Café Design

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Thank you for your kind messages following last week’s blog post, it feels wonderful to be back! There are so many things I’d love to chat about with you, and in due time we’ll get to the juicier home decor topics, but right now there are some interesting book launches coming up this month that I wouldn’t want you to miss, plus some fascinating reads that have been around for a while, and some home tours that will satisfy our lust for travel and beautiful interiors. Here’s a glimpse at my shopping cart these days, and I’d like to invite you to share what’s in yours (books and other home & garden related items). I promise to update this list based on your finds and recommendations. 

First one on my list is Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. It comes out tomorrow so make sure you are ready when that happens! (The hardcover is on sale right now!)

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir, by Ina Garten

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Happy September, dear friends! Can you believe the fall equinox has come and gone? I hope you had a fabulous summer! I didn’t mean to stay silent for so long, but I’ve been experiencing the longest writer’s block since the inception of Café Design. I could easily blame it on an incredibly busy summer, on the many fun-filled days and lazy afternoons spent by the pool or reading, but the truth is I had nothing pretty or finished to show you in terms of home décor, despite the many ongoing projects behind the scenes. Who wants to see the process of power washing our house? Or refinishing our deck? Or fixing our old gravel walkways? Or a pile of dirt as we’ve been clearing out the overgrown vegetation in our backyard? Maintenance, a necessary part of homeownership, can be too boring for words 🙂 But I missed writing and chatting with you guys so I’m back, eager to share with you a couple of things I’m passionate about these days. That is, if anyone is still out there and reading 🙂

Garden bounty

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A bestseller in the “bulb and flower gardening” section, Sean Pritchard’s book, Outside In, is a colorful antidote to a dull afternoon. These past few days I’ve kept two books within reach at all times. One is Alias Grace, a novel by Margaret Atwood, the other is Outside In, by Sean Pritchard. One is dark and disturbing and dives deep into the most hidden recesses of the human heart, the other is light and inspiring, and celebrates a life of color and flowers through the lens of a consummate gardener. I’ve been enjoying both reads, for very different reasons. Whenever I need to come up for air from spending too much time in the company of Grace Marks, I rinse my heart and fill my mind with the beautiful images and sensible advice that Pritchard passionately shares in his book. 

Outside In – A year of growing and displaying, by Sean Pritchard

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During the quiet moments of a busy afternoon, I find myself craving for some time with you, dear friends. It’s been a while since our last chat, I hope your summer is off to a great start. June has been an interesting month at our house, filled with moments of pure joy and productivity, but also sadness and longing. We said goodbye to elementary school and a wonderful group of teachers, parents and friends, and hello to sleep-away summer camps. With my daughter away, the house feels quiet and orderly, the rooms a little cleaner and neater than usual, but also empty and lacking in their usual liveliness and I’m counting the minutes until her return!

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A few months ago I showed you the beginnings of our breakfast nook transformation and I thought I’d give you a quick update on what we’ve done so far. It all started with the idea of enclosing a corner of our kitchen with an L-shaped bench to maximize seating and create a cozy pocket where we can all hang out with the cook. This is how it all started, five years ago (picture from open house):