Who are the people in your neighborhood?

....they're the people that you meet, when you're walking down the street, they're the people that you meet each day!!!!!!! When the hubby and I decided to sell our house (aka-"the beast") and move downtown, people thought we boarded the crazy train. We had lived so long in the land of gated communities, it was a normal thing to need a "code" to visit your neighbor. Ridiculous I tell ya! I longed so much for a real sense of community. You know, where you KNOW your neighbors?? And my wish has been granted:) Meet Jen. She's my sweet neighbor who also moved from the land 0' gates not long after we did. We share a love for our "hood" and everyone who lives in it. We decided to host a little meet and greet this last Sunday on our boulevard, it's this fabulous patch of grass that goes all the way down the middle of our street:)

We passed out flyers, and nervously waited for everyone (or anyone) to show up:). And they did!!

Here is my next door neighbor. He's a psychiatrist and has the most captivating stories! Sitting on the porch with him and a bottle of wine is always entertaining. It's comforting to know I'm just steps away from a man who can make me feel better about my addiction to addiction television :)

Here's Jen again. Yeah, check those guns. Nope, not a personal trainer. She imports and exports fishing lures:) Rico to be exact. My hubby was dying when he heard this:) And because I think she's awesome I'll mention that she has a fab building for sale:)

Behind her, our neighborhood Rocket Scientist. Okay, Aerospace Engineer. What? Doesn't every neighborhood have one? Well you should. He's fabulously intelligent and equally hilarious:)

And here's my new little friend Tori. She thinks it's great that her name rhymes with Dorie:)

Her little sis Addie. I know! Adorable:)

This little guy entertained himself with straws and ice:) cause what else do you need?

Sweet girl in white? 8TH GRADE!! What?? I seriously did not look like that in 8th grade. I think they're talking about "the guy with the handlebar mustache?" JK! I really don't know what they were talking about:)

And here's Gretchen. She works at the zoo and is my fellow co-dependant Pisces. She's reeally funny and has the biggest heart for animals.

These are just a few of the peeps that showed up to our little party. Jen and I were actually surprised how many did come! It just goes to show ya- neighbors reeeally do want to get to know each other, and I think that's fantastic:)

Enjoy you're Easter weekend and hey, get to know the people around you. It really is what life should be about right? :)

**Don't forget about the Giveaway!! Just two weeks left!!

Gordon and a Giveaway!!.....:)

So let's be honest. We all have that deep dark thing called- a celebrity crush. My hubby's is J Lo. Uh huh, moving on. I have a thing for this guy- Gordon Ramsay. Something about the fact that he could cook me the most amazing dinner sprinkled with his favorite spice- the f word. I know a lot of people find him offensive or whatever, but I think his explosive expletive ridden rants are what shows his total passion for what he does. And I love that :)

Or is it just that I have a thing for blonde's with wrinkles?

Whatever it is, to celebrate my outing of my celebrity crush.. I'm giving away this uh-mazing cutting board. Made by the equally amazing peeps over at William Rogers Wood Products :)

Yes it's our family business, and yes this cutting board was made by my very handsome very talented (and single) son Ryne. He makes all our wood counter tops! This lovely is African Mahogany and measures a sweet 12 x 24 x 2 1/4 :)

So to win this baby here's what you gotta do:

No, I'm not going to make you do 5000 things to get it (don't you hate that?). I'm a simple gal:)

Just become a follower, then leave me a comment about your celebrity crush!

I'll announce the winner Tuesday May 3rd:)

And hey, if you're in the market for some fab wood tops? Give us a call :) 480.985.2560 we ship everywhere:)

What were they thinking??....:)

That's exactly what I said to myself the day we bought this house! It was love at first sight believe it or not. But during the entire restoration process I often thought of what all the people who had added their "personal touch" to the house were thinking! I thought maybe it went something like this: Ooooh Larry! Look at that beauty! I know it's a 1916 bungalow, but I'm thinking with my brains, and your cool set of tools we could hack away and turn this thing into the Victorianesque looking house of my dreams!!

Yeah Carol, we could "enclose" that wrap around porch ( I mean, what a waste of space!) and make it into your laundry room!

After :)

After :)

Oh Carol! Your choice of color is just spot on!! It's like Christmastime....all year long!!

After :)

Hun? I'm thinking we should rip out that old original kitchen and put in that u shaped, highly functional, never been seen before kitchen you designed? Oooh Larry, YES!!

After :)

And hey Larry? Could you build me that wine rack I've been wanting for my Charles Shaw collection? I've got the perfect shade of aubergine in mind...

After :)

Ooooh, and over here? We could bust out the wall (load bearing? who cares!) to that bedroom, remove the original staircase and I could have my dream dining room!! Oh Carol! You're a genius!

After :)

And the master bedroom....Larry? Could you add some massive structure to the front of the house so I could have a balcony where I could relax on our old couch from 20 years ago?

After :)

Carol, you really know your stuff! Honey oak, brass and emerald green and white tile! Oh well thank you Larry! And thank you for reminding me to put CARPET in the entire bathroom!

After :)

Hey Larry? Since you work alone, I'm thinking plastic columns would be so much easier on your back.

After :)

Carol? Since we already relocated the original staircase and have it so elegantly cascading into the dining room, I'm thinking we should relocate the original fireplace too! Oooh Larry! That sounds fantastic! Then I could use that pink tile I've been dying over!!

After :)

I know how much you love yourself some skylight Carol, so I thought I'll just tear into the wall above the bathroom!

After :)

Carol, your color choice for this front bedroom is sooo soothing, sooo inviting! And hey Larry my love? Could you please replace that original diamond shaped glass in the window for some pink plastic instead? Thanks!

After :)

I'm thinking if we "enclose" that back porch Larry, you could build us a massive brick fireplace that would come in handy for, you know, all those chilly Arizona winter nights!!

After :)

Oh Carol!! Come see!! I've totally disguised that chimney to look like your favorite- a Christmas tree! Oh Larry! Think how excited all the neighbors will be when I decorate it with lights this year!!

After :)

I just picked up the disc with all the before pics from our architect last week, and was reminded of the horrendous state my sweet old house was in! I only wish that Willy Wonka really did invent smellovision. It would have really made those kitchen before pics come to life!!!

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." ~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Linking up to the before and after party at Thrifty Decor Chick!

And Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch !

Spring has sprung... :)

**Just a little update on last weeks post. After a phone call that transferred me 7 times, seriously 7, and an unanswered email, I have yet to find out if anyone at the city knows about the sweet little green house that I want to put in my pocket:( I WILL keep trying!! ********************* So it's officially spring here in the ole AZ. The hubby has turned into Mr. Garden. He's always loved gardens and now has one! These are the first of his sweet little strawberries! Cuuute right? I love the craggly one on the right :) A had to get a pick of this bee, just enjoyin himself some of my geranium :)

And for me? Well spring cleaning has hit me in a big way. On top of my already OCD like cleaning that I normally do, I find myself changing things up a bit :) Case in point- my little library at the top of the stairs.

This poor little room hasn't been touched since my 20 yr. old son so gracefully (not) unloaded my boxes of books onto these shelves on move in day:(

Can you say BORING?? Ugh! The chandelier? Too white. The doors? No life. About every frame I own on the top shelf? Just dumb.

This is where my sweet hubby reads every night. I know! He's so abused. That hideous excuse for a throw? A snuggie. Yes, I said snuggie. It's hideousness just seems to add that little "punch of color" doncha think? That sweet chair I got from my friend Kristin at one of her fabulous sales years ago, it's a little shabby chic but with no budget for reupholstering- I just rolled with it:)

I made my way down to my fav Home Fabrics store and picked up these sweet fabrics for $23. Yeah you read that right. Twenty three dollars!! I found the ribbon at JoAnn and it went perfectly with my antique sconces above the chair:) and oooooh yes, Stitch Witchery!! My new friend until my daughter unearths my sewing machine that is currently in the abyss otherwise known as her kitchen remodel:(

The chandy. I bought this brass beauty at the Salvation Army "boutique" in Cali and I painted it white when we first moved in and yeah, it'll blind ya. But not for long! I took some minwax stain and did a little dry brushing on it.

And here's the little library after all my blood sweat and tears!

A little decluttering and organizing goes a long way:)

And here's the chandy! (with the crooked shade, just keepin it real around here!)

Awww and let's have a moment of silence for snuggie. Yeah right!! New throw is sooo much better! Oh, and I found some more (dead people) old pics of the hubby's family and thought they would want to join the others:)

Absolutely no sew curtains:) I'm sure I'll be doing a post in September titled The Unraveling. All about my curtains after the sweltering AZ summer! But until then? Me loves:)

Some fab old books that I got at the GW for $1 each. And yes, that's my flute from the 7th grade:) a little further down to the right sits my piccolo:)

And why yes of course! Little Bully finds himself verry happy here in the morning sun:)

And did I mention that I did this all on Saturday? And my back still hurts:( So what about you? Any crazy spring cleaning in the works?