My Little Blue and White Farmhouse

Hello Friends!

Just a few peeks at how the new house is coming along.

I'd say we're about 75% moved in, but there's still much to be done.
MUCH.

I haven't been able to foof and primp and really style the house yet.
Virtually nothing has been hung on the walls.

But I still felt like I owed y'all some pics, so here they are!

The dental cabinet I got for my birthday last October.

It is so darling!

I had given up on ever finding one for an affordable price,

but this one was a steal.

 It needs some shelves added,
but The Mr. says that he'll get on that right away.

Speaking of....

 

 There he is right there,

measuring for living room curtains!

The kitchen is coming along...

 I'm not sure if all the stuff going on above the cabinets will

stay put. I'll be rearranging all that mess in the days ahead.

I titled this post "My Little Blue and White Farmhouse"

because that really seems to be the theme in the kitchen.
The sweet little backsplash tiles were already here,
and I just ran with the theme.
 I just think blue and white are quintessentially "farmhouse", don't you?

 Whoa...

You almost need shades to withstand all that white!

And of course, while we were there I had to do a little

pimpin' of Fifi's amazing book...

which just coincidentally is included in my

Spring Romance Giveaway...
as well as this  little treasure...

One lucky reader will win a copy of

Romantic Prairie Style

autographed by Fifi herself!

PLUS

a copy of the brand new

Romantic Country magazine
featuring my photo shoot pics!

{ autographed or not, that's up to you! }

Click HERE to enter.

Enjoy your day!

Linking with Kathleen at

Faded Charm

Debra at 
Common Ground

and Cindy at

My Romantic Home

Photo Shoot Pretties

Hello Friends!

I'm back to share with you some of the over 700 images

I shot for the Willow Nest feature in the brand new, Summer 2011 issue of

Romantic Country Magazine.

As you know, they chose 11 for the feature, "The Feminine Mystique".

Personally, I don't see why they didn't just use all 700.

I'm just sayin'....

{tongue firmly planted in cheek!}

I'll be sharing a handful of pics with you in each post in the days ahead,

so I hope you enjoy!

I'm just loving  any and all shades of pink for Spring, 

how about you?

I'll be sharing more pics soon!

Don't forget to enter my

Spring Romance Giveaway,

one lucky winner will receive the 

Summer 2011 issue of Romantic Country featuring my pics...

as well as a personally autographed copy of

Romantic Prairie Style

signed by none other than the author herself,

Fifi O'Neill!

 That pic is for you , Fifi! :-)

Click HERE to enter.

Have an amazing week, my friends!

Linking with Beverly at
How Sweet the Sound

My Romantic Country Magazine Feature

The magazine is out, and to say I'm thrilled
would be a bit of an understatement!

I am fortunate enough to have 11 of my photos featured
in the Summer 2011 issue of
Romantic Country Magazine,
on newsstands now!

Back in January, I headed to Burton, Texas to do a top-secret photo shoot
for none other than RC Editor, the Fabulous Fifi O'Neill.

I was lucky enough to be invited to photograph
the beautiful properties belonging to
Linda and Ludmil Marcov of Willow Nest,
and I spent two days snapping away at
both their glorious B&B and their main house.

And now I am SO pleased
to be sharing it with all of you!

The story is titled "The Feminine Mystique"
and it's a six-page spread!

Seeing your name in a byline like this and in the editorial credits
is a bit surreal, to put it mildly.
And to have my name immediately after Fifi's Number One photog Mark Lohman is
REALLY surreal!!!

And from my own files,
here are a few of the original images...

In the days ahead, I'll be slipping in and sharing some pics from this shoot with you

which didn't make the magazine....after all, I shot around 700!!!

This is a bit of a bittersweet occasion, as this issue marks Fifi's
last issue as Editor of Romantic Country.

But I am so incredibly proud and humbled to share this issue with her,
and I know that new Editor Mary Forsell will do a wonderful job.
I've mailed back and forth with her a bit lately, and she is just a lovely gal.

Thank you to Fifi O'Neill, the Marcov's, and my buddy Carol Spinski 

for helping make a dream come true!

Taking a few days off now,

have a beautiful weekend!

Remarkable Rose

You see this tiny little doll of a woman
standing next to me?

If you don't recognize her, then shame on you.

She is only one of the most influential style and decor icons of the past century,

and whether you realize it or not, her influence has been felt far and wide in blogland.

Her name is Rose Hicks, and I was blessed beyond belief to meet this

sweet little dynamo yesterday afternoon!

Rose is the matriarch of the ridiculously talented Hicks girls, Carol, Janet and Cathy.

I've had the pleasure of meeting designer Carol Hicks-Bolton on a few occasions,

as she and her husband Tim Bolton are the masterminds
behind the iconic Fredericksburg, Texas store Homestead,
my favorite place to seek treasure in all the world.

But I had never met sweet Miss Rose...until yesterday.

If you haven't met her before, 

allow me to introduce you to her now...

{all pics courtesy of Lisa McIlvain and Mary Engelbreit Home}

Enter my idea of Heaven,
aka Rose's magical home circa 1998...

Nobody has ever done white-on-white better than Rose.

The layering of the mirror and frames...just sublime.

These photos were taken in 1998, people!!!

Everything looks every bit as fresh and inspired now as it did then.

 All those cutting-edge looks you see and admire all over blogland these days?

Rose did it best, and more importantly, she did it FIRST.

Plates over sofa = weak in the knees

This magazine feature in Mary Engelbreit Home was 13 years ago,

and sweet Rose hasn't seemed to miss a beat in the years since...

most days, the remarkable 90 years young Rose
can be found adding her magic touch to the
operations and goings-on at the Homestead store
on Main St. in Fredericksburg, Texas!

Isn't she something?

I made a total geeky fangirl out of myself whilst meeting her, but I don't care...

she's an idol and an inspiration!

My buddies Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered and Dawn of The Feathered Nest 

are the only other two people on Earth I've met
that share to the same degree
my love and passion for the beauty

created through Rose and her kin.

The Hicks and Bolton crew have no idea how deeply their design aesthetic
has permeated every bit of my own creative vision,
and it is my pleasure and honor to spread the word

about them far and wide.

And Rose...sweet, lovely Rose...

How thrilled I am to share a hometown with you now, dear lady!

Keeping my fingers crossed that Mama Rose might one day soon allow me

to photograph her charming casa!

I'm workin' on it, people! Fingers AND toes crossed!!!

If any of you are ever in the area, please pay a visit to only the 

most incredible store around...

Homestead and Friends

230 East Main Street

Fredericksburg, Texas

And I would be completely remiss if I didn't mention

also getting to meet the lovely, sweet and super talented

Binky Morgan of Binky La Faye.

This uber talented gal is a super designer in her own right,

and not only has a shop of her own,
but also does styling work at Homestead once a week.

I think (hope) that Binky and I will be getting into much  mischief in the days ahead.  ;-)

So, uh, yeah....getting to meet these gals MORE than made up for not going
to Round Top and Warrenton this time!!!

Off for now, but just a quick update before I go...

The Summer issue of Romantic Country magazine

featuring my Willow Nest photos

is on newsstands now!

I'll be doing a post on it soon,

along with news of THIS exciting giveaway I'm having...

You won't want to miss this one, as Fabulous Fifi

is somehow involved...
can't say just how, just yet...but will spill it next post!

Have a wonderful day!