Florida House Tour - Some Changes

My philosophy in my new home has been to take my time and not add things just to fill the space, but to make sure it’s the right piece that fits. It’s about creating a calming place through minimalism. That means I resist going to Home Goods or looking at Wayfair, because of course I want all the things, but recently, I have made a few changes or completed a few rooms.  It’s a process, but for the most part, it is looking like I envisioned.

First, we ordered a comfortable chair that matches the couch in the living room, which gives us three chairs instead of two and is much better for entertaining.

A decorating dilemma has been that our master bath is directly off the master bedroom with no door separating the two spaces.  I like the openness, but I knew it needed something to add interest and some presence to the space. We put up crown molding and it turned out beautifully. I also brought in some coastal texture and style with a tall wicker basket, glass bottles, seashells and a palm leaf print.

Lastly, the guest room was the first room I finished when we moved in and I used a pin from Pinterest as my inspiration.  Recently, I have added some art from Etsy (Florida watercolor prints) and some comfy throws at the end of the twin beds to add a bit more coastal color.

My next project will be decorating the greatly expanded lanai surrounding the new pool with plants and accessories.  We think construction will start today and it will be a long process, but I’ll share as we go.

Happy Wednesday!

A Night Out, A Wedding and A Birthday

I arrived in Michigan to storms and I arrived back in Florida to storms, but in between, I had a wonderful time with family and friends.

My husband and I try to see our daughters as much as possible and sometimes that means splitting up and visiting them separately.  Or, only one of them coming to Florida.  But, this time, circumstances allowed all of us to be in Michigan at the same time and we were able to have dinner all together on Friday night.   We met at Melissa’s new townhouse, my husband met her boyfriend for the first time (it’s hard to accomplish when you live many miles away) and we really enjoyed spending time together.

The next night, we were invited to a wedding (our dear friend’s daughter) that Megan and Adam would also be attending. My husband and I were able to stay with some friends that night and it was wonderful to spend some one on one time with them.  The wedding was so fun and there were so many friends from our old parish (and the girl’s catholic school)  there to hug and catch up with.  And having Megan and Adam there was a huge bonus.  We live far away, but these are the kind of events we try not to miss.

On Sunday, I moved on to a friend’s lake cottage and my husband flew back to Florida. Over the next few days,  I was able to spend some quality time with my parents and sister and also help my Dad
celebrate his 85th birthday. He was really happy I was there and that made me happy too.  In addition,
 I fit in a few glasses of wine here and there with friends, a delicious brunch and a late dinner with Melissa one night.

At the end of the trip, I was tired when I finally sat down in my seat on the plane. but satisfied that I had seen those I needed to see the most.  And as always, I will be back.

Have a wonderful weekend!

4 Ingredient Peach Cobbler

Peaches and July just go together and if you are searching for an easy and delicious recipe, try this one.  Because I love something like this for breakfast, that’s how I will enjoy it, but it would also be a delicious dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top.

The fact that this recipe has four ingredients makes it my favorite kind.  No big shopping list required, because you most likely have what you need in your pantry.  It’s a spur of the moment dessert for when company drops by or your sweet tooth is calling.

To make:  spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  Pour in 1 can of sliced peaches with juice.  Pour 1/2 packet yellow cake mix on top and press down.  Dot with 1/2 stick of butter cut in small pieces.  Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.  Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

That’s it and somehow after baking,  it magically becomes peach cobbler.

Enjoy!