Sweet!

My heart started pounding and I nearly dropped

my groceries, when I realized the Summer 2011

edition of Beautiful KITCHENS & Baths magazine

had already hit newsstands!


I knew our kitchen was scheduled to be

featured in the gorgeous pages of this

NATIONAL

Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest

Publication! I very calmly, RACED through the

store to get the rest of my shopping done.

Does our growing, 15 year old son,

REALLY need milk? Do the dogs NEED to eat?

I snatched up a half dozen or so copies…along

with the milk and dog food.

Once safely in the car, I scrambled to find my

reading glasses. Doubt raced through my mind.

Maybe they forgot.  Maybe they changed their

minds.

I began anxiously turning the beautiful pages,

and there it was, our kitchen! UNBELIEVABLE!

I got goose bumps and okay…a lump in my

throat…OKAY tears!!

Building our home has been quite a journey…

especially with ME at the helm. We are lucky to

have survived with our marriage, bank account

and my sanity, intact! At least I think it’s still

intact.

This was one of those, ‘life comes full circle’

moments. OUR kitchen, in

the gorgeous national magazine that I have

loved for years, the SAME magazine, that

INSPIRED the feel of my kitchen design in the first

place, all those years ago. I couldn’t believe

it! Our kitchen is by no means, the biggest or

the grandest…but we like

it and there it was!

Like many of you, I have a passion for design

and all things home. I always have.

A chance to appear on the pages of this

magazine is huge!

First of all, I am SO grateful to have worked

with wonderful Meredith Publications Contributing

Editor Bonnie Broten. Bonnie, thank you

for finding us and guiding me on this cool

journey. Your words of encouragement mean

so much! Joni Webb, of

Cote de Texas, recently referred to

Bonnie, as one of the best in the business, in her

‘Coveritis Wannabe’ post. You must

read it, if you haven’t already!!

Thank you to Beautiful KITCHENS & Baths

Editor, Linda Eggerss and her staff for

generously & amazingly selecting OUR Kitchen!

My husband Sim and I are truly honored!

And I have to say…I LOVED

the whole experience, which began with an

e-mail from Bonnie, more than 14 months ago! I

adored prepping for the photos…from the

scouting shoot

with Blaire Broten & Erik

Johnson, to the big day!

I was telling someone, that the process is a lot

like getting ready for prom or an

important evening out. You want to look your

best. You know, hair, nails…the dress & shoes.

Only, instead of primping you’re prepping your

HOME. You’re dressing IT to the

nines…Windows, floors, paint

touch ups and so on.  On the actual shoot

date…our home never looked so good. Of

course, it didn’t last long but it was sure worth

all of the work!

The article itself is wonderful. I LOVED the

styling that Bonnie and the editors pulled

together for the shoot!  I emptied all of our

display cabinets. (You should have seen the

dining room table!!) The experts artfully edited

our pieces and added some of

their own!

Image ~ John Granen

I got permission to share a

few images that DIDN’T appear in

the Beautiful KITCHENS & Baths article…

can you imagine what DID!! I love the pop of rich

golden yellow flowers and dishware…the warm

patina of that old copper pot…

Image ~ John Granen

the rustic pieces and earthy

greens. So REAL. The detailed images, by

celebrated photographer, John Granen are truly

beautiful!

But more than that, there is an honesty about

them that captures our home and I

hope…our lives. Thank you John! Again, how

lucky am I?

The writing by Ann Wilson is inspired.

There is even a sentimental mention of our Grandma

Nettie’s lasting influence on our family.

How cool is that…she lives

on big time! And now, like the prom or that BIG

evening out…I don’t want the night to end.

Fortunately, Beautiful KITCHENS & baths will

be on your newsstand for the next

THREE months. It’s filled with gorgeous

kitchen & bath inspiration.

Image John Granen 

I hope you pick up a copy or two.

I know, I will! And, I’ll try to not to run you

over… in the process!

Ciao,

Monica