Rating: 
Summary: Frills and flowers
Review: Style is definitely middle age, traditional New England. The "grace notes" sections have some useful tidbits. Otherwsie book sounds like an old Martha Stewart. Needs more on creating your own style, as well as the basics of how to arrange a room.
Rating:
Summary: Frills and flowers
Review: Style is definitely middle age, traditional New England. The "grace notes" sections have some useful tidbits. Otherwsie book sounds like an old Martha Stewart. Needs more on creating your own style, as well as the basics of how to arrange a room.
Rating: 
Summary: Same Old Stuff
Review: The problem with Alexandra's books is that once you've read one, you've read them all. I purchased Living a Beautiful Life and it has the same Grace Notes inside that others reference in her other books, like...Decant your mouthwash, Splurge on Flowers, etc. Did she actually forget she already gave us those hints years ago or what?
Rating:
Summary: Pretty limited
Review: This book does contain some useful advice, on counter/desk/shelving heights, lighting placement and the like. However, there is no index, so none of it is easy to refer back to. Stoddard doesn't give many options to the reader. For example, she suggests painting your home exterior white with green shutters, like she did. As long as you want to create a replica of her home, you will like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful Tips for Do-It Your-Selfers
Review: This book has a chapter for each room of the house. The author sometimes waxes too sentimental, but she gives good tips at the end of each chapter called "Grace Notes". The tips are worth the book's price
Rating:
Summary: Full of practical advice, but lacks ...
Review: This book lacks an index.. Alexandra Stoddard makes recommendations for ceiling, wall and trim color; picture hanging; lighting; built-in shelving; counter and table heights, a much more. But she doesn't make it even moderately easy to find that information. Very frustrating. It does have some good tips, though.
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