Going Home to our first New York Summer in the new place!

On May 26, 2025 By halfpassLeave a comment

We will be leaving Florida on Saturday. I cannot believe how long it’s been since posting here. We have a new buddy for Schuyler. His name is Jamie and he’s quite the rascal! I’m a little worried about the car and hotel room when we travel this weekend.

As always, these last two weeks in Florida are bittersweet. I don’t want to leave but I do want to go home for the summer. I find myself watching home design shows and thumbing through my design books. I’m always on the hunt for inspiration. But I am embracing the slow motion school of design. I really rather be underdone than overdone!

Going through my photos, I’m frustrated not to have enough new ones to share.

When Carmine was home last, he took this photo of the pool house cupola with the light working. I haven’t seen it in person yet. But since this is a bit of an homage to my backyard, I’m glad to have it.

We haven’t had a summer here yet, so I am adding winter and fall photos for the heck of it.

This one is good. The pool is closed of course, as is the cabana. I haven’t even begun to address the cabana yet. That will be the first project when I get home. I want to place a fire pit in front of those doors and surround it with seating. Wood burning of course!

This is the other place I’m yearning to dress. Back porch. I’m hoping for breakfasts, suppers with friends, a comfy chair for reading in the shade. Naturally, tons of flowers.

Hiding behind the hydrangeas is a small summer kitchen. I say parties large and small this summer need to be planned.

Random shot of a chocolate martini last summer at one of our local regular spots, “Fat Fish on the Bay.” I haven’t even begun to keep refining my own variation of this called, “Starry, Starry Nights”. I love a chocolate martini, especially in the summer.

Looking forward to dining on the bay at another favorite hangout, “Tres Palms.”

And finally, enjoying sunsets over the bay from the master bedroom balcony.

Busy

On October 6, 2024October 6, 2024 By halfpassLeave a comment

I haven’t been keeping up here, so this is just an exercise in discipline. Be back for more October stuff later.

We lost our beloved Spencer two weeks ago.

Spencer on Fire Island. I love this photo.

The hunt is on for a buddy for Schuyler. Those updates will be shared.

Enjoy this lovely weather we are having in the northeast.

Midsummer 2024

On August 8, 2024August 8, 2024 By halfpass1 Comment

I’m late posting the midway vignettes of summer. I am truly enjoying my coastal lifestyle since moving last year. We are making more changes moving forward but will just let them happen as they will!

The chocolate martini is emerging as my summer drink. Who can resist an adult milkshake?

Dinner on the bay. Windswept and delicious. Fat Fish on the Bay.

My son in law
and me at my nephew’s birthday.

I do plan more summer photos as the summer evolves.

I will leave you with a glorious night sky .

And January comes…

On January 7, 2024 By halfpassLeave a comment

Happily, I’ve gotten Christmas packed away. Back to the boxes! I’m making a real push this week to finish up before we head to Florida next week. I really haven’t gotten a chance to decorate. We are still in the “ unpack and put it away” stage!

But there are vignettes beginning to emerge, even if just temporary. The entry stairwell table pleased me, so here it is.

Fun that it’s the year of the Dragon! I have a lot of dragon themed blue and white.

As you can see, the rest of the foyer is a bit bland. We will get to it!

Hoping the next boxes of books yield the ones I need for the living room built ins! For now, I have to depend on the collies for ambiance!

Saying adieu on 123123

On December 31, 2023December 31, 2023 By halfpassLeave a comment

It’s been quite the year. I sold my beloved Bella Blu Farm, moved to a smaller home in Florida, my dearest Joylena has a new and wonderful owner, then the we sold the Cove House and moved into our new lovely, but flawed, place on the Bay in West Islip.

I’m still unpacking. And yeah, I’m tired. Definitely too many goodbyes for me this year. Looking forward to 2024, which SHOULD be uneventful by comparison. But, you never know!

Here are some photos from the last 2 months. Most are holiday but I’m trying to give you a sense of where we are on “ before and after “ here at the new place.

Living room from the pass through of the kitchen.

Still thinking to paint the built ins white to open the space up.

So much still to unpack so the foyer was only modestly decorated.

Before the gray got eliminated! Loving it white.

Schuyler and Spencer dreaming by the hearth.

Hoping, as the boxes dwindle, my posts increase. We are off to Bella Blu South soon. Wishing everyone visiting my blog a happy and prosperous New Year!

We have a date

On September 26, 2023 By halfpassLeave a comment

October 13 is closing day. After feeling like the whole purchasing of this new home was a dream, we are now down to two and a half weeks to access and moving. It does seem unreal. And I’m feeling a bit of seller’s remorse!

Since it’s still dismal here ( Ophelia lingers) I am sharing random photos of Fall. Some are here, others from previous homes.

Combatting Ophelia with Hungarian goulash this past weekend

Apples from our trees went into these crostatas

The waiting game

On September 13, 2023 By halfpassLeave a comment

We were supposed to close today. Unfortunately, we still don’t know our date. The sellers get thirty days grace under the law before they are subject to a penalty for breach of contract. But so far, no indication of a date. I suspect the sellers are going right to October 13. Oh well. I’m just impatient to actually begin the move.

We are doing it again.

On July 16, 2023July 16, 2023 By halfpassLeave a comment

It’s hardly a surprise to type this but on Friday we went on contract for what I’m privately calling Bella Blu by the Bay. We’ve met with our brokers to list the Cove House and have spent a whirlwind week doing the new house inspection, getting in touch with our attorney, staging this house for photos and chivvying the landscaper to get the curb appeal improved. We even painted the garage.

The Cove House living room staged. We edited drastically.

I’m feeling comfortable about beginning to share pictures of the new house. I’m rethinking the name for the blog as I have posted in an earlier post. Right now “We are having an adventure “ seems a likely title.

But I will treat you to another peak.

A peak at the kitchen and the breakfast room beyond.

Certain to have more to share soon!

Inching closer

On June 30, 2023 By halfpassLeave a comment

So we took a couple of steps closer to moving again. Yikes!!!!! We went back to the house by the bay for a second look. We checked out listing agents for the Cove House.

In the meantime, I planted more hydrangeas anyway. I’ve got the garden bug fairly badly this summer. If we stay, I will have a good dent into my “ look” for the property. If we go, I’ve created some curb appeal for selling. Either way, I get to enjoy, right?

So I will give another tease on this house that we are much more seriously considering.

Design Vignettes

On May 22, 2023May 22, 2023 By halfpassLeave a comment

I’m an avid Pinterest user. I am on nearly everyday saving inspirations, vignettes, and plain old stuff! While I do still save dressage related images, in recent years I have really used the site to hone my interior design, architectural, and lifestyle tastes. There are thousands of pictures on dozens of boards. I think I’m more organized on that site than on my phone. Which impresses me. That said, I really should edit, archive, and delete more often.

While my home style has loosened and grown more eclectic over the years I have remained true to my traditional, classic roots. I still prefer English country house and Cape Cod coastal styles. Southern maximalism weaves through but I’m a Yankee at heart. I have a few boards that groan with saves. “New York and New England Aesthetic” probably has the most stuff. But “Cove House”, “Kitchen Inspirations”, and my “What if I lived in…” series are close seconds ( especially Nantucket).

I’ve learned a lot about architecture thanks to Pinterest. Patrick Ahearn and Gil Schafer are favorites. The shingle style of Robert Stern is another. Indoors, the designers are too numerous to mention.

I love my Design Vignettes board. The choices are more eclectic. They reflect mood as much as style. I wish I could figure out how to import photos from my site over here. In the meantime, I will hit my phone and share some vignettes over the years that I have taken myself.