I know firsthand how a house can swoop in and rescue someone.  Mine sort of rescued me from some harsh life circumstances and that’s exactly why I’m so giddy over and proud of it to this day.  Stories about homes and how they have enveloped a home owner are stories that I love to read.
The Bee Cottage Story and How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness is certainly a title that I could have penned myself.
Journalist, author, and TV personality Frances Shultz is a Southern girl (from North Carolina) like I am and this book is inspired by her popular House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of her house, The Bee Cottage. Â In fact, I did a Feature Friday on Bee Cottage back in 2011 and thought it was such a fun transformation of a cottage in East Hampton.
I have just started reading the book and can’t wait to get into it further. Â I absolutely love the way that Frances decorated this house, so feminine and classic at the same time. Â I know this book will just dive in deeper than the magazine series did and I can’t wait to read it all.
Of course, with my love of green, this picture just takes my breath away.
After a broken engagement, cancer, and a series of devastating losses left her struggling, Frances started to rebuild her life in this cozy cottage called Bee Cottage and really got to know herself. The renovation of Bee Cottage became a metaphor and a means of healing and personal discovery for Frances and she unravels the question of how a mature, intelligent, successful woman could have made such a mess of her personal life.
Oh, how I can relate to that! Â And I totally can see how a house can come along and capture a heart and change a life.
From the book: Â Part memoir, part home decorating guide, The Bee Cottage Story has 125 beautiful full-color photos to illustrate Schultz’s journey and to inspire readers traipsing through their own “Great Muddle” to examine and discover their own “truth” in decorating — and life. Â
Here’s the fun news! Â The editor of The Bee Cottage Story sent me a copy for myself and they are giving away a copy to ONE of my readers. Â
Be sure to click the Rafflecopter widget and sign up with your email.  Then all you have to do is leave a comment telling me if you’ve ever made a great muddle in life and started over?  I think most of us can relate to that in some way and lived to tell about it.  Starting over can sometimes be the best thing that ever happened to us! Â
Just sign in on the Rafflecopter widget and leave a comment here on the blog! Â Here’s to decorating our way back to a beautiful life!
Oh my God! Haven’t we all come though the fires of Hell to reach the other side? Broken, bent, dented, deglazed. Yep, been there, and can hold my own again…… Its beautiful when you reach here and hold your head high….sometimes its for the first time! God Is Great!!!!
I seem to “muddle up” a lot of things…being the hot mess that I am. LOL Love the concept of this book and can’t wait to read it!
I love how our homes have the ability to heal, comfort and console us. I think making such a home is a gift. I would love to read her story
Hi Rhoda, think we can all relate one level or another. My problem is thinking if someone will like how I decorate my home more than doing what I want to. I am striving to make it my own : ) Love loooking at others to get inspired : ) Thanks for your blog!!
I have enjoyed Frances’ writing in HB for many years. I can’t wait to read more about her life and her wonderful cottage in book form.
Starting over after 30 years of marriage and after age 50! Yes….been in small, medium and very large muddles! You pick up the pieces and go on! And yes, yes, decorating helped me keep my mind and heart in tact!
I read her columns in House Beautiful about her home. They were inspiring.
I have made muddles.
I have also read her articles in House Beautiful and enjoy her beautiful inspirations. This would be a good book to have and hopefully prevent muddles.
Great giveaway!!
I left an abusive marriage and have worked hard to build a new life for myself and my daughter. It lifts me up to hear about other women overcoming difficult times.
I muddled my way through life in my early twenties and dropped out of college. I returned to college in my forties and earned my degree gaining back my self esteem.
How perfectly wonderful, I would love a copy of this book! As a new empty nester I am muddling through as I try to find myself again. If my children are grown and gone then who am I???
I’m a fan of Francis. Love her cozy bee cottage. A southern woman of poise and grace.
Of COURSE I’ve muddled things up in my life! Hasn’t everyone? It’s funny how we can look back any see clearly the great opportunity it was to grow and develop as a person. In my case, I found that decorating was a god-send at a time when I needed a new direction for myself and my energies! I’m looking foreword to this book! I think many of us have a lot in common!
This books looks wonderful. So relatable. Thank you.
Would love this book. Have heard wonderful reviews about it.
I muddle up often enough that I learned to regard every single day as an opportunity to start over!
This opportunity to win Ms. Shultz’s gorgeous book via one of my fave blogs is a bonus.
Oh SO many muddles (plural)! Would truly enjoy the boo.
Oh yeah, I’ve been through plenty of muddles in my day! Haha 🙂 What a great book. And I agree, decorating can be completely refreshing and rejuvenating! What a great book idea.
I’ve muddled through a diagnosis of a chronic disease and am still muddling! Decorating and looking at blogs for inspiration has been a tremendous help to me. This book looks fascinating and I’d love to win it!
I divorced my husband and have successfully set a new path in motion. Am anxious to lay eyes on this book!