Tess Home

So Much to Fuss About!

2012-03-05T11:00:00.005-05:00

We have been working like little worker bees over here at Tesshome. Our workshop has been overflowing with new finds and new projects.

Painting, Sanding, Painting, Sanding, Painting, Sanding! No day is complete without sand in your eyes and paint in your hair. To be honest, we wouldn't have it any other way. Every piece we finish is a complete labor of love.

A little while back we came across a set of beautiful french provincial cabinet doors. We held onto them, and were patiently waiting until they decided, what they wanted to become. What? You didn't know furniture could speak?

Recently they spoke up, and informed us that they wanted to be made into cabinets, and so we did what we were told.

Tall and perky, they are now in the finishing stages and are ready to be accessorized and put out on the store floor. We love how proud they stand and how they create the perfect shabby palate to adorn any room they will reside in. Fill them with books, bits and bobs. We love them to pieces and are thrilled with the end result.

Yet another item that has stolen our heart is this lovely French provincial vanity. Painted with care, we have lovingly restored this little gem back to its full potential. There are so many aspects to his piece that make it special, from her beautifully curved three part mirror, and dainty drawers, to her marble top.

This piece takes us back to the days when we sat at our mother’s vanity and played with all of her make-up and draped every necklace she owned around our necks. We picture this little lady shining in any bedroom, and being used to its full potential and loved for years to come.

With as many pieces of actual furniture that we have coming in on a daily basis, we also find it just as important to have new home accessories for you to drool over from some of our new vendors.

Take a look at this genius idea. It’s a garden… in a bag! Brought to us from the Potting Shed Company, these have been really selling and is it any wonder why? Not only is it adorable, but talk about easy peasy! Simply cut open, water, and watch it grow in the bag itself! We have various different herbs, and flowers a long with a great kid-friendly version, that will make you swoon! It is the absolute perfect gift for any occasion or simply “Just Because.” Earth friendly and affordable and available at TessHome now!

Next up on our accessories tour we have two amazing candle collections from Paddywax. They’re brilliant. Every day we get compliments on how amazing our store smells. Well, these little guys have something to do with that. Our first collection is decked out in scents named after the beautiful cities of Paris, London, Rome and New York; they are the perfect quirky gift for that jet-setting friend you never know what to get, or for yourself!

Our second Paddywax collection, "The Library Collection," will make you melt (Pun-intended). Named after literary greats Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and Leo Tolstoy, each soy candle smells better than the next. They are all packaged to die for, and are ready to be “oooed and ahhhed” over. Stop in and take your sense of smell on a vacation.

Our last stop on the tour brings us to one of our favorite soap and candle makers, "Dreaming Tree Soapworks." Talk about a trip for your nostrils. Lovingly hand made all natural soaps and hand made candles. The company has even started to make TessHome custom made candles, using their fabulous scents and pouring them into antique tins we've collected from our travels. Completely unique. All of the products from this line are made with only the finest ingredients that nature has to offer. Locally made and locally adored!

With our store evolving and while we are continuously looking and coming across new vendors, we will always try to keep you guys, our customers, in the loop. We want you to have first dibs! We also want to take this time to let you all know that we are always scrounging Estate Sales and flea markets for new finds and are constantly on the look-out for pieces that customers have asked us for. In addition to making sure we find you what you’re looking for, we will happily do custom paint jobs.

So if you have had a piece of furniture in your home, and know it needs some TLC and you don’t have the time in your busy schedule, we would gladly take on the project for you and give it the look that you so crave. Give us a ring, or stop on by, our doors always open. Well, till 5 p.m. that is!

Stop in today and check out all of the worker bees here at TessHome and come see what all of the fuss is about!

Road Tripping for the Soul

2012-03-01T11:00:00.004-05:00

Meandering about the small towns on the Delaware is something I will never tire of. The history, the country side, food, shops, and its overall feel, is nourishment my soul needs.

We took off to Bucks County, PA and Hunterdon County over the last few days. We crossed over narrow bridges of architectural wonder and traveled down winding roads. Some of the paths were older, others we newly discovered.

One of my favorite places to stay is The Logan Inn at New Hope. It is located in the center of town. It’s more than affordable, and it houses a restaurant and bar. The Inn was established in 1727, and is the oldest continuously run inn in Bucks County, and one of the five oldest in the United States. Although an intimate luxury inn, The Logan Inn has sixteen spacious guest rooms, each furnished with colonial period pieces and antiques. And if we don’t have the energy to go further after a long day, it’s more than perfect.

We generally always head to Lambertville’s Boat House for drinks. It’s cozy and private. A real vacation for the eyes. It is a place you don’t want to miss. According to French Tower Travel Guide, “The Boat House" is one of the most wonderfully dark, romantic and quirky places you’ll ever find. The Boat House is filled with an odd and eclectic collection of maritime memorabilia, maps, pond boats, model ships, oars, paddles, sailing prints artifacts and artwork unlike any other I have ever seen. There are strange, marvelous and interesting things hanging at odd angles everywhere you look in this place.

Martine’s and Karla’s Bar and Restaurant are also Lambertville favorites of mine. Another MUST see is the Marsha Brown Restaurant, with its gorgeous stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and grand staircase. It was previously a church and it’s has to be over 100 years old.

We will find just about any excuse to head to the Pennsylvania area. Our destination on this trip was the 'Buyers Market of American Craft.'

It is a very well managed fine arts and crafts show.

I wrote a few orders, but found myself rushing a bit. We got there on the very last day with only 3 hours left to the show. I purchased some beautiful items for the store from, Blenko Art Glass and Jaguar Art Glass, a beautiful etched art glass company. I also wrote a few other orders with some new vendors.

Later this week we are bringing in some new vintage picks and there are plenty of pieces in the workshop! So keep in touch, and I will do the same.

Oh! As always my favorite food that I had this trip was...

At “Maria’s Cafe” in Long Valley, NJ. I had the Panini. The main ingredients included, Prosciutto di parma, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, baby spinach, and blood orange balsamic vinegar on Foccacia. YUM !

P.S. The Prosciutto and Foccacia made the entire meal!

Till Next Time,

We Need YOU!

2012-02-23T14:31:00.005-05:00

Hey Everyone!

We are very excited here today at TessHome and you, yes you, are the reason. Every single day we get so many wonderful customers come in and share their projects and stories with us. We hear all about the kind of trim you’re putting up in your bathroom, the paint you're using on that end table, or the new fabric you just picked up at a thrift store, that would be amazing on those new chairs! We love it all, and we truly believe we have some of the most inspirational and creative shoppers out there.

We want to try something new. Not so long ago these little beauts found their way into our store, and have charmed their way into our hearts. There is just one main problem- we cannot figure out what to do with them. The instant decision was to cover them in all different kinds of fabric. However, the more we stare, the more we appreciate the slightly dated, but impeccable quality fabric that already occupies residency on them.

This is where you come in. What do you think we should do with these two chairs and why? Cover them? Leave them as is? Do something really crazy and funky? We want to hear every idea!ugh opinions and thought, we will tackle this project head on- letting you, the costumer, decide exactly what we will do! Sounds fun, right? We thought so too.

SO.... give it your best shot, and don’t be too timid! Get those creative juices flowing! Ready…Set…GO!

The One, The Only...Annie Sloan Paint.

2012-02-14T15:21:00.032-05:00

It's all the craze in the blogging and furniture world, and is it any wonder why? Here at Tess Home, we have developed a slightly, mild, and we'll go with 'healthy', obsession with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Why do we love it? That's easy. This paint has a tons of wonderful qualities. We love how well it applies to furniture and how it literally eliminates prep work. Say good-bye to sanding and priming, this paint can be directly applied to any high gloss finish.

It can be costly at $39 a quart, but the advantages to using Annie Sloan make up for that. Not only is it easy to apply, but it has a very quick clean up time, dries even faster, covers well and sands down beautifully.

Once dry you are left with a marvelous chalky finish that begs and invites you to distress it. Annie Sloan Chalk paint is THE paint to use if you are going after the vintage look.

We also love how true the colors. According to Annie Sloan's site, here are the Top 11 reasons why this paint is so super special, and we have to say, we conquer.

1. It's the BEST paint for painting furniture by a long way
2. No need to prime or prepare
3.Extremely low VOCs so it is good for the environment
4. You can use it on any surface, indoors and out ( the outside of our shop was painted in it- perfect!)

5. You can use the paint by diluting it with water to make a wash to show the wood grain
6. The colours are mixed intelligently and the web site shows how you can adapt your colours for your use

7. It's a girls' paint, but boys can use it too.
8. It's flexible so you can be creative and change your mind
9. It allows your walls to breathe so it is perfect for cottage walls
10. You can use it as an impasto ( thickly) - leave the lid off to thicken
11. We've been making it since 1990 so it's tried and teste

Take a look at some of the new pieces that we have done at Tess using Annie Sloan.

Above we have chosen the following Annie Sloan Paints; Duck Egg Blue, Graphite, French Linen, and Old White.

Come visit us in our Point Pleasant Beach, NJ store location on the charming Arnold Avenue, or click here for our Etsy page and discover all of our beloved finds.

****Disclaimer: At TessHome we only work with Annie Sloan Paint, we do not distribute.****

Tess Home Is Overflowing With Jewels

2012-02-14T12:04:00.025-05:00

Mark Scherzer of "Scherzer Antiques" has teamed up with Tess to bring us a 'time capsule' of sorts, in the form of vintage and costume jewelry.

Step back into past decades with fixtures oozing with sparkly and whimsical finds. Finds that take you back to your grandmothers vanity, where you ever so carefully, draped her pearls around your neck, spritzed on some of her favorite perfume and clipped on those overly dramatic earrings.

Delicately and lovingly sprawled all over our stores chippy furniture, the setting to showcase these amazing jewels, is ideal.

From chunky bracelets for everyday wear, and vintage cufflinks to ornate necklaces and delicate hair pins.There is a look and a feeling captured in each piece. Leaving something for everyone.

Take a gander....

Take a closer look and stop into Tess Home today.

They Spoke To Me

2011-03-21T19:14:00.004-04:00

Like many of us in this business, we find objects, collections of things and discardia "calling" us.
In this first picture, these tiny cabinet doors called me, and so to the workshop they were stored til I passed them the other day and it hit me!! They wanted to have this interesting vintage fabric fit up into them. Next to it, in the eleven pane window, is a old California potato sack, and finally vintage "C" clamps and a heat grate become wall art. If these items called me, they wanted to be something...in time it comes to me. I hope you see what I see:)

2011-02-26T08:49:00.006-05:00

On My Way To The Market

One of the things I love most about this business, is the early mornings out on the road. The weather is still cold here, but if I'm dressed right I find it so invigorating to be up and out before dawn. Getting the "itch" to scour the flea markets I head out by 5a.m. As I drive west from my home, I am surrounded by farmland. The geese gather in a field bathing in the morning light. Approaching the market I can see from a distance the vendors are few, but I know I will find something, I always do! I come upon a dealer I've seen before, but haven't actually met, turns out his name is Mark. Well, Mark and I became acquainted...I spent a good hour or more buying from him!! Yellow ware, pyrex, vintage kitchen utensils, vintage fabric, old prints, mirrors...the list goes on! And by the way...another reason I love the flea markets, the people, they are so real!! Its was great to meet you Mark!

2011-02-09T19:44:00.005-05:00

Vintage fashion...shabby chic furnishings ...and collections of findings for your home, artists and crafters! 2600 square feet of INSPIRATION!!! Open 7 days!!

2011-02-07T20:47:00.003-05:00

We opened Saturday and had a steady flow of customers even tho the weather wasn't quite cooperating. I am so pleased with the way my vision for the store has evolved, the space has a special aura. I will update the website soon with new items and delete what has been sold. Requests for specially sought after items are always welcome, please email me and I will do my best to find them!

What to do in the wee hours of the night (~_~)

2011-01-12T16:29:00.005-05:00

...when I am going thru a sleepless period in life I sort of enjoy being all alone at night with NO demands on me, I can do as I please if I have the energy:)
The night before last, with an impending snowstorm upon us, I felt, as I usually do before a snowstorm, like "super" nesting! When I food shopped that day I was sure to pick up the necessities for such "nesting"! A whole chicken, lots of veggies, yeast, tea, honey, and more! So....yeast, yes, i was thinking homemade bread. Baking is NOT one of my strong points ( Sure I have my "tried and true", and they ARE somethin' to write home about, but they are few, no matter, COOKING is where I shine in the kitchen!

So back to the bread . It took 5 hours to make basic, Laurels Kitchen recipe, whole wheat bread. It's good, but I think the last stage of the pre-cooking is where I blew it:( it needed to rise a bit more...as is always the case in my household, its getting eaten!! now on to a new recipe for next time i happen to wake up...... in the wee hours (~_~)
...P.S. here's a great spread, not uncommon, for toast. soften 1 pkg. cream cheese and mix with 1/2 cup or more of finely chopped stuffed green olives...YUM!!!! Be Back Soon. Happy cooking and baking:):)

Been a Long Haul

2011-01-12T09:08:00.007-05:00

Another beautiful snowy morning to awaken to! This picture is looking out from my side porch, to the back yard.

Well, the end of construction has finally come near, not quite done, but close enough to start bringing my inventory in...take two! haha! Movers scheduled for Saturday and it HAS to happen and will!!
Yesterday we finished the floors in the rear section of the store. It's an interesting idea and looks great and...big plus, INEXPENSIVE! I had 2' square pieces of chipboard plywood cut at the Depot and we glued and screwed them down then two coats of polyurethane. What do you think?!

"Get up...and do it again"

2011-01-06T07:10:00.003-05:00

....well, it's the ongoing saga of the "floor situation" at my store! agghhh! but I'm not even gonna go there, TOO boring! it'll get done!
I have the movers scheduled to bring inventory in today before the next snowstorm hits, which will work out well, as it will give me those snowy days, when most don't venture out, to start setting up the store. YAY!!! So, work clothes on, and off I go....here's a picture of my house after last snowstorm!

I see the light....at the end of tunnel

2010-12-31T17:51:00.004-05:00

Thankfully when i got to the store this morning the floors were dry and beautiful!! I forgot to take a picture but will be posting more in the next few days as i start bringing inventory to the store. Today i worked on painting the stamped tin ceilings in the back of the store. I had to put the sprayer aside due to CONSTANT clogging! I went with a long nap roller which was interesting, as i rolled, blobs of paint were dropping on my HEAD!! hahaha! In the end, they came out good. So now I just have to finish painting the back of the store, finish the floors, a bit more electrical and I'm good to go...fingers crossed!

so....this is not good:(

2010-12-30T15:50:00.002-05:00

i spent the last week preparing the hardwood floors, tearing up carpet, scraping glue, scraping more glue, sanding, then polyurethene. only problem....the 5 gallons of poly i bought was BAD!!! o man! so back to home cheapo for 5 more fresh gallons and back to work...lets see what happens...fingers crossed:)

2010-12-09T09:55:00.003-05:00

....yesterday we started pulling back the wall-to-wall carpet. Yahoo! Them thar is hardwood floors!!!! YAY! OMG! this store is gonna be beautiful! we are getting close, most likely mid-January....

Out on the Hunt

2010-12-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

It was a fun, exhilarating weekend of buying!! I hit some estate sales that were PACKED with vintage goodies. I'm torn so many times about driving a long distance to a sale. It seems there's only so much figuring I can do, then.... I just gotta go with my gut!! In the end I almost always find something to buy....its an addiction!! So I continue to stock up on inventory so when Tess opens in January you will be AMAZED!!

Paint...Spackle....stamped tin ceilings, Oh my!

2010-11-30T18:49:00.002-05:00

Spent the day salvaging stamped tin ceiling tiles...wow... what a project and a dirty one at that. The painting is done in the front section of the store and it looks awesome! I'm not going to post the completed pictures until its near opening day.

Thursday the duct work will start and take 2 days to complete. In the meantime the carpenters are finishing trim work in the rear section of the store and then I can start the painting there. So it was another productive day ~_~

Renovations...and Suprises

2010-11-29T18:34:00.009-05:00

......Tinted glass storm window removed to reveal beautiful leaded glass transoms!
.......Windows found behind wall!
........Ugly drop ceiling taken down!

The renovations are coming along nicely and exposing the original beauty of this space!

TESS finds a new HOME!!!

2010-11-18T18:23:00.007-05:00

I have FINALLY found a location that "speaks to me"!!!

We are officially located at 707 Arnold Ave. Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.!!!!! I think all my searching has paid off. This is a 100 year old building with charm and aura not often found, it boasts 12 ft. ceilings, leaded glass transoms, above storefront window, hardwood floors, stamped tin ceilings......and a few hidden suprises, being 3 double hung windows we cut out from behind a wall!!!
Things are moving along beautifully thanks to Michael Brennan my carpenter and confidant, an amazingly talented, kind, funny, thoughtful man!.
Plans are to open January 2011!!

....Stay tuned:):)

2010-08-30T09:51:00.005-04:00

My niece Ashley, on right, and Nell in my kitchen...

Well.....that was an interesting weekend! My niece Ashley came for a very brief visit from Rhode Island, all of 12 hours!! It was sooo good to see her. We ate, drank, laughed and reminisced with her, my 4 sons, my youngest brother John and his daughter Nell. I love to cook...and eat!...I made a dish I've had at a beautiful restaurant called Scarborough Fair in Wall/Manasquan, NJ.

As for the buying this weekend ...I did find some interesting things. A pair of unusual etched mirrors, a WHOLE bin of wooden shoe forms!!.... original watercolor and other goodies!! Be sure to check the website for more info and pricing!

2010-08-23T09:16:00.005-04:00

Funny how things happen in my world.....so I come across the flowered chair, i LOVE, one day..... then the following day, five towns away... is this oil painting, which looks as if it were painted to match the room where the chairs might be!!!! SWEET! I did come across two other great tables, that are PERFECTLY shabby, which I'll post to here and the website probably later today.

Also please visit my friend Gail's blog..adventuresininnkeeping.blogspot.com....Gail is an awesome writer, antiquer, decorator...the list goes on! She and her husband own the ONLY B&B in Manasquan THE NATHANIEL MORRIS INN and its super charming!

2010-08-20T20:05:00.006-04:00

.............Found some really cool furniture and other vintage goodies, check out the website soon for more information and pricing!

MY FIRST POST !

2010-08-17T15:52:00.008-04:00

WOW!! I finally did it....with the help of some very patient, talented people! My website has been launched, this blog....facebook and twitter. Below are some things I picked up this past weekend. I look forward to reconnecting with my previous customers and of course, appreciate everyone spreading the word and meeting new ones! Please check back often, as I continue to bring you "shabellicious" finds!

Stay tuned...

2010-08-10T15:20:00.000-04:00

Tess Home's blog is now up and running! Check back soon for updates...but in the meantime, visit Tess Home's official site at www.tesshome.com

Test

2010-07-28T20:59:00.001-04:00

This is a test entry for Tess Home's new blog!