My interview with DJ Carey & a subscription giveaway!

As someone who devours design magazines, I'm a reader of the following three Cottages & Gardens publications: Connecticut Cottages &Gardens, Westchester Cottages & Gardens and Hamptons Cottages &Gardens. I was thrilled about the opportunity to sit down with DJ Carey, Editoral Director of CTC&G!  

DJ Carey

My Q & A with DJ Carey, Editoral Director of Connecticut Cottages and Gardens... Hamptontoes: What is the philosophy of the Connecticut Cottages & Gardens brand?
DJ Carey: The philosophy of CTC&G is to embrace and be a "cheerleader" for the state of Connecticut. To showcase projects that are sophisticated, that inspire and often surprise. We champion projects that have an emotional attachment...ones that are personal, have great portion and scale; and offer lots of interest that ultimately defines a well designed space.

Hamptontoes: As a resident of the NYC Metro area and the Hamptons, I'm an enthusiastic reader of all three publications. What is your demographic of readership?
DJ Carey: The readership consists of individuals who are educated, design savvy, quite sophisticated and want their homes to be the best that they can be. They desire personal and unique spaces, never cookie cutter. 

(Know the fabulous blog, the Zhush? See this room...it's her home! Read all about it here! )

Hamptontoes: I read that subscriptions to the C&G brand are on the rise....congratulations! What do you attribute your success to in a world where people are attached to computers, Iphones, Ipads and Kindles?

DJ Carey: There is a primal futurism that people want to experience. They want the high tech mixed with the more traditional elements, thus creating the ultimate experience. They want an escape from the rush, rush society we live in today. There is an art form that goes into creating issue after issue and people want to be connected to that richness. 

Hamptontoes: Can design enthusiasts order your magazine regardless of where they reside? If someone subscribes to your publication and they live in, let's say California, is there a delay in receiving the publication from when it hits local establishments? If so, how long?
DJ Carey: Our magazine subscriptions are sent directly from our printer; so a subscriber in CA would receive the issue about the same time that it is available locally. 

Hamptontoes: Your new website is full of interior design goodness! Subscribing to your website, http://www.cottages-gardens.com/ is free. What else would be fun for readers to know about your newly launced site?
DJ Carey: I encourage readers to visit often. All of our tweets are live on our website. When I'm in the field I keep readers up to date on what's going on, which makes for of-the-moment knowledge. Our blog, Over the Wire, is on our website. Our website is inclusive of our brands and our involvement in social media.

Hamptontoes: Would you mind telling me three things about CTC&G that might be fun tidbits to know that aren't necessarily common knowledge?
DJ Carey: Sure! CTC&G was the third publication in our line-up. Also, Connecticut is so long it always requires a lot of tweaking when doing our cover to get the image and the wording just perfect. CTC&G was the first year round publication, not just seasonal.

Hamptontoes: I'm wondering how many people are like me when reading magazines? Truthfully, I get a tad confused by all the different types of editors. Would you mind explaining your role as Editoral Director of CTC&G?
DJ Carey: As the Editoral Director, I oversee the content of our brand, I work with an editoral staff of five, I scout and decide upon projects for publication, I style our photo shoots, I stay abreast of our social media presence and work hard to provide our readership with a quality publication.

Hamptontoes: What would be a fun day for you on the job?
DJ Carey: I get inspired by seeing and touching new things in the design world. I love listening and talking about design, it's the exchanging of ideas and exploration that's fun.

Hamptontoes: What would be a hectic day? I'm guessing the day before an issue goes to press? I must be right, right?
DJ Carey: Oh yes, the closing before an issue goes to press is busy! Things are shifting quickly, all hands need to be on deck to change, tweak, touch, and re-work the layout until the end.

Hamptontoes: Recently I read your Editoral Director's note and was touched by the story of your late father-in-law. I simply adored reading about his love of telling stories when around the dinner table, his attention to his family and the way he made Thanksgiving dinner a feast worth all the hard work. Would you mind expanding on your thoughts regarding meals/family memories/traditions that make for a rich home life?
DJ Carey: I'm a firm believer that family meals equate to a happy home. My husband is an amazing cook and his pride in cooking makes his family feel loved. He's the "chef" and I'm the clean-up crew! We have one daughter and while raising her (who is now in college) it was important to always come together for family meals. We rarely fell into the trap of "we won't eat as a family," we just shifted our meal time. Dining together was/is the most real time of the day in our home, even the family dog hangs out in the kitchen! It's a time of the day to let out a sigh, engage in conversations around the table and re-connect after a busy day.

Now that DJ and I are best friends (wink, wink) she would like to give one lucky winner a year subscription to Connecticut Cottages & Gardens or a summer seasonal subscription to Hamptons Cottages & Gardens...winner's choice!

Make sure you are a Hamptontoes follower, leave a comment on this post and check out the C&G brand! The winner will be drawn on Monday morning! Have a fabulous weekend!