Fabulous Books and A Birthday Celebration!

It’s Here! Mario Buatta Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration arrived and it’s big and beautiful!  It’s 1 and 3/4 inches thick, over a foot tall, 9 3/4 inches wide and 432 pages long!

Mario Buatta 50 Years of American Interior Decoration

 

It’s filled from cover to cover with big beautiful pictures of Mario Buatta’s stunning work over the past 50 years.

Mario Buatta 50 Years of Americann Interior Decoration 01

 

If you’re a Mario Buatta fan, this book is a must have!

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If you like your decorating books to have lots of pictures, this book delivers! I expected a lot but wow, it truly is filled to the brim with gorgeous rooms.

Mario Buatta 50 Years of American Interior Decoration

 

So many of the rooms speak to the past but are so classic and iconic, they would work even today.

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I love that style decorating, the kind you can love today and ten years from now.

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There’s even a fun Halloween table setting created by Mario.

Mario Buatta 50 Years of Americann Interior Decoration 07

 

Gorgeous rooms…I could just sit and read this book for hours and hours.

Mario Buatta 50 Years of Americann Interior Decoration 08

 

Remember this famous Mario Buatta room.

Mario Buatta 50 Years of Americann Interior Decoration 09

 

I can’t show you the whole book for obvious reasons, but I had to share just a little of this beautiful book. It is definitely one of my favorites! It can be ordered from Amazon here: Mario Buatta: Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration

Mario Buatta 50 Years of Americann Interior Decoration 10

 

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Speaking of books, one of my fave authors and a dear friend, Michael Lee West, is celebrating an important birthday today! It’s one of those big ones that has a ZERO after it and that’s all I’m saying! 🙂

Photo

Michael who blogs at Rattlebridge Farm, has written a number of wonderful books.

Bridal Shower Table Setting with Copeland Spode Tower and Red Velvet Cupcakes 04

 

You may remember her book, A Teeny Bit of Trouble was about to be released.

Bridal Shower Table Setting with Copeland Spode Tower and Red Velvet Cupcakes 11

 

Since Red Velvet cupcakes were featured on the cover…

A+Teeny+Bit+of+Trouble

 

…I had fun creating a whimsical centerpiece in a similar vibe.

Bridal Shower Table Setting with Copeland Spode Tower and Red Velvet Cupcakes 10

 

Bridal Shower Table Setting with Copeland Spode Tower and Red Velvet Cupcakes 07

 

Bridal Shower Table Setting with Copeland Spode Tower and Red Velvet Cupcakes 09

 

A Teeny Taste of Scandal is due to be released in January 2015, so we’ll have to wait a little while to find out what trouble Teeny has gotten herself into now. Don’t you love this cover!

A Teeny Taste of Scandal

 

Happy Birthday, Michael!

We love you and hope you have the most fabulous birthday E-V-E-R!!!

Head over to Jain’s at A Quiet Life to check out the virtual birthday party Blogland is throwing for Michael! You’ll find a list of the participants at the bottom of Jain’s post.

 

and friends (900x610)

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Comments

  1. Hi Susan,
    Love the book! I know what you will be doing the next rainy day! I can see you sitting by the fire, with a cup of tea reading that beautiful book! 🙂 Love the cute little bride and groom cake toppers! So cute and whimsical. Now I am craving red velvet cake. It is my favorite and one my Mother always made for my birthday.
    Blessings

  2. I cannot decide which I need more right now, the Mario Buotta book or the cupcakes! LOL!
    Happy Birthday to Michael!

    xo

    Andie

  3. beautiful post, well double your pleasure post, of course i love books, so this is a win win! lovely tribute to michael lee and of course i could devour red velvet morning noon and night! thanks so much for joining in today, from decorating, food and fiction you have covered my big 3!

  4. WOW, your table setting with the red velvet cupcakes is one of the prettiest I have seen. Just charming!

  5. Peggy Thal says

    My book came the other day. I am in love. What a beautiful book to enjoy and linger over. Thank you for the recommendation . You are the best, Susan !

    • Thanks, Peggy! You are a sweetie! I’m so glad you love it. I’m always hesitant to recommend a book but from what I had read, I just knew this one was going to be a good one. I’m thrilled with it…just have to find the time now to sit down and enjoy it. 🙂

  6. Susan, I remember your wonderful table complete with Red Velvet Cupcake centerpiece for Teeny’s debut! Mario Buatta’s book looks delicious too! Happy Birthday Michael Lee!

  7. I am a big fan of decorating books. The way you feel about this book is the way I feel about anything by Charles Faudree and Kitty Bartholomew’s one lone book. I remember your table setting from the release of the Teeny book. Everything is perfect down to the last detail.

  8. Marianne L says

    What a lovely book, so full of colorful inspiration!

  9. Wow, that book looks very interesting~ hmmmm. Looked at your friend’s website too, I like it! I’m home after gallbladder surgery (whee!) and looking to distract myself. This is the perfect place, yup. Anyway, wanted to share with ya’ll a recipe I took from my daughter-in-law’s church cookbook and experimented with. OK, so I only changed one thing, but it was a doozy! We really love it and I’ve already made it twice more, hehe. Hope it’s OK if I put it here, I’m really not trying to hijack your site!

    It called for a 28 oz. can peaches, undrained, but I used pear preserves, home cooked, along with 2-3 tablespoons of the juices in a 9 x 13 inch glass pan
    1 package yellow or butter cake ( I used yellow, sugar free cake mix)
    1 cup coconut (or enough to cover the cake mix sparingly)
    1 cup chopped pecans (I used whole pecans, around a cup and a half)
    1/2 cup melted butter (I used 2 or 3 tablespoons extra, enough to toast the pecans well

    Pour fruit into greased 13/9/2 panch. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top. Drizzle with butter: sprinkle with coconut and pecans. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes until golden brown.

    Ya’ll I’m serious, this is almost a religious experience. Something about the combination of the coconut and pecans on top, it’s almost like a candy, crunchy and yummy! I haven’t made it with peaches, I used the pear preserves. My hubby and kids fight over who gets the last little bit. And served with vanilla ice cream or cool whip? Angels sing…a little bit of heaven on the tongue. Oh great, now I want some and I don’t wanna eat ANYTHING right now…. and it’s so EASYpeasy! OK, I’ll hush now. Remind me not to go online when I’m taking those pain meds again, K? I’ll be giving away state secrets or Granny’s secret recipe for : x

  10. Oh, what a beautiful post! I’ll have to add those books to my must read list!!!

  11. Happier Than A Pig in Mud says

    I remember those Teeny tablescapes Susan! The Halloween tablescape in your new book looks down right scary:@)

  12. Susan, I need to order Mario’s book. Thanks for the preview.
    Wonderful tribute to MLW. Love your Teeny table! I may have to get a Kindle just to read her next edition. 😉
    Happy Birthday, Michael Lee! ~ Sarah

  13. I guess you will be buried in your book tonight! It looks so interesting. I hope you tell us more about it.

    Love the Teeny Tablescapes!

  14. Rattlebridge Farm says

    Susan, I love the bride figurine and how she’s dragging the hapless groom over the crumbled red velvet cake. So funny, it just leaps out of the photograph. Thank you so much for joining the secret birthday bash! I’m very grateful for your friendship. You’ve made my world a better place. xxoo

  15. That is a treasure of a book for decorating buffs who appreciate and love the traditional way but with the joy of filling like a special guest. So many of her rooms take me back home to my high school years. I have been noting that my favorite colour, blue, is coming back into fashion once more and I could not be happier.

    I heard about this author’s special birthday from another site and do appreciate that you again posted your tribute to this gracious lady. I do not know anything about her except what I have read on your post and on Home is Where the Boat Is. Since she is a Southern author we probably do not see her much in Western Canada.

    Suggestion: Now that you have wet our appetite regarding decorating books how about pulling out your large selection and post once a week from one of these books???? It would be appreciated.

  16. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Susan, it’s so cute to see how excited you are about this book. The way you measured it … 😀 I can tell it’s already a treasured possession. And after seeing some of the stunning pictures you posted, I think I may just have to finagle a copy, myself. I could use the inspiration, I’m sure. Why, it’s thanks to you I now know Mario and his beautiful and warm, welcoming rooms. So I’m going to head on over to Amazon. (I’m just afraid to see the price. 😮 hee)

    And happy birthday to your friend! I love her apple table scape. So fall-ish. 😀

    • Pam, his book and the recent one by Susan Branch (which is also wonderful) are the only two books I’ve ever pre-ordered. I had to make sure I got those two in case they eventually sold out! Christmas is coming…time to ask for some Amazon gift certificates! 🙂

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        I love Susan Branch too! Her little illustrations are so sweet and cozy. Hmm … I think I better check that one out, too. 😉 Thanks for the tip.

  17. Being a longtime fan of Michael Lee West’s, I own all her books! Thanks for sharing your cute “Teeny” inspired tablescape. Happy Birthday to MLW also…

  18. Katherines Corner says

    Your enthusiasm for her books is palpable. I love the pageantry of it all the tablescapes are beautiful
    The book Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration looks wonderful. Big Hugs!

  19. You can find me in my secret reading nook. franki

  20. martha palmer says

    I received my Mario book yesterday, and I love it!! I didn’t realize it would be such a huge book! It’s such a pretty cover on it, but I’ve got to notify Amazon because the corner is bent and I want to use it on my coffee table. But, anyway, I’m looking forward to reading it and looking at all the pictures. I’m glad you reccommended it!!

  21. What a gorgeous book, wow! Also, your birthday for MLW is hilarious, only you would have that cake topper! You have only amped up my craving for red velvet cake this week!

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