One of my favorite people came to visit us at The Lodge yesterday. Emelie Tolley is actually my mother’s cousin, so that makes her mine as well, and (obviously!) part of the family. But as we all unfortunately know, not every relative is someone you can sincerely call a ‘friend’. Not so with Emelie Tolley, whom I consider one of my few kindred spirits! Funny thing was, we had never met until a few years ago, and when we did, I felt like I had known her most of my life. Emelie is a prolific writer and author (mostly about herbs) and a woman of many talents. As a young woman, I delighted in her books and started corresponding with her at Christmas time (… and she was gracious enough to write back!). So by the time we actually met face to face here in Jackson, I felt like we were already friends. Emelie’s visit this time coincided with the Mountain Garden Club’s Annual ‘Lunch And Learn’ Speaker Series, held next door at The Red Fox, where Emelie was the Guest Speaker. It was enormously successful, with over 110 people attending. This event has been in the works for well over a year now. Her topic was (of course!) herbs, one of the most rewarding and versatile plants you can grow. And we learned that choices of these wonderful plants aren’t just limited to the expected culinary, fragrant, or medicinal herbs. Emelie is an experienced public speaker and she taught us (with some humor thrown in) how to add color and texture to a border; enjoy a fragrant ground cover; enhance a rock wall; plant stunning containers, hedges or topiaries; grow culinary herbs without an herb garden; and create both formal & informal gardens.
Until we stayed up talking last night, I never knew much about her background, but Emelie has a fascinating one. She began as Fabric Editor for Seventeen Magazine, and then worked at an advertising agency dealing with Fabric and Cosmetic accounts. Over the years she was a Fashion Director for that industry. Ever wonder what colors will be popular next season? Until very recently, Emilie was one of those people who helped decide what colors would line the inside of your wardrobe, even before you did! To do so, she traveled extensively in Germany and France for the fashion industry, helping to choose “colors” for The Color Box, which forecasted upcoming colors for fashion designers. Having now been involved with herbs for over 30 years, Emelie began this adventure with an herb newsletter called “Living With Herbs”, and then wrote 8 beautiful books on herbs, including: Gardening with Herbs; Cooking with Herbs; Herbal Bouquets; The Herbal Pantry; Gifts from the Herb Garden; A Potpourri of Pansies; Tulips; Herbs: Gardens, Decorations and Recipes; Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge; contributed to a book called Attention to Detail; published a gorgeous, annual Herb calendar and numerous magazine articles. Her first book, “Herbs: Gardens, Decorations and Recipes” (now celebrating its 25th year) was the first lifestyle book on the subject, became one of the best-selling garden books ever, and has since become a classic. Many were translated into other languages and published in France, Germany, England and even Japan. Emelie was a Contributing Editor with Victoria Magazine from its first issue until its last. It has since been revived after a lapse of several years and is now under new ownership. Emelie has just written 2 wonderful articles for the latest issue, currently on the newsstands. Some of her TV appearances include Regis Philbin, and her show ‘Life With Herbs’, many segments of which can be viewed on You Tube, ranging from such topics as potting and planting herbs, making lavender shortbread, creating herbal honeys and vinegars, to distilling lavender oil and making herbal soaps. Along the way she created lines of china and wallpaper as well as a group of private label candles and spa products for Georgio Armani. She also created a line of bath linens and products for the Japanese market, and also had her own specialty shop at one point. Today I discovered that she once wanted to open a tea shop, something I have ALWAYS wanted to do … See what I mean? Lots of things in common … Anyway, this June, Emelie will be launching a website, ‘emelietolleyherbs’ with information and photos on all the many ways herbs can add pleasure to life. Her wonderful books, all of them overflowing with lusciously beautiful photographs, are collectors items and coffee-table treasures. Most are now out of print, but all can be found on Amazon. Unfortunately, right now she is on her way back to to her home state of Maine, and our two days together were fun-filled and too short. We had dinner at one of the local Thai restaurants last night, stayed up late talking about all sorts of neat things, and this morning we visited the White Mountain Artisans gallery where I sometimes work part time. It’s been a great couple of days … too good to keep all to myself, so I thought I would share her visit! Check out her books on the web. Spring is in the air up here in Jackson today and I’m itching to start planting some of those wonderful herbs!
Until we stayed up talking last night, I never knew much about her background, but Emelie has a fascinating one. She began as Fabric Editor for Seventeen Magazine, and then worked at an advertising agency dealing with Fabric and Cosmetic accounts. Over the years she was a Fashion Director for that industry. Ever wonder what colors will be popular next season? Until very recently, Emilie was one of those people who helped decide what colors would line the inside of your wardrobe, even before you did! To do so, she traveled extensively in Germany and France for the fashion industry, helping to choose “colors” for The Color Box, which forecasted upcoming colors for fashion designers. Having now been involved with herbs for over 30 years, Emelie began this adventure with an herb newsletter called “Living With Herbs”, and then wrote 8 beautiful books on herbs, including: Gardening with Herbs; Cooking with Herbs; Herbal Bouquets; The Herbal Pantry; Gifts from the Herb Garden; A Potpourri of Pansies; Tulips; Herbs: Gardens, Decorations and Recipes; Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge; contributed to a book called Attention to Detail; published a gorgeous, annual Herb calendar and numerous magazine articles. Her first book, “Herbs: Gardens, Decorations and Recipes” (now celebrating its 25th year) was the first lifestyle book on the subject, became one of the best-selling garden books ever, and has since become a classic. Many were translated into other languages and published in France, Germany, England and even Japan. Emelie was a Contributing Editor with Victoria Magazine from its first issue until its last. It has since been revived after a lapse of several years and is now under new ownership. Emelie has just written 2 wonderful articles for the latest issue, currently on the newsstands. Some of her TV appearances include Regis Philbin, and her show ‘Life With Herbs’, many segments of which can be viewed on You Tube, ranging from such topics as potting and planting herbs, making lavender shortbread, creating herbal honeys and vinegars, to distilling lavender oil and making herbal soaps. Along the way she created lines of china and wallpaper as well as a group of private label candles and spa products for Georgio Armani. She also created a line of bath linens and products for the Japanese market, and also had her own specialty shop at one point. Today I discovered that she once wanted to open a tea shop, something I have ALWAYS wanted to do … See what I mean? Lots of things in common … Anyway, this June, Emelie will be launching a website, ‘emelietolleyherbs’ with information and photos on all the many ways herbs can add pleasure to life. Her wonderful books, all of them overflowing with lusciously beautiful photographs, are collectors items and coffee-table treasures. Most are now out of print, but all can be found on Amazon. Unfortunately, right now she is on her way back to to her home state of Maine, and our two days together were fun-filled and too short. We had dinner at one of the local Thai restaurants last night, stayed up late talking about all sorts of neat things, and this morning we visited the White Mountain Artisans gallery where I sometimes work part time. It’s been a great couple of days … too good to keep all to myself, so I thought I would share her visit! Check out her books on the web. Spring is in the air up here in Jackson today and I’m itching to start planting some of those wonderful herbs!
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