It is with great joy and gratitude I finally share the news that The Natural Eclectic has found a publisher ~ or shall I say a publisher found it! I was approached in the whirlwind of  December and by months end all the details were agreed upon. I could not imagine a better way to close 2014 and begin a new year, a new chapter! On a bright sunny new years eve day I sat outside  Beaucoup Bakery and signed the contract over tea. I will never forget the feeling of that moment, it was pure, expansive joy. Craig my partner came to meet me with a bottle of champagne to gift my publisher, as my sister was close by in our shop next door. It all just felt so right.

 

With the realization that my book would be landing on shelves throughout North America in just over a years time, a niggling weight lifted from my shoulders. I felt such a sense of deep fulfillment and clarity about stepping into my full purpose and potential. I’d been frustrated over the years that life kept getting in the way of my book, but I know now this is exactly how it was meant to unfold. I had been concerned that my aesthetic was becoming so ‘on trend’ that the topic of the book would not feel as fresh or original as when I first conceived of the premise over a decade ago. Yet now I realize there is brand new audience of like minded folk that will wholeheartedly embrace The Natural Eclectic.

A community of ‘creatives’ has exploded onto the scene due in part to social media, yet also stemming from what I consider a sincere longing to get back to the true roots of living. There’s a new found interest in handmade objects and natural materials. People are making choices kinder to our environment. Seeing value in simple objects and recycled goods. Connecting with nature. Gathering at long table suppers with friends and family in the forest. They are thinking outside of the box and shopping outside of big box stores too!

Now that the concept of mixing new/old/found is so much more mainstream than when I carefully curated my little boutique 15 years ago ( Ikea now styles their catalogues this way!) there is less need to explain the eclectic component of my aesthetic. This allows me to speak in greater depth about an artful way of life attuned to nature. This is always what has mattered to me most. Through my own words and images I will explore my signature color palette that is inspired by the coast and the way I incorporate natural materials and found objects into my displays and vignettes. I will encourage others to get out and forage, treasure hunt, and use their imagination to create meaningful and personalized spaces. To slow down and see the beauty all around them in the ever changing seasons and the cycles of life.

While I hope my book will serve as an inspiring resource for designers and decorators, I will also speak to a broader audience of nature lovers, thrifters, bloggers, crafters, photographers, gardeners, pinners etc.  I’m working with a fabulous editor and I have a wonderful team supporting me to help shape my vision into the best it can possibly be.

While I have already have thousands of photos to choose from I’m passionately creating some new image content just for the book. I spent a few weeks alone in a peaceful waterfront setting, barefoot with tea in hand I’d immerse myself immediately into whatever project, vignette, thought or scenario would call to me from the moment of waking.

The creation of a large hardcover coffee table book is quite a complex and collaborative process. As I distill and curate all the ideas abounding within me I find it quite cathartic. I will only be showing a few sneak peeks as I go along as the rest will have to wait until the actual volume is ready to hold.  I’m delighted to have a great Canadian company like Raincoast Books distribute my book internationally. I can’t wait to share it with you early 2016.