Heather Bullard

Tips for Visiting Portland

The Man and I will be traveling to Portland, Oregon in August. It's going to be a mix of business and pleasure. I have three photoshoots I'm working on up there and the remaining days will be purely for fun. And since I have to drag him to all my girlie stuff (He really doesn't mind. I just feel a little guilty.) I would like to be able to visit places he would enjoy. This is where I need your help. And I know you guys/gals are the best at this stuff so here's what I need assistance with:

1. Great places to stay. He doesn't like airport hotels or downtown traffic hotels. But something along the river or within walking distance to something beautiful. We will probably stay in more than one hotel.

2. Manly things to do. Kayaking or hiking trails or something along that nature. No pun intended. We are also going to be visiting the surrounding areas as well so even nearby cities or towns to see.

3. Manly places to eat. Don't worry about me I can handle it.

4. Good places to go junkin'. He likes that too.

5. And only one request from me...Shops I absolutely cannot miss while I'm there.

I think that just about covers it. Thanks in advance for your help in planning our trip. I'm going to be adding all your ideas to my file so I can start working on the travel arrangements. We're both very excited to visit this part of the Pacific Northwest!

Hello Summer....

     I've been expecting you. I have big plans for us. There will be trips to the beach with family and friends. Homemade popsicles and strawberry jam. Less work and more play. Grilled corn on the cob. Fireworks and flag cakes. Boat rides through the harbor at sunset. Gardening and harvesting. Early morning walks before you wake up. Visits to the farmers market and aquarium. Late night suppers outside under candlelight. And my most favorite of all...road trips! Lots and lots of road trips. So thanks for showing up on time and ready to go. Now let's have some fun together!

On the Bookshelf

    Amazon makes monthly deliveries to my house. They're nice that way. For some reason, no matter how hard I try I cannot keep from buying books. It's getting out. of. control. They are stored in every room, under beds, on bookshelves, in the garage, at the business warehouse, in the kitchen cupboards, you get the picture. Here's what came in the latest doorstep delivery.

White on White- what can I say? It's like 3 bucks or so. How can you go wrong? So many shades of lovely white. It's a great book to keep on hand when you're completely smitten with the color.

Thrifty Chic-lots of fresh ways to use and reuse chic vintage pieces throughout your home. They have a great mix of modern and romance. Right up the alley for those who love decorating with antique store finds.

Provencal Escapes-stunningly beautiful. The author gives you a tour of the most amazing homes in France. The outdoor stone room on the cover is reason enough to buy it. I will never forget that room. Make yourself happy and add this book to your wishlist.

And I saved my very favorite for last.............

  The New Eighteenth-Century Style- Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. That about sums it up. I could study the photos in this book for hours. There is so much detail in each room. From the paint to the tattered books to the old linens, it is all so inspiring. I want to recreate the vignette shown in the photo below.

    Don't you just love the concrete urns, the shells, the dried hydrangeas, the manzanita branches? Oh my word. I showed this photo to The Man and said, "I'm on it".  My summer project!

   And would you believe that under all these plump pillows of antique linens lies an army cot? Leave it to the French to make an army cot look like it's fit for a queen.

   And I love the garden conservatory feel of this room. And those giant shells piled up on the side table are so beautiful. Really, do yourself a favor and just go buy this one today. And when it comes, sit down outside in the garden with a glass of wine and savor it. You'll thank me later, I just know it.

In other news I've done a couple of recent interviews. Not that I presume everyone is sitting on pins and needles wanting to know more about the tickings of my mind. It's mostly lots of continuous rattling up there. But my sweet peep Carol asked me a few questions about my business to celebrate the relaunch. She always has wonderful interviews with shop owners and inspiring women across the globe not to mention the genius projects she shares. And the delightful Shawn had a phone interview with me about all sorts of various blog and business related topics. Lucky for you she condensed it into written form here. She's in the middle of a barn restoration project and I can't wait to see the final reveal. I know it will be spectacular.

Well that about sums it up for now. Thanks for reading this really long post but as you can see I'm pretty passionate about my books and could probably go on for hours and hours! Have a great day everyone!

Playing Catch Up

    The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity around here. With the relaunch, birthdays, graduations and such it's been non-stop action nearly every day. In my sparse free time I managed to put in a few hours of shopping here and there. I thought you might like to see a few pretties instead of a million graduation photos taken from my seat a mile away in the grandstands. Sheesh, it's hard to SEE your kid graduate. Can any of you relate? In any event, here's some of my recent finds.

    The flatware and brass hooks are for a couple of projects The Man is doing for me. And I bought some gorgeous antique French bed sheets to reupholster a few chairs. I've been in a neutral mood for a while now and found several bolts of trims all in lovely shades.

    And it's almost impossible to pass up anything black and white. Especially when they are as cool as these old cardboard price tags. Love, love!

    Any kind of beautiful white china is always on the list. I thought this set of Limoges luncheon plates were so pretty with the delicate gold trim and I know they will mix well with just about anything. 

    I plan on using this huge zinc tub for outdoor parties to hold drinks. Or I just might give Bella her summer baths in it!

    Today I went to the Rose Bowl and The Man tagged along with me. He's going diving next weekend for Father's Day and said he wanted to spend time with me. Ahhhh, makes my heart happy. Anyway, we came across this antique oil painting of a ship at sea. It was painted in the early 1900's and needs a bit of cleaning but I loved it so much for him. It still had it's original frame which was icing on the cake.

    I'd like to do an entire wall of these for his man cave. The ocean theme is so perfect for him and he appreciates the beauty of antiques just like his wifey. Another collection to search for while out flea marketing!

And I finally finished lining the inside of my chest. Voila! Here it is.........

    At last count the blue wallpaper was winning. I don't know if more have been added since I tallied them up. Thanks so much for giving me your 2 cents. I really love the blue peeking out under my linens. It's sort of like a surprise. And since most of my linens are white or cream it makes a lovely contrast.

Well, I suppose that's enough rambling for today. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the Blogworld. Now I'm off to get a home cooked meal. One that's not actually home cooked by me. ; )

The Beauty of Succulents

    Last month at the Long Beach flea I came across these potted succulents. I've never tried growing them before because I used to think they weren't very attractive. This could be because I grew up in New Mexico where you see them on a daily basis and therefore don't appreciate their beauty. But I've given them another look and have decided to learn how to grow succulents. Now don't expect them to take over my garden or grow to be the size of my car. I'm more into the petite specimens.

I would like to grow them in beautiful containers like these cool cement ones. Or a nice antique urn would be lovely or even a shabby cement bird bath. I'm going to keep my eyes out for something fun to plant them in. 

    For now I have them nestled in a wooden box and I think they're pretty cute there as well. Here are a few places to visit for gorgeous photos of succulents, Desert Garden Photos and everyone's favorite Flickr. I know they're not roses but they definitely have a unique beauty all their own.