Fresh finds at Ivy's Collective

The scent of baked goods by Blue Gate draws one into Ivy's Collective, and the inviting interior imbues a sense of home.
Cynthia Hochswender
The scent of baked goods by Blue Gate draws one into Ivy's Collective, and the inviting interior imbues a sense of home.
Tucked into the woods at the southeastern edge of Sharon for many years was an abandoned property, the former site of a beloved garden center called Nora’s.
Ivy and Daniel Kramp often drove by the old Nora’s, after moving part-time to Sharon in 2015 (both are successful realtors in New York City). It ignited a dream for Ivy, who had always loved interior design.
“One of our favorite things to do up here is go to estate sales,” she said.
“But everything is always so expensive,” Daniel said. “We go, we see the prices, we walk out.”
In September 2023, the couple decided to buy the former Nora’s and open it under a new name: Ivy’s Collective.
“It was a passion project,” Ivy said. “We wanted to create curated, approachable estate sales that went on all year long.”
But because they are in the city all week, they needed to find just the right person to execute that dream. Through a mutual friend they were connected to Liz Macaire, who had recently launched an estate clearance business.
“I was starting to run out of space for all the things I was selling on commission for my clients,” she said. She met Daniel and Ivy at the perfect time — and not long after, made another important connection, with Simon Kristoph, a former visual director for a high-end fashion store. He’d just moved to Litchfield County, and immediately teamed up with Macaire, creating the new Macaire + Kristoph Studio (they recently opened a second location in West Cornwall).
When the foursome are together at Ivy’s Collective, the energy in the shop is electric.
“It’s always a party in this place,” Macaire said.
Adding to the party atmosphere are the croissants and hot breakfasts served at the popular bakery at Ivy’s Collective, called Blue Gate Bakery. The space is zoned for only three uses: an antique store, a bakery, and a garden center. The Collective now has all three.
Because Blue Gate is a bakery and not a cafe, there is no dedicated seating. Customers often come in and sit on the pieces that are for sale. It ignites their imaginations.
“People come in for a croissant, and leave with a table or a lamp,” Macaire said.
As Realtors, the Kramps are familiar with the important part that imagination plays in the sale of furniture or property. They always recommend “staging,” which involves clearing out many of the seller’s more personal items, and adding attractive and appropriate furnishings that enhance the space.
“It’s non-negotiable,” Daniel said of staging. “You’re selling the vision of living in a space — versus showing buyers empty rooms and dusty shelves. It helps people see past the clutter or the emptiness.”
Both Daniel and Ivy Kramp are already expert stagers, but they can also now work with Macaire and Kristoph, who are experienced stylists and also have a bounty of consignment furnishings available to fit every space.
“Other people do staging, or interior design, or moving, or estate sales,” Macaire said. “We provide all those services in one place.”
Stop by Ivy’s Collective to meet the team between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday at 2 Route 7 in Sharon, just before the bridge (and get a delicious treat at the Blue Gate Farm Bakery). The new West Cornwall Macaire + Kristoph Studio is at 406 Sharon/Goshen Turnpike, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find Macaire and Kristoph at www.macairekristoph.com.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 12 to 5 p.m., Rock Steady Farm in Millerton opens its fields once again for the third annual Farm Fall Block Party, a vibrant, heart-forward gathering of queer and BIPOC farmers, neighbors, families, artists, and allies from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Co-hosted with Catalyst Collaborative Farm, The Watershed Center, WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village, and Seasoned Delicious Foods, this year’s party promises its biggest celebration yet. Part harvest festival, part community reunion, the gathering is a reflection of the region’s rich agricultural and cultural ecosystem.
Rooted in justice and joy, the event will feature over 25 local vendors and organizations, live performances, healing workshops, family-friendly activities (yes, there’s a bouncy castle), and abundant local food. And while the festivities are certainly reason enough to show up, organizers remind us the purpose runs deeper.
“This isn’t just a party. It’s a place to build the kind of relationships that keep our food system alive,” said Maggie Cheney, Rock Steady’s co-founder and worker-owner. “We’re creating space where farmers, growers, families, and community organizers can connect, celebrate, and support one another.”
Proceeds from the event support Rock Steady’s POLLINATE program for queer and trans BIPOC beginning farmers, as well as Catalyst Collaborative Farm’s food justice initiatives. With sliding-scale tickets from $5 to $250, the organizers aim to make the event accessible to all, including free entry for children under 12 and volunteer options for those who want to pitch in.
For those who’ve attended before, it’s a welcome return. For newcomers, it may just feel like coming home.
More info and tickets: rocksteadyfarm.com/farm-block-party
Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock
It takes a lot of courage to share your art for the first time and Marilyn Hock is taking that leap with her debut exhibition at Sharon Town Hall on Sept. 12. A realist painter with a deep love for wildlife, florals, and landscapes, Hock has spent the past few years immersed in watercolor, teaching herself, failing forward, and returning again and again to the page. This 18-piece collection is a testament to courage, practice and a genuine love for the craft.
“I always start with the eyes,” said Hock of her animal portraits. “That’s where the soul lives.” This attentiveness runs through her work, each piece rendered with care, clarity, and a respect for the subtle variations of color and light in the natural world.
After painting in oils earlier in life, Hock returned to art when she retired from working as a paralegal with a goal: to learn watercolor. It wasn’t easy.
“Oils and watercolor are opposites,” she explained. “With oils, you build your darks first. In watercolor, if you do that, you’re in trouble.” She studied online, finding instructors whose approach clicked, and adapted to the delicacy of the medium.
“When I’m working, everything else falls away,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in life. While I’m painting, time disappears.”
Her studio, formerly a home office, is now her sanctuary and the pieces in this exhibition are the result of three years of that devoted studio work. While this is her first full public show, Hock previously tested the waters at a small fundraiser at Noble Horizons, where one of her pieces sold. That experience — and the consistent encouragement from her family, especially her husband — pushed her to pursue a full exhibition. With gentle encouragement from her husband and family, Hock reached out to the Town Hall’s curator, Zelina Blagden. “My husband kept saying, ‘You’re as good as all those other people out there, why not show your work?’” And so, here it is.
All paintings in the show are for sale, though Hock admits a few are priced high — not because of their size or complexity — but because she’s not quite ready to let them go. “There are a couple I’ve priced high because I’m not sure I want to part with them. But we’ll see,” she laughed. “It would be nice to support the habit a little bit.”
As for aspiring artists or anyone hesitating to begin something creative, Hock’s advice is simple: “Go for it. If it fails, toss it in the basket and start over.”
The exhibit will be on view at Sharon Town Hall through Oct. 31 with an opening reception on Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.
Carissa Unite of Millerton, began working at Oblong Books 16 years ago as a high schooler. She recently celebrated her eight-year anniversary as the general manager.
Unite’s journey at Oblong began even before she applied for her first position.An avid reader from a young age, she was a frequent customer at the store. During those years, Unite bonded with a former employee who encouraged her to apply for a position after connecting over their shared love of reading.
As a teenager, Unite enjoyed reading Ellen Hopkins, John Green and Ann Brashares. With the busyness of adulthood, she now favors the convenience of audio books. In the past year, however, she has made it a point to read more physical books.
With a preference for contemporary fiction, she raved about “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story, set in the 1980s, follows two women who become astronauts at a time when women were not widely accepted in the field. A beautiful love story emerges between the two characters. Unite described the writing as sensational and commended Reid’s ability to tackle complex themes without them being muddied.
Unite has developed a deep appreciated for classic literature. Her two favorites are “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. She was amazed by the philosophical nature of both words and the way their dialogue challenged her perspective.
In an effort to read beyond her preferred genre, she recommends the following:
“Some Desperate Glory,” by Emily Tesh, “Midnight Rooms,” by Donyae Coles and “Clear” by Carys Davies.
For Unite, the beauty of reading lies in its power to develop perspective, empathy, and compassion. Through books, readers learn that everyone is fighting different battles and no two stories are the same. She encourages people to choose kindness because you never know what someone else is facing.
Above all, reading brings Unite peace. If offers transcendence to another world, a pause from outside noise, and for Unite, it is where she feels most at home.
For anyone hesitant to being reading, Unite suggests: just do it! Read 10 pages a day and find the book that speaks to you. Any Oblong staff member would be happy to offer recommendations.
Oblong is located at 26 Main St., in Millerton and 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck.