Let's Meet Amber Clark

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AMBER CLARK

This week I’m thrilled to introduce my friend Amber Clark she’s a Hospitality Specialist. Her focus is Connection Over Impression.

Amber Welcome to the Chalet! Thank you so much for your time. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Hi Meryl - I’ve been married for 31 years to my High School sweetheart Tom and we are parents to three sons Graeme (Graham), Gavin and Ian. We’ve had our Springer Spaniel Lucy for two years.

We live in Holland, MI. I attended a small liberal arts college, Hope College, here in Holland.

Your town is such a special place. Yes, Holland, MI is indeed a special place! It, and the surrounding areas, were founded by Dutch settlers who came over in 1847. They were seeking better economic opportunities and religious freedom. The Dutch are known for their exemplary work ethic. There are many family-owned businesses in the area. Although we are not Dutch, we appreciate that ethic and launched our own deck building business in 2020.

There are Dutch-themed attractions in the area, including the De Zwaan Windmill that came from the Netherlands and is the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the U.S. Every May is the Tulip Time Festival, named the best Tulip festival in the U.S. There are events, parades and millions of tulips on display. Downtown Holland is our favorite. The main street has charming restaurants and shops. We do a lot of downtown date nights. Things are clean, beautiful, and safe. We love our downtown!

The Clark Family

Will you share a bit about your family and growing up. I grew up in a small town in mid-Michigan. We lived in Dayton, Ohio when I was very young but it was becoming a dangerous place so my parents moved us to the small college town of Alma, MI. I grew up playing beneath a huge willow tree in our backyard. My mom Mary was intentional about creating traditions in our home, like waffles and bacon on Saturday mornings. February picnic on the living floor in the middle of wintry February with grilled hamburgers and brownies.  I didn’t have the benefit of growing up with extended family around me but our small church became like family. My Sunday School teacher Mrs. Mayes would take me out to lunch when I was a teenager. She always dressed to the nines when we went out. Another took me out after a high school break up with a boy. These women were intelligent and gracious. They were replacement grandmothers in a lot of ways for me.

First Instagram Post 2016

You started your Instagram account in 2016 with the above image. You have an entrepreneurial as well as educational spirit - am I correct did you once operate a tea room? It was always my dream to operate a tea room, but the timing never lined up. I have had a cottage scone baking business and catered smaller tea events for bridal/baby showers. I began collecting china with the idea of wedding rentals but there were downsides to that and the needs of my family at the time. It’s been a process but I’m finally at a place where I believe teaching hospitality is the best combination of my love for hosting and writing. My plan is to write a book on real hospitality to encourage women in our every day walk of life. 

Oh Amber how wonderful! I want a copy of your Book when it’s published!

Some of Amber’s Collection

You have a terrific collection of China. Have you always collected it? When did you start. I began collecting teapots and cups/saucers many years ago when I was first married. I’m a huge Anglophile. That collection has grown over the years. As mentioned before, I collected more actively when I considered starting a rental business. I sold much of that off. Now, I have a beautiful Spode collection because a friend gifted me her mother’s collection in 2020.

I think you also taught baking classes. I did! I opened my home for scone baking classes in December 2019. It was a hit. Then 2020 came and everything shut down. I just felt afterwards that wasn’t where I wanted to invest my time. Again, publishing seems to make more sense to me in terms of reaching a larger audience.

You seem to be a shining example of welcome but, how did the idea of Hospitality take hold? My personality in general bends towards encouragement and gathering people together. Our family regularly had people over for dinner. My parents made room for others in our home. I’ve always loved parties, coffees with friends, etc. In 2020 especially the desire to talk about hospitality grew as we were all separated. We saw what an emotional and mental toll that took. The other thing was that I noticed many young moms complained of feeling alone. They thought they were connected through social media but we know it’s not the same. People aren’t being taught how to host others in their homes and social media/television makes it look like you have to own a big home and live a perfect life to offer hospitality. People are starving for connection. I believe part of my role in this life is to teach and encourage people to reconnect through hospitality.

Do you have a signature go-to entertaining meal? I absolutely love brunch! It’s so easy and everyone loves it. When serving our boys and their friends, I love doing soups and pasta. I also love to make a simple cream tea (scones and tea) for friends from time to time. 

This Post on Instagram has been liked by 14,700 People. showing People want connection.

You are a contributing columnist at Homemade Homesteading Magazine - how did this opportunity present itself to you? Jenna Smith (The Teacup Homestead), publisher of Homemade Homesteading, reached out last year to invite me to write for the magazine. This was after I really committed to defining my message on Instagram and took growing my account more seriously. 

I also write regularly about hospitality for a monthly publication available only to our local community called Lakeshore Living and I’ve been published in Healing Homes Magazine Article “Tea Time With Littles”

I’ve always been a writer - I received a B.A. in Communications and Minor in English-Writing from Hope College. My first job was writing copy for a small travel trade publication. I eventually became editor and did some traveling for the company. After starting our family, I still wrote for the company part-time. I also did some freelance writing. During my boys’ elementary years, I worked in our middle school library. It was one of my most favorite jobs – introducing kids to reading!

Why did you start your website A Cordial Home? Partly to feature more of my writing as well as grow awareness of how necessary hospitality is in our lives. 

Amber there are several articles on your website I’ve enjoyed but, this one is so impactful!

How has Social Media impacted your brand? When I really sat down in January 2023 and decided on my message of hospitality, followed some good marketing accounts, and started posting regularly, Instagram not only grew my following but gave me a place to practice and hone my message. It’s really neat when people share and adopt your mottos like, Connection Over Impression. Or message you about how they’re offering hospitality in their homes. I try to remember, there are real people on the other side of accounts I’m interacting with. I’ve also met so many wonderful people on Instagram. I think of everyone like a “pen pal.” 

Recently you started a few new things on Instagram. The first is a Subscription feature - offering subscribers giveaways, wedding season sneak peaks, party planning and behind the scenes access. How has this been working out? I am enjoying sharing more details about our families upcoming wedding and more of my china collection and my storage, etc. and parts of my house that I wouldn’t normally share to the broader audience. I am learning as I go some, but I do enjoy it. The subscription is $4.99 per month but I also offer a discounted rate (half off) every couple months or so that remains the same for the life of the subscription :) 

The second is a Series the Hospitality Conundrum. Can you tell us more about it. Yes, I often receive private messages from followers wanting my thoughts about a challenging hospitality issue and I thought with permission - that this might provide help for more than just the person asking the question.

So I share the Conundrum with my whole audience asking ‘What Would You Do In This Situation’ and they weigh in and share their experiences, collective wisdom and I too share how I would handle it. I’ve really been enjoying learning more about how others react to situations.

Tea in the Garden

Will you share a recipe with us? Sure! Here’s my delicious Cream Scone recipe.

Cream Scones

Simple Cream Scones: Oven 425*

  • 2 cups flour

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • Whisk dry ingredients together

  • Add 1 ¼ cup heavy cream to dry ingredients and stir with fork until dough comes together. It will be sticky

  • Form a 2” round on prepared (sprayed with baking spray) baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar

  • Score into 8 pie-shaped pieces and pull pieces apart to bake 10-12 minutes

  Serve warm with jam and lemon curd

Plans for the rest of 2024. I’d like to do more public speaking on hospitality in the coming year. Begin work on a hospitality book proposal. Lots of celebration coming this year as we see our middle son married in September and most likely another wedding for our eldest son in 2025! God is good! 

Meryl Thanks for everything I appreciate your interest and support as always!

Amber how wonderful so much celebration and opportunities await you! Again many many thanks for stopping by the Chalet! Friends you can find Amber on Facebook, Instagram and A Cordial Home.

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on Instagram!

Images: Amber Clark

Let's Meet Melody Borghesani

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MELODY BORGHESANI

I’m so delighted to feature this lovely lady - Melody Boghesani is a dear friend and although we haven’t met in person yet; we chat often about real world issues and family matters.

Melody Welcome to the Chalet! I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Thank you Meryl. I’ll start with my husband I met him in 1986 and got married three months later! He had dated my younger sister and I’d met him a couple of times. He was five years younger than me and I never thought anything would come from it but here we are 38 years later with a son and a daughter, and a granddaughter and a grandson. Looking back, it seems a bit crazy but it was definitely meant t to be! Being a grandmother is the most wonderful gift I’ve ever received. Seeing my son as a father brings such joy to my life. I’m so blessed to live close to them for now in Pennsylvania and spend as much time as I can until we retire to our little cottage on Cape Cod.

the Captains Cottage

You’re known on Instagram for your wonderful design style… in both your homes but correct me if I’m wrong, I think the majority of your account is your sweet Captains Cottage – the home you’ve purchased with your husband as your retirement destination. Awe, thank you, Meryl! Yes, our home on Cape Cod has stolen my heart and I share so much more of it on Instagram. It still seems like a dream!

Captains Cottage livingroom

What year did you purchased the Captains Cottage? If memory serves you didn’t see it in person until the day you signed the papers. We purchased our cottage in 2019. Interesting story…whenever my husband and I talked about retirement, he’d always mention moving south. We had lived in Virginia and Louisiana and loved the people and hospitality so much in both places.  Living in the South was wonderful in so many ways. Our children were born in Richmond, Virginia. My family is still in Virginia.  So, it just seemed logical that's where we’d end up. But, one day I said wouldn't it be nice to retire on Cape Cod.  And, miraculously, my husband agreed! When he said we should look for a home sooner than later, I couldn't get on Zillow fast enough.  I wasn't going to risk him changing his mind!  We definitely had parameters of what we wanted in a retirement home.  A one story home with a garage, central air-conditioning and not too far from the water. We made one trip to look at homes in the areas we could afford and we found nothing. So discouraging.  But…I had found our cottage on Zillow but didn't even mention it to my husband because it was two stories, no garage and no central air-conditioning.  Time went by and I thought our dream wasn't going to happen any time soon.  Then one day, my husband asked what I thought about that blue house.  I thought he couldn't be asking about the house I have stalked every day and knew every inch by just looking at the listing photos? But, he was!! It just so happened that he was going to Boston for a business event and made arrangements to visit the home while he was there.  He loved it!  After a few negotiations, the home was ours…the owners accepted our offer. The week before we closed, we rented a U-Haul and loaded up everything that we thought would fit.  I thrifted a few items, too.  Our closing date was one week before our son’s wedding back in Pennsylvania.  We had so much to do.  We drove the six hours up and I saw the home for the first time the day before we closed.  Even though, it needed a lot of love and care, it was love at first sight!

Captains Cottage Kitchen

Did you grow up visiting the Cape?  Personally I’ve visited the Cape several times in my life and I know how quaint and wonderful it is. Growing up in the Midwest, I had always dreamed of Cape Cod. I had seen it in movies, heard friends talk about visiting but I never had an opportunity to travel there.  When I married my husband, I had no idea that his family vacationed there every summer and would eventually own two summer homes on the Cape. My first trip was when our son was ten months old and I was three months pregnant with our daughter.  I was exhausted that trip but that began my love affair with Cape Cod. 

Captains Cottage Primary Bedroom

What has been your favorite project so far at the Cottage? That’s a good question!  Every room in the home, except the upstairs powder room, was wallpapered.  Between my husband and I, we removed it all except one sweet upstairs bedroom. I think the hardest and most rewarding project that I completed was removing the wallpaper from a downstairs room and painting it white.  The room was used a family room previously, but we wanted a main floor bedroom. It is lined with bookcases and intricate moldings. It took me two weeks to complete that project and I can guarantee that I will never do that again! Also, one of the most laborious projects was painting the entire exterior of the home. My husband did it all by himself.  It took him a couple of summers, but he did it! I’m so proud that he was able to complete it. 

Captains Cottage Eyebrow Window

What do you feel has made the biggest impact on the Cottage? I think the biggest impact has been the painting of the exterior.  It had been painted a pretty shade of blue but was in such bad shape. I knew if we painted it, I’d want to choose a lighter, brighter color. We decided on White Dove by Benjamin Moore and we love it!

You love to decorate – I remember one of the first images I saw from your account was a plate wall in one of your bathrooms. Tell me what do you find the most satisfying part of the process – besides the end results when you decorate? Oh, yes, the plate wall in our bathroom! I think what I love most is using what I have in different ways and in different places.  I’ve always loved plates and gallery walls. So, why not combine the two? A gallery wall of plates!  Also, some of the plates were my mother’s and have sentimental meaning.  My mother Rosemarie is a huge inspiration for me.  My favorite place to shop was always her home.  She has since moved into an assisted living community so I can’t shop her home anymore. But you better believe that her room is the best decorated in her community and has even been promoted in their brochure. You could say I get it from my mother! Oh Melody I love this.

Captains Cottage Bath

Did you decorate your bedroom while growing up? We had six children in our family growing up so I always shared a room.  But, there was a brief time when I had my own room. I was in fifth grade.  I remember having a record player and a twin bed.  One Christmas I decorated my closet door with wrapping paper and taped on ornaments. I loved that room.  I was always playing with dolls and creating homes for them out of old shoeboxes. I would spend hours creating spaces for them.

Art Work Painted by Melody’s Mother Rosemarie

What is the biggest influence on your design style for your Pennsylvania home and the Captains Cottage? Has it changed over the years? The greatest influence, again, is my mother. But, one more major influence is my sister, Missy. Her home is stunning and when I come home from visiting her, I want to empty my home and start all over again. I’ve always leaned a bit traditional with a touch of English Cottage. I once had the opportunity to work with a famous designer, Georg Andersen. His book Silent Witness: The Language of Your Home tells and shows how he views his home. I'll never forget how he calls his foyer the Welcome Room.  That space should be a silent witness to your family and guests of the soul of your home. It should be layered with items of beauty and meaning that tell a story of who you are to everyone who enters.  I'll never forget working with him.  Of course, my style has changed a bit throughout the years but not much.  Our first major furniture purchase was an Ethan Allen camel back sofa and wingback chair over 35 years ago. I knew then that they were classics and I would have them forever. I still love them…worth every penny!

Pennsylvania Livingroom Bar Set Up

You are a wonderful thrifter – you own some marvelous pieces. What’s your favorite thrifted piece? Where did you find it? Did you thrift growing up? I love thrifting.  Some of my fondest memories are thrifting with my mother Rosemarie. The pink plates hanging on the wall of our powder room in our Cape Cod home were from a thrifting trip with my mother over 30 years ago.  I'll never forget that day.  Our local Goodwill has been very good to me.  I’ve found some incredible things there.  One of my favorites is a china cabinet that is in our Pennsylvania dining room. It was $25.00! Of course, I can’t pass up anything blue and white and have found some beautiful additions to my collection.

Captains Cottage Powder Room

Before we close I want to touch on the wonderful world of Instagram. We met through Insta and I’m so lucky we did. You have over 85K followers; please tell us when did you start your account? I know you have partnered with some wonderful brands. What is your most viewed post on the platform? I started my account in 2012, I started it as a way to share photos with friends and family that lived in different states.  Soon it became such a creative outlet for me.  I loved following other accounts that inspired me.  That's how I met you! It makes me so happy to have this community of creators that encourage, inspire and support one another.  It’s taken me ten yeas to get to 85,000 followers. I still can’t believe it. It is so humbling and heart warming that these sweet people find something in my account that makes them follow along.  It brings me such joy. 

The first time a brand reached out to me, I thought it must be a scam.  I wasn't sure how to respond, so I reached out to my friend Sally, @gettingstuffdoneinheels and asked for some advice.  She said to go with your heart. Partner and collaborate with brands or products that reflect what I love and me.  That has made it very simple for me to say yes or no to collaborations.  It was a learning curve for me to navigate the fine art of saying no thank you to an opportunity.  But, now that I know the time and creative energy it takes to be a collaborator, I only say yes to opportunities that I love.  Because, honestly its not fair to the brand to promote something that I wouldn’t use or love! 

But what I love most about Instagram are the friends I’ve made all over the world.  To get a glimpse of life in England, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, is so amazing.  I will never travel to some of these places but to be inspired by them from afar is just incredible.  Also, the communities of women that comment every day are so dear to me.  The older I get, I’m 67, the more I appreciate those connections!

My most liked and viewed post is a reel of our Cape Cod kitchen. It has over 828,000 views and over 36,000 likes. It blows my mind! Our humble little cottage kitchen…

I’m so thankful for all of the comments and messages I get every day.  I try to answer every question and thank everyone.  What brings me the most joy, are the comments I get on my stories.  When someone comments that I touched their heart or they needed that quote that I posted.  I truly believe that there are miraculous connections that have been made and if my account has blessed someone or encouraged someone in even a small way, then my tiny part in their day has meant something and what more is there? To bring hope, joy and love to one another through this crazy thing called Instagram!

One of the most incredible opportunities I've had on Instagram was being messaged by Cottages and Bungalows asking to feature our Cape Cod cottage. Home Tour: Carefree on Cape Cod. It will be a pinch me moment that I will never forget. Walking into Barnes & Noble and picking up that issue was surreal and felt magical.  Our home has also been featured in several online publications.   

Feb/Mar 2022 Cottages & Bungalows

Here are some additional features:

Melody has been shared on Bob Villa and Victoria Magazine Instagram pages and her home has been the backdrop for a Cobb Hill Shoes campaign.

Melody you’re such a dear. Thank you so much for saying yes when I asked you if you had the time to chat with me and it was on short notice! I’m so excited to finally meet later this spring.

I encourage you to follow Melody on Instagram!

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

Images: Melody Borghesani and Cobb Hill