What's on my Shelf...

Hello fine readers and how are you today? I've been partaking in one my guilty little pleasures, which is sitting by the fireplace, sipping tea with something sinfully sweet and reading home decor books - one after the other. So, I thought I'd share a few of them with you today.

I've always loved to look at pretty pictures for inspiration and a little dreamy getaway, but lately I've found myself wondering, "who are the people being featured in these glossy books??" We are starting to see the personal story trickle into home decor books and it makes for a more interesting read, in my humble opinion!

I love the handwritten style of the text throughout A Perfectly Kept House

One of my favorites is A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life: How to live creatively with collections, clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc... and stop worrying about everything being perfectly in its place by Mary Randolph Carter.  Even the title is unconventional!

I love this book because, in an age where there are whole magazines, books and stores dedicated to organizing, Carter shows us the positive side of the C word. Yep, that's right: Clutter.

Carter shows us how living with a bit of clutter is OK, and can actually make a home feel more cozy and personal. Who wants to walk into a completely sterile home that is so perfect that you are positively sure you'll f@c! it up, some how, some way. You want to feel you can put your feet up, call the dog to the couch and not die of shame (heaven forbid) if you spilled a few cookies crumbs.

Perfectly Kept House Case Study 

In Perfectly Kept, there are also chapters on living with pets, children and unmade beds. So real life! And speaking of real life, the reader gets to meet the owners through the case studies and learn a bit about the homeowner's story and what makes them live the way they do. I love that.

Make sure and check out my other favorite design books such as  Domino: The Book of Decorating by Deborah Needleman and Decorate  & Decorate Workshop by my favorite blogger ever, Holly Becker of Decor8.

Do you purchase Home Decor books? If so, what do you love about them? If not, why not??
Leave your comment below and feel me smile when I read it :)

Front Porch Love, with special guest stylist

I was inspired today after reading Decor8 and seeing Anna-Malin's lovely front patio. I want a couch on my patio!

I'm from the South which means I'm a front porch/ back porch - give me a D@MN porch kinda GIRL-

So, when the sun comes out and summer buds here in So. Vermont, there's no better place to be than on the porch.

I fiddle with the arrangement of my porch sort of like I do the inside of my house, and today I had a little extra help from my special guest stylist.

Hope you enjoy, we sure did!

And by the way, what's your porch, balcony, patio look like? Do tell.

It's arrived! Got Holly Becker's Decorate and what a joy it is to have and hold.

Here's my guest stylist hard at work arranging flowers

Little hands do good work

But, let's not forget to take time and smell the flowers

The following pictures were taken by my assistant stylist.
p.s. this was her first time to take pictures ever. In her WHOLE LIFE.
I think she did a pretty good job, how about you?

And here she is, my guest stylist revealed!