Do You Have a Favorite Design Inspiration?

It's a chilly night tonight with all the fog we've been smothered in and it just seemed like the perfect night to snuggle into the library with a quilt and read a few old books.

As I perused the shelves, I focused in on my decorating, gardening, crafting, and cooking shelves.

A name popped out at me...........

Mary Emmerling!

I have several of Mary's books.

Cottages is my all time favorite!

How about a trip down memory lane with me?

I started to buy her books when my husband and I were first married in 1990.

Can I show you a few of my favorite pictures from a few of these books?

Well, you know how I am......I'm going to show you whether you want to see or not!

 My dream cottage!  If we had enough sun, I'd have roses growing up the sides of Sweet Bee Cottage!

 Love this simple kitchen.  (But I have to confess, I could never have a kitchen like this - I'm not that great a housekeeper.)

Love this red gingham chair!  Wouldn't you love to work in a spot like that?  We need a new chair for our computer armoire.......maybe I should look for one to reupholster in red gingham.

Look at that table and chairs!  I would love to have wicker chairs in my dining room.  I have some all picked out - I just can't buy them right now.  Someday..........a girl can dream, right?

I had forgotten I even had this book.  I remember looking everywhere for a heart-shaped tube pan.  Never did find one.  

Don't those flowers look gorgeous on the table?  Lovin' the different colored chairs too!  Still looks fresh and this is from a book from 1993!

 There's that heart-shaped cake again!  Never made that cake, but I think I need to now.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I have always loved this little bar area!  I even bought a milk bottle carrier but somehow it never looked as great at my house as it did in this picture.  

(Since then I've painted my milk bottle carrier bright red and I use it to hold potted plants.)

I looked to see what Mary Emmerling has written lately and she has a book on turquoise (the stone not the color).  I'd love to see some new books by her, wouldn't you?

After looking through these books I've discovered that the pictures that I'm drawn to wicker chairs and floral pillows.  Apparently that is all it takes for me to decorate a house!  

Will you come over and sit in my wicker chairs strewn with floral pillows???

You know I'll bribe you with scrumptious treats!

I'll even bake that chocolate cake for you in a regular tube pan!

Thanks for buzzin' in!  I hope you know how much I appreciate our little visits.