Vintage Blue Book Love…

Hi everyone…

 My new obsession are these vintage, French, blue books!

I want the pinks ones too… been searching…i think I may have  found them!!!

I was photographing an amazing, one-of-a-kind boutique the other day, that I will soon

be sharing with you and there they were! Love at first sight.

This vignette is in our family room,  which is adjacent to our

kitchen.  I have not shown this room  yet.

So,  this is a sneak peek!

I have a great healthy recipe to share with you next and ,

I will also be announcing the winner of the Cabbage & Roses Giveaway.

There is still time to enter below!!!

I have been working out and I am on day 9 of my 12 week trainer.

I feel amazing, mentally and

physically. I am hooked again. I have always been into health and fitness.

I took before photos, Oy vey! Darn baby weight…  I will keep you posted on my progress.

Oh ya, I love Pinterest. Just sayin…

A small favor, please pray for my friend Anne from Fiona & Twig, her mother has fallen very ill,

and Anne is so scared. Your prayer’s will help.

Have a beautiful day!

~ lulu

Cabbage & Roses Giveaway

Hi there!

It has been awhile since I have done a giveaway.

I love this giveaway because I love the fabrics from Cabbages and Roses.

Cabbages & Roses recently launched the Northcote Range of quilting fabrics with MODA at the Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, UT.  It’s a beautiful vintage floral collection, with some wonderful bold stripes and motifs as well…and this will be the first time fabric from Cabbages & Roses will be available in America!

 

The giveaway is…

1yrd of the large floral print.
1 square of the smaller floral print
1 square of the stripe pink print.

(squares measuring in 22in L x 18in W)

 

Just leave a comment at the end of this post and or follow us....For additional entries,you can post about the giveaway to any social networking sites, twitter, facebook, and blogger!!!Please come back and leave a separate comment for each site you post about the giveaway too.Anonymous entries please make sure you leave an email address with your entry, so we can get it to you if you win .Giveaway is open internationally as well!!

Please visit C&R blog and website C&R Blog- http://cabbagesandroses.wordpress.com/


C&R Website- http://cabbagesandroses.com/


Good Luck!!!

P.S I am praying for those who are being affected by hurricane Irene.

~lulu

Thank You HGTV.COM & A Shabby Chic Couture Giveaway & A 12 week Trainer!!!

 

Lots to go over today, I hope you don’t mind

me sharing more images than usual.

 

Kayla Kitts of HGTV.COM contacted us a few weeks ago

and asked if we would shoot our living room and dinning

room and share some tips on decorating with Shabby Chic Couture

finds. You can find the article here, here and here. I also copied it below.

This was  a fun project and I enjoyed working with Janis from Shabby she is a sweet

friend and extremely talented. Thank you for letting us do this.

 

Rustic Comfort

When creating a shabby chic look, it's easy to get carried away with accessories, decor and fabrics galore. According to interior designer Lulu Tapp, less is more when it comes to bulky furniture and accessories, especially in a shabby chic design. "Allow for movement throughout the room when adding sofas, chairs and other large pieces of furniture; you should emulate a comfortable feeling throughout the space," she says. And one of her top pieces of advice: Avoid clutter at all costs. Design and photography by Lulu Tapp of DustyLu Interiors. Room accessories and decor from Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

Antique Wares

When you're not hosting parties or entertaining, use antique tarnished silverware to add decorative detail to your "display-only" table settings. Wrap and tie a handkerchief around a bundle of silverware to give your table even more shabby chic-ness. Design and photography by Lulu Tapp of DustyLu Interiors. Room accessories and decor from Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

Gold Trim

Known for its charm yet casual grace, shabby chic designs can also emit an air of elegance. Soft floral patterns in pastels are a common detail in shabby chic dishware. These stunning porcelain pieces also feature a simple yet refined double gold trim around the edges of each dish. Design and photography by Lulu Tapp of DustyLu Interiors

Simple Hosting

One of the most important things to remember when hosting a party or get-together is to make sure your guests feel at ease with their surroundings. "When setting a table for your guests, make it look relaxed and not stuffy, ensuring your guests feel comfortable," interior designer Lulu Tapp says. In this luxurious dining room, a ruffled and wrinkled tablecloth immediately emits a casual feel, while simple table settings are less intimidating and more inviting. Design and photography by Lulu Tapp of DustyLu Interiors. Room accessories and decor from Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

I love these plates from Shabby Chic Couture

You can find all these items on their website or at any one of the

Shabby Chic Couture locations.

This is a close-up of the ruffles on the table linens.

These vintage candlesticks are from a church in London.

 

Always love fresh flowers!

All the table wares and linens available at

 Shabby Chic Couture.

 

I found this religious statue at a flea market months ago,

it’s rather large and I absolutely love the patina.

 

 

 

My FAVORITE THING 
 I purchased are these  wood rosaries from Shabby Chic Couture.

 Love these pillow with RASC initials on them, they are

the perfect shade of grey!

I re-arranged my furniture in the living room thanks to my gorgeous

friend Kym!!! 

All the accessories and pillows are available at

Shabby Chic Couture.

Another favorite of mine are these votives.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Follow Shabby Chic Facebook page!!!

In celebration of our Treasures by Shabby Chic® quilting fabrics launch we are giving away a one-of-kind quilt made with our new fabrics! To enter, click on the Sweepstakes tab on the left side of our Facebook page. Two runners up will receive a signed copy of Rachel's Shabby Chic Interiors book.

Also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook too!!

I start my 12 week trainer tomorrow!!!

I will also share more recipes on

eating clean and

my progress.

Have a wonderful week!

~lulu

French Canisters, A Recipe & Debra Hall Lifestyles

 

Hi there!

I wanted to share with you a simple healthy recipe I found for

eating clean, my French canisters

and my talented friend Debra Hall of Debra Hall

Lifestyle’s new blog and website.

 

This rice pilaf recipe is simple and healthy.

Have you ever heard of using avocado oil instead of olive oil?

Delicious and nutritious!!!

2 Tbsp of Avocado oil

1 yellow onion (peeled and chopped)

1 carrot (peeled and grated)

2 small firm zucchini, (grated and drained of juice)

1 clove of garlic (passed through a garlic press)

2 Tsp of cracked coriander

1 cup of basmati rice (soak rice for one hour before use)

2 cups of vegetable stock or chicken stock

1 Tsp of sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion, carrot and zucchini cook until soft.

Add garlic and coriander and cook until garlic becomes fragrant.

Drain rice, rinse and add to skillet.

 

Heat through about 5 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil, once boiling, reduce heat and let cook for 30 minutes or until

rice is tender. Once rice is cooked turn heat off, let pan sit covered for 5 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste. YUMMY!

 

I love these French Canisters. They are the perfect white with

small veins of blue. I have been re-decorating and will show you

what I have been up to next.

LOVE!!!

   I would like to introduce to you  my friend

Debra Hall of

Debra Hall Lifestyles!

Debra and I have been working together this past month on some

fun things.  It started with me photographing her house and quickly

developed into a new blog, website and friendship.

She is extremely talented and has an amazing eye.

 

If you like the English Countryside, Industrial finds, gorgeous Vintage Jewelry

and much more, be sure to visit her website and follow her blog.

She has great idea’s that you won’t want to miss

(images for Debra Hall’s website by Lu Tapp Photography)

Be back soon!!

Have a wonderful day

~lulu

"Dining Under a Chandelier"

 

Thank you Reyna Ramli of Arcadian lighting for a special guest post.

This is great! Take it away…

"Arcadian Lighting is the best source for lighting fixtures and accessories at discount prices. Arcadian Lighting has been in the lighting industry for over 15 years selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products."

At their best, chandeliers are like a glittering pieces of jewelry that add a touch of sophistication and beauty to any space.  One room that will always benefit from a chandelier is the dining room.  Whether you decorate with a chandelier as a piece of eye candy or for use as a light fixture, there are plenty of gorgeous options for you to choose from.

You can go with a more dramatic piece in a bright red or sunny yellow for a pop of color in a neutral area, or you can go for a totally luxe look with beaded or capiz shell pieces.  Just take a look at this round-up of gorgeous dining rooms decorated with chandeliers for inspiration.

Elle Décor via

In this airy, white dining room, hangs a classic chandelier -- bright, sculptural and luminous.  This vintage chandelier by Venini fits right in with the other artful pieces in this dining room!

Apartment Therapy via

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of this beaded gold chandelier is how it's hung.  Love the simplicity of this lamp and how the gold chandelier accents the gold framed painting in the background!

House Beautiful via

This beaded turquoise lamp, by Marjorie Skouras, beautifully accents the deeper shades of blue, chocolate and brown.  Really love how that bowl of green apples matches the green in the lamp.

Lovely Happenings via Desire to Inspire

Talk about a dramatic and sophisticated piece.  This space plays with size and proportion, pairing a gigantic chandelier with a tiny accent lamp.  Not so much a lighting fixture as it is a hanging sculpture, don't you think?

Lux Interior Designs via

In this renovated apartment of Parisian actor, Simone Bedix, the designer paired two silver lamps by Tom Dixon with a lovely antique wrought-iron chandelier...and guess what? It was a flea market find!  It's really a clever pairing that combines trendy silver earrings and an antique necklace.

Apartment Therapy via Skona Hem

A plant chandelier takes the place of any ceiling light in this spacious dining room.  Using a variety of potted ivy plants, this chandelier adds plenty of greenery to the space.  Plus, thanks to the brightness of natural lighting, and the accent lamps in the window, there's plenty of light here already!

Elle Décor via

This cast-iron coral chandelier and matching wall sconce are so chic that adds a touch of sophistication in this grand dining room!

Apartment Therapy via

An antique wrought-iron chandelier compliments this sweet dining room so well.  Plus, it's a DIY-ed chandelier that was found at a flea market.  After sand-blasting and a new set of lamp shades, it was made like new!

Even if you have a small or simple dining room, chandeliers can be a perfect way to add some color and oomph to your space.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality lighting fixtures at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

Have a wonderful day!!!

~lulu

Lifestyle Photography, Wildflower Photography, Dear Lillie & Casting Calls

 

I hope everyone is having a great week.

I have a few things to share with you.

You all may have heard me rant and rave before, blah, blah, blah… about

photography. I love photographing,

interior’s, exterior’s, food, family, fitness…lifestyles!!!

Lifestyle photography is so much fun.

Lately, I have been experimenting with my images

in photo shop of our family photo’s.

It is so interesting to see how you can take

one image and change it so many different ways.

I enjoy looking for different places to photograph.

We had a great time here. It’s a ranch right down the street

from our house.

My inspiration came from Joy of

 Wildflower Photography, and Jennifer of Dear Lillie.

Jennifer and I both just had a second child. WOW, is all we can say,

trying to juggle life and children is crazy but, beautiful.

These two girls are extremely talented.

Visit their blogs and see for yourself.

I have so many wonderful things going on in my life

right now and blogging has been an amazing place to journal my journey.

I am so grateful for my readers. I wanted to let you know

we have also been on Face book for awhile,

which I forgot to announce.

You can follow us there too.

  Casting Calls for homes in the area.

Be sure and check back with us because

we will be holding casting calls for homes in the area to shoot

for various magazine publications. I will be sharing each feature that

gets published on our blog and Facebook.

I am booked right now but, I  hope to be able to add more soon.

 One last thing before I go. I have a very talented friend

I will be introducing to you who has

an amazing, Lifestyle blog and website.

Coming soon. 

Have a wonderful day.

~lulu