Shopping With Your Man

Right after Thanksgiving, Jim and I went on a little 'Get Away Weekend' just to relax, refresh and renew after a very busy several months.

We did not do a lot of shopping on our trip, in fact very little, but here are a few shots from some fun places. This trip was so not about shopping but when you are passing right by...you know how I am. I am doubly drawn because I love the merchandise and I want to see the way the shops are designed. But, I do not like shopping with Hubby because I know he doesn't get it resists, so I try hard to hold back! The gathering is a female phenomenon, so bewildering to most men. It's the Nest Building that never ends! (Not for me anyway!) It is not about acquisition, it is about creating a lovely home environment. For Jim it is the Sunday of the creative period in our life, but for me it is still Thursday!

This Shop was so Beautiful!

Everything was white, off white, and silver.
The pictures do not do it justice at all.
(Double click on photos for best results!)

It was full of these big trees and very striking.
The store was so unique.
The owner told me all the 'trees' are actually
her gigantic dead Camilla bushes.

This was a little entry courtyard to the white and silver shop

This was some seriously pretty stuff.

This shop has a bizillion ornaments.
I bought one that is a Byzantine Madonna
that reminded me so much of our trip to Italy last Spring
and all the Byzantine art we saw there.

Here she is! We heart Italy!

~This one was just so posh and so festive~
It made me want to run home and
get out our Christmas decorations!

This vacation was about just relaxing, napping, dining out, being together and seeing the wonders of the natural beauty of the area. We did also go to see The Secret Life of Bees which we loved. I did buy one other thing which I could not resist. I tried but we had to go back to Oleama and get it, we were half way to Stinson Beach just barely down the road when we turned back. It was this book. I am in love with it.

This book is all about my parents' era, the 40's, the war, the clothes and the amazing shoes. It is fascinating reading as it covers a lot of the history of the 40's and how the rationing affected fashion during the war years and the pictures are fantastic! I have thought of my Mom and her five stylish sisters and my new friend, Deanna, from Texas as I have been reading through it.

That was it in the shopping department. The shopping is best left for being with my daughters or friends. The weekend was just fantastic all the way around though in spite of the limited retail therapy gathering for a lovely home environment.

My Favoirite Sport? Shopping!

I posted this on my personal blog today but wanted to put it on this blog too. (If any of you want to know how to get to that blog just let me know. It is mostly about family and my random thoughts on just about everything.) Most of you that are into home design also love a good shopping spree. I hope you enjoy it vicariously! It was such a beautiful day in California!

Today a few friends and I got away for a wonderful girl's day out. Few things are as rejuvenating to me as just getting together with girl friends and laughing and talking and shopping and dining out for lunch. My friend, Lanette, ran into a blog she enjoys written by this woman who participated in this fantastic Vintage Boutique. So we decided to check it out. So it was truly a Bloggers' Serendipity! It was a gorgeous fall day over there and the temperature got near 70 degrees mid-day but it was still crispy, especially in the early morning. We drove about an hour or so to Petaluma, a quaint little down north of San Francisco.

The View From the Car Window Going Over~
Such a Big Beautiful Sky & The Greenest Green Pastures!

Street in Petaluma

Beautiful Red Trees

The Church Where the Vintage Boutique Was Held

I hadn't been to a boutique in years and let me tell you they have changed. It was lovely and the artisans were very good. Not a single knitted anything in the place. No toilet paper covers or little dresses for your dishwashing soap like in the old days. Everything was beautiful and fresh and creative. I really enjoyed that!

We Stayed in this Boutique Forever and
Came Out with Some Serious Loot!
Check Out Norma's Crown!
(which she wore all day causing quite a stir!)

Bon, Lanette, Norma, Kelly!

While My Friends Checked Out The Quilted Angel
I took Photos Since I Am Not A Quilter.
I Love This Photo Sans The Car!
It Was Such a Pretty Building
The Red Leaves Clinging Like A Vine!

My Serious Loot~Great Victoria Vintage Ornaments

And This Great Necklace That I Couldn't Take a Decent
Photo of but is So Awesome. It is Black and Silver and Full of Gems.
The Lady that Made it Took a Bunch of Old Jewelry
and Piled it on to Make this very 3-D Interesting and Pretty Piece.
I Love the Watch Works and the Dragonfly.

These Ornaments Were Also Made with Vintage Jewels ~Just Love It.

It Was Such A Glittery, Special Day!

Second Hand Rose

Second Hand Rose

By request here a few of the great finds I got at a moving sale this week that I can use for the business.

I like to use these types of florals in staging. I put them in a larger pot with moss and they look really great. It is impractical to stage with real greenery and florals as many of the houses are vacant and we do not run a plant service business...sooo we use the "everlasting" flowers and greenery.

Partner to the Above

The first picture made its way into our guest room temporarily while the one I normally have here is "in service" at one of our houses. Love the colors and that there are two of them.


This is a great rose bush for a patio room, porch, etc. It adds a lot of color and is definitely a carefree piece. And at $5.00 it won't break the bank if someone steals it off a front porch. New these are probably close to $45.00. It helps when the moving sale is being held by your sister-in-law! :-) Thanks, Gail!

Here's a fun one for a bathroom!