The Spanish Pueblo.... :)

You know what's not super fun?

A plumbing leak that's what. Especially one that's been leaking and

creating mold under the house:(

This was our sad state of affairs for what seemed like forever

last week, but really was just four days.

My whole kitchen was in the tiny front room and it was...

not awesome.

In an effort to stay sane, I went and checked out our newest little cutie.

Say hello to our next Project Beautify property.

She's an adorable 1926 Spanish Revival? Spanish Mission? Spanish Colonial?

Spanish Pueblo? Me no speaky Spanish? 

Not sure exactly what style she is, but what I do know is

she's perfect and I want to squeeze her:)

We had some left over sod from Via Baja, so we put it down and man! that

made her happy:)

These original windows....!!!

Let's step inside:)

 You can't tell from these pics, but the ceilings round down:)

and that fireplace.... !! serious heart eyes for that one.

I love the little niche.

And here's another one in the hallway:)

sooo stinkin cute.

And what's not to love about that original medicine cabinet.

I love, love, love when they're still in these old houses and

I can just imagine the many faces that looked at themselves

in that mirror....

You guys have no idea the many patterns of totally groovy carpeting

were in this house!

And can we just take a second and look at how perfect that guys

outfit goes with that random flag out there??

hahahahaaaaa!!!

I don't even know how or why that flag is there??

 Classic.

You guuuuyyyyyzzzzzz!!!

Just have a looky at what was under ALL THAT CARPET!!

I didn't win the Lottery last week (yes, I actually played)

but I'd say I hit the Jackpot here right???!!! 

The wood floors run through the entire house. Well almost. There's (of course) some

super lame laminate yuck in the kitchen, but we're crossing all our

fingers and toes that there's wood under there too.

That would just be way too perfect huh?

Oh! and after a huge round table discussion, we have come to the conclusion

that this house might just be... maybe, just maybe... a Spanish Pueblo???

I'll be showing you before and after pics of Via Baja house next week!

Oh boy! she's turning out to be a beaut!

I want to keep her:(

I wanna talk about me...part 2 :)

Totally kidding. It's just that I've been staring blankly at my

computer and....nuthin. So I thought I'd just share a few

silly things that make up this gal that writes this

lil ole blog:)

... you can read part 1 here if you wanna.

I have a serious love affair with my one and only cup of morning coffee.

For reals.

I usually drink it after the boys have left for work,

the kitchen is clean, Little Bully has had 

his walk and the house is quiet. 

On the occasion that I happen to have to drink

it before all that, I feel like I've just robbed us

of our special alone time together and it just 

doesn't taste the same!!

Call me crazy.

I'm a list maker. Like old school pen and paper list maker.

My hubby says I should write it in notes on my phone.

Not gonna happen.

There's just something so satisfying about checking off as I 

go and seeing everything crossed off by the end of the day,

and then crumpling up that piece of paper and throwing it in the trash.

I swear Sesame Street scarred me for life.

Do any of you remember when Big Bird 

was the only one that could see Snuffleupagus?

I remember vividly freaking out over it. I couldn't deal

with how the adults didn't believe him!! I mean what the??

Thank the heavens that by the time Rio was born Big Bird was finally

validated and all was right in the world, because I was NOT

going to relive that stress!!

Oh and while we're talking Sesame Street scarring,

here's another one that always left me reeling.

One, two, two little dolls...

One, two, two little chairs...

Two little dolls, two little chairs, two little girls , and a little dollhouse.

I LOVED everything about it. The dolls, and the 

DOLLHOUSE!! It was perfection. I was mesmerized. 

That is until... the stupid CATS!!

I could never understand why the girls would

giggle when the cats destroyed the place!!!

IT WASN'T FUNNY!!!

 Man I'm getting all worked up again.

Moving on..

I get distracted easily. Like right in the middle of writing this, I looked

over and thought hmmm.... Little Bully sure looks like he could use 

a heated dog bed. So I found this one and I ordered it. 

Oh, and I looked up that cute green coffee

cup in the first pic. It's Jonathan Adler for those inquiring minds.

I am hands down the worst egg turner over in the land. It's a 

miracle if I turn them over without breaking them.

I truly believe that one day I will master

this skill, but sadly my hands do not share my beliefs and 

continue to betray me.

One day, someday.. I wanna learn to play the banjo. 

I mean honestly, there's just no way to be sad when you hear a banjo

right? I dream of sitting on my front porch and playing a little jig,

and before I know it my neighbors show up with their fiddles

...and we jam:)

Speaking of dreams..

I have got to see these swimming pigs someday.

How adorable right????

Right.

Who doesn't want to swim in the crystal clear waters

of the Bahamas surrounded by pigs?!?!

Probably the same people who don't like banjos.

And we can't be friends.

Well that's about all I got for now.

Stay tuned for part 3! 

I kid. I kid.

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:)