Happy Fall

I apologize for my absence, things have been quite hectic lately.

A couple positive things have happened though and I have a lot to be grateful for.

On Wednesday, after nine months of dying to have something done with my hair I was finally able to afford to go in and have my hair tended to. After some of the disastrous hair shows (for my hair at least) that I've been through, my hair has become pretty unmanageable. Tangled and curly/wavy, less than a blow dry and a curling iron, my hair looks like hell. A big frizz ball. Think Mia Thermopolis (Princess Diaries) pre princessification. But now it's pretty smooth and sleek, thanks to a Brazilian Blowout. I got a great deal on it, had my hair dyed and trimmed and decided it was time to test out bangs. I absolutely love what I see when I look in the mirror now and it's made my morning readying time so much quicker. And I don't have to blow-dry my hair when I get out of the shower now. I can just run a brush through it and let it do it's own thing. Though I'll admit, it will look a bit sleeker if I run a hot iron over it.

I don't have a good before shot of my hair, but here it is after my salon appointment...

G and I also had a nice lunch in Downtown Claremont this week and had a wonderful brunch in Downtown Upland yesterday. We fall more and more in love with our new home everyday and all the wonderful amenities the location offers. I don't miss LA in the least and am happy to be putting down roots here.

After my lovely morning and afternoon with G, I decided to go spend the evening with my parents and sister. We had a fun dinner at Chili's, did some shopping at Barnes and Noble and a bit of shopping at the local outdoor mall. Let's just say I was very spoiled and got a wonderful early Christmas gift.

At B&N I got 2 large novels...

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Next we went to Anthropologie and my parents bought me this wonderful bag...

Autumn Garden Bag

Quite expensive, an early Christmas gift, and so incredibly beautiful. And it has TONS of storage. I'll be able to fit pretty much everything in this bag. So many different compartments (2 small on the sides, two large and then the large zippered middle with compartments in there too. Makeup bag, wallet, camera, on the go snacks, and my journal will fit easily in here. I will be using this bag for years to come and will always hold it dear. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for all the wonderful gifts you gave me yesterday. I can't wait to gift you guys for your birthday this month, though unfortunately it will have to wait till beginning of next month, but if I'm able to get what I'm hoping to for you guys, you're both gonna LOVE it. 

Today so far has been a cool, rainy day. And G woke up feeling quite ill, though he is feeling better now, but is still feeling physically weak. I hate when he's sick. It worries me so, but hopefully by tomorrow he's well and his usual self.

I had planned to go around turning in job applications today, but with G feeling as weak as he does I don't dare leave him alone. Hopefully by the middle of next week I get myself out to do that, that way I have myself out there and maybe/hopefully hear from someone by the time I get back from visiting my family for my Mom's birthday and the Halloween holiday.

Have a great weekend y'all!

McCall's Candles

In 2008, when I was living up in a little town called Tehachapi, I visited one of the many cutesy little gift shops in downtown and found the cutest candles ever. The rustic, antique look of McCall's Candles immediately drew me to them, but the scents they offer are even more enticing. My favorite is the Campfire Marshmallow. They are very aromatic and after being out of the house for a few minutes and walking back in, the scent just envelopes you. While in Tehachapi, I only bought the tiny 5 oz candle and it was used up all too quickly.

When visiting with a friend in my hometown of Corona, we decided to take a little drive to Tom's Farm's, which we knew best for it's candy store. But now as adults it's a whole new fun and lovely place. The furniture store is filled with gorgeous decor and obviously furniture and I was very surprised and happy when I saw that they sold McCall's candles. I bought the 26 oz candle this time and have been burning it throughout the day since. It lasts a while and when you look at it, the wax that has melted has a glittery look to it. I just love it!

While at Tom's Farm's I looked through their huge array of Halloween Decor and saw many things I absolutely wanted, but settled on a cute little LED pumpkin.

You can't tell from this picture, but the LED light flashes multiple colors (orange, green, red, blue, purple). He is just so cute. There were others like him there, and I'm hoping I'll be able to go back and snag a few other sizes.

And as mentioned, we hit up the famous candy store and I bought three different bags of salt water taffy. So delicious!

Happy Friday

Today was an all around good day. Got to sleep in a little, found some yummy banana nut muffins in the kitchen for breakfast and our MIA pool guy finally showed up and cleaned the pool (lots of banana leaves and algae in it, ick!).


Our gardener was here also today and got the lawn all clipped up and fixed one of our broken sprinklers. Said gardener also happens to be a plumber/handyman and attended to the broken shower drain in the main  house and installed the log lighter for the fireplace.


I am so jealous of our tenants having a fireplace! But in four or so years it will be all mine. I imagine many a wonderful Christmas'/parties around it.


I got the hummingbird feeder up yesterday and here's what it looks like in the yard...

I hung it from an eve, close to some plants I notice that the hummingbird likes to take a break at. I saw him go flying into my hibiscus today, but he didn't notice the feeder. If I don't see him at it soon I might have to move it. Part of the reason I put it there was because I want to be able to see it from upstairs/the balcony. It's mainly for his pleasure though, so if I have to move it, I move it.


I decided to go on the search today for a wind chime. First I hit up Armstrong Garden center and I liked what they had, but I wasn't feeling the prices. The cheapest wind chime that I liked was $55 and I understand that they sell the top of the line ones, but I just couldn't see myself spending that much on one I only slightly liked.


So off to Lowe's I went with my 10% off coupon. Right when I walked in the doors from the Garden Center was a display with a bunch of wind chimes. I was so happy! I tested them all, looking for the perfect chime. I don't like a chime with a lot of tinny. I like it to sound a lil... deeper. If that makes sense. I finally settled on a lovely copper colored one, with an interchangeable weight. Since it's fall, I am using the leaf...

I hung it at the far right end of the deck because I want to be able to hear it from the bedroom. I think it looks awful nice next to the palm and with the mountains as a background it's just lovely.


While at Lowe's I found lovely Calla Lily plant and decided to bring it home to have inside the house. All the plant focus has been on outside the house, but I've been dying for some green inside so I bought the Calla Lily plant and have it sitting on our window seat in the living room.

When I got home from my little shopping excursion the painters had arrived to get to work in the main house. They took the nasty old evaporative cooler off the dining room side of the main house and in the process had to pull down the siding. Since they weren't able to find siding that matched they pulled down the siding farther along the wall that meets the breezeway door and will be patching both with a wider wood siding. In the process of pulling everything down, down came my little butterfly bell (we use it as a "doorbell" and I decided it was time to find an actual chain for it rather than the ratty yellow cord that hung from the bell.

So off I went to Michaels. I adore Michaels. I can get in so much trouble there. But I think I really kept myself in check. I found a lovely chain and once the siding by the breezeway is done, I'll put the bell back up and take a photo to post here. I was enamored with all the Halloween stuff they had, but told myself to wait... HomeGoods is next door. I made a quick stop in the prints/posters area and found a lovely print that I'm going to hang above the living room sofa... as long as G doesn't fight me on it. lol

I need to get a frame on it and then I can hang it. I will take a photo of that once it's been done, which I hope will be before the end of this weekend.


After I took my Michael's purchases to the car I walked next door to HomeGoods. And I was so right to wait. Oh my gosh the Halloween stuff they have! I still practiced restraint, I will wait to buy Halloween stuff until I am with G, because he'll get really excited and then it won't be so bad as if I had come home all on my own with a bunch of stuff. haha


I ended up buying two 'Owl' related things for my expectant Cousin for her baby's room. And then I found this lovely aged looking red box for the coffee table to put odds and ends in, this beautiful set of mosaic candle holders, and a towel/jewelry rack.

The mosaic candle holders will probably be moved somewhere else and I've yet to figure out whether I want the rack to be in the bathroom or the bedroom. But will post pics once they've found their permanent homes.


Before I headed home I stopped at Bath and Body Works and picked up the new Fall soaps I talked about in a previous post. Once home I unpacked everything, made spaghetti, and now here I sit and that was my day. I took some pics earlier of my Lilies on the table. Still waiting for a few to open up, but they're looking beautiful.

It is my plan to take photos of each room in the apartment for the purpose of 'before and afters' as I make changes and updates to it. I hope to take these photos this weekend and do a post on each room detailing what I'd like to do. I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. I can get boring with my list love. lol


Hope you're having a lovely Friday evening and that you have a Happy Labor Day holiday weekend!


xoxo

Minimalist Music Video Poster

Halloween is a little over two months away and I've already got the fever. 

So when I saw this poster by Federico Mancosu of Michael Jackson's Thriller, I just had to post it here. 

Isn't it totally awesome?! 

♥

Break in the heat

We've had quite the heat wave the last few days, but there has finally been a little break in the weather. We turned off the Coolerado, and are loving the nice cool breeze. I've been dying to get a wind chime or two to take advantage of the natural, beautiful music that the wind can help provide and once I start working on the backyard I'll be out and about looking for the perfect one.

And with the cool brings the excitement for fall. I am so ready to bring out my sweaters and get ready for Halloween. While visiting family last weekend my cousin and I made a little trip to Walmart and I found boxes of Febreze's new limited edition holiday candles. I love anything pumpkin and spice so I grabbed one box each of the Pumpkin Harvest and Cinnamon Sugar. I have quite a candle collection, partially because I'm always saving my candles for a "special occasion", but I talked myself out of that and lit up the Pumpkin Spice tonight. The living room smells delicious and I really must stop hoarding my candles and burn them as often as possible.

I got a mailing last week that Bath and Body Works will be rolling out new Halloween themed soaps and am already counting down the days before I can go pick up a set. Soaps are my new obsession and I'm a big bargain hunter so I absolutely love B&BW because they're so reasonably priced and they always have the yummiest scents.

It's been quite a day and I am so ready for bed. Gonna finish my peppermint tea and get to sleep.

Goodnight!