Rustic, romantic, forgotten

I like looking at rooms that might have gone a long time without visitors. Forgotten, yet still inviting. These photos remind me of a hidden country house- a little bit dreamy- places that beacon you to come in and poke around to see what you might find. (photos from Cote Sud, Campagne Decor, Don Freeman)

Photo/ food inspiration: Mikkel Vang/ Gourmet

Mikkel Vang's photos are not new to the blogging world, but I was inspired to find out about this photographer after this month's (January) issue of Gourmet magazine, which was all about Southern cooking (and one of my favorite Southern cooks and authors, the late Edna Lewis). This brunch, in particular, looked so good I was almost moved to try to re-create it.

lower photos from Mikkel Vang, courtsey of Judith Miller Inc.

Indian summer

Thinking about late summer picnics, lazing around outside, enjoying cooler temperatures in the evening and hazy sunlight of these early September afternoons. Photos courtesy of David Brook for Easy Living Aug 2005; Designers Guild; Debi Treloar (lower two photos).