new, so I transferred and graduated with a BA in Interior Design.

I worked in Interior Design for years under some incredible people and gained so much knowledge and experience.

In 2015, when I was pregnant with my first son, I decided to start my own business so that I could be home with my family as much as possible. I was able to make my own schedule and become more busy as my boys became more busy. Overall, I’ve practiced Interior Design for 13 years.

Over the years my business transformed from solely Interior Design, to also incorporating making and selling art, and eventually to painting decorative wall motifs in my client’s homes.

The evolution of painted wall motifs came from a project that I did in my own home. I had a vision of filling my boys bathroom with bug art (they are ALL boy), then decided just to paint the bugs on the walls. I was inspired by a friend of mine who had been painting walls (shoutout to Marian Pouch, a very talented Columbia, SC artist!), so I just went for it. I posted my progress on social media and immediately had friends and clients asking me to do something similar for them.

Boys Bath with Painted Bugs

Over the course of a year the painted wall motifs became a larger part of my business than the Interior Design. The motifs that I painted on client’s walls were inspired by textile designs, prints that I love, colors in the clients homes and working through a client’s vision. I have so much fun working through an idea with a client, and testing options until we bring what they have in mind to life.

PAINTED MOTIF OPTIONS

After 13 years of practicing Interior Design, last year I was ready for a change. For the first time my boys were both in school every day and I felt a shift in what was bringing me fulfillment. I really missed working with other people, and if I was going to change careers, I wanted it to be something that was practical for a life with my boys, where I could work and still enjoy them as much as possible. Teaching Art was something that I knew I could be happy doing for the rest of my career, so I started on an alternate certification route for Art Education. Last year was my first teaching Art at an elementary school and I have truly loved it. Next year I will be teaching Art at the school that my boys attend, which will be a dream come true. But, I still take on design clients especially ones who want hand-painted walls!

**Amie’s Students were studying Matisse and inspired her to paint this piece**

Amie can you tell us about your design philosophy – your brand is about decorative arts and personalized details for your clients. My design philosophy is that anything goes! I am a no-fuss type of person and that translates into my design style.

I think that a person’s home should be reflective of who they are, functional for the way they live and comfortable to them. Nothing should be too pretty or perfect, old things should be mixed with new things, hand-me downs are fantastic, thrift stores are like a treasure box and children’s artwork should be hung… if not on a wall then at least on the refrigerator! I also think that every room needs something that is “off” and unexpected.

Color Testing

Final Design

Will you share what your favorite space is in your home and why. My favorite space in my house is my kitchen. There is good natural light, the cabinets are blue and the floor is painted. There are old chairs around my grandmother’s table and a fabulous vintage rug that my Mom gave me years ago. There are plates on the wall, dog bowls and messy baskets with pencils, markers and paper for my kids. The refrigerator is covered in pictures and art. I love to cook so 5:00 pm in the kitchen with a glass of wine and music playing is my favorite place to be.

How has Social Media and especially Instagram impacted your brand? Social Media has played a huge role in my business. For Interior Design, many of my clients came from word of mouth but for art and wall motifs, almost all of them came from connections that I made on Instagram. I have a love/hate relationship with social media, as many of us do. But, I do love the friends that I’ve made through social media and the inspiration that fills my feed daily.

ARTWORK BY AMIE

**A creation Amie framed to KEEP AND ENJOY**

Do you have any plans for the rest of 2024. Oh gosh I’m not much of a long term to-do list maker! But to carry on this year I’d like to enjoy the summer with my boys and begin my next year teaching art with lots of inspiration and excitement. I’ll always find time to squeeze in some painting, too!

Amie thank you again for squeezing me in with your busy delightful life. I am so inspired by the art and life you’ve created where you live your passion.

I encourage you to follow Amie on Instagram and go check out her Website.

Til next time I’ll see you over on the Gram!