Hello sweet friends. Might you be in need of a little cheering up? Then you have come to the right place. I have a nice little decoration going on that might please you and there is a gift attached too.
So come on in…..
Not all things are honky dory at the nest at the moment. I am feeling a bit ‘under the weather’ so to speak, and it has been dragging on for far too long, so I am really tired and sick of it so to speak.
Well as I was wandering around the house today, tired of being cooked up I decided that I needed a little pick me up. Something light and easy to do, that would make feel better about my present situation and about the world as a whole.
And what does a little songbird do then? Well yes, she starts nesting…..
Creating little cozy corners. Decorating a little side table, playing with plates and flowers. You know how that goes. It is the thing that comes so easy and feels so natural.
Except today my head was mush. Energy level below zero. And not an ounce of creativity in me. Or so I thought.
So I called in a helpline……
I looked for help and inspiration in a new interior design book I bought in the summer vacation. It is the Belle Blanc (=beautiful white) book by Bloggesses extraordinaire Mirjana Schnepf from Belle Blanc blog and Bianca Aurich from the oh so beautiful White Living blog.
Both über talented ladies who love to decorate their homes in this soft white romantic style that is often described as Nordic French.
The book has been out for quite some time, and I had of course heard about it on their blog and on various others. And it was at the back of my mind to check it out. But as it is in German it isn’t exactly easily available here. And for some reason I had not gone the electronic route yet.
So lucky was the day when we were wondering through little streets in the German city of Aachen and I came upon the cutest little home decor store, where they had books too.
Well once I had laid my hands on Belle Blanc and feasted my eyes on some of the pages it had to come home with me. It just had to.
Even though this very romantic style of decorating isn’t really me anymore. I still love the book. Chuck full of eye candy. And pretty inspiring. It had me jump up at once (ouch bad idea, walk slowly head hurts), and start gathering my pretties.
With my head full of mush as it was, I started out by just trying to copy one of the many beautiful vignettes in this book. Didn’t quite work out. It was too far off from my style. But it got the juices flowing. And then one thing let to another and before I knew it I had found the perfect blend between the Belle Blanc book and Songbird.
And I felt a ton better.
Flowers, aqua glasses, candles, plates and a bit of vintage thrown in for good measure. What is there not to love.
Instant medicine I tell you!
And since I love this book so much, and I am so grateful it helped me out of my slump, I have a surprise for you.
Let’s do a giveaway!!!!!!
[ This giveaway is now closed, comment number 17 was the lucky number. ]
Allow me to give one copy of the book away to one of you. If you love all things white and neutral, if you love home decor books with pages and pages of gorgeous pictures and few words (that are in German sorry) and if you love being inspired no matter what your personal decorating style is. Than leave me a comment. Tell me what your favorite color is and how you would describe your decorating style.
Oh and if you care to tweet, fb share, pin or blog about this giveaway you can come back here and throw your name into the hat some more times.
Of course this giveaway is open for all worldwide and you can enter until next week’s Wednesday September 5.
Let the commenting begin,
I am in love with all things green right now! Every shade, tone, and tint of green!! I would describe my style as “country chic” :0) I love simple yet elegant…and I would love to be inspired by Belle Blanc!
Leuk een give away…..ik doe graag mee voor dit mooie boek !!….ik heb ook een give away lopen……kom gerust even langs…..liefs Ria…xxx…
I would love a copy, feeling like I need some new inspiration!
Another beautiful vignette! Great giveaway. I love decorating with neutrals and adding blues and greens.
I love blue! Where did you get those beautiful robin’s egg blue wine glasses? They would be lovely for my daughter’s wedding on the bride’s table. But, I would have to say my style is woodsy cottage, as I love warm earthy colors like browns and greens but with lots of white accents and a little mercury glass here and there. One of these days I’m going to be painting lots of furniture a soft white, once I have time.
I would love this book for the pictures, and you said there were not a lot of words, so that would be perfect for my younger daughter to enjoy as well as she is learning German in school and would feel so proud if she could “translate” the text for her mother.
Hope you are feeling better soon. I know very well that brain-mush feeling, I’m afraid.
Peace,
Donna
Everything looks fabulous! I love hydrangeas they are so beautiful!
My style would be vintage and rustic combined! I really don’t have a favorite color to be honest, I have different colors in each room but no particular color that I like more than another! This book would help inspire me as I am buying stuff for my upcoming wedding and all the stuff that we’re using for the wedding we are using for our house. Of course all the stuff is vintage and rustic as well! Thank you for an awesome giveaway! Good luck to everyone who has entered this giveaway!
Tweeted on Twitter!
@KaitlinBoles
I love all things white, and decorating in a shabby chic kind of way. Your blog has always been one of my favorites to go to for inspiration. I also have dutch roots, which also draw me to your blog. Thanks for the opportunity to win what looks like a fantastic book full of ideas.
What a gorgeous vignette! Would so love to win your great book giveaway
OH wat ziet het er gezellig uit Marianne! Dat blauwe glas..is nu mijn kleur hihi. Doe heel graag mee met je give-away. Ik heb helaas AL mijn boeken dus ook al mn interieurboeken moeten achterlaten toen ik hierheen ging boehoe (zielig toch hihi) Dus zou het graag willen winnen
Liefs vanMarianj en hoop dat je je snel weer lekkerder voelt….misschien een einde-zomer-dipje????
Oooh, lovely vignettes were created on this day of not feeling so well. I love all things white and would be delighted to have this wonderful book for guidance in re-shaping the tone of my home. Thanks for the opportunity to have my name in the at, so to speak.
Kristin
Hello Marianne, I’m so sorry to hear that your bedroom was “stolen” and that you are ill. I hope you feel better soon. My favorite colors are green, lavender, and pink (with some aqua, too!) My decorating style is cottage. Thank you for this give away!
I’m a blue and white girl. The shades vary with lighting in each room, but they are the colors I’m constantly drawn to… and sometimes I like a little pop of happy yellow in the mix…
My favorite colour is WHITE! I don’t quite know how to describe my style, but I would have to say most of it is Shabby Chic. I have a slightly different style in each room as my husband doesn’t like things to be all the same.
Thank you for letting my enter your generous giveaway and I hope you feel better soon.
*Smiles*
What a lovely post! I do hope you fell better soon! My style is casual and romantic, but I also love coastal. I do love white, ivory and aqua. Thank you for hosting this great giveaway!
I understand how you are feeling regarding your health. I have gone just over a week now with a bad cold and today had a test to see if I have whooping cough!…..so frustrating….. the cool shades of pastel greens and blues with white make me feel a whole lot better and that book would be just what I need… if I can’t read German I can at least look at the pretty pictures!
Bec x
I love the little bundles of candles in the glasses! Did you dry the hydrangea’s yourself? I’ve been looking for a fool proof method
I don’t know about you down low, but up here (Noord-Holland) the weather hasn’t made up her mind yet; fall or a lovely summer. Hot, rain, moist, windy, wet, sun… Lot of stomach aches and colds around here because of that.Hope you feel better soon! Decorating is a great way to get your mind on some nicer things!
My favorite color changes with my mood. My living room is decorated with lots of shades of taupe, so I tend to choose soft pastels, cream and white shades. I love the shabby and brocante look, I want my home to feel warm and welcome, a home where people look around in, wondering what I’ve been up to now. Little corners filled with old objects, tattered books and bibles, old postcards and prayer cards, grandma’s china and crystal glasses. I looked up the book and it carries lots of ideas, no wonder you picked it up! So nice of you to inspire someone else with it. My luck’s been down at this point, but who knows? Niet geschoten, altijd mis
Have you seen the latest IKEA-book? Tons of inspiration and unconvential decoration. Just got it in the mail three days ago.
Enjoy today and hopefully we all get lot’s of sun these last few summer weeks!
Grtz Ryanne
First thank you for your blog, always with good ideas and optimism.
The decor is rustic home, wood, stone, the colors are basically toasted white colors, a cozy place to relax, with hints of blue, yellow and green depending on the room, but it was something unconscious of once you discover one day that maybe you like the rustic, since you are surrounded by objects that demonstrate this.
I would love to receive this book, for which I would
Love to win this book. Tweet has been send. @browngirldecor
Just shared on Facebook too. Yep really into winning this book
lovely book, would love a chance to win. Thank you so much for all your pictures and thoughts, I hope you feel better and full of energy. Di
My favorite accent in aqua. I use it in my two different lofts and on my boat. I’d love this beautiful book as inspiration.
I just pinned your pretty picture.
Ik las net je berichtje in de feedreader. Bah wat vervelend dat mensen het geen problemen om iemand anders z’n blogberichten te stelen. Hopelijk houdt het hiermee op.
Ik die niet mee met de give-away. Ik vond dit boek ook prachtig en heb al in bezit.
groetjes,
Marianne.
I love the white decorating look, but never have been able to do it in my house. I usually like color. I would love to decorate one room in white though. My favorite color is purple and would love to pair that with the white as well. Thanks for offering such a great giveaway.
Hello Marianne.
I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling well and I hope that you are feeling better soon.
I love books about designing but I have to admit that my home is anything but bright and white. My favorite color is yellow (not the neon version of yellow but soft, smooth yellows) and my decorating style is …well…not. I’m trying to make my home look cozy, cabin in the woods but it has more of a bright, hill top chalet, in italy, by the ocean, with pinecones and moose, thing going on.
Yea, I’m working on it.
And…I so love those pretty blue glasses.
Hi Marianne,
I would love this book! I’m a long-time follower of Mira’s, she’s got it with beautiful style.
Glad the book helped you out of your slump, I know how that can be!
xoxo~Tracie
My favorite is…any shade of white! Thats it, white. And to warm things up a bit and add a splash of color I like to throw in some salmon/coral loveliness to make it all pop. My style, anything goes. If it makes me smile and others too, I love it. And when my 4 year old grandson comes in and says, “Nana, i love what you did in the living room, its so beautiful” it melted my heart and I knew it must be something special. Or maybe he just knows what to say to win me over. Would love to browse the book, reading isnt everything – a picute is worth thousand words.
I love their decoration style. So so beautiful. I would love to be entered in your drawing.
Mira makes the most beautiful bears too – did you knew…
What a lovely giveaway, Marianne. I hope you are feeling better and your head not quite so mushy today.
I love that the book pulled you out of your slump. Sometimes, a little nesting and playing with grown-up toys like flowers/dishes/books is perfect therapy.
sorry to hear you’re not feeling well….and thanks for the lovely giveaway!! My home had been white/nuetral for many years, and I never tire of it! I just change the accent colors every now and then!
I love using whites with a touch of blue. Wonderful giveaway – thanks for the chance to win
I just pinned this giveaway!
This would be a great book to win. I love this style of decor!
I am doing my room in whites! I so love all shades….what a wonderful book you are offering, thank you for this opportunity to perhaps be the recipient of such a lovely book! You blog is very nicely done, Marianne. I get inspiration all over your blog! thanks!
i would so love to win this book, because i love white and i love your blog, marianne….thank you for sharing your thoughts and beautiful photos and ideas with us….
Would love to win this book; would have to squint at it though, as I prefer shades of creme to white. My decorating style is best described as modern rustic. If I don’t win, could you let me know how to purchase the book in the UK please?
My favorite colors right now are grays and blues. The book is so beautiful, and I love all things white also. Would love to win this!
I love all things white. crisp white cotton shirts, fluffy white towels, white candles, my white summer jeans, my white leather Ikea sofa, my (black) and white tuxedo cat, white ceramic dishes, my white kitchen cabinets,…. the list goes on and on, My walls in the main part of my home are painted a soft muted grayish white that contrasts well with the white wood work trim. I would love to have this book! Marianne, your craft room is amazing; I bet you now love spending time in there. I love your sense of style.
the entire book is sigh-worthy…my decorating style WANTS to be this in the worst way….maybe someday with a book like this to dream over. thank you for the chance to win….and your blog is lovely. always inspirational…
Favorite colors…earth tones, crisp white for walls with grey undertones and splashes of minimal color here and there…I seemed to veer towards muted greens for some time, however lately, I have a thing for blues…always white though-it is comforting, calming, and simple-any other color is just not me!
I’m still into the whiteals and shabby chic. It is a way of life. I’m a nurse and I always wear white uniforms. Gotta love the whites.
Oh, I’ve been coveting this book for some time. Thanks so much for this opportunity, Maryanne.
I love following your blog – hope you’re feeling better.
- Susan
Love your beautiful beautiful blog! Green is one of my favorite colors and my style is comfortable cottage! Thanks for such a great giveaway!
Just found your blog and would love a chance to win this inspiring book. I love whites! New Follower.
Jody