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!

The fruits of our labor

Well someone(s) worked WAY harder than we did this weekend.  Davis and Wendy Varner, our photographic artists, worked from sun up till way past sun down to paint, hang and organize the gallery (as well as hanging art in the boutique and the Redfish).  Without any more blabbing, here is the story in pictures.  (oh and weekend 1 of our open boutique was a great success!  Lots of traffic, a few sales, some nice introductions and no cash register or credit card catastrophes!)

The Redfish Cottage

The Boutique and Gallery

Our Storefront



Weekend progress w/ pictures

Well it was just the two of us this weekend and we continued the momentum of gettin' stuff done!
Our weekend summary:

• met with a local lady who publishes a "Gallery Guide" for the Island to work on an ad for the inclusion of Yellowdog
• finished steaming and organizing clothes
• unpacked art and homegoods
• did a little decorating throughout the property
• primed 3 1/2 out of 5 book cases that we are painting white for use in the boutique and cottages
• primed and painted the two mirrors going in the Redfish
• picked out art (from our existing stash) to hang in the Redfish (not hung yet)
• cleaned up the Redfish for pics
• weeded and sprayed landscaping
• put together more outdoor furniture
• got rid of a truckful of boxes/trash/scrap metal
• bought a cash register
• got a business phone number
• met with the guy who will make our new signs
• ordered business cards
• drastically decluttered the gallery - put some stuff away for use and others in the overhead storage
• met some key people in the area - the owners of Bert's Bar and Grill and the owners of Island Visions Gallery.  Enjoyed talking with all.

I'm probably forgetting some stuff Chris did while I was doing other stuff but we both worked a good 10 hours on Saturday and another 4-5 on Sunday.

Some fun things we did - I did my first paddle board in the area early Saturday morning.  We also had dinner at the Tarpon Lodge and Micheli's.  Both meals were amazing!!  The restaurant manager at Tarpon Lodge is one of the friendliest ladies around - she absolutely could not be nicer.  There was a fantastic singer and acoustic guitar player at the Tarpon Lodge, I don't have her info here but I'll post it another time.  She should seriously be famous.  I hope we can afford to pay her to play at Yellowdog someday :)

Enjoy the progress pics!  Sorry for the mediocre quality, we forgot the camera so these are phone pics.