Downtown Willow Glen holds special memories for me, as a young girl, I spent many afternoons after school, in the quaint Mom & Pop stores, that lined Lincoln avenue. I can still remember the “Pronto Pup”, a charming soda Fountain, the “Pharmacy”, that carried all my favorite candy!, “Bergman’s Department Store” and the best “Bakery” ever, for sweet French bread & Gingerbread cookies! That was a special time to be a part of Willow Glen’s downtown history.

In the last few years, I’ve become reacquainted with the Downtown boutiques of Willow Glen. There are several really special shops, I just love to visit, but there is one in particular, that stands out if you want that “Total Vintage Experience!”

“Three Sisters” is a Vintage treasure box! It’s definitely my
first stop when I need to get my “Vintage Fix”! It’s beautifully merchandised with fresh lively color themes, that bring the boutique alive! The owner is constantly changing up her displays to keep things fresh and fun!
They have the best selection of vintage hats, some of my favorite hats have come from their shop! I love their 1940’s & 1950’s vintage theme, it really takes you back in time!. Carole Demkowski, who is the owner of the shop, is so friendly and welcoming, which is so enjoyable when your browsing around her lovely boutique.

Shopping at Three Sisters offers so many fabulous gift choices!
They have a yummy selection of specialty soaps, endless eye catching vintage figurines, lovely Bakelite jewelry, as well as jewels, that have that sparkle your looking for.
They also sell “Willow Glen Honey” made by Willow Glen Bees! The honey is delicious and comes in an assortment of sizes.
Another one of their specialities, is a lovely selection of brightly patterned “Oilcloth”, that comes in large rolls, so you can specify the length you want for a custom look!

Three Sisters truly has something for everyone! Are you looking for a unique piece of furniture, then look no further, this boutique is full of Vintage furnishings, that are special statement pieces!

Come visit Downtown Willow Glen and stop by “Three Sisters” for a “FUN & REFRESHING VINTAGE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE!”
(Please note that all the photos featured in this post are from the “THREE SISTERS” boutique) Enjoy!
Their located at 1393 Lincoln Ave. San Jose (408)287-3720

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Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!

Peonies, Snapdragons, Alstroemeria, Hydrangeas, Pink Roses, these are my personal favorite variety of flowers, that make me the most happy! My spaces would feel a little bit lifeless and fall sort of flat, without the lovely happy energy, that fresh flowers bring into a space! There’s the sense that something is missing, when I haven’t made my weekly purchase of a few decadent bouquets. I usually never skip a week, but if I do, my spaces keep reminding me something is incomplete, not right in the world of flower power! I must admit that having flowers in my spaces, has made me a happier person, by adding that organic beauty, that only fresh flowers can deliver!

The beauty of a fresh bouquet of flowers doesn’t have to go missing from your space because of the cost. Trader Joe’s is my go to source, for very reasonably priced, fresh flowers, all year long! I’m always amazed by the variety of mixed bouquets, as well as their five stem bouquets of my favorite varieties! You should definitely check out your local Trader Joe’s, it’s worth the visit! Also some of you may be overlooking what’s blooming in your own garden. Bring those lovely roses and geraniums inside, so they can refresh your space and uplift your mood with their natural beauty!

Entertaining with fresh flowers adds that intangible feeling to an event. This is so important for creating the right atmosphere! Fresh flowers brighten a space with their color and organic energy! I really believe flowers can adjust the mood of a space, as well as the mood of your party guests!

Think outside the box, when your displaying your lovely flowers. I love to use my old silver teapots as vases, the more tarnished, the better! I’m a huge fan of vintage tins, you can use them as vases for smaller flower arrangements. Sometimes, it’s fun to breakup your bouquet into several smaller arrangements, so you can have little touches of nature spread out all over your spaces, instead of in one spot! Try displaying your “tiny bouquets” in less traditional places, like your bedside table, a bathroom vanity, guest bedrooms, a windowsill, think unexpected! It’s really about giving yourself a visual treat of fresh flowers, and we all deserve that!

Make flowers your inspiration, they are such wonderful gifts from nature, and even as they begin to fade, they become even more beautiful to me!

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Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!

“Inspirational, Dreamy, French, Sophisticated, Simple Elegance,
those are the words, that I would use to describe “THE BIANCO EXPERIENCE”. This Boutique is consistently, a breathtaking example of exquisite artistic displays of beautiful European home decor. It’s truly like walking into a “French Treasure Box”!

Bianco is constantly refreshing it’s environment, giving
it’s store a complete makeover every few weeks! I’m always amazed and surprised with each visit, by how much effort goes into the most creative & imaginative ways in which they change up their spaces! It’s incredible!

I must say, the inspiration factor is very high here at Bianco,
you can’t leave this place, without feeling you’ve been treated to something extra special, like you’ve been given a gift, oh, that’s right, you have, it’s the gift of “BEAUTIFUL INSPIRATION!”.

The Following Is An Excerpt From “BIANCO’S WEBSITE”, I couldn’t begin to describe what “Bianco is all about” as well as they did here!

“Bianco, by definition means white in Italian, but what is white? To most it is just the opposite of black, but to Randi Zanardi white is much more than that. Randi sees white for what it truly is, a combination of all colors of the spectrum, that together create a bright, pure result. That is why nearly a decade ago, Randi decided to open a specialty store appropriately named Bianco that combines home furnishings from all over Europe and the United States to create a truly pure and exciting result. While Bianco carries a diverse range of products ranging from hand-made candles to statement pieces of furniture, each item in the store follows a neutral color-scheme, combining different textures of whites, creams, and grays to produce a stunning final product. Keeping her motto “a simple store for sophisticated tastes” in mind, Randi has worked hard to become one of the few retailers of renowned lines like Astier de Villatte and Cote Bastide. We hope that you get a chance to visit Bianco in order to truly understand what “white” is all about.”

The town of Los Gatos is full of many diverse boutiques and I must say I’m familiar with most of them, but none of them compare to BIANCO’S very special “One Of A Kind” shopping experience!
Visit Bianco at 418 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA.

I almost forgot to mention their complementary gift wrapping, with their signature white paper roses! It’s so like taking a trip to Paris, without the airfare! Love it!

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

Summer Greetings to my Whim Inspired readers! I think it’s fun to get inspired with each new season and change things up a little, or a lot in our spaces. Introducing a new pop of color is a great way to freshen up your space, without doing a total makeover. This post is devoted to having fun with the color “PINK”.  Let’s think Pink and explore the possibilities that this happy color can bring into our spaces, therefore our lives.

I hope these images will inspire you, to rethink how you would consider using PINK in your spaces. ENJOY & GET REFRESHED IN PINK!!

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

Welcome back to Whim Inspired! Summer is upon us all and it’s time to go outside and enjoy the sunshine, and have some fun exploring your local small town boutiques. Grab your reusable tote bags and call a shopping buddy to share the fun with, and go on a “Boutique Shopping Adventure”!

My favorite shopping experiences are always in small boutiques, that have one of a kind treasures, and the owner treats you like a good friend. The best vintage finds and local artisan handiwork are in out of the way, sometimes less known specialty shops. I’ll be posting a summer series of “My Favorite Local Boutiques”.

This post features the most unique & imaginative boutique in Los Gatos called “Frank Interiors”. The owner Kristy Kent is very welcoming and such a down to earth lady, who represents her store so well! Frank Interiors has something for everyone! There is an Eclectic mix throughout the shop, of garden statuary, original artwork, local artist jewelry, vintage repurposed art, furnishings & specialty gift ideas galore! This shop is infused with the unexpected and it will take you on a fun creative journey!

I’m sure you have noticed the whimsical artwork featured here by “Encaustic Artist Linda Benenati”. If you are interested in her work take a look at her Website which I’ve included here.
http:/www.instamatique.com/lindab

Come and visit the quaint town of Los Gatos, and don’t miss out on “Frank Interiors”. Located at 9 Montebello Way, right across the street from “Town Plaza Park”.

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

Welcome back to Whim Inspired, a place for fresh ideas & inspirational images, to breathe new life into your space.

Let’s talk about Pinterest. Some of us haven’t discovered how amazing and inspirational it is, so I’m here to point out what you might be missing!
Enter the world of Pinterest at your own risk! You may become permanently addicted and extremely inspired!!
I have found it to be so fun, educational, visually stimulating, motivating & free!!

Everyone needs to open an account, and start creating their very own Boards. Boards are where you collect your Pins. As your cruising through Pinterest, you will come across image & video pins that you will select to add to your “Themed Boards”.

There are truly so many dreamy images, with every subject matter imaginable at your fingertips, that it’s difficult to stop yourself from continuing your search for just one more lovely image, while your in the Pinterest playground.

Pinterest is a resource dream come true, if your in need of ideas for a project, you’ve come to the right place!!
Visually I find it so wonderfully helpful, when your in a place where your stuck creatively, it gives your mind that colorful boost it needed to spark new ideas!

Please have some fun and check out my “French Decor Inspired”
& “Pink Whim Inspired Pinterest Boards. Touch the Pinterest image at the bottom of the board, and it will show the entire board in full size!! I love this collection of images, it makes me so happy!!

We all need to find ways to help ourselves, see beauty in the world, and for me, I’m excited to say, Pinterest has really
been that new resource for me!!

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

 

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Hello to my readers of Whim Inspired. My thoughts of late had me on a path, thinking about how much satisfaction & joy I receive from the act of giving gifts to my family & friends. Even as a young girl, I took great pleasure in gathering flowers from our garden to make bouquets, while also baking cupcakes for my Mother’s Birthday, in an attempt to make a lovely little surprise party for her!
I was always having fun with the act of giving!

I especially enjoy going out of my way, to wrap my gifts in the most beautiful and unique way possible. Presentation is just as fun and rewarding as the gift itself! Years ago, when I was in Paris, France on vacation, I purchased several bars of soap for gifts. The French store owner very generously wrapped each humble bar of soap with the most lovely floral paper and beautiful ribbon. Each one looked so outstanding and unique, I couldn’t believe the time the store keeper had taken to make my gifts look so special! The French truly know the art of presentation and detail!!

Think outside the box when your presenting your gift. I love to use reusable tote bags, instead of paper gift bags. Everyone needs to start going “GREEN” anyway, so it’s the best choice all around!! Check out the photo I’m showing here (Courtesy of my dear friend Amie Sue Caplain) This tote bag was full of gorgeous yummy flowers and a wedding gift.
*FYI- The fabulous tote is available for purchase at the
Los Gatos boutique “FRANK” located at 9 Montebello Way.

Gifts that are odd sizes can be challenging to wrap. That’s when using fabric, such as tulle, lace, burlap, felt or any light weight fabrics are wonderful solutions. The photo I’m showing here from Christmas, is a lovely example of wrapping using a burlap sack dressed up shabby chic style.

Flowers are always the perfect remembrance. I love to give and receive them! When presenting your bouquet, instead of using a traditional vase, use your imagination and go with the unexpected. I love to use a vintage teapot (Silver and a little tarnished) water pitchers, old candy tins.
The photo I’m featuring here is a exquisite vintage majolica water pitcher from Italy, which is the perfect example of how a bouquet of flowers can be elevated, depending on how you choose to display them!!

The act of giving should be a joyful and meaningful experience. I find that is even more true when you take the time to present your gift in a special manner, that is memorable and more personal. ENJOY THE ART OF GIVING!

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

 

Happy Spring to my readers of Whim Inspired. You will see that I’ve been playing with my rabbit collection and vintage Easter hats with fabulous results! I’m ready for an Easter celebration and a spring tea party!

I hope you have fun refreshing your spaces for spring and Easter. Hats are so much fun to experiment with, when you are being playful in your decorating choices! Vintage or not, a lovely colorful straw hat can do wonders, when displayed over the corner of a large mirror. Collecting vintage hats are especially fun! They can look really special displayed alone, or a large collection can be grouped together on the wall, and look outstanding as a piece of art.

My collection of vintage hats are spread out all over my home.
I have such fun displaying them, and I move them around to keep
things looking fresh as the seasons change.

I encourage you to go into your closet (or a generous relative’s closet) and seek out a hat, that might have been
long forgotten and give it a new life, in a special spot in your home. Your local Thrift shop and Goodwill store are another great resource for fabulous finds!

Get inspired and have some fun with your space!
Looking forward to hearing your comments on my posts.
Please consider sharing this post with others.

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

 

 

 

Hello to my readers of Whim-Inspired. I’m very excited to share with you, some new visually inspiring books I recently discovered! These lovely coffee table home decor/lifestyle books are something I’m very passionate about, as you will see!
In my next few posts, I will be featuring more of these fabulous finds!

Without question, we all enjoy looking into other people’s homes. Observing the design and decorating choices made by others. What better way to find inspiration, then through the pages of these heavenly images and thought provoking design ideas found in this lovely book by Nina Hartmann called “Vintage by Nina: Among Vintage & Friends.

This book is full of 300 photographs of awe-inspiring vignettes of vintage treasures. It’s a go to book for for inspiration, that is truly timeless in it’s appeal. This is Nina’s third book and her largest. Nina Hartmann is a Danish stylist, who has a love for designing with 100% vintage items, which only adds to her fabulous unique style.

I highly encourage you to check out Pinterest . There you will see endless images from all of her books, including the limited edition Christmas
Book, which is so dreamy!! I would love to own it, but it is no longer available in print.

Hopefully I’ve peeked your curiosity and your tempted to check out more from Vintage by Nina online. I purchased my book at a local boutique, but they sold me their last copy. Your best option is to go online to etsy.com where you can purchase the book for $64.00. Don’t be put off by the price, this book is truly one of a kind, if you love French meets vintage with a twist!

Have fun and start your own inspirational collection of interior design books. Thrift shops & Libraries are great places to find high quality hardback books for only a few dollars!

Until Next Time,
“Stay Whim-Inspired”

 

 

 

Hello to the readers of Whim-Inspired. My name is Kimberly Edwards. My wish is to bring inspiration to you through my photos and by sharing beautiful ideas, finds and resources.
Everyone should love their space and I hope you find the inspiring ideas here to help you embrace your space!!

My home is my playground for expressing myself, and you will see that in the photos of vintage statues all dressed-up. This is a fun way to refresh your jewels that are hidden away.
We all need a little sparkle and glamour in our spaces! Accessories must include a vintage hat or crown for that special bust or statue. I definitely find myself inspired for special occasions or for the holiday season to play dress-up with my statues. I must admit though, my family teases me that portions of our home look like we are celebrating Christmas all year long. That being said, I plead guilty to having touches of a winter wonderland as I call it, around my home. White feather boas adorn both my angel and Madonna statues for added charm.

Let’s all bring our grandmother’s vintage jewelry on a creative journey, lighting up our homes with that unexpected touch of creative whimsy!! We can breathe new life into decorating our spaces, if we just peek into our Jewelry boxes! Oh, what treasures might await you!
ENJOY AND EMBRACE YOUR SPACE!!

**IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSPIRATIONAL, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I’D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK! THANKS SO MUCH!**

Until Next Time,
Stay Whim Inspired!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly