Dressed...

to impress!!

Happy Halloween!

"Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story"
~Mason Cooley~

BOTH SOLD!
Thanks, Sue!

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Old, vintage suitcases
have always provided me with plenty of inspiration...

and lately,
they have also provided me with plenty of space
to hide the things I want to take with us to our new home.

As I continue to de-clutter my home
in order to get it ready to be leased,
I will be filling them up
and getting them ready for the big move...

They seem to be a lot sturdier
and they definitely look better than boxes
when displayed in my living room...

They were good for many travelers and immigrants before us,
and they are still perfect for one more trip!
That's why I wanted to share them with you
in this Vintage Inspiration Friday....

Argentinian Passion

Husband was planning a big soccer celebration:

Argentina 2010 Soccer World Champions!

The German Team changed his plans.
Husband still is in "Soccer Suicidal Watch"

I hope he can snap out of it by tonight...

so we can celebrate Argentina's Independence Day.

On July 4th, our homes are dressed in Red, White and Blue.

On July 9th, they wear their best White and Light Blue, the Argentinian colors.

I'm hoping for some good empanadas tonight for a true
Argentinian Celebration!


Yumm!!!

White Wednesday

I started this project with no plan at all...
no idea of what I was going to make.

But I thought that 2 rows of fluff looked good...

and knew that 3 were even better...

The fourth one got me thinking...

and by the fifth one I couldn't stop...

The sixth one just proved it to me!

So much wonderful fluffiness out of one vintage drape panel...

Things sometimes create and evolve into something else all by themselves....

and I'm just glad to be around to help them do it.

Thank you Kathleen for hosting another fun White Wednesday.

I'm also linking to Cheap Chic Home's "Fabric Fun Thursday"

UPDATE:
SOLD!

Easter at Martha's...

When Martha called and invited us, we didn't know if she did it because we are her number one fans o her number one customers, no explanation needed here....
We accepted right away!

Martha's touches were, of course, spread throughout the house. This beautiful arrangement with handmade paper birds made by her was our first surprise...
Pure eye candy, just the perfect prelude to a special gathering...

While asking about our trip and families, Martha walked us to the backyard, where the table was already waiting for us...
Fresh, colorful, girly...
Oh, so inviting!!

We would like to think that the pastel colors, the floral pillows, the mix of painted and wood furniture (all our faves!) were picked in our honor, but we need to keep it real...Martha has impeccable taste and those choices were perfect for an Easter Brunch!

A closer look to the table to remind everyone of why we LOVE Martha:
Her attention to details:
look at the napkins folded in shape of bunnies!!

Her creativity:
She can transform everyday objects in pure sweetness...

and her simplicity, although you wouldn't dare to think of Martha as "simple"!

Later in the afternoon, over tea and coffee...

she shared with us some of her secrets and had so much encouragement to give us!!
(She said that the aqua nests and chocolates were picked specially for Clara)

Unfortunately, it was time to leave Martha's place. But she had one more surprise for us....
She let us take a beautiful glass jar each, filled with colorful eggs...

and a basket full of goodies for all our readers!!
She is so generous...the perfect hostess!

She waved us Good Bye while making us promise that we would get together again...

Happy Easter, Martha!
Thank you for everything...

And just like that, we turned around and without even wanting it: we woke up!!

All photographs from...where else???
www.marthastewart.com

Less is more...

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!


Picture credits:
www.countryliving.com
www.apartmenttherapy.com

Why not?

An old, shabby, very weathered door found in a junk pile

became the perfect background for a glamorous candelabra...

and its gorgeous crystals...

Opposites once again attract
and look good while doing it!

Follow no rules, only your instincts
A little unexpected goes a long way...

Things change...

With 4 teenagers now between the two of us, Halloween is just not what it used to be...
How cute are they???? This was Halloween 1997...

With time, even our decor has changed.
No more spider webs or scary moving rats or talking skeletons...
Now we decorate with a less scary but more sophisticated look...
Are you up for a tour? Come in, let us show you what we mean...

Welcome to Clara's house...

where subtle touches in the entryway will let you know that this family is ready for the Season...

The dining room table:
Pearls, crystals, and rhinestones happily mixed with burlap and straw...

Shells are replaced by a collection of "fall" paintings, pumpkins and gourds...

More black and orange on the mantle...

Inside the china cabinet...
(The sisters tag was made by Chas at the Wild Raspberry: Adorable!)

and under the cloches...

Yes, things and times change...and as we look back, of course we feel a little nostalgic, but we choose to look forward and get excited for the good things to come because...

"If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies"
~Author Unknown~