For Rent + Sale

Do you want to live in Jacksonville, Florida?

Are you looking to buy or lease a much loved home that is minutes away from downtown, Saint John's River, and the beach?

Our charming historic property was built in 1928 in the heart of San Marco, one of the most desirable neighborhoods in North Florida. It's two stories has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, in addition to a large front porch, fenced backyard, and quiet neighbors. Wood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, original millwork, gorgeous landscape, and much more.

Available for occupancy December 15, 2011.
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Do you want to live in East Fort Lauderdale, Florida?

Are you looking to sign a twelve month lease on a one bedroom close to the beach?

Rent our beautifully renovated condominium in the highly sought after neighborhood of Coral Ridge, across the street from the Intracoastal Waterway. Large and open, it's perfect for entertaining. Lease includes water and maintenance fees. Slate floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, built-in wine cooler, and much more.

Available for occupancy February 20, 2012. Earlier move in dates may be considered.
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For more information on either of our available properties (or to inquire about others we have that may be available in the near future), please email us here.

Fall In Seattle

Hello again.

Now where were we? I mentioned we just got back from a week in Seattle, right?



You might remember that we spent a few days there in May, on our way home from Alaska, and we both decided that we needed to go back. For longer. To shop and hike and eat and wander. You know, really important things. And also the baby had never been and who am I to deny our child an invaluable travel experience?

Nevermind that there's still an umbilical cord involved.




The first couple of days we went for some long runs around the city and shopped. We hit up Pike's Place and the basement Fremont market over the bridge and ate off of streetside vendors. The gyros were bliss.

We also picked up a few things at the shops downtown where we managed to walk right into the Occupy Wall Street protests. I didn't find them particularly convincing, but I did become 99% certain that the baby became stoned from all of the second hand smoke.







The next day we got massages at Gene Juarez, where I bought a tiny $45 bottle of Chinese leaf extract drops for my water only to get back to the hotel and discover that they are not considered safe for pregnant women. Awesome.

Later we saw 50/50, and it was good. The acting lived up to the reviews anyway. (Have you seen it? Did you love the otter pat, too?)

On Monday we decided to go hiking, so we got up early and caught the ferry to Kingston. Check out our view on the ferry (from our car).



The drive to the mountain wasn't too shabby either.









Neither of us can remember the name of the mountain we hiked. (Sorry, it's late. Plus, I have Pregnancy Brain, and Andrew has Sympathy Pregnancy Brain.) But I will point out that IT HAD COUGARS.



From now until the day I die, I will always mention the mountain that I hiked WITH COUGARS. Now did we actually see any cougars?

I don't see the need to discuss specifics.
















When we got back to town, Andrew had some business to attend to, so I spent the next couple of days trying every darn restaurant and museum in Seattle.









It was a blast.

We'll be back, Seattle.

Back With Dessert

Please tell me that you like pumpkin pie. I could sleep in a bed of it, but Andrew would rather have all of his fingernails ripped off.

Slowly.

One by one.



One day last week, before we left for Seattle, I made Pumpkin Cobbler for dessert. (More about our trip to Washington later.) I actually switched it up from a recipe emailed to me by another blogger a couple of years ago. It's like the pumpkin pie that Andrew finds so disgusting, except he'll actually eat this and then ask for seconds. And thirds. While foaming at the mouth.

Take that as you will.


Pumpkin Cobbler

1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated skim milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Truvia
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 box butter golden cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend, melted
a couple of scoops of Breyers Smooth + Dreamy Creamy Vanilla

Mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and spices. Pour into the bottom of a sprayed 9" x 13" glass dish. Sprinkle cake mix over the top. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the cake mix and drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. (If it is jiggly when you move the pan around, bake a little longer.)


Andrew likes his with a couple of scoops of ice cream, I take mine with tea.

Which reminds me, I bought new tea. It's been helping with the nausea.



Zingibar Ginger Coconut, Tiramisu Treviso, and Tulsi Dosha Chai. Teavana. I blend them, and then inhale. Several times a day. It's good.

One more thing before I go... a couple of pictures of Slate. No reason, other than he hasn't made an appearance on the blog in a while. He was none too happy with a week of daycare, and he's let me know about it since we've been home.

There may or may not be peanut butter flavored guilt cookies involved.




That's it. Back soon with more about our week on the west coast.

Random

Sorry for the lousy phone picture, but I want to share that nineteenth century French table that I fell in love with in Baltimore a couple of weeks ago. I'm ninety percent certain that we don't have a shot at the house that I'd like to buy it for, though we did get a call from the Realtors the other day asking if we'd be willing to review another counter offer (over a month after our original negotiations broke down). They're still a lot higher than I'm willing to commit to, so the likelihood of us moving forward is slim, and sadly this table is probably not in the cards.

But that doesn't change how much I love it.

I'd put it in the long, narrow sitting room and and tear down the wall in the current dining room, doubling the size of the kitchen. It would take quite a bit of work (not really, just a some demolishing, reconfiguring, refinishing, floors and cabinetry), but the sitting room faces the lake and I can imagine having dinner parties and cozy holidays overlooking the water. That table would work beautifully.



In other news, Andrew and I have been outdoors working out a lot lately. Mostly running on that beach and kicking around the soccer ball at the park and long neighborhood walks with warm tea. It's been rainy and in the high seventies, the best weather for a nauseous overheated pregnant lady, and it's one of the only times of the day when I don't feel like my stomach is being beaten with fourteen golf clubs and a Vegas style hangover.

Which reminds me, we had another ultrasound. A little preview, if you will.



The doctor said, "It's, uh, really wiggling in there," and I looked and was all, "IS IT NORMAL FOR OUR FETUS TO BE BREAKDANCING?"

Apparently, it is.

But I like breakdancers and I love babies, so I'm rolling with it for now.

Closet Love

I'm building a closet like this.

I still have to find a new house and pack and move and buy fifty seven pretty dresses and, oh, you know, give birth to that baby and everything, but then then I will build a closet like this.

Because I want those doors.



I used to have a big, huge walk in, many moons ago, that I redesigned from two funky his and her closets, adding cream colored french doors and floor to ceiling wood shelves.

It was cozy.

And I could see my entire wardrobe from bed.