the Ultimate Beach House

You can bet as soon as my tootsies and toes hit the sugary white sands of  home, my first stop will be to see this  house!!  I will be the pasty white blonde looking like a tourista with jaw hanging open and trusty Nikon busily clicking away!! be sure to tap me on the shoulder and introduce yourself..I'll be so pleased to meetcha!
see ya there!♥ 




The Ultimate beach House.... 

COASTAL LIVING HOUSE NOW OPEN FOR TOURS

Address : Rosemary Beach, FL

Website

Time : June 29 – October 7, 2012

Coastal Living magazine announced that its 15^th Anniversary Ultimate Beach House in Rosemary Beach is now open for tours.

“The pages of Coastal Living come to life in the Ultimate Beach House,” said Nicole Hendrick, Assoc0iate Idea Homes Director for Coastal Living.

Rosemary Beach is an architecturally stunning New Urbanneighborhood set along the sugar-white sands and clear turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico – the ultimate amenity.”

Expected to draw as many as 10,000 visitors from across the country, the home will be open to the public for tours through October 7th, 2012. Tickets are $15 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Rosemary Beach Foundation, which promotes and supports cultural, educational, environmental, literary and other charitable activities in Rosemary Beach and throughout Walton County. Tickets are available for purchase at the Ultimate Beach House.

The home’s design reflects the style of Rosemary Beach, a fusion of the timeless architecture found in the West Indies, New Orleans and Charleston. With 7,000 total square feet (5,200 heated and cooled), the home provides ample space for entertaining both indoors and out. A covered chef’s grilling porch adjoins the private courtyard and the community’s largest private pool at 15 by 50 feet. Five bedrooms and a bunk room allow the home to comfortably sleep 16.

The home was on the market at the beginning of construction and has been sold through Rosemary Beach Realty. Broker Linda Miller describes the home as “stunning.”The house was designed by Lew Oliver of Whole Town Solutions, who says its design marks “a return to elegance,” citing elements like the Venetian plaster oval foyer, designed to be “like being inside of a pearl egg.” The interior designer is South Walton resident Erika Powell of Urban Grace Interiors. The builder is Stan Benecki of Benecki Homes, with Vern Vanderkleed and Thomas Gallion acting as project manager and site superintendent, respectively. Landscape architect is Alec Michaelides of Land Plus.

Coastal Living has set a new standard,” said Miller. “From its overall design to the smallest detail, this home will appeal to the most discriminating buyer.”

The 15^th Anniversary Ultimate Beach House will be featured in the October 2012 issue ofCoastal Living magazine, which serves 3.9 million readers each month who harbor a passion for life on the water.

Click here to read more about Coastal Living‘s Ultimate Beach House.

Sponsors of the 15th Anniversary Ultimate Beach House include Barlow Tyrie Teak Furniture, Belgard Hardscapes, Bevolo Outdoor Lighting, Circa Lighting, Kohler, Kohler Generators, Lee Industries, Lloyd Flanders Outdoor Wicker Furniture, Le Creuset Cookware, Marvin Windows & Doors, Pratt & Lambert Paints, Sun Parasol, Sunbrella Fabrics and Visit South Walton.

Wednesday..Wisdom, Words and Wonders

Wisdom and warnings..
In the beginning, when Facebook entered our world of social media, 
we all hailed this new phenomenon..
as the latest and greatest "next best thing to sliced bread!"
Friends, family, everyone always asked..
Are you on facebook?  
Befriend me?
And so it was..
We reached out..
connected ..shared..joined.. played..
And while doing so obliviously..
silently creeping into our lives like a deadly invisible cloud,
we all were mesmerized by this newest way of interacting while connecting...
We... our lives... unsuspectingly..
were being consumed by facebook!
Slowly and surely,teased into acceptance by it's tantalizing offerings,
we were the new junkies.. 
Becoming addicted with the newest and latest "designer drug"! 
If you are a facebook afficinado..
then surely you are keeping abreast of  the constant changes being made.,
some subtley..
others brazenly..
but all with .."dire" results..
Just yesterday, fb announced another change to your contact info ..

Facebook Surprises Users With Email Change

instead of leaving your REQUESTED contact email address in place, 
you've been assigned NEW facebook email address.. one of theirs!
I have that contact address there for a specific reason..
with particular filters set in place..
and do not wish to have any messages being filtered through or by facebook!
Also  announced earlier, if you use the fb MOBILE app..
anyone nearby can track you when you are ON..! 
that means YOUR location will become known.
All along facebook has been surrepticiously collecting your info into a "dossier"..
(much like the days of J. Edgar Hoover..
we won't go into McCarthyism here..but just click the link if you are curious.)
I (very seriously) am thinking of totally detaching myself..
from the tentacles of facebook..
Despite it's ease of use,fun and convenience,...
I do NOT need facebook.. 
rather it needs me..and you..
and others like you, and you, and yes YOU ..
to feed it's voracious appetite!
I can easily return to snail mail, 
email,
photo-sharing, 
telephone voicemail..
What about you?
Can You disconnect?


Words..unlocking worlds
Last evening, I picked up the telephone and dialed a number which had not used in almost a year...as the rings reverberated through infinity,silently ..I prayed for the call to be answered..Click as the receiver was lifted and connection established..hesitantly.muttering a meek ..hello?.
the  voice in the other end..smilingly  recognized mine almost immediately!
For the next two hours we chatted as if not a moment of time had elapsed between our last chat and this one..
but it had..she, another mermaidseasisterofmyheart  had endured a tragic loss..
which knocked her for a long spiraling loop, leaving her in a pit of dispair..
Over the last few months, rays sunshine had begun replacing the darkness..
and hope was providing a way out via the sunbeams..
In may i found a photo of one of her favorite Flowers..

a sunshiny yellow frangipani (plumeria) emailed it to her.. 
to which she responded positively..
so last nite as we chatted, laughed and cried, she confessed how much she missed her blogging friends, her Etsy shop..
Just how important and precious  these components were to her.. and to her life! 
At first, she could not bear to even READ our blogs..
but slowly, she's checked several of her very faves..
so to "test the temperature of the waters"..
she's garnering her courage and will be rejoining us soon...
so blogging friends..
HEED this message!
"never underestimate  the power of your words..
either written or spoken."

be prepared for the impact they may create in your heart!


Wonders of my World..
not a single solitary word is necessary..♥

Why not reach out and touch someone today?

Outdoors Wednesday

White Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Watery Wednesday

Funny how times slips away..

Hi all..
haven't forgotten any of you..
have just been soooooo busy!
in all my hurrying and scurrying while sorting and decrapifying.. ..
look what i "Found"
this was in a batch of pics i'd been searching forever for..
as promised once found would scan and share..
done,did, did ..
and now I'm sharing a fave of mine from eons ago!
remember my post about Matty and his little sister Maria..

here we are ..Maria and and I..both VERY young!!
yeah my mouth is open..not to catch flies.. 
but talking gently  to her as she wiggled  in my lap!
my house looks like a storm came roaring through!
sealed boxes are stacked as high as i can reach..
everywhere else is just messy messes..
my bed is made..
felines are fast asleep.. well ..
they were until the flash went off!

outside the world of my house..
forest fires continue to rage..

Uploaded by: apphotos — Friday June 22, 2012 — Clark, CO (Current Weather Conditions)

In this June 19, 2012 photo provided by the Colorado National Guard, 
an aircraft drops a load of fire retardant slurry above the High Park wildfire about 15 miles west of Fort Collins, Colo. 

While some have been contained..

ESTES PARK, Colo. – 
A fire that destroyed 22 homes and two outbuildings in an Estes Park neighborhood was
100 percent contained Monday.
Evacuees are expected to be able to return to their homes Monday.
“Due to the hard work of the firefighters and responding agencies, 
the Woodland Heights Fire was isolated to one neighborhood in Estes Park (Sunday),” 
Julie Berney, Public Information Officer for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said.
 “The community is open for business.
”With the aid of helicopters dropping water on the flames,
 fire crews were able to limit the fire to roughly 27.3 acres. 
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.



new ones have started..

as  temperatures continue soaring to new highs..
breaking records..
currently 102 sizzling degrees!
to me..it is simply unbearably hot out..
Please,everyone,
I ask you to keep fire fighters in your prayers!
these guys are dressed in heavy protective gear..

which is already HOT..
and to be physically active exerting body movement..
you KNOW they have to be sweltering!
Now for news and views on the other side of my world..
(all of my Florida friends and family are  safe..)
tropical Storm Debby is crashing through the Gulf..

Courtesy D.J.Zemenick BarrierIslandGirl.blogspot.com

courtesy Margo  (cincobayou)
wreaking erosion,
washing over Turtle nests..

Courtesy D.J.Zemenick BarrierIslandGirl.blogspot.com
so far no human lives have been lost..
even though they continually ignore the Red Warning Flags.. 


Courtesy Gary Cooper 
either to frolic or surf  these deadly conditions..
Wind gusts 45-50mph accompany rain as it continues falling along the  northeasterly track of the storm..
as she moves away from my part of the panhandle..
leaving  sunshine and and lesser waves for the surfers..


hopefully once she has come ashore, the rains will become beneficial instead of destructive flooding..
and life will resume a more leisurely pace for summer fun..
now for even more fun.. 
please visit my friends at:


Blue Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday

what an awesome day i've had!

It's Friday..
hello all!
I'm on cloud nine..or maybe ten!!

flying pretty high tho..
Thursday.. the 21st was simply an awesome day!
It just FELT different when I awoke....
like some thing awesome was gonna happen..
and it did!
started off with coffee as usual..

chatted with sis while she was on the road..
later  the sprinkler man came to check the system..
all in good working order..
set up a time to meet with Realtor..
my house was listed.. 
and purchased ..
the very same day..
for FULL purchase price..
should be closing in 30 days minimum..
45 days max!!!
soo..don't be surprised when you see this...

phase II begins in the morning..
Florida get ready..here WE come!!
as I kept busy with all sorts of stuff..
endless phone calls..
got the paperwork overnited to hubby..
made it to the post office in 10 minutes! 
was still there 5 minutes before closing!
came home made dinner..
flipped on the TV..

to Justin Bieber Around the World Tour..
knowing how my grand Whitney loves  Bieber..
proceeded to snap pics from the TV for her upcoming birthday.. 
will make a scrapbook for her..
also know a dancer in the Bieber video who will send her an autograph..

what a present that will be!♥
finally, had a chance to turn on the computer..
answered emails.. 
then went to the site where i post my photos..WU..
checked my recent uploads!
OMG! there was my pic with a coveted blue frame!!
Approver's Choice award!!
and so many awesome comments!!

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/ksmom/1045?gallery=EDITORSPICK
made me all teary eyed..
and thankful  for such a day of blessings!
so dear friends..please bear with me if my posts are even more erratic in the next few weeks..
know what I'm going through in preparations to a grueling
three-day cross-country drive in the heat of summer..
with three aged felines who've never traveled farther than to the  grooming place..less than a mile away..
any suggestions?
sorry. I cannot afford to FLY them to Florida!


joining a new Friday meme.. wanna tag along? let's GO!
Floral Friday Fotos

Happy Father's Day..

Happy Father's Day..

in pictures..

My dad..1942..shortly before marrying my mom on June 12,1942

my parents and me..1946

My dad..

my dad and i in Maryland..

my dad and i fishing.. a favorite shared pasttime..

"I recall the day I took you on a fishin' trip,

You said: "Daddy won't that hook hurt the fishes' lip?"

And you said if they don't get air, those things in the can will die.

So we turned the worms all loose and chased some butterflies"

the last photo made with daddy and my siblings all together..

his 75th birthday..

where daddy lies now .. 

next to mom again..

 ♥

there is a daddy sized hole in my heart..

i miss and love him very much

                                                       ♥     

In search of Mermaids..and finding ONE!

 
As one Mermaid to another..
We are always searching for our sisters of the sea..
Maybe, it's the pull of the tides, lured by the moonlight..
and just like Unicorns, Fairies,and other magical mystical creatures...
can be found just about anywhere!
Such was the case of Wendie Adams Ridley..

With the same last name of Ridley..
as in Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle ..
which inhabits the Gulf of Mexico..
 
that very same beautiful body of water ...
which so inspires Wendie's creativity..
speaking volumes of her connection to the gulf..
We  have never met..
yet the instant I saw one of her mermaid paintings..,
the tug of recognition was immediately felt ..
and my search was on.
With just the name Wendie  as  a lead or starting point,
my search began with mermaid images on Google...
recognizing her style immediately in the mermaids shown.. 
from there, her name appeared..
and finally to Facebook..

where I found the real live Mermaid !
along with her gorgeous whimsical Mermaids..

Of course the first thing I did was send her a personal message, expressing my interest in her work..
would she consider and interview with the possibility of being featured on my blog?
with the message went the link and the invitation to view Mountain Mermaid..
Dear Wendie..
Awhile back, when visiting home,
I went in search of an Artist at Gulf Place that I had read about...
Why? because I too Love mermaids.. 
I did not find her..but  did find her shop. 
Left a note that I had been by...
that enjoyed her delightful works...
I'll send you a link to that post.just click the link..

  http://mermaidlouie.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-search-of-mermaids.html 

I'll also give you a heads up to proof the blog before hitting the publish button!

How did you become interested in Mermaids?

For myself, I drew paper dolls as a child..
that progressed to sewing barbie clothes for my younger sis.

Even after getting married, before having a child of my own, 
I continued making doll clothes for  little girls in my neighborhood. 
I have always drawn and painted up until Arthritis set into my hands..
Now I paint with my camera!

So tell me a bit about yourself.
Are you a native Floridian? 
Have you always been enchanted by the ocean? 
For me, I feel totally complete and connected when I am on the beach..
feeling the salt breeze on my cheeks..
burying and wiggling my toes in  the sand..
listening for the magic squeak that only our sugary white sands can produce!
I love the coast...and everything about it!!
Wendie's reply:

Thank you so much! 
I would love to be featured on your blog..
Flattered! 
I am a self taught artist from Santa Rosa Beach, FL. 
And I love to paint Mermaids! 
I Love them and lots of color!
Please feel free to write anytime!

thanks again! "

and later, a reply to another of my notes..

" Hi Lou, I am so sorry I'm just getting back to you.

I have had no computer at the moment ..

only have my cell which is so hard to type a letter on...

 but here goes anyway."

(here in her words are a brief synopsis about Wendie the artist) 
" I have always loved mermaids and fairys..
and I guess anything that is magical....
I used to make tails for all my Barbies..
(and I was a Barbie queen ) lol..
I am self taught..,
I started drawing my friends in school..
that became a really fun time..
because everyone always wanted me to draw them. 

I would draw them with big heads..
and little bodies..
which was always funny..
that turned into drawing portraits..
then I tried painting.. 
and I loved it so much!

I dont draw a lot anymore ..
I just let the paint and canvas do the work!
I wish I could paint with a computer or camera!
wow that's so cool! 

I fooled around with cloning on the computer a few times..
it was really fun!!

I feel the same way about the beach as you do..
and ours is the greatest (to me anyway)!

I grew up in north Alabama..
My family had always (well since I was 3 or 4 years old) come to Destin area.

To me it was like a second home. 
I'd always wanted to live here !! 

So I made it (my dream) happen 12 years ago!
I am so happy I did!!     I love it here! 
The beach is so inspirational with my painting.. 

 it soothes my mind...letting my creativity flow..      

I am grateful to you for writing me and am so happy you like my mermaids!

I am at Gulf Place in Santa Rosa Beach, 
(located onthe corner of Scenic 30-A & 393 Hiway running along the coast)
Anyone can call me   850-830-2295 
Or  email me.. saltysisters.art@gmail.com 
for anything they may want me to paint for them..
as I do custom orders. 

Artists at Gulf Place.

I'm trying to get my work out a bit more but ,
I am so new with this and really just getting started.!
thanks so much Lou and have a great day! "
*Custom made signs..

 Gulf Place at Night..

So there you have it Bloggie friends..
an invite to visit  Mermaid Wendie in person,
view her work, 
purchase a memento of your time  along the Emerald Coast!

also you have a phone contact # as well as an email address for easy ordering..

and for you locals..
there is something fun always going on  at Gulf Place.. every weekend ..all summer long..check it out!
http://www.artistsatgulfplace.com/#!events 
You can believe once my feet are back on my native soil/sand..
I'll be heading over to meet Wendie  the Mermaid..
 in person..
see you there!


Joining these fun folks..
White Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Outdoors Wednesday
Rednesday