Sweet Home Architecture: restore

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A Return To Loveliness

3:30 PM | Labels: A Return to Loveliness, holidays, restore, soothing tea

An Oasis of Calm

The holiday season is in full gear now. The ovens and stovetops are still warm with the preparations of the favorite family dishes of Thanksgiving.

Decorating is become a part-time job as we fill room-by-room with bits of holiday cheer and light.

Shopping lists filled with thoughtful gifts fill our heads and notebooks as we venture out with the throngs to fulfill this list or

we stroll through website after website looking for that special deal.

Now, more than ever, we do need to be aware of our time and to make time for moments of calm – an oasis of calm – if you will.

To me the preparations for a moment of tea begin a soothing, reflective pastime.

Setting the kettle to boil as you then select the perfect teacup,

a soothing, fragrant tea, a light repast, a book, a blanket and or

soothing music, begins a restorative action for our whole heart, mind and spirit.

Finding moments of solace and rest can reinstate the spirit behind all we do and the full meaning of this holiday season.

It is the season of love and of giving.

It is the season of the greatest story and greatest gift ever given.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Come Celebrate with me!

A Return to Loveliness

Christmas with Victoria

next week in our

special edition of

A Return to Loveliness

Christmas with Victoria

As I will be joining Sandi at

Rose Chintz Cottage

For

A Return to Loveliness

is a weekly blog party I host celebrating

bringing Loveliness into our lives and into our homes.

To Join

Simply create a post, publish this post and apply the URL

specific to this post to the Linky provided below.

Please link back your post to this blog and visit as many

other participants as you are able.

I am sharing this post with these Delightsome blog parties:

How Sweet The Sound's Pink Saturday

The House in the Roses' Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday

The Plumed Pen's Tea for Two

Rose Chintz Tea Time Tuesday

Martha's Favorite Teacup Tuesday

A Breath of Fresh Air's

and Silken Purse's

Teapot and Tea Things

Artful Affirmations Teacup Tuesday

Sweetology's Tea Time Tuesday

Miss Spencer's Teacup Thursday

Wishing you the most Delightsome, restful week,

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As promised - another beautiful book giveaway!

10:14 AM | Labels: antique, book review, contest, distressed finish, giveaway, repurposed furniture, repurposing ideas, restore, shabby chic, victorian, vintage, wabi sabi, white interiors

Lucky you guys! I'm reviewing two amazing books recently released by Country Living, Restore. Recycle. Repurpose and Aged to Perfection And one of you will win Aged to Perfection! All you have to do for your chance to win is leave a comment on this post. The chance to enter ends on 12/16, at 5PM EST. I will draw a winner at random and announce the results the next day.

PLEASE leave a way to contact you on your comment-an email address will work, or link your name with a way to contact you.

So, here are some lovely pics from Aged to Perfection which one of you will win. This book is great for the shabby chic and wabi sabi enthusiast. It features many white interiors, wonderful patinas, antiqued linens, and creative texture combination ideas.

The back jacket reads "Create a New 'Old' House. New houses offer modern conveniences, spacious rooms, and efficient infrastructures. Yet they often lack the charm that makes older homes so much more appealing. Now, through hundreds of photographs, ideas, and tips, Aged to Perfection shows how easy it is to give any contemporary home a gracious, rustic feeling."

I adore this living room! Unfortunately my dogs think that they're doing me a favor by letting me sit on "their" couch, and this couch would not be white very long.

Love this chest of drawers.

What a great collection of canisters.

One of the dreamiest bathrooms
Aged to Perfection can be purchased here on Amazon.

The second book is Restore, Recycle, Repurpose. Here's a description: "

Renovation that’s eco-friendly…AND economically smart. From Country Living contributing editor Randy Florke (Your House, Your Home) comes a gorgeous guide to decorating sustainably and inexpensively. Providing inspiration as well as instruction, Florke shows how everyone can achieve a look that’s both harmonious with the environment and beautiful.

Color photographs show examples of rooms, all radiating country charm, created on a budget, and designed with the three “R”s in mind: restore, reuse, and repurpose. Florke clearly explains why going green is so important, how to use what’s already there, find a focus for every space, and determine what makes something environmentally friendly. Anyone hoping to transform a home from ordinary to extraordinary will find eco-friendly, thrifty, and stylish ideas." via Amazon

I can't get enough of the couch upholstery - the pattern is illustrations of old furniture. You can click on the photo for a closer look.

A good mix of patterns is achieved here through a unified color scheme.

This book also has a great section in the back full of green and eco resources. It can be purchased here on Amazon.

Comment away for your chance to win!

disclosure: I received these books as a sample

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