I was creating a collection of images to submit to our landscaper for the Florida house we’re renovating. In addition to basic maintenance and repair, we’re getting ready to convert several of the spaces in the front and rear yards so that they have low maintenance rock or pebble areas filled sporadically with tropical plants,…
Regular readers and Instagram followers are aware that after a long search, we bought a house in Florida. There are several reasons why we’re making this move which I’ll go into in greater detail at a future date. Mostly it’s just a feeling that we need a change after 40+ years living in California. We’ve…
This latest kitchen renovation is in a home located in the Sonoma Valley, surrounded by oak and olive trees, and rolling hills covered in vineyards. If you’ve ever considered a visit to the region, I recommend this article on the best of Sonoma County. I wanted this space to echo its surroundings so the colors…
I spent a few days in a vacation rental while looking for a new house to buy in Florida, and the one we stayed in was so welcoming I thought I’d write about why. When renting, I look for cleanliness, comfort, and style offered at an affordable rate. I reason I’m not spending too much…
Late weekend hellos friends. It’s exciting that spring is just beginning isn’t it? After two long years in a pandemic, spring seems especially welcome this year. I spy budding blossoms on the trees here in Northern California and it’s always lifts my spirits. I’m taking another trip to Florida in two weeks, looking at colleges…
Over the weekend I finished my DIY privacy planter trellises for a patio scene I’m creating. The investment property we’re almost ready to sell needed something simple and welcoming on the patio for the next buyer, so this is the solution I came up with. We had been back and forth for months with the…
I’m working on an outdoor DIY project today and tomorrow, building lattice privacy screens to insert into tall rectangular planters to create an enclosed patio without the expense of building a fence. Once it’s complete I’ll share how it looks and how I built them. The design is so simple! I’m headed to Tulum in…
I’m slowly making changes to the family house to make it feel more fresh and modern in anticipation of a future sale. In the dining room I bought new curved back chairs and on the walls replaced the old sconces with more contemporary lighting. Lighting is always the jewelry in any room, and in my…
A few weeks ago I toured the Kenwood Inn & Spa and they had a delightful loggia that extended from their main building into a charming courtyard. It reminded me how much I love a loggia! I’ve stayed in various hotels and visited several European sites over the years that also had loggias. I was…
I’m finishing a fun holiday DIY project this week, plus preparing for family guests coming on Thanksgiving. My 17 year old daughter is hosting an outdoor friendsgiving at our backyard on Tuesday, it will be extra work but a lot of fun, she has the greatest friends and she’s a high school senior so it’s…
My girlfriends and I found affordable tickets to Italy and traveled there together in October. Our destinations were Venice, Florence, and Verona, we arrived by plane in Venice then did a loop around those cities by train. Verona is known for the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and it sits on the River Adige.…
Happy late fall weekend! This week I had extra energy and was feeling really creative so I made homemade ravioli from scratch, created new artwork, and gathered everything I’ll need for my Thanksgiving table. I have a thoughtful DIY gift idea to share later this week. I’m also working on the flip investment property behind…
For the past few years we’ve been away for Thanksgiving in different parts of the country, but this year it’s my turn to host so I started gathering supplies to pull together a table setting for guests. I’m keeping with the theme of simplicity I’ve adopted this season, working with square chargers and plates I…
Happy Halloween weekend! My teenagers are off with their friends running around town to various hangouts. Gone are the days when I get them dressed up and we go trick or treating together but that’s okay. Now we sit home and wait for the little ones in our neighborhood to come to our front door…