TGIF....

Today is one of those big, juicy, best kind of Fridays...Friday with no school, no alarm clocks, no lunches to be prepared. A Friday with dinner plans, maybe a movie, followed by a romantic Saturday (Valentine's Day), a relaxing Sunday and to top it all off...a Monday with yes, no school!!!

To celebrate this wonderful week end, two digital collages in a romantic theme...

the two following images are actually the front and the inside of a card I made for my Friday Challenge Group...

Have fun with them!...Have a very Happy Valentine's Day and remember....

"Infatuation is when you think he's as sexy as Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger, as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody Allen, and as athletic as Jimmy Conners.
Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford - but you'll take him anyway. "

~Judith Viorst, Redbook, 1975~

TGIF Images and Tutorial

We haven't posted a tutorial in a few weeks so we thought that you ladies will like something easy and cute for Valentine's Day. Just a nice way to present some chocolate to a special someone, like Martha says...It's all in the details..!
Starting with a vintage sheet of ephemera, we used a 8 1/2" X 12" sheet of music, you could also use vintage wall paper, vintage magazine pages or even vintage newspaper...reuse and recycle!Roll it in a cone shape. Fold the bottom of your cone, about 2 inches up. One dot of glue will hold it in place.

Cut 24" of a pretty ribbon and using your glue gun, attach it to the back of your cone. (make sure the cone is centered) and tie it on the front on a bow, flattening your cone some and making it look more as an envelope. (The bow will look better if it's a little off-center...)

You can use this week's free images to make the card. We mounted the "I love you Puppy" to two coordinating papers and added a touch of german glitter to the edges. Glue it to the front, next to the bow.



Tissue paper and the Recipient's favorite chocolate make the best filler!

And finally, here are the two TGIF images, digitally made by us and free for you to use them on your favorite craft. Enjoy!

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. "~Albert Einstein~

Even Einstein had a romantic side!!!

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~

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~

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~

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....