Book List

By no means am I a book worm, but I still thought it would be worth sharing a few of my favorite reads:

Not sure I can technically call this one a "read," but I LOVE IT! Wish I had the guts to take on some of these fabulous decorating ideas.



A quick how-to guide to green living. Practical advice that creates awareness and gives simple ways to keep the environment in mind without requiring a drastic change to your current lifestyle.

To Wallpaper or Not to Wallpaper, That is the Question

I never really thought of myself as a wallpaper kind of girl.

But then it found me.

Hemingway’s Flowering Rose. On clearance. Ten dollars per roll.

Could Jason handle a room full of roses? Probably not.

But the downstairs bathroom was rarely used and painfully dark with the burgundy paint I experimented with awhile back.

Surely I could convince him that this was a great idea.

And I did!

Or at least I like to think that I did.

A few weeks ago Chones (Dad) came down to help me hang the wallpaper. We had a great time and he taught me all his tricks.

I am now the proud owner of a wallpapering kit AND a beautifully wallpapered bathroom that confirms my "healthy addiction to geometric shapes."

Thanks Dad!

I Love Our Neighbors

Jason and I are very fortunate to live where we do.

Within minutes we can walk to the market, the bank, the gym, the coffee shop, the book store, the movie theatre, the library, and countless other stores and restaurants. City Hall and the Recreation Department are just around the corner, home to various community events including fabulous summer concerts in the park. Church is just a mile away, as is the lake where we had our wedding ceremony and the Santa Margarita Beach Club, one of my favorite spots in summer. We also have an inlet to the Tijeras Creek Trail, part of O'Neill Regional Park, just across the street. Right now it's a lush green area covered with an abundance of wild flowers.

We live on a cul-de-sac with eight homes just a few feet from each other. That's how we do it here in Southern California. I'm sure to many that seems crazy, but for us it's really not that bad. Probably because of our neighbors.

We have really great neighbors. Some we know better than others and hopefully with time we will establish genuine friendships with all of them.

The kids across the street and next door bring so much joy to our lives. They are always outside having good old fashioned fun. They like to "help" Jason with the car, play with Charlie and assist me with housework. No joke.

On Saturday they came over to help me pot a plant in the back yard. Then we trimmed the basil and made homemade pesto. Ashley read the recipe while Holly helped me measure out the ingredients. Jacob and Nathan played dominoes on the patio table and kept Charlie out of the kitchen - a very important job.

Yesterday when I took Charlie out in the morning, I noticed a paper folded up and stuck in our gate. This is what I found.

How sweet it is to have such wonderful neighbors. We are so blessed!

Grandpa's Chair

My grandfather has been a professional upholsterer for most of his life. He began upholstering in his 20s and to this day he still produces top notch work out of his garage.

His work is the finest around, his clients in all parts of San Diego, many with very high end furniture that requires incredible craftsmanship and expertise.

Last weekend he and Grandma delivered the chair that we found awhile back at a garage sale. He replaced the bright orange fabric with a muted mustard print we found in Solana Beach. He also added the piping to the back of the chair and the decorative tacks on the face of the arms.

Jason and I are proud to have a piece of his work in our home.

Thanks Grandpa, we love our chair!