Better After...:)

I get a real thrill looking at before pics of my house. I really do! They make me laugh. I mean, seriously- who has a pool ladder and no pool?! This was originally (in 1916) a carriage house. Until some yahoo decided it would make a fabulous house.Yeah, there were PEOPLE living in there! Ewww. It was as you can imagine. AWFUL!  (And yes, we were some of those people. But that was after we quickly converted it into a 500sq. ft. cutie and lived in it for a year while we were restoring. Read about that here:)  And see all those red doors on the left? You can't miss them, there must be 17 of them! They went to these weird little "closet" like rooms. 

Well, this weekend we said a tearful (yeah right!) goodbye to all that hideousness! Waiting for the cooler weather before I fill those urns, because sadly, I had to say goodbye to the mums I planted in the other ones already. Yep, they fried:( Moving on...

Here's another before. Ugh. We painted the doors the body color of the garage while we decided whether to keep it a little guest house or make it back into a garage, or put siding on or not. The hubby got his garage, and we went with the windows to add some much needed light to the inside:)   

 Now I can see the him from the kitchen window while he hammers away building lots of goodies:) Oh, and that's lantana you see in those window boxes. I got a grip on the fact that I live in AZ and went with some hardy plants:)

 And honestly. I DID NOT tell Little Bully to get in that pic. I swear he watches me grab my camera and runs to get in the shot. Silly guy:) And just you WAIT to see what the hubby built me in that new fabulous garage!! Pure awesomeness, that's what:) Till next week!!

New this week...:)

Juuuust take a gander at these fab terrariums I got at FOUND this weekend:) I think that's what they're called? I could be wrong, because when I went to the nursery to buy plants for them, I had 2 people ask me if I was putting animals in them!!! What the?? Cold blooded what?? Slimey, slithery WHAT?? Ewww NOOOOO!!! I'm getting shivers just writing about that. Moving on... while the terrariums (or whatever) were beautiful like they were, I thought they just needed a little something- you know, to make them adorieable:)

So I went a hunting in my trusty box of orphaned hardware in the garage. Came across these two knobs that, while they were not old (they were actually hideous bright shiny brass-the horrors) I knew I could paint them up and they'd be cute:)

I painted them Rustoleum Oregano and the hubby screwed the bases into the wood tops, and then I gorilla glued the glass knobs on the top:)

Took myself to a nursery in these parts and got totally depressed when they had no "terrarium"plants. I mean really, who am I kidding? This is AZ for heaven sakes! I think the guy was looking at me, mocking me, thinking- sure lady, we have what you're looking for! Right over there! By the hydrangeas! And the peonies! And all those other plants that you dream about having in your yard! Muuuahahaha!! Cackle cackle!! Head down and sniffling, I headed for my car and went to.....yep. Home freaking Depot. Where they carry all kinds of lovely AZ drought tolerant plants:(

At that point, I didn't care. Just get me some stinkin greenery that I can shove through a hole that I can barely get my chubby little hands thru, whilst sweating away half my body weight (that wouldn't be a bad thing) and GET IT DONE!!!

And here we are! 2 sweet terrariums (until someone corrects me) creature free and steaming their little hearts out:)

Theeeeen, true happiness. Right here. In this beaut mustard color granny purse! Me loves!! My always coming up with things to do to occupy her already busy life daughter Rio, fired up a little purse biz:) She sells these fab purses on her website- ChasingRio. Ohhh yesss. That little cutie is mine:)  

Aaaand this one too:) Isn't it the cutest?? And the best part? They're ALL $39!! Yep. $39!

Check em out! ChasingRio. That girl of mine- ridiculously creative and always doing something! And obviously wasn't raised in a "terrarium".

Aaaaahhh! Feel that??

Thank you Jesus for this cool weather. Amen. And I reeeally mean that! This last weekend it was beeeautiful here in AZ. Temps were in the high 70's, and I came alive. You see, I'm a weather driven gal. The long summer heat leaves me feeling the same thing every year...why the *bleep* do I live here?? And then came the cool off:) Soooo, this little happy girl did some baking:) Chocolate Chip cookies with Sea Salt. I just follow the regular recipe on the bag of chips, and sprinkle coarse Sea Salt the minute they come out of the oven:)

And they never......ever.....

Disappoint:) Yummmy!

 Then Rio and I turned on Food Network and....

Turned this......

Into THESE!!!

 If you want to purchase these, or any of Rio's fabulous jewelry, or some sweet $39 handbags from her newly launched website, we'll be here: The Boofest Flea Market:)

Kristin is hosting another fab event this Friday and Saturday. Don't miss it! It's another one of those things that doesn't ever.... disappoint:)

For times,directions and info click here:)

Oh yessss....:)

  All my Halloween goodies are out and I'm a happy girl:) Now if only the weather would cooperate:(

 Cute witchypoo:)

Sorry for the dark pics:( my house faces north/south with a wrap around porch. Translation- the darkest house to photograph ever! NO! It has absolutely NOTHING to do with my lack of photography skills.

 My mantle. I'm convinced that everyone has that one thing. That thing that no matter what you do, you feel like it's never right? I'm mantally challenged. There. I said it. I have the worst time with this stinkin mantle! Anyway, here's the result.

 Just take a gander at my china cabinet. I love her:) She's an old beaut given to me by my sis in law. It was her grandma's:) I filled her with my black and white china and whatever fakey pumpkins I had:)

 This little dresser sits just inside my front door.

 And my fav of all- velvet pumpkins. Found at...FOUND! Kristin's having another one of her fab sales October 14-15th! You don't want to miss it! Info here:)

 I planted mums this past weekend:) LOVE the color!

 Put out my Halloween pillows on my porch furniture:) I just wrapped the seats in fabric that I had.

 I bought this vulcher guy years ago and lug him out every year:)

 And last but not least, my daughter Rio gave me these sweet old rusty urns a while back. I filled them with mums and the hubby ran a drip to them so they don't die a slow painful death when I forget to water them:) What a guy:)

Did I score or what???