Congratulations to a Friend

Ever since I met Fifi O'Neill last winter I've been singing her praises and for good reason.  She's not only a talented writer, editor, and stylist, but she is truly a wonderful person.  She has been an incredible help and mentor to me since the day we first spoke via email, but most of all, I treasure her friendship!

So it is will great pride and happiness that I am able to show you the cover of her wonderful new book entitled Romantic Prairie Style which is due out at the end of April 2011!!!

 

The book, which Fifi has diligently and lovingly worked on all summer and into the fall, is full of beautiful decor and decorating ideas.  And with so much breathtaking eye candy to drool over, it will have you returning to it time and time again for inspiration to create your own dream home!  

Some of you may even recognize that wonderful cover shot...it's the home of Maria from Dreamy Whites...just one of the many gorgeous homes featured in the book!

The photography, which was done by the very talented and oh so funny Mark Lohman, will have you pining to recreate these remarkable interiors and exteriors in your own home!  

I got a sneak peek at a few of the homes being featured and it made me want to pack my bags and find a country home to create a Romantic Prairie Home for myself!

Pre-orders for Romantic Prairie Style are being taken now at Amazon, just click HERE to find out more...so don't delay....when April rolls around, you will want to be one of the first people on your block to own this amazing new book! 

Congratulations Fifi on this well deserved accolade, I can't think of a more deserving person!!! xoxo

Ekster, Ekster, Read All About It

As I mentioned in a previous post, I went to photograph a barn sale for Fifi O'Neill and Romantic Country Magazine a few weekends ago.  It was my first "real" photo assignment, and I was a little nervous about the whole thing.

But I knew, based on what I had seen from previous Ekster Antiques barn sales that it really couldn't be too hard.  I mean, how hard can it be to shoot beautiful things in a gorgeous setting just outside Leesburg, Virginia?  Lots of great vintage items, antiques, ironstone, chippy furniture, and so much more...so what's not to like or better yet, take pictures of?!

Caroline and Jon-Paul Saunier (pictured above) live in a historic home set among rolling hills in the rural town of Hamilton, Virginia.  The same wonderful sense of style they have used to create their own home, (which was photographed for Fifi's upcoming book entitled Romantic Prairie Style), translates to their wonderful barn sales held several times a year.

In between sales, Caroline (a native of Holland) and her sources scour Europe looking for the perfect pieces to sell at each of the sales she and Jon-Paul hold in one of the huge old barns on their property.

Before each sale, they post pictures on their Facebook fan page "Ekster Antiques" to help whet buyer's appetites.  And lines form early each morning during their weekend sales as people eagerly anticipate the event!


 

Fifi selected her favorite photos from the shoot to use in an upcoming issue of Romantic Country, but here are a few to give you an idea of how truly massive and wonderful each of the Ekster sales are.  It was all I could do to snap photos instead of grabbing everything in sight to take home with me!

Caroline and Jon-Paul work tirelessly before, during, and after each sale...I don't really know how they do it!  And even though these shots were taken in 100+ degree heat, and at the end of the first day of their sale, they were still going strong and looking fabulous!  In the photo above they were enjoying a quiet moment before closing up shop on the day I was there.

If the items alone weren't enough to make you swoon, the way they are displayed is a feast for the eyes!  Just take a look at some of the beautiful displays and unusual wares they have for sale at great prices!

This beautiful old turquoise metal bed was calling my name!

And in addition to 2 stories worth of barn to ooh and ahh over, they also have tents set up outside for even more wonderful things to choose from!

And in case your tastes run a little funky, never fear, there is something for everyone at an Ekster Antiques sale!

I had so much fun meeting Caroline and Jon-Paul and wandering around photographing all of the really cool stuff they had for sale that day!  And just before we left, Mr. Tide and I went downstairs to pick out one of the beautiful old glass fishing floats I had spied earlier.

I loved its deep green color and how someone had apparently repaired the old netting which had finally let go over the years, not to mention how large it is!  And when I took it up to the counter to pay for it, Caroline gave it to me as a gift for coming out to do the shoot!!

I was floored by her wonderful generosity and now this beautiful float is happily living in my front flower bed surrounded by yellow and coral colored lantana!  When I get a free moment I plan to clean it up a bit and bring it inside.  I'll find the perfect spot where it can reflect the sunlight and brighten even the darkest winter days, so thank you again Caroline and Jon-Paul!

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few photos of this wonderful barn sale and to find out exactly when the next Ekster Antiques Barn Sale will be held (sometime in December), be sure to become of friend of Ekster Antiques on Facebook!  Trust me, you'll want to mark your calendars...I will be heading back to get some ironstone which I'm still kicking myself for not bringing home!

And be sure to check out Romantic Country Magazine to see more pictures I took of the Ekster sale!  They will be in one of the upcoming issues!  I'll be sure to let you know when it will be featured!

And You Thought I Was Busy!

Some of you have been so sweet and have left comments or sent me emails telling me that you hope I'm not overdoing it with my hectic schedule and my temperamental back at the moment.  There are days when I'm dog tired, like Miss Kylee gets sometimes when she runs around like a crazy dog, but my schedule is nothing compared to the schedules of several friends of mine!

Fifi O'Neill is one of those people who is a bundle of energy and seems to be able to maintain a schedule that would make most of us drop dead just at the thought of it all!  She recently went on a whirlwind photo shoot tour which spanned much of the Mid Atlantic and Northeastern US, and even by the end of it all when we met she was delightful, kind, fun loving and full of energy...she really does live up to her nickname, Fabulous Fifi!

I knew her schedule, and that of talented photographer Dan Mayers, had been horrendous, but she did a post about the nitty gritty details on her wonderful blog Chez Fifi where you can really get an idea of how "glamorous" her life as a writer, editor and stylist can be!  After reading her post, I was ready to book a flight for myself to Bali for a few weeks of R & R...maybe Fifi could take a breather and join me!!

And be sure to pick up the latest copy of Fifi's magazine, Romantic Country, which will be in stores in a little over a week!  I got a sneak peek at it while Fifi was here, and it truly is a gorgeous issue full of great articles and wonderful eye candy!

There Is Beauty In The World

Hello there my bloggy friends, I've had the most amazing week and I just wanted to share a little bit of it with you all!  First of all I want to say thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments about my new lamp.  I love it, and I'm glad you all do too!  And to answer a few questions, it did come with the writing already on it...how perfect is that?!  And if you are looking for one at your local Target and can't find one, you can click on this link and buy it online!

Ok, now on to my week and the unbelievable thrill and excitement of it all!  As most of you know, I've been a freelance magazine writer for the past 12 years, working on a regional level.  Although Mr. Tide had encouraged me to try to write for some of the major national publications, I had never really pursued it, but all of that changed a few months ago!

A little thing called serendipity entered my life in the form of a wonderful woman by the name of Fifi O'Neill.  For those of you who have been living under a rock somewhere, or without the benefit of print media for forever...then you may not know that Fifi O'Neill is one of the most accomplished writers, stylists, and editors in the world of home decorating and design publishing!!!

I sent Fifi an email a few months ago inquiring about doing some freelance work for her wonderful magazine, Romantic Country.  When I sent the email, I wasn't really expecting a reply, Fifi is in the big leagues after all, and I'm still on the farm team.  But to my surprise and delight, she sent sent me the most kind and wonderful reply!  And it turns out that she and I both had written about the same home, my story was featured in a regional magazine and her story was in Country Living Magazine!  See what I mean about Fifi being in the big leagues?!

If you visit Fifi's beautiful blog, Chez Fifi, you'll be blown away, not only by the blog itself, but by the who's who list of publications that she has contributed to.  And as Editor in Chief of Romantic Country, a stylist, and a writer, she is a woman who is constantly on the move!  Along with her magazine work, she is currently working on a book and a TV show!

So why would a woman of such stature in the publishing world want to help out a little 'ole regional writer like myself?  Because she's Fifi O'Neill, and along with being a hugely talented career woman, she is also one of the kindest and most supportive people I've ever met!

She took the time to not only look at my scouting shots, but she submitted them to various magazines within Harris Publishing for approval, and 4 of the homes I submitted got picked up for national magazines!  As if that weren't enough to make me want to jump for joy, I will also be writing the accompanying stories!  Ok, for a freelance writer, this is like winning a pulitzer...at least it is for me!

Over the last few days, not only did I get to meet Fifi in person while she did several shoots in my area, but I also got to meet the super talented photographer she was working with, Dan Mayers.  I have been to photo shoots before, but this was a whole new world for me and I loved every minute of it!  Dan is a very well respected photographer with quite a portfolio of his own, if you go to his website you'll be blown away by his work as well!

Dan and Fifi are an amazing tour de force when they are working on a shoot.  Their creative talents, eye for composition, and knowledge was truly awe inspiring!  It was like watching a beautifully synchronized ballet as the two of them set up, discussed, and tweeked each shot.  

And don't even get me started on Dan's camera equipment...I was drooling at all of the cool stuff he had in his bag's' of tricks!    And he was so wonderful about giving me advice and hints on how to improve my own photos.  His work clearly intimidated the crap out of me...and the photos I took of the shoot today have to be some of the worst photos I think I've ever taken, except for those photos I took months ago when I had my white balance all messed up and didn't realize it!

It turns out that Dan and I had a connection of sorts too in this very small world.  Remember the book Waterside Cottages that I gave away a few weeks ago?!  Well that is one of Dan's books, and it has some of the most amazing photos.  So not only was I rubbing shoulders with one of the most respected women in the publishing world, but with one of the most accomplished photographers as well!

And speaking of intimidating, after the shoot on Wednesday, I had invited Dan, Fifi, and the homeowner, Diane, over for dinner at my house!  All week, before their arrival I kept saying to myself and my bad back..."what the heck are you thinking?!...inviting a woman from France to your house for dinner...what on earth will you fix?!"  But with some sage advice from a few friends...thanks Kate, Kim, Connie and my dear friend Traci (get a blog Traci!), I calmed down to only slightly freaked out.  Then when I met both Dan and Fifi in person and found out what fun, energetic, and truly down to earth people they were I was no longer worried and had a wonderful evening with everyone!

I do have to mention that Mr. Tide deserves so much credit for taking care of everything while my back has been out and if it weren't for him I would have gone completely insane trying to pull things together!  And my sister M and my beautiful niece Courtney for their help too!  Everything wasn't perfect, there were rooms where the doors were shut, the kitchen backsplash still wasn't installed, and there were plants that didn't get planted, but it was good food, good wine, and great company, so is there really anything more important than that?!  Even after 10 long, grueling days on the road, Dan and Fifi had us laughing the evening away regaling us with tales of their previous shoots, funny airline stories, and how baguettes can be turned into weapons.

This morning, I woke up and wondered if all of this had really happened!  Had I just spent the day before at a gorgeous waterfront cottage watching Fifi O'Neill and Dan Mayers working side by side?!  And had I spent the evening dining with the owner of that great house along with Dan, Fifi, Mr. Tide and my son Bugs?! 

Thankfully Dan took a picture of Fifi with my puny little camera so that I have proof that it wasn't all a dream!  That's Fifi standing in the sitting area off of my kitchen, looking beautiful even after 10 hours of hard work!  After a porch shoot this morning, Fifi and Dan headed back to their respective homes.  I hope Fifi had a wonderful flight and can relax a little bit over the long weekend before going great guns again next week!  And I hope Dan has a wonderful weekend celebrating the 2nd birthday of his darling twins!  

I could go on and on about what a wonderful experience this was for me and for each of the homeowners whose beautiful homes were chosen, but I think the photo above sums it up best!  When you meet fun, happy, gracious, kind people you are pleasantly reminded that...there is beauty in the world!