Romantic Country Magazine Spring 2011 Issue

I so enjoy Romantic Country. It has been a favorite magazine of mine since it's first issue...then when it comes in the mail, I grab it up and can't wait to read through it. I've already gone through the entire spring 2011 issue and enjoyed every page. I hope this post acts more like a "teaser" for you to get your own issue to enjoy rather than me telling too much about it.

First of all, I loved the article about Sunday Hendrickson's office. Ever since I was a child and my father insisted that I make sure I read who the author and illustrator of a book were before I read the book (much to my impatience at the time), I still today look at who wrote magazine articles, who styled them, who photographed them, etc. I know Sunday's name comes up as a stylist a great deal in several magazines, and so I was interested in this article about her office. Very nice.

Then the article about romantic vintage roses is beautiful in every way. I love roses and decorating with them. The article offers some beautiful ideas.

Then the article about Liz Davis' home/shop was a pure delight. As you can see here, she puts up the lace valences in this bedroom withpush pins....I thought how extra special they would look with some of the thumbtacks I make pushed in to add extra sparkle and glamor (like the ones below).

I hope I've encouraged you get the magazine for yourself. It is a beautiful publication, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I have.

Romantic Country Article on Susie Holt and Michelle Bassett

Actually I've lost count on how many articles I've read about Susie and Mark Holt's home, cottage, and shop, The Cat's Meow. There have been many, and I've enjoyed each one. In the most recent issue of Romantic Country (what a beautiful magazine!!--you really must subscribe if you are a romantic at heart--it's worth it!), their home was featured. It is lovely--romantic and pretty but not over the top. I personally loved the chairs in the dining room. I have this thing about chairs, and it seemed like the magazine this time was full of gorgeous chairs. Have you ever been to the Holt's shop in Venice? I've been twice, and you know, Susie, is so friendly! It really is a worth-stop if you are in the area (and who doesn't want to go to Venice, Florida?).
Also, I enjoyed the article on Michelle Bassett's home. It's absolutely lovely. It reminds me of a French garden. (Loved that foyer chair!) She has a beautiful website full of gorgeous things www.canterburyhomeandgarden.com which is a pleasure to look at too.
I'm not really trying to put in a "plug" for these ladies or their shops, but I've enjoyed the articles and the shops greatly and feel you will to.

Pretty Seed Pictures in Romantic Country Magazine

The most recent issue of Romantic Country magazine (which was again a pure visual delight in it's entirety) had a "Special Section" featuring pictures from old seed catalogs. The pictures are just lovely! For one thing, I have great respect for anyone who can draw or paint in exquisite detail. Secondly, I just love flowers. So, this section was a delight. I have representations of seed catalogs/packets around my home including a set of four small plates on one wall--two of which are seen here. The plate rack is in our hallway and hard to take a picture of, so I couldn't get a good picture of all the plates. I also have the Scott's Roses poster in my laundry room. You've seen it before in another post, but I thought I'd include it again since we were on the subject and since I like the poster so much. Also...another thing....I am very BIG on how things look...the packaging of a product is of utmost importance to me especially if it is a gift. If something doesn't look good, I don't buy it. Unless it is for my immediate family's utilitarian needs, I will always buy something if offered the choice, thought it may be a little more expensive, with the pretty packaging. With this in mind, I used to own a gift basket business (maybe more on that another day) and used Renee's Garden seed packets exclusively because they were so beautiful. The artwork whether for veggies, fruit, herbs, or flowers is gorgeous. The packets were slightly more costly than other seeds, but were much more presentable as a gift than any other seeds I could find (not to mention quality seeds). So, if you were to give someone some seeds for a gift, I would highly recommend Renee's Seeds (sold either on her site or at finer green houses), a few packets of which are also pictured here. Think spring!