Happy Birthday, Baby!
Time is flying by and I want to savor the moments when I can. Today, my beautiful girl is sixteen.
This is such a fun age. I love seeing her with her friends and watching the endless snapchatting....endless....apparently they enjoy making fun of me. They don't realize it, but I give them plenty of material by intentionally pronouncing things wrong like "Instachat" or "Snapmessage".
Driving lessons start later today....If you live in NJ, you may want to get off the road in the late afternoon :)
I'll miss these days!
House Hunting Failure
We are back from a frustrating house hunting trip to Florida. I am 100% certain that my real estate agent has never had a client like me. Let me bore you with the details.....my husband and I flew down with the sole purpose of finding a rental property. Of course we would look at properties for sale, but I was highly skeptical that an impulse buy would be on our agenda for the weekend.
A few homes that were on the market a year ago....are still on the market. Would someone please tell these homeowners that if their home did not sell at that price 11 months ago...it is time for a reduction! I really don't understand the philosophy of waiting out the market. Remove your listing and try again in a season or two.
Then there is the extreme taste specific design elements that are costly to remove. The thought of renovating to my satisfaction is not possible when the seller wants top dollar for this.
The rental market is a free for all. Agents don't want to help other agents....a short-term rental (6mos.) is not appealing to most, and then there is the dog. Yes, we have a dog over 25 lbs. After numerous phone calls, drive-by's and one showing....I have 2 leads on potential rental properties and should know within the next few days. We are on 'Naples' time...everything takes time...huge chunks of time.
Once we are settled into our rental, I will resume house hunting. We did manage to have some lovely dinners with spectacular views. This one was at La Playa Beach Resort.
We sat at the table closest to the water. After dinner we put our toes in the warm ocean water. It was the perfect end to a stressful weekend.
By the way, if you know of anyone wanting to sell their dated home in Naples, I am looking for a project!
Modern Spanish/Mediterranean
As I continue to look for homes online in Florida, I am warming up to the fact that we might end up with a Mediterranean style home. It is a popular style down there and I am trying to stay open to all possibilities. I decided to search for interiors of this style home that appeal to me.
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| Stofft Architects |
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| Stofft Architects |
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| Jessica Helgerson |
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| Stephanie Wiley |
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| LPDG |
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| DD Ford |
I could definitely live in these rooms. Some of my searches were under 'Spanish Style' and some were under 'Mediterranean Style'. Does anyone know what the difference is between Spanish and Mediterranean? I have probably been calling it the wrong name.
It's Time for New Ties.....Father's Day.
Here we go again....Father's Day. Last year, we gave my husband a new iPad and he declared that he wanted another type of tablet....so, it became the family iPad (that lives on my nightstand). This year, my daughter and I will be giving my husband a wardrobe makeover. We are so excited! It's time.
His current tie collection is older than our kids. The last time I brought home new ties, he returned every one of them. This time, I am going to stick with something that will make both of us happy. I love the Burberry tie collection and these are a few of my favorites.
Next on the list are shirts and jeans that are stylish, fit well, and won't embarrass the kids. Any suggestions? What does your husband wear on the weekends?
My Master Bath
I thought it would be fun to share some other areas of my home with you. I love my master bath and will miss it. It may be the only room that I would still design exactly the same way.
The floor is a porcelain tile made to look like Carrera marble. There are sea glass square tiles accented throughout the floor. The apron to the tub is Carrera marble cut into subway tiles. The top of the tub is white marble with a green sea glass color running through it.
The tub is a deep soaking tub. You can see that the Carrera tiles are mixed for an interesting pattern in the shower, yet it does not command your attention.
Looking back the other way shows the perfect view of the television from the tub. Go ahead, judge away....every night I soak in the tub while watching some sort of reality tv show. Oh, and I usually have a glass of wine. We definitely lived well in this home.
Custom built-ins were added whenever possible.
Double vanities are definitely helpful for a long and happy marriage :). All the glass and mirrors have a green cast to them that plays off the green in the marble. I wanted the largest mirrors possible to help bounce the natural light around. I designed the three sections and had the sconces cut into the glass to break up the large square and keep it interesting.
This chandelier will move with me.
It will probably be a while before I have a bathroom like this one, again. Do you have a favorite spot in your home where you go to relax?
Back From Boston
Did everyone have a lovely weekend? As I mentioned last week, I took a trip to Boston to help my In-Laws sort out some of the contents in their home. They live on the North Shore near Marblehead. The view from their living room window is a fifteen on a scale of one to ten.
The mornings always start with a walk. When I first met them, more than two decades ago, I could barely keep up with my MIL on her walks....she was fast! These days, we all walk at different paces and venture out on a staggered schedule. This is what the walking view is on a typical day.
Charming homes and condo's along the way.
We spent an entire day sorting through old photos and memorabilia. I enjoyed learning more about them and seeing my husband in his formative years, as he would joke. Since my family wasn't with me, I brought back old camp letters, report cards, and pictures so we could all share in the fun of seeing Mr. CIH when he was their age. Poor guy, he hated camp and reading the letters made us all laugh.
Here are a few of the pieces of furniture that will make their way into our next home.
A pair of rope chairs, abstract art and the vintage table.
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| A brass and glass waterfall coffee and end table. |
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| Vintage rattan (?) reclining chair. |
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| Grasscloth covered waterfall table, upholstered stools and Lucite wave sculpture.
I had a great time and when I returned home, my daughter decided that she needs to go visit Boston one more time before we move.....so we are all going back next weekend!
I think we are going to take a Salem Witch Tour...something we have never done. I'll keep you posted.
Have you ever been to the North Shore of Boston? Is there anything else we should see or do?
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