Florida Keys Vacation - It's A Wrap!

I'm going to miss Blue Plate Specials in the Florida Keys...

Like this Grilled Lobster, Black Beans & Rice, Cole Slaw and Hogfish Snapper plate that we happily stood in line to get while browsing the Key West Seafood Festival.

And, I'm going to miss all the Sea Life and Ocean Art, like this metal art at the Seafood Festival:

We became accustomed to regular trips from Big Pine Key down to Key West - and no trip was complete without lunch at the Hogfish Grille~

Where you could watch Blakely eat a pickle, her toes curled in baby bliss...

Our GPS was also locked in to the famous Mattheessen's one-half pound cookies - they are located on Duval Street, and you can click on the link to order online.  But be ready to develop an addiction...these cookies are absolutely fabulous!

During the final week, the kids arranged an afternoon family get-together and meal at Sunset Grille and Raw Bar at the base of 7 Mile Bridge in Marathon.  Another "gotta go there" if you are in Marathon - they have a swimming pool for their customers, along with a huge outdoor TV screen, picnic tables, and a sandy beach!

We spent the afternoon by the pool, lazily drinking tropical libations and talking as the kids (and some of the adults!) took the pool by storm.  

 As our trip wound down, Husband swept me away for a final treat - dinner at the very exclusive Little Palm Island Resort.  Accessible only by boat, it is a paradise of beauty and tranquility.

The boat trip to the island on their Motor Trawler was fabulous - straight into the sunset.

We were greeted at the dock with our own personal guide for the evening...

Just in time for a glass of wine, overlooking an outdoor fire pit and the best sunset ever.

Thank you, Lower Florida Keys, for a lovely month.  We are rejuvenated and ready to crank the engines and roll into 2012 with renewed energy...and a really good suntan!

But I AM going to miss those Blue Plate Specials!

Secrets Of A Successful Coastal Cottage Renovation

Today I was at Home Depot and Lowe's, picking up more materials for the Beach Cottage Renovation, and was thinking about how much I have learned.  There aren't any books out there to tell you the little Secrets to Coastal Cottage Renovation.  I was thinking that I should write a pamphlet, but decided my blog would work, too.  So, here goes.


Rule No. 1:  ALWAYS use a reputable general contractor for Coastal Renovations, one that you know personally if at all possible.  Like this one at Ocean Isle Beach: http://wbpropertiesofnc.com

Examples of work by WB Properties

Coastal communities draw all sorts of folks who have the bright idea to "live at the beach and do some work on the side to support myself".  The work comes 2nd.  The beach comes first.  Always.   Getting Sub-Contractors to finish the job on schedule is almost impossible if the fish are biting or the surf is up.  Know what I mean? You need a General Contractor who is mean as a snake to get those guys back off the water and on the job.

Rule No. 2:  KNOW the language and vocabulary of your coastal home and lifestyle.  This way, the millions of choices out there will shrink to a handful, and you will always know you are "in the zone" when choosing paint, hardware, and architectural details.  Be authentic to your vocabulary, and you can't go wrong.

You just know from the exterior of this Coastal home what the interior is like - it has to be Tuscan in flavor.

The color of the exterior, the tile, and the architecture all say that the interior should be Tuscan in vocabulary - that means earthy rusty oranges, olive greens, reds, and yellow tones, with oil-rubbed bronze, natural wood, and a huge stone tiled kitchen area that opens out to an expansive patio with an outdoor kitchen.

See the earthy greens, oranges, and golds?

This Mission/Prairie style Coastal home says that you will NOT  find hot  pink, lime green, and flamingoes in the bathroom:

This is the Coastal Living Idea House for 2009.

 Instead, you will find granite counter tops with black flecks, oil-rubbed bronze hardware, white kitchen cabinets, and lots of built-in shelving and ceiling work.   Pretty much Prairie-Style, but with creamy whites lifting it up to a Coastal Look.

Looks like this:

Or this:

And then, there's the Coastal Style that is best portrayed at this blogspot that I found about a month ago - Lime in the Coconut

This photo just says it all - very saturated color, ethnic influences in the decor, and an easy/breezy lifestyle with the focus on Mediterranean/Florida Keys flavor.

The back of the house probably has a patio/deck that looks like this:

See what I'm talking about?  You INSTANTLY know what belongs in these homes, and all the other bazillion choices just drop by the wayside.  That's the vocabulary that you choose, and you just take it and run with it.  Easy, yes?


Next post:  The nuts and bolts of ceramic tile and cabinet hinges.