I may not be ready for the hot, sticky days of summer...

...but I am so ready for summer vacation. Especially if it looks anything like this.

{images via French By Design, here & here}

Daily Pretty: {A Duo}

Four words for you: a farmhouse in Provence. Need I say more? Yummers.

{images via House and Garden, September 2009 courtesy of the wonderful Interior Divine}

Green Acres

Now this is what I call farmhouse chic! I could totally kick back in the country if country living looked like this. I'm no cowhand, but I'd consider giving up the conveniences of urban living if the trade ins were white-washed paneled walls, gorgeous time-worn wood floors, rough-hewn beams, and functional, beautiful surfaces with a history all their own. But don't get me wrong, I'd still bring my iphone. ;0)

{images via Apartment Therapy}

Kindred Spirit {of sorts}

Hi there ya'll. As some of you may have noticed*, I've been taking a bit of an unintended blog hiatus. A number of recent events and an overall increased busy-ness in our already busy and at times hectic household have made me come down with the blahs (that's an official medical condition, didn't ya know) and I just haven't been able to summon my blogging mojo as of late.

In particular, my sweet, sweet Grandmother passed away two weeks ago. I've lived within a 30 minute range of her my entire life, save for one year when my family immigrated to the United States when I was a child. Needless to say, this life changing event has left me in a bit of a funk and completely uninspired.

Which brings me to this post and the above (fantastic!) images. This home immediately resonated with me and made me instantly think of my beloved Babushka. She was a bit of a pack rat, as was my grandfather, and loved to decorate with found objects and lovingly curated collections. So I instantly fell for this farmhouse in the Catskills and its myriad collections of "artful clutter."

Admittedly, this look is not for everyone, but I just adore the layered upon layered feel and the sense that this home has evolved over time. There is no doubt in my mind that this house is much more then just a structure with four walls and a roof. No, in my eyes, it is a home in every sense...considered, yet effortless and unabashedly welcoming and inviting. I've completely fallen head over heels.

{images via The New York Times, photographer Tony Cenicola}

{read the full article here and visit the owner @ his brick and mortar shop, Kabinett and Kammer...I know I will if I'm ever in the neighborhood}

{*I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who noticed my absence and were concerned enough to check in. I so appreciate your kindness and sincere wishes. Thank you. And while I don't know that I'm back in full swing just yet, please know that each comment, every visit, kind mention and overall generosity of this blogging community have always brought a smile to my face.}

Friday Fixation: Dos Family

A renovated farmhouse in Sweden. Need I say more? Ok, if you insist. ;0)

I think this beautiful, simple abode really speaks volumes to the fact that you don't need much to make a house a home. The house is spare, the color palette restrained, and yet, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, the house just oozes personality in bucketfuls. Stunning, just stunning.

And speaking of fixations, I am totally fixated on this new-to-me site, Dos Family. Careful, it's contagious. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Cassie, thanks for the introduction.

{images via Dos Family, here}

Farmhouse Living: "an old-fashioned, newfangled home"

What happens when two stylists with a lot of chutzpah and a little cash set their sights on a farmhouses from the 1800's? Magic, that's what. With a lot of elbow grease and determination they brought this ramshackle cottage back to life and turned it into a simple, stylish and lovely family home.

{images via Country Living, see and read more here}

Home Tour: Weekend Retreat

This is my kind of weekend retreat. A beautiful renovation using mostly found objects and salvaged materials turned an ugly duckling '70s cabin into a wonderful, character-filled family retreat. A chicken coop turned playhouse, a shed became a guesthouse, and a dilapidated critter-infested structure went from eyesore to eye-catching home!

{read more on Katie Brown's renovation here}