Rods and Roses and 4th of July Parade in Carpinteria

There were amazing cars lining the streets in Carpinteria at the wonderful Rods and Roses Car Show on Saturday.
The colors were vibrant and pristine in every way.

When the car show was over, the adorable small town parade began.

Carpinteria is truly an All American town, with a feeling that you stepped back in time,

when life was simpler. I am proud that Whimsy Antiques has two lovely locations in this quaint town.

Happy July 4th !

Abstracts at Terra Sol

When Ethan said he wanted to go to Terra Sol to look at some plants for a frog habitat, I grabbed my ol' digital, and strolled the magic.
It's all about color and texture.

Patterns found in nature and man-made goodies!
Happy Summer to my friends!

Neighborhood Natural Treasure

After a mellow morning of treasure hunting, a.k.a. garage sale-ing,

we followed a few posted signs to treasures, of a natural kind.
A few sweet farmers at Ellwood Canyon Farms offer their amazing organic
produce on an honor system, at a place they call "Honest Man Stand".

"Please take what you please and leave payment in hangin cash box".

Rows of fresh organic produce are sprouting in this little jewel tucked away in a nearby

neighborhood!

Meet the farmers!

Whimsy Inspiration

Found this great pic on Patina White's blog, but you can sure find

vintage locker baskets at Whimsy (Linden Shop).

our humble whimsy abode

Whimsy customers often ask us if our house is like our shops...

Here's a tiny glimpse into our lil' home and yes friends, our house is full of Whimsy !
It's not that we are big fans of CAKE (well, carrot cake is definitely on the radar)--
but we discovered that the first letter of each of our names spelled CAKE and soon that was a theme we used in many rooms...


Here's a boot that never made it into the shops, but many of our finds certainly do !

A common love of decor for me is "painted wood". I love original painted wood and if it's
chippy, I am a big fan. My son always teases me about finding "chippy garden gates in seaside blue". If I did, I would hit the jackpot, in my world of original paint!

Collections of wood skittles is found on my mantle.

The crow was added recently and seemed to find a great home.

Love old mirrors that are far from perfect... and I have several bird collections.

Vintage children's chairs are one of my faves...

Can't say we live in a mansion or even a dreamy seaside cottage, but

we surround ourselves with vintage treasures that make it home.

And, we practice what we preach...LIVE WHAT YOU LOVE

(just like on the prints at Whimsy)!

Ventura Flea Market

Take a quick browse with me as we scope out the

Ventura Flea Market that happened today, June 20th on Father's Day ! It is a bittersweet day for me, as this is my first Father's Day I don't have my father anymore, but it is special to be with my hubby and father of our 2 super teenagers.

Wait, do those 2 words go together--super + teens... Hmmm... ? This adorable rabbit was resting on a tree ready for the hunt!
It reminds me of the one hanging out in our backyard near the apple tree.

Loved all the game pieces..


The seaglass was very appealing,
but I prefer to find mine on the beach one piece at a time..


We really enjoyed the old cool graphics on the game boxes!

I gravitate to the kids toys of yesterday. Love the colors and graphic appeal.

The little painted stools were fun all stacked up in all thier glorious colors!

The monochromatic pallete is also refreshing.
Flea Markets are just the best for people like us, who love JUNK !

Please visit Whimsy Antiques soon to see the amazing finds

we scored on today to share with you!

Take Steps Los Angeles

The weekend after the Take Steps Santa Barbara Walk was the veteran Los Angeles walk and a small group of us joined the festivities for Crohn's and Colitis Awareness and went to Griffith Park to see what we could learn for our walk next year! 800 people strong and canines joined the fun, and the energy was high and upbeat. We learned, and we enjoyed ourselves.

Perfect combo!