master"PIECES" of my LIFE

paris flea market again

it's that time again.  the paris flea market showing for march started last night.

schedule every month runs:

thursday {6pm~9pm}

friday {9am~4pm}

saturday {9am~4pm}

sunday {10am~4pm}

on the first weekend of the month.  you can view the calendar on the website: paris flea market.

i didn't take as thorough close ups as i did last month as i compare, but it's what i got and it'll have to do.  it helps me keep my inventory somewhat organized.

hoping march is a busy shopping month...'til the next one.

Au Revoir!

it's all about "him"

i don't like to post only about one of the kiddos.  i really try to keep it fair, but sebastian had a baseball tournament in manteca this weekend and played 4 games.  two were on saturday, which i was in attendance and two more on sunday.  so this one IS all about him.

how great does he look?

on sunday i had my long anticipated garage sale so i missed the games but matt got these professional shots.  i'm so happy he did.  they are fantastic!

sebastian looks great at the plate.  he's come such a long way from this time last year.  i'm really proud of him 'cuz he works really hard but he loves every minute of it!

i know i'm biased, but he's such a cutie!  

and something he's never struggled with is sliding.  he loves it, digs it and does it well.  whether it's head or feet first.  

i'm looking forward to another fun baseball season.....

table scape

so we had some friends over for dinner the other night & took pictures of my table before i forgot and got busy cooking, drinking, entertaining, etc.  i do it every time and i'm happy i remembered this time around.

i used my usual wedding china, citation lace by lenox.  our waterford crystal and my grandparents glasses from spain as water glasses.  

the flatware and the candelabras i inherited from my parents.  i love using them and i do every chance i get.

the silver serving pieces are pieces i'll be selling at the paris flea market sooner or later.  right now i'm having fun playing with them.  

the main reason i had fun with this table scape though is all the little succulents i'll be selling next month at paris flea market.  i've collected a bunch of mismatched sugar bowls and creamers and with a little succulent and some spanish moss, voila! they look adorable.  some are glass some are ceramic and some are silver and i love them grouped together.

as i look at these pictures i realize i took them before i put the napkins out.  i remembered the napkins and something else in the shower (apres photos) and i can't remember what the other thing was already.  clearly not that important anymore.

bon appetite! 

 

sweet valentines

 

 

happy valentine's day!  just wanted to pop in and spread some love.  the amaryllis our friends gave us over the holidays opened up today with perfect timing.

 

 

isn't she a beaut?  you would think i timed it or something, but in reality i was a bit worried i planted her too late.  i didn't get to her until the beginning of january since the packaging it came in was so pretty i just let it sit under our tree through the holidays.  we've been watching her grow and grow and grow and we even joked it would bust through the ceiling like a magic bean stalk... you can't tell from my picture but the stem is REALLY long; i actually staked the stem the other day 'cuz she started to topple over.  worth every little bit of work if you ask me and it was actually very little work with such a pretty reward. i've always wanted to force one of these bulbs since martha stewart is a big fan of them but just never made the effort.  i think it'll be doing it again.

here's a little touch of {loVe} in my home:

 

 

the little altered compact reads: "it is at the edge of a petal that love waits".  i made it a few years back in either a class or challenge or maybe simply from blog hopping inspiration; i can't quite remember.  but she's sweet & comes out to play at this time of year.  it's not a huge decorating holiday but i still like to inject some details throughout the house here and there.

here are a few pretties i made for vintage creations and sold:

 

 

 

 

here are a couple that didn't sell, but doesn't make them any less pretty:

 

 

 

with that i leave you with this sweet gent:

 

 

 

 

football games & flea markets

that was my life last weekend.  saturday was the sebastian bowl as we celebrated his 10th birthday with all his buddies.  here's seb's field of awesomeness:

 

 

it's hard to read in the picture but that's exactly what it says on the field "seb's field of awesomeness" as per the the birthday boy's request.  daddy worked really hard getting the field ready for the big game and we can't forget the end zones:

 

 

 

that's right THE NEW YORK JETS!  the boys played for a few hours and could have played all day & night if we let them.  oh, to have the energy of a ten year old....

 

 

 

 

here's the whole gang:

 

and let's not forget what every football player should eat: pizza & cake.  i love the fact that sebastian wanted a homemade cake, which i'm happy to oblige, and chocolate inside and out was his preference. 

 

 

that was saturday.  sunday of course involved the XLVI super bowl and we' re proud of the ny giants.  but before i sat down to watch the game i made it to the alameda antique faire to hunt for some treasures.  i found some things for myself and i found some things for my business.  of course the main motivation for attending is the business aspect but i think i found more stuff for myself this trip.  i'll share some of my findings as i display them in my home.  speaking of flea markets this was also the weekend for the paris flea market in livermore.  if you're local and you've never been there, i highly recommend it.  it's a unique shopping experience and it only happens once per month on the first weekend (you can view the details on the website).  here's my little space:

Au Revoir!

 

 

he's TEN

january 31st 2002 matt & i started our journey into parenthood.  i can't believe my baby boy big guy is ten years old.  that went by so fast and i image the next ten will go even faster.  here he is waking up on his big day.  gift of choice?  i touch.  he's so excited.  i think in a way he feels independent.  his very own; not to share w/ anyone else.  the ipad, desktop computer, PS3, WII are all great, BUT are shared w/ the family.  this is his to put in his pocket and take wherever he wants.  it makes me smile, but breaks my heart a bit all at the same time that's he's growing up so fast.  

saturday is his birthday celebration.  he wanted a football party so we will have the pre Super Bowl game in our backyard with about a dozen 9 - 10 year olds.  doesn't get better than that.

and of course he can't forget about HER, who thinks she's falling behind in the electronics game.  when i pointed out she has a hello kitty boom box in her room, which he does not have, it made her feel a little bit better... temporarily.

I Have A Dream...

I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear."  Martin Luther King, Jr.

friggatriskaidekaphobia

the fear of friday the 13th.  and you thought i was yelling obscenities, huh?

frigga - name of the norse godess whom friday is named after

triskaidephobia - fear of the # 13

13 has the "luck" to come after the # 12 which is considered the # for completeness,  twelve months of the year, twelve hours of the clock, twelve gods of olympus, twelve tribes of israel, twelve apostles of jesus, the 12 descendants of muhammad imams, etc., leaving "13" as transgressing this completeness and being irregular.

friday has been considered unlucky since the 14th century, making it an unlucky day to start new journeys or begin new projects (good to know).  since the 1800s friday has been associated with disasters, like stock market crashes and other disasters.  it has also been suggested that friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to christian scripture and tradition, jesus was crucified on a friday.

approximately 17 to 21 million people in the usa are affected by the fear of friday the thirteenth.  some people go to the extreme of not carrying on their usual tasks, taking flights, or even getting out of bed.  it's been estimated that $800-$900 million are lost in business in the usa on this day.

as highly superstitious as i am (won't walk under a ladder, avoid black cats crossing my path, toss salt over my left shoulder when spilt, etc.) friday the thirteenth does nothing for me.  i guess it means i should get out of bed and carry on.

thank you wikipedia for this wealth of information and since i can't post without a picture.....this make me a pretty lucky gal any day of the week:

 

 

 

 

january random facts

January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads.  He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one.  The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated their homes and gave each other gifts.

Garnet is the gemstone for January.  Garnet extracts negative energy from the body and promotes health.  It is a powerful stone for putting “force” behind creativity that leads to action and results.  Garnet aids in the process of self-discovery by integrating one’s experiences and emotions with the intellect.  When worn or carried, garnet can provide protection and vitality.  Garnet has been called the “Stone of Commitment.”  It facilitates loyalty and comitment both in relationships and to tasks.

Carnations are the January flower, representing pride, beauty, admiration and gratitude, fascination, distinction, divine love, woman. The carnation’s multilayered, feathery soft petals conceal a hardy core – an appropriate paradox for this January flower. 

January is one of seven months with the length of 31 days.

January on average is the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere where it's the 2nd month of winter and the warmest month of the year in the Southern Hemisphere where it's the 2nd month of summer.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign through January 20th followed by Aquarius for the balance of the month. 

Well, I can tell you all this, but I still can't tell you what my one little word for 2012 is.  If you have one please share maybe it will inspire me.

 

 

santa baby~

visited the big guy in the red suit and as a bonus this year we also saw mrs. claus.  the kids are fully aware that it's really not "santa" but simply a man that looks like him dressed in a santa suit spreading the magic of christmas 'cuz santa is waaaaay too busy.  phew, still believe in the main guy even if the mall guy is being called out.  and what makes mommy happy?  that my kids are still excited to take a picture with santa, whoever he might be.

the santa visit was bundled with a jaunt to the movies and we checked out the muppets at sebastian's persistent request.  the kids loved it, mommy & daddy not so much.  all the cameos and guest star appearances was the best part if that gives you any indication.  but we can check it off the list and move on to the next thing.

the kids are home on winter break and they both had great christmas joy in the classroom on the last day of school.  mrs. donovan, lexi's teacher, always does a potluck from around the world.  super yummy and we made faina from uruguay.  

lexi and some of her gal pals.  they don't have any fun at all!  

sebastian's teacher, ms. miranda, played a movie for the kids to chillax w/ hot chocolate & treats.  perfect for a bunch of 4th graders.  they loved it!

{ho ~ ho ~ ho}