beach cottages: home by the sea

So there I was, minding my own business, at our local homewares shop and in amongst the French-inspired "Moules" pots, faux fishing net and elegant wicker ware was this shining beacon. It spoke to me. It said something along the lines of "Open me and drool"....I'm pretty sure.

So there I stood, amongst the fish net and expertly distressed "drift wood" photo frames and suddenly I found myself in Hampton-style heaven. All my middle-class, aspirational Spidey-senses were tingling as I turned each page and absorbed the glory that is the U.S. East Coast beach house. Technically, the homes in this book are not all located on the east coast...they just look like they are. And that's what counts.

It was hard to put this book down and pick up the speed-peeler and parfait spoons I was there to actually buy. {although, the parfait spoons were put to glorious use tonight with affogato}

At $69.95, I thought it should wait for a birthday or day of dutiful adoration like Mother's Day.
But now I know it's only just over $20 from Amazon, any old day will do! {This is why traditional book stores are going into receivership}

From Amazon:

"The words alone have the hypnotic associations Henry James once famously ascribed to summer afternoon–“the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Lifelong beach girl Mary Emmerling captures that implicit promise of freedom in her captivating volume celebrating the American beach cottage.

Much of the beach house’s allure is in its reflection of a simpler way of life, a pared-down existence where the breeze is the housekeeper, the furnishings don’t mind a damp swimsuit, and the most precious treasures are seashells and memories. In Mary Emmerling’s Beach Cottages, Mary invites us into seventeen coastal retreats that capture that spirit, and introduces us to the people who take joy from them.

Join Mary on a warm, intimate tour of unique seaside escapes, including:

•A pint-sized artist’s studio in Key West
•A dramatic black-and-white retreat in Newport Beach, California
•A shell-lined jewel box in Laguna Beach, California
•A nautically inspired Cape Cod getaway
•A haven in Galveston, Texas, with sea-grass rugs and matchstick blinds
•The homes of designers such as Barclay Butera and Rachel Ashwell
•Mary’s own charming cottage, complete with beach balls, sailfish, and beaded curtains

With gorgeously photographed profiles of easy-going seaside homes and innovative design solutions for everyday living, Mary Emmerling’s Beach Cottages is both beautiful and inspirational. Like a beloved seaside haven, this is a book to return to again and again. "

About the AuthorMARY EMMERLING is the bestselling author of more than twenty books. She is the creative director of Country Home magazine, hosted HGTV’s Country at Home show, and worked as the decorating editor for House Beautiful and Mademoiselle.


Hope you're having a great weekend, tucked up cosily with a book:)

Meredy xo

i wonder - marian bantjes {for the font-hearted}

I love a bit of font action. Having fallen in love with dafont.com and various other font sites, one can become quite obsessed about having just the right sort of swoop and curl for a particular occasion. I am clearly not alone in this. I inadvertently stumbled onto a truly serious debate on a blog regarding the "papyrus" font. "Done to death!" they cried. "As obvious as the nose on your face!!"..."only the small-minded,and completely lacking in imagination use it!!" one commentator decreed . I quickly logged off, checked my blog for the offending font and sighed with relief to find it papyrus-free. Phew...close one.

Okay, so maybe that was a bit of craziness. However, if you do love fonts, vectors and the like, this is the book for you. {Jane @ Life on Planet Baby....I know this means you:)}

Amazon review:

Quirky, poignant, astute, funny—this beautiful book presents a compelling collection of observations on visual culture and design, written and illuminated by world-renowned typographic illustrator Marian Bantjes. In Stefan Sagmeister's telling words, Bantjes's work is his "favorite example of beauty facilitating the communication of meaning."

In I Wonder, Bantjes says, “my intention was always to illustrate without illustrating; to avoid the figure a form of illustration…as an idea among book ideas, I want to show that there are different ways to treat visuals, and that it’s possible to make a fully integrated document where the words and images are interdependent, neither able to fully survive without the other.”

From an independent reviewer on Amazon:

While reading Marian Bantjes book I laughed and cried. I was provoked to think with my heart. For some chapters I needed a tissue, others, a dictionary. And I love that Marian is brave enough to cuss on the printed page. The texture, design and content is delicious and thoroughly entertaining.

I was grateful for the opportunity to look into another world and to be stretched. (I mean who thinks to critique the alphabet?) What a joy! My eyes darted from text to design and back again on every page, afraid I would miss something, as if it might disappear if I didn't understand it all at once. Lucky for me I could slow down as each page waited patiently for me to catch up, and read again. I was able to soak up the entire story and design before I continued all the while, knowing I will read it again, because there is more here than a first read can grasp.

Read this book with a notebook by your side, it is perfect food for rich conversations. Every chapter is a complete story and as much as I wanted to read it all in one sitting, it is better to savour this masterpiece. Like a piece of good chocolate, too much all at once would be opulent, but not obscene, after all I Wonder, By Marian Bantjes is the "good stuff".

Meredy xo

walden - henry david thoreau

Another on my "must read" list:




"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately. To front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Thoreau


"Two years, two months and two days. That is the amount of time that Henry David Thoreau spent in a tiny, 10' x 15' self-built cabin in the woods owned by the Emerson family on the out-skirts of Concord, Massachusetts, next to a pond named Walden. It was there that Thoreau began an experiment in "simple living" when he furnished this tiny cabin with two chairs, a bed, a simple table and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita; the Hindu story of Lord Krishna.

Thoreau’s self-imposed seclusion was intended to offer him the solace necessary to write his first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Instead he wrote the classic tale, Walden, which examines one’s life as an individual, within society and in relation to nature. To this day,Thoreau is recognized as one of the great American transcendental writers and the father of the modern day environmentalist movement. "

courtesy The Statement

It could be that this is purely a projection of my not-so-subconscious desire to escape to the woods {read here if you want to know why}. I also recently found out that although Henry David Thoreau lived in a self-sustainable fashion, he did conceed to send out his laundry every week. Love it.

I'd love to know if you've already read it and what you thought of it.

Meredy xo.

book wish list part 1.

I've hit a bit of a wall in recent months with fiction.

Not quite sure why, perhaps because it's been the busy Christmas/summer period and I'm too distracted to go on a "journey" with fictional characters.

I'm sure this will be rectified in time.

However, in the meantime I've found some really interesting books that I can't wait to get my hands on:

Review can be read here {click}

and a revealing excerpt here {click}

Although I find Ms Guiliano a tad too self-disciplined and overachieving for my liking, there is no denying her no nonsense approach to life. I might find her advice too prescriptive at times, so this falls firmly into the "aim for the stars and you might hit the lamppost" school of thought.

Quite frankly, with the amount of laundry, grocery shopping, child-rearing and housekeeping that preoccupies my thoughts, I need all the inspiration I can get and I'm more than happy to be bossed about occasionally.

A tantalising extract can be viewed here {click}

Okay, a disclaimer.....I ADORE Tessa Kiros.

I read her family-style cook book "Apples of Jam" a couple of years ago and was completely smitten.

Then, out of slavish devotion, I bought "Twelve" which further validated my affection.

She is the sister you always wanted {I don't have a sister, so I can say that without offense:)}, the best friend next door you wish you had. Her recipes are easy to follow, and her writing is such that you feel that you would be letting yourself down if you didn't at least give it a try. Even if the main ingredient is octopus.

Food from many Greek Kitchens review here {click}

Reviews lavish in praise keep popping up all over the place for this book, without exception. It seems just the thing for our book club, so I'm going to give it the hard sell at our next book club meeting.

It's worthwhile reading this as an introduction {click}

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In the spirit of openness I have to let you know that following a post about Kate Morton and how much I enjoyed her first two books, I read her latest offering "The Distant Hours". Well, I should say that I tried to read it. I was SO disappointed. Again, it might just be the whole busy-ness factor which found me too distracted to be engaged. I just couldn't connect with the characters and it was an entirely frustrating experience. The other girls in our book club felt exactly the same...it took us a while to admit it to each other. Strangely, it appears we are completely on our own in our estimation. Weird.

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Hope you're having a relaxing weekend.

Please feel free to recommend any great reads....the more the merrier!

Meredy xo.

Leanne Shapton's book Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry.
Yes, that is the title.
And here's the cover to prove it:

I can't begin to describe how utterly charming, delightful and deliciously interesting this book is. Everyone who's written a review has essentially said the same thing.."It's like nothing you've ever read and I can't believe it hasn't been done before".

It presents and reads for all the world like a Sotheby's catalogue. But for those of us who look at objects in antique shops or auctions and wonder wistfully, "If only this item could talk", this book satsifies that voyeuristic curiosity. It is so clever yet unassuming.

Essentially, it catalogues in fascinating detail the detritus accumulated during the course of Harold Morris and Lenore Doolan's relationship. Photos, love letters, invitations, birthday presents, diary notes, recipes and favourite items of clothing.

In some ways, I suppose you could say it's an anthropological research assignment into modern relationships, family ties, the comforts to be found in material objects, romantic expectations according to gender and an insight into authentic New York living in the new millenium.

No doubt, this will start an avalanche of similar styled books. I suggest you get this first and relish the originality.

Meredy xo.

books, lovely, books

Apologies for ridiculously long break inbetween posts. Have got many lovely things to post about, but school holidays are taking chaotic precedence.

Am currently imagining myself in above photo, settled into a squishy chair with a pristine new book and a cup of hot chocolate while the rain beats down on the windows outside.

Ah....

In the meantime, I would like to share this book with you which is imbued with such warmth, harmony and peace, it is truly an "armchair delight". {click on image for amazon link}


A reader review from Amazon:

Hospitality, according to Webster: "To be hospitable is to be disposed to behave in a warm way and manner, and to entertain with generous sensitivity, availability and kindness."

Jane Jarrell's Simple Hospitality is a compilation of her ideas about what it means to live in a warm, generous, sensitive, available and kind way - that is, to be hospitable. She is encouraging in her writing and views hospitality as her personal ministry. The first three chapters of the book are written from a strong Christian perspective, and while at first I was turned off by this, delving further into the book I was able to find plenty that I could relate to and put into play in my own life.

The book is divided into three sections: Keep It Simple, Home Sweet Home, and The Art of Sharing. Aside from the fourth chapter (Beyond Harried Holidays), Keep It Simple is the only section of the book that is written from a heavily Christian perspective. If you are Christian, there is probably great material there for you. It wasn't up my alley, so I skipped ahead to chapter four, where Jarrell begins to get into hospitality from a less religious point of view.

In part two, Home Sweet Home, I recognized something right away that anyone who has ever been a part of the FlyLady.net phenomenon will take note of immediately as well: the shiny sink recommendation. To be fair, Jarrell does give credit to Marla Cilley (a.k.a. FlyLady). Home Sweet Home is full of ideas to help with homemaking, working in the kitchen, growing a garden and other things central to being hospitable in our homes. Part three, The Art of Sharing, is about being hospitable in ways such as working with children, giving gifts, being available to those going through difficult times and so forth.

Every chapter ends with a list of "simple solutions". For example, the end of chapter 5 (Faking Homemaking) Jarrell offers 9 of her simple solutions, including keeping all of your cleaning supplies in a bucket, and keeping your own slice-and-bake cookies handy in the refrigerator so that you'll always be ready to make a fresh dessert. Chapter 11, Entertaining in Style, offers up such suggestions as keeping serving plates warm by putting them in the dishwasher on the dry cycle and freezing mint leaves to serve with your favorite teas.

If you find yourself like Jarrell, called to being hospitable in every sense of the word, then you will find both great ideas and warm support in Simple Hospitality. If you are Christian, you will probably appreciate what she has to say about hospitality in terms of religion, but even if you are not, there is plenty available to follow the maxim of take what you like and leave the rest. Anyone looking to bring more love and comfort into their lives and the lives of those they care about can find help in this book.

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I've had this book for a few years now and I refer back to it again and again. It never fails to bring peace and perspective in a busy day....particulary when one is feeling a wee bit jaded and ragged around the edges. It's ridiculously cheap on Amazon and well worth the effort.

Meredy xo.

the paper garden by molly peacock

Apologies for being so neglectful of this blog. I think about this blog so often and say to myself "I MUST do a post about ......". End of year obligations and a few weeks of sick kiddos have stood in my way. That being said, I was absolutely determined to share this book with you, regardless of laundry mountains, half -painted walls and Christmas craft awaiting my attention.

As usual, when attempting to describe the object of my affection, I become completely tongue-tied and quite incapable of adequately expressing the depth of my appreciation. Instead, I will let the publisher tell you for themselves...they're professionals and far more articulate than I.

I will say this. If you're wanting to give a truly exquisite and beautiful present to a friend, go no further than this:



The Paper Garden: Mrs Delany Begins Her Life's Work at 72

Author: Molly Peacock

The Paper Garden is unlike anything else you have ever read. At once a biography of an extraordinary 18th century gentlewoman and a meditation on late-life creativity, it is a beautifully written tour de force from an acclaimed poet. Mary Granville Pendarves Delany (1700-1788) was the witty, beautiful and talented daughter of a minor branch of a powerful family. Married off at 16 to a 61-year-old drunken squire to improve the family fortunes, she was widowed by 25, and henceforth had a small stipend and a horror of a marriage.

She spurned many suitors over the next twenty years, including the powerful Lord Baltimore and the charismatic radical John Wesley. She cultivated a wide circle of friends, including Handel and Jonathan Swift. And she painted, she stitched, she observed, as she swirled in the outskirts of the Georgian court. In mid-life she found love, and married. Upon her husband's death 23 years later, she arose from her grief, picked up a pair of scissors and, at the age of 72, created a new art form, mixed-media collage. Over the next decade, Mrs Delany created an astonishing 985 botanically correct, breathtaking cut-paper flowers, now housed in the British Museum and referred to as the Botanica Delanica.

Delicately, Peacock has woven parallels in her own life around the story of Mrs Delany's and, in doing so, has made this biography into a profound and beautiful examination of the nature of creativity and art.

Gorgeously designed and featuring 35 full-colour illustrations, this is a sumptuous and lively book full of fashion and friendships, gossip and politics, letters and love. It's to be devoured as voraciously as one of the court dinners it describes.

Courtesy of Penguin.

I can't wait to put this book into the Christmas stocking's of some loved ones this Christmas.

For further investigation of this book and Molly Peacock's other works, you can visit her website here {click}

Meredy xo