Book Love

 

I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge reader.  It's rather ironic that I'm a writer, yet I don't really enjoy reading, so it stands to reason that books with lots of pictures would be the kind I gravitate towards.

I don't own a ton of decorating and design books, but I do own a few.  Some I've had for years, like Malcom Hillier's Wreaths and Garlands, and John Hadamuscin's Special Occasions.  Both of the books I just mentioned are more about entertaining and floral arranging than decorating, but I still love the photography and wonderful ideas they give you in books about floral design and entertaining.

The other design books I own have mostly been gifts, or books I've purchased after having them recommended by a friend.

For some reason this spring has me itching to add to my collection of design books, I just love the permanence of a coffee table book that I can go back to time and time again.  I do that with magazines, but in most instances there are only one or two homes or features that really catch my eye in any given magazine.

With books, the whole book will have a design style and I find that I love nearly 80% of what I see in any given book.  Plus, now that my interest in photography has taken off, I find that I pour over books in a totally new way.  I cherish the composition or lighting of a shot now where I once was mostly interested in the decor.

When Terry John Woods friended me on Facebook recently, I felt it was a sign that I needed to buy this talented man's book.  I had seen it many times and knew I would love it, but I'd never made that commitment and gone ahead and purchased it.

I ordered it from Amazon along with my pre-order of Fifi's book, but Terry's book arrived just a few days ago, and Fifi's is due any day now!

I have to say that from the moment I opened this book, New Farmhouse Style, I was completely blown away!  The styling, photography, everything about this book had my heart beating faster and my fingers ready to turn the page to see the next delightful image and read the heartfelt text.

Now as you might imagine, writing about beautiful homes and even getting to visit some of them for a living can make it a little harder to be wowed by anything home related, much less a book, but this one had me at hello.  

I mean just look at the photo above.  Terry loves white tulips and ironstone and so do I.  I even have white tulips at my house right now, and I also have lots of little white pitchers floating around this very dusty place of mine!

The incredible photography by Kindra Clineff, paired with Terry's simple yet elegant sense of style had me rethinking everything I thought about photos and styling for shoots.  His book proves that less really is more when it comes to the new sense of country decorating.

This book made me want to pack my bags and move to an old farmhouse in Vermont and instead of filling it with stuff, fill it with only the stuff I love!  Yes folks, this book is truly that good!

Now, just in case you are thinking "hey has Kat lost her mind, is she now on Terry John Woods' payroll, what does she stand to get from singing his praises?"  The answer is yes, I have lost my mind but it's totally unrelated to Terry John Woods or his book.  Two, I'm not on Terry's payroll gosh darn it!  And three, I stand nothing to gain from my gushing review except to give credit where credit is due, and that means telling all of you so that you too can discover this wonderful book for yourself!

I did a photo shoot at a lovely home yesterday, and I have to tell you that I was very much aware of each and every shot that I took.  I carefully edited out what wasn't necessary, taking my cues from Terry's clean, inviting style.  And I have to say that when I reviewed the pictures, I couldn't have been more pleased with the end results.

Today or tomorrow, Fifi's fabulous book, Romantic Prairie Style, should be showing up on my doorstep, and I know that it will move me in the same way that Terry's book has.  I've had a sneak peek at her book, and I can't wait to get my hot little hands on it as well.  And the best part is that Terry has a new book called Summer House, which you can pre-order now, and Fifi has begun work on her second book too!

At this rate, you may not be hearing from me for awhile!  Remember what I said about not being able to live in a mostly white house...well I may have lied when I said that...never say never....Benjamin Moore store here I come!!!

Until next time friends...

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Ocean Soul   (from now on I'll be posting just one link because blogger doesn't like it when I post 3 and it makes my pictures go all wonky!)  ***I love, love, love how this blogger's daughter took the whole family along with her on a school trip to Italy...check it out!