Grand Revival Designs

Flea Market Style

Just wanted to let you know about a great new magazine and a great new blog about the making of a magazine called Flea Market Style. Brought to you by author, lifestyle expert and former style editor of Country Home magazine Matthew Mead (I don't have to tell you how much I love Matthew's work if you've been reading my blog) and Ki Nassauer, author and former editor and columnist for Country Home magazine. And talented writer and blogger and now editor at large for Flea Market Style, Linda McDonald

I really cannot wait for the first issue to hit news stands!!! As this magazine will be produced by actual style editors (ie the creative forces behind our favorite magazines and ideas) as opposed to giant publishing houses I'm really looking forward to seeing their ideas come through in the pages of this new magazine.

This passage from the blog gives some insight into what it takes and what it's like to produce a fabulous magazine using talent and vision but without a big budget:

There was a time when magazine stories had budgets...when there was actually money for fresh flowers and props and last minute items, and when graphic designers and writers and stylists were just simply part of the whole package.

"Those were the good old days" as folks say and for Flea Market Style we are literally flying without a net. It is good in some ways: we are forced to look at design with realistic boundaries. No trips into New York to attend trendy design shows or vetting our ideas through high end dealers who are trying to show off their wares in the glossy pages of a magazine. Our tips and ideas, as well as the items we are using to prop and decorate with, come from a place accessible to everyone. It is stuff you will find at the flea market because that's really where we found it. Our style and design is real because we are real.

Read more here

Set to hit newstands Spring of 2010!!! I'm really excited to support this venture by and for people who love beauty and creativity

Home again...

So, terrible pictures I know (getting a better camera in the mail soon!! I hope) but this is our new home for a long while anyway. It was not easy to get here. We found what we thought was the perfect rental house for us, late 19th century, 15 foot ceilings, ornate moldings, marble fireplaces, everything painted white, very well worn and a bit shabby, just how I like a house. What we didn't know was that the smell that pervaded the house was not something that would go away with some bleach and a good airing. It had a terrible mold, mildew problem, not uncommon here I've since found out (there is no air conditioning anywhere and it rains alot, go figure), and we had to move out after 2 nights.

It was sort of a difficult time, worried we had made a huge mistake, etc. But, even then, I knew in the scheme of things it was not that big a deal. We found this house, it smelled good, though sort of like a grandma (I love grandmas and their smells don't get me wrong, but after the last disaster I'm just very cognisent of smells) but it took me a while to warm up to it. I love old houses, I love the old house we still have in the states, so much in fact we decided not to sell it but to rent it out, but I had to get used to the darkness of the living room and all the color of the painted ceilings, wallpaper and tile floors. I'm just used to white and light so I'm adjusting, I'm really digging it now that I'm thinking of the living room more like a library, I feel really kind of a warm embrace when I'm sitting in there reading a book at night. I'm starting to understand the darkness of Victorian interiors I think. The house is definitely calling out for some treasures from the Paris flea market though (just 2.5 hours away) and I'll just have to oblige I think.

Anyway, bla, bla about the house, Belgium is lovely, very rural where we live in the French speaking part. Lots of giant cows, stone farm houses and fields. The Belgians are the absolute nicest, most lovely, and helpful people. The kids love the big yard with the ancient weeping willow and are starting to learn some French in school. They're happy, my husband and I are happy, it was the right decision...

xoxo
Tanya

Dolce at Fat Quarter Shop

Finally getting settled here, a slightly painful process I'll tell you about later...All is very well now and just a quick note to let anyone interested know that Fat Quarter Shop has made Dolce available for pre-order. Jocelyn tells me they are already getting requests for it which makes me very happy indeed. The collection represents a slightly different direction for me so I'm glad people are liking it. As soon as I can find my sewing machine I'll be blogging about projects made from Dolce as well as a new bag pattern we're introducing with what I hope you'll think is a cool twist.

xoxo
t