Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Massive miscellanous update - Christmas edition

Two weekends ago we put a Christmas tree up in the gallery and this past weekend was the Matlacha boat parade.  There were a whopping 7 boats in the parade, but we didn't care.  It started right out in front of our property and we got a blanket, a couple of glasses of wine, a warm Golden Retriever, and settled down to watch. 












Merry Christmas!!

Massive miscellanous update - Property/Business edition

I finally reached my max capacity for working 7 days a week.  We were just getting ready to make an offer to someone to work every Saturday and Sunday in the boutique when she offered to lease the boutique instead.  This means it will be open full time.  This means it will expand, offer more and better stuff, and hopefully reach its full potential (which I didn't have time or energy for).  This means I get my weekends, and my life again.  This means we will still have some income from the boutique, probably more than when I was running it just on the weekends.  And it even means that we are offering an opportunity to someone who really wants it, is extrememly grateful, loves the property, AND has a zillion years more experience in running a boutique than I do (which would be just about anyone, haha).  But seriously, she does have a ton of experience and that experience has been completely autonomous on her part, which sounds perfect and win-win to us.  Thanks Kristy!!

We also think we're very close to a restaurant solution.  We are talking with a very experienced restauranteur in the area to take on breakfast/brunch and some catered events in the gallery space.  I'll update as we progress, but it's looking good!

We're finally listed on flipkey.com, homeaway.com, and vrbo.com.  Here are the links for the Redfish:
http://www.vrbo.com/391708
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p932390
http://www.flipkey.com/matlacha-cottage-rentals/p325479/

and for the Tarpon:
http://www.vrbo.com/392267
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p952204
http://www.flipkey.com/matlacha-cottage-rentals/p334157/

I need to update some pictures since they were all done at different times and I didn't always have the same pics available.  Speaking of pics, here is the final few updates of the Tarpon.  Note the coral rug in the living room and the curtains in the half bath.  Just in time for our first tenants checking in this Friday!





Massive miscellanous update - Pet Edition

Yeah, a lot's been happening and not all of it is so fun to talk or write about, but then again some is.

First the not so fun, we are putting Cotton to sleep tomorrow.  I knew I'd know when it was time when he outwardly showed signs of suffering; some may think just getting skinny was enough, but when he still can walk/drink/purr/nuzzle/use his litter box, etc. it's not so clear.  He hasn't been eating much, and somedays he doesn't eat at all (I don't think); I've had to follow him around the house with food until he finally gets tired of me stalking him and has a bite or two, but everytime I do that inevitably I will find vomit soon after.  The other morning I witnessed him vomiting and he cried out when he did it, so that was that.  I made the call that day.  We are using this service, http://www.lapoflove.com/, and I am so unbelievably grateful that they exist.  Not only does our kitty get to be 1000x more comfortable than being loaded in his carrier to go to the vet on his last day, but I don't have to be seen in public crying hysterically.

Since his diagnosis, we have been taking Cotton with us to Yellowdog on the weekends and a few times it has worked that Chris and I get to drive together.  To keep Cotton calm, I have been riding in the back with him and Tiki rides shotgun (he is seatbelted in).  These pics show my view from the backseat and I die over how adorable they are/he is.




Thursday, December 1, 2011

Tweeking the decor in the Redfish, Tarpon complete less one LONG awaited rug

It's funny - in taking all these pictures of the decor, sometimes it takes seeing a picture to realize that I don't like something in real life.  That is what happened with these yellow tables.

Looking at the pictures, I realized they looked too dorm room/color by number/bright/matchy-matchy, etc etc.  Every time I looked at the room it just screamed HEY!  I'm Yellow!  Did you SEE ME?  I'm YELLOW!  It became my new mission to replace them.  I also thought some of the art we placed would do better slightly moved around.  I decided a mirror next to the door would be awesome to reflect the water view from the other side of the cottage, and since we placed a small shelving unit on the right wall, the art there had to be moved.  So the final result is here.  I do not see anything drastically changing from these pictures.










Here's the bedroom w/ the bed made differently....SO important and life-changing, I know.


And.....since my last posting of the Tarpon, we did a few additions; wall art and curtains.  We are literally one freaking taking forever rug away from this being finished.  And maybe a light fixture once I figure out what to do about the cobalt blue.
















Stick a fork in this cause they're done!

AND holy crap!  As I was editing this post THE RUG ARRIVED.  I can't believe it.  I ordered this mo-fo in August.  You will have to bear with one more set of update pics next week :)


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

This past week was a big downer.  Found out our 16 1/2 year old kitty has lymphoma.  The vet expects him to have another 3-4 weeks.  The only possible treatment is chemo, and I am not going to put a geriatric cat through that. 
I covered his belly for the picture since it is still shaven from his ultrasound.  He's doing very well though, all things considered.  He had stopped eating almost completely but with a combination of appetite stimulants, syringe feeding, sub-q fluids and predisone, he is eating (and eliminating) normally again. 
Took some updated pics w/ the new camera this weekend.  Still on auto as I didn't have much time or energy to play around w/ the settings.  New from the last set of pics: we got a piece of glass for the table behind the sofa, got the TV service started, upholstered the bench by the bed, painted and upholstered the desk chair, painted the desk, got a piece of mirror for the dark frame that will go over the desk, got a larger flamingo picture, and hung a few more things on the walls. 

Next weekend I hope to hang all the curtains.  We're putting a panel on the wall behind the bed, in the spaces between the large door/windows in the front room, over the small bathroom window, and over the shelves above the laundry.  Still waiting on the living room rug; last word was it should ship next week.