home exterior: 2012

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

Now that Christmas is over I'm ready for Spring!!! It happens every year at this time for me! It's a good thing I live in sunny California! It actually hasn't been very sunny here, it been raining a lot lately but the sun was out today so I went to the garden center and bought some flowers for my garden. These are all winter and early spring flowers

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas from My Romantic Home to yours!

Christmas Decor Galore! - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

I'm finally was able to take some photos of my little apartment all decorated for Christmas during the daylight! ...oops I forgot to move that paper bag next dresser before I took these photos!

I did another winter wonderland tablescape in all white again this year.

I love the reflection of the Christmas tree in my living

The time is NOW for great deals!

The presents are starting to pile up under our Christmas tree!

Is it just me or do the sales this time of year seem to get better and better each year? Every day I'm getting emails about all these great sales going on! It's so tempting because you don't even have to leave your comfy couch...you can just click away and shop without the hassle of the crowded stores! I love that

My New Floors! - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know that my landlord has been promising me that she would put wood laminate floors in my apartment for the last few years! Well, it finally happened and I'm so excited! I've lived here almost 10 years and my carpet was so worn out and stained that I really lost interest in doing anything around my house

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

It's been a hectic week but a really good week! My new wood laminate floors are being installed as I type this! It was so much work getting everything cleared out of my downstairs so they could do it!

That is why I'm resharing some cookies I made a few seasons ago!

The floors are looking amazing! I'm so happy! I was going to give you a sneak peek

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Soy Candles

Looking for a great gift idea?

Soy candles in vintage glassware. Check out my product review page to see more!

Heirloom Ornaments - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

Disclaimer: I apologize in advance...this is a very wordy and sentimental post!

I hope all of you that celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful day! I did! I went up to visit my dad in the Gold Country in California. He lives in the area in California where gold was discovered in 1849!

I feel like I struck gold too! My dad told me to feel free

Happy Thanksgiving - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! At the moment I am writing this post, it's the night before Thanksgiving! Boy, do I love this time of year! For me, it's the start of everything wonderful! I just love the holiday season!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. We should be thankful for all we have every day but the truth is most people aren't! I hope those people at least think

Best Idea for Contemporary Home Design

Contemporary home design still be the best choice for today's best home design, contemporary home or modern home enables you to build your own home with popular layout and style. Most of contemporary home's concepts are designed to optimized the use of the spacious. Below pictures are several best ideas for your dream home design with contemporary style. You can pick one of them to apply with your home design.

Contemporary home design - outdoor views

Design with simplicity and multi function

Most of contemporary home design are designed with minimalist and simple, so all of the spacious are optimized. One of the most important aspects of modern design is the use of available space and furniture with multiple functions. For example, platform bed, a little, and therefore, the storage system. This is to prevent the storage of it in places like attics, etc. that are not so elegant. Another example of station equipment, which is formed by the use of advanced console table. Use of sofa bed can solve object-bank during the day and sleep at night. The bed can also be designed metal requires minimum space and provide maximum comfort.

Modern materials vs natural materials

Glass is one of the most favorite material that usually used for constructing modern house, glass enables you to create a transparent view, so it will make some limited spacious looks larger.

Contemporary home design with natural and modern materials

Decorative Accessories

The decorative accessories you choose should have clean lines, color coordinate with the rest of your design scheme, and pull the larger elements of a room together. Be careful when choosing wall hangings and paintings for a modern house, you should choose a style of art that is modern, contemporary, eclectic or avant-garde. For example, if you were to put a Victorian painting into a modern room, no matter how nice the painting is, it will not fit into the style of the room’s design. Keep this in mind when choosing other types of decorative accessories as well. Also, remember that when decorating or designing a modern home, less is more. You do not want to over-accessorize, doing so will take away from the chic simplicity that defines modern design. Choose just a few accessories you like for one room.

Decorative accessories in minimalist home

Thanksgiving Table - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

This week I know many of my friends in the U.S. are getting ready for Thanksgiving next week so I decided to re-share my very non traditional Thanksgiving table I did a few years ago.

I found these turkey candy dishes and turkey plates at Marshalls a few years ago and fell in love with them!

I used the turkey candy dishes as soup bowls! I

Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

I don't have anything "home" related to share today so I'll share a little story about my trip to Tahoe last weekend. Two of my girlfriends and I took off Friday for a 3-day weekend and we had so much fun!

Saturday we decided to go for a hike. We drove from the hotel to the trailhead, parked the car and went out for a hike. We came to a creek with

Autumn Roses (and Me as Marilyn Monroe) - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

I think these are the last of my roses for this season! I have a few buds left on the bushes but it's cooling down now here (finally) that they may not bloom.

Last weekend I had 5 Halloween parties that I went to Friday and Saturday night! Yes FIVE!!! There were actually some more that we never made it to. I sure had fun being Marilyn Monroe...

Autumn Centerpiece - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! I was at the grocery store today and decided to pick up some mini pumpkins and preserved leaves. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with them but I put them on my silver platter that I picked up at a flea market a few years ago and added some tea lights and my crystal candlesticks. I think I only paid $10-$15 for this tray and I use it for so many

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! I was looking through some old photos and found some old fall decor photos from 3 years ago! I sold this white hutch and now that I'm looking at these photos I'm sort of missing it a bit! It sure was fun to change the decor in it for the seasons!

Last week I mentioned that I was going to a 70s and 80s party last Friday night so I thought I would

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Rosemary Focaccia - Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

It's been a busy week! I've been busy at work and I've also been busy shopping and putting together an outfit to wear to a 1980s party I'm going to this weekend. I'm doing sort of a Cindy Lauper/Early Madonna look! It's hilarious! I sure didn't dress like that in the 80s! I'll have to share photos with you next week! It's been a blast putting it

Apron Giveaway!

Want to win this beautiful apron? Just go to my Product Review page to learn how it could be yours!

(Please do not leave comments here, you will not be entered in the drawing. You must leave the comments on my product review page)

Modern Fashion Store Design of Hofstede Optiek in Hague, Netherlands

When you visiting this modern fashion store, you will say "WOW", an amazing fashion store that located in Hague, Netherlands. This modern fashion store design is named Hofstede Optiek, well designed by Dutch designer Alexander Nowotny. The interior design is so amazing, combination between modern and cozy atmosphere in the same time. This is a good example of fresh approach to fashion store interior design.

Modern Fashion Store Design of Hofstede Optiek

Glasses and sunglasses are fashion accessories today, so this place also decorate as well as a boutique of luxury clothes. Glasses always linked with something clear and clean, to get the best similar meaning with that, the dominant element of interior fashion shop is the combination of white-plastered surfaces and strongly grained zebrano wood surfaces. For modern looks, steel, chrome, glass and perspex were used. The floor is made of white and black ground natural stone, with an admixture of a silver metallic effect, and looks medium-grey. The result is very inviting atmosphere in fashionable style.

Modern Fashion Store Design of Hofstede Optiek front door

The fashion store interior ideas here is designed all of a piece. It is a harmonious composition, a walk-in sculpture. Pleasant feelings and associations with the warmth and security of the interior of a body should be generated. All load-bearing walls and the ceilings are covered with facing elements. Upon every movement in the shop, the effect of this fascinating composition of curved, slanted, rising and falling lines changes as the perspective changes. The impact is enhanced by the use of mirrors which visually enlarge the room and seemingly eliminate its boundaries, the walls and ceilings.

Modern Fashion Store Design of Hofstede Optiek interior

"My Life with Style" Magazine

I feel so honored! I'm in the October 2012 issue of My Life with Style online magazine! This issue is so beautiful and I am so truly honored that my little apartment is showcased along with some very grand and professionally decorated homes! Sometimes it's things like this that make me feel like I'm just dreaming all this! Click here to check out the current issue: My Life with Style

The Marilyn clutch - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! My dad just sent me this little silk bag that belonged to mom. He said he knew she would want me to have it. There is an interesting little story around this bag.

My mom and grandmother used to love going to thrift stores...way before doing so was so popular! They were at a thrift store in San Francisco and my mom bought this bag. Now I wish I would

Amazing Poolside Area Design with Modern Architecture

Swimming is one of favorite activity to make your body feel fresh, so it's a great idea to complete your home with a poolside. Poolside Poolside area can actually be one of the houses that can be used to add beauty to the home. You can design the poolside area with a modern style with beautiful surrounding scenery. You can relax in the poolside area to enjoy the beauty of the overall design of poolside area. You can also make the poolside area as one of the romantic and memorable. For that you should really pay attention to the design of the poolside area so you can feel comfortable while in the area. Here are some of the poolside area of modern design ideas with beautiful looks. Poolside area is designed with modern style and combined with the natural impression of beautiful looks. Please see some of this special design of the poolside area that can give you the impression of a stunning outdoor designs on the image below:

Modern Indoor Poolside

Modern outdoor poolside design

Romantic poolside design with amazing views

Glamour Halloween - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! I was at Marshalls buying a birthday present for a friend the other night and on my way out the door I spotted this glittered Halloween birdcage. It has a bat in it but I can take the bat out after Halloween and use it for Christmas! It was only $16.99 so I couldn't pass it up! It was worth waiting in line all over again!

It's really sparkly but

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! This has been a crazy-busy week. My whole team from all across the world has been in town this week at work. We've had all-day meetings and it's now Wednesday night and I just got home at 10pm from my second night in a row having dinner with the team. These 14 hour work days are exhausting but fun! I have a great team that I work with and I feel so

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Gallery of Living Room Design with Great Views

Living room design become a focal point in a house, so its a great idea if we have a living room with special views such as on below pictures. I found this amazing collection of great living room design with a great view from deand-unlimited, I hope this gallery will inspire you and give you a great experience in home design. Clear your busy mind and take a wander with us through this parade of stunning living rooms.

The first picture is a wooden living room from Ando Studio, designed with wood ceiling and floor, this living room is covered with a set of glass wall, Here are the pictures.

wooden living room with wood ceiling and floor

glassed wall living room with a great view

Above picture is another great living room with an amazing view, If you are lucky enough to find yourself submerged in dream views like these, ensure your room design is kept airy and uncomplicated to allow the eye to naturally find the beauty beyond, rather than conflict with it.

natural stone for a great living room

white living room with natural stone fireplace

How to Decorate your Garden with Outdoor Lights

Garden become important to beautify our house, without a good lighting the garden will be a uninterested place at night, but by installing a proportional outdoor lights as an outdoor decoration, you will see a new amazing environment in your home. For outside lighting decorations, you need to measure the yard, among other basic steps, and have a plan of how you want to lay out your outdoor lights before you purchase them.

Outdoor lighting ideas

outdoor lighting for garden

outdoor lighting for walkway

outdoor lighting ideas

There are several places of your garden that needs lighting, front door of the garden, shrubbery, Walkway, Outdoor Tree and the Sculpture. For front door lights, you can attach the lamps to the frame and feed the light down into the groove.

Drape it over a bush or shrub to create a blanket of light. It gives a perfect spaced set of lights that won't tangle. You can purchase sets with the different functions. To add a romantic sense, you can installing a special lighting for the walkway. For your walkway use a universal light stake, which will accommodate any type of light. Thread the cord on one side and then the other side of the stake and pull it tight for a snug fit. Place the stakes in the ground and line the walkway with them.

If you have a several trees in your garden, you can also decorate the trees, Put the lamps on the cord and over the branch, and they simply twist over themselves to keep your lights perfectly placed. And the last attach lights to wire sculpture with sculpture clips. Pop the clip to the wire frame and place your bulb right in the clip.

Contemporary River Cliff Home by Susie Johnson for Best Home Design

Below pictures are several best home design project by Susie Johnson, a high-end residential interiors that Emphasizing proper proportion and scale, as well as effective lighting, while maintaining the overall design style is Susie’s signature approach to personalizing a home to match her client’s personality and lifestyle.

Take a look at this gorgeous contemporary home designed by Susie Johnson Interior Design that has won awards in both the local and state American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) design compeitions in the Contemporary Homes over 3,000 square feet category. This home overlooking a river was designed for an experienced contractor, who wanted a cohesive merger of the interiors and the architecture of the home.

Painting ideas and fireplace for best home design

Simplicity can also be a great ideas, such as on this kitchen, The kitchen’s simplicity with rift-cut white oak cabinetry brings out the contemporary essence of the nickel surface appliances.

kitchen for best home design with simplicity

Fall is in the air! - Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! I keep seeing everyone's autumn decorations but I never feel like decorating for autumn until about November! That's about when it starts here in California!

It's still warm here but the last few evenings have been a little cooler so I'm sort of getting in the mood now! I love red wine but in the summer red wine just seems too warm so I switch over

Home Spa Jacuzzi Design of Sasha Home Sauna

This home spa jacuzzi has amazing interior design, this is the Sasha Home Sauna, Inspired by the highest sense of wellness, spa combines the Sasha home sauna, shower and a Hammam. Designed by the architect Alberto Apostoli Sasha has a modern design and professional services in a compact package that fits a modern home.

Home Spa Jacuzzi Design of Sasha Home Sauna

Home Spa Jacuzzi with wood, glass, steel and resin

For the lighting, found in the sauna, RGB LED lamps are in the bank and select the wall.

This home spa is made of wood, glass, steel and resin, Jacuzzi spa with water all the senses, smell, warmth and music will do. For the lighting, found in the sauna, RGB LED lamps are in the bank and select the wall, while a touchpad can be different programs with color sequences are combined. The shower is surrounded by large areas of glass, and comes with three programs, soothing water to wash away your worries. Finally loaded the Hammam mix coats your body with warm dew, while the touch screen panel can use color to the various programs.

For more details, just see on the picture gallery, or read another related post about spa on below links.

Weekend in Santa Cruz - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

Last week my girlfriends and I spent Thursday - Saturday in Santa Cruz, CA. It's only about 30 minutes away from home but it was like a mini vacation. One of the friends made the amazing Caprese Salad with heirloom tomatoes pictured above. What put this over the top was the basil salt that she made. I don't have the exact recipe but she said you take

Best Bathrom Design for Mid Year of 2012

Below pictures are several best bathroom design for mid year 2012, all the pictures are taken from the most popular image search of google search engine search page with the keyword of best bathroom design. I hope this gallery could inspire you to create your dream bathroom. take a look on this gallery and enjoy !

Best Bathroom Design 1

Best Bathroom Design 2

Best Bathroom Design 3

Best Bathroom Design 4

Best Bathroom Design 5

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

As you can see I've been having fun making these motivational posters on Big Huge Labs! You can make your own, just go to Big Huge Labs Motivator! It's Free! (I am not affiliated with this website, just passing on something I thought you may enjoy).

At the time this post goes up I will be in Santa Cruz for a girl's weekend away! There are four

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Pita Bread Pizza - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

Today I'm sharing one of my new favorite easy-to-make meals! It's a Pita Bread Pizza and it's Weight Watcher friendly!

I start with a Pita Bread. Mine is made by Sara Lee and they are 3 Points Plus points on Weight Watchers! I then spread a wedge of flavored Laughing Cow cheese on the pita which turns into a delicious white sauce. Then I pile on

August Giveaway N° 4 - a portrait of your home - Sharon Santoni

Dear friends,

Have a look at this wonderful give away!

Summer greetings from France!
xoxo Victoria

August Giveaway N° 4 - a portrait of your home - Sharon Santoni

My Favorite Blue Paint Colors: Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! I've been getting a lot of emails recently about some of my blue paint colors so I thought I would take this opportunity to share the links to my colors. I love gray-blues so I painted my kitchen this color. You can find the colors on my original post here: My Kitchen is Painted

I always get emails asking how I painted my blue china cabinet. You can

Hello from France

The little town has put a spell on us all, we're living a dreamy country life, quiet and yet not boring at all. We explore small towns, markets and enjoy walks around the country side. We take all millions of pictures and mostly enjoy each other. Has it been already almost one and a half weeks? Impossible!

The charming house we live in for the summer...

I've met the sweetest townspeople, often from abroad themselves and home now in this lovely southern corner of the Perigord! The town itself, an old Bastide, which means a ancient fortified church town, is small. A five minute walk takes you trough it, but already I befriended Prudence, a perfume designer with her small delicate shop and delicious perfumes, living here for 20 years, her sister, owning the most charming design store, both from Australia and utmost French by now...
A fashionable jewelry designer, working for Christian Delacroix, creating fun pieces, which are not to be taken too seriously!
We've met an ex-pat American, living here for ten years now, from Boston....
And a wonderful lady, Catherine, who owns the local Brasserie, waiting for us, to enjoy our 'cafe grande' every night.
All are extremely helpful and ready to share their stories. We feel very much 'at home' here and in love with the magic of this place. Many 'Bastides' around here were founded in the 13th Century by the English and a lot of Brits visit every summer!

We have had a country fair here, complete with live animals- huge cream colored cows with their calves and oxen.... markets with everything from the most delicious cheeses to Fois gras and strawberries, delicately tasting of raspberries, old linens and crockery, honey and home made jams.
We enjoy the wines of Bergerac, Bordeaux and St. Emillion.

Detail above the door

Old posters

Today's 'brocante' yielded some old posters and a small linen towel, at least as old as I am....Ha, not old at all....Or an antique??? It all depends, right?
I dug through paintings, brass buttons, plates and derelict pieces and odd ends....

Then we lounged by the pool, nibbled some cheese and fresh vegetables, drank a little wine and slept in the sun!
This is a wonderful daily routine, beginning every morning with a two minute stroll to the 'Boulangerie' to get fresh baguettes, croissants and something delicious, called pain de noix, a dense dark bread with walnuts.... Hmmm. So good!
We often cook in the evenings, fresh fish and salads, with more baguette and cheeses, the local, stone hard salami and the freshest and juiciest peaches.
Or we explore the local restaurants, which are amazing and always refined.
This is also the home of canard and fois gras, duck and liver pate, where almost every town has their very own specialty of it! No menu is without it!

Fountain in Bergerac

Small sidewalk cafes

Fois gras advertisment

I will post a little more in the next week, I do enjoy sitting and just feeling everything! So to tell you I am very active would simple be an overstatement....It's a lot of small joys ....the boys, the sister coming tomorrow, my darling in- laws.... Just simple pleasures!

Greeting, my friends! Here is a glimpse of about half the gang!

All images private.

How to dry hydrangeas - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

First and most importantly I need to wish my dad a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! His birthday is Aug 9th! I owe so much to my dad! Growing up with so much love from both my parents has made me a happy adult! Thank you so much DAD! I LOVE you so much!!!

My poor hydrangeas didn't get watered enough this summer and they are prematurely aging now! We

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! ...and August! I can't believe it's already August!!! I've been at my "new" job 5 months now! Time flies!!!

I don't have much to share this week. Lauren had her wisdom teeth removed on Monday and now it's Wednesday evening at the time I am writing this and I am EXHAUSTED! I don't do well with seeing other people in pain...at all! I think I would

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Little post in between

Returning from one trip and preparing for another, time to post is spare and yet I long to talk to you.
Some of my dearest bloggers are back from their own travels and adventures, I apologize for not commenting often enough, but believe me, I read! My thoughts wander to Scotland and England, Hungary, France and Germany, Poland, Australia, around the corner and around the world! They travel around America and I adore your thoughts!
You all inspire me! Thank you all. I can't say it often enough, blogging and reading all your posts lifts me off the ground...
After coming back from New Orleans - oh, has it been two weeks already ? - we had the younger kids back from their respective camps, loads of laundry piling high, medical check ups before school, a new client - hurrah, and plenty of social engagements, mostly all last minute, before going away again.

Woodpecker, hammering away....

As busy as I...

The beauty over the neighbor's fence...

Our regular visitor... hope the cat never gets him...

Still I found time to marvel at the raindrops and the birds flying around the house....I am a hopeless nature watcher and I can drop everything to follow that woodpecker with my camera....We fed hummingbirds with honey the other day....
We are going away in August, to spend time at a wonderful place in France, the Dordogne area, near Bergerac.... yes, the place of Cyrano De Bergerac fame.

Cyrano!

And the wonderful landscape near the Dordogne river, which has been made known around the world by the prehistoric wall art at Les Eyzies, Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume.

But most of all to reunite with our family, the older boys and their beloved ones, my in-laws - the sweetest people around and my sister and her family.... All to have and to hold for awhile in our arms, to make again memories together and fill up the emotional tanks....

I can't wait, I can't wait!

A house is awaiting us, a wonderful old house, in a tiny town, which we will discover. And more then that, the people, the food, the wine, the landscapes around and the sure treasures to be found!
More about that soon to come!
I promise to post, I can't help it sharing with you all!

Au revoir, mon amies!

Photography by V.Zlotkowski, images via websites