I felt inspired this morning by a few photos that I found awhile back on a blog and so I did some research to find exactly where I saw them first and it was on Emma's blog. And the company behind the photographs is paint manufacturer Jotun. I really like these shots, though they are clearly styled for print and reflect that they were meticulously produced, I still like the rather random feel of them. I think that should be the goal of an interiors stylist for books, don't you? To have a sort of laid back, "this is my life", approach to producing a photo-worthy display.

When things look too staged it doesn't feel like something one can relate to, does it? Of course, product shots are always very "staged" looking and stuff for magazines often looks more set up than the shots you find inside of books, but I am finding the more natural approach much more interesting to capture and show these days. As I fly to Copenhagen this weekend (thankfully it's a 50 minute flight so I don't have to spend hours in the sky), I will try to produce work next week that will reflect my own sensibility more than ever before. This is the first time that I will direct and style for a book and I have been "trained" by some lovely people, including the book co-author Jo, so I feel like I have everything under control. I am ready to jump in and work hard! I can't wait to work alongside the photographer and also to interview each homeowner to understand how they live in their space - this really excites me the most about the entire project - getting to know the homeowner and their space thoroughly so I can communicate it to you through the pages of the Decorate book. I want you to feel, as you are reading it, a connection to each home -- a connection that I already have since I have personally scouted the locations. I have all of my questions prepared and my tool kit ready to go in case I need to pin or tack something (knowing me, I will!), and I am ready to get going on this project.

I have to pack today, and prepare more things for my trip, but next week Leslie Shewring will be here with a few posts, and I have Etsy Take Five Tuesday ready to go thanks to another guest who will be dropping in, and I will write a bit from the road and share some posts with you -- so that's how the schedule on decor8 will look next week. A bit light, but bright and inspirational as usual. Then the posting schedule will go back to normal for the rest of June. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I always think about you and how I wish I could share everything here and how much I miss writing in this space. I also promise to collect my finds and experiences along the way, take some photographs, and share a nice Copenhagen round-up upon my return so stay tuned for that if you have an interest in Danish life and culture (and shopping!).

Have a nice long weekend and I'll see you on Tuesday reporting live from Copenhagen (Monday is a holiday)!

P.S. I think we have a new flat to move into on September 1st! Yay! We will have the paperwork around June 7th so once it is "signed and sealed" I will tell you more about it and share some of my decorating plans as I go so you can see what I do to it if you'd like. :)

P.S.S. I'll be tweeting from the road as I travel next week so you can follow my adventure if you find it interesting enough (ha ha) by clicking here and then clicking "follow".

(images: Jotun)