I did something that I never do: I got a manicure.
A total treat for me!
Because I'm always painting or sanding or hammering, (and most of the time don't care for gloves!) manicures don't last and I feel like somehow I'm wasting my money.
But because things (I mean hands)
were out of control I went all girlie girlie and got myself a set of 10 pretty pink fingernails!
I can not say I enjoyed the process. But I sure love the results! the only problem is that now, I don't want to paint, or sand, or hammer... I don't even want to do the dishes!!!
All I'm willing to do (other than look at my pretty pink fingernails) is work with something soft and warm... like vintage sweater scraps.
So here you have it... a cute, warm, soft, chickie that didn't ruin my manicure!
the box I made some time ago... I'm not gluing either!! LOL!!!
It was my Christmas gift to Clara and she loved it. So much so that she wore it the next day and got lots of compliments...
And I got a couple of requests...
A little bling for Clara's friend...
and a little crown for her trainer...
This new hobby has kept me very entertained. After 3 pm, when the temperature really drops and the garage becomes a freezer, you can find me inside, watching the NBA , drinking coffee and soldering away!!
I'm going to Argentina in a couple of weeks and always have trouble picking gifts for my girlfriends: they already have it... too big... too heavy... too fragile... no liquids...
I remember being 7 or 8 years old and selling my pasta necklaces to the neighbors of my old Argentinian neighborhood.
Every time a door opened and "jewelry" was purchased from some nice lady, I got closer to my dream.
When the first day of school arrived, I was so proud! Not only I had the shiniest shoes of the whole school (thank you, Dad) I also had a brand new leather bag to carry my books...
...product of my pasta necklace selling business.
When Zita blogged about her Son's creations offered for sale on Etsy I had to buy! The wonderful package arrived yesterday with a sweet note from V. thanking me for his first sale.
What he doesn't know is that I'm the thankful one... His beautifully handmade linen bag reminded me of those long gone days... the walks around the old neighborhood with my Mom, the happiness of making my necklaces, the excitement of selling them and the pride I felt that first day of school....
For me, the sweet linen bag, is much more than that... it's a bag full of memories!
Thank you, V!
"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in" ~Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory~
I don't make New Year's Resolutions because it usually takes me about 3 days to break them.
But this year was different. I knew that 2010 was going to be a year of changes for me and my family. A year of big plans. A year of goals waiting to be achieved.
So when the New Year rolled along, I made a mental list of the things I needed to accomplish... (I was very careful: never called them Resolutions!)... and started working very hard at them. Last Friday, I did something that I never thought possible: I registered for a College Class.
My Graphic Design class starts in July and at the end of 8 weeks, I should be able to move it from my To Do List to my Accomplished List You see? Even though I went to College, I studied and I graduated, I never liked school.
To fill out the Registration Form was a big step for me and the thought of being in a class full of 20 Year-Olds, a little intimidating, but I'm going for it! If you think about it, going back at almost 50 has a good side: at least now I won't spend 3 hours every morning thinking what to wear to school like I did 30 years ago and that alone, it's pretty liberating... Hey, there are good things about being "vintage"!...LOL!!!
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Monday Morning rolls along... Early alarm goes off. Husband goes to work. Children go to school
and now it's time for me and my crafts...
It's also time for a little song....
♪ ♫ ♪ Every other day, every other day, Every other day of the week is fine, yeah But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes You can find me cryin' crafting all of the time
Monday Monday, ...
♪ ♫ ♪
I'm dancing my way to my working table, hope you do too! Have a creative week!!
That we have always loved antiques and chippy paint, is nothing new.
For years we have admired, and still do!, rooms like these... full of architectural pieces, collections and white goodness....
warmed up with the coziness that only wood grain can give...
Customers always asked: Do you keep a lot of what you buy? I didn't keep a lot but I sure kept enough!
But lately, in my own life, I have been in a less-is-more frame of mind.
I've been un-cluttering spaces, specially the garage. Projects collected over time are being finished and moved to the Country Roads space. Fabric, trims, vintage jewelry are finally being used...I had a tendency of buying it and saving it for something better, some project that some day I'll tackle...(well, those days are finally here!)
I have been extremely selective in what I buy with intentions of resale:
If something is brought in, it has to be in the way out in less than 2 days. Paint, repair, re do in less than 2 days or it's not coming in! Since I implemented this rule, only 3 pieces made it to the back of my truck: 2 of them have already sold,
the third piece, the old door is being done today since I'm feeling 100 times better!
The less is more rule applies also to my home decor. No, I'm not going for this...
But lately, I have been very inspired by rooms like this: Simpler, cleaner spaces
Less cluttered but with the same warmth.
My love affair with vintage still the same. Crackled paint still makes my heart skip a beat and my collections still make me happy, but I don't think I need to own more.
I never thought I will get to this point, but: My relationship with the white goodness is, from now on, strictly business!
We share a passion for all things old, cottage and chic! After 10 years of retailing, we have closed our San Clemente store but you can find us now at our Space in Country Roads, Orange, CA (Space #135)
We are constantly shopping for vintage and antique treasures: ironstone, china, linens, accessories and small pieces of furniture that we can rescue and give a new life to, so don't be surprised to see at the Flea Market on Sundays mornings!
Thank you for visiting us,
Clara & Marcela
Photo: Country Living
Photo: Country Living
Photo: Country Living
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