Still Alive and Kicking . . .

Ok, so you haven't heard from me in four months. Yes, I have missed you, too. So let's recap a bit and then I will blog in more detail about certain highlights.

Former Maselli Home - 

We have sold our house. It was exhausting work but it's officially no longer ours. It only took 2 PODS worth of storage, one full 12' truck worth of donations, 1 truck full of consignment items, 1 flatbed hauler and 1 small moving truck (mix in 12 relatives), 3 friends, 2 hauls of donations to Lakeview Elementary, countless (and I mean countless) trips to our church's thrift store and the local Goodwill and Salvation Army drop-off centers, one ridiculously large trash dump, 2 emergency repairs from the A/C man, one termite tenting and we are out! It was definitely bittersweet. This was really the only house our children knew and while they are super-excited to look for a new house, the reason we had to move was in the back of all of our minds, even though I keep trying to focus them on the adventure aspect of it all. Being 12 and 16, it's a little harder.

Here's where we currently rest our heads (These photos are from Zillow and are pretty much what the house still looks like with us in it. It came completely furnished and is exactly what I wanted so I didn't have to pack, unpack, pack again for our permanent home, and then unpack again! We have made some small changes but that is it). -

Isn't it charming and we can keep our dog Hattie with us!

Our living room - we did have the landlord
remove a bunch of the little trinkets so we had room for
our things. I love the British Colonial feel,
it's like we are on vacation.

Our cute kitchen. I have come to find out
I love the big sink and the Bosch dishwasher.
I want both of those items in my new home!

The master bedroom -
something awesome about having the whole bed
to yourself!!

I actually have a fireplace in my bedroom!!
The landlord was kind enough to remove the
naked man painting from the fireplace
seeing how I have "quit" men for the time being!

My youngest's room - she has added some of her
photos on top of the headboard to make it her own.
The French doors lead to the screened-in pool.

My oldest's room - she has added a desk in the corner
and  has a huge closet so she is perfectly content for now.

We brought in a larger table with 3 chairs so
this is where we eat dinner.
There is also a washer and dryer in a closet.
The chaise is gone and we added some extra shelves for additional
storage for misc items and pantry supplies.

This is my favorite part of the house.
I have started swimming everyday and yes,
I do get excited when I swim 100 laps
(please no mention of the size of the pool!)

This is the Gulfport Marina, just about 6 houses from our home.

We have settled in nicely and are really enjoying our summer break. It feels good to be back, healthier, stronger, and more importantly, happier! This journey is just over a year in the making and I know I still have a long way to go but I am excited about all the possibilities in my future. Lots more to share but that is for another post!

NYC Bound . . .

Ok, so I am heading out for the week with 7 female family members. We are doing what all normal Floridians do during spring break - heading north.

I predict it will be super fun, chaotic, overwhelming, crazy, and exhausting, and that's just getting to the airport!

There will be a LOT more to come but that's for another post!

Come Here My Pretty!

Ok, so I was just perusing my blog because I went and bought that desk I was in love with and wanted to look at the pretty pictures!

When I went to put it on layaway, the older gentleman remembered me and I got it for $300! I am super excited and can't wait to see it in my new, old home someday. . . 

I have been crazy busy cleaning out crap, junk, and more crap. Goodwill and the Salvation Army love me! I have plenty more to share but that is for another post!

P.S. I have some ads on my page and one of them said, "Is He Cheating On You?" Think the ads are based on words I use in my blog or is it just one big coincindince?

Super, Fun Weekend . . .

Ok, so I have been hard at work cleaning (house on the market), and clearing out (too much junk to move if the house ever sells), and feeding children, and driving children., and of course, let's not forget, forgiving a cheating ex-spouse! (On a side note real quick, I belong to a great support group at my church called Divorce Care, I highly recommend it for anyone going through a separation or divorce.

Back to my fun-filled weekend. I walk with a friend on Friday mornings and she mentioned this sale she heard about happening this weekend. It's called Brocante Vintage Market and it is held in St. Petersburg, FL, the first weekend of every month. So needless to say, it sounded fun and I sure needed a shopping trip. I haven't bought anything for the house in a LONG time (well, yes, it is on the market and I am clearing out - see above) but why should I let that stop me? Boy, did I have a great time there. Now I am the type of person who would rather pay full price, or more, to avoid major crowds. I got to the market a little after 10 (after dropping off another child) and it was still packed. I have heard that people line up as early as 6 a.m. No thank you! I will never know what items I didn't get because I wouldn't stand in line so no harm, no foul!

Here's some fun photos I took -

I love the vignettes,
such great merchandising!

Of course, I had my eye on that stained-glass
sitting on the shelf but figured it would
be damaged before I found a home for it.

The check out lines were brutal but
everyone was nice and apologetic.
Tip - bring cash!

Mom, Edgar Allen Poes! 

My purchases!
I have really been wanting some old trophies.
This one is from 1967 and was the hit of the
check out line because of course, we were
all checking each others goodies while waiting there.
I had several people say they wish they had seen it and
one offered to buy it from me. No deal!
I also wavered on the tray but could picture
it in my new house (even though I have
no idea what that house will look like!).

I did decide to pack up my goodies and save them for the new house. I also made another decision, I was planning on taking most of my current furniture to my new abode but decided I didn't want it. Too many memories. So I plan on selling almost all of it and will have fun, with the girls, looking for special pieces to create new memories.

With that being said, I had about 20 minutes to kill before picking up my oldest so I headed to an antique store that is new to me. Holy cow! This place is huge and there was so much to see. I didn't see any more trophies but I did come across this lovely -

Isn't it cool? It's on sale for $350 and I was told I could do
layaway. Think I just bought myself a Fat Tuesday present!?!?

 After all my shopping, we ran to the store for some goodies for dinner and I made a lasagna for the next day's super, fun activity - a Polo match in Sarasota.

I wish I could claim this recipe as my own but it's not,
it's Joy Behar's and it's the best - hands down!
Of course I had to make extras,
so my little one has eaten it for the past 5 meals!

It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Doing the divot dance at in between chukkers.

This was taken by my youngest and looks like
a Ralph Lauren ad.

At different Polo matches, there are different themes and this one was Italian. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of our set-up/food but we had a great time (thanks again Michel for the invite) and even better food.

Needless to say, after a shower when we got home, I collapsed on the couch and stayed there for most of the evening!

Lots more to catch you up on but that is for another post!

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Are You Freaking Kidding Me?

Ok, so you know by now that life has literally been a spiraling whirlwind lately. In one of the videos in my Divorce Care class, they liken going through a divorce to being battered in the ocean. You literally just get your feet back under you and BAM! You get slammed by another wave. You finally come up for air (and sometimes barely) and BAM! You get slammed again. It is so true. I think I am starting to get my act together, starting exercising (yoga and boy do I have some funny stories to share), eating right, and getting my finances situated when BAM! I've got shingles.

I had several in a row (apparently how they grow) on my temple. After going to my primary, I had to go to an Ophthalmologist to make sure none were inside my eye - luckily no. Let me tell you, those suckers hurt and I am thankful I did not have a lot. When they were shooting with pain, it felt like I was being hit by a small amount of lightning, they really burned. The pain didn't last long, really only seconds, but would repeat dozens of times during the day. The worst part was the flu-like symptoms. Seriously, one day I wanted to just crawl into bed and never get up again. Problem is, being a single mom, that is not an option! I had all the symptoms except for the fever. I was told by one of the doctors it was kind of like a faux flu, faux my a$$! I am slowly on the mend and trying to get my house pulled back together. I am still very congested and I have NO energy but hope that will come back soon.

With that being said, I played a LOT on my iPad and of course my two favorite apps - Pinterest and Zillow. What really got me through those chills and aches was dreaming of a new home for the girls and myself (still nothing major happening with our house though). We would love to move back to Old NE, a wonderful part of St. Petersburg, Florida. Many of our friends live there and the homes are old (1920s), charming, and have such character. There are always people outside walking around, biking, you name it. It's near downtown and the water and just has the most wonderful feel.

Just a sample of a few Old NE homes  -
what's not to love?

So while we were slowly converting our current house into a Mediterranean-feel (still had a long way to go), for our new house, I want to go in an opposite direction. Slightly more feminine with soothing neutral tones with a mix of traditional, natural colors (Doesn't that sound fancy? And to think I just made it up - yes, I am still on drugs and not on wine!).

Color LOVE -

Seriously, I am jonseing about decorating a new house and having heart palpitations just thinking about it. The girls and I really need a calm, relaxing home to call our own. We still live in the house we used to live in as a family for the last 10 years, and it is hard for all of us to move on while doing so.

I can't wait to share more of my vision with you all, but that is for another post!