Homeland on Showtime

I just finished watching all 12 episodes of Homeland on Showtime. Recommended by sister Linda, I finally gave it a try and I love this show. We have Cox Cable, so I went to On Demand and found it, episode by episode.

So very good--try it. This season is now complete, and I don't know when it will return again, but I will be watching for it. Terrific!!

The Day after Christmas

So, another Christmas has been celebrated. We like to keep up our Christmas decorations til Jan. 6th. It's nice to enjoy the lights and Santas once the craziness of parties and gifts is gone.

The top photo is our guest room in the lower level--just happens to be done in red, so it feels like Christmas for our guests.

The second photo is my new office area in the lower level. Who wouldn't like to work in this happy place with fireplace, tv, and Christmas tree?

I need a movie today!

Christmas 2011

Our funky Christmas tree with brightly colored lights is placed in my new downstairs office area. Yes, that's a football game on the tv screen. Courtney & Chris were here yesterday and ended up snoozing/watching football downstairs. It's so cozy down here now that I have a fireplace.

It's been a whirlwind Christmas season. We had our annual Christmas party on Dec. 17th, so we had to be decorated by then. Bob was travelling quite a bit, and we were behind in the decorating festivities. For the first time, Bob didn't even set up his Christmas village--just too much to do.

We had a new caterer this year for our party. Bless Mary Moore--she has been our caterer for many years and she passed away last year. So very sad.

We used a new caterer who was very good - A Catered Affair. The food was great and the staff was even better. Two of the staff were TC Williams teachers--they reminded me of those days teaching in Random Lake and Woodbridge.

Verna came up from Rocky Mount--always so special when she comes to visit for this party--especially since her plate is pretty full with two kids currently engaged and weddings to be planned!

I always love seeing friends at Christmastime--seems I don't get enough time with long-time friends. I was just thinking about how lucky I am that I have had the best friends thoughout my life. Starting with Christy, my best friend in Harmony, Minnesota. I saw Christy & Steve last year in Richmond. It had been so many many years--so much fun. Then in college, there was Kris Krejci McGuire who just came out here to visit--the same as always, fun and funny. My everyday friends here are too numerous to mention, but I sure have fun with Willie, Cathy & Maureen, all my Realtor pals, my neighborhood pals, my book club friends.

I haven't sent out my Christmas cards yet, but we've received so many. I hope all of us card senders can help keep the Post Office in business. I love getting photo cards! I intend to send my cards out late--maybe tomorrow.

We had Christmas Eve at Linda's house--all the presents were opened and we had a wonderful evening! We all tried to have less gifts this year, but there was no evidence that was the case. Linda's grandchildren had lots of fun, and they made the evening special for all.

Today is Chritmas dinner at our house. Bob is making Mother's Norwegian meatballs, and I've started the bread.

I've been trying to weed out some of my Christmas decorations--just too many. I'll take photos today and post more photos later.

Merry Christmas to all!

Trip to Rocky Mount, NC

I travelled to Rocky Mount to Verna's house for Haley's wedding shower. Haley is marrying Verna's son Kurt in February. Linda and I left Alexandria and then stopped in Richmond to pick up Courtney and Verna's mother. We had such a good trip.

It was my first visit to Verna's house, and I just love it. It's mid-century modern and it has a fabulous floorplan for entertaining. I don't see this type of house around here, and I thought it was so well designed: main floor master bedroom, large entertaining spaces and a fabulous porch that ran across the back of the house.

We celebrated so much: Haley's wedding shower, Lea's engagement, and Linda's birthday.

I should really leave town more often--so much fun!

The theme for the shower was Christmas, so I crafted a bucket of gifts with Linda and Courtney. I ordered her a Santa from Herman Hollins, and he added the heart just for them. I think a little folk art is perfect in anybody's house! Herman Hollins e-mail: folkark@aol.com

Thanksgiving

I have a charming new listing in Wilton Woods. Look at this virtual tour:
www.6104BeechTreeDrive.com

It's a wrap--still cleaning up from Thanksgiving dinner. All was going well until the oven malfunctioned on Thanksgiving Day. The problem was solved, and the homemade rolls were finally baked. It was a good day.

Saw some good movies over the Holiday weekend:

-The Descendants with George Clooney

- My Week with Marilyn with Michelle Williams who was a fabulous Marilyn

I did some Christmas shopping in Old Town today--love browsing the small shops and avoiding the mall. Some of my favorites in Old Town:

- J. Brown

- European Country Living

- Decorium

- The Paper Store (I think that's the name)

- Red Barn Mercantile

A little lunch at Facia Luna and then stopping in Wm Sonoma.

Happy Halloween!

Bob works on the exterior Halloween decorations--a little over-the-top perhaps. We do get lots of little trick or treaters on the 31st.

I try to sprinkle a few pumpkins inside the house for a little feeling of fall. Most of this can be carried through to Thanksgiving. I do like folk art, so many of my fall things are from folk artists that I love. Many pumpkins came from The Cottage in Leesburg. That round flying witch is a favorite of mine, and I've had it for many years. Matter of fact, I saw in the RSH catalog not too long ago. That flying witch is usually in the powder room.

Snow? How can that be? Let's hope that our Halloween decoration won't be covered with snow this weekend!

What have you learned about life?

I was just reading Washingtonian Magazine this month, and I found an interesting interview with Jim Weinstein, a career coach and life consultant. Good thoughts:

What have you learned about life?

"There are three qualities that are important to finding success and fulfillment: a positive attitude, even in the face of negative circumstances; showing up, or doing one's part to move the ball forward on a daily basis; and the consistent building and feeding of relationships, both personal and professional."

Walpole Mailbox

I love my new mailbox from Walpole (www.walpolewoodworkers.com). Our neighborhood originally had the old style mailbox with an unfinished pole. The posts at Walpoles are made of a PVC-type material that will still look good for many years--no painting required.

I think the white post with black mailbox is classic and works for me. I had the people at Walpole install the mailbox, and he worked at it for such a long time to get it solid, straight and just right. It was well worth the extra cost to have them install it.

I've seen a few Walpole mailposts in the neighborhood with different colored mailboxes--red, burgundy, taupe. They all look great. Little things like a new mailbox sure can add to the curb appeal.

Linda Eder at the Strathmore

Last night I went with Willie & Peter to the Strathmore in Maryland to see the very talented Linda Eder sing. I have been a fan of hers for awhile now, and I've seen her 4 times in concert.

The first time I saw her was at the Kennedy Center where she sang with the National Symphony Orchestra, and I was mesmerized by her beautiful voice.

The show that I really loved was a Christmas show at the Kennedy Center where she sang with Marvin Hamlisch directing the National Symphony Orchestra at the Pops Concert. It's a thrill to hear a fabulous voice with a full symphony. Matter of fact, I thought about going back to repeat that show the next day, but it was sold out.

Her Christmas CD is one of my seasonal favorites. By the way, she is originally from Minnesota--another plus in my book.

Even though the traffic was somewhat difficult on a Thursday at rush hour, it was well worth the trip. I hope that she is at the Kennedy Center for her next tour here.

What a wonderful evening! Pure enjoyment.

New Design book by Annie Selke

I picked up this design book at Red Barn Mercantile. The author, Annie Selke, is the designer behind such brands as Pine Cone Hill and Dash & Albert rugs. My new bedroom rugs are from Dash & Albert at Red Barn Mercantile in Old Town.

The book is vivid and bright with color--even has a photo of my new rug. Don't you love the cover? So fresh!

Notice what a difference molding around a front door can make. The top photo has just the builder's original doorframe. The second photo is my front door with nice moldings surrounding the door. Makes quite a difference! It was Jan's suggestion and any carpenter can do this easily. (Yes, I know I need a new doormat--just ordered one from Grandinroad. I like black edging with an initial. The initial on my current doormat is worn off completely)

P.S. Favorite movies lately: Drive, Hedgehog, Sarah's Key, Moneyball

My Flowerbox

My summer windowbox looks better now than it has all summer! I got this windowbox at www.hooksandlattice.com. They have a wonderful selection. This is my only gardening project for me. Bob does all the rest. It's fun having one little place to garden, and I love changing it with the seasons.

Eyebrows - Anastasia at Nordstrom

Look at these pretty eyebrows. On occasion I get my eyebrows shaped at Anastasia at Nordstrom. I happened to be shopping there yesterday, and so I had my eyebrows shaped. They do such a good job. The photo above is from an ad for Anastasia--her eyebrows look pretty great, don't they?

Generally, I get my eyebrows done at Glam, the nail salon. I like one-stop shopping--getting my nails, toes and eyebrows done in full swoop. The problem with most nail salons that I have used is they tend to get my eyebrows too thin.

Try Anastasia sometime--you might like it.

The Hedgehog - the movie

Currently playing at Shirlington, The Hedgehog is a great movie. I know that many have read the book, the Elegant Hedgehog. I tried reading the book first, but I got stuck in it for some reason. I went to see the movie and loved it! Then I did a "speed read" of the book. The book didn't read very clearly to me. I heartily recommend the movie!

P.S. My best movie reviewer team (Willie & Peter) really loved it also.

Saturday, September 18th

New listing here in the neighborhood. I'll have 6240 Gentle Lane open on Sunday. The owners worked very hard to get it ready for market and it looks great. I had it professionally staged, and that makes such a difference. I've had my last 3 sold listings professionally staged, and they sold immediately. It does cost some money, but it's money well spent! Price on this one: $660,000.

Master Bedroom Project

My bedroom window treatments are done. They are the sweetest polka-dot panels! Also, look at my rugs beside the bed--just perfect for a cottage bedroom. Jan suggested this rug, and I picked it up at Red Barn Mercantile in Old Town (Dash & Albert rug).

The new and enlarged master bedroom is wonderful. I love the king-sized bed and I love all the new space. Remember, we took 2 bedrooms and made it into one.

At the beach

This is a photo of my sister, Nancy, and me at the beach house. So much fun!

At the Beach

We just finished our 2-week vacation in Dewey Beach. This was my "campsite" for 2 weeks--people watching, reading lots of books, visiting with my sister, Nancy from Minnesota. I love being outside all day, and the weather permitted that every single day. It's fun to feel how every day changes at the beach. I always want blue skies, temps in the 80's, and a good seabreeze. We had that weather many days.

We have rented the same beach townhouse in Dewey for more than 20 years. It's oceanfront, and that's what we love. The house could use some redecorating, but it's a million dollar view. It has a wonderful deck overlooking the dunes and the ocean.

We started taking 2-week vacations a few years ago, and I recommend them. The first week I am still on the computer a lot, talking on the phone, managing real estate transactions. Then in the second week, it's quieter and I am chilled out. Bob even sat in a beach chair this year for the first time ever (His knee is an issue, so his walks were shorter this year).

Movie Recommendation: Buck

Going to the movies is the way to beat the heat! I went to Shirlington yesterday to see Buck, and I likd it so much. It's a documentary about a horse whisperer, and it was so very interesting. I recommend it!

Hydrangeas!!

Long-time friends Cathy & Maureen were over to dinner last week. Cathy brought me this beautiful hydrangea bouquet from her garden. She put it in a mason jar, and they are simply adorable on my kitchen table!

I am loving hydrangeas this summer--from blue to purple to pink to white. I just sold a house on Gentle Lane where I got to clip a nice little bouquet for me. I hope the new owners will love and appreciate all those hydrangeas.

Master Bedroom Furniture Arrives

My new red bed and side dresser/tables arrived today. Yes, the red bed looks familiar. I liked my old queen-size bed so much that I ordered it in king size. Maine Cottage went out of business, but fortunately Russel McKenna bought them and brought back these beautiful pieces of bright furniture.

I love our new king-sized mattress, and we just placed it on a bed frame when it arrived. The room felt naked without a bed. In addition to the red bed, we got the cornflower blue side tables. I cant' wait to load up those little drawers.

The room is coming together. It seems that red is not the color out there this season--not much in red bedding. Jan brought some great fabrics today, so we will be making a custom duvet cover and window treatments.

I love our new bedroom--it is spacious and filled with color. We created lots of storage. It's a wonderful room!

New Master Bath

My new master bath is done and it's beautiful! The top photo shows the pebble floor in the shower. I am loving the Robern medicine cabinets which have electrical plugs in them for all my equipment. Silestone counters with just a little glimmer.

There were no windows in this bathroom, so we put in a solar tunnel. It brings in nice filtered light so that we don't even need a light on during the day. It was a great idea. Jan designed it all, and it's wonderful.

New Master Bedroom Suite

The master bedroom/bath project is pretty well done. We took two bedrooms and made one nice large master bedroom. We moved up to a king-sized bed, which is wonderful. A new bed and side dressers are on order (Maine Cottage went out of business, but is now being taken over by Russell MaKenna). Yes, I'm getting a red bed. . . . again.

Jan designed it all and Forrest the Contractor made it happen. The two new little closets with the red doors are just right. We took out a large closet on the other side and opened that space up for the red cabinet (which I got at The Cottage in Leesburg last year). It feels so good with all the open space. The Container Store set me up with Elfa closet dividers, and they will be great once I get them all organized.

The little vanity dressing table between the two little red closets came from The Cottage. The art is all my collected folk art which includes many Nancy Thomas pieces. Jan hung it all, and it brought life to the space.

We also put hardwood floors on the entire second level--such a great look. I'm so sick of carpet--always seems to need cleaning. After my last $700 carpet cleaning bill, I knew that I would move on to hardwood floors.

We still need the new furniture and window treatments, but it's getting there.

My Farm Table Moved to the Porch

This old farm table was in my lower level, but I always wanted it moved to the screened porch. I think it looks great here. What a job it was to get it out of my lower level, up the hill, in through the garage and out to the porch. It required my very wonderful contractor, Forrest and co-worker Steve. They had to take apart my sliding glass door on the lower level to get it out. Then carry it up the hill, then in the garage doors, then take two doors off their hinges, cut 1/2 inch off the table legs, and finally out to the porch. Also, it is rather heavy and cumbersome.

Yes, it is staying here for a long time. As we say in the business, it will "convey with the house".

My new office space

This isn't the best photo, but you can see how this wall in the lower level has been built out with a fireplace (to stay warm in winter), a new flat screen TV and all my custom cabinetry for my office. It's a great space to work.

This is a cute little cottage listing that I currently have on the market (FX7573819) on Groveton in South Alexandria ($399,000). Top photo is the AFTER, and below it is the BEFORE.

I always say it's all about curb appeal, and this one has it now. When I listed the property, I gave them a list of things to do to enhance the curb appeal (with help from Jan the Decorator), and they did most of them. We had suggested a cupola on top of the house--wouldn't that have been cute? I think this one will sell soon.

The built-in bookcases and office area have been installed. Yes, it's still messy, but it's going to be great. I love the look of that whole wall with bookcases, TV, fireplace and desk being nicely aligned along that whole wall.

We still need the mantel to go up and then I can get the TV wired up again. I already like the idea of having my office down here on the garden level.