DRIVEWAY TO HEAVEN

It's been awhile since I wrote about our little casa. We've done so much work over the last 22 months and I hardly have any pictures to show for it. That's got to change! This is what's happening to our driveway as I type this. 

 Finally the day has come to say good-bye to this sad, sad driveway. About once a month our neighbor would ask us if we were getting a driveway soon. I'd always say, "It's on the list."  Happily, we can cross it off by the end of the day. Can't wait to see the results.

All this was done in just an hour. We're using the broken concrete for the back yard. I'll show you that project once we're done.

And there it is with the frame still around it. What a difference. I'll take another picture later.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

While we are almost done with the month of January, I 've decided to share some TO-DO's with you for 2012 for our house. There's still so much that needs to be done our on little fixer but we have come a long way. At this point it's time to focus on the details, because as we all know, it's the details that make a difference.

1. Find a vintage white wrought iron bed frame like the one below. I LOVE this look. Love the natural fabrics on the bed.

2. Figure out our backyard. That means getting hardscape and fencing. We've already started with our Victorian arched arbors with got at Home Depot. They were raw lumber and we painted them. Quite a project to get into all the nooks and crannies. The red arbor looks a little Asian to me, but it was from Smith & Hawkins big sell out sale and was labeled "Victorian". I love both things. The wrought iron chairs are from a garage sale. We want to get them sandblasted and powder coated.

3. Paint our house. To me this looks like Pink. Our neighbor said he didn't think it was Pink... hmm. You be the judge. I'm thinking of painting it white. Mr. J thinks Green. I love green, but really want the flowers to pop out and am afraid they'll be lost with a green background. We'll see. Right now, there's nothing that is popping at all. We put in the cement pavers (free from Craigslist). Everything is a process. Okay, maybe it's really about budget:)

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful new year. We kicked off New Year's Eve with an open house party. My first party of that kind ever. I learned a lot after reviewing all the left over food. There were too many sweets and not enough meats. Mental note for next time.

Water Water Everywhere and not a drop...

The house before the shrubs were removed.
Looks a little naked. There was an accident and when the roots were removed, a water pipe was hit which lead to replace the whole thing.
At the end of the day, all got put back together and tidy. Now what to plant there?

LITTLE DETAILS

This was how each window in the house looked when we bought it. The original windows had been replaced with low-e vinyl but hadn't been finished out. Oh so ugly! Until now, 7 months later.

This is in the office. We still have to sand the baseboards and put on the quarter round or is it shoe moulding? At any rate, it's so much nicer to be in here.

AND SO IT BEGINS

This is the first striking visual you see when you enter the house. All these pictures are how the house was when we first got the opportunity to go inside.

This is standing in the raised dining room looking into the living room. The couch on the right is against the wall. We do love the beamed ceiling.

This picture is taken standing in the living room peering into the dining room which she had set up as a family room.

Here is the family room/what would be the dining room.

Turn a little and you'll be able to go down this hall. The first opening on the right is the kitchen and the first opening on the left is a bedroom. Bathroom is at the end of the hall and turn the corner to the left, there's another small bedroom.

I'll continue the tour on another post.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND ESCROW, OH MY!

We are officially in escrow on this little hacienda. If all goes accordingly, we will close at the end of the month. Can't wait to take you along our journey as we fix up this diamond in the rough and let it shine.

CANTON, TX

Oh the wonderful world of Canton, Tx First Monday. We just got back and it was the perfect shopping weather.

There's something magical about peering thru old windows. Think of how many eyes have looked thru those same windows many years ago. What were they thinking,? What were their dreams? Their fears? Their hopes? And how many times did they look out and think of a different life for themselves or their children. Or maybe, they looked thru the glass and thought, GEE, this needs to be cleaned!

Love this arbor. If only I could fit it into my suitcase.

I've seen these in antique stores and people put their plants in them. Ideal for orchids.... Again, too bad I can't fit them into my suitcase.

CRYSTAL BALL

Sometimes a watering can is practical and sometimes it's just quaint and every once in a while it's both. Regarding our bungalow hunt, it looks like we might be heading toward escrow on a short sale that began in October. We should find out tomorrow. Of course, this HAS been going on since October. I'll let you know as we know.

SPRING AWAKENING

The Orchid Farm is alive and happy.

I can't believe I used to toss these out after their initial bloom. I had no idea I could get them to come back. These are above our kitchen sink with an East facing view. It makes doing the dishes bearable since this is my view.

With our rains we've been having, our garden has never been happier. When Smith & Hawkins was going out of business (sigh) we snagged this red arbor. It's called Victorian, but it looks a little Asian to me. Either way, it's fantastic support for the red bouganvilla.

We our hopes still high on the pink Spanish house bid, we knew it would need work. We found Silverlake Architectural Salvage and got there an hour before they closed. Does your heart pitter patter at the look of old windows? Mine does.

There was something so sweet and simple about this cast iron fireplace frame. I decided it would be too small in our Pink Spanish House, but I still loved it.

LATE EASTER EGG-CELENT HOUSE HUNTING

We have an offer in on this Spanish Bungalow. It's a short sale, so our offer has been in since... well, October.

We actually saw inside it last weekend. Poor ol' gal needs some love, but wouldn't you if you were born in 1929.

What we like about it is it's style and sweet manageable backyard. If we get it, I'll post some before pictures. In the meantime, my hunt for the perfect TV cabinet continues and it is stepped up a bit since we took the plunge and got a flatscreen TV that's sitting out for all to see 24/7. Not my favorite thing in the living room.

The days are beautiful and our Christmas cactus has come back to show more blooms. What a treat!

March Madness

It's late, but happy New Year. I'm still hunting for that perfect TV cabinet. This caught my eye in an antique store. Very unusual, but I liked it. A bit pricey for my buget so for now, I have to admire it and move on.
All the pretty things displayed inside.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Away in a manger... I loved this concrete oversized nativity scene. It would be so perfect for an outdoor courtyard.This is an antique store in Agora Hills that is brimming with eye candy. I love to daydream in here.

I'm going to Colorado for the holidays so I won't be posting anything thru the holidays and New Years. Hope you find joy as the close of the year nears.

Ahhh BEAUTY

I can't help myself. Even on a busy afternoon of running errands, if I'm near PomPom, I have to go in and just enjoy.

Tis The Season

While this bungalow may not have the Spanish charm we love, we put an offer on it today. It has only been on the market for 3 days and already there is an offer pending. We went ahead and decided to put our chip in the pot to see if we could be a backup offer. This neighborhood is wonderful. There are mature trees lining the street. It's very near Paramount Studios. We haven't seen inside, but these days that's just a detail if the price is right and the location is good. We'll see how this goes.

SAY GOODBYE TO NOVEMBER

I can't help but be drawn to the architectural features of these. And look how the mirrors are layered on the wall. I stumbled upon this nursery, Rolling Greens Nursery in Culver City. It's magical with lots of different areas to get lost in. They are opening up a second place just a stones throw from our place. I may have to apply for a part-time position.

FALL LA LA LA LA

Oh how I love to visit my favorite store in Los Angeles, Pom Pom. I can't say enough how the minute I step into this shop, I'm enveloped in a calming sensation that is so joyful. Step inside with me...

Picturesque Bungalow Fixer

This is a sweet hillside bungalow, that investors currently own. We found out about it and have been tracking it for about 6 months. Finally we were able to see inside. Quaint interior. Very small. 1 Bedroom, 1 bath. 840 sq. ft. Vaulted ceiling with beams. Sliding doors to porch that overlooks the city. When we went to the backyard, we noticed the structural crack. Can you say "Run!"?
Take a peek inside the house starting in the makeshift basement and walking up the steps. We felt it had such charm, but the foundation issue is very intimidating. We'll pass on this one.

A SELECTION OF BUNGALOWS

THE HUNT HAS BEGUN! I am in search of our new bungalow. A place to call our own. I'd like to find something before the end of November. This bungalow, while true it's very sad (they call it a major fixer or a tear down), has an excellent location. Very close to my husband's work. We are looking for a "project" yet this is out of our price range. We're thinking of asking $90,000 less. Currently it's on the market for $490,000 and has been on the market for 253 days. I think it's time they lower they price. I'm thinking it's a family owned house and they know what the area is worth, so they're wanting as much money as possible. Which is absolutely understandable, but clearly it isn't selling for that amount. Might have foundation issues.

This is the bonus of the house. The view is wonderful. It overlooks Burbank. Yes, that's smog in the background, but we like to think of it as haze.

This is a house we put an offer in on, yet haven't looked inside. Price $345,000 990 sq ft. and believe it or not, it's a cheap price. The video starts at the back of the driveway and continues to the front of the house. As much as I love the tree, I'm afraid it would have to go.

We are going to look inside this house on Wednesday. Our offer that was submitted has expired so we are starting from scratch. It's a short sale and that's a new experience for us. We'll see how it looks and then decide if we want to put in an offer. It's farther from my husband's work so his commute would start to hedge around 40 minutes, although he's not sure.