I've been organizing the thousands of photos on my hard drive and came across one of my favorite cell phone shots I took of the Eiffel Tower. We visited it several times at night because, well...it's just so magical with it's twinkling lights and gorgeous, moody skyline. Coming across the photo reminded me....
I also shot a little video so you can experience a bit of the magic for yourself. Enjoy!
We have an upstairs guest bathroom that rarely gets used and because of that, it rarely gets updated or finished. Most of the builder grade amenitites have been hanging around for years. Recently, we decided to do a few minor changes and replacing the old medicine cabinet was first on the list. So we tore it out and The Man replaced it with an open built-in shelf.
We figure most guests don't unpack their toiletries and place them in a cabinet anyway and we can hide necessities under the counter. The open shelf provides a way to display a few decorative objects along with cotton balls, Q-tips and such. To keep the mostly white room from being too stark I added in a mix of colored glass and natural, textural elements.
Bella's favorite addition to the room was the jute runner. She wrestles with it every now and then and leaves the crumpled remains for me to straighten out. She's very nice to chickens but not so nice to small area rugs. Maybe she knows she can win that battle.
And lastly, I'll leave you with the Before & After. You can see how such a minor change can make a big difference in a small room....
Resources:
Jute Rug - Marshalls
Wall Paint Color - Cottage White by Behr
Mirror - Lowes
Switch plates - Lowes
Green glass bottle - antique
Wicker top glass jar - Marshalls
Hand towels - World Market
Wicker basket on shelf - Paris flea market
Perfume - Jo Malone Orange Blossom (one of my favs!)
Milk glass light fixture - Martha Stewart for Home Depot
Any other items not listed...source unknown or antique.
The adventure started with a phone call on Friday from my friend Serena.
It went something like this:
S: What are you doing tomorrow?
H: Ummm, errands and stuff. Why?
S: Want to go to Portland?
H: Sure!
And before you knew it we were both flying to Portland early the next morning!
Our first stop was the Junk Salvation show where I picked up a few treasures...
I found a couple bread boards (my ultimate weakness) and really wish I could remember the vendors for you. The cute candles were from Roost and because I'm completely infatuated with these trophy cups...I bought one for myself from Ormolulu.
Next was lunch at Mothers Bistro which was delicious. Their place is amazing...loved the decor! After that we hit Monticello Antiques where I picked up a utensil crock and Madison Park where I bought the wood drapery rings and the barber shop bottle. I'm going to use it for oil or vinegar. We also stopped by Stars Antiques and a new favorite place Marguerite! Sorry, no photos or website but imagine all things French in the best possible way.
Real French. Not the pretend stuff. ;-)
And because this wood pedestal bowl was HUGE and heavy...I couldn't fit any more in my carry on bag. Which pretty much ended the shopping fun for me.
The next morning we headed to the airport and were both home by noon.
And so goes the tale of our spur-of-the-moment, 24 hour antiquing adventure.
Have you ever gone on a spontaneous adventure with your friends? It kind of reminds me of my college days where we'd head to the beach at 1am. I'm too old for that now. But I could do 1pm...anyone game?
PS. The 5 Country Living Magazine winners are announced here!
As our daughter likes to call it...Single Awareness Day.
So for all the single ladies in the house...these flowers are especially for you!
Happy Valentines Day! xo, H
There have been exciting changes in the works for Souvenir and I'm finally able to share them with you! Thanks to our many readers, Souvenir has been able to broaden it's reach and will now be available digitally online, in an iPad friendly version and in printed form. We will continue offering a Free extended preview version of stories and for those who want more...the full 100+ pages will be available for purchase online at a very reasonable price.
With the new direction, there will be beautiful home features, lifestyle and travel stories as well as simple crafts and entertaining ideas. Oh, and fresh content with no ads! I can tell you so far, the images and stories coming in from the contributors are amazing and I know you will love their work!
Since I don't have headshots for my entire team in just yet...I will be announcing the incredibly talented Contributors, Art Director, Market Editor and Copy Editor/Writer on our new Facebook Page during the coming month leading up to our official launch date for the spring issue..March 20th, 2012.
For those of you who had previously signed up for the Souvenir Gazette, you will continue to receive an email when the new issue is launched along with the Free Preview link. There's no need to sign up again, we've got you covered! If you haven't signed up you can do so here.
Thank you so much for the wonderful response to Souvenir this past year. I hope that you will continue to show your support for the hard work and talent of a fantastic team of contributors!
At one of my recent shoots, the homeowner had a collection of antique trophy cups lined up on her windowsill filled with wooden utensils, pastry brushes and other kitchen items. I thought it was so clever I had to take a pic to share with you! Don't you just love finding useful ways to incorporate vintage into your home?
I can't tell you how excited I was to get the news that a home I had scouted, produced and styled made the March cover of Country Living! It was such a fun shoot to work on with Lisa Romerein, who shot the lovely photos. This issue is all about What's Country Now, featuring the best of country style...and this home certainly fits the bill.
You will love reading about their kitchen filled with vintage appliances, colorful pottery, clever pantry storage and a farm to table lifestyle. Not to mention those amazing tree stump stools!
To celebrate, I'm giving away 5 copies of the March issue!
If you'd like to enter leave a comment answering the following question:
What's Country Now for you?
I can't wait to read your answers and see what speaks to you now in terms of living with and decorating in todays country style.
Winners will be announced Monday, Feb 13th.
Congratulations to the following winners:
Daily Candy is featuring my Free printable French Chocolate Labels today!
Welcome Daily Candy Readers!
Below I've added a few of my other Valentine printables from the archives. Just click on each link below to download the pdf file and enjoy!
Want to stay in touch... Join Me on Facebook or Subscribe Here to keep up with the latest posts and happenings.
Sweet as Candy Free Love Gift Tags
French Love Quote: The Price of Love is Simply....Love
Tea for Two Valentine Tags
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Valentine's Day!
Continuing with our visit to Rue de Lillie Antiques in Summerland...here are the patios and gardens. All of the outdoor spaces are so lovely and tranquill. I especially adore their aviaries.
I think I may ask The Man to make me one someday. Do you remember seeing Martha Stewarts aviaries from a while back? She shared them on her show and in her magazine. She had brightly colored parakeets on her porch but I think I'm more partial to doves and their sweet, soft cooing sounds.
Rue de Lillie also has beautiful pots, containers and vintage garden elements. I love their large collection of antique urns and statuary.
I hope you enjoyed my little tour and make plans to visit one day. It's such a wonderful place and their location is one of the most beautiful and quaint California beach towns.
Summerland is a tiny little town nestled along the coastline between LA and Santa Barbara. If you're ever cruising along the 101 Hwy, you must make a stop. Their small main street is dotted with amazing antique shops, cafes and home & garden boutiques. You could easily spend an entire day just browsing the shops and relaxing over a cup of coffee. I adore stopping here and each time, wish I had allowed more time to stay longer.
One of my favorite antique shops is Rue de Lillie Antiques. The charming seaside cottage shop is perched on a small hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is filled with French and Swedish antiques, gorgeous furnishings and gift items.
I bought a few Dash & Albert rugs the last time I paid a visit, love them! Isn't their display great? I think the antique wicker cart would look perfect on a front porch.
They also have a large selection of pillows made from antique and French inspired linens. So many it's hard to choose! I'm especially fond of the washed or faded colors that show a bit of age. It gives them a well worn timeless appeal.
Rue de Lille Antiques
2496 Lillie Avenue
Summerland, CA 93067
Ph: 805-695-8185 Open Daily: 10:30am to 5:00pm
In my next post I'll share photos from their outdoor garden areas filled with antique aviaries, planters and vintage garden furniture. It's all so lovely...promise!
