Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Luncheon Date with Wendy, Sarah, and Tommy



I seriously love Sarah Richardson.

For those of you not familiar with Sarah, she is a Canadian Interior Designer who has parlayed her abilities into not only a successful business, but a successful TV career, furniture and fabric design business, is the new Home Design Director for Good Housekeeping magazine and now, has added author to the mix.

Yesterday, her new book, Sarah Style hit the shelves:

Pre-Order Sarah Style Today!


It's actually on sale at Chapters this week for the ridiculously low price of $16 and so no surprise, it is winging its way to me at this very minute...

Photo: Today's the day! #SarahStyle has officially been released! Head to my website for a list of online retailers. Worldwide shipping available! Simon & Schuster Canada Gallery Books

http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/get-inspired/news/2014/08/07/sarah-style
It looks like candy, doesn't it?


I love Sarah because she can decorate high end, but she can also come down from the mountains to give advice and support to the rest of us.


 Sarah Richardson London Flat Kitchen


I started watching Sarah years ago on Design Inc and continued to follow along on all of her TV projects.

She is usually assisted by the talented and crazy-funny, Tommy Smythe:

 


Tommy is the ying to Sarah's yang, and is a talented designer in his own right.  I am particularly drawn to his use of old world and masculine touches in his decorating projects.





One of the things I vowed to do when I began to work and write from home was to never, ever, turn on the television.  I do make exceptions of course, but they are rare.

I do not do this because I am a snob.  

Au contraire.

I could so easily get sucked into the TV that I might never leave it and so have left my viewing habits till later in the evening with the family.  

But then one day, I discovered that a local channel was running a continuous loop of Sarah's House and Sarah's Cottage.  At twelve noon.  Which just happened to be the time I stop and take lunch.

When I was a kid, there was a show on every day called Elwood Glover's Luncheon Date.

Luncheon Date

Elwood was a refined gentleman, if I recall, and the show is most famous in my mind for the fact that Stompin Tom got married live on air:
 

But my luncheon date is different.  

Most days, you will find me in the kitchen, having lunch with Sarah and Tommy.  I am now into the second cycle of watching the shows.  I cannot seem to get sick of them.  I'll take a slurp of yogurt and say "Tommy, you are  a SCAMP!"  or give a nod of affirmation when Sarah tells us something VERY IMPORTANT about design, something which, if I'd known about 20 years ago, might have saved me much heartache.  But Sarah wasn't in my life then, and that's through no fault of hers.

Someday, when I am a rich authoress, I shall have Sarah and Tommy round to the MacKnight house, where, over canapes and champagne, they will explain to me just how and why things aren't quite jiving...  Then I will say something wistful like "it would be so great if Toronto designers ever worked in New Brunswick" and they will immediately yell "WE HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO A PROJECT IN NEW BRUNSWICK FOR A RICH AND FAMOUS AUTHORESS!" and there will be much hugging, some snide asides by Tommy about a paint colour or man-made countertop, and all will be well with my world.

Until then, I will be in the kitchen, eating with Sarah and Tommy.  And thumbing through the book when it comes!

 Stay safe out there!  xoxo wendy

33 comments:

  1. My iPhone skips words rather annoying sorry

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  2. Never heard of them...I do follow Emily Henderson (?) from HGTV and Target but that's about all the home decor I get. Funny how the mood swings...I used to be into all that and now I'm into cooking mags and shows. Hmm.

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    1. Our Hgtv is different than yours I think. I used to be crazy about cooking shows but find it hard to find ones I like anymore - they all seem to be competitions! I still love me some Ina and I do love Jamie!

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  3. Au contraire. I think they will be enchanted by the dynamic duo of Barry and the famous authoress. Possibly, they will feature those recovered chairs on their next episode!

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    1. You just never know! Btw - am reading holly black's new book and it is amazing!

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    2. OH- I know. I really need to make time to read. She is so gifted!

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    3. Knityarns - I finished it last night, it was amazing!

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  4. Sounds like a lovely luncheon date, Wendy. I haven't watched any home decorating shows in quite awhile...lately it's been Homeland, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and of course, Alaska - The Last Frontier. I only watch TV at night, otherwise I'll get sucked in, too. Is Barry still watching Duck Dynasty?

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    1. He gave them up months ago when the dad came out against being gay. However, had is addicted to a northern bush pilot show now - not sure of its name?

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    2. Melissa - Sons of Anarchy is brilliant just now, it's my favourite TV show, I'm also hooked again on American Horror Freak Show.

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    3. HI Melissa - it is Flying Wild Alaska! You know everything! For some reason we never got into Sons of Anarchy, though from what I've seen it is very good!

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  5. My luncheon date sometimes are the Love it or List it ladies and gentlemen. (Hangs head in shame.) LOL.

    I think your lunch date seems a bit more refined. ;)

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    1. Do we even get Sarah and Tommy in the US? If not, then I guess I have a reason for not being refined.

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  6. All piled up, it looks like those instruments of torture - British deck chairs.

    Well I have the TV on a all day when I'm at home, I'm like a dog you see, I'm often on my own for 16 hours a day and would go mad in the silence.

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    1. Well it is always noisy here with people coming and going, so I love the quiet! Those British deck chairs are mad, aren't they? The adirondack chair is the perfect one; whoever invited that is brilliant!

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  7. I don't know this Sarah Richardson but I will look her up!

    You have a beautiful, beautiful home, Wendy. Very cozy, real, and you! Your room with all the bookcases looks straight out of a magazine, and your kitchen out of some famous chef's cookbook! So many reno projects are out of control, ostentatious and in poor taste, not respecting the age or style of the home. Amanda Brooks's house in Oxfordshire is a model for me I this way. No flash, no fancy kitchen, just cozy realness. I encourage you to check out pics I the web!

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    1. Anon, I have a serious girl crush on Amanda! Thank you for the kind words!

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  8. Oh I'm with you Wendy I've always liked Sarah! Tommy is so funny and sarcastic, he's a good foil to Sarah. I remember that show she did years ago which was basically craft and sewing projects, was that Design Inc?
    Let us know how the book is. Right now I'm reading a book about tidying that is very well timed as I'm about to do a major discard of items before we move back in to our house.

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    1. Oh send me the name dani! I need some tidying help these days!

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    2. Wenders it is this book:
      http://www.amazon.ca/The-Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering/dp/1607747308

      It is a bit unusual but it's changing the way I think about the whole declutter issue, I realized when I packed to move that I basically just move things around my house and occasionally look for things to donate. This book is about keeping joyful items and discarding/donating everything else. I'm reading it on my kindle and really enjoying it.

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    3. I don't know Sarah and Tommy at all, and I will have to look for them on you tube... I will also look for this book Dani, sounds rather interesting! I have been through one, it has helped, but I am not where I wish I would be yet.

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    4. I am so downloading this book! I need it because sometimes I get rid of things when I really ought not, when I really love them, just because I think "enough"!

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  9. I love Sarah and Tommy! I miss seeing them on HGTV.

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  10. I too love Sarah. Apparently my daughter's first and only husband went to elementary school with Sarah so I have always felt a special connection!!Too bad she doesn't know me or I would introduce you Wendy.
    Do like anything she has done.

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  11. I don't know these 2 either, but I don't think we you need them, what with your planning and Barry's actualizing. Enjoy that candy book!

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  12. Hi Wendy, I'm late to this but just wanted to say that I love Sarah too! I did our master bedroom two houses ago in a colour scheme of her's - she got me back into blues.

    My lunch date is The Social on CTV.

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  13. I love Sarah! And Tommy too! Design Inc and then the other ones (Sarah's House, something else?) are on a continuous loop on one of the Lifestyle cable channels. She's very clever, and relatable, and gives good advice I think.
    Also know what you mean about tv during the day - I never watch it. Mostly because it is utter junk tv (too many informercials and inane babble on talk shows), but also because it is a void that sucks your time. I leave that to my internet habit instead! xx

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  14. Where I used to live in the city, I'd trip over them about once a month. They seemed like good fun even when the cameras were off. I wish I'd seen Elwood Glover: I adore that kind of show.

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Kindness is a virtue...