selina style

First, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who commented on my wishing out loud post. Working on a book can be a bit, well, daunting ... even when it is a dream come true. The many encouraging words I received have been such a boost and continue to cheer me along during the first of my deadlines! However, tonight I am taking the night off to talk about another book: Homespun Style by Selina Lake.



If you're like me, you have come to admire Selina's lovely styling through her other books Bazaar Style and Romantic Style, where you can count on playful mixes of pattern and texture, always garnished with flowers or fabric, and always punctuated with an effervescent pop of hot pink.



Like this dreamiest of bedrooms in soft shades of aqua, blue and mint.



Or this colorful kitchen on page 25 that I seem to get stuck on every time.



Beautiful rooms of well-organized crafting chaos: bins and baskets of yarn and paper and buttons.



Fabulous details without being fussy



Not only is Selina's imaginative styling showcased in beautiful photography by Debi Treloar,



but the layout is fabulous and the words by Joanna Simmons are perfect.

Remember the bright, uncomplicated colours that filled our childhood paintboxes?

If you follow Selina's blog and Facebook page as I do, you know one of the reasons why her books are so fun, special and lovely:
Selina loves what she does and does what she loves.



Okay, tomorrow it's back to working on the book for me! I hope to share more on that soon.

But tonight, I am catching up on reading blog posts!

WOL!

xo
elyse

wishing out loud: book news

Wish Out Loud (WOL) is a little expression I made up for myself. It's all about putting it out there ... your dreams, your goals, your wishes. I often WOL and SOL (Smile Out Loud) here in blogland because it is a place so full of camaraderie.



WISHTORY
About two years ago on a cold winter day, my boys pleaded with me to take them to the playground. Knowing I would be that-mom-in-the-car, we stopped by the library so that I could pick up a book. I grabbed Alicia Paulson's Stitched in Time. Despite being "sewphobic" I knew it would be lovely and enjoyable because I follow Alicia's blog, Posie Gets Cozy. What I didn't know was that just a few pages in, I would be struck with this wonderful and exhilarating feeling of I can do this. I could write a book. A craft book!


Right then and there in the cold car, I hastily scribbled thoughts onto an envelope (no iPad here!). Soon I began to research and discovered my next steps would be writing a query and a proposal. This may be around the time the frequency of my blog posts slowed because any extra time was used for writing, editing, creating and then finally ... submitting!

I sent my query to a publisher and I waited. I tweaked my query. I sent it again. I obsessively checked my email. I inquired. I waited. This process continued for about a year until I finally received a gentle rejection.

My next step: I wished out loud. Some of you might remember that about a year or so ago on the upper left sidebar of my blog it said something like: Attention Publishers. Book deal wanted. I had seen another blogger do this and thought -- I'm putting it out there. This act felt brazen.



Weeks later I received a phone call from a very special person who noticed my WOL. We talked and she told me that she believed in my idea. She suggested a publisher to whom I should send my proposal. Again, I tweaked, edited, reviewed and sent it. And waited. And obsessively checked my email. And then at last heard from the publisher who found my ideas "clever and very, very lovely." Months later on my birthday, I received an offer. A few months after that ...



a contract! (Guess I could've dressed-up for the pic!) I am busybusybusy working on a book of 35 projects. The release is planned for Spring of 2013!



I thank all of my friends in the blogging community for always cheering me on, for leaving comments like I hope you write a book someday because I would buy it! These good wishes let me know that this was possible.

I hope you WOL your hopes and dreams, too (even if it feels brazen)!

{So, if I'm not so great at reciprocating comments, I hope you'll understand. Please know that I read and sincerely treasure each comment.}

xo
elyse

cottage style: an especially special issue

Aah ... the magic of blogging ...



One year ago I found myself swooning like crazy over blogging friend Cindy's post simply titled WHITE, in which she shared image after image of her dreamy home. It's fun to see the comment I left then that says:

{you might want to send this link to fifi. she is always looking for beautiful homes.}

Well, guess what? Cindy took my advice and by August, Fabulous Fifi was blogging about her July shoot schedule in California which included Cindy's home! Thrilled about this connection, I asked to be considered to write the article. Just before Christmas, I received the assignment!



Fifi's go-to photographer Mark Lohman took the prettiest images. The article titled warmed with white is part of the Romantic section of the magazine and is filled with Cindy's French/Nordic decor and tips. If you like chipped finishes, ruffles of linen and muslin, and touches of pink you will LOVE this feature. Working on the article even prompted me to buy another reclaimed window ($5!) to hang indoors.

I'm so honored to have contributed to this beautiful publication. It was two years ago that an issue of Cottage Style inspired me to re-do my bedroom. With so many places to find images and inspiration, to me still nothing compares to savoring a printed magazine!



On newsstands March 6th!

xo
elyse