Lots of News and an Invitation!!!

With so many of my favorite magazines no longer publishing – think Country Home, domino, House and Garden, Vogue Living, Western Interiors, to name just five off the top of my head, the ones left standing have become so much more important. The other day, at the store, I was just staring at the magazine rack – how empty it seemed! I used to leave a bookstore with armfuls of magazines, but now with such a smaller selection, along with the ever expanding digital field, I’m lucky to find two or three issues to take home. Sad. But, what an opportunity this is for those magazines still standing! With a narrower playing field, the readers will be getting the creme de le creme. Each issue should be chock full of the prettiest houses out there, along with all the latest design news.

For example, the July/August issue of Metropolitan Home looks positively delectable. It features two houses from Texas – the one pictured above is a Lake/Flato designed ranch in the Hill Country – our version of Provence. Nice!!!! I can’t wait to see more of this house. Photograph by Colleen Duffley for Met Home.

Another Met Home story is about a couple in California with a compound of canvas covered casas! Say that one fast. How charming is this?

And, Jamie Drake’s East Hampton garden is featured too – a must see for sure. More stories include: a weekend house by Amy Lau, one of the blogosphere’s hottest designers, and a farmhouse inspired by Doug Larson’s Swedish roots.

Another much anticipated summer magazine is the July/August issue of Elle Decor. The design blogosphere’s favorite movie star, Mrs. Blandings, has written an article all about her home town, Kansas City. Mrs. Blandings reports, here, that she is thrilled to have been asked to be a part of the Elle Decor team for this issue and we are just as thrilled for her! Magazines and design blogs have a unique relationship - we each benefit from the other’s presence and the more we can work together, the better it is for both of us, don’t you think?

Mrs. Blandings, aka Patricia Shakelford, in front of her favorite fabric in her charming living room.

And, be sure to tune into the current Skirted Roundtable where Mrs. Blandings holds court as our first guest host! You can listen to the delightful Mrs. B. - here.

AND – Stop The Presses!!!!!!! The Skirted Roundtable is convening tonight with another guest host – the charming and ever gracious, Ms. Karen Carroll, Editor in Chief of everyone’s favorite design magazine, Southern Accents!!! We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Karen join us to discuss interior design. Southern Accents is truly an inspiration to me and my design business and I know Cote de Texas readers love the magazine as much as I do. So, plan to spend a while with Linda, Megan, and myself – later on this week – when we bring, Karen Carroll to The Skirted Roundtable! For a preview of the “real” Ms. Carroll, check out the Miss Gracious Living blog, the official blog of Southern Accents, where Ms. Carroll is one of its contributors.

And, when you check out the Southern Accent’s blog, find out who was recently named the latest “Miss Gracious Living.” As you may remember, Moi was the first to hold the title, here, which I reluctantly had to pass on. sob. The new title holder is none other than our favorite blogger from Pigtown - Baltimore, Meg Fairfax Fielding!!!! Read all about Meg here and visit her blog, Pigtown Design, here. Congratulations Meg, wear your crown with dignity and grace, like all of us before you have! You have much to live up to, so - good luck!!!!

Pigtown Design, written by the new Miss Gracious Living, Meg Fairfax Fielding.

BeeLine Home by Bunny Williams.

And last, but certainly not least – a special invitation for Houstonians and Dallasites – Interior Design GREAT – Ms. Bunny Williams is coming to the Lone Star State! HOWDY!!!! On the heels of the debut of her new furniture line, BeeLine Home by Bunny Williams, Ms. Williams will be visiting Mecox this week. You can meet Ms. Williams, have her sign her books for you, and mingle with all the important people in design, like me!!!

The schedule is:

Dallas: Mecox Gardens, 4532 Cole Ave, on Tuesday June 9th from 6-8 pm.

Houston: Mecox Gardens, Highland Village on Wednesday, June 10th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

I’m planning to be there to see the entire BeeLine on display – and hopefully, you’ll join me!!