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the artsy town of Laguna Beach

After walking down the path..this is the beach that greeted us at the end of the steps.....just gorgeous...

going to the right and around the corner there are tide-pools..

the waves were a bit big that day so we had to be very careful, the girls came home with some cuts...

lots of Sea Anemones in the tide-pools.....

this castle-looking-lighthouse was really neat, there is an iron door but it was "glued" shut due to rust..

My girls with their good friend...they all play soccer together....

yep..it's the beginning of spring and they are looking mighty white....

It was a gorgeous day...loved seeing the dolphins swimming by in search of fish....for lunch

Looking behind us was this gorgeous home under some construction....all I kept thinking, what do they do for a living?  How lucky are they to live here..I hope they apprecitate it...can I be your friend?

Yep their property line ran from the top of the walkway all the way to the beach...

loved the landscaping....I would love to have that view!!

Loved that old fashioned light post....trudging back up the stairs....after catching a few "sun-rays" we headed into town for some Ice Cream...

the girls were watching a Violinest, I told them they should of brought their flutes and play for tips {they have had good training from a school that gets invited to play at Carnegie Hall} so they could pay for the ice cream, at 4.50 a scoop!

Isn't that picket fence sign a riot!   This town is a bit quirky...

Who needs to go to New YORK when we have the Statue of Liberty right here on the Pacific...

We went into the Wyland Gallery....LOVE HIS WORK, wish I could afford a piece....his murals are all over Hawai'i, he lives right above his gallery, come to find out.

After our ice cream we headed into town to shop....

lots and lots of cute shops...which the girls did not fail to remind me has signs that said, "no photography allowed"....I obeyed...I'm a good girl like that.

I bet this town gets a lot more crowded in summer, but with everyone being on a different spring break schedule it was not today.

all the parking on the streets are metered so bring your change...

we had to make sure we kept track of the time so we didn't go over.....

this store was the one we spent the most time in....it had "my name" written all over it...{no pictures of inside :( , sorry}....

It had everything beachy-cottage chic in there...trust me..I'll be back for sure.  I did buy one thing that I traded one of my daughters in for....it was so cute, I could not resist....

the cottage store is on the main drag like this Tommy Bahama restaurant.. I had no idea there was a restaurant.....

I liked this building beacause of the painted wood and brick....so I took a picture...

I liked this two kids so I took a picture..oh yea..I'm supposed to like them, they are mine...

follow me....

keep going....

Isn't that a nice {lots of work }piece of ironwork that overlooks this beautiful place with the most gorgoeous view....

Love that wall!!!  just a hodge-podge of brick and stone...

aren't they cute?  we are related...

Creative, Quirky and Beautiful....

is the beach town of Laguna Beach...

Easter Table

We interrupt the Laguna Beach tour with some images of our Easter Table...I did NOT cook a special dinner like in the past because as I mentioned in a past post Mr. Incredible recently had surgery on his lip for skin cancer and it is all stitched up about the size of a peanut. Thought it would of been cruel for him watching us eat a nice honey-glazed ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus, rolls and Carrot Cake. 

I set the table for seasonal decorating{for next year's idea} I waited really late to pick up the bunny dish towels, contemplated on the placemats {I had been eyeballing for awhile}.  I used them as a table runner instead of their intended purpose.  I also picked up the small bunny taper candle holders when they went on sale and then went back and got a price adjustment when they went down to $9.99, originally marked at $19.95. 

The white taper candles from World Market, I had to cut them down to fit.   The large white cake-plate holder was from Pottery Barn Kids years ago and the floral wreath nest is also from Williams Sonoma a few years ago.  I see another one similiar to this one but not exact.  I love mine and keep it out year round. The robin's egg blue plates where from Homegoods. 

 It is lost a bit of color and the truffle eggs that came with it our long gone but I reupped and ordered them for next year.  I actually like to use them on my Carrot Cake.

Here are a few ceramic creations that I have had forever, they were made by my ex-boyfriends' aunt, she had an Art Studio in Diamond Head and loved to create all kinds of things.  I've cherished them forever and will never toss them into the yard sale pile...

The plastic eggs are from TJMaxx and the nest I can't not remember where I got it. 

Here are a few of my other cloches decorated for Spring, the lavender egg is also from Auntie Clo{in Diamond Head}.  The large cloche to the left I love to fill with Lilly of the Valley but I can't find it anywhere, meaning the normal garden centers I browse this time of the year.  I used to pick it up at Trader Joes, but the last few years they stopped selling them.  Does anyone know why?   I think I'll have to try and grow them from seed or order online.  Anyone have a good resource? 

 

The Cottage on Cullen St. Spring Mantle and Scentsy

Have you heard of Scentsy?  Well it's a cross between a candle and a fragrant plug in, the website calls them flame-less candles. I first smelled {made aware} of them when I would go into the classrooms to substitute and the rooms would smell so GOOD! Another teacher saw them in the classrooms and wanted to know where she could get one and if I might know where to purchase them and I said, "my old neighbor from the old house sells them".  One thing lead to another and before you know it I'm having a Scentsy catalog party, {yes..I went in kicking an screaming, I don't "need" another "thing" to get hooked on}.  My other neighbor sells Partylite so I jump on her bandwagon sometimes when she has parties.  I am so glad I jumped on the Scentsy Bandwagon... I LOVE my new scentsy container, I ended up with a very Beachy ceramic holder that goes perfectly with my home decor and my home smells so good when I get home after a long day of teaching. {It sure beats smelly soccer socks!}

Here is my robins-egg blue ceramic scentsy holder, this one is called the Montauk Full Size. It has  a variety of shells hanging with twine as you can see from the pitcher.  They have so many scentsy scents to choose from it will make you dizzy smelling so many that you might go home with a headache. But after your nose re-cooperates you'll be back in business and order some scents to fill your home with lovely fragrance. In the end this is what I got; lot of "beachy" scents to go with my home.

This is what the bars look like and inside are individual "chunks" of wax that you plop into the top of the well to melt.  I choose the Beach scentsy bar and I could not stop there with so many scents to pick.  This one smells like you are sitting on the shore and smelling fresh rubbed up bodies of suntan lotion and the ocean breezes.  I also picked up the Ocean scentsy bars which smells like flowers that grow near the sea, very different than the Beach one.  I had to have Lush Gardenia, of course ya know it is my favorite flowers, eva!  It has a very strong scent.  I love all kinds of floral scents, I'm really not into the vanillas or "food" kind of scents, for example Cake Batter or Cinnamon Roll.  I also got the Lilacs and Violets, which is a very soft floral scent.  I also like the fresh clean scents like linen, cotton or rain.  To feed my love of fresh scents  I got Thunderstorm and Wishing Well {Madison picked that one out}...which are very light scents.  

I know there have been a lot of Spring Mantle "show and tells" on blog land since spring but I have not been able to get my post up until now. Recently Mr. Incrdeble was diaganosed with Skin Cancer on his lip and in the last couple of weeks he has surgery to remove it and then reconstructive surgery to repair the cut out.  I will spare you any pictures of THAT!!  But he is on the mend and he is doing great!  Everything is good in the hood as they say in these parts.  

Speaking of Mr. Incredible..see those ceramic vases over on the left of the mantle..he made them in high school in Ceramics Class.  He loved ceramics class and we have saved them all these years.  

I got inspired looking at this PB picture and thought geez I could pick up a couple of spring cheery blossoms and put them in the vase Mr. Incredible made and create a very cute springy mantle display....mine is a bit more sparse or simple but I think I like it.  So if you have heard of scentsy what scent is your favorite?  

 

 

Madison's Hawaiian Themed Room

When we moved into the Cottage on Cullen in June we had the hardwood floors redone and repainted the Living/Dining room, Family Room and all of the bedrooms. The home is very beachy and done in blues and greens. Madison choose a very BRIGHT green for her room.  I was like.."are you sure you want this green?"  

"Yes, Mom, I'm sure". I know in the old house she kept saying her room was too white, well it is not white any longer.  Okey Dokey.   Before I show you her room in it's entirety {well, it is a very small room, the smallest of the bedrooms in all of 1300 square feet of our very humble abode}...let's take a look at the before pictures.  When we looked at this house the first time it had graffiti all over the walls especially in the family room and living room. Yikes!  Madison's room was lavender not a bad color for a girls room but she is not a purple kind of girl.

yes that is the doggy door over there.....who in the sam hill puts a doggie door smack dab in the middle of the room under the windows!!  Seriously!!!  

This is her very minuscule closet, lucky the girl does not have a lot of clothes like her sister, we would have to have them spill out into the hall closet.  What sold her on this room are those shelves that go across the top of the wall.  They are on two walls all around the top near the ceiling.

Even the ceiling was painted purple...and that hideous fan!! Gawd!!

She got this quilt this past Christmas from PBTeen...It was on her list.  We bought a rug from Ikea for the family room a few months ago, but Mr. Incredible thought it was too small for the family room so Madison said she wanted it in her room. So in it went and it goes perfectly with the Lulu Quilt.  The quilt ties the brown rug, green walls and her turquoise desk that I repainted for her old room. {it was my mothers and it was in our living room as long as I can remember}.

It has some cute shelves on the side where she keeps pencils, crayons, magazines, which is my favorite part of the desk.

After my friends' daughter baby shower we got to bring home the green lanterns and the turtle on her bed. I think we should add some poufy tissue papers balls to them in a turquoise or brown to add texture and more color against the green walls.

 Looking from the desk over to the opposite corner, the dresser was my husband's parents and her chunky TV. It was at the foot of the bed and it made it too squishy so it was moved to the corner.  The Jenny Lind bed was mine when I was a little girl, love it's chippy paint.

This magnetic raffia bulletin board is what got us started on the whole Hawaiian theme.   The green Gerbera daisies we had in a watering can in her old room and here we re-purposed them as as a magnetic flowers.  

Looking back towards her door you can see the board and her ceiling shelf.  
The large aqua ball jar has sand from Alabama where my In-laws live.  The small ovalish box is in the shape of Kaua'i, the island I lived on for 10 years.

Here "Shelf of Fame"...a few of her trophies that can fit up there and pictures of her softball and soccer teams she has been on.

I'm on the look out for a medium size mirror to put over these side table...with 1 tween and 1 teenage girl in the house.  I don't think I could have enough mirrors.  

Hope you like the tour of her room.  It has been fun working with her and seeing it come together.  I have some bamboo rods that I don't know exactly how to use them.  Possibly a valance rod or maybe a rod to hang pictures from on the opposite side of her bed.  I think I'll be getting some wicker type basket in brown for under her bed.  What do you think?  Any ideas?

 

iphone in the house!

I'm really always the last to be with the latest gadget....my kids seem to have the latest {except we do not have an Xbox or Wii} they first had ipod nanos in green and pink which got passed down to me so I can listen to music while on walks.  First the pink one {Kenzie's} then the green nano {Madisons} when they each got the Ipod touch either for a birthday or Christmas. 

So how did I come to own an iphone{after years and years saying I wanted one?} About two weeks ago I asked my "handy dandy" Mr. Incredible to hang a shelf in our entryway hallway so I can hang my purse up when I walk in from the front door.  This is my purse...

Yes from Anthro a few Christmases ago and boy does this baby hold a lot...lots of pockets and nooks and crannies.  I usually carry my camera in there too.  Mr. Incredible hangs the shelf  but "his" side of the garage is so unorganized  and just plan messed up he can't even find the proper nail.  I don't dare go clean up because I don't know a wrench from a ratchet and I would end up throwing away something that is worth something.  He decides to take the easy way out and find the easiest to find nail to hang the shelft to shut me up, it barely had a head on it.  A few days later after he hung the shelf, I was repositioning some knick knacks on top of it and about 20 minutes later Snickers Barbara takes off after the cat and the shelf went kaboom!   I did not realize it at that time it wasn't until the next day at lunch when I went to get my phone out of my purse but the screen was cracked.  I tried switching my daughters screen out since she washed hers a few months ago and she got a new phone for Christmas.  Nope that did not work.  So I had to get another one, {insert happy face here} After much pleading with my "non"techie-lazy-ass husband Mr. Incredible we decided we would use my allowance to pay for my new iphone, it wasn't so much as the price of the phone it was the added data plan that was killing Mr. Incredible.  Yes, I do get an allowance and I'm almost 50!  My "non"techie-lazy-ass husband Mr. Incredibles' parents have done this for years, they each get an allowance each week and it works great. No guilt on whatever you want to spend your money on.  This has worked for us fabulously. I was having a problem with "guilty" spending and now I don't have that monkey on my back anymore.  So Mr. Non-techie-lazy-ass husband Mr. Incredible relented to my wish and now I'm the proud owner of a White iphone.  

Let's just say "I'm LOVING IT!"  Now I can't decide what kind of protective case I want.  This one is calling my name... 

this one is really up my ally...ya?  so cottagy cute..or this one from zazzle.com

this one in pretty aqua damask....

 

or getting it personalized might be kind of neat.  My co-worker ordered hers from zazzle.com  and she loves it, it is a soft cover and she has dropped it a few times and it did not break to bits.  Or should I be a "do it yourselfer" and use up some of my scrapbook paper that is just sitting in my closet?  

 Here at Nest for Less she shows you how to customize them to suit your mood, your wardrobe or make it seasonal.  Choices, choices, what is a girl to do?  What would you do?

Essie...I'm a collector

When I was in my teens I began to be" beauty conscious", {like my tween and teen are doing now}.  I started reading Teen Magazine, I would read the article on how to give myself a facial. It told me to put water to boil and then steam my face over a towel. In this article they asked certain models what was there beauty advice and I remember Christie Brinkley answer was WATER!  Drinking it and steaming your face over it.   Then along came my twenties and I started reading Cosmopolitan along with all the "how to be in touch with your inner Sexy" articles I would read the beauty articles. One in particular was  how to give yourself a manicure on a budget.  So after I "steamed" my face I would but on a mask and add a bit of cold water to the hot water to the big pot and soak my feet and hands. I then would rinse my hands and feet and use a cuticle stick to push them back and cut any hang nails.  Then I would paint my toenails and fingernails, usually a bright hot pink or red.

                                                             DIY Manicure

I did this every Sunday afternoon for the longest time up until I had kids!!  My beauty regime went out the window.  Fast forward to this fall and I read an article  in Better, Homes and Gardens on Essie Weingarten

 and Essie Nail Polish.  So I seeked out her Nail Polish at Target and low and behold I got my first bottle of Essie.

I bought East Hampton Cottage, I was looking for Ballet Slippers because Essie in the article suggested it but they were sold out.  East Hampton Cottage is very similiar and who wouldn't love that name?  ah yea, me!

 I went home and gave myself a DIY manicure following the article directions and boy did that manicure  last quite along time so I became hooked on Essie Nail Polish.  Being that this was September I wanted a Fall color so I picked up Chinchilly the next time I went to Target.  

So slowly began my collection of Essie's Nail polish.  This year my stocking was loaded with nail care products.  My "elves" picked out Sugar Daddy and Bahama Mama.   

I then have been "pinning" to my Fashionista Board and here are some of my faves I would like to add to my stash.

                                                   Marshmallow for winter

                            Size Matters {got to Love that name} for Valentines Day

                                                     Watermelon for Summer

 

                                                      Saint Tropez for Summer too 

 and my favorite of all name and would love this in summer too..Going Topless and Barefoot, well it actually called Topless and Barefoot but I added the "going" part. I used to have VW Cabiolet Covertible and on my license plate it would say "I love going topless", Yes..my twenties...cRaZy times for me!  I think this color would be great looking on a tan skin in the summertime, ya?

                                                       Pale blue for anytime!

This is my medicine cabinet and from left to right we have;

East Hampton Cottage, Sugar Daddy, Nice is Nice, Chinchilly, Carry On and Bahama Mama.  And as one of my New Year Resolutions I would like to declare a Beauty Hour for me. I'm a very LOW maintence I have only had one facial in my almost 50 years of living on this earth and only one professional Mani/Pedi.  I told the girls that we will get Manicures and Pedicures on Mother's Day as a treat and we will start this coming Mother's Day.  Now to keep my nails suffiently groomed in the mean time I vow to reenstate my "beauty regime" again.  And its no time like the present....

Ok...I'm off to go give myself a manicure , hope those dang curtains I need to start don't veer me off track....

I want to go back to school!!

Each year the girls get a set amount to spend on clothes for back to school.  I forget what last year's budget was. This year, they got $300.00 each and they were responsible for carrying the dinero in their wallet and going up to the check out and buying their items.  They did very well...but dang while they were shopping, I was "shopping" in my little world.  We hit 3 different malls this week and Target and a two Old Navies.   While we were at I found some things I would of loved to spend my "imaginary $$$" on.

 
When the girls first told me about Tom's I was like those are shoes your Abuela {grandmother} used to wear.  What you like those?  Well at Nordstrom...I saw them in Burlap....and I loved them!  How cool is that? 

I have a friend that told me recently, "thatI dress like my home"..yep I have to agree.  I also liked the linen ones they had. 

 
These cool pants would be in a shopping bag going home with me...

 
from American Eagle I'd love to accessorize with this scarf...

 
 
this anthro sweater {sorry it is so pix-elated}...

 
 
I love the hand knit detailing on this....

 
 
This cute black and white Polka-dotted dress from Boden....

 
 
I think if I was to be a follow a fashion character on Glee..it would be Rachel....ya think?  I do like how she dressess.

 
Also from Anthro, I love the color of this..and that sweet ribbon tie...

 
I know I posted about this fun bracelet before...the teacher in me loves it!  I really need to make one....

 
Actually I bought these at the beginning of the summer....from Target.  They have them on clearance..I love Espadrilles...Je taime...

 
I love these white clogs....I've been wearing clogs since I was about 8 years old...love them!

 
AND MY VERY FAVORITE FIND OF ALL, WHERE THESE BABIES!!  OH MY...AREN'T THEY THE CUTEST EVA? Oh look they get even cuter....

 
yes!! they come with pink satin laces!!!!  I luuuuvvveee them!  Well, if I can't get them at back to school time...they are going on my Dear Santa list...you betcha!  

 

 

 

 

Sea Salt I {heart} you morning, noon and night..

 
I try all kinds of coffees, I get coupons and it forces me to try different things I might not normally eat or drink as is the case with this coffee.  Sea Salt Caramel from Target.  I had a coupon and boy do I like it.  I'm not a big strong coffee kind a gal as you can tell by the light brown color of my coffee.   I use a lot of cream.  I use a vanilla creamer when I brew a pot of the Sea Salt Caramel Coffee.  Yum! Goes great with waffles or bagels. 

 
Also at Target they sell a Sea Salt chip. I'm not a big fan of a lot of salt and these chips have a hint of sea salt.  It goes great with a nice Turkey sandwich with provolone cheese, tomato and lettuce.  Oh yes..don't forget a slice of bread and butter pickle too!

 
What is your favorite sandwich?  Mr. Incredible loves a Tuna and Avocado...Kenzie loves Peanut Butter on Wonder bread and Madison loves  grilled cheese.  These chips go perfect with all of the above sandwhiches. 

 
And I left the best for last..I would of never heard of .......

 
Talenti Gelato in Sea Salt Caramel,  if it wasn't on sale and I didn't have a coupon...but OMG!!  One bite and I thought I died and went to heaven..

 
I have never had gelato..{insert Italian accent here} but this was so creamy and tasty!  Not only that you can see it has chunks of caramel truffles embed in it.....Please try it you'll thank me later...but if you live in my area you'll not find one pint left in the your grocery freezer, I bought them all!!   Yes..that is how crazy I am for Talenti's Sea Salt Caramel Gelato !!!!

Oh not only that, check out Sea Salt....done in Paint

My Lanai...{the brick patio}

 
My double adirondack bench has found it's home on the corner of the brick lanai ..behind it are "flower" beds or a soon to be "garden" bed as soon as those 400 lb. granite boulders disappear {we have a friend who is going to take them off our hands} yippee skippy.  So meanwhile I've been planting in my mop bucket!

 
I've been on a purple and kelly green tear lately...do you see those purple petunias edged in green...I thought they were a bit different then the solid color ones and I thought the color went perfectly with the green and purples that are unfolding on the lanai.  If you look closely you can also see a mini purple SEA Glass Ball...inside. {I picked up a small bag of them in greens, blues, amber and one purple one when I was at the Rose Bowl last time.}

 
See how the Green Paisley matt matches wonderfully with the cushions from TJMAXX...love that place. Everything is so reasonably priced and the best part of those cushions are that they are made out of outdoor fabric so the color has stayed true, no fading and they are going on their third summer.

 
But I do think I may need to get out my paint brush and give the old bench a good swap with my white paint....

 
Another li'l added pop of kelly green and lo and behold I see some more Paisley, ....and some turquoise too, the color of the year the designers all say~~~

 

My Southern Living {Willow House} Candelier, which I have had for several years now has also found a new home on the outside patio table....it used to reside here at the old homestead.

 
While at the garden center I picked up some Spaghum Moss which I like to put in my planters, especially the Hydrangea ones to keep the moisture in. In the hot summer months they need all the help they can get with watering.  So I also like to put is in the candelier and with the added sea stars and coral looks so summery.  Those white candle holders with the ocean cutouts I got at Crate and Barrel years ago.  Still a favorite of mine.

 
Love to sit out here with my glass of wine and listen to the crickets or if it is not too dark read my book.  It has turned into such a nice place to be on a summer afternoon or evening.  As you can see beyond the table, we hope to put in a saltwater pool.  One of the reasons we picked this house was the backyard was conducive to a pool being built....but for now we will enjoy it just as it is....

 
Hope you are all enjoying your summer outdoors!

 

Fruit and wine or Wine and Fruit...they just go together..."like peas and carrots"..

I picked up this Sea Glass Reisling at World Market the other day when I finally decided that I needed to pick up ...

 

... this Paisleyish {i think i made that up?} green coir rug to keep the hardwood floors from getting too dirty.  I LUUUUUV me floors but they do track in grass and dirt if the peeps in the Cottage on Cullen don't wipe their feet or my hands will be permanently gripped on my broom. 

 
Oh, she thinks we got it for her....I think I may need to apply sunscreen on her, do you see she is turning a bit pink?  Don't you just love her Polka-dotted belly?

But back to my Sea Glass vino...yes I'm Guilty as charged for picking up a bottle of wine because of a label, I've posted before of picking up the Cupcake one, have you had that one? 

 

they sell it at Target.  And in this case it was not only the label but the Cobalt blue of the bottle color that had me interested too.  It is a sweet wine and I'm not a big sweet wine drinker, I have a few friends that rave about Moscato wine but I'm not a big fan..way to sweet. I'm much more of a Chard kind of gal. 

 
But sweet wine go with dessert, right? And this wine went perfectly with this Summer Fruit tart....yum!  What is one of your favorite dessert wines?  Do you like Moscato?  Inquiry minds want to know.....

 

and what is your favorite summer fruit?  Mine are raspberries...