Boutiques and Open houses

This weekend there are two fun events happening if you want something to do.  First off on Saturday the 5th there is an open house in Benicia at the Commandant's house in the arsenal district.  It's from 12-7 and there will be non-profits combined with businesses in the area decorating each room of the house for the holidays.  Sound like fun?? Hip chick is partnering with Arts Benicia and decorating one of the rooms in vintage motif.  There will be Christmas items for sale and artist's handmade ornaments for sale if one needs to find Christmas presents and who doesn't??!! One for you and one for me......

Holiday Parlor Tour

Saturday, December 05, 2009 at 1:00 PM

Benicia Historical Society will hold its inaugural Holiday Parlor Tour with six historic homes on the tour and then non-profit organizations in the community will participate by “hosting” a room in the newly renovated Commanding Officer's Quarters (formerly the Commandant's)  This is a chance to see how beautiful this antebellum home is.
Tickets are available while they last at Bookshop Benicia, Camellia Tea Room, Benicia Chamber of Commerce and Benicia Main Street.
For more info call 745-3551.

Sunday is another opportunity for fun at Colorz Hair Gallery in Walnut Creek.  There is a Christmas Boutique with art, jewelry and hip chick goodies along with great gifts.  This is my first time at the event so I'm excited to participate.  My good freind Sally Rodriguez will be selling her amazing art work and a good time is sure to be had by all.   The Christmas boutique will be from 12-5 at

Larger Map & Directions

Colorz Hair Gallery

1815 Mt Diablo BlvdWalnut Creek,CA94596-4497

Local: (925) 933-2888

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Today we painted diamonds and how fabulous are they??!! I wish I had a before picture to show you, it was HORRIBLE.  The floor was paint splattered and filthy from years of neglect and use.  Honestly it's amazing it could just be painted over.  We finished one half  today and tomorrow we finish the other half.  It's painstaking to wait for paint to dry, I wanted to finish it so badly....but you can't rush these things.  How we did this was with a broom handle for measuring, a board and pipe to hold the string  for our lines and screws in the walls to keep it all straight.  Then we masked off the lines and painted black around the tape with a brush and rolled the rest with a long roller.  The whole thing only took a couple hours, the hardest part was waiting for it to dry!!!  Day by day my dream is taking shape......woo hoo!!!!!!!!!

Shiny Bright Christmas Ornaments

Vintage Christmas ornaments are delicious and somewhat easy to find. I remember the first time I scored a box of shiny brights was in Carmel Valley at a thrift shop and the whole box was about a dollar. It was love at first sight and ever since I swipe them up when I can. I made my first ornament wreath the other day hot glue gunning balls and balls and I used a few of my precious shiny brights. It would be ultimate to make an entire wreath with all vintage balls, costly too but I will make it a goal to try to make another one for next year. I am painting at the shop (Hip Chicks-Benicia) and I am jazzed at the progress. Tomorrow we begin the checkerboard floor and then I can bring more goodies, do a photo shoot, and advertise. Let's get the people flocking to Hip Chick's for fabulous finds and fun!!!

Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments were made and sold by Max Eckardt from the 1940s to 1960s.

They can be identified by the words "Shiny Brite Made in USA" stamped into the ornament's top cap.
According to information on the box, there were factories in North Bergen, New Jersey and West New York, also in New Jersey.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas....

Today was very productive for this hip chick. I got up early and did some positive reinforment for the soul, then I got to shop at The Station in Danville for the Christmas extravaganza!! I am a volunteer there so I got to get first dibs on the goodies and I ended up walking out buying $175.00 worth of treasure. Yes gluttonous indeed but when you're building a business you need inventory and you can't beat the prices. Plus all proceeds go to help people get counseling who otherwise might not afford it. WIN WIN. So I "worked" the Christmas shift and then came home and busted out this fabulous wreath. It was a big project and it just kind of keep getting bigger and bigger.....but it was also very addicting like it could just go on forever and ever....I did glue my fingers together and then rip them apart but it's all part of the process. I am very pleased with my finished wreath, it is in my nook above my mantel shining magestically for me upon entering the house. I would make many of these to sell except they do take hours and they also take gobs of ornaments. Perhaps I will make more if Santa brings me buckets of balls for Christmas....hahaha. So Christmas is starting to arrive and with it comes clutter, not my favorite. I need to take it in phases so I can enjoy it as decorating for Christmas is my favorite part of the holiday. I know surprise, surprise...Hope you all had a fun weekend, if you did share it with me...