We're Having a Baby :)

Jimmy and I are so lucky to announce we are having a baby boy!!  He will be here May 25th (hopefully), which means I am 17 weeks pregnant . Screen Shot 2013-12-16 at 2.53.11 PM

I wasn't going to blog about it at all.  I feel like it's such a private event, and I just wasn't sure I felt like writing about it.  I was at a Christmas party Saturday night and saw a lot of people I had not seen in a while.  They all asked me if I was ever going to blog again.  I can't really explain why I stopped for a while... I think I just needed a break.  I was exhausted from the wedding, and then was wrapped up in the newlywed life (which consists of happily gaining back a few pounds and drinking whatever I wanted-- wine, vodka, miami vices...), and then before I knew it I was pregnant! ;)  Jimmy and I realize how amazingly fortunate we are, and we are both thankful for that every day.  Anyway, at the Christmas party I realized it wasn't fair to keep you guys out of the loop.  We have been through so much together.  Figuring out my job, becoming a photographer, meeting Jimmy, getting engaged, and finally getting married.  It doesn't seem fair to stop right at the good part!  Thus, a pregnancy blog...

 

To bring you up to speed I will answer a few commonly asked questions.

1. Are you excited to be pregnant?

Yes!  I'm more excited than I've ever been for anything in my life.  In fact... I'm pretty sure every decision I've ever made has been leading to this point.  It's everything I've ever wanted.  I am absolutely thrilled and thankful and excited.  I am not even that nervous, which I think is strange.  I'm just excited and can't wait for him to get here.

2. Is Jimmy excited?

Yes!  Jimmy was really hoping for a boy.  Now they can do all kinds of boy stuff together... like trains (Jimmy's favorite).  Jimmy is going to be a great dad, and he's been a very supportive husband... even when I've been throwing a fit.  It's the hormones, I swear.

3. How do you feel?

Fat.  I feel fat.  And my legs and back hurt.  Do I care?  Not really.  Yes, I very much enjoyed having a waist, and I hope to see it again some day soon, but as for now I'm enjoying the finer things in life... like frozen waffles.

4. What are you craving?

Oranges, orange juice, pineapples, ketchup, bbq sauce, salad, hummus, waffles (real and frozen), and hot tea.  I am actually a little disappointed that I haven't had any wild cravings at all.  I was sort of looking forward to that.  The strangest thing is that I normally crave Mexican food and french fries, but I haven't had much of a taste for them... which blows my mind.  About once a week I try some fries just to see if I like them.  They are ok, but I never crave them.  Yesterday, just to say that I ate something crazy while pregnant, I dipped a french fry in chocolate sauce.  It was pretty good, but tasted less like heaven and more like a french fry dipped in chocolate sauce.  I'm basically  a boring old pregnant lady with no good food stories.

5. Is the baby's room ready?

No, but it is cleaned out and empty.  The baby's room used to be my closet, which is actually a spare bedroom.  To get ready for him I got rid of half my clothes and shoes, which, other than carrying him around inside me for 10 months, I feel is the greatest sacrifice I could make for my child.  You think I'm kidding.

6. Are your parents excited?

Are they excited?  Are you kidding?  I've never seen a more excited group of adults.  He will be the first grandchild on both sides, so I'm sure he will be spoiled.  Yes.  They are all very very excited.

7. Do you know the name?

Yes, and we aren't telling.

8. Have you felt him move?

Yes.  On Friday he kicked me and turned over.  It was the best feeling in the world.  I wish he would start moving around more, although the doctor warned me against that. He said as soon as I start feeling him I will feel him all the time because he is a VERY active child.  I think he gets it from his daddy.  At our 12 week appointment he was dancing all around in my stomach.  If you've seen Jimmy dance you know it came straight from him. Great, now I will have two of them on my hands.  Better clear out the living room for a father/son dance party.

9. Does Charlotte know?

She does.  She likes to sleep right on the baby and protect him.  It's cute, except when she gets alarmed and kicks me in the stomach/the baby in the face.

 

For those of you who are into that sort of thing, here's a picture of our very active son.  Isn't he beautiful?

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-Blayne

 

 

Honeymoon Part II

Honeymoon continued... IMG_3187

Leaving Four Seasons Golden Triangle and headed to Chang Mai.

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Arriving at the hotel.

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Dinner at the Four Seasons Chang Mai.

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Bathtub surrounded by glass.

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Coffee and email updating on the porch.

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Welcome flowers displayed in our room.

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Pooling!

To be honest, it was so hot in Chang Mai that I was sweating in this picture!  In the pool!  It was well over 100 every day, but it felt like 120!  We decided to leave a few days early and head to Koh Samui.  We stayed at the Imperial Boathouse, which was fine... bit it was definitely NOT the Four Seasons.

 

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Exhibit A, naked lady glasses and plastic beach chairs...

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Jimmy and I decided to combat our shock over exiting the Four Season bubble by doing a little beach bar crawl.  Stop #1.

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Stop #2.

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Stop #2 Continued...IMG_3245

And post drinks, on the way to dinner, we had a nice little photo op.

The next day we went to the beach in the morning, which was beautiful! IMG_3244

And then we went into Chaweng for lunch.  We stopped at the coolest hotel for lunch, The Library.

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There was a red pool!

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We of course opted for a good old Carona... too many Thai beers.

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We then moved to a Thai Beach Club for a second beer and a Jello Shot :)

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As well as a polaroid with a monkey.  $5 well spent... especially after doing a little afternoon drinking!

The next day we went back to the Four Seasons... which we will explore in part 3 :)

Honeymoon... Part 1/2

We went to Thailand for our honeymoon.  We took a little tour through the Four Seasons hotels in Thailand.  Wife Perk!!!

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Four Seasons Bangkok

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After 2+ months of juicing to fit into my wedding dress, this was a welcome site!

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Pool side...

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Non-alcoholic health shakes ;) -- I can't shake them... HA HA.  Get it.

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We watched the woman carving these watermelon...  it was incredible.

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We ate cashew and chicken goo on top of pineapple that blew my mind!  Seriously the best think I've ever eaten.

Then we traveled to the Four Seasons Golden Triangle.

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This is us in a boat on the way to the tented camp :)

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Our tent.  That's a bathtub in the middle of the room!  It was over 100, but I forced myself to take a bath.  Do you blame me?  It was awesome.  I of COURSE had a cold drink in the bath.   Jimmy's mom taught me about vodka, soda and orange juice, with two limes, which is the best drink in the world.  The orange juice in Thailand is actually tangerine juice, which SO much better!  I drank about a million... well maybe less, but I was obsessed.  I'm thinking of juicing tangerines just to recreate the drink.

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Our bed and the view to the porch.  There is also a FREE mini bar beyond the bed, which was the source of the cocktails...  obvi.

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This was the pool.  To be 100% honest with you, this was my least favorite of the pools... but I mean... come on.  It was still awesome.

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This is the view of our tent from the path.

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Couples massage on our porch.  I swore I would never do a couples massage, but it was so nice we did 3.  #spoiled.

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This may be our Christmas card next year... just sayin'.

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Boat ride exploring the town.

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Waiting for couples massage #2.

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Elephant bath time.

I will post more tomorrow :)

House Reveal!

Hi everyone!  Jimmy and I are going to Phish in Atlantic City this afternoon... Screen Shot 2012-06-15 at 2.45.01 PM

I wish we could get this POSTER.  It would look so good in my house.  Speaking of, I never showed you guys these pictures of my house.  They were taken right before Jimmy's parents came to visit.  I think it looks pretty amazing.

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What do you think?  I love it when my house is ready for a party!  I also love that picture of Jimmy and me (Taken Here) in the above photo. He gave it to me for my birthday last year.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Check out the Beacham & Co Pinterest board for fab bedrooms.

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Jimmy and I are ENGAGED!!!

JIMMY AND I ARE ENGAGED!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!

I could not possibly be more excited.  I am so in love with him and cannot believe I am lucky enough to spend every single day with him for the rest of my life.  I know you guys don't know Jimmy as well as you know me, so I wanted to tell you a little bit about him...

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Jimmy is the happiest person I've ever known.  Every single little thing I do is better when he is around.  He has the best attitude, and he just makes things more joyful.  He has this laugh that is my favorite sound.  It's so loud and infectious.  He makes me FUNNIER because I want to hear it.  He makes this really loud hoot and then doubles over and just starts laughing so much.  Sometimes, if it's really funny, he cries.  That's when I know he is happiest.  He once laughed so hard that he fell on the floor crying.  It's a trait he shares with the rest of his family.  I love being with all of them.  They are all just as happy as Jimmy, and when I am with them I laugh so hard that I cry too!

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That's the main reasons I got to all the Phish shows with him.  I clearly LOVE Phish... but I was really more of a "go when they are near Atlanta" type girl.  Then I met Jimmy.  He travels to see them all the time.  This Summer will be his 100th show.  We have been to tons of shows together.  All my family and friends say, "you've heard them so many times, how can you possibly want to go anymore?"  I want to go to see Jimmy's face.  It just lights up...  He gets so excited and dances around and just loves it...  and that is my favorite time.  I love seeing him happy more than I love anything else.  I would gladly go to a hundred more shows if I got to see him that happy.

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My other favorite thing about Jimmy is that he loves me the most in the world.  Sometimes when he looks at me it just makes my heart want to explode because I know how much he loves me without him even having to tell me... and I love him that much too... and now I get to be with him for the rest of my life.  He is the answer to all of my prayers.  I am the luckiest girl in the entire world... AND I KNOW IT!

Would you like to know how Jimmy proposed to me?

We went on a walk with our dog Charlotte.  We were on the trail at Westminster (where I went to high school) and Jimmy stopped at a bench.  I had no idea why he was stopping...  then he pulled this huge box out of his pocket.  He got down on one knee and said "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Will you marry me?"  Then he opened the box and showed me the most amazing ring I've ever seen.

I said, "yes," and then I just looked at the ring and said, "is the for me?"  I think I was in shock! :)  The ring is so much bigger and so much more than anything I've ever dreamed of getting.  But you know the best part about it?  It's Jimmy's great great grandmother's ring.  I feel so honored that the Macauleys would trust me with something so important.  I will take such good care of it.  It is such a honor to be able to wear it.  A huge thank you to Jimmy's sisters and parents for helping him make such a great decision.

Jimmy and I went over to Murphy's after the proposal, and so many people we love came.  It was sort of an impromptu celebration, and it was perfect!  We had champagne  and toasts.  Then we went over to Atkins Park to meet up with some of our other friends.  Everyone was so happy for us, and we were so happy too!!  I felt like my face was going to fall off from smiling so much!

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On Saturday we did the most appropriate thing EVER to celebrate: Jimmy Buffett!  It was such an amazing treat to have everyone with us.  We had members of my family and Jimmy's family, and Mac (basically Jimmy's brother) and some of his family there.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.

On Sunday we went to tell Ya.  Ya has worked for my family for 28 years (since I was born).  When we told her the good news her exact words were, "Praise Jesus," and "When are you having a baby?"  Some things never change.

After we saw Ya we went over to Jimmy's house.  We had dinner with Mac (who we love so much)... took the three remaining Jello shots from Jimmy Buffett...

... and watched Kenny Rogers on stage with Phish at Bonnaroo.  It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.  Thank you so much to everyone who made it so special!  Thank you to our wonderful families and friends.  We loved getting all the Facebook posts and notes of love and encouragement.  This will be the most fun year of our lives, and I can't wait to share it with all of you.

-Blayne

P.S. One of the first things I did was change the name of my pinterest board.  DUH.

Meet the Parents + Prettiest Kitchen!!

First up? Thank you all so much for your heartfelt notes and comments about me keeping the blog!  I really do love this blog.  I think every blogger hits a mark when they begin to questions the reasons why they are writing.  Based on all the feedback I got, I am going to make a few changes, but keep blogging.  I really do appreciate the support.  It means so much to me that you guys care. :)

Next??

Jimmy's parents are coming to Atlanta this weekend to meet my parents!

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That's a big deal!

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Ever since the famed "Meet The Parents" movie series came out, this whole process had gotten a bad wrap (or is it bad rap?  I don't know).

Luckily, I adore each and every parent involved, and I am confident the process will go swimmingly.

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I actually got a little preview of the meet at greet this Christmas when my dad and Missy met up with Jimmy's family for a quick coffee.  I was so pleased.  Everyone seemed to get along well.

This weekend they are meeting my mom for the first time.

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I'm really excited about that actually.  I talk about her all the time, so it will be nice for them to finally meet her.  I asked Jimmy if he thought they would be surprised by how much we look alike...  yes, I know my face is fatter.  Mom has a very tiny head!!

We are planning a nice weekend for everybody.  Both of our moms love to walk, so we thought we could take them over to Westminster for a little stroll around campus.

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Westminster is so pretty.  I am actually really looking forward to showing it to them.  I have been spending a lot more time over there now that Lindles and I are "training" for the Peachtree Road Race (i.e. taking the dogs for a walk until they get "too hot").

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My dad is taking Jimmy's dad to play golf at the Atlanta Country Club, and then we are going over to have dinner at Dad and Missy's.  I am really looking forward to that as well.

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That means the only thing I am responsible for is lunch at my house on Saturday.

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FREAK OUT!  ...  Or at least I was this morning.

Last Spring when I shot my house for Decor Demon, it looked like this...

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A year and  half later the house looks, well... lived in and "hom-ie."  I wish I could wiggle my nose and Bewitch my house back to "magazine ready."  Of course I can sweep and mop and put away... but you know what I really need?  FLOWERS!  Flowers make everything better!!  I can, of course, go BUY flowers, but I have no idea what to do with them when I get them home.  Flower arranging is an AMAZING TALENT.  Of course I thought of the best flower arranger I know, one of our top agents, Linda Williams.  She very generously offered to come over tomorrow and help me get the flowers together.  What a lifesaver!  I think she also understands that this is a really big deal to me.  It will also be the first time Jimmy's parents see my house... so it has to look it's best.  Obviously.

When I was on the phone with her I remembered to ask her about featuring her new listing (140 Churchill Drive) on the blog.  YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT.  It's one of the prettiest houses I've shot this year!  You have got to see the kitchen!

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See?  I told you.  To see more pictures from this listing, please click here.

Thank you Linda for offering to help me since I have NO flower skillz.

Wish me luck this weekend!  Any advice?

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Ski Trip Results (!!!)

Calm down.  I'm going to tell you about how my little "white lie" turned out on the trip. Screen Shot 2012-03-21 at 4.29.28 PM

That's me.  The one on the snow.  I was "resting my legs." ha.

P1000576It turns out I had not over-exaggerated Jimmy's skiing ability in my head.  He actually was that good.  Show off :)

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Thank God I brought Ben along so I could let them do their own thing and ski at my own pace.

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See?  Two peas on a Pod.

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We all skied together a little bit as well.  It went much better than I expected.  Even though my legs were on fire and I kept making bargins such as "If I ever get down this mountain I'll never lie again," (hmmmm) I did excel at certain parts of the mountain...

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As expected, I really rocked the chairlift part of skiing.  I would sit back and pretend like I didn't care at all if we put the bar down, but as soon as we did I would throw my skis up there... so thankful for just a few minutes of relief.  As the boys discussed the next runs we would take, I secretly hoped someone getting off at the top would fall just to make the ride a little bit longer.

On the bright side, my legs and butt did get a nice workout, which is why I felt fine about doing this...

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Apparently beer tastes better if you feel like you earned it.

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The only slight issue I had was when I got too tired/frustrated/unable to ski and jimmy had to carry my skis so I could take a break.  I'm not sure my brother will ever let me live it down, but hey, if that's the worst thing that happened I'll consider it a success.

Other successes?

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Shots of rumple minze at the Village Cafe.

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Taking mom to the Mangy Moose.

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Tons of great meals in Jackson Hole... and of course tons of hot tub time at the Four Seasons.

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I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Speaking of being lucky (see that segue there) , you too could be lucky IF you enter our contest to win a FREE AD in the Beacham Series.

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Come on, don't make me beg.  Right now I only have 3 entries, so if you enter you have a GREAT chance of winning.  PLEASE PLEASE PELASE.

The deadline is Tomorrow... Thursday, at midnight.  Please please please.  Don't make me look like a loser (who has to get someone to carry her skis).

Fun things coming up on This Photographer's Life:

1. I'm giving away two FREE autographed copies of Historical Concept's new book "Coming Home."

2. We will have to chose a winner of the free ad!!! yea!!!

3. We have listed a beautiful new modern house (my favorite)

4. We need to ramp up to the next Beacham Series party, so that's always fun.

Tons of good stuff on the horizon, so stay tuned!!!

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Serenbe is Cool, So is Valentine's Day

I can hear it now...  "oh, your Valentine's Day was just so great because it was your first one.  Wait until you get older, Valentine's Day is the worst." Well... whatever.

It was my first Valentine's Day with Jimmy, and it was perfect.  Couldn't have been better...  so sorry to all you guys who hate Valentines Day.  You can stop reading now.

If you Love Love (Ginny Branch), you can read on...

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We started our weekend by going to see Trey Anastasio (lead singer of Jimmy's number one love, PHISH) perform with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.  It was a great show.  Trey preformed many classic Phish tunes such as YEM and Divided Sky.  He also preformed some songs by the Trey Anastasio Band.  It was interesting hearing all the songs changed form their traditional arrangements into orchestral pieces.  I liked Water in the Sky best.  It was such a beautiful song.

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Another highlight of the evening was this violinist's sweet Prada shoes.  I was captivated...

A couple in the back got engaged dring the show, which was such a special moment.  Trey congratulated them and dedicated YEM to them, where he teased "Here Comes the Bride."  I am into romantic stuff, so I thought was was really special.

Speaking of romantic things, Friday Jimmy sent me these beautiful flowers...

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Didn't he do a great job?  Along with the flowers came tickets to Willie Nelson.  NO WAY!!!???!!!

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Seeing Willie Nelson was on my bucket list.  Did you know he is 79 years old?  Can you believe it?  I had never seen him live and was dying to see him when he was at the Tabernacle.  Jimmy surprised me with tickets, and we went Sunday night.

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Since seeing Willie Nelson was such a huge deal for me, I was fairly panicked about what I could do for Jimmy that could even come close to matching that.  Luckily I had the stroke of genius to call Nan Haverty, one of our agents here at Beacham & Company.  Nan and I do a lot of work together with me photographing her listings.  Her husband helped develop Serenbe, which is a sustainable community in Palmetto, GA.  There is a great town square with wonderful food and shops.  There is also a wide spectrum of real estate and a horse barn with ample acreage.  I asked her a for a HUGE FAVOR.  I asked if it would be ok for Jimmy and me to stay in her house at Serenbe for Valentines Day.

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9015 Selborne Lane is currently for sale and is absolutely breathtaking.  I was so thankful when she said Jimmy and I could stay there!

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That just left one more thing I needed to figure out, a Valentine's present for Jimmy.  I thought and thought about it, and solicited help from all of his friends (sorry-- I am very annoying).

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I was so excited about Jimmy's present I almost couldn't stand the ride to Serenbe...  As soon as we walked in, I put in on the breakfast table and made him open it.

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A record player?  WHAT?!?  I know!!!  Isn't that an awesome present?  I know what you're thinking, "How could someone who loves music that much not own a record player?"  I was confused myself.  After exhaustive research I settled on this Hype record player from Urban Outfitters.   Pros: it's portable, it has built in speakers, it has an AUX out so it can be plugged into surround sound, it looks cool.  Cons: It's fairly cheap and can break easily.  It was the best choice for me at the time, and Jimmy thinks it was the right one, SO YEA BLAYNE.  In addition to this record player I gave him my entire collection of records, which has taken a lifetime to build.  It includes classic albums by artists such as: The Beatles, Grateful Dead, Pure Prairie Legue, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Jimmy Buffett.  Yea, I know, I am an amazing girlfriend.

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It seems Jimmy thinks so as well...

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See how happy he is?  I know.  It's pretty cute.

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After present opening time we went to The Hil Restaurant, which was amazing.

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Yea for Valentine's dinner!

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These were homemade potato chips with Vidalia onion dip!  yum.

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After dinner we went back to Nan's house where I got excited about how beautiful it looked at night, so I took a few pictures.  You can see Jimmy walking on the porch in that picture if you look closely.

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Isn't that breathtaking?

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This is a view of the pool house from the house at night.

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This was the view this morning outside my room to the pool house.  Doesn't that look peaceful?

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While Jimmy packed the car, I walked around to the front of the house and took this picture.

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And then walked up to the front porch to see this view.  I could have stayed forever, but alas, we both had to get back to work.

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I made Jimmy stop the car to get this shot.  Photographers say that the best time to take pictures are at dawn and dusk.  Since I make it a rule to only be awake for one of those times, I was taking full advantage of the light this morning...

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We waved good bye to these guys as we pulled away...

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and caught our last glimpse of the country as we made our way back to the highway.

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Cheers to an amazing first Valentines Day Jimmy.  I'm so in love with you.

-Blayne

P.S. Nan, thank you so much for making this little trip possible.  Your home is so beautiful, and we were so lucky to get to stay there!  You're the best!

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Farms are cool. So is Widespread Panic.

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Here I am in college with my rabbit, Napoleon.  I bought this little guy without telling my mom...  not smart.  Then he grew to be like 8 lbs and would chew up all the wires/hardwoods in my apartment.  I really loved him and was able to tolerate it, but as soon as I moved back in with my mom on Habersham we had to find Napoleon a new home.  Bummer.

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Here I am holding a goat.  Classic.  If I had a back yard big enough you better believe I would have my own goat.  How cute is he??

And who could forget the great chicken experiment of 2010?

I got 8 of these little fellows... and 5 of them were... well, fellows.  That left me with three of the meanest hens you've ever met.

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See, she's plotting to peck my eyes out.  Kidding... kind of.  It turns out chickens don't really love being raised in the city on a concerte slab.  They would much rather be out in the country...  like me.

If I had my own farm I could own all the crazy animals I wanted, thus I was THRILLED when Nan Haverty asked me to go shoot her new farm near Serenbe.  (Hey, you never know when the opportunity might present itself and you just NEED to buy a farm.)

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8275 Chochan Mill was exactly what I was looking for in a farm property.  I love that wide front porch!

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Here is the barn, which is located just steps from the main house.

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Of course I had to get a peak inside.  Don't hate me, but I am not a huge fan of horses.  I had a scary experience riding one once when I was little and have never really had any desire to climb aboard...  that being said I do think they are beautiful and love watching them... from afar. BTW, there is an artist studio in the attic space of this barn, so go ahead and sign me up for spending time in there!

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There are acres and acres of horse paddocks behind the house.  We walked back so you could see the home, barn and garage/guest house.  The homeowner told me that every night she pours herself a glass of wine and walks around the property checking the fences.  I'm sorry, but how pleasant does that sound?

I was really impressed by the inside of the house.  It was so bright and comfortable!

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Isn't that great?

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Digging this fireplace in the master!

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This is the perfect place to cook meals for your family while they are out tending the pigs!

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My favorite part of the house is the huge back poch overlooking the fields.  I would love to sit out here at night with a glass of wine.  Apparently when I move to the country I am also going to start drinking a lot of wine.  :)

I asked Jim-Bo if he could ever see himself moving to the country.  He didn't answer... but he did buy me a nice little ticket to Widespread Panic at the Tabernacle last weekend (wood tour, for those of you in the know).  

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City Mouse + Country Mouse = Two very in love little mice.

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Phish... and a restoration???

Well, here we are in the new year!  Hi!  Are you loving 2012?

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I had the nicest Christmas/New Years break with Jimmy.  (yea, I know... I talk about Jimmy all the time.  What are you gonna do?  I'm going to show you guys a house, so I get to talk about Jimmy as much as I want.  A deal's a deal! -- see the results.)

We started out our visit in North Carolina where his mom's family lives.  We went to his aunt's house for lunch.  You may remember her from the kitchen she designed in Jimmy's grandma's house.  She has a great eye for design, and I was really looking forward to seeing her house.  Her home used to belong to Jimmy's grandmother's sister (great aunt?).  She lovingly restored/renovated it and did an amazing job!  There were so many unique things about the house I had to take pictures so I could share them with you.  I found out later my camera was actually on the brink of death, so forgive me if these pictures are not my best.  One more side note...  Jimmy's aunt had an awesome lunch for us.  It was so great that I got distracted and forgot to take a picture of the kitchen.  #totalfail  Don't blame me though, I was on vacation and didn't have my head totally in the game.  Ha.

IMG_1885This is the foyer, which I love.  Why?  I love a glass front door.  It's nice to be able to open the wood door and see out to the front yard.  I also like the wood floors.  The man in the picture is Jimmy's grandfather.  Unfortunately he died before I got to meet him, but everyone in the family raves about how kind he was.

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This is the other side of the foyer.  I was really drawn to the bronze wallpaper.  I tried to get a close up of it...

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Aren't those pretty imperfections?

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This is the formal living room.  I love those bay windows.  They looked like iron to be, but I am not positive.  You may notice Jimmy's sisters in this photo :)

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This is the fireplace in the living room.  I loved the carvings on the mantel!

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I really like the dining room a lot!  The China Cabinets probably had the most space of any I have ever seen.

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See?

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Here is the solarium.  Loving the oversized windows and brick floors.  You guys know I am a sucker for brick floors.  Duh.

IMG_1876 His aunt told me that she chose these Christmas decorations to echo the bronze in the foyer.  How clever is that?  I would never have thought of it and really admire the fact that she did.  The decorations look amazing.  Let's walk outside.

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This is the other side of the window we were just looking through...

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and here is the back patio.  Is that flagstone?  Or maybe bluestone?  It looks great.  I love the size of the stone.

IMG_1871Here is a view of the home from the pond in the back yard.  They put in a lot of landscaping that all looks so natural and lush (even in December!).

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More landscape and the pond :)

Lets head back in show I can show you my favorite room!

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We are heading up the stairs.  I put in this picture of the window seat because that's Jimmy's favorite place in the house.  He said he would hang out there a lot when he was a little boy.... awww.

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We end in my favorite room.  She vaulted this ceiling and added the beams, which really opened up the space.  The recessed lighting is such a nice touch because it really lightens up the room.  We had such a nice time sitting and talking in this room, and before we left we even got to have a fire in that great fireplace!  Jimmy's sisters hung out on that bench seat in the corner.  I love it now, but wouldn't that have been such a cool nook as a kid?  Jimmy's family has been visiting this house for their whole lives and were kind enough to share all their childhood memories with me.  I can imagine this would have been quite the place to explore as a child.

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Here is a closer look at the craftsmanship on the ceiling.  They even had a stained glass window made and put up in the corner.  If my camera had not been failing every other shot I would have had a picture of it for you.  Sorry!  Just believe me that it was beautiful.

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Here is the other side of the room, which had great buil-ins!  If I were in high school/college I would have done all my studying here... it just makes me feel studious.

IMG_1907A close up of the fireplace where we had the fire...

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This is the coolest balcony off the room.  It was warm enough to open the doors and go out there for a little while, which was so pleasant!

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Finally we have Jimmy just doing a little hanging out in the room.  Can't you imagine him there as a child?  No?  Let me see if I can help you out a little...

IMG_1926How's that?  I KNOW, RIGHT!!!  CUTEST BABY EVER!  Thanks for letting me use that picture :)  And thank you to Jimmy's aunt for having us over for a wonderful holiday lunch!  I love your house!

Moving along...  What did we do the rest of the break?

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Phish MSG night 1...

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Phish MSG night 2...

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Phish MSG night 3...

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Phish NYE and MSG...

IMG_2022And my new years dress!!!  Success! And see how I am trying to make my arm look skinny?  Success.

Did I have fun?  Yes.  Am I glad it's over?  No.  What was my favorite song they played?  46 days.  What song got stuck in my head the most?  Quinn the Eskimo.  What was my favorite set?  NYE set 3.  "How were you able to make it through four nights?  Didn't you get tired?"  Yes...  but it was totally worth it!   Am I glad Jimmy took me?  Absolutely.  Thank you so much honey.  I had a wonderful time.

HAPPY 2012 everybody!!!

Let's sell some houses this year!

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Frazier and Bodin + Georgia's Best Sausage (Striplings)

Houses and Sausage?  The perfect combination! Let's start with the house.

I shot the coolest house the other day.  It's in Dunwoody and is listed by Cia Cummings and Jan Hart.  Address: 590 Old Cobblestone Drive.

This is a Frazier and Bodin home was originally built in 1939, and architect Stephen and Kerry Fuller has renovated it beautifully.

This foyer is breathtaking with the curved ceiling and beautiful floors.

The solarium, located through the foyer, is perfect and allows for so much natural light.

My favorite thing about this house is that it has all the historical elements, but the interior design is perfect for today... very modern.

This dining room is a perfect example of that...  loving the color choice.

Beautiful detail shot that really shows off the trim and the fireplace.

No joke, this might be my favorite room in the house.  It is the wet bar/catering kitchen that runs between the dinging room and the kitchen.  I really like the color of the cabinets and the countertops.  It feels very masculine.  I'm mad at myself for not taking a better detail shot.

Woah.  How beautiful is this?  I actually texted Jimmy and said it reminded me of his grandmother's kitchen (which is beautiful if you haven't checked it out).  I love: the arches, the island, the cabinets, the openness to breakfast room, the green cabinets, and the lights.

This view shows the archway into the kitchen and the base of the island.

And here you can see those green cabinets.  Aren't those to die for?

Can you believe it?  Octagon window cabinets!

How posh is this breakfast room?

Beautiful detail shot.

Here is a shot of the family room off the kitchen.  I'm loving that interior window at the top and the built in cabinets.

Does that rug have orange trim?  So cool!

Isn't this China cabinet a little jewel?  It reminds me of a Tiffany's box!

This is a photo of the hallway off the foyer that leads to the formal living room and the study.  Again, I'm loving the bold use of the green.

How great is this study?  The wood walls are magnificent.

And now we move into the formal living room.  Aren't the green accents amazing?  I think green and white is my favorite color combination.  For sure.

This is the hallway from the living room to the master.  This is such a peaceful photograph.  I really wanted to use this as the cover of "The Beacham Series," but couldn't get the crop quite right...

And finally we incorporate some blue in the master bedroom, which is nice.  I'm really digging the mirror over the bed.  It's the perfect scale... big bed, little mirror. :)

And we end here in the bathroom...  amazing!!!  How pretty is that light?

To see more photos of the home please check out the listing.  You won't regret it!

NEXT-

Striplings Sausage.  My mom has a lake house at Lake Blackshear, and we grew up going there.  One of the best parts about going to the lake is going to Striplings.  It's the best gas station/sausage store I've ever visited!

This weekend I took Jimmy to the lake for the first time (augghhh), and I INSISTED on us going to Striplings to grab the fixins for a pecan pie.  Jimmy LOVES coozies (I don't ask questions), and he was super impressed by the selection... you know what else they have a great selection of (transition?), SAUSAGE!

People from Atlanta are obsessed with it... literally.  Every time we go to the lake someone asks us to bring some back for them...

They have both ground and link sausage.  They als0 have mild medium and hot.  I have only ever tried the mild, but I hear the hot will almost make your head explode (which is a good thing for some people).

Here's a nice picture of Jimmy after we made our sausage selection.  1. I don't know why he put the sausage on the pie crust.... 2. I don't know why he makes that face.  Whatever, it's cute.

We also discovered this little gem!  Pork with Apple Cinnamon BBQ sauce!!!????!!!  Augh!!

And where else can you find 4 Whole Quail?  We would have gotten some if we weren't already having yummy deer meat and ribs for dinner.

There is also a really cool produce department where we grab stuff every time we go!  After this picture there were 3 less packages of asparagus up there.

And the best part about Striplings?  This is next door!

Happy Wednesday everybody!

Flocking to the Gorge...

The Gorge rocked.  It was better than I could have ever expected!  Camping?  Great!  Phish?  Awesome!  New friends?  Sweet! The Gorge?  Amazing!

We flew into Seattle and met up with our friends Dani, Ryan and Graham.  We rented a car and started the trip to George, Washington (where the Gorge is located.)

We stopped for a casual grocery store run on the way.  Dani (that's her on the right with her phone) and I thought we had the car packed pretty well, right?

Clearly the boys didn't think so....

Ha ha ha.  After they got it all fixed back the way they wanted we were back on the road.

We passed this beautiful windfarm on the way.  I have never seen one this close before, and it was beautiful...

I took this photo on the way into the Gorge on my phone.  I've never seen anything like this in my life.  It was so cool to look out and see all the boats (not in this picture).  I spend most of my time on Lake Lanier and Lake Blackshear, so this was very different :)

On the way in we stopped at this amazing hotel/winery.  It was called Cave B and was breathtaking.  It was about a mile and a half from our campsite.  I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the winery to the campsite.

This is a picture of the main building as we walked in from the parking lot.  I was immediately drawn to the roof line.  I did some research and found out that the hotel was designed by Olson Kundig Architects. Huge props to them.  The hotel had a very modern yet organic feel to it.... as if it belonged in the side of the mountain, but was still cutting-edge.

I grabbed this image of the view walking in through the vineyard from their website.  Do you love?

There were these very cool cliffside houses.

We of course walked up to the hotel to check it out.

I saw this very cool chandelier inside, which I would describe as industrial organic.  Sorry for the terrible picture.  I did not want to take all my camera equipment, but was impressed by how well my Canon Powershot preformed.  This being the one exception.

Then we walked over to the winery for a wine tasting.  Doesn't everyone do this before a Phish concert?  Ha ha.  I thought so.  It was such a great deal... we got 10 tastes for $6.  It was a great way to spend an hour.

Before we head over to the campsite I want to take a moment to tell you about Dani (as I always say... it's my blog so I can do that if I want.  You thought you were coming here to look at houses?  he he)

Dani is the girl on the right.  She came with her awesome boyfriend Ryan, and we had a blast hanging out with them.

Dani has the best style ever!  I was totally obsessed with the necklace she had on at the tasting.  She owns an hip boutique in Boston called Flock. I really want to go to Boston just to shop there, but I am afraid I would come home with no money.  I love her website and her style.

If you know about my bird obsession you may be able to figure out why I like her style and the name of her boutique. :)  So if any of you guys are from Boston please go check out her store.... and then report back and make me jealous!

Back to the story of the Gorge :)

We went over and picked out our campsite, which was toward the back and fairly quiet (luckily)....

This was the view in front of us.  Not bad, huh?

After we set up camp it was time to walk to the Gorge...  which was actually a pretty far walk....  and after you just didn't want to walk anymore you crested this hill and saw this...

Can you believe the view?  I have never seen anything like it.  Ever.  It's hard to get a sense of the scale because the stage is at the bottom of a huge hill, but the stage is massive.

This shows the perspective a little bit better.  :)

I love this picture.  For those of you who suffered with me through what to pack, what do you think?  Good choice?  It was a fairly painful packing process, but I was pretty happy with what I chose.  I even rocked those feather earrings, which is a fairly bold choice for me, but I thought it was appropriate.  :)

Saturday afternoon we hung out at the Cave B pool and just relaxed before the show Saturday night.

Both shows were absolutely amazing.  If you are into Phish at all I highly recommend downloading the shows.  Some of the best I've ever seen.

Thank you guys so much for putting up with my totally personal posts :)  You won't regret it!  I'll be back with an amazing house later this week.  Until then you can occupy your time on the Flock website...

Phish... and a kitchen?

I'm sure you guys were longing for a more personal post from me considering my recents writings have been strictly business.  Ha ha.  I'm kidding... kind of... This was one of the most serendipitously awesome weekends of my life.  Yes.  I said that.

Phish has been my favorite band since 2000.  I love them in a way I have never loved any other band.  I am not talented enough at writing to really explain why other than to say that they provide an entire community experience/language with their music... either you know what I mean or you don't.  If you don't then I would suggest listening and trying to figure out what I'm saying.

Side Note: This weekend I decided I'm in awe of people who can write about music.  They are equally as talented as the musicians.  It reminds me of the kid in Almost Famous.  I wish I could channel his talents for just a moment, but I guess I will have to just stick to writing about houses... at least you guys humor me by reading that :)

After two great shows in Atlanta last week, I was super bummed that my Phish concerts were over for the summer...

But to my great delight, I got the opportunity to go see the next two shows in Charlotte and Raleigh.  Did I want to go?  Duh.

The Friday night Charlotte show (click the link to see a video) was hands down the best show I've ever seen (click here to check the set list).  I am not sure if it was because we were so close I could see everything/everybody (usually there are a lot of tall people in front of me and I have to jump up and down and check the giant screens), or if it was because IT WAS SO AMAZING, but either way it was something I'll never forget.

Again cue the fact that I don't know how to write about music other than overusing the words awesome, amazing, cool and other lame adjectives.

On Saturday we drove from Charlotte to Burlington, NC (which was an hour from the next show in Raleigh).  We were staying in my friend Jimmy's grandma's house.  It was beautiful.  Burlington was a nice town, and the house was located in a quintessential Southern golf neighborhood.  I was impressed by the house as we drove up, but was ill-prepared for what was inside waiting.  We went into the house through the side door that opened to the most beautiful kitchen.  I was in awe.  How is it that in the middle of the greatest music weekend of my life (bold) I happened upon a magazine-worthy kitchen in North Carolina?  My two favorite things at once!  Coincidence?  I don't think so.... I think the universe was just trying to get me to write about Phish on my blog!  ha ha.

Please let me preface this part by saying I did not bring my camera.  Unlike most people who break out their cameras on vacation because it's something new and different, I spend 90% of my life with a camera in my hand and like to use my vacations as a break from hauling a camera.  Thank the lucky stars (or the universe again) I traveled with my ipod and used it to snap a few pictures.  Please don't judge me on the quality of these.  I wouldn't have posted, but you guys NEEDED to see this kitchen.... so look past the cell phone-iness of them.  Thanx.

Additional side note:  You may notice my writing change once we discuss houses (I'm such a nerd).

Here is the view as you walk in the side door.  Blue and white is obviously one of my favorite color combinations, so I'm already sold.  Also, you can't beat natural light, and there was a huge skylight (top left corner).  I want to mention the floors too.  Today there is such a trend toward dark floors, and while I think they are beautiful, the lighter wood here adds a certain warmth that ties the whole thing together perfectly.

Here is a better shot of the skylight, but it also shows the French door leading to the patio.  This kitchen has ideal flow for a dinner party where the guest could mingle on the patio and in the bar area while the host works in the kitchen.  This openness is something I lack in my own kitchen, so I am hyper-aware of it when I see it in others.

Here is a little bit better picture of the eat-in bar.  It's such a nice height, and I like that you can fit three stools there comfortably without feeling cramped.  Going back to the party, this would be an ideal place to set out appetizers, or you could take the stools away and let people set their drinks there as they chat.

I wanted you guys to be able to get a closer view of the marble.  I'm not sure how much you can tell from the photo, but it was intricate and beautiful.

This is the area to the right of the eat-in bar.  I took this to show the brilliant use of under cabinet storage.  Again, this is something I lack in my own home and covet in others.  I took the liberty (sorry Jimmy) of checking out the storage situation, and there was room for several medium-sized appliances.  Thus we can affectionately use the term "cook's kitchen" here.  One more thing I wanted to point out was the use of glass panes and glass shelves in the cabinets, which were filled with glasses.  The whole thing created a very pretty visual and created the feeling the glasses were floating.

This bar was to the right as you walked in the side door.  Can you see the backsplash tile?  It is so pretty... white with veins of gray.  It looked to me like the same marble as the counters, but with more of a highly polished finish.  I could be wrong about that...

This door hardware is great.  It reminded me of a suitcase latch :)  Take a moment to check out that glass on glass action.... almost like an optical illusion... you can also see me lamely standing there with my ipod... brilliant.

This is a closer photo of the island and range.  There are a lot of things I love here.... firstly, I like that the ovens are in the corner and out of the way.  There are also two ovens, which is always nice!  The diamond pattern of tile on the backsplash is also worth noting.  It breaks it up and adds interest without distracting.  So classic.  And finally, I may be in the minority here, but I adore an electric range.  I have an electric range at my house, and it is so easy to clean and gets hot really fast.  I cook a lot, and it's nice to be able to just wipe up when you're finished.  My mom has a gas range at her lake house that I cook on a lot.  It feels more substantial to cook on it, but I always spill something, and it's a pain to clean.  So for me, electric>gas.  :)

And finally we have this view from the other side of the kitchen.  I am not sure it shows us anything new, but maybe gives a better idea of the space?  This is a huge kitchen, and that is coming from someone who walks into 2-3 kitchens a day.  I will also say it's the most awe-inspiring kitchen I've seen in a while.  Honestly, can anyone even remember the last time I did an entire post on one kitchen?  This may be a first.  Jimmy told me his aunt made all the choices for the kitchen, and I want to say she did a fantastic job!  So thank you to Jimmy for inviting me, thank you to Jimmy's grandma/family for letting me stay there, and thank you to Jimmy's aunt for having great taste.

For those of you who are interested, the Saturday night Phish show in Raleigh was AMAZING (ha ha... I did that as a joke... but also because I could not think of what else to say... remember, we are back to talking about music).  But honestly, it was a great show, and they played Ester, which I am told is a rarity.  Great weekend.  Great music.  Great kitchen.  Can it get any better?  For me?  no.

Hope you enjoyed the personal post :)

Love ya! BB