TGIF???

TGIF?????? I don't know this time!!! Tonight is "Formal Night" for San Clemente HS and I have one teenager attending. That means a day with lots of calls about the party bus, outfits, make up, hair, are you bringing a purse??.... That means a late night up worrying about her. Tonight we will be sitting on the couch watching the Lakers and a movie, with the cell phone next to us just waiting for the "Mom, we are back, can you please pick me up?" The moment when you realize you are breathing, again,... and that you better watch the movie, again,... because you have no idea what it's about...Our poor Parents, now we know!!!! ...

Anyway, today's free images are Retro Boys and Girls.

Have fun with them! I think that with some cropping, they can make cute Valentine's cards...Remember? February 14Th, Valentine's Day!

Have a great weekend and like many San Clemente Moms will say tonight: "Make good choices!" or my own favorite version, the one that I use, "Don't do anything stupid!!!"

"There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age - I missed it coming and going."

~J.B. Priestly~

Everything shabby, rusty and wonderful....

"It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful..."

White chippy paint, rusty metals and faded barkcloth... Oh! the glories of the decorating world...if you are into it anyway!!...Old furniture and architectural pieces waiting for a Shabby Lover to rescue them and give them a new home...our mission in Life!! (well, someone has to do it, right?). But, believe it or not, no everyone thinks this way. Check out these three funny comments:

"Oh, Taylor! You work so hard....I know one of these days you will be able to buy "adult furniture"..."

Comment by Taylor's friend, (an Ethan Allen fan) when she entered Taylor's glamorous shabby chic family room.

"Please tell me we didn't pay for that!"

Comment by Dario, Clara's husband, every time she brings home something "weathered to perfection"

"I just want to tell you, before we go in, that we are not poor...It's just that my Mom likes old stuff!!"

My Daughter Camila to a friend before the girl entered our home for the first time.

If you are reading this post, chances are that you are a shabby-rusty-vintage-cottage-freak just like us, and we love you for that!!! Cheers!!

We were going to save the world....

We were going to save the world today, (meaning do laundry, clean the house and run errands) but something Oh! so regal caught our eye!! After many phone calls to exchange ideas, emails and stop-by-my-house-to-see, Clara and I came up with these adorable pillows and totes to sell...

100% Cotton Large Pillows measure about 11" X 17" and are for sale HERE

The Small Pillows measure 9" X 6" and you can purchase them HERE

Paper or plastic? Neither. Canvas, please....with a crown.

Canvas Totes are 13.5" X 20" and you can purchase them HERE

Three regal designs to pick from:

"Crown"

"Glam Queen"

"If the crown fits"

And because we like them so much, they are our giveaway prize for this month....

From today to February 28Th every purchase at our store or at our website: www.niceandeasyantiques.com gives you the chance to win the tote of your choice.

(purchase necessary. winner will be selected and announced on March 1st 2009. shipping will be paid by Nice & Easy)

Good luck!

TGIF Freebie!

It's time for another TGIF Freebie....This week a sweet Fairy:

And some fun Hats...

Have a fun and creative week end and don't forget to share pictures of your art work with us!

If you have a moment, check out our store site http://www.niceandeasyantiques.com/, lots of new-old furniture and accessories came in this week, all so cottage and oh so charming!.. also, a lot of furniture has sold, so if you see something you like, don't let it go! Remember that Layaway and Delivery in Orange County are available.

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

~Dr. Seuss~

At midnight tonight....

Last night I went to bed thinking about a new banner for our blog...
As I upload it now and at the same time watch the preparations for tomorrow's Presidential Inauguration I can't stop wondering what will be President Obama's last thought tonight before he falls asleep, before he becomes the Leader of the Free World, before his life changes forever...
One thing I know, whatever he's thinking, will take a lot more time, effort and inspiration that our banner!!!....and because of that, I'd like to share with the President and all of you, of course, something that my friend Monica sent me over a year ago and that Clara printed and framed for me. I keep it on my bathroom counter, next to my sink, and I read it every night while I brush my teeth, before going to bed:

"At midnight tonight, you get a most amazing gift: a fresh set of 24 hours.

These hours are pure and flawless and limitless. They offer you the opportunity to show courage and behave brilliantly and forge new habits that will get you to a new place of being.

And they offer you a space to laugh. To love. And to dream.

Whether you'll admit it or not, tomorrow is incredible. Not everyone gets one."

No matter what your tomorrow holds, President or not, before you close your eyes tonight, think of your next 24 hours and the best way to use them... let's make tomorrow count!

TGIF Freebie!

Who doesn't like Fridays and who doesn't love a Freebie????...Well, we certainly do! To celebrate the beginning of the week end, we will be posting free images every Friday. Feel free to use them in your digital collages, print them, copy them, but please, don't sell them (individually or as part of a set). Not too many free things these days, so let's keep it that way!

This week two vintage images of two very different Ladies....

Don't forget to sign and follow our blog, if you haven't done it already, and stop by every Friday for your TGIF Freebie!

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift.

That's why we call it the Present."

~Babatunde Olatunji~

Only in San Clemente....

Only in San Clemente, CA, you can enjoy a sunset like this on January....

And only in San Clemente, you can have a very large wooden plant stand chained and displayed outside your store, realize one morning that is missing, wonder how it can dissapear (so big, so heavy!),... only to have a very nice man come back a week later and pay for it....His wife wanted it for Christmas, he came by a couple of times, we were closed, the rest is history....

We wonder if he told his wife what he did...Soooo romantic!!!

If you've never been in San Clemente, come by and visit our Spanish Village by the Sea, it is worth the trip!!

We are back!

Well, we are back and even though we are fighting a bad, bad jet lag we couldn't wait to share with all of you our wonderful trip. From the moment we arrived to the beautiful and brand new Beijing Airport we knew that we were in for an awesome adventure....

A very cold morning (cold not just by California standards, we might add) found us running around the Olympic Nest and Cube.... No, we were not training, we were trying to prevent Frost Bite..











After visiting the Pandas at the Zoo, we visited the Huton, the old part of the city, with 500 year old houses, where we had lunch in a Chinese home and learned about the daily life of the Chinese families before Beijing became the modern city it is today....

The following days were full of history and spectacular views. From the Summer's Palace to the Forbidden City, from Tiananmen Square to the Ming Tombs. Ancient buildings with stunning and meaningful architecture, where vibrant reds and sunny yellows taught us about the Emperor's life, desires and myths.









We were travelling with teenagers, so, of course we made time for shopping, walks around the city and some weird snacks: silk worms (not their favorite), centipede and sea horse!

On January 1st, we visited the Great Wall and climbing to the top became the most exciting thing each one of us has done. A beautiful, warm day made the visit memorable!

Two more cities were included in our tour: Suzhou, the Asian Venice, where we visited exquisite Chinese gardens and cruised the Grand Canal....


...and the invigorating Shanghai....where spectacular skyscrapers, bicycles and 18 million people shine under millions of lights. A city so clean that is almost impossible to describe...


























During our trip, we met and spent time with some wonderful people....

We learned about Chinese culture and traditions. We learned about embroidery and jade, cultivated pearls and handmade rugs too beautiful to put on the floors. We also learned that after 4 days of real Chinese food, even Pizza Hut sounds good! We had lots of tea but we also confirmed that there is a Starbucks no matter where you are in the world...

But most of all, we learned about the warmth of the Chinese people, about their love for their children, and we learned how a simple word spoken in a horrible "chinglish" brings a friendly smile in every Chinese person. They made us feel welcomed and safe, and for that, we are eternally thankful.

"The world is like a book. If you don't travel, you only read one page"

This post is dedicated to our Tour Guides: Tom (Beijing) and Tiffany (Shanghai). Thank you so much for your fantastic job and patience dealing with the 9 of us!!