In Good Company

Last fall I received a lovely email from one of the editors at Artful Blogging asking if I would like to be featured in their spring 2014 issue.  I was on deadline at the time, and had too many things on my plate, so I politely declined and let them know how appreciative I was that they even asked!

Much to my surprise, instead of saying "ok thanks, see ya later," the editor asked if I would consider being in the summer 2014 issue instead as it would give me more time to write my piece.  I immediately said yes, and though I still wonder why the heck they picked me...let's face it there are some truly Artful blogs out there, that blow mine WAY out of the water, I am so thankful they did include me.

When I received my contributor copy a couple of weeks ago, I was tickled to see one of my images on the cover.  If you've read my blog for awhile, then you know how much I LOVE tea, especially the Laduree Marie Antoinette tea I picked up in Paris, so I was thrilled to see that they selected that image for the cover.

The spread inside the magazine didn't disappoint either, and they did a great job of grouping my images together to compliment the story.  I was also super excited to see that Mr. Quinn and Misty Belle made the cut...I wonder if they'll start getting fan mail?! *winks*

I have to say that the Summer 2014 Issue of Artful Blogging is full of beautiful images, talented artisans, and inspiring stories that have introduced me to a whole new group of talented folks I might never have found on my own.  I am in very good company in this issue!

Thank you Artful Blogging and your wonderful staff for letting me be a part of your beautiful publication...I am humbled and appreciative!

The weather here today is beyond gorgeous, and I wish everyday could be just like this!  My neighbor gifted me with some lovely Persian Lilac blossoms and with the windows open and a cool breeze blowing through, my entire house smells divine!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Goodnight Irene

As Hurricane Irene whirls her way up the eastern seaboard of the US I've been busy gathering the necessary supplies to help us weather the storm.

A good book is a must, since TV and internet may be scarce for a few days.  I've been down this road before, and though we have a whole house generator for just such an occasion, invariably trees come down and service is disrupted.

Perfume is nice to have on hand, just in case you can't shower for a day or two.  My Lollia "Calm" should do the trick.

And you really need cake, we all know that cake makes everything better!

Along with a good book, it's important to have a few magazines on hand.

Ok, maybe more than just a few!

Bringing in all of the garden veggies is important too, so I've harvested the ripe tomatoes and peppers and I might whip up a yummy sauce or salsa.

And of course we need tea, lots of tea!  You may have noted that no alcohol is included in this "must have" hurricane ready list.  I'm not irresponsible my friends, you have to keep your wits about you in a storm!  I will bet donuts to dollars that someone on my street will host an impromptu hurricane party though! ;-)

If we don't lose internet due to Irene, I will also be taking the next few days to reply to the many wonderful emails I've received in the last few days...thank you to each and every one of you, many of whom brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my heart!

To everyone in Irene's path, let's hope she bids us goodnight and veers off to sea.  But if she insists on stopping by, I hope each of you will be safe and sound!

Put a Bug in Your Ear

Sorry to "bug" you all, but I have a few requests, or you might say that I wanted to put a little bug in your ear...ok, enough with the puns already!

1st...if you live in Southern Maryland and know of an awesome barn with a flag painted on it, would you please leave me a comment or send me an email letting me know the location?  Thanks, it's not for me but for a fellow writer who is doing an article for a regional magazine.  

2nd...if you live in the greater Las Vegas area...or between LA and Las Vegas and you have a house that you think is magazine worthy, please contact me ASAP.  We are looking for Vintage, Romantic, Cottage Style, Rustic Cabins, French Country, and Farmhouse Chic!  If you think your house fits any of those descriptions I would LOVE to hear from you.  You can email me at kgwhouse@gmail.com and I will need some low resolution photos of your rooms...the whole room please, and I would need shots of the kitchen, master bedroom (or any cute bedroom), living areas, dining room, porch/patio/sunroom if you have one!  If you have a blog, you can direct me to blog posts that show what your house looks like too! :-)

Ok, I have to run, I have to jump in my car and skedaddle to do lots of stuff today!  Enjoy your Tuesday and THANK YOU for your help!  

P.S. Mr. or Mrs. Cicada, pictured above, was on our firepit this morning!

Magazine Mania

Thank you everyone for your wonderful and amazing comments on my post from yesterday.  There are so many amazing women in this world and it warms my heart to know that many of you visit and comment on my blog, so thank you for that!

Do you remember the picture above, many of you probably don't.  It was part of a blog post (Here) I did almost exactly a year ago.  In that post, I introduced you to my friend Susan and her beautiful home which is filled with one of a kind folk art and antiques.  I could only show you snippets though because Susan's home was going to be featured in a magazine, so I couldn't reveal too much.

The magazine world is a funny place, it's very similar to retail in some ways, where you do something and then don't get to see it for months afterward.  I used to be a clothing rep for children's clothing, and the store owners would come to the shows at least 6 months out to purchase clothing for the next season.  So 6 months later it was almost like Christmas when their items would finally arrive.  I'm sure many shop owners feel like this, since the buying season is always done well in advance.

The same is true for magazines.  Many times homes are styled and shot, stories are submitted, and we don't get to see the finished product until we get our contributor copy in the mail, which is always a welcome surprise!

So after getting home at almost 8 pm last night after conducting an interview with homeowners at another beautiful waterfront home for a regional magazine, I opened the mailbox to find an big manila envelope with my contributor copy of the latest issue of Country Sampler.

It's their special "home tour" edition, and I couldn't wait to get inside where I had some light so that I could flip through it to find Susan's house article which I wrote. 

The layout looks fabulous thanks to the styling of my talented friend Phoebe Parker and the amazing photos taken by Mark Lohman.  The picture above is of Susan's living room which overlooks the water and has windows on every side!

I had to smile when I saw the picture of the kitchen, if you have a copy of this issue you'll have to pay special attention to the small lamp sitting on top of the crate in the top right of the picture on page 54.  See how the light is on?  Well that was my big job of the day.  When I arrived at the shoot, they were getting ready to photograph the kitchen, but they needed a touch more light for the shot, but not too much.  So what you can't see from that gorgeous picture is how I was around the corner, tucked inside a small bathroom with a giant orange extension cord waiting for Mark to say "Kat are you ready...unplug on 3...ok 1...2...3!"  He needed the light to be fading to get just the right shot, because that's how precise he is as a photographer, and it shows in his wonderful pictures!  Now Mark is also a bit of a jokester so for the rest of the shoot he kept saying things like, "Kat if you would behave we could let you out of the bathroom," or, "Kat don't make us put you back in the bathroom."  See the things I go through so that you all can have beautiful photos to look at in magazines?! hehe

Well I'm just thrilled that my dear friend Susan's home is so beautifully displayed in this issue.  She has paid her dues by working hard and helping others to create their own beautiful homes through the antique stores she has owned and worked at over the years.  We all knew her home was magazine worthy, and now everyone else will know it too!

I also wanted to give a little shout out to a few friends whose blogs got mentioned in the latest issue of Flea Market Style...

A Country Farmhouse

Funky Junk Interiors

The Polished Pebble

Congrats ladies...you each deserve this wonderful accolade!

I have some more great homes coming out in upcoming issues of various magazines, and I'll keep you posted if something else shows up in my mailbox anytime soon!

Until then...I'll keep spreading the love...

Annie Wilcox Designs

Sixty-Fifth Avenue

The Old Kitchen

House Call

Recently I was asked by my dear friend Fifi O'Neill to scout and photograph some homes for a few of the wonderful Italian publications she is now working with.   She will even be spearheading her own magazine, and as we all know from her past endeavors in the publishing world, it's sure to be a huge success!

So that brings me to my next subject.  If you happen to live in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, or any of the surrounding states and have a house you think should be featured in a magazine, I'm all ears.  But first I have to be all eyes and see some photos.

They don't have to be professional quality photos, just nice clear shots taken from each corner of the room.  Try and stay away from sending me lovely vignette shots, because if your rooms have good bones, we can create vignettes, but it's hard to go the other way if you know what I mean.

Being in a magazine doesn't require you to have a home where each and every room is perfect, usually we focus on master bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms, with a few exterior shots thrown in for good measure.  Of course, if you have a wonderful child's room, or a great screened in porch, or sunroom, those are an added bonus!

Now, not all houses can make the cut when it comes to being in a magazine.  Often it's not that a home wasn't pretty enough, or stylish enough, it can sometimes come down to something as simple at it having the wrong paint color.  As much as I'd like to believe I live in a nicely decorated home, I clearly know that my home isn't up to snuff when it comes to being in a magazine spread.  Maybe one day it will be, but not at the moment, it's just not unique enough.

So if you drool over magazines and can honestly say that you think your home could be in one, here's what I need you to do.

1.  Send me photos, no larger than 5 x 8 and medium to low resolution so that the files aren't huge.

2.  Exterior and interior shots, remember to take wide shots from every corner of a room.  Don't fret if every corner isn't perfect, but you get the idea, I need to be able to see the WHOLE room, not just tight, close up shots of your dining room table!

3.  If you live outside of the areas I've mentioned, send photos anyway, there are other photographers and writers out there that might be able to shoot your home besides me.  Be sure to tell me in your email where you home is located, as in city and state.  That will help me to decide if you are within reasonable driving distance of where I live, or to better pass your info along to someone else!

4.  You don't have to "stage" your house, but do take a moment to really look at what you are photographing.  It's hard to see what a room actually looks like if there are piles of paper, kids toys, and people in the shots!

5.  DON'T get discouraged in you don't hear back right away, it takes time to review the pictures, and like I said, not every home will make the grade, but it's not a personal affront if you don't get selected.  Refer to the list at the bottom of the post for exactly what types of homes I'm looking for at the moment.

6.  Don't try and make your home look perfect...that's the job of the stylist and photographer, we understand that real people aren't living perfect lives every day!  And in this instance size doesn't matter, a bigger house isn't always a better house.

7.  Please be sure to leave me an email address or phone number where I can get in touch with you should your home be picked, or to let you know if it's not.

8.  Be brave and send the pictures.  Some of my very favorite homes that I've covered in the past 13 years have been people who have said to me when I contacted them..."Oh my house isn't anything special!"  When someone says that, I generally know it will be a winner!

9.  This doesn't have to be your home, if you have a neighbor, friend or relative that you think should be included, feel free to get their permission and submit their home!

10.  Be sure you want to have someone come into your home and photograph it.  Remember it will probably be an all day event with furniture rearranging going on and someone pulling things from your closets and cupboards in order to make a perfect shot!  You have to be able to go with the flow during a shoot, (because there is a lot of hard work and chaos that goes along with a shoot), or it simply won't work and the photos will be lifeless!  Everyone I've ever worked with who has had their home shot, found it to be a very rewarding, but also tiring experience!

11.  Lastly, here's what I'm looking for: 

a.  Romantic homes that aren't over the top, too frilly, frou frou, or with everything but the dog covered in wallpaper!

b.  Country farmhouses - clean, simple farmhouse style

c.  Small, unique cottages - think English Cottage or summer cottage

d.  Bungalows

e.  Waterfront homes, big and small 

f.  Log homes, from over the top to cabin chic

g.  Victorians - But again, nothing too chi chi fou fou!

h.  French Country - But think French Country farmhouse, not what Target or Home Goods says is French Country

Sorry, I'm not looking for sleek and modern at the moment, but don't think that new construction is out, because if you've taken a typical tract home and turned it in to something wonderful, I would love to see it!

So, there you have it my friends, if you've always thought your home oughta be in pictures, here's your chance!  I look forward to seeing what you guys have to offer!

If you have any questions you can email me at kgwhouse@gmail.com

Do I Dare

Dare I talk about Christmas?  You betcha!  No, not because I've begun decorating...that is strictly taboo in my house until after Thanksgiving, and usually until the first week in December.  

I did however want to show you a little sneak peek at what I picked up at Home Goods the other day...see those silver trees?!  I bought a set of three and can't wait to use them this Christmas!  They were tucked back in the cabinet after my little shoot though, so don't worry about me rushing the seasons!

But I'm just so darned excited about receiving my new copy of Matthew Mead's latest baby, Holiday With Matthew Mead!!!

The blog for Holiday (a gorgeous new magazine only available through their website) has been tempting me for months now with fabulous vignettes like these!

And even though the holiday season doesn't start for over a month...it never hurts to start thinking about how you want to decorate your home, or what perfect gifts you should add to your list!  Dropping hints starts early around my house! ;-)

I have magazines from years ago that are my go to guides each year as I try and turn our house into a winter wonderland, and I know that Holiday With Matthew Mead will be a treasured addition to my collection!  The team Matthew assembled to work on his latest venture is full of talented photographers, writers, and creative artisans and is sure to impress!

If you place your order now at their website, you will have your copy in hand by early November, which gives you plenty of time to create the holiday home of your dreams!

So click HERE and reserve your copy so that you can be the first on your block to be in the know about what's hot and what's not this holiday season!  I know I'll be anxiously awaiting my copy and pouring over it for days when it arrives in just a few weeks!

Photo Shoots and Furry Friends

The last few days have been fun filled and very busy!  Wednesday I got to watch Fifi O'Neill in action once again while she styled a home for Cottage Style Magazine and another for Country Sampler Magazine.

There is so much that goes in to styling, and it really is an art!  If you've ever tried taking a photo of one of your rooms and then realized that it doesn't look anything like you see in a magazine that is because a lot of time and effort goes in to making a room look that beautiful.

Of course the stylists and photographers can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, as my grandmother would say, but they can take a beautiful home and make it even more beautiful!

And one of the ways they do that is to bring in beautiful flowers, fresh fruit, and yummy food to place in some of the shots!

I've been lucky enough to do a few shoots of my own lately, nothing compared to the major magazine spreads, but some where I needed to add a little something to make the shots a bit more attractive and special and let me tell you, it's not as easy as you might think!

Fifi always comes well prepared for each house she plans to style, but there are always those last minute flowers or pieces of fruit that you need to get once you are on location.  So for the second shoot on Thursday, which was for Country Sampler Magazine, I ran out to a local Mennonite farm and picked up some fresh fruit and a few flowers.

While I was there getting things for Fifi, I picked up a few bouquets for myself and for my own shoots.  When I woke up on Thursday morning to head to the second shoot, my house looked like a flower shop...and it smelled SO good in my kitchen!

The other key component of a successful magazine shoot besides a talented stylist is a fabulous photographer.  For both of the shoots the photographer was Mark Lohman.  Mark's accolades read like a who's who list of some of my favorite magazines!

And he's pretty darn funny too, just beware the hazardous conditions he'll put you in that involve plugging and unplugging lights!  Yup, yours truly has been known to help move furniture and wield an extension cord when called upon!

Watching a stylist like Fifi and photographer like Mark work together really is amazing.  It's such a collaboration borne of trust, and the end result is always spectacular as witnessed by the wonderful magazine spreads we drool over each time our favorite magazine arrives in the mail!

And speaking of trust, the homeowner's kitty cats weren't sure they could trust us, but there is a lot of trust on the part of the homeowners who open up their homes too.  We had two great sets of homeowners that not only trusted Fifi and Mark, but also helped to make the shoots so successful.

Opening your home up to perfect strangers, no matter how wonderful they are, isn't easy.  So it's always nice when you see a shot come together and the look on the homeowner's faces when they see the home they love and cherish looking picture perfect!

After a short while, even the kitty cats decided maybe these strange people weren't so bad after all!

During part of the shoot, I snuck out back and took some pictures of the beautiful waterfront setting of my friend Susan's home to share with all of you!

Not only is the interior of her home beautiful, but so are the views and the wonderful seaside touches she has incorporated into her yard!  I just love how she ringed this tree with shells!

Even with the hot weather, there is almost always a breeze on the water, so the waves were crashing along the shoreline.

You can see what a few storms, high tides, and erosion can do to the trees that are close to the shore!

And the Osprey love to build nests atop these old torpedo sighting towers left over from WWII.  They were circling all around it, making sure I didn't get too close!

Both of the shoots were so much fun and will result in truly wonderful spreads in their respective magazines, and I know those of you that read Country Sampler and Cottage Style will love seeing these two gorgeous homes!

After a yummy meal filled with great conversation and wonderful company we all hugged and parted ways.  Fifi and Mark were headed to Florida to shoot Fifi's guest house for her book!

Sometimes I pinch myself and wonder if I really do get to work with such great people and generous homeowners!  And I know that I appreciate every photo I see, whether it's in a catalog or a magazine, because they truly are works of art...each and every one of them!