shop feature: GENTLEMANSEMPORIUM

Every so often I like to do a shop feature. This shop is super cute and unique...she has stuff for GUYS!! Rose spent years in Italy and now lives in Florida. I love her favorite quote and I can't wait to make the super authentic Italian recipe she shared!   

Tell us about you!

Hi! My name is Rose Fieldhouse, and yes: I am a crafter.  

Tell us about your shop!

My GENTLEMANSEMPORIUM was opened because one day my mother-in-law gave me an old jewelry box. She said she would never do anything with the items in it. I opened that box and memories of yester-year flooded back. I did some on-line research and found out that because of sites like Etsy, with sellers promoting their vintage items and shows like Mad Men bringing the Style back in to the public's eye, it just felt right!
My father is retired from the Navy and I can remember so vividly when he was not at sea, he was home with us and watching TV. I was forever exposed to the world of the Rat Pack, Carol Burnett and The Lucy Show, old Hollywood movies, The Ed Sullivan Show, TV shows like Get Smart ~ The way women and men dressed, to me was ...the way it should be. I find myself, now, looking at the way women and men dress and ask myself: 'What happened?" and I feel as if we just got lazy. Because it is easier to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and say 'yeah, it's ok. that's how everyone else is dressing'....but OH! A Lady in a dress, with pumps and hair done up right - NICE; and a man in a suit, tie, shiny shoes - NICE and SEXY!

Where in Florida do you live?
I live in the most beautiful city ever! After I finished high school I was given the opportunity to move to Italy and live in Rome for 13 years. What a wonderful experience! But now I have moved home to St. Augustine, Florida and I really would not want to be anywhere else! I married the true love of my life and I am able to live near my family. I am home.

You lived in Rome for 13 years! Tell us about that!

A most wonderful experience! I consider myself extremely lucky to have had that opportunity. My mother's sister is a Nun in Rome and right after high school we were visiting and the hostel that the nuns ran was in need of a hire-in to help with room service, cooking, etc. and they kidded with me saying "you should stay!" ....so I did. After a year of working as a live-in with them I decided to move out and find another job (quite frankly it was hard to get a date when I told the guys that I had to be in at 10:00 at the Nun's place!). I found an appartment living with 4 other girls - German, Moroccan, Austrian and Roman (Now THAT was a mixture of culture that all of us learned from! ) and after a year of odd jobs I finally found my place working as Assistant to a Notary (which in Italy is much more like a lawyer). He was a kind and helpful man that put up with my American ways and gave me a dictionary so that I could rapidly learn!

How has your time in Europe impacted you and your creativity?

Living on my own, right after high school and for the first time on my own budget, forced me to learn to be self-sufficient and resourcefull. If I couldn't afford a gift I would make one; Instead of spending ridiculous amounts to decorate I would create my own art work; if home repair was needed I taught myself to do it; when I couldn't spend more money on clothes I would take what I had and re-invent it.

What is it about being creative that you enjoy?

I simply hate waste. Taking objects that are already around and giving them new life just seems natural. Our ancestors had to learn how to use the materials available to survive, yet we are often too easy to throw something away if it does not work...or to run to the store and just buy something because we think we 'need' it.

Do you have any Etsy shops you love?

Redmarionette. Her creations are simply adorable, you can see the love and care that go into her work.

Why should people buy handmade?

We need to get back in touch with our culture. All of us have 'somewhere' our families are from and somewhere along the line the women were sewing, knitting, cooking, weaving, while the men were farming, carving, building, welding... appreciating these skills for what they are: art forms, is a step in the right direction to get us grounded again.

Why is recycling important to you?

I grew up listening to my mother tell stories of being a little girl and going to the house of the village seamstress to wait for her to sweep her house, when she swept the debris out the door my mother was able to pick out pieces of string that she had discarded. My mother would then use that string to sew pieces of rags together to make dresses for her dolls.

And I flash forward to today - bigger scale - and I see, first hand, people that throw away perfectly good things because they 'don't like it anymore' . There are people who are forced to live without yet there are people that choose to waste. Does this make sense to anyone?!?

Where does your interest in Vintage and Antiques come from?

Appreciating vintage/antiques may be considered, by many, to be a pricey hobby. But let's look at it more as a way to recycle - repurpose - re-use what is already here on earth amongst us. A way to do our part and be green. It is so easy to think that you need a new set of silverware just because you lost one of the forks - are the rest of the forks you have not good now? Or better yet - break out that silverware that is sitting in the attic. It's only precious to someone that wants it. Be the one that wants it!

What other interests do you have?
My wonderful husband and I started a Boy Scout Troop when our son crossed over from Cub Scouts and now that he and his friends have earned Eagle we have started the Venture Crew, which is co-ed! We enjoy the time we spend learning together with the kids and I am very happy to be a part of that!

What do you do for fun?

My husband, son and I are Disney fanatics. Whenever we get a chance we go! We often have to plan it in to our schedule, but we happily try to make it there once every 2 months or so. Our next trip will be for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on Halloween! We are going as Thor, Loki and Sif! I am making the costumes ...of course!

Everybody loves food... Do you have a favorite recipe (maybe one you brought home from Italy!) that you would like to share?

A simple dish, Pasta alla Siciliana - Saute about 4 garlic cloves in a little olive oil with as much red chilies as you can handle, then add fresh tomatoes  (or a 28oz can) and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced, throw in about 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, 3 tblsp capers and about 1 tblsp tomato paste  and continue to simmer a few more minutes. Add 2  8oz cans tuna in oil  - with all the oil, and pepper to taste. Throw over your 1lb cooked pasta and .....Buonissimo!!

What is one of your favorite quotes? Why is it meaningful to you?

"You were much more muchier (then)...You've lost your muchness."  - the Mad Hatter.

Because it reminds me that we can be more. We often settle on the lesser we can be or do, and accept that it is ok. If we settle on the lesser we ourselves can do, how can it be possibly fair to expect more from others? or fathom that others think that we are not as less as we present ourselves to be?

Where can we find you?

gentlemansemporium.etsy.com
((working on setting up the facebook now!))