It's Love Time!!!

We can hear the wedding bells!...

But first we need to throw Meghan a Bridal Shower!
The invitations were made and sent out...

The party favors were fun to make...little votive candles with her favorite colored ribbons, burlap and inspiring words related to Brides and Marriage....

a little ...or a lot! of coffee later...

and our display was almost done...!

Napkins, plates, silverware inside antique tiered basket...

Now we just need to wait until Saturday afternoon and hope that Meghan has a lovely time!..
We are sure she will, because around here,

is in the air....!!!

"A successful marriage is about falling in love many times...
always with the same person"

White Wednesday

White is not a mere absence of color;

it is a shining and affirmative thing

as fierce as red, as definite as black...

God paints in many colors;

but He never paints so gorgeously,

as when He paints in white.

~G. K. Chesteston~

For a Wednesday full of white inspiration visit
Kathleen at "Faded Charm"...
XOXO,
Clara & Marcela

Pink Eye Candy...

We are not really into pink.
We don't wear it,
we don't have much pink in our own homes,
but we do, however, carry some in our store....
and we have to admit:
nothing beats the pink sweetness found in antique china...

And because today we are feeling very feminine...
very shabby chic...
and very inspired by Lori's pink beauties....
we made this Pink Collage to share with all of you,
the Girls in our cyber-world...

And because you Ladies are so special,
so understanding
and always willing to share a good laugh, here is some feminine fun...

"They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken"
~Author Unknown~

Have a happy Pink and very girly Day!!

In focus....

"Time flies..."
"Kids grow up fast..."

How many times have we heard this or even said it yourself?...Thousands!...and it's true...
Our kids are now 18, almost 16, almost 15 and 12. One is already driving and traveling by himself...the two girls, C and S1 will soon follow and S2 is already spending his afternoons with friends at the beach... without Mom.

And because the weekends alone are just not enough family time, Clara has organized "Wednesday Picnic", our new family fave! ...
We could say we pack a beautiful picnic basket, shop for some special cheese and wine, and finish the evening with some chocolate covered strawberries while enjoying the views from the San Clemente Pier...
But the reality is: the eight of us grab our beach chairs, a light sweater, some junk food and head to the pier for some easy and cheap laughs!

As the kids grow up and find their own path,
we try to create memories for them to keep and treasure...

Special memories that will not fade,
the kind of memories you keep in your heart, and feed your spirit,
no matter how old you are...
no matter how blurry your memory becomes...

No need for fancy preparations...
or elaborated plans...

because "Wednesday Picnic" is not about the menu or the location...
"Wednesday Picnic" it's about enjoying each other...
"Wednesday Picnic" is about capturing the moment ...

After all, time flies, even if we are not having fun!

Sunday Shadow Shot

Today I can't take any credit for the photographs I'm posting...

They were taken by M, my 18 year old son, for a school project a couple of years ago.

I thought they could work for a SSS post...
M has been in England for 2 weeks now and I'm missing him a lot...I could send him an email and tell him to check this post, but...he's 18, he's with friends and this is the first time out of the country without the rest of the family.... I don't think he has time for blogging!!!

"Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest"
~Karen Savage and Patricia Adams~
The Good Stepmother

Now, hurry up to Hey Harriet! and be inspired by some very talented photographers from all over the world!

Frugal Friday and recycled post!

My house has these niches on the wall...one in the downstairs den

and another one in the master bathroom (before picture not available, but I promise it looked just as ugly!), over the toilette, that for some strange reason the builder thought people will like....
Sorry Mr. Builder, but those niches need help!

I added some fake bead board to the back wall, metal brackets and a shelf, to transform the bathroom niche into a cozy spot to display a pretty collection of vintage bottles...

an old mirrored door to make it look bigger,
an antique framed print...(love the aqua and yellow shade of the wall together!)

and of course, some necessities...

The project cost me under $30, that qualifies it for Frugal Friday...
Easy and inexpensive transformation with lots of cottage charm!
Now, I just have to tackle the one in the den....but first, I will visit all the Frugal Friday Participants at
The Shabby Nest!

AND BECAUSE WE LOVE TO RE-USE, WE ARE RECYCLING THIS POST FROM YESTERDAY AND LINKING IT TO:
MAKEOVER OPEN HOUSE
THANK YOU JEN FOR HOSTING!
(how's that for stretching?????)

White Statuary

Welcome to White Wednesday!

Happy to have you over...
This time, the party's at Clara's home...
Come in, don't be shy, we have some people we would like for you to meet...
A very romantic couple...

...and a sweet little boy and his pet.

A sweet little girl that decided to wear her best pearls...

while this other one opted for a more casual look.

These two ladies like to wear crowns...

and this last one flew in as soon as she heard of the party!

As you can tell, they all have very distinctive personalities
but they also share some things in common:

They are all vintage concrete pieces
They are all white
and they are all loved and treasured!

For more White Wednesday Inspiration visit Kathleen at Faded Charm and all the talented bloggers participating today!

Share, Inspire and Be Inspired!

Too hot!

The hot weather is keeping us from painting big furniture or working on big projects...

But is not keeping us from having some vintage-glitter fun!...

Yesterday we made some cute paper pennants just to show that..

Yes, sometimes we do feel like Princesses...
...some other times we are the Junk Divas...
...while most of the time we are Vintage Chicks...

And because we know that our customers feel the same way we do,
we made a whole bunch to sell!

Just enough cuteness, enough whimsy and a whole lot of charm...don't you think?

Giveaway Winner

And the Bag of Goodies goes to....

Julie from Fabulous Finds Studio!!!
Congratulations, Julie!

Thank you to all the bloggers that participated...keep visiting us because a bag of tags, ribbons and glittery pretties might be coming your way pretty soon!
You don't want to miss it....
Clara & Marcela

Sunday Shadow Shot

Welcome to Sunday Shadow Shot!

Inspired by our shadow picture, we are sharing an easy-peasy Pesto Recipe perfect for a dinner
"al fresco".
We hope you'll give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup. Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

For lots of wonderful Shadow Shots visit Hey Harriet!

Buon Appetito!

Friday Fun...

It's sunny and hot in San Clemente...
... and the water is perfect...

We promise we'll be back,

...but if you really need us,
you know where to find us!

See you all on Sunday for another Sunday Shadow Shot!
XOXO
Clara & Marcela

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability"
~Sam Keen~

Vintage finds

I know exactly what Clara means every time she shouts SCORE! over the phone...it means she found something vintage and fabulous!
Monday morning was no exception, take a look...

Pair of 1920's paper cut silhouettes

...with original gesso frames...

...and killer details...love the Lady's earring!

Vintage Punch Set...

...complete with 24 cups!!
Beautiful cut glass, just perfect for the Bridal Shower she will be hosting in a couple of weeks....

One more pretty thing: vintage cut glass pitcher.
Syrup anyone?

Atta girl, Sissy!...
I think she was right, she totally scored!

Cheers to Sisterhood and vintage finds!!

Another favorite...

...Antique Ironstone Pitchers...

From the kitchen counter...

to the bathroom....

and every space in between.

By themselves...

...or in a group...

...these pretties are a cottage classic and another one of our "must haves".

We love them because:
they are fairly easy to find,
most of the time reasonable priced,
and they work hard holding everyday items like flowers, milk, syrup or water while we get to enjoy their simple lines and beautiful shades of white...

For more pretty white stuff, visit Kathleen's White Wednesday at "Faded Charm"!