Meet Caren Adams, an animal lover, vintage shop owner, and lifestyle blogger from Peterborough, Ontario. Caren’s blog Tea & Chickadees shares images of adorable animals, her favorite things, and anything cute. She lives in a quaint 1950s home filled with Mid Century Modern furniture and quirky collectibles.
“I share this space with my Chiweeniepug, Grace and two feline friends, a cantankerous diabetic senior, Strongpaw and the handsome Manx, Henry Bear.”
Caren works as a designer and an online vintage shop owner. When she’s not working, blogging, or pinning, Caren can be found taking photos with her Polaroid, making pancakes, collecting vintage treasures, and daydreaming (Pinterest helps with that!) Caren’s love for all things cute has earned her over 532K Pinterest followers!
When did you start using Pinterest and what inspired you to make an account? Where did your Pinterest name ‘thelittlethings’ come from?
I started with Pinterest pretty much at its inception. I was immediately intrigued with the ability to visually bookmark the things I find on the World Wide Web. I often describe Pinterest as a digital scrapbook; each board containing snapshots of a particular interest. I called my account ‘thelittlethings’ because that’s where I find most joy, in the little things around me. I tend to share a lot of those ‘little things’ on Pinterest, like cats. Lots of cats.
Why do you like Pinterest?
The immediacy of sharing information is what I love most about Pinterest – I find something I like, I pin it, and then it gets seen and enjoyed globally. Being a visual person, it’s like a party for my eyes when I go to Pinterest and see what everyone else is pinning!
You have gained over 532K followers! That’s amazing. What makes your Pinterest unique?
I would like to think my followers enjoy my somewhat-eclectic style. One day they’ll find mostly cute pictures of owls and kittens, the next day they’ll see yummy dessert recipes, and then get an eyeful of pretty frocks or even some geek culture! I have a lot of interests and it’s fun to share them. At the same token, you’ll not find much in the way of children, baby or wedding pins on my boards as those subjects aren’t a part of my daily life. I know I’m not the only one, so perhaps it’s refreshing to others to find a pinner that has something different to share. If I ever get married, though, I’m sure you’ll find tons of wedding dresses on my boards!
Where did you grow up? What do you like about living in Ontario now?
I was born in Point Claire, Quebec but have no memories of my babyhood there. I spent the first few years of my life in Ajax, Ontario before heading overseas with my family to live in Saudi Arabia. That was an adventure! I have many fond memories of that period of my young life. We settled back in Ontario, and I never left that province. I love living in a place that has four seasons (yes, even winter!) and I’m a huge nature nut, and where I live now is full of parks and nature reserves. There’s also a vibrant arts scene in Peterborough, which I love being a part of.
Peterborough, Ontario
What are your favorite places you’ve traveled to?
I lived in Saudi Arabia as a child. While living there, my family and I travelled to Europe and East Asia. I think that global living at a tender age did shape me as an adult; I embrace all different cultures. When I was in my 20s, I traveled quite often to the states: New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Most of those trips were related to comic book and sci-fi conventions (hence my Geek Pinterest board – I am an authentic geek!). In my 30s, I traveled twice to the Western Provinces of Canada (Vancouver Island and Grand Prairie, Alberta), and I hope to visit the East Coast of Canada soon!
The last global trip I took was when I turned 40, and I went to Paris with a good friend. That is probably my favourite trip because it was unexpected and I fell in love with Paris (oh, the patisseries!). Now I hope to travel back to Europe, to the Netherlands. I’d also enjoy a trip to Japan!
What are your favorite Pinterest boards to pin onto and why?
My favourite boards are definitely all of the ones that are cute-filled and happy. I have a long love affair with all things owls, so I started an Owls board dedicated to them. I shared an adorable photo of an owl being petted that blew up on Pinterest. It’s still my most popular pin! I love randomly pinning to the boards dedicated to some of my favourite things, like Chemex, Cathrineholm, Caine, Hepburn, and Zines.
Your Soft board is so cute! We also love your Awesome board. Tell us more about these boards and why you made them!
The world always needs more joy-filled things, and that’s what Soft and Awesome is! Soft is one of the first boards I created, to share all of the soft kitties. Then I added bunnies to the mix, because hey, they’re soft too! I’m surprised I haven’t created a board dedicated to hedgehogs yet, but you can find them in Awesome. Awesome is my most eclectic board of all, and I created it because I had nowhere else to pin these random bits of ‘awesome’ I came across on the Interwebs. Oh, and Lil Bub is there a lot, because she’s an awesome cat.
Caren’s cats, Strongpaw and Henry Bear.
What is your Pinterest style?
I’ve used the word eclectic in relation to my pins and it works. Geek chic? Fashionably cute? Retro modern? I definitely don’t have just one aesthetic, which is obvious when someone visits my Pinterest profile.
Tell us more about Tea & Chickadees! So cute! What inspired you to create this blog?
I chose the blog name Tea & Chickadees because it expressed perfectly the things I love in life! If you come to my home, you’ll be served tea and treats. When I’m out walking, I’ll always stop and chat with the chickadees. I started the blog back in 2009 after I closed my brick and mortar shop (an eco-chic boutique called Buttercup & co.) and needed a creative outlet. Around the same time, I started my Etsy shop, The Vintage Apartment. The blog worked as an excellent interactive zone between me, my friends, and my fellow vintage lovers.
Caren loves making heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast.
How has Pinterest changed the way you look for cute things to share?
One of the things I try to make sure of when I pin (or share anything online) is to find its source; its original link. I have seen so many photos and art being pinned and repinned without being sourced back to its photographer or artist and it frustrated me, and my artist friends. I think that’s the biggest thing Pinterest taught me in terms of sharing the cute images I find; to try and make sure those kitties and puppies source back to their original poster, photographer, or artist.
What are your plans and hopes for the future?
I hope to focus more on my photography and art. I’d like to start selling my own creations, as well as promoting others. My love of Polaroid and film photography has led me to many great adventures, and I’m sure that will keep growing. I tend to not look too far into the future, though, as it takes away from what I’m doing and experiencing now. C’est la vie!
Tea, cake, and a chickadee.
Connect with Caren!
Pinterest – Tea & Chickadees blog – Etsy Vintage Shop – Twitter – Instagram