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!
I think we all live a muddle at some point, that is inevitable. We have renovated several houses and each has it’s own set of “muddles”. However, when we look back on these adventures or misadventures, it seems we learned the most from the “we will NEVER do that again” experiences. I would love to see what you Bee Cottage taught you!
I’ve been looking at this book and it looks great. We’ve all made a mess of things before and have to make the best of it. Thank you for such a great give away!
I can relate to her story!
too chicken
I read Frances’ book while on vacation a couple of weeks ago. We went to Hilton Head where we got a good bit of the rains from the hurricane that piddled out – thank goodness. But it was wonderful reading about her design choices and her interesting life. It made me want to come back and take a fresh look at our home!
Muddles are part of life. If you come through you can be a survivor and cangratulate yourself. No one needs to know about the muddle.
Smiles
I lost my boyfriend when he died unexpectedly. I then lost my job after a hard year of grieving, life surprises and a hard school. It took me a year but I found a job a love which eventually led me to a new love. It also allowed me to move in to a apt with no roommate. Life changes when you least expect it. I took advantage and have been the happiest I have ever been.
Everyday! But thank God His mercies are new every. single. morning! 🙂
Yes, and I’m thankful for those start-overs!!!
Oh, I have made a muddle, but not started over!
I saw the House Beautiful series and loved it. I am interested in the deeper story!
Oh yes…I’ve muddled through, made my share of mistakes, and started over a few times. My thought is that this is what life is about. “It’s not how many times you strike out…it’s how many times you get back up”. I think was said by Babe Ruth. I just keep going and enjoying life. By the Grace of God I’m still here and enjoying my family, friends and life in general.
more times I have muddled than not! And our new house in NH built on the same land as our old 1930s camp saved my life…it was either sell the the land and camp as it…or build a new year round house we can be in to escape the Texas heat for 6 months a year…we are so lucky we decided, during the recession… To just do it…best decision we ever made.
Muddle a time or two or.??? Still keeping on full steam ahead but eyes wide open ….TY
Oh yes! Looks like an interesting book.
Looks like a great read.
I made a huge muddle back in my early twenty’s. Proverbs 3:5-6 is the verse that jumped out at me and caused a major self evaluation; “You’ve trusted everyone else, now how about trusting ME!”
Theda, that is my very favorite LIFE verse forever! So true and I hang onto it all the time. I’ve muddled enough of my own life too!
I can’t wait to read this book. Muddled is a good way to describe life!
Too many times but a winner never quits!! Keep on trucking!!
Dearest Rhoda!
Belated but hearty thanks (was traveling) for this wonderful post. I am touched, honored, and humbled to be the recipient of your superlative Southern Hospitality, and what a delight to read the comments of your clearly devoted following. I’d like to send Dana a signed and personalized copy myself and will email you separately for her details.
Warmly,
Frances