Via Baja so far.... :)

I thought I'd give you all a little update on one of our current 

houses. This is the Elizabeth June house, or what we call

(by the address) the Via Baja house.

I luh uh uhve this house.

Like so so much.

The views are spectacular from the back yard and it just has

the best feel to it!

Roof is done and we're painting the exterior today!

I absolutely love creating these homes for other people. We always say

we make our homes something that we would love to live in ourselves:)

Lighting all in and ready to hang and look pretty:)

Wood floors are in and we're ready to paint the interior.

Soapstone counters all templated and ordered. Oh you have no idea how

much I want these counters for myself....sigh...someday:)

Kitchen faucet:)

This here is my inspiration for the interior colors. White walls, black doors:)

Brushed brass cabinet hardware:)

 Gasp! Look at that tile. I had to beg and bat my green eyes for it.

I was just shy of promising to eat Ramen for a 

month to get it. 

You're welcome future buyer:)

This gorgeous home sits up on a hill in Ventura, CA with the bestest views of an

avocado orchard with the ocean just beyond that.

Dreamy I tell ya...

She'll be ready to snatch up around mid November.

I can't WAIT to show you when she's complete!!

Freaking Target.... :)

I'll just start this post by saying...

  the other day I was at Target....

and there it happened..

 I saw this lamp.

Freaking Target.

I walk in to get something like toilet paper,

and end up with this lamp that starts

an avalanche of reorganizing, cleaning and

decluttering.

 I don't know what it is? Subliminal messages is the music?
Something in the popcorn? But every stinkin time
I'm at Target, I get sucked in to perusing the house stuff.
Like I end up looking at every. little. thing!!

So this lamp made it's way into my cart:)

I decided I couldn't handle my desk back there behind the chair anymore.

(Nobody puts baby in the corner!! ha ha ha!!)

So I moved it into the guest room and it freed up

this corner and made it look SOOO much better in here!!

That pillow....makes me snile every time I look at it ;)

Somehow those two little wood houses on that shelf made their way

into my cart too! I hate when that happens!!
Just kidding. I love when that happens:)

(yes that's the weirdest place for a sconce ever.. the 

joys of renting:)

And new lamp means new pillow covers right?
Right.

They're all from H&M:)

I mean what's a house without a bug pillow?

I should have stuck to the toilet paper aisle!

Freaking Target.
I love you:)

Roll with it.... :)

 So this here is the master bedroom in our little cutie.

That door straight ahead is the bathroom, which is what

makes this the master because all the bedrooms in 

this house are kinda the same size.

Small:)

I've never lived with so little "decor" in my whole life.

This house is small and I just have no room for it! 

But you know what?  I'm liking it that way:)

I'm learning when you live in a small house, you've got to get 

creative sometimes to find extra storage space.

My bedspread hides all the baskets under the bed that hold 

shoes and winter bedding etc.

This dresser is still one of my fave pieces I've ever

bought from FOUND in AZ.

Loooove it:)

What's not to love? That teeny tiny closet just to

the right of my dresser that's what :(

I used to have a ridiculous amount of jewelry. After the last few

moves and purges, this is what's left. And to be honest, all I really 

wear anymore is what's laying on the dresser.

So let's get back to the teeny tiny closet.

You guys. Even after I purged and kept only what I really love

and really wear...

I couldn't fit it in that teeny tiny closet:(

Think a closet the size of a house built in the 20's.

Yeah. Peeps back then had like no clothes.

Anyway...

I knew this pipe clothes rack from World Market was gonna help a girl out.

At first I was a little scared about the look of it, 

but days later I was setting it up and....

I love it!!

I put all my fall/winter clothes out hoping that by

doing this, fall/winter weather might actually 

decide to make an appearance!!

 Anyone else over the warm weather??

Who's ready for sweaters and boots??

and fires...

and soups...

(once again, I'm a poet and didn't know it)

Big Sur Bigger hair..... :)

So the day after my cousin and his sweet family left,

more family showed up:)

Seriously how lucky am I that I've got such great people

in my life that want to come hang with me:)

This is my sis in law and her two lovely girlies, and they

wanted to see Big Sur...

You guys....!!!

It's honestly breathtaking.

McWay Falls...I love you.

My sis in law read about Pfeiffer Beach where the sand is

purple so we headed there next.

I couldn't WAIT to take pics of us in all this loveliness!!

Well let me just say, this beach gave a whole new meaning to the phrase

"wind in my hair".

I don't even know how hard the wind was blowing, like I don't know

the exact miles per hour because I'm not a wind measurer, but holy

sandblasting people!!

I'm laughing in this pic to keep from crying because just seconds before

 my SIL's hair whipped in my face and I swear darn near sliced

my cornea.

I learned my lesson and put on my safety goggles.

I love this pic so much!!

Totally kidding.

 I love how it makes me look like I have purple

teeth. Like I've drank an entire bottle of red wine.

 Which to tell you the truth, I wanted to drink myself silly when we got to our 

hotel and I went to wash out the 

10 lbs. of sand in my hair and realized two things...

I forgot my HAIRBRUSH 

...and my CONDITIONER!!

Good times. 

If you get the chance.... :)

If you get the chance to hold an adorable

fat baby on the beach....

you do it:)

If you get the chance to laugh out loud...

really loud....

you do it!!

Been spending time with my cousin

and his ridiculously cute littles:)

I'll be back next week when Miles (of smiles) has gone home

and I can focus on more that his fat adorable little self:)

Just imagine.... :)

So here's the only tree I have in my backyard. 

It's a beauty:)

And it bears some tasty goodness.

 Like a ton of goodness.

We literally can not keep up with the amount

of avocados that this tree so sweetly gives us:)

Here's just some of what fell in a matter of 2 days!

 On the back side of the trunk of that tree is this little crevice

that just got me thinking...

You see when I was little, I would look at places in the yard (my

mom grew amazing plants) and 

just imagine that  little tiny people lived in there

amongst all the plants and it was like

their enchanted forest. Like I just KNEW they did. 

Fast forward some 40+ years and here I am,

still wanting to believe that:)

"there is no life I know to compare with pure imagination

living there, you'll be free if you

really wish to be"

-Willy Wonka

My cousin and his precious littles are going to be visiting

us this week, so that kind of gave me the push that I 

needed to do what I've been wanting to do since...

forever.

Plant a fairy garden!!!

At first it was just me and the hubby,

and then Ryne came over,

and then before I knew it the whole fam damily was 

taking over joining in on the fun:)

So here's what I got so far:)

And I say so far because you guys....!!!

this little garden is just about the cutest thing ever

and I'm already dreaming about how 

much more I could do to it!!

Like I'm thinking that the path to the tree needs

a door at the end of it...

and windows in the tree...

and a mailbox....

Now if only I could find some tiny people to live in there.....

The teeny tiny corner.... :)

So there's this corner on my kitchen counter that 

drives me insane. 

(this pic is on a good day)

It's the catch all corner. The clutter corner.

And most mornings it's the computers, iPads, techno everything corner.

Basically a total cluster...well, you know.

The worst part is..

it's all MY stuff:( and I have no where else to put it:( :( :(

no craft room....

no office....

no nuthin.

Welllllll.....

Can we just have a moment and check out what I got for FREE??

Yep. I was walking out of my local health food store 

(buying bacon no less!! hahaha)

and turned to my right to see this little lady with a free 

sign on her.

Look left. Look right. Load her up!

She's a sweet little thing who just needed a home...

in my home:)

Have I mentioned the tininess of this house?

I had no idea where I was going to squeeze her in, but I was

determined to give her a purpose I'm telling you!!

So I got to thinkin....

and movin....

and whaddya know....

she found her purpose!!

She is going to be my new little desk!!

Yes I robbed those topiaries from the right of the tv for this pic, but

don't you worry for a minute! I've already found more from my topiary hoard to replace them:)

Hi my name is Dorie and I'm addicted to topiaries.

 Aaaaahhhh!! Look at that cleaned up corner now!!

Thank you to whoever put this sweet little desk out for free

and brightened my world!!

Me so happy:)