When in Rome.... :)

Within the first few weeks of living here I realized I didn't really drive my car anymore.

Everywhere I needed to go I could either walk or 

ride my bike there. 

When I actually did drive somewhere outside of my

little town, it was always with the hubby in his truck.

My brand new Ford Explorer just sat there collecting dust.

So in an effort to simplify my life (and save cash for my dream house)....

I decided to ditch the big ole SUV, and go for something smaller,

affordable and just more... me:)

SQUEEEEL!!!!!! LOOOOK AT HER!!!!

Is she the cutest thing ever???

Say hello to my 1956 VW oval window.

 Somebody has made himself quite comfortable in her already:)

 That steering wheel... I die.

Power steering?? Psh! what's that??

A stereo?? Nope. You just have to sing to yourself or gasp! have a 

conversation with somebody!!

If you've ever driven a VW in your life, then you know what I mean

when I say they have a sound and smell all their own.

And I'm lovin it:)

 My first car was a stick shift that my dad just threw me in and made me drive 

after a 5 minute lesson. I remember being so freaked out and annoyed that

he would buy me a car that he KNEW I didn't know how to drive!!

I was honestly in tears when he got out of the car and made

me drive home by myself. I can still see his face as he leaned in the window and he said-

Dorie just relax!!! you're learning something that you're going to be grateful

you know someday.... and you're going to thank me.

I sold that car some years later and hadn't driven a stick shift since.

Until now.

Thanks dad:)

You know what else I haven't done since I was 16??

Take a drivers test.

It can't be that bad right?

Right???

I'm taking it today.

I'm scared:(

Wish me luck!!!

Her name is Rio..... :)

...and she dances on the sand.

Just not yet.

When the hubby, my son and I moved in August I had

to leave my baby girl behind:(

But just for a bit!

Rio and Chase are finishing up 2 houses and will

be hopefully coming to Carp by Christmas.

I miss her sooo much. Like you have no idea. 

Well I just got home after spending 5 wonderful days with her:)

 I just thought I share some pics of the adorable little

bungalow that she currently lives in.

Oh those roses? My hubby sent those the morning after I got to AZ.

How cute is he? Keeper:)

This little tiny was built in 1929 and is one of 6 little bungalows in downtown

Mesa. There's 3 on one side of a common front yard, and 3 on the other.

This cutie is a mere 870 sq. ft. but oh boy is it ADORABLE!!

It's a 2 bedroom 1 bath. What makes it nice is that the front room is so big!

And look at those glorious original windows, trim and hardwood floors:)

How adorable is this tiny dining area??

Just to the right of the dining is the teeny tiny yet very functional kitchen:)

Just so white and fresh huh??

In keeping with the tiny theme....

the bathroom. Rio added shelves and bought that storage cabinet at

Home Goods. 

 Since they'll be moving in November or December, they put this 

house on the market. And there it sat for sale for about 2.5 seconds.

Uh huh, SOLD!

BUT GUESS WHAT?? Like I said, Rio and Chase have 2 more coming up

and they are going to be FAB!! 

One is in Phoenix (Arcadia) and the

other is across the street from my old house in downtown Mesa:)

I'll be sure and post info and pics soon!

Mama so proud of her baby girl:)

The bar..... :)

Warning: totally crappy pictures.

This getting back to blogging business is hard people!!

And get out my real camera?? 

Psh. That's crazy talk.

Aaaanywaaaay,

the master bedroom and bath are on the 3rd floor of the house.

When I sold the house in AZ, I kept only what I really

loved, and one of those pieces is this dresser from FOUND:)

I love it for my whole life. 

The lamps made the cut too, I bought them at Home Goods.

And that chair???

It used to be velvet green. Remember??

Well after we got here, it just didn't quite work with the softness of 

this space. So I spent an arm and leg and had it reupholstered:)

The sweet gals at Gold Coast Fabrics did an amazing job huh??

Those curtains in the back are Martha Stewart and I found them

on clearance at Home Depot.

I like how they pulled out the blue in my duvet:)

The bed and nightstands are the Austen line from World Market.

The first week I was here I found these adorable

bird pics at a store called Magpie Collections in downtown Carp,

and aren't they perfect??

Here's the other side of the room.

A fireplace and some much needed storage on the right

behind those doors:)

Oh let me pan out. See that other cabinet to the left of the fireplace??

Yeah that's a mini fridge.

When I first walked in here and saw that, I thought what? huh?

I mean what?? Am I the only one on the planet that thinks

that's the dumbest thing ever??

I mean unless I feel like making a turkey sandwich at 3am then...

Well then I opened the doors above it...

A BAR!!! What in the world??? 

 I mean WHO makes martinis in their bedroom???!!!

I'm so sorry if you do, but please help me understand? What a

total waste of much needed storage space!!

Since the master bath has only one sink, 

this bar became the perfect place

to house my makeup and hair stuff:)

So there you have it. 

Gotta work with what you got right??

What's up???!?!?!!??

Oh my goodness. Where to start??

How do I put into words my happiness...??

Saying I'm happy and this place is Paradise just 

doesn't feel like it does it justice!! 

We found our hearts in Carpinteria, California :)

It's a small sweet beach town that has made us feel like

we're right where we should be:)

The beach here is dog friendly, too bad Little Bully isn't:(

He can be such a jerk around other dogs!!

I keep threatening a stint with Caesar Milan and then I remember

how Caesar says he trains the people more than the dogs...and I'm 

like oh forget it then. 

Ok so let's get down to business.

I know you are all wanting to know where in the world we landed.

Sadly. Not here.

Not here either.... :(

Nope. 

Apparently EVERYONE in Carp knows they live in Paradise and they don't want to 

ever leave... :(

I don't blame them. 

Ok, that's a lie. 

I do blame them. I blame them for loving this sweet town so much that there's

hardly anything on the market for sale!!! Waaaaaa!!!

So until someone has a moment of insanity and decides to sell me their

adorable little beach house...

I'm content to rent:)

When we sold our house I just kept praying... Lord find us the perfect place.

Is this green house the cutest??

But it's not mine.

This is:) 

Doesn't God have a hilarious sense of humor??!!

That green one is my neighbors house.

I had to laugh:)

We were soooo lucky to snatch up this place!! It's a 3 story townhouse built in 2007.

The best part? It's pet friendly.

Seriously people, you have no idea how hard it is to find a rental that accepts 

1 adorable frenchie and 2 cats!!?? (yes I'm playing favorites)

So when I said 3 stories, I should have mentioned that's it's 1500 sq. ft. TOTAL!!

That means a mere 500 sq. ft of actual living on the main floor.

Sooo, that means I can't hoard stuff.

That's a foreign concept I'm just beginning to grasp.

I'm not ashamed to admit- I LOVE stuff!!! 

The garage is only 1 car, and by that I mean no car.

It's full of surfboards, wetsuits, and bikes.

And ok, by bins...

Bins full of seasonal decor that I just can't part with!!! (shakes fists in air)

So here's the front room from the front door:)

Why yes! my Halloween has been out for over 2 weeks- duh!!

The couch is from IKEA. It folds out into a bed and that chaise lifts up

for storage under it...perfect!!

The chair is from Pottery Barn and I love it! 

Rio painted me the whale and turtle pics:)

Just to the right of the couch is the dining area.

The green cabinet I had in my laundry room of the old house, and the chunky leg

table I bought from FOUND yeeears ago. The chairs are from

World Market:)

This is the other side.

That sideboard is another FOUND piece. It houses all my

kitchen overflow:)

The door just to the left is a fabulous closet and the other is

a tiny powder room.

The kitchen is just on the other side of that counter.

This place is  perfect for us right now:)

I mean come on, I just have to walk or hop on my bike and look what

I see at the end of the street... :)

uh huh.

Paradise:)