look what the cat dragged in...

my sweet friend, maija! she was in l.a. for an extra-special crafty, girlie retreat. from the tales i heard it was heavenly! so, last minute she decided to head south and stay an extra day and some at my house for quality girl time. so a couple girls hit the monthly antique flea market...

that's kristen, me, maija, mary, ruth, pilar, and down in front, that handsome little fellow is kristen's son, connor.

maija and her art retreat roomie, jessi. what a doll!
we spent a couple hours shopping at the market and taking in a beautiful day. the weather was sublime. it was in the mid-60s with a sweet breeze. most luckily, it seemed as if everyone found something special. i found several gorgeous, super shiny vintage rhinestone bracelets and necklaces for excellent prices. hurrah! mary found a beautiful big round tray with a painting of a hot air balloon at a ridiculously low price. we were happy girls!
but the day just kept getting better. next up, we headed to fullerton to visit Gilding the Lily. i can't even begin to tell you how fabulously nancy treated us! she pulled out all the stops (and all the heavenly prizes)! just look at the spectacular treasures waiting for a girl to take them home as her own...






i can't wait to see what ruth makes with her trinkets and baubles and trims

1920s showgirl headpiece - Spectacular!

a little sewing fairy high above us all
Swoon!

this hat was pure confection! the photo does not do it justice
whatsoever. i wanted to wear it and never, ever take it off! perhaps that's
why i look rather deranged. i've been hat hypnotized...


mary is deep on the treasure hunt
does this give you any idea how high the walls of ribbons are?
i am truly not a big shopper. so i was delighted that nancy's precious friend linda came over with a delicious bottle of white wine for us. i perched myself in a corner on the floor with my glass in hand to sort through drawer upon drawer of vintage Parisian feathers, boxes of mysterious old photos, and seemingly infinite shiny sparkling findings, earrings, and precious bijoux.
THANK YOU, NANCY! i tell you people, you need to go to this breathtaking haven of loveliness! you will be so delighted that you did! the addy is 305 N. Harbor Blvd. Suite 101, in Fullerton, CA
after we dragged ourselves away from The Lily, we headed out into the courtyard for lunch...

this is the same place i had lunch when i was here with ruth a while ago. and again i cannot remember the name of the place! but their tomato basil bisque is the best darn tomato soup i've ever had in my entire life. every single girl at our table had it and every single one kept saying over and over how fabulous it was. oh now i'm getting hungry...


this fig tree was magical. it was so tall and even had figs springing right from the dirt.

is she not just the prettiest blue-eyed girl? oh, i love you miss maija you crazy devil, you! i am going to miss you something fierce. who will i watch dexter in the dark with? no one will watch it with me here at home. i'm so glad you could come visit but it was much too quick. just keep the door open for mary and me. we'll surprise you soon enough!
i'm off to bed friends. my sister tells me she misses my long posts when i actually write something. ha! if she knew how long it took me to resize and post all these photos she would understand. and after all this girl time everything has fallen by the wayside (mom! i don't have any socks!). i have not one but two (sort of three) Pay It Forward posts to share with you as soon as i can grab a minute.
be well, friends. be happy.