I saw SANTA today (Christmas Eve 09) at the beach!

I saw santa at the Melbourne Beach today, trying to avoid being seen by the children there. When our eyes met, he winked at me. I am sure he will be back tomorrow to relax after having such a long night!

Merry Christmas! 09

CHRISTMAS 09 in Florida!

I bought this off white bisque Santa at TJMaxx just before leaving VA. He got packed quickly and got opened again here in Florida. I put him on a table, then on the back patio with the 'jungle' as his backdrop. I am hoping to take him to the beach for his rest after Christmas Eve! Other 2009 Chirstmas decor in our temporary apartment:

It's a Jungle out there!

We are all moved in! This is a view from our patio! It shows the jungle in the back of the apartment complex! The view is breathtaking. I LOVE the Florida vegetation. Will be in the mid 80's this rest of the week here.

I will be OFF LINE until the 18th when the dish gets installed. See you then!

MOVING TIME!

We are almost all packed up and ready to move. Hard to believe that we will be in FLORIDA for good in a short time! We will have Christmas with family and ON THE BEACH! Yes, the beach in those photos I just posted! It will be MY BEACH! I intend to spend a lot of time with my feet in the sand this winter! Gotta rekindle my connection with the ocean and the shore. My soul will soar!

Finally a post from my friend Judith!

Her BLOG link.
She has posted a curent photo on her blog and is getting back into posting some more photographs! I just love what she does!
Hooray Judith, I am waiting to see more pictures!

The beach and blue skies, Melbourne Beach, FL

I miss the blue-blue (photo not retouched, just as it came out of my point and shoot pocket camera) skies especially while standing under a palm!

Links to photos from same trip on this Blog: (use your shift key + press link to open new window)

Hello from Satellite beach

Melbourne Beach, Florida

Doubletree hotel, Satellite Beach Florida

Melbourne Beach Fl, historic shopping district

Satellite Beach continued photos

Melbourne, Florida and Palm Bay area

Satellite Beach continued

Great place to walk after breakfast near the beach. This is the area just over the Melbourne Bridge The beach is such a huge part of the life here... Ahhhhhh!

Love the sea grape all around, the knarly trunks are rarely viewed, but here by the boardwalk they could be observed closely.

When I saw this sign, it reminded us of the Sinfeld episode about the Bizzarro world where it was an alternate universe. We didn't eat here because we had just had breakfast nearby and headed out of town.

Melbourne, Florida has a historic shopping district

I took these photos quickly just stepping out of the car. Was hard to take photos as we walked around because I was so busy just looking at everything! I had seen some of the antiques online on Craigslist (antique section for Space Coast, FL) and saw the New Haven area listed. I was surprised to see that I recognized some of the items I had seen on CL in some of the shops. I talked to some of the shop owners and had such fun because it felt like I had been there before! The streets were already filled with cars parked early in the morning!

This is such a quaint area. Just beyond the shops is the main road where we caught the bridge back to Satellite Beach. There were a lot of antique and consignment shops and little bakeries and places to eat.

Melbourne & Satellite Beach Florida more photos...

Doubletree Hotel
This is where we stayed. I took a room on the first floor, missing some of the view, BUT we were only in the room to sleep in the dark anyway! This was the view I had on the first floor, but we could walk only the distance of a few rooms to the pool and deck walk to the beach access. The room was very private when we opened the curtains and we got lots of light! All the rooms face the ocean (East exposure) so the sunrise was wonderful!

The inground hot tub was great for warming up after walking the beach and in the water. We had GREAT weather, nice temperate temperatures and great ocean breezes! Missing it already (got home last night).
Most of the beach here have environmental protection sand dunes along the beach, the sea grape and grasses protect erosion. It provides a shield from the wind and sand/sea spray as well. When we sat outside for dinner at night around the pool, the wind was a bit tamer at the table area, then we went up on the boardwalk, the wind picked up. Was such a nice breeze!
I took this photo from the car as we drove up to the hotel after having breakfast at the Blue Berry Muffin house. Yummy with homemade muffins and pies. The blueberry muffins were fresh, moist and tasted like blueberry pie! The food was so good we ate breakfast every morning on our way out of town.
This was one of the few planters that the hotel had in the front by the entrance. I was taken by the texture and colors. These were huge, like 4' across.

I just loved the flooring! It was a type of vinyl and highly polished, but the dark mahogany color and the pale bamboo strip was just stunning! I loved walking on it and took this way to the pool instead of outside just to see the floor!

I can't believe our week went by so fast! It seemed longer when we were there because we fit in so much in a day. But, now I am home sitting at the computer and thinking it went by so fast! If I could just move there NOW I would!

Melbourne Beach, Florida

No words necessary!

pictures from our trip to Florida

Hello from Satellite & Melbourne Beach, Fl

We are staying in Satellite Beach Florida this week. Here are some of the sights I have been seeing! Even the Publix supermarket has PALMS! The beach is across the street.

Teak 2 Chairs I found!

I found these two chairs on Craigslist. I love this type of chair and had wanted an oriental mix in with my things. I was happy to find these two, no damage other than scratches. I didn't know what wood they were, but we solid and only scratches and some flecked paint off the cane on the seat. I was surprised that when I turned them over while inspecting them closer there was some writing under the chair seats. TEAK! $80 for both. The sit low, so they will not block view nor impose too much 'chair' in the room. The lady I got them from said they were about 20 years old and she is the first owner.

With the type of Empire style that I like, chairs without a bulkiness to them just don't hold up to that heavy look of my Empire chest and pedistal tables. They are nice and wide and have a deep seat. I will make pillows for the seat and lumbar pillows for the back. I love the X legs (horizontal cross framed with X stretchers taken from the Curule original design), I have seen many chairs like this but I don't like the chow legs (feet turned inward) look. And some Empire pieces have this same style legs, and curves.

I like that the finish is not a thick lacquer, so I can sand these a bit and will put some tung oil on them and perhaps wax. The finish that is on them now is a dull thin layered black paint.

Another view of the two chairs.This shows my Empire styled bureau that is bulky.

My NEW old chairs! CL find!

I met another nice person (Monte) on Criagslist as the seller of these beauties! There are 6 of them and they are lightweight, so I can move them around easily. I love the cut out shape! Can you picture them when I redo the seat with gray men's suit material. The Ralph Lauren look! I thought it was amazing that Monte already had the seats in a gray frabric!
I sent Monte the link to this blog, so he could see my other finds. Hi Monte!

Halloween Inspiration pictures!

Photos off the internet (& eBay) for HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION!
Music from Blog will be running while music from slide show will run, so when pop up window comes up, delete Blog tab.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

First sign of the holidays for me!

Another Craigslist find! I thought this was kind of large, 42" across from end to end (mirror part 18") , BUT, isn't Christmas large? So, I decided this would be my ($20) Christmas wreath! I can always sell it after Christmas if I do not want to pack it to move it (might not handle the move OK).

It was all gold and I got some rub'nbuff and rubbed it on all the high spots so that the gold is the shadow. Since the gold part was antiqued, and there is a 2" depth to the piece, this makes quite a lot of texture! It has a tag from High Point NC, (not wood, a light weight material) I love silver things for Xmas, now I have my first decoration up already! I am not doing a lot this year for decor since we are moving soon and are in a temporary place, so this is exciting for me to put up.

Craigslist FIND today, just a hint of what is yet to come.

Can you guess what it is? Make in the 1800's and appears to be solid cherry. I bought it today on Craigslist and plan to use it for something other than what it's original purpose was. I just loved the texture so much. It is large, bulky and heavy!
I can see the potential for a lot of photos in the future!

I have added this photo of the 3/4 bed put together. This is the Craigslist photo.

It doesn't show it on the monitor by these photos, but the bed, I think it is solid cherry, is the same color as the two canopy headboards I just got. So, I am thinking that a bench in that guest room might be nice. We'll see what my next guest room will hold.