A visit with my good friend Ruthie Cook became a morning photo shoot of her beautiful French cookware and other things. It all started with the conversation about her bike travel through Central Europe during the summer of 1961. Along with her travel, the introduction to the cuisine of Europe became the inspiration of her retail store specializing in European cookware. Her beautiful French collection have brought enjoyment to her and all who come to visit.
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This is the last weekend in the month of August and it feels like the change in season is approaching just a little faster now. The official start of fall is not for a few more weeks, but for now I want to enjoy these bright and colorful zinnias I have growing in my garden for a while longer. They are a favorite flowering plant by gardeners for many reasons; they are easy to grow, yield multiple blooms, and they attract butterflies and bees to the garden.
The joy of gardening…
from nurturing tiny seedlings at spring time, to caring for them throughout the summer, then finally reaping the harvest of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes. They are juicy, sweet, delicious, and full of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.
Not everyone lives near the beach, but one can always bring a little bit of it into their home. These beach accessories and treats are some of my favorite things I’m currently enjoying and using in my home.
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1. Bring out decorative bright napkins {by Caspari } printed with coral, shells and starfish will put a little beach feel to a lunch or dinner. It’s available at many specialty retail stores, grocery stores and online store such as Paper Style.
2. Pewter shell/coral hors d’ oeuvre forks are great as a multipurpose picker-upper for cheese, shrimp, crab, veggies, fruits, and other yummy goodies. I purchased it at a local specialty store, hedge & vine. Here’s a link to an online store currently carrying these forks, The Bowl Company.
3. My new favorite candle scent is ocean by Linnea’s Lights. The scent is a soft ocean breeze, with a subtle hint of fresh citrus. It’s a nice addition to any room in the house.
4. Printable vintage coral print from the Zoological Society of London {1895}. To print a copy, click here.
5. Try a sailboat craft project made from driftwood. Click here for the tutorial.
6. A bowl of fun chocolate beach pebbles to snack on by Sunflower Food Company.
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posted by Kay
Magnolia Farmhouse
Recently, I came upon Chip and Joanna Gaines’ website, Magnolia Homes and discovered their show on HGTV, Fixer Upper. They are a beautiful, loving couple with four kids from Waco, Texas. Chip’s experiences in construction and real estate combined with Joanna’s interior design talent, established a successful company, Magnolia Homes. In their HGTV shows, they find a home, redesign, renovate and decorate it to suite their client’s needs and wants. The transformation of some of these homes featured on their shows were incredible and provide many great ideas and inspiration.
In 2012 the Gaines purchased an old farmhouse, believed to be over a hundred years old and fixed it up to make it their family home. The farmhouse combines rustic, modern with a lot of white and soft neutral colors. In one of Joanna’s posts on Instagram she said, “My three favs: wood, white, and antiques.” These touches are evident throughout the farmhouse.
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The front Entry is warm and welcoming.
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Neutral living room with shades of cream and soft touches of gray.
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Open and airy white kitchen.
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Simple storage with open shelves.
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The bunk room for the boys.
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Joanna’s garden.
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Chip and Joanna Gaines
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more about Chip and Joanna Gains {click here}
HGTV, Fixer Upper {click here}
the farmhouse {click here}
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Farmhouse Photo Credit: Molly Winn Photography
posted by: Kay
