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Peony

I'm in LOVE!!   with Peonies.   Yep..every year  when Trader Joes get them in since this time  I always buy a few bunches to enjoy in my home before tthey are long gone.  I especially am fond of the soft creamy white of the one this year.

there were so many beautiful ones to choose from...many shades of pink from soft pink to hot pink, coral, lavender, and purple.  

but in the end ....

I choose the white ones....I love their little yellow centers...

Here they are with one of my instagram photo effects....

I've heard a rumour that in California, we will be able to start growing them now...I  also understand my local Armstrong Nursery had them in a couple of weeks ago and sold out.  Rumour has it that Roger's Gardens is carrying them too! I think a scouting trip is in order. For those of you that live where they grow all the time..how easy are they to grow?  

Ying and Yang

Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I had plans to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market and had a terrible sore throat and since caught a cold so needless to say I stayed home. My Mr. Incredible with the help of the girls cooked me a nice Ahi {my favorite }Fish Dinner on the BBQ, even though  my throat was filling icky it did not stop me from having  a glass of wine with dinner!

Last week on the days I don't do my "other" job {subbing} I take my Critters on walks throughout the neighborhood and I always have my iphone to take pictures of all the beautiful homes with all the springtime flowers blooming in the "hood".  I'm always attracted to the Cape Cod style homes, you know this if you've been reading my blog for a while.  I have a ton of house stalking pictures over there or click here, go check them out.  On the last few walks with the Critt, Crits, I took some pictures of some Mediterranean or Spanish Style Homes which seem to be where Mr. Incredible's Heart lies when it comes to home design.

He would love to have a circular driveway.  In the garden he would plant a lot of palms; Sagos, Rubilini's, King and Queen Palms...

White stucco and red tile roofs....are right up his alley...

Wrought-iron work on doors and on lanterns...

Dang..wish I had Photoshop so I could photoshop that dumb trashcan out..sorry for that eye-sore.  Wrought-iron fences with stone facade columns.

I think the Mediterrenean home is very popular in California right now but my heart....

sings to the classic Cape...with it's dormers, and with wood shingles a nod to the East Coast.  Brick walkways, paned windows with shutters.  I think all dormers need window boxes on them..yep, should be a requirement when you sign the mortgage papers. Well not on the type of dormers on the next house..

The morning we took this walk, this yard was so peaceful...with the shade trees and the birds chirping....I wanted to bring a picnic basket and plop down under the tree and open a bottle of lemonade.

I just had to get a little closer look at the little planters on the wall...

Yep...I see some colorful and happy pansies, I bet the housekeeper {i'm sure they can afford one} was wondering what the lady out front with the spotted dogs was doing taking pictures of the yard! I was hoping she'd invite me in to take more pictures on the backside of the house.  No LUCK!

Here is a Ranch Style which we both like, I do believe they became popular in the 60's and 70's. This beautiful ranch which is next door to my friend Cyndi's House with her fabulous kitchen..I love those birch trees..I likey, me want to planty. 

I think they planted that ivy to keep me off their lawn so I couldn't get too close to the house and get pictures of the inside.  Mental note:  need to buy telefoto lens..sheesh..let's start with a DLR camera.  Don't you love those diamond windows....so pretty.

I don't know what you would call this type of house.  Very traditional, I love the brick and how it meets the two dormers.

Here is a closer image of the front door..I loved those little beveled glass windows in it and I like the black matte paint on the door.

Well this is NOT a full size house..it is a playhouse or once was the kids who live her are much older now but an extra room for misbehaved husbands.  yes..this is the "doghouse"

How adorable?  I love the flower boxes up top.  This is my friend's house and she told me the previous ownders built it and they put a loft up top inside. I'll have to get over there again and take inside pictures.

this little playhouse/doghouse has a heart theme going on.  Remember when hearts where real popular on the decorating radar.  I admit...I was all over that.   I love this little heart shaped swing.  I great place to make up or make out after you've been sent ot the doghouse. 

My friends' neighbors house, one of my favorites in the "hood"with the birch trees, the terracotta potted plants, the climbing roses, the brick walkway and porch, the paned windows and of couse those dormers!!  I would sit every evening out on the wicker couches a drink my wine. 

Picket fences...and arches....

I think this is an interesting color on a house..black...but it somehow works, I think going with a gray roof would be better.  The last two pictures are of home in another neighborhood where I first fell in love with the Cape Cods...

  So which stye of house to you prefer?  Do you go along with Mr. Incredible a like the Med style or do you sway my way and prefer the Cape Cods?  Because Mr. Incredible is "incredible" he would sway my way if we had to choose because as they say a Happy Wife = a happy LIFE!

They say Patience is a Virtue....

When I saw this french wire hamper at French General years ago, with it's rusty wire frame holding a variety of grain sac pillows {one did come home with me and now resides on my dining room chair} I knew I'd needed to keep my eye out for one to have in my laundry room, I liked that it had wheels so I could roll it out to my fancy laundry room in the garage, LOL. They looked sturdy and with a pretty liner would look great.  Then a few years later I came across one at the Rose Bowl Flea market and I was about 15 seconds to late and another couple snagged it for $40.00 bucks.  They were going to turn it into a coffe table by adding a glass top.  What a great idea!  Sort of like this....

 That reminded me of my Ratten one I had in college that I got for my 21st birthday, my mother asked me, "If I'd rather go to Vegas for my 21st birthday but I said I wanted this white ratten dining table from Pier 1  for my li'l  apartment in Ocean Beach  {Even then I was into house decor especially beachy cottage}, don't get me wrong..I was a student at San Diego STATE, I partied like the best of them. Lots of quarters bounced off this table.  I still have the same table linens, plates and that you see.  Those plates are imprinted with a sand dollar.  

Anywho...after seeing it at the Bowl, Pottery Barn started carrying them in their cataglog....remember this post?  Well dang that is a hefty price of $159.00...you do get the choice of a cute tiking or white liner.  I don't know how difficult it would be to make one. Well.....the other day I was visiting my Dear Old Neighbor and I saw she had one on her back Lanai and I asked where she got it, it ended up being her caregiver and she bought it at a yard sale for $3.00.  She had no idea what it was and was going to get rid of it.  I said I'd buy it off of her.  So for big, price of $10.00 dollars, I finally got my little wire french hamper.  Now..I need to drag the sewing machine out and get to work.  Yes..who said I didn't have any patience!!

sorry..

I've been trying to upload some new posts with new pictures...but I'm having problems on Typepad...and I always like to have my posts accompanied with images, as soon as I figure it out, I'll be back because I have lots to share with you my dear bloggy friends... I've gotten some neat things for the Cottage on Cullen, an item I've been on the lookout for quite awhile, I first saw it at the Rosebowl and then PB has it for a very shiny penny....and I got mine for the deal of the century.

The Ones that Got Away

Remember "Old Yellow"? Here she is today looking beautiful with lots of flowers planted in all her beds and in pots as you walk up the front steps.

When she was up for sale, I was hesitant about entertaining the thought of becoming her owner for two reasons.  One because Mr. Incredible is a light sleeper....and Old Yellow is on a some-what busy street. Well more busy than the one we live on now and second because of our Jack Russel Terrorist who if gets out is a runner.  That was more true when she was a pup and I was afraid she would get hit by a car being on a busier street, so we were late putting a bid on her and didn't get her {I still have visions of her glass knobs, chunky mouldings, recessed panelled doors, the built-ins, the double fireplaces, the deck, the dormer windows in both of the upstair bedrooms, the ...ahhhhh}. If any of the houses I regret not getting it would be "Old Yellow".  An invester came in and fixed her up and flipped her.  Lots of that going on in our neck of the woods.  I don't know how I feel about that, part of me likes it because they improve the neighborhood and the other part, is that maybe nice families get priced out of owning a home so I don't like that part.

I'm so glad that the person who ended up in the home is adding so much curb appeal.  I love all the flowers she has planted all around her yard,  last year when she was in the garden and I was taking the Critters out on a walk I stopped and told her how we fell in love with her house and if I could see inside.  She obliged but I did not have my camera that day so I did not get to take any pictures for you.  I did wish the "flippers" would of stuck with a more of a cottage style kitchen than going with the tan cabinets and granite counters, I think that would of been a better fit for the style of this house. 

I'm wishing I could see a window box up there in the dormer window......

Here is another one that we looked at but it was a LOT of work...and Mr. Incredible was not up for that. Let me take you back in time...

Yes, there was a lot involved....it had a big hole in one of the ceilings...

Here is a picture of the inclosed, shuttered patio, off where the french doors are now....

Here is the front door during the fall sporting a new wreath and address plaque. I think they have done a great job adding curb appeal with the flowers, plants, new shutters and paint.  Here are some photos of her insides when she was on the market.

This was one of my favorite elements of the house..those big beautiful beams and that fireplace with the bookshelves on each side.  They put in hardwood looking laminate floors.

The kitchen needed a lot of work and now it opens up into the living room area.I'm not a big fan of granite, I'd rather have carrera marble or buthcher block but that is just me.  I like an all white kitchen but this one fits the house.  It is very neutral, it will fit with most peoples tastes.

 Looking from the kitchen you see the gorgeous mantel, to the right is the big windows that overlook the front porch and the french doors that now lead to an enclosed backyard.

Here is the walkway leading to the garage.  They added on a second bedroom, a laundry room and another bathroom, it was a 3 bedroom, 1 bath when we looked at it.

This was the original bathroom with two sinks.  They did a great job fixing it up.  New tile floors, new vanity, new faucets. 

Here is one more image of the home, sporting a new white fence around it for some privacy. 

Now to come full circle with my post...I'm completely in LOVE with my house..Old Yellow is the one that still tugs at my heart strings when I walk by...but I'm so happy the new owner is loving her as much as I would of, so that makes me very happy but I think I need to suggest the addition of a window box up on that dormer. 

My Friend Cyndi's House

My friend Cyndi is an interior designer and I LOVE her home.  I think it would be considered California Casual so a few weeks ago I took some pictures her home.  The pictures I shot of her living room came out quite dark and not really good so I'll post pictures of the kitchen  and bathroom which came out decent.

This is the wide-angle shot I got of her kitchen, it was late afternoon and the sun was streaming in.  She was cooking something so scrumtious on her stove, I was begging her to let me stay for dinner, no I would not do that!? You can see a sneak peek at Cyndi over there to the left on the phone. hi Cyndi...we love your style.

Her kitchen isn't completely done, as you can see she is awaiting the front panel of the dishwasher and frig {which you can't see in this picture} and the floors will eventually be hardwood but for now her ingenious husband used a dark stained plywood on the floor.  I found it to be industrial chic looking.  But I love her kitchen and couldn't wait to get shots of it.

You know I'm a big fan of apron front sinks and hope to have one in my own kitchen one of these days. Her sink area overlooks her deck and beyond that is her pool I wouldn't mine that view as I wash dishes.

I like the look of the bare windows without any window coverings on it. The paint is a pewter gray color which I do belive is called Distant Thunder by Dunn Edwards.  Very pretty, very neutral, great with her the black and white color palette.

Her island is painted in a matte black by Dunn Edwards {we LOVE Dunn Edwards Paint} called Cavernous with a black glaze over it.  The counter top is polished carrera marble. I like the two tone look of her kitchen with the bright white painted cabinets called Cloud Nine by Benjamin Moore. The countertops that surround her kitchen are also marble but looks a lot like quartz. 

 A nice pop of color of the citrus in the wooden bowl on the island with her whitewashed iron candlesticks and a bit of greenery with a potted plant.

To the left of the stovetop is the double ovens, most of the appliances are stainless steel.

Here is the stovetop area, I love the mosaic tile design with the smaller square tiles and the surrounding larger subway carrera tiles.  She put her area code numbers above the stove for a unique look. 

Here is a close up of the glass fronted cabinets flanking the farmhouse sink, she uses a lot of clear glass and some blues and greens, which adds some pops of color. 

To the left of the double ovens is her shelves full of cookbooks, both her and her husband love to cook. To the left is her dutch door, which she says reminds her of Mr. Ed.  I fell in love with it when a I saw it and can't wait until I get mine in, horses always welcome.

To the left and past the laundry room area is a small guest bath.  Let's go take a look. Her color palette flows into this area also with a shot of lavendar in the stripe of the shower curtain.

Beautiful subway tile in the bathtub area with a small ribbon around for some pizazz.

As you can see the subway tile is used as wainscoting and the smaller black tile ribbon runs the perimeter of the room.  I love those lights!!  Those are made of a brushed nickel metal.  The cabinet is painted a glossy black with carrera marble top.  I think she like marble?  Huh?  Hope you enjoyed the tour of my Interior Designer Cyndi's house....I'll have to show you her living room in a future post. 

Gardens and Flowers Everywhere

The weather here in Southern California has been perfect for planting and taking walks.  All winter my plants get put on the back burner and are not at all cared for.  Come spring my green thumb gets itchy and my trips to the garden centers are more and more frequent.  Some people get mani/pedis I buy Bacopa.

All my planters get refreshed with new plants and I start to see lots of blossoms starting to get buds on them.  My Gardenia plant over in the corner next to the steps has a ton of buds on them so next month it should smell heavenly when we walk in/out the door or when sitting out on the porch drinking a nice, fresh squeezed lemonade{lemons from our tree, of course}.

My blue enamel wash tub is looking nice and full with just planted Persian Buttercup Ranuculas and a Lemon Slice Calibrachoa, one of my favorites to plant in containers and they love the sun this southern side porch gets all day.

I planted some hydrangeas last spring in this bed, they are just starting to get established. I've been reading up on the internet, on how to turn or keep them blue, the trick is the acidity level. I bought this stuff and it seems to being doing the job. I sprinkle it on top of the soil twice a year, in fall and early spring.

My vision is to have huge, lush, blue blossoms like you would find on Martha's Vineyard in the summer.  I see them spilling over the brick walkway with a ton of blooms on them all spring and summer that I can cut and make flower arrangements for my dining table.  Yep, that is the plan.

I have a few more hydrangeas in the terracotta pots on the brick steps.  I bought my daughter these rainboots from the Goodwill last year but she would rather wear mine.  I had some Gerbera Daisys from TJ's and I thought they would look cute in them for a pop of color on our front steps. {got the idea here}

Here she is wearing my boots and taking a ton of pictures of everything and anything...she has a future in photography for sure.

Crazy Girl...

I like this shot she got of the peeling paint on the table with the simple blossom. 

On my walk with the critters I saw this Cottage Style Garden...love all the rambling flowers..

Love this flower wishing well {this was my collegue at works' house, but she has moved since}....don't you love it?

And here is my little Garden Window with petite flowers inside empty jelly jars {i pick them for their shape and for drainage} and a mini terracotta pot with Calandivia {only $2.50 at my TJ's}. Along with the mini african violets make my kitchen such a happy little place to be.  Hopefully soon it will have a little dutch door to join it..

Speaking of gardening before I leave you...wouldn't this zinc top garden bench be perfect for planting?

And this quote sums it all up for me.....{the last two images are from my local Nordstrom florist shop}

 

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Blooming on My Mind

Tada!! {long post}

I can say our one and only bathroom is 95% done...we have some trim to paint and the door and I have to decide what window covering to go with{don't have enough fabric to cover this window} and most likely will change out the shower curtain depending on that the window covering, maybe bamboo shades.  So let me take you back in time when we first looked at this house to buy, back in 2010...

I was in love with this house the moment I saw it on one of my many "drive bys", but when we got to see inside and I saw the bathroom I was not a fan at all and especially NOT a fan with the this vessel sink..it was so modern which didn't fit with the rest of the cottagish type of house that it is. In my mind if we got the bid that would be one of the first things I would change out as soon as I got the chance.

This picture was the first we ever took of the bathroom so notice the wall color was a decent celedon green...that cabinet...horrible. The drawers were made out of particle board and would fall out if you pulled them too far, the particle board had disengrated.  The tile floor I could of lived with but we ended up replacing it with something I completely am in love with.

A few months ago the toilet started acting up so that led us into starting the bathroom makeover sooner than later, which haulted the yard work which was sort of our aim to focus first on our cottage projects. 

Here is Mr. Incredible deciding how and which design we should go with on the travertine.  Originally I thought I wanted a hexagon ceramic tile, we went to several tile stores in the Orange County area and when I saw this Silver Travertine rectangular stone, I knew immediately this was the one I wanted and he agreed!  We saw a carrera marble tile in one of the stores.

Here is the marble with white grout and looked very similiar to the silver travertine..I liked them both but with the travertine it had some tanish tiles that matched the tub tiles, so it would all tie in. Below is the travertine before grouting.

I liked that it wasn't white, white and wouldn't be a pain to keep clean all the time.  It also had some tiles that were a bit on the tanish side which would tie into the tub area tiles which I had no plan on changing out. 

 Remember my "design board"? You can see the grout table, I thought again about this being the only bathroom and it would get a lot of dirty shoes {soccer players and construction worker} so I didn't want to be a slave to cleaning the floor so I decided against a whiter grout and went with Delorean Gray from Home Depot.  I'm happy with the choice so far.

I think it looks great with the scalloped- crochet -gray- oval bath mat from World Market, I got it for 15% off online using my birthday coupon which was last month.

Originally I wanted to use my daughters shabby chic desk as the vanity but Mr. Incredible talked me out of it.  The desk is curvy and I wanted to get a piece of carrera marble to fit but he suggested I get a vanity that had it all together but I wanted it to look like a piece of furniture so I went online and found the Vanover Carrera top Vanity from Lowes. I'm so glad we went with it because the desk would of been too low especially with some tall people who live in this house {not me}. 

I'm in love with the Victorian goose neck in brushed nickel faucet from Signature Hardware.  LOVE it!  I wanted to use some of the fixtures that came with the house when we moved in, for example the towel bar, toilet paper roll holder, that's why I went with the brushed nickel faucet and what's to not like about her, her curvy lines.  Bliss.

It also matched my Southern Living Canisters.....perfectly.

Speaking of Southern Living...I've been using this tray that goes with my gravy boat to corral my Fleur de Sel soap and lotion from Williams-Sonoma.

Above the new toilet {which I must say I don't like,  I wanted another one but this was Mr. Incredible choice, I wanted one that had a crown molding lid and he wanted a better price.} I lost but I won the most battles in this redo.

The ivy topiary is happy with it...loves the sun it gets through the window, you can see a close up of the beadboard and ledge Mr. Incredible put in, I think it's perfect for our cottage on cullen.

We had another cabinet in the bathroom that I got on the side of the road, {it was from Target} but when I put it up, it looked too bulky then I was going to have one made our of old window I saw on my pinterest{I have a friend who makes great stuff out of old stuff, he redid my farmhouse table} but while browsing his shop the vender next to him at this little glass-doored wood cabinet.  I thought it would warm up the space a bit so I asked for it for my birthday.  Yes..I don't want diamonds or fancy jewelry, give me stuff for my house, that makes this girl happy.

Ok...let's talk paint colors, I vacillated between a gray, greige, greenish blue, or taupe. I ended up choosing Silver Fox by Dunn Edwards which is a grayish, greenish-blue.  I might change it out down the road to more of a grayish green or taupe.  The beadboard is painted Cottage White, so fitting right? So there you have it. We started this DIYer bathroom in December and now we are in April with it almost done.  Doing the happy dance...one project down...5 million to go. Ha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanted: Dutch Door

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 I've dreamed about a dutch door here, reminesed about it here and even wished about in a playhouse.  It just says beachy cottage to me when I see one, especially if the top half is open as if waiting for a neighbor to pop on by and say "hello". 

                                                   image from country home

This one out of old barn wood in an old stone building has the perfect patina, aged beautifully by the weather.

 

I think a bright painted  door would be perfect as pop of color, especially if the rest of the home is painted a neutral like white, grey or tan or even the new combo gredge (grey and beige).

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What about a stained wood door, this one would be perfect on a home on the lake or maybe a craftsman house.

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Wow!!  I love the brick in this picture..swoon..and that black painted door, so sharp.

 What about this look with a natural stone floor and a glossy black door?

Loving the rounded shape of this door..perfect on a Tudor home...so storybook cottagish.

Here is another black painted door with raised paneling on the bottom half and window panes on top...

I love this lime green door with the 12 window panes in them and the cottage garden leading up to it.

On a robin's egg blue painted clapboard house, a white door is perfect, especially with a place to sit and a view of a flower garden.

I wish I had a back entry with a mud room to pull this look off!!  I love that bench with brick floor and the white dutch door.  Lots of homes in my neighboorhood have that door but they aren't dutch doors.

I love yellow!!  It is such a happy color!!  This great door with no panes and the used brick....sweet lemonade!

Aren't these leaded glass panes...so beautiful....and that french blue ain't half bad either.  

What about Turqoise and a lemon tree by the front dutch door and a bird bath!!!  See that little shell planter by the lemon tree I used to have one years ago that I got in Mexico when I was in my early twenties...I miss that planter, I think the shells got broken when we moved, so it got thrown out.

I think the geometric panes in this dutch door and the side lights are interesting, very modern looking.

This door was really wide from an antique store is in Carpenteria, our favorite family vacation spot. I asked the owner wanted if she wanted to sell it but I knew her answer would be no, I don't blame her it is a gorgeous door. 

Classic and beautiful!!   That's all I have to say about that..{reminds me of the Forrest Gump line}

This dutch door so very simple...

Off the kitchen would be a perfect place.....Now...where should.... I.....put......

                                       MINE!!!!     FOUND!  Hello Dutch Door....

Yep, I've been combing ebay and craigslist for a few months now.  The stars must of all aligned and lo and behold I was able to nab one for a great price.  It was quite the drive to get it, it was located in Hollywood.  But to me so worth the drive.  Now...I have decisions to make....do I put it at the front door...or the kitchen door?  What color do a paint it?  I have a Jack Russel who is a major jumper....so if I put it in a the front door and leave the top half open, will she scale the door and jump out..of should I put in in the back off the kitchen and hope she doesn't break a leg jumping out it's a long way down...because of the steps or do I fatten her up so she can't jump so high?  Hmmmmmm...lots to think about.  Doing the happy dance!

Note:  all images off Pinterest or otherwise  referenced

The Spring Mantel, Birds and Bunnies

When it comes to spring I like to pull out all my bird related items that have been hibernating all winter.  It's so beautiful this afternoon that I've thrown open the windows and doors and have been listening to all the birds chirping outside. 

yes..truely all the birds that visit our yard are a gift as I enjoy watching them flutter about.

Another favorite of mine are bunnies...the last two times we have taken out dogs on the "nature walk"...we have seen the rabbits and my Jack Russel goes nuts...our Minnie {the Chihuahua} is going blind so she doesn't see them when they run away.   These little ceramic bunnies are so cute in their "springy colors"  The eggs are small candles with the same colors...

The spring sign I made a long time ago...

I  never tire of it...the small crochet flower was in my scrapbook stash, I have no idea where it came from I just added the rhinestone.

Here is the fireplace, you can see the wood in our mop bucket awaiting another season of winter. Over to the right you can see  a corner of our window bench.  We would like to replace the louvered windows, I am not a fan of them.

 

From our Spring Table to yours..

Here is our Easter tablescape all ready for the good food to come........

I used a variety of things that were handed down from my mother and grandmother and some things I've had for several years.  The antique silverware was my Mothers' Mother and I use it for Christmas and Easter dinners.  The linen napkins were my mothers and I must say this is the first time I've used them and I have had them forever.  The plates I bought years ago from Homegoods...I wish I bought the whole set..but then again I like a mix and match table. The cloche has a little nest with my robin eggs from Homegoods too, I have had those for several years.  The mason jar wine glassess are new from Sam's Club that I got in December.  I think I'd like to get rattan chargers or maybe some silver ones to step it up a bit...don't know yet. I see them at the Goodwill from time to time but the Goodwill as gotten expensive.  I think rattan will give it a more rustic look that I like.

 These cute little ceramic baskets are new from my local grocery store, they were like $2.00 a piece...not bad.  I used some moss, added the Truffle Eggs from Willams- Sonoma and added the glittered ribbons for some sparkle.

The runner, which is actually kitchen towels from Willams-Sonoma a few years ago.  From our table to yours...wishing you and your family a Happy Easter !!!!