(photo by my 8 year old son)
I recently went to Florida for my nephew's wedding and had the pleasure of visiting with long lost friends & relatives and touring my half-sister's phenomenal home. Her condo was an old nightclub in the twenties and the architectural details are simply amazing! From the iron gates and 16th century mural in the lobby to the rooftop terrace onto which her units open, this place will leave you speechless. Everywhere I looked all I could say was, "WOW!". My sister has always been the epitome of style and elegance in my eyes and I knew before I set foot in her home that I would be in for a real treat, but nothing could have prepared me for the shear volume of eye candy! You see, I was so excited about finally getting to see this cool and funky building (for as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by architectural details of old buildings) that I forgot that my sister is an avid art collector! Talk about sensory overload! She is one of those rare souls who can combine Modern, Antique, Traditional, Rustic, Mediterranean, Moorish, Asian and God knows what else in a seemingly effortless way! Even her tableware was created by artists! The only thing I could find that wasn't one of a kind were her planters on the terrace! Of course, the way she had them arranged was completely creative (stay tuned for that little tip).
So, what about the "Life Lessons" part of this little post? My life lessons are as follows:
1. NEVER become so overwhelmed by the beauty around you that you forget to take photos of everything that inspires you!
2. NEVER believe your 8 year old son when he says, "Mom, you don't need to take pictures. I got pictures of all the cool stuff!"
3. NEVER throw away a second opportunity to take the pictures of features you really want to remember!
4. NEVER be embarrassed if you are dumbfounded by the surrounding beauty!
5. NEVER assume that because you think someone is more amazing than you, that they think the same!
6. ALWAYS remember to take pictures with the people you love (even if you hate being in pictures)!
7.NEVER, NEVER, NEVER forget to take a picture of your 78 YEAR old father with ALL FOUR OF HIS CHILDREN AND ALL SEVEN OF HIS GRANDCHILDREN WHEN IT IS ONLY THE SECOND FREAKIN' TIME IT HAS HAPPENED IN YOUR 38 YEARS ON THIS PLANET!!!!!!!!!!
