Everyday Beauty

Blue Sky

I thought I'd follow up the Pink Sky post with this one about Blue Sky Soda. Do you know about this yummy beverage? I am not a soda drinker, but I do like the occassional fizz in my drink. Usually we've got a few bottles of Pellegrino Limonata or Aranciata chilling, but this is a tasty alternative too. And look how pretty the cans are! None of the bad stuff is in here (high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, preservatives), it's just white tea, carbonated filtered water, sugar and natural flavors. And did I mention how pretty the cans are? How cute these would be in a tub of ice at a summer party. Just thought I'd share!

Pink Sky

Oh my goodness, I missed a few days, didn't I!  Lots going on at Villa Singarella, and I figured I'd wait 'til I had a pretty picture to show you. This pink sunrise greeted me the other morning. I sipped coffee and relaxed while I watched the sky. Just for a moment, until the rest of the house woke up. Then it was: pack lunches, make breakfast, dispense vitamins, comb crazy chicken hair, get them all dressed, bundle in coats and hats, and out the door we go! But this one little peaceful moment of quietness was a nice way to start a fresh new day.

Tea and PBS

Sometimes all you need is a cup of hot tea and PBS. Tonight, Sense and Sensibility is on. Tomorrow it's a new episode of Downton Abbey. I finally just broke down and ordered seasons 1 and 2 from Amazon.

So, it's off to the sofa I go, tea in hand, flannel jammies on, hair in a messy bun, glasses on, cozy. My husband will pretend to watch it with me for 5 minutes, then he'll go grab the hockey magazine he just bought at the grocery store tonight. :-)

Hope you have a cozy evening!

Inspiration: Taffy

Just had to share the pretty palette of this taffy with you. Why I love pastel candies so much, I'll never know. But I do. It's a bit of an obsession actually.

There's inspiration in these soft colors, and suddenly I want to go scrounge through my craft room and make something in these tones. Another fabric heart maybe? A wreath for the front door? A hair clip for Sofia (or me!)? Maybe even a little watercolor play? I'm not sure just yet, but something must be done!

Pretty Pastels

 
Pretty pastels are everywhere in the house today. It seems I have projects happening in every corner. Quite a mess, but a beautiful one I think! There are painted eggs with pearly patinas, ready to be embellished. They will be in the shop in the next few weeks. Is anyone else thrilled that Easter is late this year? It's nice to have a little more time for Springtime projects and decorating.

 
A pile of Bella Notte swatches I got from a shop that closed last year. The colors and fabrics are scrumptious....velvets and linens, laces and damasks. I can just picture a little doll sleeping on top of these, kind of like the Princess and the Pea!

 
 
I can't tell you how much inspiration I get from these vintage Chalkware children. The soft colors, the lines, the patina. Love love love. Chalkware is one of those fairly inexpensive collectibles that really adds a vintage feeling to an area or space. This piece has been all over the house, but now sits on the buffet.

 
More inspiration. An old handmade pin cushion with lovely details, embroidery and soft-as-silk ribbon laced through the edges.

 
 
This rhinestone piece came from a flea market, where the seller told me it was a component for a headpiece that was never finished. I thought that was interesting.

 
And what would a pastel post be without a rumpled gorgeous old rose?

 
Spring is upon us, and I can't wait! Are you feeling the same way?

Sweet Striped Sippy Straws

 
So, by now I'm sure you know about the retro-style striped paper straws that have swept the blogosphere and made taking a sip just a little bit cuter. They were inspired by the fun vintage paper straws, which you can find new in the box on ebay or etsy at times. That's where I found the pink and aqua ones {below} a year or so ago.

 
Two years ago when the new straws made their web debut, I bought the red & white striped ones for my boys' birthday party. {A Circus-themed party wouldn't be complete without red and white barber poles!} And the grey and white ones {above} are cool too. Grey being so trendy right now, I'm sure they are selling well. BUT....I have searched and searched for pink and white straws for months, and girls, I am happy to report that I have finally found them.

 
Thought I would share my exciting news and the link with you 'cause if you read this blog religiously, there's no doubt in my mind you like pink and white, at least a little bit.

They now sell many other colors as well. It's just fun. I've got a mason jar full of them on my kitchen table....and I've already put some aside for the Bambolina's birthday party.

Oh the simple things. Sip. Sip. Sip.....

and p.s. Thanks, girls, for the Buttercream Bracelet love. I had no idea it would cause such a flurry of questions and emails. It's such fun to share things with you....because you get it.

Foyer Faux Fir

 
Besides decorating the main green tree in the family room, I completely love decorating smaller ivory feather trees all around the house. In the kitchen we have the Sugarpum Tree, all done up in sweets and confections. On the buffet, there is a tree decorated with pastel birds and mercury glass pinecones. There's another little tree of just vintage bells {beaded, glass and metal} in the kitchen area also. And then there's this favorite little tree in the foyer.

 

It's trimmed with little bits and pieces of vintage goodies in a palette of pink, cream, pale green & yellow. It sits on a yard-sale-find chippy old table, and I placed it in an old hatbox which was first filled with yards of lace to cover the tree base.

 

A glass strawberry, milinery fruits, velvet berries and a floppy rose. Favorite things!

 

Some vintage glass here and there amongst ornaments from dear friends.

 

Sugared bells and a mercury glass starburst.

 

My mom came here to stay for a week, and almost every night we stayed up late and worked on a craft project. This pink ornament was one of my projects. She made a pretty red and gold one for her tree.

 

Mary tucked in some vintage pink glass balls. It's fun to discover unexpected things in a Christmas tree.

 

The Mary statue below is special to me because it came from Bosnia, where George and I once lived for a year while he was working there.

 

More random decorations.

 

I'm not sure this tree really has a theme...it's just a bit of a mish mosh of things. But it's a faux fir that I enjoy trimming year after year!
 
 

Bag-arella

 
With a last name like Singarella, it leaves the door wide open for all sorts of nicknames around our house. For example, if I've been baking a lot, George calls me Bake-arella {no connection to the wildly popular and scrumptious blog, Bakerella, whose author, Angie just released a new book}. If Mario can't stop sneezing, he's Sneeze-arella. When George is driving too fast {usually on the Pennsylvania Turnpike}, he becomes Speed-arella. If Sofia or Sam need a diaper change.....Stink-arella.You get the idea. We throw these nicknames around all the time.

So today, as I piled up my bags for our little weekend trip, George walked in the room and said, "Hey there, Bag-arella, how many bags are you taking? Do you really need all of those? We're gonna run out of room."

Well, yes, I sure do need them all. Let me explain. This one is packed with books and magazines....
 
This one has sewing stuff to do in the car....
 
This bag is for my toiletries.
 
Sofia's things are in here...
 
Diapers and wipes and other baby necessities are in this one....
 
And a big one for clothes of course.
 
And then there's my purse and a little cosmetics bag as well. What can I say? I love bags. Always have since I was a little girl.....and I always will. It's a girl thing. No sense trying to explain it to a man.
 
Are you a Bag-arella too?

Seashell Sweets

 
I'm a sucker for anything shaped like a seashell....and the fact that these are chocolate doesn't hurt!

 
I found them at this shop a few years ago while searching for pretty sweets for my own shop. I never did sell them, figuring they would melt in transit during the hot months.

 
But I quickly bought a bag for our candy jar here at home, and have bought some every summer since. I love how the shape of this old teacup mimics the lines of a shell, so this year I put a handful in here instead of in the jar.

 
Wouldn't this be a sweet hostess gift for a summertime party? All tied up inside a cloud of tulle and dripping with ribbons.

{I don't know why that thought just popped into my mind, but it did. And now I want to go to a party just so I can bring some to the hostess......I'm just thinkin' out loud here. I know, I'm a little crazy, but these are the things I think about in detail when I let my mind wander!}

The Vintage Millinery Flower Club

 
What is it we love so much about rumpled, faded old millinery flowers? Don't you think we should start a club? A sisterhood of vintage flower lovers.

 
Maybe it's the soft floppiness of the cotton blossoms.

 
Or the silky velvet and satin petals.

 
The palest pink buds, perhaps?

 
I'm loving this pretty pile of roses on the kitchen table.

 
And sometimes one all by itself is simply enough.

 
These pink roses are in Sofia's nursery. I figured I should initiate her into the Vintage Millinery Flower Club at an early age.

 
Some more favorites, on my dressing table.

I wish we had such a club. What fun we could have searching for, collecting, trading, displaying and creating with these lovely old blossoms!