Books about Chic a from Amazon.com

We are always curious and fascinated as to how the "other half" lives. What kind of furniture do Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have in their Hollywood home? Is Ralph Lauren's Montauk compound English country-style or modern rustic? How does Roberto Cavalli entertain at his medieval villa near Florence?

So Chic answers these questions and unveils the beautiful and luxurious homes of these trendsetters. This gorgeously illustrated book presents a rare glimpse into the world of high-style interiors and offers up an impressive array of the ravishing homes ranging in locale from Manhattan to Marrakech to Malibu. Get an exclusive peek into: * Sarah Jessica Parker's 19th century farmhouse in Bridgehampton * Leonardo Ferragamo's mansion outside of Florence * Liza Bruce's vibrant apartment in exotic Jaipur * Donatella Versace's magnificent duplex in Milan * Muriel Brandolini's Upper East Side townhouse in New York City * Michael Smith's Bel Air house

From a hacienda in Hollywood to a bohemian loft in Manhattan's West Village, these envy-inspiring rooms will captivate and transport you into a world filled with glamour, decadence and grand opulence..
Price: $22.30 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Includes crochet tips and encouraging words comparing crochet with handling the highs and lows of life

Features classic designs and trendy patterns seen on fashion runways

Positively Crochet lives up to its name with plenty of crochet projects and powerful messages for positive living. This playful, project-focused guide concentrates on the patterns and stitches used to design the 50+ fashionable items (featuring mother/daughter projects) inside this book, which include scarves, shrugs, sweaters, hats, purses, belts, jewelry, felted items, summer tops, capelets, and some children's garments. In addition to trendy garments (up to size 3x) and accessories, you are sure to enjoy the pairing of design tips with inspirational insight, useful for both improving crochet skills and making the most of every situation life delivers..
Price: $9.15 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A handbook for living well in the twenty-first century

From legendary lifestyle expert Colin Cowie comes the last word in living a gracious, sensuous life on any budget. Colin draws back the curtain on his own chic, passionate, 120-miles-per-hour life, revealing how to create and entertain in an inviting home, garner respect in the workplace, and travel with ease and comfort. No matter how or where you live, or whatever your personal style may be, Colin Cowie Chic will place you on the fast track to experiencing life to the fullest.

This immensely practical handbook offers step-by-step instructions on everything from workplace etiquette to the art of no-sweat, fuss-free travel. Colin also takes the guesswork out of navigating today’s social situations with the kind of charm and confidence that will get you invited back anywhere you want!

The invaluable details he shares include:

Home:
Essential comforts for every room
Kitchen decorating ideas
Storage and organization shortcuts
Know-how for being or hosting a guest

Entertaining:
A wine-and-cheese primer
Options for stunning table settings
A no-fail hangover cure

Travel:
Unbeatable jet-lag remedies
Road-trip guidelines
A must-have packing list

Work:
Tips for motivating employees and coworkers
Desk etiquette for the office

And much more!

Packed with detailed lists, gorgeous photographs, and helpful illustrations, this is the only guidebook you’ll ever need to live a beautiful, elegant life (as you should!)..
Price: $12.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"Matheson slyly steers us toward consumer goods and services that minimize our earth-stomping human footprint She's brave enough to say 'buy less of everything,' and even the politically fraught 'buy nothing.' Matheson's genius is to make this seem not only doable, but fun."
- Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land and Bottlemania

Want to go green without giving up great style? Welcome to the world of Green Chic. Choosing to be green makes a real difference in the fight against global warming. But did you know that it's also hip, classic and stylish?

Offering up dozens of author-tested, earth-friendly ideas, writer Christie Matheson reveals that being chic and saving the planet aren't mutually exclusive.

Embrace the fabulousness of green living and you can:

- Look gorgeous
- Have a killer wardrobe
- Feel amazing
- Travel in style
- Create a home that's an oasis
- Host fun parties
- Eat incredible food and drink phenomenal wine
... All while feeling more connected to your friends, family and nature.

(And did we mention that green women don't get fat?)

Printed on recycled paper, with a portion of its proceeds going to a green cause, Green Chic is the perfect book for style-savvy readers with a green heart. Can living a chic green lifestyle TRULY make a difference to the planet? You bet your organic cotton sheets it can.

Buying into the Green Chic movement doesn't mean you need to buy more stuff.
Avoid products that purport to be green just for the marketing effect: "organic" processed foods; huge, gas-guzzling hybrid SUVs; clothes boasting that they're green just because they're made from "natural" cotton. Claiming to be green is trendy and companies out there are taking advantage. Don't believe all the hype.

10 GREEN CHIC-AND EASY-WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
- Ditch bottled water: refill a sassy thermos.
- Pop little purchases in your purse, not a shopping bag.
- Sip biodynamic wine.
- Choose cashmere, not acrylic.
- Let your hair air dry for a while before you blow dry: less frizz, less energy consumed.
- Unplug (and put away) unsightly cell phone chargers.
- Opt for quality over quantity in everything you buy.
- Cut down on clutter.
- Limit your consumption of anything packaged in plastic.
- Support local designers.

BUT REMEMBER:

Don't go out and replace everything you own, from your makeup to your wardrobe to your furniture, with (theoretically) ecofriendly products. Being ecofriendly means consuming less, not more. Get in the habit of thinking before you buy. The best time to purchase ecofriendly goods is when you need them. That's when you're in a position to make a choice and express yourself as a green consumer.

Being Green isn't a fad ... it's timelessly chic..
Price: $6.71 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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Price: $9.84 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Valuable flea market finds...
A peeling, antioue vanity in muted sea green...
An elegant, cracked chandelier...
An enormous, slipcovered sofa with deep, cushions...

Comfort, the beauty of imperfections, the allure of time-worn objects, and the appeal of simple practical living: these are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. Like the cozy familiarity of a well-worn pair of faded jeans, the dilapidated elegance of an Italian viIla, or the worn grandeur of faded velvets and mismatched floral china handed down from your grandmother's attic, the Shabby Chic style is a revived appreciation for what is used, well-loved, and worn. It is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible.

The hundreds of lavish photographs in this book invite you inside the unique world of Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell, founder of theShabby Chic home decor stores, for the first time provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text and easy-to- follow instructions, Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. From flowers to fabrics to lighting, Rachel illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style.

A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachel's personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash--an old trunk, its paint peeling around the edges, can be given new life as a coffee table, while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in your home. Gorgeous color photographs and accompanying text reveal how this relaxed look works with a variety of different styles, from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary..
Price: $7.27 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Wenlan Chia, creator of the acclaimed fashion line Twinkle by Wenlan, is famous for knitting bold, chunky yarn into delicate, feminine designs. The look is at once whimsical and hip, classic and trendy; in short, Wenlan’s knits are like nothing you’ve seen before. Now, she shares her patterns and her secrets with knitters everywhere.

Twinkle’s Big City Knits is a collection of 31 of Twinkle’s greatest hits that knitters can finally make at home. From a mohair shrug embellished with ribbon and braids to a wrap vest with a plunging V-neck, every design in Twinkle’s Big City Knits puts an innovative, spin on classic knitwear and styles. Here are patterns for all of Twinkle’s hottest pieces: the bestselling seed-stitch Twinkle Hoodie, the cropped and flirty Best Friend Cardigan, the effortlessly trendy Shopping Tunic. For warmer weather, lighter colors and lighter knits reign, so you’ll find the classic sophistication of the Chanel-inspired Coco Jacket in soft pastels, a delicate and feather-soft scarf light enough for spring, as well as the St. Bart’s Mini that could very well be the perfect Little Black Dress. Full-color photographs and clear instructions make it easy to learn new techniques. In addition, Wenlan shares her advice on techniques, choosing yarns, and choosing materials to make knitting with chunky yarn as easy as it looks.

With designs this creative, colors this beautiful, and shapes this modern, you’ll want to make every project in this book—and they all knit up so quickly that you can!.
Price: $18.45 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Wonderful wide-plank floors, paned sash windows, an old brick fireplace, the charm of living with a home's small imperfections and making them a virtue. These are just some examples of what makes up a Shabby Chic home.

When she first saw what would be her future home, Rachel Ashwell, founder of the Shabby Chic line, was put off by its dark, witchy exterior, gloomy interior, and overgrown garden. But for weeks afterward, she couldn't get the house out of her mind. She went back, took a closer look, and started to see the charm that lay hidden beneath the surface. Excited by the challenge, she bought the house and went to work on it.

Inspired by the original design of the 1920s house, Rachel was able to transform it into her bright, cozy dream home, one that had the hallmarks of a Shabby Chic home: a practical amount of space, a relaxed atmosphere, and a comfortable beauty. Through simple instructions and detailed before-and-after photographs, Rachel reveals her decorating and entertaining secrets. Even the most apprehensive novices will learn how to incorporate Shabby Chic style into their everyday life and home.

Using her home as an example, Rachel shows you how to assess what needs to be replaced (in her home it was the dark tile in the pool and the bathroom doorknobs), make small structural changes (she exchanged a glass window for a glass door), and keep costs down while adding personal Shabby Chic touches. The gray marble countertop in the guest bathroom and the somewhat noisy glass-front refrigerator were fixtures she would have never chosen, but she left them alone and was pleasantly surprised by the character they added.

In her previous books, Rachel showed you how to recognize beauty in overlooked places. Now, in The Shabby Chic Home, she teaches you how to find it in the nooks and crannies of your own home and then apply it to everyday life. She reveals how work, love, a lot of white paint, and Shabby Chic details can turn any new house into a comfortable, functional, beautifully designed home.

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Price: $8.58 [Notify me when price goes down.]