Roses and Pumpkins...

I just couldn't wait!! With all the stores and magazines pushing the fall decor, I went ahead and decorated my house with all my pumpkins and orange and brown candles even though the weather hasn't changed much yet. But , much to my surprise, my rose bushes started blooming again and I felt bad not displaying little rose nosegays all over the house.

I found myself debating between roses and pumpkins....

Then I remember reading: "Come September, the many glories of Autumn and the pleasures of Summer are with us to enjoy simultaneously"

I decided that I was not the only with this dilemma, someone actually has written something about the subject, and I learned that one pleasure doesn't have to take away from another.

Now I keep some roses very close, even by my kitchen sink,

to help me remember the wonderful summer we had, while

the pumpkins help me dream of soon to be here chilly nights

by the fire and pumpkin pie!

Country Home loved our candles!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a surprise when this morning whe received an email from LuAnn, Senior Editor from Country Home, she not only took the time to write to us, she actually look at our "Eek Candles"!! As you can imagine, we'd love to share her email, here it is:

"Dear Clara & Marcela:Thank you for sharing your twist on the Eek candles! It is an honor to know that we have inspired you—and I love seeing how our readers always adapt ideas to make them their own. Love the rhinestone idea!Thanks again for taking the time to write. It is great motivation for us editors.Kind regards,LuAnn"

Clara saw similar candles in their October issue and adapted

them to our current style: cottage with a little sparkle and

glamour...they became the perfect Halloween accent! She

also made "Boo" candles and they look fabulous in our store Fall display!

As you probably know, Country Home is one of our favorite

magazines and probably our biggest inspiration. We have subscribed for over 10 years and we still have every single issue because it is fun to look back and see how the style that we love so much has evolved. From blue wall papered rooms to a more clean, fresh look... but always very comfy, relaxed and cozy.

In a few more days it will be time to decorate our own homes. On October First we will be giving the seashells, the blue and the aqua accents a short break. We'll get to enjoy the oranges, golds and browns of the Fall Season and of course Clara's candles...

We look forward to the change!

It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. ~Author Unknown

Artist at work...

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life's upcoming attractions"

Speaking of imagination...If you are in town on Fridays, stop by and say Hello to someone with lots of it!!!. Andrea, our "Friday Girl" has been one of our Dealers for about four years now. She makes all the beautiful canvas transfers that we carry in our store and that you ladies love so much.


From sexy M. Monroe to enchanting Tuscany, from fun surfboards to chic Paris pictures, she brings us a little bit of everything, but her talent doesn't stop there! With a background in Interior Design and a love for everything vintage and feminine, Andrea loves funky pillows, mosaic, and giving old jewelry a new life.

Every Friday from 10 to 5 you can find her in our store, behind a pile of gorgeous vintage fabrics or surrounded by sparkling rhinestones while creating her fab pieces.




Andrea loves special orders! You can bring her one of those rhinestones pins you got from Grandma and she will make it into a stunning piece of jewelry. Got some mink coat from your dear Aunt? She will mix it with vintage materials and you will have some killer pillows! She has created one of a kind pieces for Wedding and Engagement gifts using our customers' pictures and invitations that were the hit of the party...

So, don't be shy...stop by on Friday and meet out talented Andrea. We know that her talent and imagination will inspire you!

Hard times?....Get creative!!

Did you know that the cottage style that we love so much was born during very hard economical times? Expensive, 'grand' furniture was built from costly woods such as mahogany, satinwood, cherry or walnut. Cottage style furniture was made from local timbers like maple, pine and birch and was then painted to 'disguise' the poorer character and make it more durable.

The less privileged turned to their gardens for color inspiration. Soft yellows, blue, pink and white pigments gave furniture a new life and made dark cottages cheerful and cozy. Remember that glass was a luxury and pane windows and doors were far in between!

Just like then, today can be a little challenging as far as budget goes, but one thing remains the same: most of us have a need to keep an inviting, warm nest. To help you achieve that, we will be posting fun, easy to conquer projects that hopefully you will try and brag about!

Here's our first: is the back of your chair looking old and tired? Is the cane on the back broken like ours?

Don't throw it away...just dress it up!

We painted our chair crisp white (you can brush or spray it) and using a vintage monogrammed guest towel we covered the back. Satin ribbon on each side (you can sew or hot glue gun it) tied in pretty bows, keeps it in place and makes it very feminine!

The chair went from the dumsper to Clara's office in less than a couple of hours and no money was involved!...You can add your own twist: an old tablecloth, remmants from your last project, a vintage cutter chenille bedspread, they all can work!

Remember "re-imagine, re-create, re-purpose, re-new" are a lot more than just words these days!

Between Dr Laura and Sarah Palin

OMG... It's been so long since our last post!!!...Time flies when you are having fun! And after some time of thinking and deciding what to do with our business, we can say that we are finally having fun again.

The addition of new vendors and the fact that they all work one day a week in the store has given us not only time to catch up with our own lives but also a totally renewed creative energy.

During our time away from the store, we have completed old projects, finished new ones, redecorated rooms in our own homes, watched our girls win a soccer tournament and let us tell you: it feels pretty darn good!

We even got the "creative juices" flowing again, we have stocked up the store with lots of wonderful cottage furniture and for the first time we are ahead with the seasonal merchandise: fun Halloween decorations are being created and displayed every day.

These days when many of us are having conversations about women doing it all, juggling work, kids, housework, helping run a country, it's pretty safe to say that Clara and I can't do it all.
We can't run a 10 to 5 business and be home with our families, we can't work every day and refinish furniture at night, and trust us: we tried! Our new schedule (we work 2 half days a week each) is what we call the perfect balance between Dr Laura and Sarah Palin!!

Our lives are really about Cottage Charm and Family Inspiration (not necessarily in that order), and our new schedule allow us to enjoy it all....