My ugly backyard turned dream space lands the cover!

 Oh My!!! 

Turning our ugly outdoor space into a French courtyard was a dream 

home improvement project of mine.  Even my friend, magazine editor and creator

Matthew Mead, like it so much that he decided to shoot it for his new special issue.

Upstyled Home Outdoors 

I was blown away when I recently learned it landed the coveted cover shot!

This special issue by Country Sampler will be on news stands when Spring

arrives in New England, sometime near the end of April.

Until then, here are some of Matthew's images from this splendid outdoor issue.

 When April arrives I will be more than ready to fling open my french doors

to head outside if we get an extra warm and sunny day.

Fluffing up the day bed, and putting the umbrellas back into position will be 

first on my list of things to do.

The kitchen garden will not yet have been planted, but this 

beautiful photo of our charming garden shed and simple vegetable garden

will remind me that in just a few months time, the tomatoes will be ripening

on the vine.  The weather will be perfect for sipping cool drinks and enjoying

the courtyard and the garden terrace.

In other pages from this issue, was this great outdoor feature. 

Are you like me, always wishing you had a potting table?! 

I love the simple idea of stringing lights between bamboo stakes 

to give it extra whimsy and charm.

 Harvesting lavender will be on my list of things to do as I had

planted a border along the house in the courtyard. 

 For those of you with country roads to pedal along, 

how about planning a fairytale picnic one day?

I think this would be a special thing to do with kids or grandchildren.

 Country tables in backyards and on porches are always ready to host an outdoor party.

Spiffed up with linens and garden bouquets, this one under an arbor is especially appealing.

Light wines and farm stand fruits show off

the best a summer time gathering has to offer with easy country style.

Matthew's images show how effortless entertaining in summer should be,

and how beautiful our spaces can look with just a little attention to details.

(I love that green door in the background!!)

Our courtyard was used every single evening as a gathering place

at the end of the day.  One by one we would meet outside and take in the 

soft air and enjoy the scenery as we sipped our cocktails and club sodas.

Maybe this is the year that you dedicate the time to create a gathering 

space for you and yours....or simply just for you!  

I have seen the preview of the magazine, and its truly the best!

I will be offering some as free giveaways once we get closer to spring.

(above, my photo of an everyday kind of 5 o'clock happening)

Maybe because we live in New England that I love my outdoor living so.

I try to make the most of being at home, and this new space enhanced that ideal.
The collage below shows the basic steps we took to create the courtyard.

Decide which space you want to makeover and then 

apply some of these inspiring ideas from the pages of Matthew's latest

special issue, Upstyled Home Outdoors. 

( PS. For those of you who want to order online, there is a link to do so

from the Country Sampler site.  But mind you, it could be 6-8 week delay

from when it hits news stands.  However if you are in a rural area without access to 

magazines, then this link could be the answer for you. Click here to order.)

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Fab Florals: Tole Chandeliers, Artwork Pillows

While waiting for spring weather to arrive I have been keeping busy by getting things on my wish list checked off, so that when it finally does get nice outside I will be ready!  And I think that the snow and rain and generally awful weather in Boston has had an effect on my desire to brighten up the interior around here.  Florals have been really attractive to me lately, (hence my decoupaged floral desk a few weeks ago) and when I saw this brand new line of pillows by artist Jennifer Lanne of New York, I couldn't wait to get one for myself.  She creates beautiful artwork, based on historical references, generally Rococo in feel, and has turned them into full blown version of European Old World Gypsy Boho style art that I think are amazing! She came up with the idea of taking her paintings and putting the images onto fabrics and released them this week for sale.  So I was first in line, and now I have my own art pillow by Jennifer Lanne!

This is from her website ( I will provide a link at the bottom of the post, don't worry!) and it shows off her style very nicely.  There is MY pillow, far right, tipped in a vertical position.  I was tempted by the pillow front and center, but decided the overall turquoise pillow with small roses would look best for my home.  She also has fabric tuffets and eiderdowns to choose from. Anyway, her artwork is one of my current obsessions~and come to find out we will be in the same field at Brimfield, next month, and our tents are back to back! I love it when the universe lines things up like this!  Justin, my son, and I will be at New England Motel lot #40, and you will find a mix of Maison Decor Frenchy stuff with his Pioneer Goods, rustic stuff!! You can see us and then check out Jennifer Lanne's amazing booth all at the same time! Dates of Brimfield Antique Fair are May 10-15, 2016.

Ok, so back to my house~I just propped it up on my iron daybed to show it off.  It looks pretty in my kitchen on the old worn green painted bench and just as pretty on the living room sofa! I guess I will let Fifi O'Neill decide where to put it when she comes to shoot my house in June. Thats another reason I am getting a few projects done around here, a magazine shoot will make you spring into action like nothing else!  I plan to make a Sunbrella cover for the daybed mattress before it goes outside for the season, as you can see the foam sticking out on the end.

 I will be doing a project with Matthew Mead for Sunbrella Fabrics, and in the corner you can spy some of the gorgeous Sunbrella that just arrived!  I also got a bolt that you can barely see that is all white and it looks like a duck cloth, which I plan to use as the mattress cover. The celery green and the lilac geometric will likely be pillows. He will be shooting my courtyard and its going to be terrific fun getting it all looking amazing outside. 

 Since the daybed is an oddball size, as its likely 100 years old, I found a 4" thick foam mattress at Walmart that I cut to size with my electric carving knife.  I plan to spray the bed an antique Parisian green, then put the white cover on it with the pretty green and purple pillows!! Maybe have a monogram on a pillow or two...can't wait to see this project come to life.

And in the kitchen, I finally got Mr. Maison Decor to switch out my kitchen chandelier for this old Italian Tole number that I have had for years.  It was offered for sale in my shop but no one ever bought it. One lady would come in and look at it every few months, but she never bought it. It was the weirdest thing, haha. I wonder if she wishes she pulled the trigger and bought it after we closed up the shop? Anyway,  I just love these kind of chandeliers. All handmade by some Italian craftsman. It has the original paint on it, and I think it looks great with my cottage kitchen.  

 As you may know, I just love antique or vintage lighting and I think it adds so much personality to a room.  As does artwork and fabrics of course...its so nice to add a refresher for spring in the way of a new pillow or two, and with that, why don't you pop over to Jennifer Lanne's website and get inspired!  Visit her here at Jennifer Lanne Art at Home. I am all about her art, so I just had to share my pillow and say this as well, its beautifully made with a down insert, zippered closure and as you can see by her label~MADE IN AMERICA! 

What is not to love about a small business like this?

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