Please join Sisters Gift Company and the participating Make Mine Pink Boutiques this coming Friday, February 27th for Shopping with a Twist, this week’s theme is Linens & Lace.

Linens and lace tenderly woven into the fabric of a life. They first surround when we are wrapped in the heirloom christening gown. Yellowed by time but preserved with love, brought out on a day that is filled with expectant joy. A treasure carefully saved by a mother in each generation, along with the hope for a beautiful life to come. The simple elegance of linens and lace remains in our memories -later we're struck by the beauty of a simple lace hankie that catches our eye, lying in a grandmother's lavender-scented drawer. Linens and lace carefully collected and stored within a handmade cedar chest, for yet another day of joyful expectation. Feelings of love and anticipation lie behind each piece a young girl selects to adorn her one-day home with grace. She envisions a future life of bliss as she tenderly folds every piece and stores it away, to lie patiently in wait for its turn to come. Linens and lace draped over a vintage boudoir chair, in the corner of a quite room. Perhaps it is a small piece of handmade lace, or perhaps it is a layer, that found its way into her bridal gown. She thinks of the women who have worn linens and lace before her on a day like this. A precious object of beauty... delicate and strong, as she herself is. In the kitchen where she works to care for her family, she has hung the first curtains of spring. Linens and lace swaying gently in the breeze, while the sunlight dances through their intricate designs.

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Please join Sisters Gift Company and the participating Make Mine Pink Boutiques this coming Friday, February 20th for Shopping with a Twist, this week’s theme is French Farmhouse.

Close your eyes and imagine the sun-warmed tumbled stone tiles beneath your feet, take in the scent of lavender, listen to the sounds of the chickens in the yard. Where are you?
At a lovely French Farmhouse. What makes up the French Farmhouse?
A home decorated with cherished family heirlooms handed down through the generations asking to be touched and used. The nicks, scuffs and dents are the patina that only comes with time and offers a sense of history. The wear and tear is meant to be celebrated. French Farmhouse style lies in its eclectic nature of mix and match, use what you have, finding a new use for an old item. French Farmhouse juxtaposes a velvet sofa with a tattered linen chair and a Louis XIV armoire. All well loved and still meant to be used not to be put in a museum. The colors and patterns are a mixture of bright blue, red and yellow of Provence used next to the two-tone toiles of Jouy-en-Josas and silks of Paris. Rugs have a used and tattered patina of the past centuries layered with the newer brighter rugs of the past decade. To complete the French Farmhouse one must tell their own story by adding brocante- items that a bit to nice to throw away; not quite junk not quite art. Add flower frogs under bell jars, a row of children’s wooden boats on the mantle, an old tiara on a cake stand or vintage perfume bottles on the dressing table. If you love books, line every shelf with them and add stacks to all the tables. Wire bird cages, cast-off egg baskets, rustic ladders and garden trellis all find safe haven in a French Farmhouse. Bring the garden in to the house by adding florals here, there and everywhere. Fresh flowers are a must in nearly every room. Using what you love becomes the only rule to decorating in the French Farmhouse.
Enjoy your time in the French Countryside.
Sharon Wollman,
www.CestChouetteHome.com

Image provided by:
www.meadowstreet.com

Please join Sisters Gift Company and the participating Make Mine Pink Boutiques this coming Friday February 13th for Shopping with a Twist, this week’s theme is Shades of Rose.

""The shade of a single rose so eloquently captures all the feelings of a special moment, reflects all the memories of everything that has happened before this time, and expresses the hopes of many moments yet to come. The first single rose a young woman receives might be given while she is still a girl. Perhaps it is a delicate shade of peach, from someone who knows every ounce of effort that has gone into a special performance, or accomplishment. It's an appreciation of everything the girl is right now, and all she hopes to be. Later, a single rose in a deep shade of orange says, "I am so proud," and expresses admiration of everything she has become. She has graduated from girlhood and she is ready to take on the world.Now that she is a woman, her grace and beauty catch someone else's eye. A pink rose, held in a hand made bold by sweet love, tells her of unspoken feelings. After a time, the same hand brings a newly bloomed red rose to announce, "I love you." A single white rose might follow, proclaiming a love that is stronger than death.The shades of a rose, like a moment in her life, can contain a myriad of meanings. A single yellow rose might speak of contentment and happiness. Placed on a bedside table, it could celebrate the unbridled joy of a new birth or anniversary of another year together. It could also make the promise of a new beginning, or to make up for things that have gone wrong.Soon it becomes the woman's turn to give a single rose. She carefully selects one in a delicate shade of peach. It's been chosen for another girl, not yet a woman, who is full of promise and life, and given with the hope that she too will experience life in all its beautiful shades.""

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join Sisters Gift Company and the participating Make Mine Pink Boutiques this coming Friday February 6th for Shopping with a Twist, this week’s theme is BE MY VALENTINE.

Please join Sisters Gift Company and the participating Make Mine Pink Boutiques this coming Friday January 30th for Shopping with a Twist, this week’s theme is Winter Whites.

“I love winter~ long January days where the snow stretches until it blends with the low white clouds. No definition of distance, just shadows to foretell what is to come. Winter is clean, cold and refreshing. Snowy whites and creamy ivory swirl together creating a sense of calm. The air is still. The whole world seems at peace. As nature rests under a blanket of snow, time is spent in thought. There are books to be read, journals to be written, rooms to refresh, plans to be made for the garden. But nothing needs to move to fast. We have time. Winter is here and we can take things slow, time to relax and get lost in dream world of all white.
In January I always want to paint everything in the house a shade of white or ivory, maybe even beige or pale gray thrown in for interest. It is not cold and stark but rather clean and cozy. A late evening fire in a winter white room gives each item a glow~ the shadows are soft and relaxing. Plush white linens and fragile ivory lace beckons gentle serenity. A well appointed bed with piles of winter white linens topped by a cashmere throw just tempts me to open the window and listen for the stillness brought on by a blanket of snow.
Then, just when one thinks the winter will never end; brave flowers peek up through the snow, the Jonquil, the Lenten Rose and the Prairie Pasque Flower. Their delicate flowers even more precious against the white snow, and the season begins to change.”
Sharon Wollman

Director of Community Relations, Make Mine Pink.com

We had some beautiful weather here Sunday, sunny with some cloud it was a little bit cold but it will warm up to the mid 80 in the middle of the week, you gotta love living in SoCal!!! I went down to my little booth at Granny's Attic in Temecula on Sunday, to do a little Valentine Day display, came out pretty cute considering what I have left...........

After I was all done, I decide to walk around for a while, there is a broad mix of seller, very nice antiques, shabby chic, Parisian, country and everything between! Anyway here is some of the Pink things I found...........

Pretty Pink bathroom set with bling

An old Doll, wonder who she belonged to?

A Rose plate is never wrong

Sweet child wicker chair with a pink crochet thingy,

I have no idea what is is but it looked cute!

An old Holly Hobbie phonograph, it has a pink box....

A quite scary looking Annalee doll......

and finally a very cute pink child size cafe set

Thanks for stopping by!!

Have a wonderful week, Helene

Please, join us for PINK FRIDAY at Make Mine Pink on Friday January 23rd

as The Boutiques at Make Mine Pink present “Romantic Roses.”

"""I’ve never seen a rose that I didn’t love. From the first tender blossom of early spring, gently swaying in the breeze, to a beautifully and painstakingly stitched needlepoint, rich in history, I adore them all!
Roses represent so many different things to each of us and are often used to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, births and anniversaries. Roses have also been used throughout the centuries in grand estate as well as small cottage gardens, many styles of home décor and of course fashion. Milliners used silk roses to embellish the finest hats, while seamstresses stitches the richest brocade drapes adorned with roses.
Throughout the years, famous artists have studied and painted every aspect of the rose. Antique lithographs and modern impressionistic paintings inspired by the great rose artists from the 1800s, grace our homes today with their everlasting beauty. Roses continue to gracefully fit every lifestyle and décor."""
Joyce Lucas, Founder

MakeMinePink.com

“In With the New”

With the New Year well underway; many of our resolutions neatly tucked away. Were your plans to add a new color to brighten even the dullest of January days, or perhaps organizing your desk just to clear things away a bit? Was it resolve for time spent alone in thought with a fresh new tea and new decorating book, maybe candles to brighten even the darkest of winter evenings, or a special bubble bath for a relaxing spa night? Which ever way you celebrate “In with the New” the boutiques at Make Mine Pink are ready and able to help with a glimpse of new trends, colors and designs for a fresh start to your new year.

Please join the boutiques at Make Mine Pink Friday January 16th for shopping with a twist

A New Year and new healthier living, I will at least try my very best! I have been inspired by the girls at Make Mine Pink to kick myself in the right direction. Below is a recipe I found on halfmysize.com for Beef Stroganoff made in the Crockpot. Easy picy to make and taste really, really good! Thank goodness for the Crockpot, thanks to it we eat home cooked food more or less every day and pretty healthy too!!
Have a great healthy week!
Helene

For my Swedish friends, a Crockpot is the best kitchen gadget ever. It’s a electrical pot with a ceramic insert. You just add whatever you are cooking and let it cook away for 4-10 hours deepening what you are cooking, no need to be home or stirring etc, it’s great!!

picture & receipe from halfmysize.com

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Serves - 6 to 8
1 lb. very lean ground beef (I use ground turkey instead)

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt or not

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 package brown gravy mix

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 1/4 cups water, divided

1 cup fat free sour cream

12 oz. whole wheat yolk free egg noodles, cooked

Methods/steps
Brown ground beef; add salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown gravy mix and 1/4 cup of water. Stir to mix well.Pour ground beef mixture into slow cooker. Add onions, mushrooms, soup and remaining 1 cup of water; stir to mix.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Just before serving, add sour cream and stir. Allow to heat through and serve over hot egg noodles.

Don’t you just love the first week of January? All the holiday trimmings are stored away, the gifts are in use or proudly displayed, our houses are freshly cleaned and organized and all the proper pillows are back on the sofa.
But wait- there is something, just a little something, nagging at us. Yes, time for a quick change here or there. Maybe new pillows will make that sofa more inviting; a new rug to give the room a quick pick-me-up; some different everyday dishes would perk up the kitchen: fresh sent of a new potpourri will welcome us home each day. Well that is it the wonder of the New Year, we see everything anew.
The Boutiques at Make Mine Pink are experiencing the same thing. We love everything we offer in our boutiques, (our merchandise is gorgeous) - but it is time for us to straighten up the shelves a bit, look at everything with new eyes, and refresh our stock. So we are celebrating this PINK Friday with a special “Making Way for the New” shopping event. Don’t be fooled by our fabulous sales, this is not old, dusty, unwanted stock. It is our usual beautiful and unique merchandise! We just need it to go to a new home so that we can stock our shelves with new and even more exciting merchandise for the new year.
Don’t miss this once a year event! Friday, January 9th at Make Mine Pink!