Author Archives: parisflamingo

Primitive to primitive storybook ♥️

We have been super busy since I got back to Tennessee from Florida. When we bought the cabin almost 5 years ago, it was of primitive style. I LOVE primitive, but I love Prim Storybook style even more. We have slowly been working to get the makeover complete. It is such a process. A time consuming but FUN process.

We’re living full time here now, so we have been able to tackle the front facade and landscaping part of the makeover. I hope you like the new look. This is what we’ve completed so far.

BEFORE
AFTER

After recently rewatching The Hobbit, we decided to add a Bilbo Baggins fence in the back. I look forward to sharing soon!:)

Attention: Very boring details!

If you are not interested in buying a lot or house in the Cape Haze area of Florida then this is too much information. I understand if you want to do better things with your time than reading this post.:)

Living and working for three months in Englewood, Florida has helped me realize the best area in my opinion is the Cape Haze peninsula. I really don’t want to buy a house or lot anywhere in Florida other than that sliver of paradise. The Cape Haze peninsula was owned by the Vanderbilts for cattle ranching until selling to a developer. The peninsula consists of mainly Placida, Rotonda West and South Gulf Cove. It has recently been discovered, unfortunately because of Venice to its north being sold out as far as good lots go and skyrocketing home prices.

If you try to buy a home in the Cape Haze area right now, you can count on 8 to 15 offers on different properties before you are successful. Many people are frustrated with the roller coaster of finding a suitable home, making an offer only to be outbid. Then the process repeats so many times, some are giving up or just staying in their apartment or turning to the “buy a lot” option. There’s not a lot of good lots at one given time. Many of the lots are not cost effective to build on for the everyday person. The problem is having to bring in a lot of filler to contour the lot is expensive. The other stickler is the lots that have a gopher tortoise nest on it has to be relocated by obtaining permits and hiring conservationists to move them properly because they are an endangered species.

Oh what fun I have had and learned while living like a local in Florida. It truly has been wonderful. I hope to eventually get a lot here and be able build a little home in this paradise. Realistically, though, we may have missed our window of opportunity. The boom here is nothing like I have ever seen.We will have people looking for a lot to make offers on but we will be making our offers from Tennessee.

My d.h. was offered a new position recently and can work from home as long as he’s within three hours from the office. It made our decision easier to live full time at our cabin. I will be going to live full time there with my d.h. He will be traveling around North Carolina and working from the cabin so time will hinder him from making his commute to Florida. We just can’t live for months without seeing each other. In the near future I will be posting about our life from the cabin in Tennessee.

Happy New Year!🎆🎈

The Pink Elephant

My d.h. met me after work at The Pink Elephant. It’s an iconic restaurant in Boca Grande. The locals fondly refer to it as simply, The Pink. The downstairs is casual and the upstairs is a little more formal with a dress code. Both upstairs and down boasts a beautiful ambiance. When you receive your beverage it will be adorned by an elephant perched on the rim of your glass.

You will recognize The Pink by the ornamental pink elephant weathervane on top of the modern looking building on Bayou Street. The food and the service really was amazing.