A Little Southern Beach Cottage...

...would be a lot fun right about now... a tall icy drink, palm trees swaying in the breeze, the screened-in sleeping porch, laughter and dogs barking in the distance... these are the things of the endless summers of my childhood. Although our cottage wasn't quite this adorable, it was the real thing... wooden cottage on stilts set back in the dunes in the palmettos at Indian Pass Beach on the Gulf Coast, with a wooden walkway leading to the front screened porch. With the sun hot overhead, as children we were not allowed outside between 10 am and 3 pm, so my four brothers and I played endless games of monopoly and cards, built forts and put on plays and art shows.

Those summer vacations are now more a state of mind than anything else. Wanna come play?

colorful vintage beach pails

pale seafoam breadboard walls trimmed in

white are the quintessential beach look

simple shelves made from found beach wood

cooling blues and whites among the mossy beach oaks

Fifi Flowers painted this very cottage; you can

buy this at her etsy shop here!

painted floor screened porch with colorful rattan furniture

is charming; the porch ceiling is painted blue to scare

away the spirits... of course!

the adorable cottage above is

one of the Mermaid Cottages on

Tybee Island, Georgia, near
Savannah where my dear
cousin Claire lives and

my mother was born

halfway between

Saint Vincent Island

and Cape San Blas

lies Indian Pass Beach

where we spent long

summer vacations

the incomparable white powdery sand of my

childhood summers on the Gulf Coast

St. George Island

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Thanks for visiting!..... Kit

l'âne bleu Brings a Smile :)

If you use color, pattern, shape and texture in unexpected ways you will create an element of surprise and delight in your interiors. Caravane, available at l'âne bleu... l'Art de Vivre au Sud in Marseilles, has put together an irresistible collection of pieces that are at once young at heart and sophisticated a la one.

Their cheeky, playful designs will always bring a smile, and what could be better for the spirit?

a fantastic rendition of a kilim-covered fauteuil

would lighten the mood of any room a

few notches!

this is my favorite color of blue; and I love the

pearly round shapes on the wall

the sculptural shape, light feel and

gorgeous color make this canapé

a star!

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merci pour la visite! .. Kit

Maison de Campagne

I am researching authentic Provence remodeling projects for new clients here in California. This couple is ready to create the certain feeling of an old maison de campagne in Provence, a la Coté Sud, in their home. Translating the Provençal look from the south of France to south of San Francisco will be a collaborative effort with my clients, who are themselves transplanted French citizens. I am so excited to work with them!

Coté Maison provided a wonderful jumping off point today. This featured home carries many strong characteristics of the renovated Provençal maison, such as use of the existing stonework, exposed ceiling beams, stone floors, polished and waxed concrete, iron door and window frames, and lots of re-use of old wood and materials. A completely relaxing atmosphere is created devoid of fussiness or extraneous embellishment for a simple, chic and livable home.

detail of the coffee tabletop arrangement

stone floors and walls, touches of linen,

leather seating and exposed beams all

express a simple chic Provençal life

the guest room is upstairs, thus the wooden floorboards; the

iron bed is a flea market find; the overhead beams are

lightened to a soft grey so they are not overbearing

the chic and simple Italian shower, open to

the room, is partitioned by an old found

wooden shutter and finished in concrete

the roughness of the limestone sink and the cut stone

floor is offset by the 19th C. gilded round mirror

the rustic long farmer's table in the dining room

has rusted metal lights hanging overhead, chic

wire-frame chairs and an old porch chair

from Cuba

weathered Cuban rockers with cowhide rug and very rustic

coffee table softened with the pearls; note the simple cantilevered

bench with the linen cushion

the concrete floor and iron framed doors

lead you directly into the garden outside;

old wood and wicker create comfort

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thanks for visiting! Kit

The White Dinner in Paris

I wasn't there, but wish I had been. This looks otherworldly divine! The annual "everything is white" dinner is held in Paris in the summer, and this year was in front of Notre Dame cathedral. Isn't it beautiful?

all images via Yahoo... yep Yahoo News!

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thanks for visiting! Kit

A Joyful & Creative Rehearsal Dinner!

Well we did it! The rehearsal dinner in our back yard was great fun! With the renovation of the pool and the surrounding decking completed a mere two days before, colorful tables were set with provençal stripes, the sun was just setting behind the wisteria arbor, the tinkling of glasses and classical jazz wafting from the new {boy toy alert!} Sonor wireless speaker system across the pool all created a magical atmosphere. We invited all guests to paint a personal motif of wedding wishes for Lisa and Steven... and a joyfully creative wall of original art appeared as our evening progressed, much to the delight of all.

guests from far and wide gamely

painted their wedding wishes on our wall

Lisa, a radiant bride-to-be... love the dress, love the

way Steven looks at her!

wishes in Vietnamese & French

those Basque stripe cloths adorn the drinks table

the bride and her bi-coastal fathers rehearse the

walk down towards to ceremony

the bride's sisters Julia adds her special message

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the very delicious menu

Grilled Shrimp & Grits

Skillet Buttermilk Corn Bread

Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Lemon Aoili

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimchurri

Braised Smoky Collard Greens

Blackeyed Pea and Arugula Salad

Peach Cobbler with Candied Ginger & Pecans

Champagne

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thanks for visiting! Kit