It's Beginning

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my house!  After a whirlwind few weeks with no end in sight, I managed to get everything decorated except my Christmas trees which will have to wait until this weekend.  And there is still tweaking to be done, such as adding live greens and throwing out the pumpkins which still grace my front porch, but the majority of my holiday decor is out and ready to ring in the season.

And in other news, the new special double spring issue of Romantic Country is, or soon will be, out in stores.  I was fortunate to write two of the home stories in this issue, and I can tell you first hand that not only were the homes beautiful, but the people who live in them are too!  My favorite part about being a writer for home magazines has to be the wonderful people I meet...they are the best!  If you are able to get your hands on this issue, I hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Have a wonderful week!

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!

Out Of Pocket

Miss Kylee:  Ok, so here's the deal.  Yesterday our company left and that makes me sad because those other people who were here always give me extra belly rubs.

Misty Belle:  I agree Ky, those people who I think are Daddy's parents were nice and even held me sometimes.  And I was a good girl and only jumped on them some of the time...ok only when I knew my paws were really wet and snowy!!!

Mom says the creek is really frozen, more than it's ever been since they've lived here.  Bugs left his fishing stuff outside, I guess he's going ice fishing sometime soon.

Misty Belle:  This is the frozen stuff they keep talking about, it's called ice.  And I really liked trying to walk on it which kind of almost gave mom a heart attack, so a few days before Christmas they called in the fence guy and now I can't get to the water anymore.  Mom is happy about that, but I am NOT!

Over Christmas we had lots of yummy food, but it was really cold and snowy and the winds were ferocious!  We did get lots of great presents though, all of us dogs got treats and new toys, and the humans all got really cool stuff for me to try and chew on!

Mom and dad took us for lots of walks in the snow and that was fun, but very cold!

Miss Kylee:  It was cold Misty, and very windy, I agree.  But as you can see behind me, a lot of the snow has melted and the temperatures are rising.  By the end of the week it will be 50 degrees.!

Mr. Quinn:  Today mom is doing laundry and cleaning up the house...we shed a lot!  And she hasn't been doing anything on the computer, which has been nice because that means she's been spending a lot of time hanging out with us.

 And letting me do lots of this, which I love!  Snow is delicious!

Really...I hope it doesn't all melt too soon.  I like having my very own icy machine in the backyard...

Misty Belle:  I hope everyone out there had a great Christmas...we sure did, well except for one small problem.  It seems that mom and dad have developed a little bit of an addiction to the show Ugly Betty.  Angelfish brought home season 1 for us to watch and now mom and dad can't stop watching it!

Actually I don't really mind, I like it too, as long as I get my food I'm ok with them watching it.  So Angelfish could you PLEASE come home this weekend and bring season 2?!  If not I think mom and dad might start going through withdrawals...thanks a bunch!

Oh, and one more thing...

Mom's photos of the Ekster Barn Sale are featured in Romantic Country's story on the best barn sales across America.  She's super excited about how the spread turned out, and loves the whole Spring 2011 issue, the magazine is available in stores now!!

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!