Hello Lovely

Let's whisper about refinement.
Elegance too.
And classic French style.
Methinks Canadian designer Julie Charbonneau
of de Poitiers
has truly mastered the art of creating serenity
and timelessness.






Am I right or am I right?

Hold on right there.
I think I just became aware of another
first-world-decor-ache:
I don't have a fireplace in the master bath
to add dramatic ambiance and provide
more flattering lighting for youTubes
videotaped for my lifestyle blog.


a chic Montreal penthouse designed by Charbonneau




Charbonneau's own home, photographed for House and Home.

There's that friggin ache again.
Seriously. It's insanity to think things I think,
and it's not envy knockin'...just a fleshy
hedonistic inkling that if this wrought iron
staircase were in my life, many cares
would melt away.*



*I blame hormones.



Let's step away from my estrogenic and spiritual design crises
and drift instead into a Frenchy white trance:



















All sorts of lovely to admire in this ethereal kitchen.
Have a favorite Charbonneau moment above?
Let's hear it, sunshine.

Peace to you right where you are.

I love language.
I love lyrics.
I love reading and having my brain tickled by
little black scratchy scribbles on the white page.



Familiar with Lisa Congdon's hand lettering genius?




Her art is such a beautiful marriage of words and illustration.
Don't you love that quote by Flaubert above?




Lisa's new book is heartwarming and
truly makes a perfect gift...for mother's day, graduation...




Whatever You Are, Be a Good One:
100 Inspiration Quotations Hand-Lettered
by Lisa Congdon
(Ryland Peters & Small, 2014)

Today I am inspired by the power of well-chosen
words which can evoke deep emotion
or even begin to heal a soul.

Peace to you right where you are.





 Hello Lovely at times partners
with companies I  love and think may interest you.

Easy elegance.
Jeepers, i like the sound of that whether we're talkin
demeanor, wardrobe, automobiles, or living rooms.

To love it is to to be okay with some imperfection
(which is so so so different than settling for mediocrity!)
and to capture it is to be named
Atlanta Bartlett, who wrote the book.


Easy Elegance
by Atlanta Bartlett
(Ryland Peters & Small, 2014)



How Bartlett conceives it:

"Easy elegance mixes the old with the new,
the luxurious with the everyday. It celebrates
comfort, simplicity and individuality. The result
is a warm and welcoming home that suits the
relaxed way we want to live now."

Some images driving it home for me:




photos via Atlanta Bartlett

Since this is a look I want to achieve in my own home,
I'm looking around this very moment spying areas
in which a small tweak might pack a big easy punch.

Peace to you right where you are.

p.s.
I think it's more challenging
to achieve the effect with large rooms,
Agree?



p.s.s.
I am beyond honored that Marian of Miss Mustard Seed
featured my dining area on her WILDLY popular blog.
Merci beaucoup, my multi-talented sista.






 Hello Lovely at times partners
with companies I  love and think may interest you.

It is rumbly and grey outside my windows,
and doggone it, we need bloomin color up in here.

Enter London stylist and author of
Romantic Style by Selina Lake (2014-02-01)
SELINA LAKE...





In an interview with Heart Home Magazine, Selina
describes her style as "Homespun, pretty romantic,
feminine, fancy floral, neon pink, bazaar, second-hand,
mismatched with touches of gold."




via

Isn't this cake and the whole caboodle incredible?



via

What is her ideal styling assignment?
She says it is those jobs where she is booked for her signature style,
which is beautifully brought to life in:


Romantic Style by Selina Lake (2014-02-01)
by Selina Lake
(Ryland Peters & Small, 2014)
gorgeous photography by
Debi Treloar


Oh both of these are delicious books, friends!
Crafting ideas for fresh flowers. Ideas for glamping.
How to use flowers as party decorations and
to picnic in style.



via

"People from a planet without flowers would think
we must be mad with joy the whole time to have
such things about us."
(Iris Murdoch)


via

Her signature style blooms with personality, yes?

Peace to you right where you are.




p.s. Oscar Wilde said “A flower blossoms for its own joy” but I'm not sure
I'm buyin that...the way they tolerate those butterflies and bees and us,
they don't strike me as that selfish at all.

Click for a list of beautiful design books to inspire.



 Hello Lovely at times partners
with companies I  love and think may interest you.

Care for a wee square of gooey butter cake?
Croissant?
Homemade amaretto and sparkling wine?


There is still no stopping me from baking even though
I have eliminated almost all gluten from my diet.
I baked a g-free white bread this week that is
actually edible...SCORE!

Also new to my kitchen this week:
From Mom to Daughter:
The Quick Tips of Italian Cooking
by Maria Elena Congedo
(Congedo, 2014)

This is my kind of cookbook!
Each recipe's list of ingredients is short,
and these are simple, authentic Italian dishes
to enjoy any night of the week.


Meatloaf in a crust? Really? Really.


Nuggets of cheese wrapped in pancetta?
You betcha.





I found a linen fabric which may actually be sewn
into a window treatment for the window over the sink.
It has only taken me 7 years to find something I can live with.


Also new to the kitchen:
a new refrigerator and dishwasher...which
should put to rest any rumors that this is one of
those kitchens which doesn't get used.
Sweet Jesus, the marinara splatters and cream cheese
on...um...everything...prove otherwise.

What say you about nuggets of cheese
wrapped in pork fat?

Peace to you right where you are.






 Hello Lovely at times partners
with companies I  love and think may interest you.