A spectacular treehouse suspended above a lush forest. A cozy cabin perched on a mountainside. A small farm growing heirloom vegetables in the high desert. These are the extraordinary stories of the modern-day back-to-the-land-movement, a movement that embraces slow living, sustainability, and the value of doing things with your own two hands. Here are remarkable narratives, essential how-tos, and hundreds of breathtaking photographs from people who have embraced lives of adventure in wild places. Delivered in a handsome volume that inspires feelings of wanderlust, this book is a must-have for outdoor enthusiasts and anyone who has ever dreamed of escaping to a simpler way of life.

“Stunningly simple, this field guide is a survival book for any budding decorator,” by “famed DC-based interior designer and blogger of Pure Style Home.” (USA Today) Lauren Liess, an interior designer and founder of the popular blog Pure Style Home, fuses her love of design and the great outdoors into all her work. In Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating, Lauren invites readers to bring nature inside by mixing the textures of natural elements such as wood and stone with eclectic groupings of modern and quirky vintage pieces. Readers will be inspired by the unique style of these rooms, which include lovely framed botanical prints and Liess’s own textile patterns inspired by wildflowers and weeds. Divided into three sections, Habitat shows readers the fundamental elements of design, such as color, lighting, and furniture; addresses the intangibles of designing a space, such as aesthetics and creating a mood; and tackles unique room-specific challenges in every part of the house. “Designer Lauren Liess shares her favorite, not-always-conventional ideas for livening up any space with art.” ―Country Living “Habitat looks at incorporating natural textures such as wood into your decorating scheme, along with florals, nature inspired textiles and vintage décor.” ―Real Style Network “Rich with thoughtful advice on how to create livable, comfortable rooms that bring the beauty of the outdoors inside.” ―Garden & Gun

"Mix in one part Diane Mott ­Davidson’s delightful culinary adventures with several tablespoons of Jan Karon’s country living and quirky characters, bake at 350 degrees for one rich and warm romance." --Library Journal A full-hearted novel about a big-city baker who discovers the true meaning of home—and that sometimes the best things are found when you didn’t even know you were looking When Olivia Rawlings—pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club—sets not just her flambéed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of—the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts. Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired—to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest. With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought. But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee—or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected—it could be even better.

A stunning collection of some of the most exciting and interesting examples of the contemporary in French interior design, exploring homes in the mountains, by the sea, and in deepest parts of the countryside. Containing rarely seen images from the exclusive Côté Maison magazines, this sumptuous book brings together homes that exemplify the very best in contemporary country style – perennially desirable and effortlessly attainable. Country living has long been associated with a relaxed, informal way of life and a sense of tradition. This strong appreciation of rural traditions does not mean, however, that all country homes are relics of the past, set in decorative aspic. Contemporary solutions and innovative ideas work equally well when old spaces are given over to new uses, converted, renovated or just revived. Presenting some of the most exciting examples of the contemporary interior design, Modern Country is full of inspiration on how to achieve that highly desirable ideal of comfortable country living combined with the clean lines and edited design of today. â??The book considers the appeal of contemporary rural havens, mountain retreats and coastal escapes and looks at agricultural conversions, country house renovations and new buildings, as well as the use of different materials, such as stone, brick and glass. The final part of the book is dedicated to different living spaces in the home that reflect the warm pace of life in the country while being resolutely modern.

Gather round an open fire. Share delicious food inspired by the outdoors and infused with age-old wisdom. This is living. This is the way of the wilderness chef. Ray Mears has spent his life travelling the world, living with and learning from trackers, adventurers and indigenous peoples in the desert, the rainforests and the Arctic north. In this book he presents us with a delicious array of his most popular and enduring recipes, tried-and-tested for all levels of skill and in all conditions, from quick and tasty meals to opulent gourmet feasts. Opening with advice on setting up your outdoor kitchen and essential cooking techniques, Ray shows how to assess your ingredients, light a fire, cook in ashes and leaves, steam, smoke, and build a ground oven. He then shares his fabulous and enjoyable recipes, including: - easy ideas that children and grownups can try out (campfire s'mores, wilderness hot dog, egg on a stick, lemon chicken wrapped in dock leaves) - gourmet meals (Italian hunter's rabbit, succulent split-stick roasted salmon) - recipes learned from bushmen and indigenous peoples around the world (potjiekos, canoe country pancakes, fragrant and intense Gurkha curry) Woven throughout are colourful stories of Ray's cooking around the world, from baking a birthday cake using ingredients sourced in the rainforest, to steaming fish Maori-style using bags crafted from Bull Kelp, and pulling a giant Emu leg drumstick out of a ground oven built by a Pitjantjatjara elder in the Central Australian desert. This is a practical and inspiring book drawing on the love of the outdoors, cooking in the open air and creating delicious food from scratch.