Downstairs Guest Bathroom

This is the 3/4 bath that is downstairs for our guests. Again, most all items from YS and GW. My favorite: the $8.00 lamp from a YS this spring!

Dining Area/Family Room

My Kitchen, Dining and Family are all one large room. I am really happy with the way this room is coming together. I purchased the large horse picture over the couch on eBay and I am really happy with it. The 2 side white chairs were about $40 each from a furniture store as floor models. The rug was a target clearance find. The rooster side table I love and got a few years back at a home furnishings outlet. I think my mom bought it for me. She was with me when I got it. The other side table is is $30 old sewing machine table from a YS. All of the pillows are YS and GW from this week. Oh and the yellow/gold drapes in the downstairs rooms--Target Table cloth's, all 75% clearance, 4.98 each. No need to invest in custom draperies in a rental. I have more I need to do on the TV wall, so I did not post any pics of it.

The Kitchen

The tour continues with the kitchen. This is one of my favorites. I love the cabinets and the stainless appliances, as well as the Corian counter tops. Many of the items in here are new finds that I have already posted details on, so I will not go into all the details. Again, most everything from YS or GW. The barstools are Crate and Barrel for $10 each from a YS. The cushions, $1 each from GW today. The cookbooks I bought last week are on the counter with the white iron fruit bowl from yesterday on top. My favorite item in this room: my rooster lamp. Purchased from Dillards Home a few years back. Not on sale--I believe it was $80-90. YIKES, for me that is way too much!

The Entry Hall

So I thought I would share some pictures of Casa de Herrera (how ya like that spanish?), since I am always posting all of my thrift and yardsale finds. ***Keep in mind this is a rental house so that explains the blah boring near white walls everywhere***

I will use abbreviations to specify where the item was found: YS(yardsale), GW (Goodwill), TS (thrift store), E (ebay)

I will start with the entry way. I forgot the closeup picture but here you will find:

• old vanity table turned entry hall table, YS
• 3 books, 2 of which are old editions of Miss Manners, TS
• Lamp, GW
• small bird figurine, TS, last week
• glass cloche, GW
• bird under cloche, JoAnne 70% off clearance
• natural fiber balls under cloche and in the white bird cagey gazebo looking thingy, GW this week
• the white bird cage/gazebo looking things, GW this week
• 3 picture frames, all TS or GW
• pheasant picture on wall, GW

I plan to change this table depending on the season/holiday. Trying to make a better holiday decorating plan this year.

Sometimes it pays to be late

So today at about 10:50 I got in the car to go to the grocery for laundry detergent. On my way out of the neighborhood, I saw a yardsale sign. So I did what you are naturally supposed to do....I made a u-turn and went in the direction. Boy am I glad I did. You see, at 10:50 in the morning, that is waaay to late to go yardsale shopping, especially here with it 110 degrees. So I spent $25 and below you can see what I got. I did not have cash so I made a pile asked her a price, and she told me so I said I would be back with the money. When I came back, about 20 minutes later, they were packing up and she said, anything else you want, we will make you a good deal. So of course, I decided to look around. Then another lady said, anything else you want you can HAVE IT! Man I love that! So of course, I found a few more things I really needed!! Well, you know what I mean!

• maple kids rocking chair (in Sofia's room)
• 10 pillows and one needlepoint pillow cover (4 in living room)
• 3 small pic franes
• one oval white mirror (which is already hanging in Sofia's bathroom)
• large hunt scene picture (tag on back still for $85)
• red floral arrangement in black urn ( on table beside sofa)
• white iron fruit basket (already holding apples on kitch counter)
• 2 pieces of decorative white iron (one is in Sofia's bathroom hiding lamp cord)
• small white iron flower finial (already up in Sofia's bathroom holding mirror)
• silver container with lid (for bathroom I think)
• silver ice bucket (waiting for an occasion)
• large aged metal bucket (put away to use on Sofia's bday cowgirl party tablescape)
• 10 pieces of gymboree clothing (probably for ebay) (already in the wash)
• white with blue cracks pitcher and basin (in master bedroom)
• 2 tension rods
• white iron acorn (in master bedroom with others in collection)
• 3 holiday wooden signs
• one large wicker basket (now holding sofia's new tea set)
• large sea shell (authentic--they sellers were from CA) (in master bath toilet room)
• king size bed skirt
• stuffed guinea pig for sofia (on Sofia's bed)

Cheer Clinic

Today was such a great day! This morning I went out to pic up or local newspaper from the drive and decided to look at it right then. On the 2nd page was an ad for a free 2-hour cheer clinic at a local studio. So I called and left a message to see if they could still take a registration. They called me back and said yes, so this afternoon from 1-3 Sofia went to her 1st clinic. It was great and she did really good--for a while. Now for those of you who know us, you know Sofia wakes up with the sun basically. Today i think she slept till 6:15. On the weekends, she still naps usually from 1-3 so I was kind of worried. On the way there she fell asleep in the car for about 10 minutes. She like the jumps and did really good but was afraid to stand on the other girls during the stunts. No biggie. As time went on, she did start chewing on the string to her shorts, watching herself in the mirror instead of looking at the coaches, covering her face with her shirt, etc. None the less, at 3pm the parents were allowed to come into the studio and they whole group perfomed to music. In the video she did the 2 jumps and her front role (though you can't see it very well on the video) but you can see the tiredness/lack of enthusiasm as she moves about! Oh well, it was only her first time and 2 hours is along time. She said she like it but she was tired. She did say she wanted to do it again though! It made me happy and I had little visions of her doing backhand springs and basket tosses in my head! As I type this she is fast asleep in her bed!

My little Ballerina

Ballet/Tap class started today and Sofia was so excited. We are going to our YMCA for classes. She had a really great time,but she is very excited about gymnastics on Tuesday. She is attending an excellent facility nearby that has trained gymnasts upto the pre-Olympic level as well as cheerleaders (hint, hint Sofia!!). So we went and picked out new outfits for ballet and gymnastics as well as new ballet and tap shoes this week. Whew, thank heavens for grandparents!!! Soccer will start next month, so it looks like we will be busy. It is nice, that ballet is at the Y, because I can get my run in while she is in class. Parents watch from the outside of the room so in the video you really can't hear anything. Oh and of course after that we took a ton of stuff to the Goodwill and you know, looked around and found a couple of must haves--I'll post those tomorrow.