Mary DuLude, Author at PaolaPrints

Imagination Brings Winter Respite

February 17, 2020

Welcome to Fantasy Land Connecticut- where the summer cactus is in full bloom and imagination runs wild. Weather this year has been a bit strange; hot, cold, freezing rain and intermittent snow. Know what I mean? A couple weeks ago, I ventured out to the garden as I was starting to see tiny buds on trees. I was horrified to see some bearded iris roots emerging from the ground. There’s no question that even as the days grow longer, we have some winter left. It’s got this gardener worried. Everybody OK out there? After hand surgery December 18, I’m still
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The Garden-Winter Dormant

December 29, 2019

This winter I’ve felt particularly dormant. Apologies all around for not maintaining blog posts in recent weeks. My right hand is still in the first of two casts following hand surgery on December 18. This, and future posts are being dictated voice to text. What a drag. However, surgery was the entrée for the Ultimate Christmas Gift. A couple weeks ahead I received a text from my daughter-in-law. ”Could we bring dinner?” No second request needed. Christmas dinner was awesome as several couples and my son, the Maple Bacon King, descended on the house and prepared a MOST tasty dinner.
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Color Transitions

November 21, 2019

Well, I managed to cover the boxwoods this year without freezing to death. The gardens have finally been put to bed in preparation for winter and the holidays. Not before the ground colors conspired to deliver a gorgeous last fall palette of colors. I’ve been thrilled with the bush covers we bought last year- and learned the hard way to not store them in an unprotected outbuilding. One of them got half eaten last year. Some tips about winter garden care in general. We tagged a tree last weekend at Angevine Farm in Warren CT. I can’t tell you exactly
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Scarf Ordering Deadline This Saturday

November 12, 2019

The holiday ordering deadline for new scarf production is this Saturday, November 16th at noon to guarantee delivery. I’m having hand surgery in December and the cast is on for five weeks. (yikes) I offered up my left hand eight years ago and it came out great, but who can say goodbye to her writing sewing, dressing, everything hand for five weeks? Fortunately, we have some scarves in stock too- including those fabulous new WARM all cotton infinity scarves. Or, see all the scarves here! Ladies Night Out See you later this week!!! Come on down for a visit to Litchfield, Thursday,
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Holiday Fairs Incoming…

November 6, 2019

And there’s a whole lotta sewing going on..This is a new Paola Prints chiffon scarf called Endless Summer. Morning glories and sunflowers. This Saturday, Paola Prints will be showing beautiful pillows and scarves- including a collection of new 100% cotton infinity scarves at the Central CT Community Women’s Club 45th Annual Holiday Craft Fair in Cromwell CT. This is a one-day, juried craft show from 9:00-3:00 pm and will be chock full of exciting handmade gifts. See you at the Cromwell Middle School. This is a juried show so you know we’re a bunch of very special artists… Paola Prints will be
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Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2019

How much do YOU know about candy corn? I’m a huge fan. Straight sugar and the texture..So apparently are many others. Did you ever wonder WHY it’s called candy corn? The story of candy corn. Got any leftovers? Candy corn cookies! Fair time is here and I’m thrilled to say we have eight new designs. Four are the original chiffon scarf, and four are our brand new all cotton infinity scarf just in time for chilly weather. I still haven’t got photos for all of them so be patient. Soon! We’re doing three fairs – all are in Connecticut: Saturday, November
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Parenting Plants

October 22, 2019

Every gardener understands the drive to hover over plants through all kinds of weather. Learning to care for succulents has been challenging. They don’t want you hovering! Last week, the shower gift that made my day was a Haworthia Maughanii Hybrid. A succulent. What a cute plant! In searching it out to make sure it wasn’t toxic to animals, I discovered plant expert George, aka Prickly Pete. In 2017, George joined up with some other kindred spirits at Artisan Plants, “Where Picasso meets Mendel.” A whole new world. Fascinating. Here’s a link on general pet care and plants. Artisan Plants
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Time’s a Wasting

October 15, 2019

Before very long, the snow will fly in the garden. In the meantime, lots of work still to be done. Most of the garden is covered with leaves. I’m not yet ready to clean up. I’ve been transplanting hosta to fill some bare spots and tomorrow will be moving the large phlox into its own space. The three new Japanese willow bushes are in the ground, and I’m trying to keep them watered. The fall garden can seduce one to itself to the exclusion of much else. It’s fun! Speaking of crazy busy, the somewhat frantic pace of Jenny and the
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Call Me A Mid-Century Modern Woman

October 5, 2019

I still haven’t figured out why I love the mid-century look so much. This year is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus (a German art school active between 1919 and 1933 and associated with the style) so I’ll just go with it. Each year, we wind up doing something related to mid–century. Last year we attended a Bauhaus lecture at the Clark Museum. This year we took a cool house tour! More about the mid-century aesthetic, an overarching movement spanning architecture, interior design, product design, graphics and urban development from roughly 1933-1965. More Mad Men Modern Tour in Norwalk Last
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Talking Textiles in New York

September 25, 2019

Every person has a unique approach to getting a project done from start to finish. Some would call it “creative process.” Recognizing what our own personal style is can be useful in getting better results the next time. Like many others, I can be a slow learner applying new info consistently overtime. This week, I trained into NYC for the 2019 “Talking Textiles” conference- part of New York Textiles Month. The event was again hosted by Lidewij Edelkoort, a world -renowned trend forecaster, and the Associate Provost and Dean – Parsons School of Design. Living in Northwest Connecticut is tremendous in so many ways.
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