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Shooting in Los Angeles......

We call them Drive bys....

Yes..I'm in a gang....a gang of Bloggers who love to shoot pictures of homes that inspire us as homemakers.  Jennifer has some posts of her favorites on her blog in her neighborhood in Thousand Oaks, Calif.  Also Melissa has her favorites...I too...have my drive by favorites...I usually stalk certain houses in my neighborhood and these are some of my favorites...

This house is just around the corner from me..it's such a classic shingled house...it has an all brick driveway...and that weeping willow..I love that and look at the french doors...

this house too. the most welcoming porch with the hanging planters..

this cape is up the street a little ways..it has a pass through which I love about it...it needs a little lovin' and I think I'm the right gal for the job...don't you think? 

it might look familiar because..it's on my sidebar.

this is a cute Victorian that is up the street from the last house.  It's a shame you can't see the whole house because of the bushes..it is painted a sagey green...I would love to see some wild roses on that picket fence..wouldn't you?

This house is a little more uptown..than the others  we are getting into a more older neighborhood....don't you love the dormers...I could see some cute window boxes up there with some RED Geraniums...

Now....this house need some major LOVIN'...can you see how cute it can be? But those weeds!! OY!!  Can you see between the trees the leaded glass..yummers!!

Check out that roof..usually I'm not a fan of tudor style..but I like the brick turret.

Talking about roof, don't yo love the curves of this one?  I love this porch stoop..and of course the white palette with the brick.

Now..I may not be big into Tudor style..but I love a craftman....I could see myself sitting out on this big porch swing having my coffee...that sounds divine.

Speaking of Craftsman..this is my cousin's house.  It was given to her by her in-laws.  It has an old skinny steep wooden stairs up to the second floor, where you will find a vintage clawfoot tub...love it!

It needs some lovin' too...I would love to get my hands on it and do a makeover..That porch is wide and wraps around...I think some stone on those pillars would be nice and a paint job...don't you think?

This house sits on a huge lot....aren't those triangle doormers unique? 

This is my good friend's favorite house. On our walks we walk by at night and we peer in the windows..one of the potraits are crooked on the wall and we want to go in and straighten it..isn't that quirky.  Love these windows on this house..

If you have been a reader of my blog for awhile you know I love dormers..I think having a cute window seat where you can look out or read seems so cozy to me.  That's why I like dormers so much also that fact they give the house so much architexural detail.

This is built in the 1800's one of the first homes to be built in my town..see the following picture.  Isn't she a beauty?  I love all that gingerbread and that wide, curved porch..sipping some lemonade...so peaceful sitting out there.

Now this house is for sale...the open house is on Sunday..and being the Looky Lu..that I am...well you know where I'll be Sunday afternoon..if I can sneak in some pictures...I'll share with you my fellow voveristic buddies.

Now...I saved the best for last..this is MY favorite...it has all the cobinations of the things I like..the farmhouse style with the doormers..not too big, not to little..a porch and brick.  A shingle roof which says so cottge to me....and to top it off it is YELLOW...I love a yellow house..you seen my post before on yellow houses....Hope you liked I'll my faves...I would take any of them...for my own.

La Maison Rustique deax.....

Would you like to come inside to see the barn?  (click a picture to enlarge)

Aren't these key chains made out of pieces of silverware and jewelery too  precious?

I loved this beachy display....I wish I had a place for it..the white chippy paint and that blue drawer....yummers. 

And doesn't this table..make you want to get out your Easter Decorations...

some bling bling frames..fit for a princess

Come on in and let me run a bath for you and light the candles...let me get the soap....

 
After you have been working in the garden...

So you want to know what I got there......

  I got this beautiful robins egg blue sink with beautiful flowers in it with a trellis and a red little bird.

I'll post tomorrow my other purchases.....If you are ever in Wine Country, Temecula, Calif...you need to put this on your many stops......I took a gazillion more pictures there was sooo much to see.  While I was there I got to meet the most beutiful and talented Heather She was so sweet..She had so many of the displays and if you don't know here check out her blog..it is a real treat for the eyes...

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby!!

My Li'l One turned 8 today!!   We made Red Velvet cupcakes to take to school and for the Softball team...I think everyone really enjoyed them.

La Masion Rustique; in the Garden

On Friday I went here to meet my Mom who lives in Ramona, Calif (near San Diego) It was a nice halfway point for my brother and I. She has Alzheimer's and my brother is her primary caregiver.  My Mother who I have said in previous posts..was like a "Before her time kind of gal".   She always has shopped Thrift Stores and Antique shops.  Her house was filled with old Linens and collections of all kinds. When she arrived, my brother barely parked the car before my Mom practically sprinted into the barn while it was pouring rain...she would give Jackie Joyner Kersey...a run for her money even at the ripe old age of 83 if there were antiques involved.   Even as wet as it was there were lots of goodies as you can see from the pictures.  So many great rusty, old antique things to buy.  I wanted it all!!  I'll show you some of my favorites...

Isn't this bicycle basket cute with it's planted flowers?

Don't these flowers in this beat up old red bucket look ready to take home and put on your porch or deck?

I loved this urn in this rusty birdcage..

 

and every cottage needs a cottage boat, don't you think?

Tomorrow I'll bring you inside to see all the goodies....

So where did I take my shopper sidekicks?

I had to bribe them with some yummies to hang in there with my "Cottage" shopping trips, ya know.

We "were" Sprinkles Virgins...I had seen them on someones blog..I think her...and then when I was at "The Grove" in LA...my friend said,"Since you are so close YOU HAVE GOT TO GO to Spinkles!!!  That was like in December...so finally I got to "Taste" what all the Hoopla was about..and I brought the best taste tester with me

She looks like a Sprinkle Cupcake to me..with her adorable freckles...

click to enlarge..

Can you see that line?  I didn't expect that.  But it's like that everyday my friend said. 

Madison is eating the vanilla with sprinkles...it was very sweet and rich.

Li'l one had the Chocolate with sprinkles...but our favorite was the Red Velvet.  The frosting was not to sweet and a tad sour.  It a a different Cream Cheese Frosting that I had not tasted before.  So the taste testers give a "Two Thumbs up"...

I was just going to the Fabric Store.......

I was on my way to pick up fabric for my Curtains....I'm planning on making curtains like in this picture.

The curtains are made of a Natural colored Linen with a tiny red stripe on the edge that is frayed. They will be Hung on a Bamboo rod.  I have a store in my area,(that's for another post on another day) that will make the Bamboo curtain rods for me. Last week I bought out my Joanne's the curain fabric that I needed.  So what is a girl to do but I had to go to another one. that happens to be towards the beach.  So....I say to my shopping partners (my girls)...after getting our Fabric..."lets go to Homegoods",  that was met with such Exciting approval...NOT!!! So we head towards Seal Beach, CA. Sadly, Don't find what I'm looking for at HOMEGoods so I hit this store.   (Click on any picture to enlarge)

I'll share with you what I saw there.

Sorry for the dismal lighting...the walls were painted a soft pink color. 

Isn't that a gorgeous Chandelier?  You can see by the window they have a vignette of Mercury Glass Urns...so pretty

I see a new collection obsession coming on.  I was at Kohl's looking for a birthday present and found some Mercury Candlesticks that were marked down 90%..,..how could I not get them!!  I'll share them in another post. 

This would be fun to have...

When I was pregnant I always dreamed of having a crib like this one for one of my baby girls, it never came to fruition.

 

The little girl I was dreaming about for the crib, now wants this bed..well not the whole bed but the Mosquito netting.  So I guess that's what we will be looking for to add to her wrought iron bed...she is a true romantic. Oh, I wonder where she gets that from?....ahhh me? She is my mini me. 

And of course every princess bedroom needs one of these.  Which I am in the process of redoing for her room.

I love this art piece.  I didn't check the price on this...but My birthday is coming up....since I don't have a real one..in my home..this one should do.  Hee hee.

Hope you liked my Little Detour to the Fabric store...my girls not so much.  Tomorrow I'll share where I took them to make up for it...

I'm ready......

FOR SPRING planting...

I'm sure not at much as some of you in the colder climates..

So I grabbed my cute little galvanized bucket and started planting Bacopa...one of my favorites..probably because I have luck with it...I don't end up killing it!!

Isn't that red step stool cute?  I love that it is all beat up and rusty.  I know some of you think I'm weird.  That's a given.  Just like some of you think this is crazy .I'm with ya sister I would not want granite either I'm more of a butcher block kind of gal.   This stool was in the trash of my Good Friend Teresa's and I asked her, Can I have it?  Sure. she said.  Well as you can see it has come in handy for plants..

The weather has been so very nice..in the 70's and I couldn't help myself...I grabbed a couple of plants at the nursery and some potting soil and begin planting some flowers.

Also when I went out yard saling I found this terracotta pot for a buck....Now..I'd like to do that mossy-aging thing to it,  were you paint on  yogurt...I'll have to remember were I found that idea at..if you know please leave me a comment and let me know..Maybe it was marthastewart.com or cottageliving.com   So How about you are you ready

So How about you, are you ready for Spring Planting?  What are you planning on planting?  I'd love to know.

I have a Disease....

First..sorry yesterday's post was so brief..it has to do with my many hats that I wear..

I was in a Valentine Secret Swap that was put together by Jennifer Hayslip.... and Cheryl Dack, they were execllent hostesses. Our big Secret Admire reveal was yesterday.  Yesterdays pictrues were the creations I created for my Swap Partner, her name is Lisa-Kate, .I hoped she liked them as much as I had creating them... My favorite was doing the LOVE Banner with the German Glass Glitter...it is going to age perfectly like it does in a browny-bronzy fashion.  The heart tin box is one I spray painted antique white and was given to me at the Girls Night out party at Darcy's a few weeks ago, you might remember that post, if you follow my blog.  I just added the ribbons and velvet leaves to it. Added a gold key and her intial.  The banner fit right inside. The chocolate was found my Homegoods..love the vintage pictures that it was wrapped in.    Here is what my Swap Partner Cathy at Cranberry Cottage gave me...I indeed was a lucky girl, she was so very generous..Here is the box that greeted me at my door one afternoon last week

This was inside the box loaded with goodies..

here is the sweet candy bar she wrapped in this beautiful patterned paper and embellished with flowers and buttons

and look at the vintage looking tag...I totally love this!!

some red and white Kleenex

and some Dollies...great for some craft project..maybe this this..check out the second post..she got the idea from Martha Stewart Wedding editor..Darcy.

and a Letter G

and look at this vintage RED record how special is that?   I mean I have never seen a red record before...so cute and handmade soaps and Candy and cupcake liners in red and white..

See the cute li'l book she decorated with buttons and vintage images...she really brightened my Valentines Day with such thoughtful gifts...

****************************************************************************

So on to the hats that I wear like so many of you...not only that I have a disease called...Procrastinatoritis, have you heard of this?..maybe you have it too?  Maybe you know someone who has it.  It is not deadly, I don't think but it does cause major stress in your life and sometimes the people around you it affects. Especially if you have to stay up until 1 am to finish projects because you waited the last minute to do and then you are grumpy the next day because of lack of sleep.  .I haven't found a cure yet if you know of a good Doctor Pleas HOOK me up.

Also I am ROOM Mom for both my daughters classes,not good if you have Procrastinatoritis.  At their school they only Celebrate two holidays...Christmas and Valentines day...they did have a "Storybook Parade" on Halloween but no party, no goody bags...no treats.  So We like to really Celebrate on Valentines day.

Hat # 1;(Mom)...as has been tradition...we have hand stamped and made valentines for their classmates every year and even when they were in Preschool.  At first the li'l one (MacKenzie) wanted to buy Spongebob Valentines to pass out but as we were in Michael's picking out the candy melts for Madsion to do for her class she changed her mind,(wonder where she get that from).  So here is what they made......came out cute I think..

Here are the artists creating..

Hat #2  Room Mom putting together the party with phone calls and making sure things come in that are supposed to...and making delights for the teachers which is my favorite...

Chocolate covered strawberries...

I didn't get the Chinese take out container we put them in but it came out cute...

Hat #3  (Substitute Teacher)  especially hectic...on a Crazy day like yesterday...The students had a Sundae Party...and lots of Valentine crafts...so...this is what my craft desk looks like now...

so I guess I better put on Hat #4....Home keeper and start the clean up....

Happy Valentines Day!!

the season is upon us....

   

both my girls play and my life gets a little more hectic this time of the year but I love watching them play and grow as an athelete.

Photo by my youngest daughter..she loves taking my camera and taking pictures of everything...the cat is usually her favorite subject.