Betty's Book ~ Interior Design Then and Now

I spent a little time this week refreshing and updating a few spaces.

This is our entry...not much wall to work with.

I replaced an old brass lamp with this new one from Target.

When I got it home it wasn't quite as tall as I thought...

so I raised it a bit with some books.

When I was looking through my bigger decorating books 

I ran across one I had forgotten about.

House & Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decorating

The cover is tattered and torn.

The book somehow got slightly water damaged.

It belonged to my mother-in-law, Betty Drake.

I never knew her...she passed away before I even met my husband.

I found this book when we were

readying my in-laws house for sale a few years ago.

She signed the inside cover...

I wonder if she loaned it out and wanted to make

sure she got it back?

Here's the interesting thing...

Much of this book, last updated in 1960, 

reflects design and decor that is still found in homes today.

Here are some actual pages from the book:

Classic Blue and White

The Gallery Wall

Traditional meets Modern.

Neutral bedding and antlers!

The tablescape.

A multi-functional space.

Another Gallery Wall and high ceilings.

Layering with a rug over carpet.

Streamlined roman shade.

This Chapter title tells it all.
Stick with classic, timeless decor and you will never go out of style.

Linking to:

Newbie Party at Debbiedoos

Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle

Time Travel Thursday at Brambleberry Cottage

Barbra's Passion

It's rainy and cold again here in Ohio.  I got home from work and even though I have a list of things I should be doing I ended up in front of the TV watching an Oprah re-run.  What a treat it turned out to be.  Barbra Streisand was on promoting a book she wrote called "My Passion for Design." This book came out at the end of last year. I totally missed it though...so if you did too read on.

Here is the link to Amazon if you want to check it out.

Barbra and her husband, James Brolin, built their house on the California coast.  It took 16 years.

Oprah promised me that if I bought the book I would not be disappointed.  I'm a sucker for any kind of decorating/design book so I may have to fire up my account at Amazon.  If you have this book let me know what you think.  I realize that most of us can't imagine living in a place like this.  But it would be fun to look...

My Love of Blue and White

A few weeks ago Jacqueline from Cabin & Cottage put up a post called "Blue and White In Your Home." Her blog is lovely and all her posts just make you feel happy and calm.  This particular post spoke to me specifically because I am in love with blue and white.  Doesn't matter what it is...fabric, dishes, rugs, flowers. Anything at all.  Here are a few of my absolute favorite pictures of blue and white rooms.  I have been collecting them for a while...way before I started blogging. I could literally move into one of these rooms and be happy for the rest of my life.

My dream kitchen...

My favorite rug...













Favorite ceiling.






This one is a little dated but I think the coffee table
is so cute.









Jacqueline featured a book with the same title as her post.  I looked it up on Amazon.com and was able to get it for under $10.00.  It came the other day and it's beautiful.

Here's the link if you are interested:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1588160556

I'll show you my blue and white collections in another post soon.

Have a great day!

Swagbucks Shopping Spree!

Hello...I want to share what I was able to get at Amazon with my Swagbucks.  I discovered Swagbucks about 6 months ago...if you don't know what it is, here is an explanation.  This tutorial explains the different ways to earn and what you can get with your bucks.  I have found that the quickest ways to earn are to use their Search engine and their shopping service.  If you shop through their website you earn 2 swagbucks for every dollar you spend.  What a deal.  

I was just able to buy a $30.00 Amazon.com gift card.  It didn't pay for my entire purchase but it sure helped.  I don't feel guilty at all about ordering these books!  My last purchase was a $30.00 iTunes gift card. FOR FREE.  Here's what I got:

A few bloggers have recommended this...looks lovely.

I love making pillows and window treatments...maybe I'll try slipcovers!

This just looked really fun.

Check it out when you have time.  How can you go wrong?

Have a great day!

Thirsting for Spring

Hello...if you live anywhere east of the Mississippi I am sure you have had just about enough of winter.  I thought I would share a couple of books that I discovered in my quest for the perfect perennial garden.  Of course there is probably no such thing.  I am trying though.

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is a wealth of knowledge.  She takes you from the very beginning (preparing your soil) to the end.



Her explanations and advice are understandable even if you are a new gardener.  The pictures of her own garden and also of other's are vibrant and clear.  This is a perfect time of year to start planning any changes or additions to your garden.

This next book I just got a few weeks ago.


Click here to go to the Lone Pine Publishing website and find the book for your specific state or region.  This book will possibly take your garden to the next level.  Since it is specific to your region the advice and hints should be helpful in solving any problems you may have.  There are also books on Gardening by the Month.





I think this one just may be my next purchase!

Click here for Tracy's book at Amazon.com.  Click here for Tracy's blog.

Have a great day...and by the way I've joined Debbiedoos Newbie party...you can find it here.
Or you can find her button on my sidebar.

Kitchen Inspiration

Well...I need some inspiration.  So I decided to get one book that would hopefully do the trick.  I was not disappointed with my choice.  I haven't been able to get through the whole book yet but I am having a great time trying.