New passion...

I can finally show now the first necklace I made

using the soldering skills that Rita tough me

It was my Christmas gift to Clara
and she loved it.
So much so that she wore it the next day
and got lots of compliments...

And I got a couple of requests...

A little bling for Clara's friend...

and a little crown for her trainer...

This new hobby has kept me very entertained.
After 3 pm, when the temperature really drops
and the garage becomes a freezer,
you can find me inside,
watching the NBA ,
drinking coffee and soldering away!!

I'm going to Argentina in a couple of weeks
and always have trouble picking gifts for my girlfriends:
they already have it...
too big...
too heavy...
too fragile...
no liquids...

I think this time I got it...

Necklaces!!

Tante Grazie!

The name of her blog "Italian Girl in Georgia" brought me in...

her warmth and talent kept me going back...

And today I received my very own Suzanne MacCrone original...

"Peaches and Painted Tulips"...

an explosion of color
so vibrant,
so happy,
so Suzanne...

She doesn't know this, but one of my favorite Italian memories
involves the best peaches I ate in my live.
Sweet peaches,
eaten by the sea at Cinque Terre.

One moment in my life that I want to repeat some day.

Until then,
Suzanne's photograph will take me back to that moment,
back to that place

Tante grazie, cara!

White Wednesday

My little nephew S got me this oh so good smelly candle as a Christmas gift
...notice the perfect white, he knows me!

The label on the glass was not the prettiest one,
but the maker knows it because look at what he wrote on it:

and peeling I did....
and printing I did...
and fixing I did...

I keep it in my bedroom now and every time I look at it, I think of him!

"Children make you want to start life over"
~Muhammad Ali~

For LOTS of white beauty visit:
Faded Charm

also linked to:
Thursday Transformation at the "Shabby Chic Cottage"

To shop or not to shop....

I'm not a shopper. No, not me.

So when something jumps at me from one of Michael's shelves right before a friend's birthday, I'm happy.

And when that little something is a white and cute crown candle holder, I'm very happy!

And when that cute little crown costs me only $3.50 including the candle...
Oh boy, I'm really, really happy!!!

So happy, that I buy 2.
One for my friend Norma, "The Peruvian Princess", as she calls herself
and the other one for Clara, the "Queen of white"!

Now I have a question:
When you buy something for someone you love and you spend a lot less than you first expected, do you buy something else to compensate or do you stay with your choice not worrying about the price?


Notice that we are talking about spending LESS than expected...
If you would like to participate in our "very serious and scientific study" you can do it so by voting below...

poll by twiigs.com

Have fun!

White Wednesday

One more Wednesday to show our passion for all things white...
Thank you Kathleen for hosting.

Who lights up your life?

Time...

Where has January gone???
(I still have my Traders Joe's wreath from Christmas on my front door!)

Wreath or not...
February is here, and it's time to have some pink around the house.
This time, an old blanket and leftover trims will do it...

A very high tech paper pattern...

a little arranging...
and some pins before sewing...

Stuffing...

and there they are...
A whole bunch of Valentines !

"But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day"
~Benjamin Disraeli~


How about you?
Are you in a Valentine's Mood already or do you still have your Christmas lights out?


Linked to:
The girl Creative
The Twice Remembered Cottage
The Shabby Chic Cottage

So so Thankful!

It came in the mail a few days ago, but I waited until today, my birthday, to open it.... because, well... I wanted to have one more birthday gift!


It was so so well wrapped...in a little box, with a so so cute pink paper and a so so feminine pink bow...

Inside, a key chain tag with my initial in the center, and around it...my Husband's, my Son's and my Daughter's names.

All so so beautifully done...

This was SoSoBella's Giveaway prize and I feel so so lucky to have won it!!!

I like it so so much that I think I'll use it as a charm for my favorite necklace!


If you have never visited Kristy, stop by her wonderful blog or her website...
I bet you'll enjoy her personalized and hand stamped pieces and feel inspired by the photographs she takes of her two gorgeous fairies!

Thank you once again, Kristy!!

Now I'm out to enjoy the rest of my Birthday...family, soccer and "The cheesecake factory"...ahhh...life's good when you are 25!!!!
LOL!!!!!