Heather Bullard

Guesting on Centsational Girl

Hi Friends! Wanted to let you know I'm guesting over at Centsational Girl today.
I'm sharing 5 Tips for Styling Better Photos. Stop by and say hello!

Kitchen Ideas

Country Living's website is sharing 9 Ways to Refresh Your Country Kitchen featuring the kitchen I produced and styled. There are some great tips from the homeowner, Carla Malloy, on how she gives her kitchen great personality and a modern vintage style.

                                                                                                Images Lisa Romerein
Her pantry is just stunning. It's filled to the brim with her home canned preserves, pickles and vegetables. For the styling, I brought in a few old crocks for the onions and potatos and she mentioned they were on her list to find a few of her own. Aren't all those rows and rows of jars just so yummy looking? Farm fresh!

Making the March Cover!

I can't tell you how excited I was to get the news that a home I had scouted, produced and styled made the March cover of Country Living! It was such a fun shoot to work on with Lisa Romerein, who shot the lovely photos. This issue is all about What's Country Now, featuring the best of country style...and this home certainly fits the bill.

You will love reading about their kitchen filled with vintage appliances, colorful pottery, clever pantry storage and a farm to table lifestyle. Not to mention those amazing tree stump stools! 

To celebrate, I'm giving away 5 copies of the March issue!
If you'd like to enter leave a comment answering the following question:

What's Country Now for you?

I can't wait to read your answers and see what speaks to you now in terms of living with and decorating in todays country style.
Winners will be announced Monday, Feb 13th.

Congratulations to the following winners:

judy said: congrats!!! country to me is comfort ...simple beauty...living with things you enjoy...and not ever pretentious

Lisa Gottenborg said: Love it! Country is relaxed and comfortable,natural and useful,worn and warm. White dishes and furniture and things you love that tell a story,it is never stuffy or formal. Thanks for the chance to win!

R. Justus said: Country for me right now is embracing my wide plank pine floors which have gaps in them by chinking them with cotton cording instead of putting down new floors. Loving the contrast between the golden honey color with the off white cording! Sealing the cording to keep it that way!

Emily said:Congratulations on you cover. Country is something with character. A piece or a setting that can tell a story - that has a history. It is a glass of lemonade and a warm summer night. I love country.

 

Jenny said:Congrats! Well done! For me, I love the thrill of the hunt and re-using/re-purposing affordable vintage finds.!

 

Please send me your addresses so I can get your copies in the post! Congratulations!

On The Road Again

I'm heading up the coast for a few days to shoot a beautiful California location and my car is loaded up with sunshiney props. One thing I do to prep for a shoot is pull my prop inventory according to each shot. Organizing it this way helps me keep track of everything and ensure I have all the props needed. It also enables me to take notes of items I'll need to purchase once I arrive at the location. Usually, this would be fresh produce, food, plants and more flowers.

Of course, there's absolutely no order to shoving it all in my car except....no clanking. I can't drive with the clanking so everything is wrapped up nice and tight. The only noise I want to hear is the stereo blasting some great tunes.
I'll be popping in over on my FB Page if you care to tag along. See you in a few!

Country Living: Decorating with White

To coincide with their annual White Issue, Country Living is featuring expert tips and advice on decorating with and using white in your home. There are interviews with well known designers, room makeovers, house tours and decorating trends.

They asked if I would share my affection for white and some of the ways I incorporate it in my home. You can see my tips here along with some great design bloggers like Holly, Susie, Wendy and several others. Hop on over for a big dose of white inspiration!

Country Living Shoot

Hello friends! I just returned from spending a few days up the coast doing a shoot for Country Living. Thought I'd share a few highlights with you. I ran out of flower buckets so made due with various watering cans. These are the flowers that didn't make the cut but aren't they pretty all lined up? Pretend you don't see the trash can and floating debris in the background.

The homeowner has a beautiful apple orchard and I couldn't help picking a few branches. Now I want an apple orchard. In a real bad way.

When I'm on location, my favorite source for produce would be local farmstands. For this shoot, I was able to get fresh homegrown organic vegetables at this honor system stand. I picked up what I needed and left my money in a barrel (which happened to be heavily guarded by a sleeping cat).

You're going to LOVE this story! It will be in the upcoming March issue and I'll be sure to let you know when it hits newsstands.

For now, I'm off to let Santa Baby know I'd like an apple orchard for Christmas.

Merci & French Finds Giveaway!

 One of our favorite shops in Paris was the concept store Merci. The idea or mission behind the shop was to give Thanks by providing a stunning place for customers to find unique, well made products and using the profits to benefit an endowment fund to help the poorest children in Madagascar. It's such a clever way to market charitable giving although we really shouldn't have to be seduced by wares in order to give. Come along and take a peek for yourself...


In the courtyard you're greeted by the adorable red Merci car and a beautiful selection of faux bois outdoor furnishings and potted trees. The displays indoors are spectacular! They had a great mix of modern, industrial and French chic mixed harmoniously together.



Downstairs was my favorite spot. It was filled with wooden kitchen utensils, napkins and towels, picnic supplies, etc., etc. Their selection was a stylists dream! I also adored this simple pendant lightbulb in the shape of a diamond. 

And they had a rainbow of Pantone mugs in a multitude of hues. Each one had the Pantone color name and html code number on it...so cute! 





There are 3 floors to wander about with mens & womens clothing, housewares, books, apothecary and linens. And lots of cool Japanese paper goods like journals, envelopes, bags, tape, notebooks, cards and much more.
Temptations everywhere!


Merci is located at:
111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris 75003
The nearest Metro is Saint Sébastien-Froissart on Line 8.
Open: Mon-Sat 10am to 7pm



I wanted to thank you for coming along with us on our Paris adventure by giving away a Bundle of French Finds from our trip to one of you! 
The gift  includes a bar of Violette Savon, a nubby cotton dish towel and scrubber, the latest holiday issue of Marie Claire Idees Magazine, a token Eiffel Tower keychain, vintage ephemera and buttons from the Paris flea market, Raspberry Pastilles Candy and the most delicious Fleur de Sel Butter Caramels.

Winner will be announced Friday, Dec 2nd.
To enter just leave a comment answering the following question:

 What was your favorite part of your Thanksgiving holiday?

CONGRATULATIONS!!  THE WINNER IS:

Wendy in Kennewick said:

My favorite part was a phone call from my godson on the East Coast, closely followed by stuffing! I have so enjoyed your Paris blogs and adding to my list of non-tourist places to visit the next time I am there.

Thanks everyone for sharing your holiday memories. I felt like I was right there along with you having turkey, playing cards, eating pie and enjoying family!

On Bathrooms and Perfection

  
 I've been cleaning out and organizing my hard drives. Images sure pile up quickly in my profession. I came across these two shots and remembered how much I loved this bathroom when I first saw it. The humble walls, that amazing tub, even the medical cabinet with the marble mortar and pestle. All lovely. The only prop I added to the room was the kilim rug on the floor. It was practically perfect.

  
And although some may argue that the broken antique mirror is definitely not the image of perfection...I believe it works wonders in this space. And who says everything has to be perfect anyway? Right?

Found & Repurposed

 
This is one of the items I picked up during my day of antiquing. It's a vintage Atlas parts washer. Some thought it was an old mop bucket..either way is good. If you know the exact original use for it give me a holler. I thought it would make the cutest drink stand. Just look at those adorable little wheels and chippy paint!

 
 All it needed was a good cleaning by scraping off the loose paint and a giving it quick coat of clear spray sealer. Here's a stylist trick for you: before filling it with ice line the bottom with clear trash bags. The bags disappear when covered with the ice and it keeps the vintage piece more food safe.

What kind of vintage finds have you repurposed lately?

Stylist Source: Macalistaire At 1850

 If you're anywhere near the Laguna Beach area and need a serious vintage fix, Macalistaire At 1850 is a great place to start. They're located right on the Coast Hwy and have two adjoining shops filled with clothing, jewelry, furnishings, artwork, home decor accessories and some pretty cool rugs. 

 
 
 
The shop is run by friends, one male/one female and the mix of their individual styles shows in their merchandise. I love their well traveled, bohemian wares and always make sure to stop in when I'm in the area. It's one of my favorite places to shop for unique props! Be sure to add them to your "must visit" list!