I’m a book collector and can’t stop buying beautiful coffee table books…I’m actually running out of room and have started piling them on the floor. Recently, as I was flipping through the pages of Veranda magazine, I saw an article on a book that intrigued me called Bohemian Soul, The Vanishing Interiors of New Orleans. I immediately ordered it and have been slowly reading my way through it! It’s such an inspiring and really interesting book that includes many interesting stories and anecdotes about the culture of old New Orleans and the people who own the homes featured.

While I love to look at magazines that feature minimalist rooms, I am not a minimalist. I believe our homes should be filled with pieces of our lives, collected over the years from travel and experiences. If you were to visit our home, you would almost immediately know what we are interested in, where we have traveled and our aesthetic, from the books that line the shelves, the art on the walls and the objects displayed. Our home is a reflection of the life we have lived.

When I walk into a room, I want my eyes to look around and not know where to land because there are so many interesting things to look at! Bohemian Soul is a book that speaks to me for that reason and invokes a curiosity about New Orleans that makes me want to travel there again and look at it with new eyes!

As you all know, the little gazebo in our courtyard is one of my favorite places to sit and read and dream…it’s my quiet respite from the world!

Even when it’s hot outside, I make it work by plugging in a fan for Amos and me and we sit and enjoy the shade and the beautiful hydrangeas. Ok…maybe Amos doesn’t enjoy the hydrangeas, but I certainly do!

The day these pictures were taken, I had been working with my photographer for quite a while, going all over town to photograph different outfits, which is exhausting, and it was nice to take these pictures at home. It was nearing 5 o’clock and the light was really nice in the backyard so I made a little cheese board and poured a glass of rose, which is exactly what I would have done if I were going out to sit and read.

My fabulous outfit is from Lyssé New York and features cropped denim embroidered white pants paired with the most versatile short sleeve denim jacket. I’m wearing the jacket as a top but it would also be great with a tank underneath, left unbuttoned. The pants have an elastic waist and are very comfortable and the jacket has a bit of stretch as well. Both pieces will be great as separates paired with other things and the jacket will be ideal going into fall.

I purchased the shoes from Marc Fisher in early spring and I have worn them with everything from dresses to jeans. The heel is a bit high but because they’re platforms, they’re very comfortable. I’m also wearing a cuff bracelet by Julie Vos and a pearl necklace worn as a bracelet by Julie Miles (the Julies).

I purchased the little French antique teak table last summer and didn’t really have a place for it, but it’s just so cute! I sometimes use the table inside the gazebo, but the matching chairs don’t fit. I wonder if I’m the only one who buys things just because they’re beautiful and hopes they’ll one day find their place (like I said…I’m not a minimalist)! Anyway, it’s a nice place to set a table for lunch or dinner and I’ll figure out the chairs one day…maybe I need a mountain house?!

I think I’ve mentioned that coffee table books are just one of my passions! I also love cookbooks and just purchased a new one by James Farmer - Dinner on the Grounds: Southern Suppers & Soirees! My mom loved James Farmer and I have all of her books written by him and they make me think of her. The cookbook is fairly new and filled with beautiful photography and delicious Southern recipes. It’s supposed to come today and I can’t wait to get out to the gazebo and look through it and then get into the kitchen and cook!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and are inspired to find a place to sit and dream and relax this summer! It’s so important to build a little pleasure into each day, even if it’s just for a moment. You’re making a memory and enriching your life!

The weeks are flying by and soon the holidays will be upon us! I’m trying to soak in every moment and remember to stay present as the days go by! Happy Friday…I’m off to the kitchen so stay tuned for a few new recipes!

Below, I’m including a boutique with the outfit I’m wearing, my summer fragrance (Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne), the book Bohemian Soul book and the James Farmer cookbook. I included a bag that would be great with this look as well!