My name is Elizabeth, and I am a house stalker!!

I found out the hard way that the Barnsdall Art Park farmers market is closed this week. BOO! Maybe tomorrow we can find one whilst I'm out with Aimee *I score 2 points everytime I use the W word!!* So I just went to the grocery store and picked up some basics and tons of water. On the drive home I just so happened to be in Eagle Rock near the foreclosure house I mentioned a few days ago, sooo...I decided to drive by just to take a peek. I was annoyed that there weren't any photos of the house on the listing website so that lead me to believe the house was in pretty poor condition. I have seen foreclosures on HGTV that have been trashed by vindictive owners and they strip the house down to the studs. I expected to see the same but aside from some neglected landscaping, and a tarp over the balcony roof, it looks pretty fucking sweet. I mean, dare I say it? from what I saw this house may actually be nicer than my Atwater Village house! The location doesn't compare, as lovely as Eagle Rock is *as well as being 10 minutes from Antz job* it's a bit boring, too suburban for me. The street is mega wide.

This street is like a mile wide and smooth even sidewalks, something you never see in Highland Park

This is our street, the truck would not have been able to fit if it weren't Friday and everyone was at work. You basically play chicken with oncoming traffic if you head up the hill.

I took pictures Paparazzo style because I was sure the neighbors would come out and chase me away.

The tarp is a huge red flag, if there is roof damage, that could be a deal breaker *like I'm in a position to make deals, hah!*

I should wear a badge that says "Hello, I'm Liz and I'll be stalking your house today!" :)

The landscape needs ton of work *I am not a fan of palm trees*

The lawn needs new sod, the driveway needs repaving and I want a security fence and gate.

I didn't expect the gate to be unlocked

Ooops, I just had to take a peek

I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw in the backyard

It is so rare to find a backyard with a pool and grassy space *although it needs landscaping*

Perfect space for BBQ grill and dining set

This deck is huge but I would most likely paint it another color *something brighter*

Bricky = icky!

The diving board has got to go!

This pool needs a makeover!

I am thinking something similar to this *do you love how nuts I am for using a pool from Mtv Cribs?*

I love this fireplace/waterfall

I love a beach entry freeform pool

This guy needs total demo

I love how they have a pool cover and don't use it...FAIL!

Here's a sneak peek at the kitchen, not loving the cabinets or tile countertops but they are definitely tolerable. I like the floors and the space. I am spazzing over that shiny silver object, could it be? a dishwasher!!! Sweet!

So of course, I am completely obsessed *borderline crazy* with this house. Not only does it fit all my must-haves but the price is ridic!! BANANAS!! It almost scares me, my theory is someone must already have an offer on the house and the bank is taking forever to close. Antz theory is someone was either murdered inside or there are poltergeist in the house. Neither would stop me from wanting this house. Next step is to have our agent assess our house *my guess is $50 bucks* and give us a reality check on selling in this market. I also want her advice for what projects/how should we spend our money on remodeling. Tomorrow I'm going to call the listing agent for this house and see if there are any offers and if not, if he could give us a showing this weekend. How is this house still available for this price? What's the catch? I would sell everything I owned *except my wedding ring* to get into this house. Now I'm living in Fantasyland!!

Measuring, measuring....ooh!

This word is haunting me! I wanted to spare myself the daily scrutiny of weighing but it seems I may have to in order to track my progress. So I step onto the board and wait with nervous anticipation while the Mii tells me she is measuring, measuring...last night I lost .9 lbs but it was the same .9 lb I somehow gained Monday. I suppose I should stop breathing because everything I do consumes calories. Last night I did the Island lap run for 15 minutes. This would be a fun, light run for my skinny bitches friends but for me, it was a major feat. I was sweating, huffing and puffing. I am stunned I finished it. I actually added strength training to my routine since my muscles are close to atrophying from non use. I am sore today but overall I feel good psychically and mentally. I just have to keep this up for the next 8 weeks.

Today Liv and I are going to the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood to pick up some healthies. These are the produce that is in season now:

Apples
Pears
Winter Squash
Broccoli
Kale
Chard
Beets
Turnips
Oranges
Tangerines

We've tried Winter squash, kale and chard. Broccoli is not a good idea because it causes extreme gas *and Liv has enough of that on her own* Doc Wang said to not give her any citrus just yet so that leaves apples, pears and beets *no way turnips* This morning she tried her first official fruit....organic bananas!!

I think I am ready to start combining foods from my baby cookbook.

 
Tomorrow will be a busy day, Aimee and I are going back to Ikea to find a TV stand and I need to go to Target. Now forgive my lazy ass but I need a nap, all this eating right and exercise has made me sleepy so Liv and I will catch a catnap. Au revoir

Shattered

That is the status of my *now old* iphone screen. This morning I went to Ikea to help the BFF find some cute things for her apartment. Aimee devoured Swedish meatballs and cold salmon while I ate 3 grapes from a fruit salad which was more honeydew than anything else. I even brought my own water so I wouldn't be tempted to buy lemonade in the cafe.

As I was shoving Liv's diaper bag under her stroller, my iphone fell out of the side pocket and fell the great distance of less than 6 inches. I drop my phone on a daily basis so this isn't new for me but when I looked at the screen, I saw it was shattered like a mirror. D'OH!! I was sooo mega bummed because when I bought the phones back in June, the saleswoman was trying hard to get me to sign up for the additional warranty. Being budget-minded at the time, I confidently declined, so of course, it comes back to bite me in the arse! Well, I called AT & T *useless, I know* and they said all I could do was take it to the Apple store and see if it's covered under the limited warranty. I just rolled my eyes because from my experience *even when I had the extended warranty coverage* I haven't been able to get anything repaired from Apple for under $200! BOO!! Well, I made an appt and went in with low expectations. I was thinking worst case scenario, the phone was still working, I could sell it for parts on eBay for $20 and buy a new phone. The Apple guy *who was super cute* looked at it and said, if you knew how many people this happens to. He said there was a construction worker who dropped his phone from 3 story buildings with had no damage but drop it 6 inches and it's pulverized! Apple guy was so cool, at first he gave me the yadda, yadda...no warranty coverage...it costs $200 for a replacement phone spiel but he must have made a Be awesome New Years Resolution because he told me if I bought the extended warranty for $69, he would give me a replacement phone free. WHAAA? Plop went my Visa and in 15 minutes I had a shiny new iPhone. Talk about Winner!! *points at this girl*

So I am back in love with Apple and I am vowing to NEVER drop this new phone *yeah right, they make these phones small enough and nothing that you can tie around it just so it does drop* but I am looking at buying this awesome case *made of environmentally friendly bamboo* to protect it better than my thin, plastic Hello Kitty bumper has been.

I tried out Liv's new Babylegs *an awesome gift from Antz sister, Debra* and I am addicted!! I am ready to buy her like 10 pair. I was worried about what size to order *newborn or regular* but obviously she needs regular for her cute, chubby legs *too bad her Mom's legs aren't cute, just chubby*. I took some adorable photos with Liv & Lola.

I couldn't get her to sit still but I love how adorable she looks with her Babylegs!!

New Perspectives

I am feeling a bit down in the dumps because A. I'm disappointed we couldn't go hiking this past Sunday and B. I weighed myself on Wii fit today *after what I thought was a kickass workout* and I've gained .9 lbs!! Of course January is the month of non stop Weight Watchers and Ballys commercials and somehow my DVR is conspiring against me by mistakenly recording an episode of I Used to be Fat. Well, I still am and I must do something about it. I am usually not so wrapped up in my weight, calorie counting or exercise but I have a new perspective, Olivia. Like it or not, I am her role model. What I eat, how I behave and my image will one day become mimicked by Liv. As confident as I may feel inside *I'm fabulous and I own it*, I don't want to continue poor nutrition and hardly any fitness habits that Liv may one day pick up. I am so thrilled she is loving her veggies but now she is staring me down while I eat ice cream or chips with a look of astonishment. Can I please vote for being pregnant for 2 years?? I actually lost weight *I know, I'm a freak of nature* whilst I was preggers. You could see in my face *only 1 1/2 chins* and my back how much slimmer I was 7 months ago. I was eating whatever I wanted and noone was looking at me with disgust. People opened doors for me with a smile and the clothes....heavenly, maxi dresses, loose tunics, leggings everyday. Now when I wear a maxi dress it looks like I'm modeling a tent. I adore having Olivia here but I miss those carefree eat/nap all day preggers days. Not to miss the point, I have a new perspective, start buying food with the same care and thoughtfulness as I do our daughter. I wouldn't give her anything non-organic or fresh, so why not us? I think juice will rot her *non existent teeth* yet I'll consume gallons of CranGrape and lemonade *the yummiest nectar on the planet*. I am no longer going to be a contradiction. I hated when my own Mother gave me the "Do as I say, not as I do" creed, so I'll have to change my act before Liv gets any older. I want to be successful not for vanity, but I want to practice what I preach. When I bought the Beaba Babycook, everyone asked me if I would be eating the same veggies I prepare for Liv. I told them no way, GROSS. Now I get it! *Light bulb flashes over my head* I definitely want to set an example for my kid but I'm not gonna lie, I don't want to live the rest of my life avoiding fast food or having to bring my own snacks to a party *that is mega weird* That's why Weight Watchers and diets don't appeal to me. I want to enjoy food not stress over it. I want to be spontaneous, not have to eat the same boring salad everyday at noon. Well, the only reasonable answer I could come up with is to try to find balance. Eat what I like but less of it. As I mentioned in my resolutions, no ordering large servings. Only drink water during the week *both has been pretty easy to abide by*, no more late night meals and snacking, and eat more veggies!! I really enjoyed working out with the Wii fit today *until I weighed myself* so to avoid discouragement, I will only weigh myself once a week. I am excited to start going to volleyball again and I know when I start seeing Gilli *when Antz Mom returns from Mexico* she'll get my body readjusted. I am actually glad I am surrounded by all this weight loss propaganda, it's quite the motivator! I even found my muse, this chick is fucking rad and I want to be her....

Good news is we may have a wedding to attend in September and it would be pretty rad to fit nicely into this little number by then, the dress happens to be on sale too.

While I'm at it, this head piece by Band.o is looking pretty sweet

I love a simple, chic chignon!!

I forgot to mention, I practiced French today and I actually retained a few phrases. I can say Check Please, I am allergic to and excuse me excellently. I still want to buy that Rosetta Stone from Craigslist, s'vous plait!!

First Official post of the New Year

Exciting, right? Well, I am hoping this year will be full of awesome DIY projects and we may even get our plumbing fixed once and for all in March. The good news is Antz & I started using our Wii Fit again *although the last time we used it was 739 days ago, sheesh* The bad news is I've gained a whooping 19 pounds since that last time I used it and that was 2 years ago! Yesterday we wanted to go to our favorite hike in Malibu with Antz nephews and their wives, however the rain was relentless and we ended up going to brunch *the Marmalade Cafe is mega yummy*

I am doing well with my all water, all the time goal. I did have some champagne on New Years eve. Speaking of new years, pretty low key for us. We didn't go to The Nutcracker because we didn't want our lovely to talk through the entire performance. So we stayed home, watched the countdown with my 2 fave hosts, The Silver Fox & Kathy Griffin.

There was a bunch of fireworks at midnight. Liv totally feel asleep and we spent Saturday cleaning the house and we visited Antz sister Debra *she had Christmas presents for us*

I have been thinking about our plan to sell this house. It's such a catch-22 getting out of this house and into my Dream House. We can't sell at a profit in this current market because we need to have enough to pay off our mortgage. Yet, if the market does improve, we won't be able to afford to buy a new house in our ideal neighborhood. I sometimes wish we weren't so quick to buy in Highland Park and maybe we would have been better off to wait until we could afford Atwater Village but overall, I'm sure we made the best decision because, at least we have a house now. Talking to Antz yesterday, as we were dropping off his niece and nephew, we were in Atwater Village and all the shops were closed *as they usually are on Sunday* my biggest concern is that if/when we do move to AV, the economy may get so bad that the shops would close and one of the biggest factors of us moving there would be gone. So far 4 of our fave shops have closed and I don't see how these Mom & Pop shops will substain. I am also concerned with the house on the right of my Dream House, it's in pretty bad shape and I don't want to make the same mistake twice and end up with undesirable neighbors *no fucking way* If the house is an indication of the people who live there, that will be a total deal-breaker. I refuse to live near any assholes that don't maintain their house. I was in the area last week and I drove down Glenmanor *I'm such a stalker* I noticed barricades were in front of the house, I saw the rain caused the giant tree branches to break off. SCARY!

That's really dangerous *yet another issue to deal with if we bought the house, too many overgrown trees and shrubs* The front yard looked like this in 2008...

The greenery provide privacy but overwhelm the house

The lawn is getting lost in the forest of bushes

I like the space but this is too much shrubbery. I would love to take out a majority of the trees and bushes and plant cream peonies. I also really want a raised garden but I need to have a landscaper design the right plants so we don't end up having to replant every 2 months.

Alright, I need to stop being lame!! Crazy person alert, planning the garden of a house I don't even own. So my point is, the house and the neighborhood is starting to lose it's charm and that was the conversation I had with Anthony. We both agreed that if the Atwater house ends up not being our best option, we need to look in other areas *North Eagle Rock, Franklin Hills, Silverlake, even Larchmont Village but it's a bit too far from Antz job* The criteria is:

Must be close to Antz job *less than 15 minute drive*

Must have 2 bedrooms/2 baths and an office/den

Must have a pool and grassy, private backyard

Must have a guest house *preferable with a bathroom*

Must have a wood-burning fireplace

Updated kitchen with a dishwasher or room to install one

Built before 1965

Must have a driveway

Must be on a quiet, residential street with plenty of guest parking and NO crappy houses!!

We would like views in the backyard

A 3rd bedroom

Hardwood floors

A breakfast nook in the kitchen

Covered patio

A garage *attached would be great but not a must*

An ensuite master bathroom

A spa attached to the pool

Would like orginal fixture, windows, door, crown molding

Walk in closets *big enough for a tiny island or a dresser and stool would be dreamy*

This may seem feasible if we wanted a new construction property but the California Bungalows or Spanish style we like never have closet space or ensuite bathrooms. I actually found a house that may fit the must have and some of the like to have lists in prime Eagle Rock *not my #1 choice but close to everything and 10 minutes to Antz job* location. It's a foreclosure, 2 story Spanish with 4 bedrooms *could possibly turn a bedroom into a master bathroom and closet of my dreams* 2 bathrooms, 2,184 square feet *we currently live in 883 sq ft* and, from what I can see from Google maps, has a large pool in an 8,000 square foot grassy backyard.

I am not happy with the lack of curb appeal and no security fence but I'll tell you what makes me extremely happy...the price. This mansion is $524,900. Now being a foreclosure, we would have to submit an offer  higher than that amount to the bank and it could get rejected several times as well as take months to close. Then there's selling our house...sigh! I don't want to dwell in negativity. Positive thinking makes postive actions, my new mantra for 2011. We will....make repairs, remodel this house, spiff it up nicely,  list this house in 2013, sell this house *and hopefully make enough profit to have money for renovating our new house*, buy an amazingly rad house in an awesome neighborhood!! 3 years from now I'll be posting about how much I love our new house and I know giving up the London trip will be a drop in the hat compared to having a safe, stable environment for Liv. Now, to apply this motivation to my fitness routine. I'm gonna jump on the wii and hula hoop my fat away *yay*

Our lovely is 7 Months old, Happy New Year Olivia!!

we love you more than words can say