Summer Whites

I just love vintage linens, and have inadvertently collected quite a few over the years. From tablecloths to pillowcases, napkins to coverlets, I wanted to share a few of these with you today. I think the white shades and soft pastels look especially pretty in summer, don't you?















Next time I'll be showing some new jewelry I've been working on. Until then, au revoir! :)

Milky

Sometimes I'll recognize unintentional themes emerging in my work. I recently discovered that I'd been drawn to lots of milky white textures from mother of pearl to ivory to shell. Versatile and rich, these elements are always a refreshing touch in my jewelry designs and are especially welcome as spring approaches.

This incredible vintage rosary is a real stunner with large mother of pearl beads and a heart-shaped connector.





These delicious baroque pearls are really to die for. I've been saving them for the perfect necklace.



Mother of pearl and vintage rose-carved ivory beads. I think it's PC to use vintage ivory, right?


Creamy pendants waiting to be used.




Little shell circles.


And here are a few finished pieces currently available in my Etsy shoppe.




All these milky images have put me in the mood for some cookies. Bon soir, mes amis! :)

Little White Houses

I am fortunate enough to live in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the bay area - at least in my opinion. Though I live 'down the hill' from these mansions in a cozy condo, I often take walks on the lovely tree-lined streets of Hillsborough that you see here. Real estate being what it is in California, these 'little white houses' come with a hefty price tag (Bing Crosby lived here), but we can all enjoy their early 20th-century archictecture and landscape for free. These homes have a gentle grandeur, and I like to imagine a tuxedoed butler greeting me at the door when I come home from a day of lunching and shopping with the ladies. In spring and summer, their gardens are in full bloom, and I promise to capture some more photos then too. For now, make yourself a cup of tea and please feel right at home!

Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn

Yesterday I saw one of my favorite vendors at the Candlestick Flea Market. Marilyn Plescia and her husband Ron are known throughout northern California and Oregon for their breathtaking displays of vintage goods in shades of white and cream, fair pricing and friendly service. They set up shoppe at the Candlestick and Alameda Flea Markets, as well as at the Antique Society in Sebastopol, California. Marilyn also has a lovely blog, marilynmarilynmarilyn, and regularly e-mails those of us on her mailing list with show updates. This month her signature black and white harlequin-decoupaged display crates were laden with antique clocks, silver urns and pitchers, crystal bowls, alabaster lamp bases, dance shoes, dolls, and plenty of chippy frames. Please say hello to Marilyn and Ron the next time you're at the flea market and tell them Robyn sent you!