I am so excited to review this next book!   Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick is hot off the presses.  Just released in the UK, soon to be released in Australia, and not being released in the US until late April… I have my hands on a gorgeous copy!

Thanks to Anthropologie…(they being the only venue in the US to be able to sell advanced copies of Decorate)  I received my beautifully wrapped book, as only Anthropologie can do, last Friday.  I was so excited; you would think it was my book that was being delivered!  I have anticipated the book’s debut for a couple of months now, and as a current student of Holly’s (her latest Blogging Your Way class) I am thrilled to be able to review her and Joanna’s co-efforts in the form of Decorate.

Holly Becker is the founder and author of the extremely popular Decor8 blog and columnist at Real Simple online and has contributed to many design publications over the years.  Joanna Copestick is a writer and editor with more than 10 books to her credit.  Both women have combined their talents, resources in the design world and experience, to put together a fresh design book like no other.

First off… the book’s photography is simply gorgeous!  The attention to detail, lighting and composition is rare and fresh.  Debi Treloar has set the tone for the book with her talented photography, creating more than 400 stunning photos to delight in.

Decorate is a different kind of decorating book as the cover suggests…. It focuses on decorating and lifestyle ideas to transform your home, rather than just one trademark look or design aesthetic.  It absolutely lives up to that promise.  It is packed with more than 1000 professional ideas and solutions for every area of the home.  There is page after page of designer contributions- each stylist, designer, shop owner or creative, lending their expertise and style wisdom for everything from floor plans and space planning, to defining one’s style through every room of one’s home.  Some featured talents include:  Kelly Wearstler, Celerie Kemble, Amy Butler, Vincent Wolf and Amy Neunsinger.

The rooms are not just spaces that are creatively decorated, but really lived in homes that have become highly personal spaces that allow for real-life to happen there.  This is the kind of book that speaks to my design heart.  These homes reflect the families or artists who live there and how their home really compliments and enhances their day-to-day life.   The spaces are not showcase experiments by designers just looking to stretch the “wow” factor, but homes that really have evolved in most cases to what the home-owners really desired to surround themselves with.

One of my favorite quotes from the book by Nate Berkus is “Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love brought together under one roof.”  Surprisingly, it is very reflective of the words on my website about telling the story of who you are and how that past, present and future story should be reflected within the walls of your home.

The book features four categories:

Space Matters

Setting Your Style

Room by Room

Attention to Detail

The overall design aesthetic of the book is simply fresh, usable ideas that can translate to any style of decorating and almost any home.  It is refreshing to see this direction in a decorating book.  The pages are jam-packed with tips, hints and decorating guidelines to allow the reader to really pull the ideas that strike them the most and to be able to put them into action.

I believe Holly, Joanna and Debi have created a book that will live on as a design classic to be turned to for years to come.  My congratulations and thanks to Holly and her partners for this lovely new book. 

Enjoy and anticipate with me…   

One Thousand Gifts a book by Ann Voskamp.

Ann Voskamp’s blog, A Holy Experience which I have followed for a while, is about the simple wonders of our daily walk with God. Her book One Thousand Gifts- A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, is anticipated out soon.

I have had this book on order for a while and while awaiting it’s delivery I wanted to share this trailer with you, so that you may order it as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOUaszMGvQ

Watch the video to see a taste of what is to come in the book. Once I receive the book, I will stop back to do a review as well. I hope this inspired you today.

Let me know your thoughts…

These are ten things that I couldn’t get through most days without, in no particular order…

1.  A cup of tea (rather multiple cups of tea!)

2.  My latest read (currently Three Cups of Tea)

3.  My daily devotion book

4.  Burt’s Bee’s lip balm

5.  My planner with my “to-do” list

6 .  The three pillows I sleep with-

7.  My creative journal

8.  My iTunes music list

9.  Doing something c

reative

10. Sunshine

What things do you depend on to get you through your day, your busy schedule, or your routine?  Of course the people in our lives are most important, but there are also “things” that we depend on and look to for encouragement, purpose, or just for comfort.  Some days the list changes, other days it stays about the same, but we are creatures of habit.

Think about what makes you function, work, smile, or just get through the day.

First, I will be starting an Interview Series.  I am so excited about this!  The interviews will be with highly creative, talented people who have so much to share with us.  Some of these fantastic people will be kindred spirits that I know and have worked with, others we will both be getting to “know”.  The first interview will start in just a week or two!!  This can’t be missed…

Next… Giveaways!  Yes, free things to win!  I will be hosting contests and special events to give things away to readers like you!  All you have to do is read often to find out what free treasure could be yours next… it’s like an online party!

There are of course lots of additional things planned for the Celebrate Life Everyday blog, but the last thing I am going to share with you now is… online shopping!  Yes, this will be coming in several formats, but I will be able to share all of my favorite things with you, and you will be able to click on the link and learn more, or to purchase that item as well.  I am working on this as we speak and I will reveal more as soon as things are up and ready!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing so much more with you….

Reading is as good for your soul as water is to your body.  So many people never take the time to read for the joy of it.  Challenge yourself to read more often. For some of you, this may be a book per week or per month. Make your goal a bit of a stretch to challenge yourself. Choose some books that you wouldn’t normally read to stretch your mind, and have fun!