You know what it’s like, when you wait a long time for something only to discover it isn’t anywhere near as good as what you had expected. Well this is how I feel about this book.

Sandra Kaminski has been inspiring me for years with her amazing displays in the back section of the New Zealand House and Garden Magazine. Her ability to turn a boring old Sunday lunch into a fabulous magical experience is a skill I have always envied. She can make Christmas in her home seem like something out of a Santa Claus movie, wrap a gift so that you would never need to know what’s inside and decorate a table you will never want to leave.

So, I waited for years until she finally announced she was doing her own book.

I feel certain I was the first person to buy it and I could hardly contain myself not to stand and riffle through it on the street. When I finally got home I made myself a cup of tea and sat down to be inspired.

My excitement soon turned to disappointment when I realized it wasn’t what I had expected. It was the same as I had seen in the house and garden magazine, not alot of it was new. Clearly I had expected that when she finally had an opportunity to put out her own book, she would do it in a way to make it easier for us to to replicate.

I had expected step by step instructions, maybe even a list of what you need to complete the look. A ‘how to’ when making the little bags filled with goodies and general useful information on how to appear as if I was after all, the domestic goddess.

Instead it is much of the same as the House and Garden Magazine. Mixed through it are arty pages of nothing. Rather than easy to read copy, it has paragraphs which don’t have any information on how to do what she has done. Disappointing. I’m time poor these days and really want to be able to pull off that ‘I’ve spent a lot of time doing this’ look. She needs to make it simple for us to replicate, with the least amount of time and effort. Not all of us do what she does for a job and have access to what she does.

It is definatley more a great coffee table read and if you don’t have the expectation that I did, then this still could be a book to add to your list.

Hot tip an alternative to spending $49.95 on this book, and you are lucky enough to still find a copy, try the NZ House and Garden (special edition) magazine called ‘fresh inspiration’. It went on sale earlier in the year for $14.90 and is very good value for money.

Rating:2 Price:$49.95

Avaliable:Whitcoulls

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