Officially a Beach Bum! - Photo Overload!

WELCOME to my new home...

There have been a lot of unexpected surprises that came with moving to the condo - and they weren't all about downsizing.  I don't feel like I am missing space at all and I love that I am using the things that I have.  I no longer feel overwhelmed by "stuff" and that is a great feeling. 

It is a totally different lifestyle here. I am still not used to getting on an elevator to get to the underground parking.  There are only two floors so it's not a long ride - it's just something that feels different from the "norm".  But it is getting more comfortable and familiar with time.

I have grown to love it here - I really do.  There is something totally magical about getting up every morning and looking out at the ocean and actually being able to hear it.  I don't think I will ever tire of that. I can instantly be mesmerized by the waves as they crash along the shore.  I marvel at the surfers waiting every so patiently to catch the perfect wave. It is as if a whole fantasy world unfolds almost at my feet.  Amazing..... I am in awe daily.

But when I pull myself out of the hypnotic spell of the ocean, I see that I have somehow managed to create my own magical space within these walls. So here is a little of the reveal. (Refer to this post to see what a dramatic change occurred). I am going to save the craft room/office for its own post because it deserves to be highlighted.

Living Room... (pictures still need to be hung...)

Living Room sunshine...

Yes you can grow fruit inside... (I hope!)...

dwarf lemon and lime trees

A wide open Kitchen...

Another view of the Kitchen...

from the Living Room...

Storage and sunshine galore...

One of my favorite things....

Corner cupboard storage.....

The corner storage swings and pulls out to gain access

to everything - no lost items stuck in the back!...

Dishes in a pull out drawer - so easy!

Why didn't I know about this decades ago?!?

The Dining Area - counter height chairs and table...

Thriving herbs loving the sunshine and sea air...

All set up for grilling on the deck (it is the best!)...

More posts featuring this grill to follow...

Well, that's a quick overview of the remodel of the main areas.  Office/Craft Room to follow soon. Thanks for joining me on this journey and being patient with my long absence. 

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Moving Card Reveal!

While I still had my craft room in one piece (well at least things were still accessible) I decided it would be a good time to design my moving card and get the pieces cut out. Then I could put them together and address them as I had time while unpacking.  I knew the feel I wanted (obviously an ocean theme), but it t took me a while to come up with the right look.  I am really happy with the end result and hope the recipients will as well.

I thought it would reflect the colors of my condo as I was originally leaning toward blues and browns, but the condo has actually taken on more shades of  gray, black and white with pops of blues.  Oh well - I am still happy with the way the card turned out.

I used a starfish pattern that Ducky (Ducky's Designs) used for my birthday card and made a shadow layer so the color would have more dimension.  I have a background stamp (square block with varying patterns) from Stampendous that I use whenever I want a feel of texture and interest.  I actually used it a couple of times.  I stamped it in white ink and covered the card base to give the feel of the ocean, and then used a brown ink over the starfish.  I also ran the starfish through a Cuttlebug embossing folder so it would seem more realistic.  The papers are all from Paper Temptress, of course! 

Love the dimension that comes from the multipurpose cube stamp

Starfish stamped with the same stamp as above

I found the quote by Jacques Cousteau online and it seems to really reflect my feelings.  All of those were cut out using the print and cut method in SCAL.  And they were printed on a marble vellum that I also used on the inside of the card to share the new address.  It takes so little work to create a customized card - just type and cut - love it. And it was so much fun to watch it all come together.

Thanks for going on the journey with me...  Pictures of the finished remodel (minus pictures on the wall - still not quite there!) coming very soon.  I promise.  Just editing them now.  Some of the areas are hard to photograph so working on getting the best pics I can!

In the meantime, this was my last bit of "craftiness" - hard to believe these were made seven months ago.  But looking at these photos does make me want to start looking for some creative mojo again...
baby steps.... :)

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From Pandemonium to Panic to Paradise... A Restrospective Look..

A lot of time has passed since my last post..... so bringing you up to date with a bit of a journal...

November 17, 2015...

Well....... I did it!  I moved TWELVE  days ago.  There is still a small amount of construction going on so the unpacking has been challenging. I  FINALLY worked on the kitchen the end of last week and the bedroom is almost done; the office is about 3/4 there.  I hoped to have it done by now, but some things need to be redone (electrical issues) so it will have to wait to be finished.  But I can see the possibilities!

So here is a sneak peek of moving day -  I have moved from the pandemonium/panic stage, to beginning to see the potential of paradise! :)  So close....  Will have "finished product" pics in a couple of weeks.  I won't be online for a bit, but I promise great pics when I am back. In the meantime.....***

***and that is where I left off....with EVERY intention of posting this to let you know I would be away for a bit but back soon.  Ahhhh - best laid plans.  I had a surgery scheduled for November 18 and the plan was that I would be home in two weeks.  Little did I know that the next THREE months of my life would be spent within the hospital walls.  Yes...three...LONG...difficult...boring at times...frightening at others...months.

View from the entry!

Oh where oh where did the living room go???

         The kitchen being shared with construction crew.  Note no countertop in yet.

         And the blue tape is to open the drawers - waiting for handle installation.

Not the best lighting, but this is a partial view of the office/craft room.  It had wall to wall boxes with overflow going into the hallway!

Feb. 3, 2016

I finally arrived at my "NEW" home the first weekend in February.  I felt like a stranger - totally ungrounded and totally lost!  It was the strangest feeling.  Yes I had lived here for a mere 12 days back in November, and  was so busy during that time trying to unpack from the move, that I never really bonded with my new beach abode.  So three months after the move, I felt totally off balance - physically and emotionally.  There were still boxes to unpack, rooms to organize, and so much to do...and I was overwhelmed.  But thanks to family and friends who gave incredible support on all levels, I somehow progressed through the past three months and made it to this point!  REJOICE!!!

May 15, 2016

So here we are..... six months later...  I have done very little cooking (at least not much that is worth sharing!) and absolutely NO card making.  I just cannot seem to get my creativity back.  It's frustrating as I have designed a wonderful space here at the beach - and it all sits neglected.  I am hoping that the desire returns soon. (and I downsized over 50% of my craft supplies, but it looks like more here because things are spread out and I can see them. What a concept!

I am really going to try to get back to posting and doing the things that I love again. Bear with me please.

In the meantime, I will be catching up on posting the results of the condo remodel.  The end result was worth the wait and all of the frustration that seems to go hand in hand with construction.  It is honestly everything I hoped it would be... and more!  I LOVE IT! 

Just a little tease of the beautiful unretouched view.... finished interior coming soon!

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