white smile: I have a special guest poster today ladies~ The Queen of Coastal Chic

Hello everyone!

I have a special guest poster today!

She lives in a sweet little cottage by the sea, in Sydney Australia.

Sarah author of the blog A Beach Cottage!

I think you would all agree with me Sarah is the Queen of Coastal Chic!

These images of Sarah in her little black dress remind me of what you would see in an Anthropolgie Magazine!

Love this girl!

Miss Sarah was kind enough to pack her bags and come to California for the day!

Thanks Sarah!

I hope you all enjoy the interview I did with Sarah!

She let me ask her any question I wanted.

So I asked her a few questions!

Okay maybe a lot!

You are going to love all of the photos Sarah shot for this post!

So get ready to be inspired....

What inspired you to start a blog?

I started a blog to record the goings on at our cottage and as a way for me to compare the before and afters I was working on day by day...I never had any idea it would become a great part of my day!

I love how you write! Have you always been a great writer?

I used to love writing at school and though I haven't written too much since having a busy family life, I now find the writing as part of my blog a very good way to switch off at the end of the day. I read a lot which I think is the key to being able to express yourself.

When are you going to write a book?

Hmm, let's just say there's a lot going on behind the scenes :-)

What was your decorating style like when you lived in England?

My decorating style was a bit more English Chintzy Vintage...with lots of colourful floral fabrics, still with a very white and neutral background and old vintage furniture and a good dose of old English Country style in there too....

Who is your favorite designer?

I don't really have one! I am interested to see what designers do but I often feel that it is so far removed from the reality of my day to day life...

Do you have a favorite design book?

I love eye candy coffee table books about the home. I love Amy Butler's Midwest Modern, though her style if very different to mine and love to dip into Emily Chalmer's books

What is a typical day like at the Beach Cottage??

My typical day is probably like any other mother to active kiddos, it often starts very early with sport training, then off to drop them at school, then for a coffee with some friends and I try most mornings to walk by the sea...once back at the cottage I clear up from the chaos of the morning and do a few chores...make some tea, turn on the computer, reply to emails, sort out blog stuff...I normally have a number of projects on the go or something to paint so about lunchtime is when I might do that. From two thirty until about 8pm I spend time with the kids, ferry them around and get everything ready for the next day...at about eight o clock I try to go out and sit on the deck with a drink...and I nearly always head to the tub with a book...Mr BC and I quite often venture out for a late-night stroll, I love the feel of this time of day, the stillness, the stars....the day, always ends with a cup of tea, tucked up in bed...

You talk about doing 350s on your blog, what are 350s? I haven't been brave enough to ask until now!

350's are the number of squats I do on the beach to try and lift my butt ;-))

What do you love most about Australia?

I love the seaside lifestyle that we have here in Australia, it is a magical way to live.

What do you miss most about living in England?

I miss Sunday Lunch in an old English pub, a half of warm beer and roast potatoes... after a long walk in the woods with the kids in wellies...

What is your favorite room in your cottage? & Why

I love the Sitting Room, it is small and cosy...and mainly white :-). My 10 year old comfy, squashy sofa is where I love to curl up at the end of the day with the windows open to the coastal breeze, the blinds up and a nice long drink.

What is you favorite find?

My favourite find is my old vintage door with the missing mirror that is perfectly aged, chipped and weathered.

Do you have something in your home that you can't live without?

Nope, though I guess white paint is up there as a must!

What is your ideal date with your husband??

my ideal date with my husband is a long stroll by the sea and a bite to eat in a little bistro, preferably a French one (even better one from Toulouse - tho' that bit isn't gonna happen 'round here lol!)... we like to do really simple things on date night and with the wonderful Australian scenery & climate we sometimes pack a picnic basket with a vintage tablecloth, cheese, bread and nibbles, an esky full of beer and set up on a picnic table down by the wharf...

How do you get Mr BC to go antiquing with you??

Well, I offer all sorts of varied incentives ;-)

Where is your favorite place to shop?

I love to shop in op-shops (Aussie thrift stores), I also love to browse Anthropologie and very soon will get my own shopping experience in there! I avoid the mall at all costs...

How has blogging had an impact on your life?

The main impact blogging has had on my life is it has made me recognise just how good life can be.. and I see life very differently from behind the lens of my trusty camera....blogging has made me see that my old cottage may be tatty and on the wrong side of town but it is the basis for a great lifestyle for my family...I love how blogging has made me see the potential for things...the wood floors, the old fig tree, the battered old deck..the sash windows..

Oh and of course, I have made some fantastic friends, who get my vintage speak, from allover the world!