When recently interviewed for lifestyle magazine Urban Agenda's article "Home Away From Home" Jeff shared a few thoughts.   "After working with many clients on their second or non-primary residence, I find that people tend to extend invitations to their second home that are maybe different from their primary home -- extended family, acquaintances, old friends from earlier phases of life -- they like to share their special spot."  

I love to travel...for work, for pleasure, for inspiration.  And over the past several years it seemed that whether I was on the west coast or the east coast, in the north or south, The Scout Guide kept appearing.  Each one wearing its own distinctive color-themed cover and each book unique to the place of my visit.  It popped up at my favorite inns, shops, galleries, gardens and restaurants. Patty and I started a collection of them ourselves, a keepsake from our places of travel. So last year when the editor of the first edition of the Northern New Jersey Scout Guide approached me to tell us that we had been scouted I was thrilled to be a part of the book.

These stunning images of the Governor's residence Drumthwacket in Princeton were just shared with me yesterday.  They will give you a glimpse of the work of the garden clubs I had the pleasure of working with this fall.  As we toast the tradition of the garden clubs of New Jersey decorating the residence, I want to again thank Tillie Emmert, NJ Garden Club decor chair, and the garden clubs from Keyport, Morristown, Mountain lakes, Somserset Hills, Seaweeders of Bay Head and Mantaloking, and Warren for sharing their talents.  I highly suggest scheduling a tour as a holiday activity and if you can't be sure to watch the video tour below.

A favorite tradition of Governor and First Lady Christie, and the many who served before them in NJ, is to transform Drumthwacket for the holiday season.  As the Fine Art Committee Chair, this is my third holiday season involved with the styling of the holiday decor.  Over the years the Garden Club of New Jersey has volunteered in this transformation, some years supporting a specific holiday theme, some years collaborating with other arts groups.  This year’s theme is toasting and celebrating the Garden Club of New Jersey’s tradition of decorating Drumthwacket which first began over 25 years ago.