Casa Bella

Pantries

2012-01-20T00:17:00.001-07:00

If you´d open my pantry, you´ll probably either:

1. laugh

2. call the producers of the show "Hoarders" and do an intervention on me

3. get knocked over by and buried under the many little plastic containers,
plates, lids, food items, and spices that will inevitably
fall on your head all at once as soon as you open the door.

Yeah. That bad.

If you are in a similar situation or have plans to organize your pantry, look at these.

They are my inspiration for the weekend:

I love the neutral tones on the examples above

and also that the shelves seem very sturdy. Never mind how incredibly spacious they look.

Having so many drawers in a pantry would be a dream come true for me.

Is your pantry organized?

Can you find anything quickly when you need it?

Hopefully, I'm not the only human being that realizes

(when finally organizing the pantry) that I have enough flour to make bread

for the country of Sweden for the next 10 generations.

I keep on buying things I already have because the ones I have,

I can't find. I know they are there. Just not when I need them.

So...guess what my plans are for this weekend? (among other things).

If you have any organizational tips you want to share,

comment away!

Happy Friday, loves!

Besos,

Credits: The Paper Mulberry on Pinterest

L'Ambiance

2012-01-17T17:16:00.005-07:00

It's no secret that I ~~love~~ ~~adore~~ am head over heels

about two beautiful European regions:

Tuscany and Provence.

I love rustic elegance.

It feels so comfy, so homey, cozy, lived in, historical,

inviting, and okay, I can go on and on

(yes, go ahead, you can yawn if you are bored at this point).

Tuscany and Provence remind me of the places

where I grew up in Buenos Aires and also of my European ancestors.

The images below are of L'Ambiance,

a gorgeous, vacation home
located in the 17th Century village of Goult,

in the Luberon region of Provence.

You can actually stay in this place for the not so small sum

of 4,500 Euros per week. Ouch.

And again...ouch.

I wish I could imitate this same style in my home.

For instance, look at this amazing stucco structure around the fireplace:

Calming neutral tones, upholstered chairs, and

an understated stone/tile floor. I'm in love.

Here's another view of that room

where you can see the exposed ceiling beams.

A beautiful stone wall serves as the backdrop

for the wrought iron canopy bed in the master bedroom...

This is a great example of what I mean by rustic elegance:

A neutral palette, tile floors, a graceful ladder-back chair,

a simple window, and an attractive bathtub.

No fuss, no clutter.

No glam, no sparkle.

But for me, this bathroom still shines...

The rest of the home is as inviting, including the outdoor spaces...

And as if the charm in this home

wasn't already enough...it's surrounded by this...

All I have to say is
Vive la Provence!

I now want one of those bathtubs.

Besos,

All images from here

Guest Post: Jennifer from Arcadian Home Decor

2012-01-13T21:56:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I’m Jennifer and I write for Arcadian Home Decor, a site that chronicles home decor trends around the world. I've been writing about home decor since graduating university and have loved it ever since. I'm addicted to patterned fabrics, Jonathan Adler, chaise lounges, old doors, milk glass jars, antiques, and chandeliers. Casa bella is inspiring, wonderful, sweet, and I can't get enough of Silvia's beautiful posts. I'm excited to show readers a few white table settings I adore.

White table decor is the perfect neutral colour - it matches any decor style and provides a beautifully stark backdrop, giving centre stage to the meal that adorns it. Here are eight delicious white table settings that will evoke oohs and ahhs.

mydaily via

These table decorations are simple glass and white dinnerware, bringing the eye instead to the adorable holiday trees bookending the set-up.

Natural beauty

Details by Oksana (via)

The only colour on this table is the weathered wood plank hat serves as an organic table runner and the soft greenery from the floral centrepieces.

Tie it up

The Enchanted Home (via)

A white table doesn't mean it has to be boring - here, stems of glasses are tied with pale blue ribbon while white satin bows sit in the middle of the plate, lending a delicate touch to the setting.

Deliciously dainty

Wondering Weddings (via)

White scalloped dinnerware adds some texture to this white table setting, where indigo placemats are the only table decor elements with colour.

Gorgeous garden

White Cabana (via)

This white table setting is overflowing with fresh blooms, which become table decorations as well as wall art suspended overhead.

Fancy formal dining

Scottish Wedding Ideas (via)

White dishes, polished silverware and crystal glasses for as far as the eye can see is stunning - the brown wicker charger plates are a nice touch.

Shabby chic revived

Blanaid (via)

Although this table and bench sets are clearly weathered, the line of pillar candles down the table gives this set-up a punch of elegance.

Ravishing reflection

Martha Greenwald Events (via)

All the white in this setting is broken up by a tall branch centrepiece with hanging tealights - the mirrored placemats adds even more height to it all.

Content provided by Arcadian Home Decor, a site that specializes in top quality home accessories at extremely affordable prices. If you like this post, be sure to stop by the Arcadian Home Decor blog and say hello!

Thanks, Jennifer!

Non-goals for 2012

2012-01-11T00:19:00.004-07:00

I normally don't set goals at the beginning of the year.

Okay, that's a lie.

I do...sort of, but I don't go nuts
nor beat myself up if I don't get to accomplish them.

Okay, that's another lie.

However, I am much better now than I used to be at
forgiving myself when failure seems to stare me in the face.
The road to success can have patches of failure scattered all around.
The key is to just keep going.
I get that now, most of the time anyway. I think.

So instead of calling goals "goals",

I call them my "plans" for 2012.
Yes, the word "plan" seems to have a sense of continuity. I like it.

All right then...so this year, I plan to...

Here is to a new year, a new beginning, and renewed focus.

What's YOUR number one ~~goal~~ plan for this year?

Thank you for stopping by, loves!

All images: Pinterest

Beautiful 2012 Calendars for Francophiles

2011-12-30T14:02:00.001-07:00

If you love France as much as I do,

then think of getting one of these

beautiful calendars from Georgianna Lane on Etsy.

I know one of them will be hanging from my

soon-to-be-painted kitchen wall sometime next month.

Look at the beautiful pics inside!

or how about Monet-inspired photographs....?

Isn't that a great way to start the New Year?

Thank you for stopping by during 2011!

May all your wishes come true in 2012.

Stay healthy, active, hopeful, and relax and enjoy life, my friends.

To another wonderful year to live, live, live!!!

Besos,

Christmas Countdown

2011-12-19T01:00:00.006-07:00

Only 6 days to go.

I haven't bought any presents for Mr. A yet.

We've only bought gifts for the little ones.

This has been a different year.

It seems that all I do lately is work, work, work.

Projects and more projects seem to be coming my way.

I had to decide to get the Christmas tree out and decorate it or to keep my sanity.

I like my sanity. I respect it.

I am okay with only having some beautiful antique silver balls and snowflakes out,

and a couple of yellow and red poinsettias around the house.

I'm okay with recognizing that I am not superwoman
and that I can only do so much.
This year, Christmas will be simple,
spent with the people that mean everything in the world to me.

So...my decor is very different this year.

For some reason I went for smaller decorations,

like the ones below from Cox & Cox

and very few of them.

The Christmas spirit...is in my heart.

May your week be as wonderful as you wish it to be.

Besos,

Shimmer

2011-12-09T00:31:00.001-07:00

Illuminate the shortest days of the year...

Go ahead, sparkle...

May your December days be brilliant.

Kisses,

All images from: Pinterest

Fabulous Etsy Store: Obee Designs

2011-12-04T23:27:00.009-07:00

One of the first things I ever won when I started blogging

was a beautiful set of French inspired coasters:

I like them so much that I decided to display them.
I glued hooks to their backs to make wall decorations.
They now hang on a freshly painted wall in my bedroom.

These pretty items came from Gail at Obee Designs.

Gail describes herself as a "Jersey Girl, Interior Designer, Lover of Anything French".

So of course, I love visiting her store and her blog and reading her posts.

I sent Gail a few questions which she kindly answered.
So here's a little info about this upbeat and fun blogger and shop owner:

1. If I had to describe my Etsy shop in three words, they would be: Feminine, French, Fun

2. I opened by Etsy shop because I always dreamed of having my own shop

2. My favorite book is ANY Interior Design book

3. My favorite movie is Working Girl with Melanie Griffith. It is old at this point, but I love that her character was smart and had spunk. Despite her adversities, she found a way to make her career dreams come true...and get her guy (Harrison Ford). It is totally a chick flick, but I love those kinds of movies. Pretty Woman is another favorite movie of mine for the same reason...and Richard Gere wasn't too hard to look at either :)

4. My favorite food is CHOCOLATE

5. My most favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because It's like Christmas without the commercialization and the gifts. Being together with family and friends on this holiday or any day is all that really matters.

6. On a rainy day, I love to stay home and curl up with a great blanket and movie...or work in my craft room!

7. If I could interview a famous person, it would be Lucille Ball because I would want to know everything about her... and laugh with her. I really loved her...even as a small girl. I would and could watch her all the time.

8. The one thing I'd love to do but that I know I'll probably never will is travel the world because I hate to fly!

9. My favorite place in the world is my home....OTHER than Paris or New York!

10. My friends would say that I am funny...or goofy, depending on how you want to interpret that!!

11. I blog because it is so wonderful to have an outlet to express my creativity and meet people who also love to do the same!

12. If I were queen of the world I would make chocolate calorie free! :)

13. I want my bloggers and clients to know that I love the make beautiful things for them. Whether it is a tangible product from my shop or a dreamy digital diversion on my blog, I love to use my God given talent to give everyone who comes to visit me a little beauty for their home or a smile for the day from the images and ideas I bring to them on my blog.

14. I love my life because I am able to use each and every day to make and create beautiful things, which is something that feeds my soul.

So...if you have a French lover on your Christmas list (or you are one yourself),

head on over to Gail's Etsy shop to find little treasures, like these:

or visit her blog.

Have a fantastic week! Happy Monday, loves!
Stay joyful and inspired,

Grouping

2011-11-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

How do you display your collections?

Here are a few ideas...

Any collections of your own you haven't displayed yet that you would like to show off?

What are they?

Take care, loves.

Have a wonderful day.

I thank you for stopping by.

All photos from Pinterest

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T17:52:00.002-06:00

To all of you, pretty witches here in the US,

Happy Halloween....

Happy haunting, loves.

Door Lover

2011-10-21T23:23:00.007-06:00

I have an adoration for stone walls, trees, and doors.

Yes, doors (okay, and chocolate and shoes).

Parallel to "The eyes are the window to your soul"

I believe that the front door could be interpreted as a representation of what's behind it,

at least in most cases.

I must be a very boring person because the front door of my house is very,
well..ho-hum.

You'd probably fall into a deep sleep if you look at it long enough.

Yeah, THAT boring.

I hang pretty wreaths on it. Still boring.

One of these days, I'll change it to one of these....

(My personal favorite! It's blue with stone walls all around, sigh!)

What color is your front door?

Do you like it?
If you don't like it, what color would you paint it?

Stay inspired, loves.

Besos,

Images via How do I Love Thee Blog and Pinterest

Monday Inspiration

2011-10-03T00:44:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday, loves.

Autumn is here.

Time for a new pair of fabulous boots...

and some fall decorations

Now onto a great Monday and a successful week.

Besos,

Credits: boots; pumpkin

Thinking of fall

2011-09-22T10:00:00.002-06:00

It's beginning to feel like fall

on this side of the Rockies.

So I'm thinking of...

strolling down the street dressed exactly like this (hair and all)...

and maybe dressed something like this the following day...

(there's something kinda flirty about this polka-dot dress)

and if I had the legs for it, maybe also like this...

- Love the skirt -

knitting one of these...

(boxes full of yarn are screaming for me to do it)

wearing this perfectly fabulous trench coat..ahh...

(and, yes, down the streets of Paris wouldn't be a bad idea)

...and maybe getting for myself this fab sweater.

Where did she get it?

And lastly, cozying up with a book on my fave chair.

I love iPads, but I need a book to feel coziness.

Hope that what you are dreaming of these days brings you joy.

Love to all you, my loves.

Stay inspired,

Credits: coming up soon

Not quite goodbye to summer yet...

2011-09-15T00:44:00.005-06:00

After a much needed break,
I'm back! with renewed energy and

lots of ideas to share with you, loves.

I missed visiting your lovely blogs

and reading your comments.

---------------

Though the summer was quite short here on this side of the Rockies,

I enjoyed it to the max.

Lots of time out playing...and visiting new places.

having a few impromptu al fresco dinners with Mr. A and the kids...

and wearing super fun summer clothing...

------------------------------
But now...

it's harvest time...

which gives me a chance to steal peaches from our tree

or one bunch of grapes each day...

and Mr. A the chore to collect seeds of our best specimens

to sow next spring...

And even though I'm not thrilled that winter will come our way once again

(as this is the longest season in this area)...

I decided I'm going to enjoy each season for what it gives us

and have a blast, no matter what!

So I'm almost ready to start thinking of maybe contemplating

the idea of possibly deciding to say goodbye to summer and to welcome the fall.

Because it means...

I get to buy an awesome pair of suede shoes...

Thank you, summer, for a wonderful time.
But not goodbye, not just yet.

---------------------------------------------------

I missed you friends!

I'll visit you soon!

---------------------------------------------------

Thanks for stopping by once again.

Kiss, kiss, and hugs.

SILVIA

Images from:
Style Me Pretty
Cox and Cox
Everything Fab

Summer break

2011-07-25T00:01:00.001-06:00

Taking a little break this week...

Gotta love summer...

I'll be back!

Kiss, kiss.

Besos,

Dream House File

2011-07-21T00:34:00.003-06:00

My new additions to my dream house file...

A mixture of French and Belgium country side...

The funny thing is, the more pictures of my dream house
I collect and post on my inspiration board,

the more my home begins to resemble this style I'm dreaming about.

How does the house of your dream look like?

Modern? Tuscany-style? Cottage? Urban loft?

Dream it, create it, live it.

Kiss, kiss, loves.

Never stop dreaming.

All images via Trouvais.com

Lavender dreams

2011-07-09T16:58:00.003-06:00

I run a 5K through a beautiful lavender field this morning.

Hence...

I'll dream of lavender tonight :-)

Did you do something fun today?

Enjoy your weekend, loves!

Happy USA Independence Day

2011-07-03T01:24:00.001-06:00

Fireworks, watermelon, ice-cream,

a day by the pool, al fresco dining with the family around the grill.

Fun, so fun.

Happy Independence Day!

Kiss, kiss.

Guest Post from Joanna at Design Shuffle

2011-06-29T00:23:00.001-06:00

Hello, loves!!!! Are you having a wonderful week?

Check out this post that comes courtesy of

Design Shuffle,

where you can find top tier interior designs from around the world –

from Chicago Interior Designers,

San Francisco Interior Designers,

and more.

It's written by the wonderful and talented Joanna.

Sigh.

We're always pining for Paris it seems.

Cafe crème and a plate of macroons can't ever quite
satisfy our craving for French style.

While a trip to Marche de Puce (literally translates to Market of Fleas)
in Paris might be out of our budget,
we can still dream up French-inspired interior design ideas
and be inspired by found objects with that je ne sais quoi of French style.

Here are some of the things we found that made our
Francophile hearts beat a little faster.

We're going to scout our local flea markets to see

if we can find similar objects to quell our French cravings.

Paris Parfait {via}

Tara Bradford's blog, Paris Parfait, is a tribute to the glorious flea markets
and antique markets of Paris.
Love this collection of found objects, especially the beaded red slippers.

Paris Parfait {via}

Wine bottles suspended from the ceiling at Marché Vernaison,

one of the antiques markets of Paris' famous flea market,

The Marché aux Puces at Saint-Ouen. Also from Paris Parfait.

Hip Paris {via}

A collection of found objects ranging from Euro cool

vintage sunglasses to numeric stencils (we want to put those

to good use on linen pillows).

De Quelle Planete Es-Tu {via}

Any vintage advertising is a favorite of ours; vintage
French advertising is even better.

Also love the small glass bottles and vintage labels.

Paris Apartment {via}

Another great blog about Paris style is Paris Apartment.

Love the vintage letters (we imagine they are all love letters)
and stereoscope photos.

Paris Apartment {via}

LOVE the faux bois cement garden set.
Now how to get it in our checked luggage.

Adore the stools--
would be thrilled with just one!

Paris Apartment {via}

The decorating ideas are flowing wildly…

A framed fragment of vintage wallpaper would look fantastic
even if there was not enough to do an entire wall.
Same with vintage tiles—
make a one of kind trivet out of a single large tile.

Antiquaire Online {via}

Old watering cans like these with the long handles
are a favorite of ours.

Great design in such functional item.

Are you pining for Paris now?

Thanks, Joanna!!!

And thank YOU, fabulous followers,

readers, and visitors for reading this post,

and for stopping by.

You truly make my day!

Much love,

Sunday dinner

2011-06-26T13:59:00.001-06:00

Whether you are having Sunday dinner at the beach,

al fresco in your own backyard,

on paper plates or out of a picnic basket,

I hope you enjoy it.

Even when we'll be eating leftovers and a slice of watermelon.

we'll use our best china.

Just because it's Sunday.

It'll be our little moment of luxury.

May you enjoy your Sunday dinner, wherever you happen to be.

Cheers!

Credits: J'adorable Home; Pink Blossom List; Me and Alice

Summer Solstice + Giveaway Winner

2011-06-20T23:51:00.003-06:00

Let's celebrate!

It's Tuesday!

But...not just ANY Tuesday.

It's June 21, the longest day of the year!!!

(here in the northern hemisphere)

Like many of you, I'll be working all day.

However, I intend to enjoy every bit of sunshine and light until the sun goes down!

There are so many things to do to celebrate the arrival of summer

Hope you know that you don't have to be in a place like this:

or look like this:

to have a blast, or to spend a simple and peaceful (but memorable) day.

Maybe you just need to relax, feel the fresh summer breeze,
or be at total peace with yourself...

or maybe grab one of these...

...or share the moment (or the day!) with your friends or loved ones

Enjoy your own way.

And if you are in the southern hemisphere,

hope you are keeping warm and cozy with a nice cup of tea!

And now, my darlings!

The winner of the $75.00 Anthropologie gift card is:

Comment #44

Gina, from:

The Crave to Save

(sorry loves, couldn't copy the random number generator correctly)

Gina, please email me at silvcarv@gmail.com

I wish I could give everyone a gift!

Your comments truly make my day.

Thank you for your friendship!

Thank for SO much for visiting!

Enjoy the day and celebrate, wherever you are,
whatever it is you choose to celebrate.

Besos,

Images via Going Glam with Gigi

Yet another Anthropologie Gift Card Giveaway

2011-06-07T14:00:00.004-06:00

I received my Anthropologie catalog a few days ago.

It's so pretty!

I like pretty and I like celebrating.

So how do I mix the two?

By celebrating you, my blog friends!

So I can say "thank you" for coming to visit me.

For that reason, I'm planning to host giveaways every week (or almost so).

First one, had to be from Anthroplogie

How about $75.00 worth?

Unfortunately, this is only open to those in the US.

Sorry friends from other countries!

But...I promise I will have other giveaways for all!

So...if you want to participate in this one,

the only thing you need to do is to be a follower of my blog.

For more chances to win, you can tweet about this giveaway

or post about it on your blog or sidebar (separate comments please).

Here are a few of my favorite things from Anthro:

Good luck!

And THANK YOU sooooo much for coming over!

Your comments make my day.

I'll announce a winner on Saturday, June 18.

Treasures

2011-06-05T22:20:00.006-06:00

I admit it. I am a perfectionist.

I'm sort of Martha Stewart meets Brie from Desperate Housewives.

Yeah, I know...annoying. Very annoying.

That may be why's taken me so long to let the world know I have a shop on Etsy.

Problem is, I'm beginning to think that

I'll never be ready to show it off if I keep on trying to make it perfect.

So I decided to show you my imperfect

and not-even-miles-from-being-ready-to-be-advertised Etsy shop treasures.

Here are a few:

So there...the truth is out now.

When I'll have more time to upload more items to my shop, I don't know.

All I know is that finding treasures for my shop is one of the

healthiest, happiest, most enjoyable things I do!

Enjoy your week doing something you find simply fascinating!

A big hug, my loves.

Oh...Saturday...

2011-05-28T01:22:00.000-06:00

Enjoy your Saturday outdoors...

It's cloudy over here, so we'll spend most of the long, three day weekend indoors.

Hope you enjoy yours,

Dream House File

2011-05-19T00:02:00.000-06:00

This is in my file for when we build our dream house.

Soon, I hope:

You can tell that I love French chateaus and that the last version

of the movie Pride & Prejudice has really made an impact on me.

What's your style?

All images via