A californian girl-Interview with Maria

Today

I invite you to a special meeting

This girl is a very special one

Sweet

Sensitive

Talented

Generous

 

Say hello to

Maria

author of the amazing blog

Dreamy Whites

 

What convinced you to start blogging?

I started blogging, because Lori, from http://frugalfarmhousedesign.blogspot.com/ was so kind to feature my home on her blog. She then encouraged me to start a blog of my own.

I will forever be grateful for what she did for me, because of her act of kindness, I have discovered a world that I didn't know existed.

Has blogging affected your life somehow?

Blogging has had a huge impact on my life, I have made friends with girls (like you Zaira) from all around the world. Those friendships have changed my life

Which is your favourite room?

My favorite room, I would have to say is my bedroom.

Any room makeover project you’re working at?

I just recently painted our kitchen cabinets. I am still working on getting the cabinets to be the right shade of white.

If you could move, what kind of house would you look for? Would you decorate it the same way as the actual one?

I would love to live in a farmhouse that was built in the 1800s. I am actually very happy with the house I live in right now though. This house feels like home to me. If I did move, I would keep all of the furnishings I have right now. I wouldn't want to get rid of anything.

Who is your favourite interior designer?

I actually have more than one favorite designer, Rachel Ashwell, Yasmine McGrane, Christina Strutt, and Atlanta Bartlett

How would you define your style?


I don't really know how to define my style, I love so many different styles!

One of your typical day of the week…..

My typical day is getting up and taking care of my family. I have five kids and I feel blessed because I have been able to be a stay at home mom.

What are the greatest passions in your life?

The greatest passions in my life are~ raising my kids, being a wife, and I just love to be creative. I have loved art ever since I was a little kid.

Anything you would like to say to your readers…..

I would like to thank my readers for taking the time to even stop in and read my blog. When I started blogging I was going through a very difficult time in my life,

I have my readers to thank for helping me get through that time. I have received so much encouragement from my readers, and really that has changed my life!

I appreciate everyone who takes the time out of their day to leave me such encouraging comments.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Maria

for taking the time to spare some words with my readers

Maria has a wonderful house

Her home will featured in Fifi O'Neill new book

You can't miss it

Be sure to check Maria's blog

She will open soon her first on line shop

Congratulation girl!!!

{images taken from Dreamy Whites' blog

under permission}

Interview with Sarah- A beach cottage girl

Hello girls!

Today I'm having a special

Guest of Honour

Most of you surely

already know

Sarah

A very talented woman
An extraordinary home decorator
A funny writer
A surprising photographer

Sarah lives in a renovated cottage by the sea

Her adventures always make me dream

Of a brand new life

In a foreign country

She speaks about

her passions

decorating

living by the sea

Thank you Sarah

for letting me interview you!

Where are you from?

I live in Sydney Australia in an old cottage in a town on the beaches...we emmigrated here from London a few years ago, originally both me and my hubby are from Kent on the south easter tip of England.

What made you decide to move to Australia with your family?

After a Christmas holiday to Florida and flying back into London and getting stuck in an air traffic queue before we even hit the tarmac we decided that we needed a new life without commuting and that involved living by the ocean....it had taken longer for us to get home after flying into UK air than it had to fly across the ocean to the States.....so having loved the seaside we were looking for a new life by the sea for our family life...we wanted a laid-back lifestyle, less stress and simple living.

How has your English background influenced your life style and your home decorating?

Actually I think there are more English influences in the accessories than the actual decorating...I love old English china and fervently hunt it out at any given opportunity and luckily with the big English influence in Australia it is actually more commonplace than you might think. In practicalities of living the English influence had changed...here in a warm climate we can easily live with cool stripped floorboards and open screen doors and the vivid Aussie colours mean that neutrals are a natural backdrop...

How would you describe your style?

Hmm, my style had been described by others as Coastal Chic and I hesitate, to be very honest, in lamenting that I have a 'style'....for me it is much more fly-by-night...I go with what I fancy at any given moment....and right now that means lots of white, stacks of weathered old furniture, linen, stripes, bit old white slip-covered sofas, a tonne of flowers in bright colours, a little bit of Frenchy accessories and next up I am loving a tad of industrial chic...

What inspires you in your daily life and in your home furnishing?

My new life by the sea inspires me every single day...I am still more than over-awed that I live here and feel very lucky that Australia has taken us in. In home furnishing I have to say blogs inspire me the most...I absolutely love blogs that show real girl decorating and real homes...in fact I was inspired to start my blog because of a blog that documented a gal's journey decorating her rented apartment as a single mum on a shoestring budget while she worked full-time....blogs show me that yep it can be done with budgets and kids and husbands and pets and women come up with amazing places to live their busy lives day to day....

I used to buy *lots of home magazines, but now because of what I follow in Blogland I find magazines more and more unreal and more importantly not attainable for someone like me...on a budget, with three kiddos and a busy lifestyle...

Is there any interior designer you love and you refer to for your home decorating?

I can't say there is particularly any one...in fact I abhor the term 'interior designer'...I find that whole world very tight and closed...for me home decorating is about making a comfortable, loved home, about getting your painting clothes on, shopping flea markets, fitting it in with your family and finding a look that works with your budget...it's not about 'designing'.....I haven't seen many interior designers that get that.

Do you remember when you first “met” your home? How did you know it was the right one?

I remember exactly when I first met our home...and I remember as I got out of the car the Real Estate Agent instructing me to 'brace myself' as 'this is bad'...this old cottage for sure was not and still is not a stunner but more importantly the price was good and it meant we could still keep our house in England, it had a big garden with an old fig tree, it had vintage details, wood floors, in a quiet road and not too far from the beach...

What do you like most about living by the sea?

I love how being by the sea has integrated into our everyday lives....in Australia this is just part of it for many people...our kids like to be in the water, we have coffee on the beach and we can spend a whole day just being outside lazing around with sun and sand...

You have a wonderful blog.
How did you start this experience and what do you like most about it?

I started my blog to keep me focused on updating the cottage and to document the makeovers I was doing on old furniture we had picked up from flea markets for pennies...it was all very low-key and I never thought anyone would be remotely interested in it...it's moved on a bit but at the end of the day I just love the little bit of me that sits down at the end of the day, with a beer, and blogs what's been going on in this tatty old cottage...

You are a talented writer and a brilliant photographer. What camera and lenses do you use? {this is my personal curiosity due to my photography passion ;) }

I mainly use a point and shoot Canon G10...but many of the photos on my blog were with an old Canon Powershot...I like to point and shoot...it's what works for me....I recently was very lucky enough to get a new Camera and went for a Canon 50D with a couple of lenses...it's great and I love it...but everyday in my pocket is my G10...it rocks!

I think taking pictures is about passion and not what camera you use...I have found that if love something the photo just comes...I would never be so bold as to say I am a photographer but for sure I would, some day, love to be...

If you should pack your entire life again and move to some other place, which one would you like to live in?

Oh for sure I would live in Australia...though I think the reason I love it so much is cos I appreciate it...it is one amazing and lucky country. England though now I am not there is fantastic too...just a shame it doesn't have a tiny little bit more sun!

I think that many of us would like to start a brand new life in a brand new continent. Which suggestions would you give about moving and start it all over?

There are many things to take into account and it is not in any shape or form easy... I think I could write a book on this but bottom line don't waste another second...

{all pictures taken from Sarah-used under permission}

If you still don't know her wonderful blog

You will take a second to fall for it

Just a glance and you'll be overwhelmed

By all the charming of a life near the sea

And the breeze against your cheeks

A beach cottage

Interview with Fifi O'Neill, editor of Romantic Homes magazine

Hello everyone!

I hope you're doing fine.

Salve a tutti

spero che stiate bene.

Today I'm guesting a very special woman

Oggi ospito una donna davvero speciale

She's a writer, stylist, photographer and editor

to one of the most famous magazine of interiors

E' una scrittrice, stilista e editor

di una delle riviste più famose di interiors

Romantic Country

Please welcome

Fifi O'Neill

Fifi was very kind  to accept a little interview in my blog-

she was very lovely and generous,

speaking to her was a great honour for me

and a delightful experience.

Fifi è stata molto gentile nell'accettare di essere intervistata da me-

molto carina e disponibile,

parlare con lei è stato un grande onore per me

e un'esperienza molto piacevole.

Thank you Fifi!!


Fifi lives in a 1920 fisherman cottage, in Florida
She talks about home, works and future projects
Fifi vive in un cotatge di pescatori del 1920 in Florida
Ci racconta della sua casa, lavoro e progetti futuri.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Paris, France

What made you decide to move to Florida?

After moving from Paris to Lausanne, Switzerland where I worked for a newspaper (the Lausanne Tribune) for 2 years, I moved to Canada. Got married to a Canadian, had 2 boys. Got divorced after 14 years and remarried to an American and moved to Baltimore, Maryland

{Chic Shack}

How your French background affects your work and style?

I always like the simpler look of the French Country style and grew up surrounded by it.

How would you describe your style?

Though I can appreciate the beauty of delicate antiques I prefer the simplicity of more rustic furniture. The kind that shows the patina of time, comfort, and the long-cherished ideals of natural beauty, simplicity, and harmony with the earth. It's gentle but strong, welcoming and lasting, and real.

{i'm crazy for Fifi kitchen, aren't you??}

What inspires you in your decorating job?

The diversity of designs, the rich and deep pleasures of creating something unique from scratch, the softer side of rustic and rugged with the union of delicate and elegant, the spontaneous acceptance of lack of pretensions, and the simplicity of purpose.

What attracts you in homes you choose to work for?

Diversity of styles and homes with personality.

Is there any interior designer who inspires you?

I love Christina Strutt's Cabbages & Roses softly rustic work (http://www.cabbagesandroses.com/) and Carolyne Quartemaine's beautiful colors (http://www.carolynquartermaine.com/)

You live in a fisherman cottage… how did you know it was the perfect house?

I knew it was the right house because I love small older homes and it's surrounded by hundred-year old oak trees. I was also attracted to the fact that although only 900 square feet (about 90 square meters) the rooms have lots of windows and high ceilings so it doesn't feel closed in.

What challenges did it present to become the house you had in mind?

It needed a lot of cosmetic work (repainting all the rooms), and the bathroom and kitchen had to be updated.

Which is your advice to make a house a comfortable home?

Only surround your self with things that say "home" to you, whatever the style, it's your home, your taste.

What are the tips to create a romantic home?

Keep the look simple, the colors soft, and always have candles and fresh flowers.

How did you start your amazing job?

I started by working for newspapers then went on to magazines. I have been doing this for over 20 years.

How did you come up with your wonderful and inspirational magazines?

Just wanted to share ideas and beautiful homes and approach several magazines with the concept I had. It was a long road.

I read on your blog about some projects concerning Italy….can you reveal us some more?

Yes, I am working closely with an Italian publisher in Rome. I am supplying them with articles and photos of homes in America.

Do you like working with Italian people?

I love working with them. They are very kind and produce beautiful magazines. I hope to come to Rome next year to meet with them.

Last question: on your blog you made a

 great announce, regarding an upcoming book you’re working on.

When will we be able to handle it???

The book will be out in the spring of 2011. I know it will be available in the UK and the USA but don't know yet if it's going to be translated in Italian.

Be sure we can't wait to have it either in English!

Thank you again Fifi!!

Please, visit Fifi blog  CHEZ FIFI

and tell her I sent you...

{all images of Fifi house and work are made by Dan Mayers and

courtesly taken from Fifi blog with her permission

don't use it unless authorised, thank you}

Girl who writes - Lola B's

Dear lovelies, today I'm happy because we have

a very special guest 

I've been thinking of her for a while 

I was a bit shy when I asked her to be  my guest star, you know

she's a myth to me

She is an inspiration for me since I discovered her.....
I am really addicted to her blog, each post of hers is a surprise-

She's much talented and no one can deny it

To me she's perfect in each thing she does-

 the way she writes

her photos

her baking ideas

 her style and her home

 her personal way of being the sweetest and funniest mother ever

 I'm not flattering her, my praise is sincere and I know that

all of you think the same

She's a special girl-

 I really want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart

to Kasey

for spending a bit of your time for me

 for letting me interview you (my very first interview!)

and be a guest star in my humble blog

Please say hello to Kasey from Lola B's

I'm pretty sure that you all know Kasey

She lives in a faboulous farmhouse in Illinois with her husband and 3 wonderful children

She used to have a shop

but her blog is now a diary of her

 life, style, travels and family

LOLA B'S

 Lately, you have certainly been stucked by her adventures with Kim and Simone (and Jeanpierre....) in France.

Now, let's get to know better Kasey


What inspired you to start a blog?



I actually started my blog when i had my little shop Lola B's. My blog was really just a way to let my customers know what was going on in our little world of retail.

Then i closed my shop and set up online. It was at that point that i really stared writing more and more about my life and family.


What you like most about blogging?



I love that i have a place to journal my thoughts....and i find that when i encounter certain situations there are other people that have encountered the same things so i don't feel so alone. I have loved the relationships i've made......like my friend Kim {mimi charmante}....we went to France together...

but had only just met the year before and thru blogging.

It's amazing the people you can connect with.

Could you name a few blog friends
or a few blogs that inspire you?


I don't have any favorites....i have one's that i tend to read more frequently but really...how can one choose just a few that inspire.

There are so many fabulous bloggers out there right now between the decorating blogs...the family life blogs ...and the style blogs.

I am always amazed at what i find.


Suggestions to any new blogger on how to make their blog as successful as yours...


Oh my! I don't think of my blog as succesful...but i thank you for the compliment!

I really just love to write and i write the exact same way as i think.

My suggestion to anyone is.....be authentic.

{And I think she really is!!}

Now, let's talk a bit about your house.
I know that when you moved to Illinois you wanted to establish in a farmhouse-
How did you know that your actual home was the right one?

I knew my house was the perfect one when i saw it listed online.

We were moving from Colorado to Illinois and had one weekend to peruse

homes.

I wanted old and charming.

This house is amazing....but small. Three bedrooms...no finished

basement....a galley size kitchen...

but it's perfection.

Oh...have i mentioned the master closet?

Love!

What inspired you most in your home renovation?

We really have only renovated one room and it was the sunroom. We finished

it off to a four season room....painting the hardwood floors white and

painting the beadboard a french green.

I could live in that room, it's so sunny.

{another view of the sunroom}

Which room is your favourite?

Ha! a trick question.

I love my sunroom.....but i die for my closet.

But if i really had to pick a favorite...it's the closet!

Name a thing you are particular proud of about 

 your home.

I love that because it's only 1800sf.....it makes us appreciate our family.
There is no place for the kids to run off to....no where for someone to
storm off mad...
it's cozy and quaint.
It's a family home.

{love this chandie, just perfect}

Now, something about yourself....

5 words that describes you

Oh dear. okay...here goes:
witty.friendly.fun.outgoing.true.

How would you describe your style?

(you're a very fashionable woman!!)

I want to be able to walk into a room and feel confident. I love to feel
good about myself and i really
feel that if you take care of yourself {inside and out} that you will glow
from it.
I love the look of Anthropologie....but mixed with Target prices.

What inspires you in your daily life?

First and foremost....my family.

I wake up to my 5 year old mugging me.....it doesn't get any better than

that.

{then the kids go to school...and really....then it's my cup of coffee}

 {Lola's room}


You are mother of 3 wonderful children:
how is your typical day like?


I like to wake up before anyone else....it's my quiet time....normally
around 6 am. I hop on the computer...
play catch up....then the kids get up and it's off to school for them.
My five year old Fin only goes to school for 2.5 hours then he's home with
me all afternoon.
We are always doing fun things like going into Chicago to the museums...or
bike rides in the summer....swimming.
It's a crazy hectic life right now.....but i love it.

Any dream left in a drawer....

There should always be one dream out there don't you think?
Otherwise...what's left in life?
I really would love to write more.....i don't know how...or when the
opportunity will present itself....
but so far i'm loving just doing it over on my blog.

all pics courtesly from Lola B's blog


I really could go on reading her writing all day long.
I'm sure she would be a great writer ;)

Thank you again Kasey for being such kind and generous
and letting me interview you

Lola B's
one girl talks