Begin at the Beginning

Another month has flown by, and it was jam packed as all months seem to be these days.

I am officially a great aunt, and oh how great it is!!!  And I swear, these gluten free cupcakes I made are not burned...they just look like it in this pic?! :)  I should share the recipe sometime, they are delish!

Just a couple of days after these pics were taken at my niece's baby shower, sweet blueberry (the name we have all called her since she was conceived), decided to make a surprise appearance...6 weeks early!

Thankfully Momma and Baby K, aka Baby Blueberry, are both doing well.  Baby K will spend some time in the NICU, but only to gain a bit more weight and to learn to regulate her body temp without the aide of an incubator, so we are thankful and overjoyed that she is with us and healthy.  And did I mention adorable?!  She looks so much like my niece did when she was born.

Along with a new baby, we have a new car.  Our faithful Jetta bit the dust shortly after our daughter's wedding, and I have to admit that I got teary when we traded her in.

I even got choked up while driving the new car, which I have named Pearl, because it's not a stick.  I've never been without a manual transmission vehicle since I started driving tractors at the age of 6 or 7!!!  I then told myself to get over myself...I mean, I am driving a brand spank'n new car for gosh sake, I should be feeling grateful!  Sometimes I need a little kick in the pants to remind myself of how lucky I am!

If March can go out like a lion, then November can surely come in like a tiger!  We had ferocious winds last night, and I was sure the bird feeder outside my bedroom window was going to come through the window at about 2 am...thankfully I have a wild imagination and that didn't happen.

We had gusts of over 55 mph, and most of the leaves are gone from the trees now, signaling that fall is officially here to stay.

Somehow, this little guy is flying around today.  I love the way his shadow shows up on this desaturated pic.

The winds are still howling, but not as badly as overnight, and even the pups don't really want to be outside.  The leaves on our maple have been blown to bits, though a few still cling to their branches in defiance.  And the field is decked out in muted shades of amber, wheat, burnt umber, and even a little amethyst.  It makes me want to wear clothing in these exact shades...it's that time of year after all.

In other news, Fifi O'Neill told me that her new wedding book, Prairie Style Weddings, will be out December 2, just in time for Christmas, and it is available for pre-order on Amazon.  For all you romantic, nature loving brides, or mother's of the bride, who are looking for great rustic, chic ideas, this is a must have!

To learn more you can watch this charming video about how she discovered her love for prairie style, and how these books came to fruition.

Fifi O'Neill Prairie Style Books from Natalie Neto on Vimeo.

Wishing you all a very happy and cozy week! xoxo

Prairie Style

The weather here is finally starting to hint that spring is on its way, daffodils are blooming, trees are budding out, and I feel excited for warmer weather and spring cleaning!

Along with a change in temperature, there are some other exciting things going on in other parts of  the world, that being the world of publishing...my friend Fifi O'Neill is at it again with the upcoming publication of Prairie Style Magazine!

If there is one thing Fifi knows (actually she knows lots of things), it's about beautifully decorated homes, simple living, and casual elegant decor, and she is bringing all of that knowledge to you through the pages of her latest venture.

She recently sent me a preview of this beautiful new publication and asked me to share some snippets of it with all of you.  Below is just a sampling of what you can expect when it hits newsstands in May!

Because we all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, sighs and drools, I will let the pictures do the talking.  Just be sure to scroll to the end of the post to find out how you can get your very own copy.

Are you sighing yet?!!!

Or do you prefer to drool?! ;)

But this magazine is about more than just pretty pictures and beautifully appointed homes found throughout North America.  It's a resource for creating the life you long to live, one where simple pleasures supersede high tech craziness, and one where living a life less ordinary is any but boring!

And if you're not quite ready to get back to the simple life, at least you can live vicariously through it's beautiful, high quality printed pages (over 144 pages my friends)!  Or find a few wonderful artisans along the way for those one of a kind gifts you want to share with others, or better yet, yourself!

At a time when we are all lamenting the loss of so many wonderful shelter magazines, why not support this great publication which is back by popular demand!

But don't wait, there are limited quantities and as you can see, it will sell out quickly.  You can pre-order by using the link below, and for bulk orders with a reduced rate, you can also click the link below.

Congratulations Fifi, and I wish you much success with this wonderful venture! :)

To Pre-Order a single copy for $9.99 CLICK HERE

For Bulk Orders of 10 or more at a reduced rate of $4.99 each, CLICK HERE and then click on the BULK ORDERS TAB.

Looking Back, Looking Forward, and Looking Up

Well we've almost made it through another year.  One filled with joy, sadness, and unexpected gifts.

In January of last year I never could have imagined that I would launch an art website, partner with a dear friend to create artwork, and another great friend to showcase her artwork.

I also didn't realize that my dream to be back in France would come true so soon, and that I would spend time with the man I love in the city of love!

These are all blessings that I'm so very grateful for, and I sometimes pinch myself that good fortune has smiled so graciously upon me and my family in 2012.

For 2013, I have no set plans, no resolutions, but plenty of dreams.  I dream that I will be able to travel again to shores unknown and visit more beautiful places that make me look upward and expand my horizons.

I dream that my family and friends will continue to be blessed with good health, happiness, and the joys that living a full life can bring.  And I wish these things for all of you too!

And speaking of dreams, I have been so sick...still...that I almost forgot to tell you that some of our artwork was featured in the Fab Finds section of the current issue of Romantic Country Magazine!  This special piece is one that we created specifically for the magazine and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it for Fifi!  Thank you Fifi for this wonderful opportunity!!!  There was a bit of a glitch and the website listed beneath the pic was incorrect, but you can find this artwork and lots of others on our website at Low Tide High Style.

Breaking the Rules

What a crazy couple of weeks since I have been back.  First of all one of the stories I wrote for Romantic Country made the cover!  This is the second time this has happened, another story I wrote made the cover of the last issue.  And even though I just wrote the story and didn't take any of the photos, it is still exciting to see them make the cover!

The talented Dan Mayers was the photographer, and Fifi worked her magic doing the styling on this beautiful home featured in the latest issue of Romantic Country.  And the homeowner, Sharon, who I now consider a friend, was so thrilled to see her living room on the cover...who wouldn't be right?!

Sharon owns a great store in Occoquan, Virginia called Brambles and if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping by.  I did a post on her shop awhile back...click HERE to read it.  The same time and effort she has put in to creating her shop is evident in her lovely home.  And her hand painted furnishings and artwork are simply beautiful!

I know that those of you who read Romantic Country will enjoy getting a peek inside Sharon's home, and I want to thank her for letting us invade her house to create the story!

(picture of us taken by my daughter)

Last Saturday, Mr. Tide and I ventured up to our nation's capital, to meet up with my bloggy friend Traci and her husband Jeremy from Atlanta.  Our daughter also tagged along as we strolled through the American History Museum, where we even got to see Julia Child's kitchen which has been on display for awhile now. 

We also managed to avoid the demonstrators and the pepper spray which was all taking place just a few blocks from where we were...phew!

Our daughter headed off to meet a friend for dinner, and the four of us went to Old Town Alexandria for a yummy dinner together.  It was great getting to spend time with both Traci and her husband, especially since we have known one another for several years now, both through our blogs, but before that through Garden Web, where we connected over kitchen remodeling.

So there you have it, I broke my own rule and posted a picture of myself, which I never, ever do!  Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, or maybe I just don't give a damn anymore, hard to say which it is.  Either way, I'm glad I have a photo to remember the day, which was great fun!

Who knows what my next post will be, I'm going buck wild folks...I tell ya, it could get crazy around here!

Treated Royally and A Shout Out

Yesterday my family gave me the royal treatment.  It started with sleeping in, followed by yummy scones for breakfast/lunch, and then a delicious dinner complete with a beautifully set table.

Our daughter came home for the weekend, which is always a treat.  I just love having everyone under one roof!

On Saturday, my son asked what I wanted for Mother's Day and I told him not a thing.  He then informed me that if I didn't tell him something I wanted, I would get something I didn't want.  

When I opened my gifts there was this single asparagus shaped taper candle (pictured above) and as I pulled it out he was grinning from ear to ear...so was my daughter who had gone shopping with him!  He said it was the ugliest thing he could find and that because I hadn't given him any ideas this was my "something you don't want" present.  I hate to tell him, but the joke was on him since I like my pretty little asparagus candle, and my only disappointment was that he could only find one!

Along with the soaps, a gift certificate, and the candle, I also received this wonderful book Perfect English by Ros Byam Shaw with photography by Chris Tubbs.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, then you know how much I LOVE design books, especially beautifully photographed ones and this one did not disappoint!

It's full of wonderful text and glorious imagery of quintessential English country design and decor, which allows it to live up to the title of Perfect English!

My roses are now in full bloom, and my daughter created a lovely table arrangement for my Mother's Day feast yesterday evening.  We had grilled steaks, fresh asparagus, organic potatoes, and berry sherbet for dessert...yum!

Mr. Tide's gift to me was doing a ton of yard work this past weekend and buying me some blueberry bushes and flowers that will bring me lots of enjoyment for years to come!

I also treated myself to a few pretties the past few weeks, including these lovely green cut glass votive holders, which we used at dinner last night.  I also picked up a few pieces from Mason Cash to add to my ever growing bowl collection.  I bought a set of pudding basins, a mixing bowl, and then 4 small oval baking dishes which I hope to use to bake individual pot pies this winter, or maybe yummy creme brulee!

I hope you all had equally wonderful Mother's Day celebrations yesterday!  And thank you to my family for helping make my job as a mother very easy!!!

This week will be another busy one as I am hosting our local garden club this evening, working on a story that was due 2 months ago (yeah this is the life of a writer sometimes...things get delayed or pushed back and you just have to go with the flow), a photo shoot on Wednesday, and I have an art show this weekend that I'll tell you more about in an upcoming post, so it's push time!

But before I go, I wanted to give a shout out to my dear friend Fifi O'Neill!  Her book has been burning up the charts...and is topping lists everywhere!  Congratulations Fifi, I can't think of a more deserving person!!! xoxo

Romantic Prairie Style ranked #6 in sales on Nielsen Bookscan
for two weeks in a row in the Hardcover House & Home category, as reported in the
Best-Selling Books listing (week ended April 17th) in the April 23, 2011 edition of
The Wall Street Journal
Circulation: 9,963,418