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stevenbasic · 4 years ago

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“Wait tell me again we lost how many people?!?” I asked, still unable to believe it. Too much was happening, too much too quickly. Here I was, sitting in this monstrosity of an office Melissa has somehow arranged to be built for herself while we were away, in front of her gigantic new desk, still dealing with what happened with Sheryl at home (more on that later), and now this?!? More quittings?!?

“Shhh we’ll be fine…” Melissa soothed, trying to placate me as she poured a coffee for me at her new, elegant coffee station in the corner, “it was just the girls from accounting, Sharon from the front desk, a few part-time medical assistants…” I watched her add sugar and milk, and more milk. “Kathy was having trouble with Doris and Marjorie in accounting, anyway.”

I put my head in my hands. I can’t say I didn’t know this day was coming. So many of my old employees hated Melissa. Or, rather, they hated me for being such a weak turd, so easily enchanted by a big pair of tits that I’d hire an under-qualified, under-experienced girl like “Melissssy” to be their boss and basically run the finances of the practice into the ground, which was exactly what was happening. We’d been bleeding money and now we were bleeding people. Out of a total of seventeen or so original employees at the start, now only a handful were left. The rest, all the new hires were...hers: friends, ex-coworkers, people from this drug company to which she has some connection, a friend in sales. And if she made more hires to replace those that just left, the overwhelming majority at this point would have more loyalty to her than to me. I groaned, lamenting how far I’d let this get....

It was as if she was reading my mind when she consoled me. “Aw, shhhh...You still have CiCi, in scheduling, Aubrey and Brittni at the desk, nurse Vida, a couple medical assistants,” she said, listing the remaining original employees as I took my face from my hands to see her standing over me with my coffee, “And, plus...you have me.” Her smile was ebullient, and she offered me the warm cup.

“y-yeah,” I agreed half-heartedly, taking the coffee from her hands, taking my first sip, and immediately noticing she’d put in even more milk than the last time. If I didn’t know any better I’d think she was trying to slowly wean me off coffee, turn me into a milk-drinker.

She sat back on the desk in front of me, looked down at me with sympathy. It had been a little bit of a shock, after a week of seeing Melissa in the most casual of clothes, in the most revealing of swimwear, to see her in a power suit again. She looked so...put-together, but still dramatically sexy. Her legs, even in her fashionable black pants, were strong and shapely, and even a buttoned-up white blouse and jacket had no chance in hiding the curves of her torso. “Anyway it’s done, they’re gone, they all left last week,” she said, reaching out a hand to cup my face, caress it tenderly, “you don’t have to worry. We took care of it, we have it covered.”

“A-and you knew about th-this, last week? Wh-while we were away?” I asked, voice cracking in my dismay. Though she had told me before, I needed her to repeat it, to explain.

“Yes, I did,” she clarified, smiling beatifically, “I didn’t want to worry you. I didn’t want to ruin the nice time we were having, spoil your vacation.” She ran her hand through my hair, brushing it off my forehead. “So I didn’t tell you about all the girls that left. Randi took care of a lot of it, and Amelia. And Marisela, she’s been a great help, too.”

I found myself looking at Melissa's wide, soft lap, and sipped again at my milky coffee. Part of me, I have to admit, was relieved that it happened, finally, that the old veterans were more or less all gone, gone with their perspicacity and judgmental glares. Gone and that I didn't have to face them, that I didn’t need to be there for the unpleasantness. Part of me was glad there was someone else that handled things, that did the work. The way Melissa described it earlier, it sounded like there was a shouting match, a throwdown between Randi - who Melissa had left, probably foolishly, “in charge” while we were away - and the remaining old guard.

I could imagine it, Randi locking horns and talking some real shit - the kind Melissa herself would never be capable of - to the old timers, the ones admittedly most essential to the practice. They probably left in disgust, with only a few of the younger women - who had already found themselves gravitating to Melissa’s orbit - staying on. But - Sharon? My Front Desk Supervisor...she’d been with us from the start! Just like Doris and Marjorie from accounting: they’d all be a huge loss.

“This is all good news, sweetie, a fresh start,” Melissa purred, continuing to assure me that everything was well in hand, “the only people here now are the ones totally committed to helping us grow and change and get better. And don’t worry, we’ll get in some new girls that love the practice, love you as much as we do. We want to keep you safe, secure...” She watched as I nervously finished the last of my coffee. “Do you want another cup?”

“uuuhhhh...sure…” I replied, as already she’d stood, had taken my cup from my hands. I watched her full hips and big rear, blessed with what looked like an extra sway in her tight black pants, as they rolled voluptuously back to her coffee station.

Safety. Security. ”Hey, uh...what’s up with the new security, on the computers?” I asked, as she fixed me another cup, “How much did that cos-”

“Oh, it didn’t cost us anything,” she replied, as once again she poured a more-than-healthy amount of milk into my coffee, “it was all paid for by Lean In…along with the additions, the improvements, the renovations, too.”

She meant her office, of course. This office.

I was shocked when I had first came around the corner, directed by Marisela back to where we used to have two old storage rooms, only to find an entire new wing, a bright, contemporary hallway where once there was none. Had we taken space from the suite of offices next door?! Who’d okayed this?? How’d it get done so quickly?? We were away for only a week and I come home to...this?!? The hallway led, it seemed, to several new rooms: the first, on my right, looking to be the most impressive of them, behind an elegant set of double doors, a transom window above. On the door, a sophisticated placard: “Melissa Monroe - Office Manager”.

This was Melissa’s new office?!? Flabbergasted even before I first walked in, my jaw totally hit the floor when I opened the door and - I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was beautiful, and it was big. Modern, lots of whites, grays, natural driftwood tones brightened by tons of natural light. There was a sitting area with a voluptuous white couch, a big, comfortable chair and a plush white area rug underneath it all. Huge windows with a seductive view of the city skyline loomed behind an impressive desk at which sat a queen ready to receive her subjects: Melissa, my twenty-something new Office Manager. The whole place looked - and, I realized, as I stepped in - smelled just like her. Immediately - crap, whyyyyy…?? Is this some sort of weird instinct, now? - I felt myself thickening across my hip.

She stood, spreading her arms wide, and with a great swell of her chest in pride asked me: “Don’t you love it???”

“I-it’s...b-beautiful…” was all I could manage as I walked in, unable to shake the feeling that I was entering dangerous territory, soil that was not my own. A new domain that was undeniably...hers.

She had giggled, and had asked me to sit.

So as I sat here now and drank my second cup of milk-thick coffee I looked around, again. I was beside myself. So, it was all paid for by “Lean In”?? Great, but I never intended for her to have an office! Previously, she was just stationed in her own area in the main central space, in a semi-private corner but among the other staff. She had had a desk but now - an office?!? And - it’s so much bigger than mine!! By...a lot! It makes mine look like a walk-in closet! Did she realize it?? Was she that oblivious to how emasculating it is seeing a young, attractive employee get a bigger office than you? Or - the more scary thought - was that the point?

“The people at Lean In were so cool, more than happy to pay for it all,” Melissa explained, “as long as it was supporting growth in a company like ours.”

I knew I shouldn’t even ask it...but then I did. “L-like ours?”

She smiled benevolently down at me. “Woman-owned, woman-managed,” she said, as gently as she could, barely containing the giddy, feminist pride that was so obviously bubbling inside her. “Sheryl was the one that okayed the construction,” she added, as if unable to help herself.

In the subtext, I felt like an afterthought, and was acutely aware of the fragile bones of my pride snapping, just like kindling, inside me.

“We all thought the changes, the new rooms, the extra money for staff, would be great,” she continued, taking a moment to look around, admire her handiwork, “perfect first steps in our expansion.”

“E-expansion?”

”Well, of course we need to replace the girls that we lost,” Melissa said, her eyes rolling but then falling back down to me again, “but we should add even more people, make ourselves bigger. It’s part of Lean In...growth, development, success, for women.” She was watching me closely. “Don’t you want to see that?”

”w-well, yes, of course,” I stammered, reflexively, “b-but...wait, what? more people?” Didn’t we have trouble meeting payroll just last week?

”To help revenue, since you’re not bringing in as much anymore - oh, shh don’t feel bad!” she continued, seeing my startled reaction.

I was doing fine! Seeing patients, billing. It’s the financial mismanagement, the crummy scheduling and day-to-days of you and your...your...people that are-

“It’s okay, it’s okay, we’ll fix it. Lean In gave me some ideas, and I got some more ideas at the conference on how to make it work,” she went on, obviously excited for her new plans, “We should hire more providers - they’ll all have to be women, of course, for Lean In - but Nurse Practitioners, maybe a Nurse Asstha...Attess…”

“Aesthetician?” I helped, even through my disarray.

“Yes, that..! <giggle!> They can all make us a lot of money,” she said, “And they’ll all need support staff, so that’s more people…”

Of course I’d considered all this, adding secondary providers like PAs, APRNs, employees that can bill aside from myself so the practice has more income. We already had one part-time APRN, Vida...when I’d done the numbers before it just never made sense to bring on more. Why would it now? And...an Aesthetician - what did they do? Botox, Laser hair removal, chemical peels? At a Geriatrics practice?

“It sounds...expensive,” I said, knowing I was being too meek but god help me unable to disappoint her, not wanting to upset her by really putting my foot down with a ‘no’. “Expensive” was all I could manage. .

“It’s okay,” she quickly replied, ready with her response, “we have the Lean In money to start...and they'll bring in more than you, pretty quickly.“

Oh my god. It was like I could hear the overwrought strands of my stretched-thin ego actually snapping.

“okay okay okay...we can talk about it,” I said, disbelieving how far this conversation had gotten already. I was such a mess, after the travel and the fight with Sheryl and the bad night of sleep, the return to work and the thing with the computer, her office and now this. But I knew I had to step up, be proactive. Remember the last round of quittings, and the new hires after that? That’s how we got Amelia, and Josie, and that stern lady in accounting. “But first we have to replace the people we lost, just so we can operate,” I said, with as much authority as I could muster, adding, “a-and I want to be more involved this time.”

“Oh, of course, sugar, sure, if you insist,” Melissa replied, sweetly, indulgently, “I’ve already asked Randi to start looking for some girls. Here, why don’t we bring her in...” At that, she turned to her right and pressed the button on an intercom. “You two can come in now,” she announced.

In less than a moment the door behind me had opened, and I craned my neck to see both Randi and Marisela stepping in. “Hiiiiii….” Randi keened, while Marisela just smiled. Both were dark of complexion, dark of hair. Both were wearing black, both were in similar outfits. Randi’s pants, though, had flared cuffs while Marisela’s outfit was more figure-hugging head-to-toe. Randi was also wearing higher heels and a clingy silk blouse. Despite myself, I felt my loins respond...I was suddenly in a room with three very attractive women.

Politely, I started to stand, to offer one of them my chair. Melissa, though, immediately stopped me, sticking out her foot onto my seat, between my legs. “No, you sit,” she commanded.

I froze, sat back down, and in the next moment they were behind me, flanking me, one on either side. For some reason, my heart had quickened, and I felt surrounded. “H-hi ladies…” I stuttered, hearing the wimpish uncertainty in my voice, and then the contented purring of Marisela and Randi as they settled warmly behind me, close and confident.

”So... Dr. J agrees,” Melissa began, addressing her attendants, “we need to hire some more girls, and he wants to make sure he’s more involved in the process this time. Think we can do that?”

“Oh, for sure,” Randi answered, her voice entirely too sultry for a Monday morning, “I think we can do that.” She placed her hand on my left shoulder. “Can’t we, Marisela?”

“Mmhm yeah sure...we can do that,” Marisela agreed, her hand now on my other shoulder. I caught myself swallowing dryly, confused. Marisela, in the past, had never seemed to warm to the new girls, to Randi, to Melissa. In fact, I thought she kinda hated them, in her own dark, quiet, passive aggressive way.

When Randi spoke up, it was again as if my mind was being read. ”With you gone last week, Dr J, with less patients, we girls had a lot of time to get to know one another,” she said, hovering close behind me on my left, “I think we all really started to come together as a team-.” .

”...and realize how much we missed you,” Marisela chimed in, on my right, coming closer. I could feel the warmth of both of their bodies behind me, and it was doing nothing for my efforts to keep myself from - ugh - slowly hardening in my slacks.

“We had an early meeting this morning, at seven, all the girls,” Melissa said, her eyes on me, “so now we’re all on the same page, the new and old staff.” She cocked her head. “Randi? Would you fix his hair for me?”

“Haha yeah…” Randi replied, running a hand through my hair, arranging stray locks over my left ear.

“I told them all about some of the stuff we talked about on vacation,” Melissa continued, smiling as her friend tended to me, idly.

”L-like...what stuff?” I stammered, recoiling already at the memories, but allowing Randi’s ministrations. The thought of them all know-

”Ohh you remember…‘It can be more like this when we get home, y’know, with all the girls,’” Marisela said, as if repeating word-for-word what Melissa had said to me, that morning out by the pool as she loomed over me with her huge breasts in that white bikini, “It doesn’t have to be just Melissa. You can take care of patients-”

“...and we’ll take care of you,” Randi said, picking up where Marisela left off, in perfect harmony, repeating verbatim what Melissa had promised me, “Let us do all the hard work, make sure everything is easy for you, make sure that you’re comfortable, happy…”

“...that you get everything you need,” Marisela continued, moving her left arm around my neck, tighter. I felt the subtle press of her d-cup against the back of my head. What the fuck was happening?!?

“You remember…” Melisssa purred, leaning in towards me from where she sat, over me, on her huge new desk.

looked after, protected...

I thought back, in that instant, to the starkly contrasting moment of last night, of my fight with Sheryl.

...supported...nurtured, fed…

Where she, Sheryl...she did what she did. While these girls, this group of women, seemed ready for me, ready for me to land in, ready to catch my fall.

...burped...changed…

“All you have to do is sit back and...let us. Let me,” Melissa said. As my cock pressed uncomfortably into my leg, straining my pants under the hapless cover of my folded arms, I could feel it, imagining it again….a finger trace across my bare belly, like that morning, as I lay on the lounger by the pool, “Let me expand what we can do, let us grow...”

The girls grew closer, like a coven coalescing around me.

But...but...I knew...I knew what I’d said I’d do. That I’d...be better. That I’d...be strong. That I’d...

”I-I th-think-“

”Shhhh...that’s your problem,” Melissa stopped me, before I even began, leaning even closer towards me on the desk, bringing her face nearer to my own, “stop thinking, sweetie, stop worrying…”

”Yeah, Dr, J, that’s right...” Randi breathed.

:”...that’s for us to do now….” Marisela concluded, “...boss.”

================================

Thanks to user at GTSCity Rivense1 a way's back for the idea on the new office, and of course SaulJinzer for the Melissssy render. Check out his DeviantArt: lots of great Denise Milani giantess stuff and his 3D model for her is top-notch.

#Growing Into the Job

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justjensenanddean · 6 years ago

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CW Star Jensen Ackles Invites AD Inside His Family Home in Austin

Jensen and his wife, Danneel, worked with a local Austin team to devise a lakeside home with tongue-in-cheek touches and a musical through line

Kathryn Romeyn

NOVEMBER 27, 2018 10:30 AM

There’s a lot going on inside the Lake Austin home of actors Jensen and Danneel Ackles—a lot of color, a lot of texture, endless elements begging their stories to be told. If you need a quick snapshot: The living room is scattered with guitars and, on the shag rug, Technicolor floor pillows; antique Venetian dioramas of Lilliputian-sized rooms are embedded into the white-oak walls, while a hanging cage traps gilded Barbie dolls by Micky Hoogendijk; on top of a shelf housing a record player, a photograph of Tom Waits sits next to a chicken skeleton; a regal white peacock perches on the side of the mercantile-style bar. There’s the master bedroom swaddled in Trove wall covering bearing vintage photography of 1920s opera boxes. And the two-story screened-in porch holds a table crafted from a 2,000-year-old cypress sinker log, a storied Boyd Elder cow skull, and four-foot glass lanterns from Tony Duquette’s estate.Indeed, Danneel and Duquette share a similar philosophy. “More is more is more!” Danneel says emphatically. “More is the most.” Still, the Ackleses' five-bedroom, 7,500-square-foot residence isn’t actually an ode to opulence but rather an evocative tribute to key passions at the core of their personalities: the music and aesthetics of the late ’60s, Austin’s art scene, and imaginative oddities and occultist ephemera, perhaps appropriate considering Jensen’s longtime role on the CW’s Supernatural.After deciding to leave Brentwood, California, and coming this close to putting in an offer on a Lake Austin fixer-upper, the couple set their gaze on a house three doors down, sans “for sale” sign. “As we drove by, Danneel and I both looked at our real estate agent and were like, ‘See, that is the kind of house we’re looking for,’” recalls Jensen. Adds Danneel, “we wanted something less ostentatious.” Fortunately, the owner was willing to sell, but the property was far from turnkey and required an overhaul to go from what Danneel calls the “Texas Tuscan look"—generic stuccoed track mansion—to a wood-clad ranch-style stunner.

Danneel, a Tony Duquette superfan, was over the moon when Santini brought the stained glass pendants she’d bought from his estate. Photo: Douglas Friedman

The slightly sunken living room with the deep blue banquette couch, white shag rug, macrame chair, and muscular oak beams is Jensen’s favorite space.Photo: Jeff Wilson

Jensen and Danneel enlisted Austin architect Paul Lamb and Abode principal interior designer Fern Santini to kickstart what ended up being a very collaborative renovation—even the Ackleses' eldest child, five-year-old JJ, got into the fun, choosing everything in her Pinterest-worthy bedroom. At their initial meeting with Santini, the potential for partnership was evident when she pulled up in an auspicious 1967 E-Type Jaguar. “I mean, it’s just like the coolest thing ever,” says Jensen of the car, which was made in the same year Danneel had said she wanted to recreate in the Austin home so as to pay tribute to the Laurel Canyon bungalow where the couple once lived. “People like Carly Simon had played guitar there,” Danneel says. “It was a magical little place. So when Fern pulls up in that car ... We just bonded over music and a love of that time period and had our vision right off the bat.”

Executing that vision involved blowing out the majority of the house’s interior, taking it down to the studs, and reconfiguring it. “It was very closed and very ‘90s,” says Santini. Extensive structural work was devised by Lamb, one of Santini's frequent creative conspirator. “Paul is from New Orleans and I’m from Louisiana, and we have the same odd sense of humor and style,” says Danneel, who saw a residential elevator he’d done entirely in red velvet and said, “That’s the guy for me!” The foursome worked beautifully together—that is, after Jensen learned early on to keep his mouth shut if and when he doubted any stylistic choices. When shown the idea for a rich, royal blue sofa, “I was like, ’Y’all are crazy!’” says Jensen. “But then I just thought, I’m not going to get in their way.”

Smart man, considering a highly personalized space began to unspool under Santini and Lamb's direction. “It was imperative that the house express the Ackleses—young, bold, and irreverent,” Lamb says. “It had to be full of humorous and endearing eccentricities and it needed to radiate a comforting yet exotic familiarity.” He simplified and opened spaces, flipped the feel from a masonry house to a wood-framed home—thanks to exposed beams, larger expanses of windows, and rich wooden ceilings—and, perhaps most transformational, added a breezy two-story screened porch that altered the entire profile. “The former house was straight-laced and vaguely Mediterranean,” Lamb says. “Now it is an eclectic, free-spirited, Austin-style lake house.” Santini calls it “a cross between Joni Mitchell and the Serge Gainsbourg–Jane Birkin thing that was going on in Paris at the same time. It’s very hip but it’s low-key.”

Musically, the home is rich with sound, thanks to Jensen’s collection of guitars and the McIntosh turntable Santini says she “has real fetish for, after spending my entire career trying to hide stereo equipment.” There’s also a surfeit of historical and meaningful music-related artwork—think photographs of Yasgur’s Farm in Woodstock and a house where Bob Dylan recorded. “The hand-scraped wood floors undulate quite heavily, and we’ve got these giant beams and wood all around that feel like you’re in the hull of a giant ship,” Jensesn says. “What that does is it creates an amazing acoustic sound. We’ve always had music in our lives, and we wanted to pass on that tradition.”

The parents of three also are active supporters of local art. “We’re not the type who need it to all be the same. That’s criminal to me, almost,” says Danneel of their home full of diverse pieces from Austin and Marfa, including female artists from galleries like Women and Their Work. Santini describes the pair as risk-takers who both led the charge on outside-the-box thinking and let her push the limits. In their third home together, the Ackleses hit their stride, nailing a personally reflective infusion of edge, humor, and spirit.

“It goes to that having a history, having a story,” says Jensen, who, with his wife, selects works based on a gut feeling as opposed to popularity or perceived value. It’s the same way Danneel approached design. “We have so many friends who come into the house and are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love this—it’s so crazy and unexpected. But man, I would have never picked out all these things, and I wouldn’t have been brave enough to do it!’” she says. “I’ve heard this over and over, and I wish more people would just be brave and go with what makes them happy.”

The home’s entry was designed to feel like an outdoor living space according to Santini, who sourced an 1850s English table and unusual Swedish lantern from the 1820s to anchor the room. The woven stools are from Tidelli, and the headless deer with ferns are by Italy’s Imperfetto Lab.

Architect Paul Lamb’s significant removal of walls led to a feel-good expansiveness where there are no boundaries. “It all kind of flows,” says Jensen. “You never feel like you’re in just one room.” In the media room, they did the least amount of work, painting the dark ceiling trusses to lighten the space and putting a German smear on the orange-y fireplace to tone it down.

The most Texas room in the house is the Marfa-imbued dining space, where the couple’s cherished Boyd Elder bull skull hangs. It’s part of a 10-piece series from the ’70s, the most famous of which was on the cover of the Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits album. “Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s bands on tour wanted to have an artist with them, and Boyd was like the muse for the Eagles,” says Danneel, adding of the late artist, “I believe he dated Joni Mitchell, and she has one of the pieces.”

The slightly sunken living room with the deep-blue banquette couch, white shag rug, macrame chair, and muscular oak beams is Jensen’s favorite space. “There are just so many textures in that living room and vibrant colors, and it’s all surrounded by this amazing wood. I can just sit there and pick away at a guitar or play records all day long,” he says.

Behind the sofa is a gold birdcage artwork by Austin artist Micky Hoogendijk. It’s an observation on “women who seem to be trapped by money and possessions and they’re OK with it; they like living in that gilded cage,” says Danneel. “It looks intense but when you get close to it they’re all smiling and happy and unaware that they’re in this cage because they’re gold and perfect. For me that’s just somewhere I never want to be, so I was really attracted to that.”

Danneel spends a lot of time in the babies’ room (22-month-old twins Zeppelin and Arrow) and the kitchen, where the kids’ favorite toy is a rolling acrylic table from the ‘50s. (“Fern would have a heart attack,” she laughs.) They tore the space down to nothing and built it back from scratch. “It was a totally different feel, and very kind of country looking, which didn’t blend well with the rest of the house,” Jensen says. Now, to Lamb, “the kitchen’s glossy painted wood boards look like pinstripes, crisp and good-natured, like a happy kitchen in the Hamptons.”

“There’s not a space they don’t use,” says Santini of the house she worked on with Jensen and Danneel. The reimagined pool room taps into their proclivity for spooky oddities with framed tarot cards and a game table that could work for board games or even séances, says Lamb, who added a secondary kitchen for big gatherings with access to a barbecue area on the lawn, and a wine room.

A native Southerner, Danneel fought hard for the addition of a screened-in porch, which Lamb had the vision—inspired by Greenwood Plantation in St. Francisville—to make two stories tall. “I wanted more than anything to be able to sit out there, not get eaten alive by mosquitos, and look at the lake and watch the boats go by,” says the actress. Jensen’s favorite piece in the house is the long table, custom made using a 2,000-year-old cypress log that had sunk and was buried on the West Bank of New Orleans.

The bar—black walnut with black and white veined marble—is on one end of the large living room and is the site of frequent small parties involving music, either live or from the McIntosh turntable. The cabinets were specially made to light prized bourbons, and on the side is a white taxidermy peacock Santini tracked down over months. Flooring throughout the house is hand-scraped Texas post oak with character to spare.

The master bedroom and the adjacent sitting room are clad in reclaimed barn wood, juxtaposing the whimsical wallpaper covered in sections by Japanese-inspired barn door panels that allow for flexible boundaries. Jensen said of the scheme, “You guys are losing me, but it sounds awesome, so knock it out!” Danneel already owned the two petrified wood and resin log tables that sit in front of the vintage ‘50s daybed with Mongolian lamb, though the majority of what’s in the home was selected or made specifically for it.

Inspiration for their master bathroom shower came from an Architectural Digest story featuring a steel and glass shower in the home of Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka. Lit by Apparatus fixtures, Lamb conceived a simple vaulted space with a white oak board ceiling and fumed and cerused walnut cabinets with a slight Tansu feel. A Kyle Bunting cowhide rug is centered on the room, and Holly Hunt ombre-dyed handkerchief linen window treatments frame the lake view.

The pair’s five-year-old daughter, JJ, helped pick out all her own bedroom decor. “The more color the better,” says Danneel. Santini calls it “hippie in training.” Like in the rest of the home, her walls are plaster.

The ultra-private home looks out at a nature preserve across the water. Durable throw pillows around the house were made of old quilts purchased online. “We bought a lot of them and mixed them all up,” says Santini. “There’s nowhere in the house where you feel like you have to tip toe around or can’t sit. That was definitely intentional.”

Inside and out, Lamb and Santini ensured that the Ackleses’ Austin home “expresses them—young, bold, and irreverent. It had to be full of humorous and endearing eccentricities and it needed to radiate a comforting yet exotic familiarity.”

architecturaldigest

#Jensen Ackles #Danneel Ackles #JJ Ackles #Zeppelin Bram Ackles #Arrow Rhodes Ackles #Ackles Home: Austin #Architectural Digest Photoshoot 2018 #*#long post for ts

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spn-j2-blog · 6 years ago

Text

CW Star Jensen Ackles Invites AD Inside His Family Home in Austin

Danneel, a Tony Duquette superfan, was over the moon when Santini brought the stained glass pendants she’d bought from his estate.

The slightly sunken living room with the deep blue banquette couch, white shag rug, macrame chair, and muscular oak beams is Jensen’s favorite space.

(c)architecturaldigest

Indeed, Danneel and Duquette share a similar philosophy. “More is more is more!” Danneel says emphatically. “More is the most.” Still, the Ackleses' five-bedroom, 7,500-square-foot residence isn’t actually an ode to opulence but rather an evocative tribute to key passions at the core of their personalities: the music and aesthetics of the late ’60s, Austin’s art scene, and imaginative oddities and occultist ephemera, perhaps appropriate considering Jensen’s longtime role on the CW’s Supernatural.

After deciding to leave Brentwood, California, and coming this close to putting in an offer on a Lake Austin fixer-upper, the couple set their gaze on a house three doors down, sans “for sale” sign. “As we drove by, Danneel and I both looked at our real estate agent and were like, ‘See, that is the kind of house we’re looking for,’” recalls Jensen. Adds Danneel, “we wanted something less ostentatious.” Fortunately, the owner was willing to sell, but the property was far from turnkey and required an overhaul to go from what Danneel calls the “Texas Tuscan look"—generic stuccoed track mansion—to a wood-clad ranch-style stunner.

#jensen ackles #danneel ackles #family

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dawnjeman · 6 years ago

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Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Rental Home

Hello, my wonderful friends! It’s really great to start this week with a new Beautiful Homes of Instagram and I know this one will inspire many readers.

Dani Ferretti of @GoldCoastCanvas is talented, brave and she is here to show us that we can make of our home a “home-sweet-home” wherever we are, regardless if it’s our forever home or a rental.

Please, make sure to follow her on Instagram (it will make her day!) and take notes on how she decorated her beautiful rental home!

Hey friends, Dani of @goldcoastcanvas here! I’m so humbled that Luciane reached out to me and it is truly an honor to be featured among such incredibly talented designers here on HomeBunch. I never would have imagined that our once plain-jane rental home would someday be worthy of this. I am feeling excited and grateful (and maybe a little bit like the new girl at the lunch table!).

My boyfriend Brad and I both grew up in South Florida and we are true barefoot, ocean-loving Florida kids at heart. We’ve both bounced around the country (and the globe) quite a bit since leaving home. We most recently moved to Austin, Texas where we’ll stay until it’s time to make the permanent move back home to Florida.

As you can imagine, being away from family and the ocean takes some adjusting to. This is why it was so important that our home in Austin, no matter how temporary, still have space for guests and still reflect that breezy lifestyle we love most. We chose a modern, new-construction home in South Austin not far from downtown. It was the perfect jumping off point for the activities we love most: hiking the greenbelt with our chocolate lab Soko, hitting up our favorite taco truck, or catching some waves at the surf park (yes, you can surf in the middle of Texas!)

I have always loved coastal decor, but it took me years to hone in on my true design aesthetic. Once I started focusing on how I wanted our home to feel rather than how I wanted it to look, everything clicked into place. For this house, I really wanted to create a home that felt like a sanctuary and that was easy to live in – where spaces felt organic and nothing was too precious. I think that is what makes coastal homes so appealing to me. They are meant for the happy messes of sandy feet and salty hair.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Rental Home

This is the talented homeowner, Dani, with her adorable dog. I am so proud of how she made of this rental a real home.

Home Location: Austin, Texas

Home Specs: Modern, 3 bed / 2.5 bath, 2000sqft

Entryway

Front Door: Custom ETO Doors 5-Lite Quinque door – similar here & here.

Chandelier: Existent – similar here, here, here & here.

Rug: World Market – similar here.

Flooring

Flooring: 5” Hickory Celebration in Honey Spice by Shaw Flooring.

Wall & Trim Color: Custom formula by Sherwin Williams.

Console Table

For this house, I really wanted to create a home that felt like a sanctuary and that was easy to live in – where spaces felt organic and nothing was too precious. I think that is what makes coastal homes so appealing to me. They are meant for the happy messes of sandy feet and salty hair.

Console Table: Here in Distressed Grey – similar here & here.

Faux Stems: Pottery Barn.

Vase: Target (no longer available) – Others: here & here.

Similar Baskets: here, here & here.

Living Room

I continued the neutral palette into the living room so as not to overwhelm the open space. I grounded it with an amazing collection of pillows from my favorite shops and an earthy, warm coffee table that everyone can gather around. We are just weeks away from getting a brand new custom sofa. I wish it had come in time for pictures but I’ll definitely be sharing it on my feed when it does arrive – so stay tuned!

Beautiful Sectionals: here, here (on sale), here & here.

Tree

Tree: Arbequina Olive Tree – similar here (faux).

Tree Basket: World Market.

Large Basket: here – similar.

Art Print: Deb Presutto.

Pillows

Block Print Pillow: McGee & Co.

Denim Stripe Pillow: one-of-a-kind – Others: here, here & here – similar.

White Pillow: here – similar.

Marble Tray: Terrain.

Coffee Table

Coffee Table: Eclectic Goods – similar here, here & here.

Kitchen

The thing that sold me most on this house was the kitchen. As serial renters, we were used to dealing with suboptimal cooking spaces (our kitchen in our San Francisco apartment had about two feet of counter space!) This one felt like a long-awaited luxury to us. I softened the modern finishes with more organic selections like the vintage-inspired rug, aged cutting boards and handmade ceramic dishware.

Wall Color: Dolphin Fin by Behr.

Kitchen Island Dimensions

Island Dimensions: 42” x 94”.

Faucet: Moen.

Kitchen Rug: McGee & Co – Other Beautiful Runners: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Wall Paint Color

Wall paint color is Dolphin Fin by Behr.

Kitchen Cabinet

Cabinets are 42” Armstrong Sienna Cabinets in Alpine White.

Kitchen Hardware

Hardware: Amerock Bar Pulls in Sterling Nickel.

Vintage Painting: McGee & Co.

Fruit Basket: Shoppe Amber Interiors – similar here.

Countertop & Backplash

Counters are Black Pearl granite.

Similar Cutting Boards: here.

Crock: West Elm.

Bud Vase: McGee & Co.

Backsplash: 8.5” x 2” subway tile – similar here – Other Beautiful Tiles: here, here, here & here.

Kitchen Lighting

Light pendants are the 16” Waikiki from MyBaliLiving – similar here & here.

Beautiful Counterstools: here, here, here, here & here.

Dining Area

Our dining room is small but I knew we needed a sizable table for big dinner gatherings. To make it work, I opted for benches that could be pushed under the table when not in use. I love how it created a cozy little nook on the wall side. The photos above the table are actually sketches of the different homes we’ve made memories in: Brad’s apartment in Sydney, the St. Louis bungalow my father grew up in and the 120 year old Victorian we lived in in San Francisco.

Wall Color: Dolphin Fin by Behr.

Table: Pier 1.

Chairs (beige): Overstock.

Wide Mat Frames (gray): Pottery Barn.

Vase: Areo Home Clay Water Pots – also available here.

Laundry Room

A small hallway leads to a laundry room and powder room.

Laundry Basket: No longer available – Other Options: here, here, here, here & here.

Brass Frame: World Market.

Basket Tray: Kouboo.

Rug: Loloi.

Powder Room

Dani did such a great job with the decor!

Gallery Frame: West Elm.

Pedestal Sink: here – similar.

Bud Vase: McGee & Co.

Faucet: Moen.

Home Office

Upstairs, we have an open loft area that looks out over our living room. I work from home full-time and knew immediately that this would make a great office because it’s a defined space that still feels open to the rest of the house.

Rug

DIY

I wanted to do something unique with the alcove so we opted for some large, diy floating shelves and a gallery wall featuring some of our favorite pieces.

Desk: World Market – Also seen on these “Beautiful Homes of Instagram”: here & here.

Colors & Textures

While I stuck with earthy neutrals, I used this space as an opportunity to be a little more playful with color and pattern.

Desk Chair: Joss & Main.

Pillow: McGee & Co.

Brass Planter: World Market.

Kumquat Print: Nancy Noreth.

Loft

The oversize armchair on the opposite side of the room is a great place for reading (or napping!)

Chair

Chair is from Ashley Furniture – similar chair with ottoman.

Side Table: West Elm.

Lamp: World Market.

Button Pillow: West Elm – similar here.

Wide Mat Gallery Frame over armchair: Pottery Barn.

Guest Bedroom

Down the hall is our guest bedroom. I reupholstered an existing bed to give it a clean linen look like the one in our own room. This room really challenged me to flex my creative muscles and I love the unexpected combination of old and new. The aged metals, rugged handmade nightstands and modern decor accents all come together to create a space that I hope any guest can appreciate.

Sconces: Visual Comfort – Others: here, here, here & here.

Bedding

Bed Blanket in Cool: Coyuchi.

Quilt: here & here – similar

Pillows

Blue Throw Pillows: McGee & Co.

White Pillow: here & here – similar.

Rug

Rug is from McGee & Co.

Paint Color

Walls: Dolphin Fin by Behr.

Curtains: Pottery Barn.

Desk

Desk is from Joss & Main.

Mirror: here – similar.

Chair

Chair: McGee & Co.

Desk Lamp: Wayfair.

Vase: Areo Home Clay Water Pots – also available here.

Clock: McGee & Co.

Panoramic Painting (in closet): McGee & Co.

Guest Bathroom

I extended this same theme of old and new into the guest bathroom.

Rug: Loloi.

Wall Paint Color

Hardware: Amerock Bar Pulls in Sterling Nickel.

Prints by Marcelle Calder.

Counters: Cultured marble.

Faucets: Moen.

Master Bedroom

I took my time designing our master bedroom and it is my absolute favorite room in the house. I wanted to keep this room clean and simple, while still giving it enough layers to feel cozy. I stuck with two main colors – a blue/grey and cream – and brought things to life with lots of different textures. From the driftwood nightstands to the chunky cotton quilt to the faded rug, everything in this room is meant to feel a bit organic and weathered, yet still refined.

Paint Color & Bedding

Wall Color: Silver Drop by Behr.

Sunset Painting: McGee & Co.

Quilt: West Elm (I highly recommend bedding by West Elm).

Striped Bed Blanket in Gray: Evangeline Linens Pinstripe Blanket 100% Cotton – similar here & here.

Blue Throw Pillows: McGee & Co.

Bed & Rug

Bed: Skyline Furniture – also here (without nailhead).

Beautiful Throws: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Rug: Surya.

Nightstand

Nightstands are from Pottery Barn.

Nightstand Decor

Basket Tray (with books): here.

Vase: West Elm.

Table Lamps: Pottery Barn.

Master Bathroom

In our master bathroom, the contrast of the dark tiling and the white finishes adds a touch of drama. I kept decor simple with some minimalist palm prints and a faded vintage-inspired runner.

Rug: No longer available – similar here.

Cabinetry

Cabinets: Armstrong Sienna Cabinets in Alpine White.

Tile: 16 x 24 – existing – similar here, here & here.

Towels: Parachute Home.

Beautiful Hampers: here, here, here & here.

Countertop

Counters: Cultured Marble.

Vase: McGee & Co.

Hand towels: McGee & Co – similar here.

Hardware: Amerock Bar Pulls in Sterling Nickel.

Faucets: Moen.

Backyard

Having usable outdoor space was really important to us. However, when we moved in, our backyard was just a plain patch of grass. Since we’re renting, we worked with our landlord to come up with an affordable solution. With my dad’s help, we built this raised gravel patio ourselves!

Bistro Set: Ikea.

Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor Sectional: No longer available – Others: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Umbrella: here – similar.

Stool / Side Table: Safavieh.

Home-Sweet-Home

The new raised gravel patio ended up being a hit in the neighborhood and inevitably, all of our gatherings end up out here. I’m so glad we went for it! It serves as a reminder that no matter where you’re living at the moment, it’s always worth a little investment to make it feel like home. You don’t have to wait for your dream house!

Many thanks to Dani for sharing all of the details above.

Make sure to follow her on Instagram to see more of her beautiful home!

Blog: Gold Coast Canvas.

Best Sales of the Month:

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

Serena & Lily: 20% off Dining Event. Use code: ENTERTAINING

Wayfair: Up to 75% OFF – President’s Day Huge Sales on Decor, Furniture & Rugs!!!

Joss & Main: End of Season Sale: Up to 85% Off!!! Free shipping with code: STARS

Pottery Barn: 20% off + Free Shipping. Use Code: WEEKEND

One Kings Lane: High Quality Design Decor for Less – Save 20% Sitewide Puls and Extra 10% with code: OKLPRES19

West Elm: 20% Off your entire Purchase + Free Shipping: Use Code: WINTER

Anthropologie: Take an extra 40% off all sale items! See Joanna Gaines Exclusive line here!

Urban Outfitters: Hip & Affordable Home Decor.

Horchow: High Quality Furniture and Decor. Up to 30% off the entire site!

Nordstrom: Up to 40% OFF!

Arhaus: Up to 60% OFF!

Posts of the Week:

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Fixer Upper.

Colorful Coastal Interiors.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Horse Farm.

Modern Coastal Shingle Home.

Empty Nester Kitchen Renovation.

Kitchen Renovation with Before & After Pictures.2019 New Year Home Tour.

Full-scale Home Remodel Inspiration.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: How to Build your own Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Grey Shingle Home.

Connecticut Beach House.

Interior Design Ideas: Colorful Interiors.

New England Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Home Renovation.Classic Colonial Home Design. Family-friendly Home Design.

New Year, New Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

Follow me on Instagram: @HomeBunch

You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch

See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives.

“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

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onlovestreetwithjimmorrison · 6 years ago

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Lavender Walls: A Jim Morrison Fan Fiction. Part VIII

Jim and Sarah were back in their apartment eating their pizza in their living room with their lavender walls. Sarah said, “Those assholes can't make you legally join the band or anything can they?” Jim shook his head, “Nope. I am contractually done with The Doors. There is not a thing they can do. Besides, they ate legally known as JaRR now and since I was never apart of JaRR there is nothing connecting me to JaRR. They are on their own and they will fail and everyone will see just how important I was to the success of The Doors.”

Sarah and Jim were in the kitchen putting away the leftover pizza when there was a knock at the door. Jim opened it and saw John, Robby and Ray standing there. Jim immediately slammed the door and locked it. Sarah looked at him. He said, “Those assholes are out there. They had the audacity to show up at our home.” Sarah said, “OMG what the hell is wrong with them. Why would they just show up unannounced like that? Fuck them!”

There was another knock. This time Sarah went to answer the door, “Jim! Call the cops. The damn stalkers are back.” Jim walked over to the door and smiled smugly at his former bandmates, “See no one wants you here and you really are stalking us. I told you I wasn't coming back to the band and I'm not. And showing up at my home is not the way to do it either.” Ray said, “Just hear us out and if you don't like what we have to say we'll leave you alone.” Sarah and Jim rolled their eyes but let them in anyway.

Sarah and Jim spread out on the couch leaving Ray and Robby to take the chairs and John sitting on the floor. Sarah said, “John if you get puss from your rash on our floor you're going to have a big problem.” Ray said, “I'll get right to the point.” Sarah rolled her eyes, “That's a first.” Robby glared at her, “Shut the hell up. This doesn't even affect you.” Jim looked at Robby, “The hell it does. If you want me to join this fucking band again it does affect her. But I'm not joining the band so you're wasting your time.”

Ray continued, “Jim the band is failing. You know that. The fans are unhappy. We've had to cancel concerts due to poor ticket sales. Album sales aren't much better. This was our dream and your dream too and you're just going to let it die?” Jim responded, “No my dream was always to be a poet and I got sidetracked with the band. Why would I come back to something where I was not respected or treated as a valued member. I'm finally doing what I love and I'm successful at it. I'm not going to throw all that way from some lame ass band. Fuck you.”

Robby stood up, “You are so fucking selfish Jim! You don't care about anyone but yourself.” Jim seethed, “Like you ever cared about me. I was drinking all the time and no one gave a damn. You just bitched at me when a show didn't go as planned. My only concerns are Sarah, our marriage, my health and my career. Those are what matter to me. Not some stupid band. Now leave!” Ray stood up, “Forget it. I don't know why we ever thought he would want to help us out.” Jim said, “Trying to make me feel guilty isn't going to work. I am so over The Doors and I don't give a shit if JaRR fails. You knew it wasn't going to work. Like who the hell is going to believe that John is a sex symbol. Damn it John! You're getting puss on our rug! You know what? The three of you need to leave. Tomorrow is Christmas eve and Sarah and I have plans and things to do to get ready for Christmas. Maybe if you're lucky a bunch of fans will get that stupid JaRR calendar under their tree. Though I can't imagine why anyone would want to look at John trying to be sexy on the beach. That's part of your problem. You're trying too hard and you've completely changed the image of the band. The Doors were cool and fun and intellectual. JaRR just comes across and fake and phony and trying too hard. And the music sucks.”

Finally, JaRR had left and Jim turned to Sarah, “Can you believe those clowns? Wanting me to join the band again. Like what the hell?” Sarah said, “I know! But I don't think they'll be bothering us anymore. They didn't even have a response after you told them off and that their band was fake and phony. They just walked out.” Jim nodded and ran his hand through his shoulder length brown hair, “Maybe they finally got the message. They are jealous of me. I know they are. I am a success at being a poet and my fans love us. They get so excited when we walk into a cafe or coffee house when I have a poetry reading. They're really respectful of you, something Doors fans were not.”

John, Ray, and Robby were on their way back to JaRR's workshop. Robby said, “Can you believe Jim? He's so fucking selfish. And did you see their Christmas decorations? Only Jim would put lights around the inside of his living room window and think it looks good.” John responded, “I don't know. I kind of liked their Christmas decorations. The silver tree was nice. Ray and Robby just looked at him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Christmas morning~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jim awoke around 6am and decided it was time to get up. He gently shook Sarah, “Sweetheart, its Christmas morning! Time to get up. I can't wait to see what Santa brought us.” He leaned over her and gently kissed her cheek, “Come on baby girl. We need to get up. We have presents to open and then we're going to out to breakfast.” Sarah looked at him. Jim stood up and said, “Let's go see what Santa left us.” Sarah sleepily got up and followed Jim into the living room. Jim said, “OMG look Santa came and he ate the cookies and milk we left him.” Sarah put her hand on his back and said, “Its cute that you still believe in Santa.” Jim said, “Santa is as real as you and me. I've always believed in him and he's never let me down. Let's see what he brought us.”

Jim and Sarah sat next to the tree and Jim grabbed a present to open. He ripped the paper off and screamed when he saw it, “OMFG its that goddamn JaRR calendar. Why the hell would Santa bring me this? I don't want this.” Sarah looked at the torn off wrapping paper and said, “It's not from Santa, it's from Ray.” Jim threw the calendar across the room and said, “Fuck Ray. If he thinks seeing this disaster is going to make me want to be a Door again he has another thing coming. Besides if I did come back to the band would it still be JaRR or would it be The Doors again? Oh well its never happening so let's just open some more presents. Open this one. It's from me.”

Sarah unwrapped the tiny box that was wrapped in purple paper with silver stars on it. She opened the box and found a silver ring with a big pink stone in the middle. She looked at Jim. He touched her hair and said, “As soon as I saw it I thought of you. And I know how much you like pink.” He slipped it on her finger and kissed her. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his long hair. He held for a while and then let go.

Jim grabbed a present from under the tree and said, “I know this is from you because of the terrible wrapping! How much paper did you use?” Sarah said, “I hate wrapping presents. It's hard and they always look like hell.” Jim smiled as he opened his gift, “Sarah I love it. I've never had a leather journal with my initials on the cover. And the pages are so thick. This is perfect for me to write my poetry in. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much it means to me that you completely support me being a poet and doing what I love. Thank you baby girl.”

Jim and Sarah decided to stay home instead of going out for breakfast. As the cuddled on the couch and sipped hot chocolate Jim said, “Where's that dumb JaRR calendar. I want to see what kind of crap they put in there. You know its awful. Those three are so weird and don't know what people want.

I mean who really wants to see John sprawled out on the beach?” Sarah said, “I know right? What are they thinking? Like did they forget how things were when they were Doors?” Jim said, “Apparently so.” Jim opened the calendar and gagged, “OMG Sarah look at August. You can see John's butt crack! Gross.” Sarah shook her head, “OMG what the hell? No one wants to see that. Do they have any idea how many Christmases they ruined? People are seeing that and being traumatized for life.” Jim pushed his long, messy hair out of his face and said, “I give JaRR 3 months before they are no more. People don't want to see that, nor do they want to hear that awful music they keep putting out.” Sarah giggled.

Jim smiled at Sarah from across their small dining table and said, “Sweetheart this lasagna is delicious. You always cook such delicious meals and the garlic bread is really good too.” Sarah said, “I bought the garlic bread in the bakery section of the grocery store.” Jim said, “It still good. I just love that you're always making us yummy things to eat and I can't wait to have some of the chocolate chip cookies you made. I was getting hungry all afternoon smelling them bake.” Sarah smiled at him, “I love that you're so enthusiastic about the food I make for you.” Jim was about to say something when he looked out the window, “OMFG what the hell is that?” Sarah said, “What?” Jim said, “Look out the window at the billboard across the street.” Sarah looked and saw a huge picture of John sprawled out sexy on the beach. The letting above him read Beach Sex. The new album from JaRR.

Jim and Sarah were snuggled in bed together. Jim said, “We'll have to keep the blinds closed so we don't see that awful billboard. Can you believe that's what they are calling their album? When people think of JaRR they do not think of Beach Sex. I mean geeze even The Doors didn't do crap like that. They are going to be the laughing stocks of the music industry.” Sarah had her head on his hairy chest while he held her. She glanced up at him and said, “Let's just forget about those losers. I just want to lay here with you and fall asleep together.” Jim kissed the top of her head and pulled the covers closer around her and soon the two of them were sound asleep.

This is Jim excited about Christmas morning.

#Lavender Walls #Jim and Sarah story #Lavender Walls Pt. VIII

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affeatures · 7 years ago

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New Year, New Music - Pt. 1

Check out what 2018 has in store for us, or might. Here are both definite and possible releases for the new year.

2017 was a great year for music. When you thought the mumble rappers were going to take over, in comes the lyricists. When you thought the industry forgot all about R&B, in comes a slew of R&B releases from both oldies and newbies. Streaming sales took over the game, podcast-galore, and well, the memes were downright legendary. Let’s not forget when the rest of the world seemed to catch up with us when it was announced that Hip Hop became the dominant genre of the country. Uh, duh.

Now it’s 2018! There aren’t too many projects confirmed for this year, but conclusions have been drawn and clocks are a-tickin’. And I for one have a feeling 2018 might just snuff out 2017. Kidding! I know, “How do you beat out releases from Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and the rest of them?” Well, we shall see.

Dave East

Paranoia2 January 16th

Well, it’s just an emotional rollercoaster with this one. Whether we think we’re getting his debut album, in comes another mixtape.

After releasing Paranoia: A True Story in August, Dave East offers up its sequel. He took to Twitter to make the announcement, as well as reveal the cover of Paranoia 2 which features his daughter, Kairi Chanel. East has always been open about his life, especially with his daughter who just makes his pictures that much better. When comparing the two covers of Paranoia and P2, the content comes into question. Paranoia shows himself sitting there in a frantic daze, whereas Paranoia 2 closes up on his and Kairi’s face. More mature content, perhaps? Will this project focus on the future? Or will is focus on the ladder, building up to the future. And his debut album will be the future?

He first talked about Paranoia 2 right after the release of Paranoia, but its Halloween-due date was completely passed over. When talking to XXL about P2, he went on to confirm “and then, album time, like my real debut - debut, debut. Probably like, end of the year, top of the year…That’s when you gon’ be hearing about Tidal and all that.” The 15-track project includes features from the likes of 2 Chainz, Sevyn Streeter, Fabolous and more. Still new to the game, Dave East has all the potential to drop an amazing debut album. Whether it be late this year, or early 2019, there is no debut album in sight so we’ll just have to enjoy the build up. Just let the Paranoia sink in.

Nas

TBA

It’s been six years since Life is Good, and while it’s been reported that his next album is done, Nas has yet to release anything. I imagine him sitting on this album until he feels it’s the right time to release it to the masses. While we wait and twiddle our thumbs, growing tiresome is not an issue. An artist as talented as the legendary Nasir Jones, we will be waiting. But uh, Esco? Hurry up, please!

Justin Timberlake

Man of The Woods February 2nd

After some teasing in the past few weeks, JT has officially announced that his fifth studio album, Man of The Woods, will release February 2nd. Timed out perfectly since the album’s release is two days before he hits the stage at the Super Bowl 52 Halftime show. Its been five years since The 20/20 Experience, which dropped seven years after FutureSex/LoveSounds - Timberlake is no stranger on waiting. Back in November, Timberland told Rolling Stone, “The music we just made? It’s gonna put him on another plateau.” The announcement was made via a short teaser that stars his wife, Jessica Biel, and Pharrell Williams. The trailer also features snippets of new music, especially one being the album’s lead single, “Filthy,” which is set to drop at midnight Friday, January 5th. As he tweeted: “This song should be played very loud.”

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The visual offered above portrays Timberlake as rugged and part of nature, feels of The Revenant, he explains in a voiceover, "This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more so than any other album I've ever written, where I'm from – it's personal," With rumors of JT going country, and confirmed contributions from longtime collaborators Timberland and Pharrell, who knows what we’ll hear on February 2nd - but we are here and ready for it.

Cardi B

TBA

2017 was most certainly Cardi B.’s year. The underdog, the glow up, that one fun and crazy cousin that you can get lit with and also get some amazing advice from - Cardi fits all the relatable storylines and makes it easy to root for her. Releasing hit single after hit single, Cardi’s been has broken a couple records on Billboard. She made history by reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Bodak Yellow,” being the second solo female to do it after Lauryn Hill in the late ‘90s. Literally the second day of the year it was just announced that she is the third artist, following The Beatles and Ashanti, to have three singles simultaneously chart the Hot 100. And if you didn’t notice it, she is the first rapper to do it: No. 4 “No Limit,” No. 7 “Motorsport,” and No. 10 “Bodak Yellow.” Following up with the new record under her belt, she teamed up with Bruno Mars with a remix of his 2016 “Finesse." It’s her first track of the year that just might make it on the chart. Check out the “In Living Color” inspired visual below.

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Man is Cardi riding that wave of success, but when will she finally release her debut album?! On a couple occasions in the past, Cardi did mention her album was done via social media. Nothing came of it, it’s safe to assume Atlantic had over plans. J. Cole even gave her some advice to not rush her work, only release what she’s happy with. She and her team certainly have been making strategic moves so it should be any day now with all the recent success. Cardi B took over 2017, and it looks like she plans on making 2018 her bitch too.

Nipsey Hussle

Victory Lap - February 16th

Fresh off his Atlantic deal, Nipsey Hussle announced his long-awaited debut, Victory Lap, will drop February 16th. Along with the announcement, he dropped the album’s lead single, “Rap Niggas.” Check out the visual below.

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Nipsey Hussle is in the middle of his promo run, making a stop to the Rap Radar podcast to sit down with Elliot Wilson and B.Dot Miller. In the interview, he talks about his debut, bringing his independent label All Money In LLC to Atlantic Records, having to switch from rapper to entrepreneur and more. Back when he made the deal, he sat down with Billboard to explain his hunger and ambitions concerning the multi-album Atlantic partnership:

“It’s not about a fame ambition or getting a radio record. The decision really came down to the message I’m trying to get across. I wanted to give that message the best chance to be heard and consumed on the highest level. that was my goal from the hump as All Money In took time to build its position in the hip-hop lane."

Drake

TBA

“I’ll be back in 2018 to give you the summary”

Well, not that we’re rushing you but…it’s 2018, Aubrey. Since the release of More Life, photos and videos of Drake in the studio have periodically been taking over social media. Let's not disregard the last two singles that were leaked since NYE. As More Life was labeled a “playlist,” does it serve as the intro to his 2018 album? Will there even be a 2018 album? Of course, considering Drake is known for living in the studio and is a music-making powerhouse. No matter what he calls it, we’re still expecting a collection of new music this year.

Chance the Rapper

TBA

Since his 2016 Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper has further cemented his career and the fact that, well, he’s a superstar. His style has always been unique and he’s consistently stayed true to himself. Each project has been different from the sound to the feeling it gives you, and even how it’s conceptualized. Although nothing exactly has been confirmed, Chance has been keeping busy recording music, making people laugh, and saving the world. I’m not expecting this new found stardom will change his ways, and it doesn’t seem like it has. I do expect Chance to push boundaries, play around with different sounds and even content, and that it will be a great project.

Rae Sremmurd

SremmLife 3 - TBA

After their sophomore effort in 2016 got them a No. 1 spot with “Black Beatles,” the duo took to Twitter in April that SremmLife 3 was on the way. Months later they dropped “Perplexing Pegasus,” possibly the album's lead single. Last month, with no actual release date still, Swae Lee confirmed the third album would be here “January, for a fact.” After talks of the two going solo, and Swae’s success with actually going on his own, Slim Jimmy and Swae Lee are, “for a fact," a solid team. They are far from breaking up, so we can still expect another project from the “Black Beatles” themselves.

Kanye West

Cruel Winter? Turbo Grafx 16? Who knows - TBA

After a turbulent and hectic 2016, Kanye West spent most of 2017 under the radar. Towards the end he emerged, sightings of him outside the studio with various artists. Even walking around with his laptop has stirred up some rumblings. Ye might just be back. Correction, he’s back! Upon the release of the long-awaited No Dope On Sundays, CyHi the Prynce revealed that Kanye West would be producing albums for the G.O.O.D Music crew, including Kid Cudi. Yes, Cudi who dropped out a few years ago. The final release of CyHi’s big debut alone signifies Kanye’s comeback. Since he’s breakdown, he’s clearly creating again. The process is therapeutic alone, now add the gratification of bringing up those around you that you’ve signed. Oh and let’s sprinkle the excitement of fans who are ready for another album from the creative genius. Ye’s been on a roll, a creative streak. No pressure of course, but we’ll be (im)patiently waiting for the rise of Yeezus. Whether that be through the answer to Cruel Summer, or a new album entirely, we are ready for some G.O.O.D Music from a healthy and happy Kanye West.

Pusha T

King Push - TBA

It’s been some time with no new music from Pusha T - sans any features - since the release of his 2015 Darkest Before Dawn. Push gave us an update on Complex News, saying King Push is 85 percent done. He also goes on to confirm that Kanye will be producing the majority of the project: “It’s mostly Kanye West. It’s good beats, I’m giving you the science! Good beats! Crack!” A good sign indeed. No hints on who’s next. Although a Kid Cudi release was teased on NYE and Desiigner’s still waiting among everyone else, Pusha T might just be next in line. 2017 was the TDE year, 2018 may just be the year of G.O.O.D Music.

Wait! There’s More!

Stay tuned for part two of “New Year, New Music.”

#2018 #new year #new music #dave east #nas #justin timberlake #cardi b #nipsey hussle #drake #chance the rapper #kanye west #pusha t #rae sremmurd #feature #writtenbysade

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noplanwithavan · 8 years ago

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A BALKAN EDUCATION

I was pretty down on Albania in my last post. But journeying north, further from the coast, its redeeming features soon began to reveal themselves. The wilderness, dramatic beauty, political complexity and sheer “otherness” can’t fail to win you round. In fact, the entire Balkan region has woven itself firmly into our affections. In the last month we have journeyed through Albania, to Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia and finally Croatia.

My knowledge of former Yugoslavia - and the rifts and shadows cast by Europe’s last war - was sketchy to say the least. In many ways, its easy enough to ignore. The countries we have seen in the past few weeks share more similarities then differences. Driving across the many borders you see only gradual progressions in the food, landscape and slavic tongue. After a while the currencies too blend into each other, and its hard to keep track of the respective Leke, Denar, Lev, Dinar, Mark, and Kuna. The mediterranean olive oil and oranges we have become accustomed to have been supplanted by soft fruits and a diet rich in dairy. Just as one bucolic village with haystacks and higgledy-piggedly houses made from wattle and daub looks much like the next, just across the border, so too the roadside markets, bursting with cherries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines and apricots. In Kosovo we were given a guided tour of the local cuisine by a stunned supermarket shop assistant. “Why are you here?” she asked, fussing over the girls and high-5’ing them on account of their red t-shirts, emblazoned with the double-headed Albanian Eagle. Tourists are still a novelty in Europe’s newest country (whose independence was only recognised in 2008, and is still disputed by neighbouring Serbia). She followed us around the aisles, like a personal assistant, pointing out what food we should try - the best Ajvar (stewed aubergine and paprika relish), which brand of Kos (goat’s yoghurt). Yet study the war graves, etched with young men bearing kalashnikovs, the dates glaring out at you, impossibly raw and recent. Delve into any conversation in the Balkans and watch how you are immediately brought up short by an impregnable wall. We asked that same young shop assistant directions to Visoki Dečani - a UNESCO-listed Serbian monastery just outside the town. “What monastery?” she replied wide-eyed. “There is no monastery here.” It was only when we drove the short mile to the site that we understood. The entrance was under armed guard by the KFOR (Nato-funded Kosovan Peace Force). Following the 1997-99 war with Serbia, newly-independent Kosovo bitterly resents the continued presence of any Serbian who has chosen to remain on their territory. Inside this fortified enclave, was possibly one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. Over 1,000 orthodox 14th century frescos adorning the walls, inlaid with gold and lapis from Afghanistan. One depicted a unique scene, “The only painting of its kind in the world,” our Serbian host beamed. It was Jesus bearing a sword. It wasn’t that our Kosovan supermarket girl didn’t know about this monastery. She wasn’t allowed to tell us she knew. And we were stupid for asking.

Kosovo was a special place. Somehow the complete lack of other tourists and top sights to see made it all the more beguiling. There were towns which appeared to offer little in the way of attractions, but whose charm lay in their sheer differentness. In Peja we were blinded by the ritzy dazzle of wedding dress shops, stopped to watch a man repair my broken sandal, witness a child bare-foot cleaning the gutter, and paused before an open shop door where inside young girls stretched and cut baclava pastry on a cloth the size of a ping pong table. The girls revel in one foreign word in particular which they are adept at pointing out on signs. It’s only now, 9 months in, that they’ve shown any interest in being able to read. Probably not unrelated to the fact we’ve eased up on the whole home-schooling thing big time. It’s too hot now for a start, and I’ve kind of ceded defeat, acknowledging that Marcus is far better at teaching than I am. He’s more patient, and doesn’t suffer from the frustration that it all seems so piecemeal. Like the fact you teach something one day and it’s disappeared entirely from consciousness the next. I have the word “Shitjet” to thank for this breakthrough. It means “for sale”, but they find it relentlessly hilarious. Sometimes they try and weave the word “shit” into conversation. “This honey is shit,” one of them might remark to a chorus of giggles. When I rebuke, the perpetrator retorts, “But I meant this honey was for sale!”

One highlight has been Albania’s Accursed mountains. By far the most impressive peaks we have seen so far on this journey. Just the name whets your appetite. They rise up before you like a vast vertical wall, softened only by a fringe of pine trees climbing the lower slopes. Above shark-like jaws of rock, arranged in snaggletoothed rows, guard the border to Montenegro beyond. Rain prevented any serious trekking, but just soaking up those mountains shrouded by mist was enough. Warned to stay away from one side of the valley because of the very real danger of brown bears, we scampered around on small excursions, foraging for elderflower, wild strawberries, lemon thyme, oregano and mint. The effort just to get here is testimony to the sense of rugged isolation. The only road in requires you first to travel 2 and a 1/2 hours on a ferry ride across the dammed Lake Koman. And the only way to continue is to walk up and out across the pass to Montenegro. Passing mountain villages dotted with haystacks, houses with wooden shingle rooves, and women wearing traditional Albanian dress, we bounced rather than drove the road to Lake Koman. Arriving by nightfall it was a surreal experience, agricultural scenes abruptly giving way to mining machinery and finally a kind of post-apocalyptic industrial dead end, as we emerged by a hydro power plant. At first I thought we must have taken a wrong turn, but we were waved down and sold a ferry ticket by an obliging young man, who told us to continue towards the dam and park overnight on the ferry. Following his scant directions to “Park in the middle, at the back,” we crawled our way up an ever more desolate road and into an endless tunnel. Just as it crossed our mind we may have been scammed out of €70, we emerged, and implausibly spy a tiny ferry moored alongside the dam wall.

The next morning we are awoken early as other passengers begin to embark. The girls refuse to take off their Albanian t-shirts, and here they attract much admiring attention. A group of young Albanians stop to chat and exchange high 5’s with the girls. One is very pally, with a comedy Estuary accent, “Alright, how you doin’? Yeah mate, yeah, right,” he reels in effortless patter. It transpires he’s spent a few years on a building site in Kent, and despite his status as a self-proclaimed economic migrant, has rather surprising views on the Brexit question. “It’s the Bulgarians mate, taking all the work and that.”

The ferry ride is incredible, just how I imagine the fjords of Norway may look if we ever get that far North. The compact nature of the top-deck makes for a friendly, communal atmosphere. While the young Albanians treat us to rousing nationalistic songs, putting paid to our peaceful surroundings, the girls befriend a group of Scottish pensioners. One man, Brian, is particularly indulgent, and becomes drawn into their play. Before long they graduate from roaring loudly at him, to clambering all over his person, inspecting his jewellery, trying on his shoes, and finally taking pictures of his body parts (all decent) in order to reconstruct later into a collage. A few days later Lulu draws a picture, and labels it “Brian” in her sketchbook.

Braving the bears, one day we dare to head further into the folds of the Accursed mountains, to hike from the village of Çeremi near the Montenegro border. The journey up the rough track is bone-crunching and spliced with the danger of a river crossing. Summoning courage, Marcus revs the engine and plunges across, grating the underside of the van. Its at times like these I wish we had gone for a 4WD. Felicity Evans you were right! When we can go no further we stop, and try to continue on foot. But within minutes the rain, which has never strayed far, is back, and we are soaked to the skin. Like so often on this trip, unwittingly our misfortune presents a unique opportunity. We find ourselves taken in by an Albanian family, sheltered from the rain, fed and housed for the night. Our “saviour” so to speak is some sort of scout, on the lookout for reckless souls such as we. Instinctively you sense there will be a catch, but we opt to follow him regardless, curious as to how things will play out. He is wearing the most incongruous outfit, given the location - a black baseball jacket with pinstripe trousers and black leather shoes. It looks even more ridiculous a few moments later when he confidently coaxes us across another river bed, where this time our van becomes firmly lodged. With a shrug he attempts to push us out, and the wheel spin flings mud all over his smart office wear. We’re taken to a farmhouse, and find ourselves in a small, low space where a family leap to their feet to greet us. A stove dominates the room, which, by the look of the beds made into seating, and the sink in the corner, serves many purposes. With no common language to fall back on, it is a bizarre mixture of mime where we play as best we can the theatre of hospitality. Our “scout” introduces the family, and we believe we can discern the relationships: a man, his wife, two daughters and his sister. The girls break the ice best, drawing the little 5 year old girl, Linari, into play by dressing up the family’s cat. The room is roasting and while we strip off, a round of buttermilk drinks are laid before us. It’s a challenge to say the least - rich, creamy, cold milk with an island of butter bobbing below a greasy surface. I watch as Marcus slurps a lump into his mouth, trying to disguise a grimace. Next comes the home-brew - distilled Reiki - followed swiftly by Turkish coffee. For the last month I’ve dismissed this coffee due to the fact it tastes like drinking warm earth, but out of the 3 drinks on offer it is by far the most palatable. “Hmm,” remarks Marcus. “We’ve got all the makings of a deconstructed White Russian here. Shall I go and fetch the cocktail shaker from the van?”

The dairy theme continues. For dinner, the family lay a table top on the floor, scatter cushions around and gesture for us to sit down while they load up food and perch behind to watch us eat. There is pasta with cream, a yoghurt soup, salad and another dish of cheese melted in butter. That night we are shown to our “accommodation” in a back shed, consisting of two damp rooms with no lights. The girls room comes with bunkbeds and a chainsaw in the corner. Ours has a man’s clothes hanging up and musty-smelling bed clothes. The next morning things turn sour - and this time it has nothing to do with the rancid salted yoghurt and bowl of melted cheese we are served for breakfast. The “guide” wants us to pay €110 for our stay, which by Albanian standards buys you 2 nights in a slap-up luxury hotel. It’s all a bit tense, as we only have the equivalent of €40 in Albanian currency, so we sit around for a while trying to ascertain whether they will allow us to leave or if things might turn nasty. In the end it is only the children who say their farewells without a trace of awkwardness. Little Linari has become attached to a pair of sunglasses, which the girls gracefully donate, blissfully unaware of the deals their parents have struck.

We still have the odd day of meltdown, when tiredness, endless questions or long hours of driving frazzle all of our nerves. But generally things are pretty harmonious, and the girls are markedly better at the art of negotiation now. Elsie in particular has blossomed in confidence, talking and chatting to people we have just met in a way she never would have done before we left on this trip. I’m amazed at how well they take it all in their stride. We are told “Twin team Albania” must remove their t-shirts in Serbia - an inflammatory act in the current climate. At the Kosovan border the guards purposely don’t stamp our passports to prevent problems later on. Elsie and Lulu kind of absorb it all, our whispered asides at border controls, and attempts to explain the tensions. They have an imprecise but workable understanding of both religious divides and communism now. Our favourite capital city has been Tirana, in Albania. Small, but relaxed, green and leafy, we took the girls to study the socialist realism paintings in the National Art Gallery, pointing out and discussing what they thought about the fresh-faced men and women depicted as mighty, eager workers. There have been so many border controls - including one where we walked from Croatia into Bosnia just for a coffee across the narrow Una river. The first thing they do, after studying the flag, is to ask, “So are they Muslim or Christian here then?” just to ascertain whether its safe to get out their Albanian t-shirts and football emblazoned with the flag of Kosovo. A few times we’ve just pulled off a motorway by a toll pay point and one of them will sigh, “Crikey, Is this another country again?”

But the onslaught of change and unrivalled hospitality doesn’t seem to faze them. Stopped by the Danube in the Serbian town of Donji Milanovac one day, we watched the girls scramble around a playpark, weaving between an army of gun-toting young boys. One father, with an 8 year-old son, engaged Marcus in conversation. Before long we had an invitation back to his house for a drink. I sometimes wonder what Elsie and Lulu make of these situations - what they sense when we find ourselves in odd places, trying unfamiliar home-made specialities, never knowing where we will be, who we will meet from day to day; following their parents into the unknown. Where the adults are nervous and thick-tongued, they act without hesitation - goofing around with 8 year-old Michaelo, who speaks impressive English. Too impressive in some respects - skidding his bike and yelling “What the fuck!” with obvious relish.

We have now racked up 16 countries in 9 months. In that time over 100 camping spots have been our home for a night or longer. I like to think we leave each one as we find it. Our only markers a tell-tale puddle of run-off water, and a small pile of swept scrapings from the van floor. Shells, nuts, pebbles; downtrodden relics from the recent past. But in truth, it is not all we have left behind. Our belongings are scattered all over Southern Europe - clothes, 4 pairs of shoes, tweezers, a stool, shovel, bodyboard, hats, sunglasses, 3 towels, 2 cheese graters, and an iPhone. All sacrificed along the way, through sheer carelessness or neglect. Each day a small parade of objects dance past us through the door, carried away to be used as props in Elsie and Lulu’s latest show. Before we depart, Marcus and I attempt to do a minesweep of the van’s curtilage, but invariably we fail to retrieve the odd thing, left behind like a discarded offering. Our plan of attack has been to tax their pocket money instead. It seems the only way to inculcate some concept of personal liability. So far Lulu has replaced her own hat and my tweezers from her savings, and Elsie saved up for 2 weeks to buy Marcus a new shovel. Their new found wealth has also proved a useful safety net for us. On at least 3 occasions we’ve had to raid their reserves after finding ourselves caught short at borders or toll booths.

There is a new urgency now, as we can sense our time is running out. The loop of the Balkans took as as far inland as Bulgaria. Our destination was the a tiny village in the countryside near Vratsa, visiting an old University friend of Marcus’s, Cen Rees. Despite having no contact for 10 years, it was effortlessly easy to be in his company, along with his wife Chrissy, daughter Islay and baby Olly. Another of their UK friends, Karen, was staying with her daughter, Tenzin, and we spent a glorious 4 days cooking outside, walking in the meadows and swapping stories. The simple way they lived their life - rich in time, not in possessions - was a pleasure to behold. The girls made mud pies, searched for horned vipers and spent many happy hours studying the contents of the long-drop compost toilet by shining down a torch. Little Islay’s biggest hero is the chubby survival specialist Ray Meers. While Cen treated us to a demonstration of fire-lighting “a la Ray”, Lulu picked up Islay’s considered way of speaking, with a Eastern European twang.

We have now moved on to Croatia. It feels like one big tourist theme park compared to the rest of former Yugoslavia. But at least here we can feel the breeze of the Adriatic coast, as the heat of summer begins to bite.

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debdebss1 · 8 years ago

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Getting Crafty Chapter -1

By: debdebss Genre- romance, fluff, implied smut Warning- Smut in future chapters, language, age gap and a bit of Noona kink. Exo member- Byun Baekhyun X OC Word Count- 1,012

Summary- Sara’s normal everyday life was shaken the day Byun Baekhyun walked into the store where she worked and an old friend pulls them together.

(Picture found on Pinterest. Credit to owner.)

Chapter -1

Your mother would have called him a nice boy. Your friends all say he is way to young and crazy. But, they swore you were even crazier for liking him. Baek was always generous with his smiles. His eyes would squint closed and his lips fully spread, showing off two perfectly straight bright white lines of teeth. So that some people would say he was like an innocent cute little puppy, but you knew better from first hand knowledge. There was nothing innocent about Byun Baekhyun.

Behind closed doors he was dominating, sassy and sexy as hell. The young man had the body of a god and enough charm to bring a nun to her knees. Even worse, he knew it all to well and used it against Sara whenever he wanted something. Usually that meant he wanted her on her knees, against the wall, across her tiny apartment’s kitchen table or in the tub. Then there was also the living room rug where she always ended up with carpet burn and he would make her love every second of it.

Out of bed he was sweet, funny and such a cute teaser. At times he could be the best friend you ever had, a clown and a trouble maker. He might as well have been a big kid for all his naughty incidents. But with the smallest provocation toward him, lust would fill his eyes and he could become a horny monster. As you got to know him, you realized he was nothing like you had imagined the first time you meet him.

————- (A year ago-)

For the last two years, Sara had been working in a craft store. It took forever for her to manage to get a job, but when she found this one it was a godsend. Finally, she was able to use all her talents that most places found useless. Here, in your happy craft store, you had become the best and most talented sales associate.

When customers had questions about what was best to use for their projects, you were their go to girl. If they didn’t understand how to use certain specialty equipment in the store, it was Sara they asked. If there was an event for work and they desperately needed help right now, they came to Sara. The easiest way to start getting into a new hobby? Yep, Sara had them covered.

Most of her customers were women, with their young children being dragged along. Male customers were a rarity except at Christmas time, when they would come in and zoom straight to the gift cards. Late February on the other hand was an odd time to find a lone young man walk into the store.

His presence shouldn’t have been so shocking. A normal guy in jeans and a crazy knitted sweater, that looked vaguely familiar. Height wise he had a few inches on her. His dark hair was a normal short male cut in back, while his shaggy bangs draped just the smallest bit over his chocolate colored eyes.

Being Korean wasn’t something out of the ordinary either. A lot of different races, colors, heights and ages came into the store regularly. What made him stand out so much and what had her biting down on her lip to prevent a sigh of longing was the man himself. He was extremely hot. The lean body, expressive bedroom fuck me eyes and gorgeous face were making her drool. It was a battle to not pull him to the back of the store into their break room and have her wicked way with him.

Blinking rapidly to clear her nasty thoughts, Sara swallowed and plastered on her professional smile. “Good morning. Can I help you find something?”

Grinning at her as if he could read her thoughts with his eyes crinkling into slits, (a look you would grow to love,) he answered back. “I’m supposed to be meeting my mom here.” After giving him an awkward nod, he continued. “See my older sister is pregnant and my mom wanted help looking through knitting pattern books to find something to make for the baby.”

With a warm smile, you came back with, “Ah, that makes our search a bit easier. Follow me.” Turning Sara gestured to the right side of the store and started walking as she spoke over her shoulder. “If she isn’t here I can show you our pattern books. I can help you get an idea of what she might be looking for.”

The pair had almost reached the back of the store when she noticed one of her regular customers and threw a hand in the air with a real smile. “Good morning Mrs. Byun.”

The older lady turned toward you with a welcoming smile of her own. “Good morning Sara…” Her grin split wider as she stepped forward, reaching her arms out for a hug. “Aegi, you made it.”

To your surprise, the young man you were escorting slid past you to hug the short woman. “Umma.” He said, while kissing her cheek.

Glancing between the two, Sara couldn’t help stuttering her words out as she asked. “Wait, Mrs. Byun is your mother?” The young man turned to look at you with a nod, before you asked. “And he is…?” She let the question hang there.

Nodding enthusiastically, Mrs. Byun pointed at her son. “Yes, this is my Baeky I’ve told you all about. Doesn’t he look fabulous in the sweater we made together in your knitting class?”

Letting out a puff of air that was half sigh and half laugh, Sara nodded. “Well I thought Becky was a girl, but yes it looks fabulous on him.”

You meet the young man’s eyes again, trying not to groan in embarrassment as he snickered at you. “I am definitely not a girl, but thanks for helping Mom make this for me.” He pinched the material of the sweater at his waist and gave you the sexiest smile you had ever seen. “I love it.”

#exo fan fiction #exo fanfiction #exo #byun baekhyun fan fic #byun baekhyun smut #baekhyun #kpop #music #writing

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jiggyraps · 8 years ago

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Obligatory 2NE1 Eulogy

What can you even say about 2NE1, k-pop’s TLC, international swag translators, intuitive hip-hop craftswomen, electropop pioneers, a girl group that helped set the standard for all contemporary girl groups. The First Ladies of YG have existed for my entire adult life, and though I am on record as a fair-weather fan of the group, their talent and impact are undeniable. They are second only to Girls’ Generation in the annuls of k-pop history.

YG’s 2NE1 gameplan was an ambitious one: take four alphas and make them a group. That Bohyung (Spica) and Linzy (Fiestar) were cut from the group in its infancy long before its launch, and that 2NE1 trained for four years before its debut, display how high stakes a gambit this was. Consider this: the BoA of the Philippines (Dara), a Berklee College of Music graduate with a Gaon #1 under her belt (Bom), a viral dance sensation who was recruited to YG in sixth grade on the strength of a video she uploaded online (Minzy), and one of the most dynamic talents k-pop has ever seen (CL) were all put in a room and asked to coexist—with 1TYM star Teddy Park at the helm. The label put a lot of eggs in this basket! But the gamble paid off big, both domestically and internationally. 2NE1 was k-pop royalty.

It’s so hard to properly assess so many 2nd Gen k-poppers because we’re still basically in the thick of their runs—where do the Wonder Girls stand? What about SHINee? IU? f(x)? These acts might not even be in their primes yet. Even for groups that have recently disbanded (4Minute, Rainbow) or left in contractual purgatory (Kara), it seems too soon to gauge what exactly their runs meant, and what they meant to their fans. But it’s easy to approximate 2NE1′s legacy: they were a meteor that crashed into the k-pop world, disrupting its sense of order, a forecaster and a tide-shifter, the first in a class of chameleons—rap savvy; dance-friendly; hard yet soft; rugged yet feminine; elegant and colorful and twee and bold. They were a crossover hit in every way imaginable. They were the dawn of a new age. Now they’re gone.

It’s never easy to say goodbye. There’s something jarring about endings that reminds us about the finality of it all, especially when its the end of a thing we associate with our youth. Mortality sucks. 2NE1 delivered a goodbye that brings necessary closure to their storied arc. Maybe it isn’t the act of selflessness and thankfulness that it seems (one last cash grab, perhaps?), but as a supposed gesture to fans, the three remaining members shared “Goodbye,” an official farewell after nearly a decade of service. Here’s the incredible thing: it’s the best 2NE1 song ever made, full stop. It strikes precisely the right chord, with stringy acoustic guitar licks and sorrowful melodies. It sticks the landing, dutifully and beautifully.

In the video, CL sits amid lit candles at the center of what looks like the logo from the cover of Crush, the 2014 album that set the U.S. k-pop sales and charting records (until EXO broke them). The trio watches longingly as the group’s biggest moments are projected onto a wall. Their silhouettes move slowly through the dimly lit space. They each cross the threshold one by one. Goodbye flashes across the screen in Korean and English. All symbols and metaphors representing the closing of a chapter, not just for them, but for many of us.

In a few telling images, CL’s shadow blots out the projections of the 2NE1 highlight reel like a lunar eclipse. There’s no question that CL’s solo ambitions killed the group; she is a megastar in the making with a real chance to be a multinational pop goddess, there’s simply no room for others in her orbit now. But, honestly, this feels like the right time to call it quits. What’s left to do? It’s hard to part with something so iconic *Joanne Prada voice*, but 2NE1 will live on through their jam-packed catalog, and in the countless girl groups they’ll influence.

And now we have BLACKPINK, 2NE1 redux. The torch has been passed. A new era begins.

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samuelmmarcus · 4 years ago

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California Designer’s Home for Sale

I absolutely love what I do, not only because I have a passion for interior design and architecture but especially because I get to share what I feel to be the most beautiful homes with you. You really can’t imagine how excited I get when I see a home that I believe you will enjoy seeing and also maybe learn something new from it… and this LA home is certainly one of them.

Alycia Lane Joseph, of House Averie Lane, is a smart and very talented interior designer living in California and, along with her husband, she is selling this stunning home in Valley Village – a Los Angeles neighborhood and one of the best places to live in California

Make sure to keep reading to know more details about this incredible home. The designer/homeowner is sharing all details!

“When it comes to design, for me it’s more about evoking a “feeling” than it is about creating an aesthetic. In the words of Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The same goes for home design. You may not know exactly what makes it special, but you know it’s special because it makes you feel a certain way. It’s the smallest detail that can make all the difference. And because every family has a story, I want our homes to have a story too. That’s why we source every aspect of our homes with a history in mind.

This particular project is an extreme renovation. We saved some of the bones of the original house and thoughtfully added to the narrative. From reclaimed 100 year old beams to vintage wood exteriors sourced from old Montana barns to timeless unlacquered brass taps from just outside of London. Maison d’ecole proves eclectic yet harmonious.” – Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Note: Decor and furniture were sourced through Meredith Baer Staging – I will be selecting similar options for your convenience.

California Designer’s Home for Sale

Exterior: “I did what everyone told me not to do. I went against the grain. When I’m not 100% sold on something, I’m open to opinions. But in this case, I had no doubt of what I wanted and that it would work, despite a lot of well-intended cautioning. I craved a certain feeling from Maison d’ecole. I wanted Aspen. Right here in the heart of Los Angeles.” – Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Barnwood

“The hallmark of the house and its story begins on the outside. Century-old reclaimed wood sourced from a Montana barn covers the entire house front and back for the exception of old world stone accents.” – Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Aspen in L.A.

“Bronze metal roofing and awnings complement the earthy colors of the home while brass address letters glisten off the stone over the garage. The garage door, was custom designed by yours truly, in solid wood and stained in a dark walnut. The front porch welcomes you with its matching X railing to the home’s staircase inside; lending an element consistency and flow. An artisan made “Maison d’ecole” nameplate sits atop the stone entry just to the right of the front door; the home introducing itself to those who drop by. Even the stone chimney flaunts a brass finish cap… just to make it clear this domicile spared no detail.” – Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Lighting: RH sconces at the porch and back (similar here) and RH Gooseneck over garage (similar here).

Front Door: Front door is custom made.

Stone: Old world stone.

Entry

“I didn’t want just any old door. After all, a front door is the cover of your book. It has to call out to you and make you want to open it. I have always loved Dutch doors and Maison d’ecole was the perfect place for one. We had a wide berth and an even wider entry hallway. This split door style not only looks spectacular, but it’s thoughtful in its placement; keeping kids and pets safely inside while allowing for fresh air and tons of sunlight.” – Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Front Door Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Off Black.

Lighting: RH – similar here – Others: here, here, here & here.

Foyer Benches: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Paint Color

Main Rooms & Trim: Dunn Edwards DEW354 Van de Cane.

Beautiful Console Tables: here, here, here & here.

Staircase

“Staircase: An element of a home many take for granted. I didn’t want the staircase to simply serve its simple purpose; I wanted it to be a work of art. It sits in the entry of the house and therefore deserved particular attention. I worked with a craftsman to recreate a classic X stair rail with a modern twist; sturdy steel cabling that runs its length.” – Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Wine Room

“Ahhh, the wine room. Who doesn’t want a wine room? But who has the space? I came up with a useful and stunning use of the typically wasted under stair hollow. I personally designed a beautifully amber-lit solid walnut alcove beneath the staircase to shelter and display wine and spirits. It’s a showstopper with its handmade leather handle – as it’s the first thing you see when you enter the house.” – Alycia Lane Joseph.

Living Room

“I wanted this room to really lure you in. A shallower ceiling purposely sets it apart from the rest of the house and casually invites you in to join the conversation.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Inspired by this Room:

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Room Layout

“The room’s end flows out through ebony French doors to a covered porch which connects to an al fresco dining area pergola.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Beautiful Coffee Tables: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Sofa: here – similar.

Side Table: here – similar.

Rug: here – Others: here, here & here.

Mantle

“The wide mantle with its reclaimed wood beams above and below the modern linear fireplace are enveloped by old world stone; bringing the past and the present together as one.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Fireplace

“We applied what’s called a “German shmear” technique that makes it look as though it’s been there hundreds of years.“– Alycia Lane Joseph.

Sitting Area

This space is perfect to relax with a good book or chat with your loved ones.

Chairs: here – similar – Other Beautiful Wingback Chairs: here, here, here, here & here.

Table Lamp: here – similar.

Rug: here & here – similar.

Console Table: here – similar – Others: here, here & here.

Leather Magazine Holder: here – similar – Others: here & here.

Artwork: here – similar.

Steps

“One side of the room has two room’s width steps leading down into the open format dining area off the kitchen.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Dining Area

“The dining table sits inside the entry of a wide double half French door that hangs on raw steel barn door tracks.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Dining Chairs: here & here – similar – Others: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Beautiful Beautiful Tables: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Dream Kitchen

“The heart of every home, this chef’s delight was a big addition to the home. I purposely designed it to be a sunken kitchen. This added drama and depth to the house and allowed for high ceilings and for the dining area to flow directly into the generous backyard.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Ceiling Treatment – Solid reclaimed wood beams.

Kitchen

“Appliances are all top of the line, but that’s not the exciting stuff. The cabinetry was custom designed and built to maximize storage for a real family’s needs.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Kitchen Island

“Lighting is key and I found Restoration Hardware lighting to have the perfect old world feel I was seeking. The space wouldn’t be complete without natural wood touches…which have a history all their own. The stove hood and all shelving were crafted out of solid walnut. My favorite part of the kitchen: the chunky hand-hewn reclaimed wood beams overhead that date back more than a century. I love the idea that these beams hold the stories of generations long gone.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Kitchen Island Dimensions: Approx. 6×8.

Counterstools: here – Others: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Kitchen Window

“I paid careful attention to the placement of the cast iron farmhouse sink and the window above which look out at the yard to ensure parents can keep a watchful eye over their kids.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Lighting

Lighting is from RH – similar here & here – Other Popular Options: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Backsplash

“The kitchen tap and pot filler also in unlacquered brass for the same reason; sourced from DeVol Kitchens just outside of London.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Backsplash: White glazed brick backsplash – Other Beautiful Options: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Pot Filler: DeVol Kitchens unlacquered brass – similar here.

Range: Bertazzoni – also available here.

Countertop

“As with every aspect of Maison d’ecole, I designed it with the end user in mind; the same way I would design a home for my own family. Authentic marble countertops veer away from the standard and give true character to the space. Within the ample island sits an under counter paper towel nook to house what would otherwise crowd counter space.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Countertop: Solid marble countertops throughout.

Cabinet Paint Color

Kitchen cabinets are Farrow and Ball Schoolhouse White. The kitchen island in a custom mixed stain.

Kitchen Cabinetry: Maple, shaker-style with tiny cove molding to add depth and warmth.

Cabinet Hardware

“Antiqued bronze chicken wire was added as a special touch inside some doors to give an old world feel to that which is new. The hardware, all living or unlacquered brass which over time will tarnish to a beautiful worn hue. This was done pointedly to ensure the home tells the story of the family living in it; with each fingerprint making its indelible mark.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Cabinet Hardware – Unlaquered brass throughout – similar: Cup bin handles and knobs. Brass outlet and switch plate covers throughout (similar here).

Faucet: DeVol Kitchens unlacquered brass tap – similar here.

Mini Pendants: RH – similar here & here.

Sink: Kohler.

Hardwood Flooring

Flooring: Oak Wood flooring throughout (every single room and bathroom) Conejo Hardwoods in Woodland Hills – Others: here, here, here, here & here.

Cabinet Paint Color

Dining area built-in Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Off Black.

Beautiful Artwork: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Study

“This room is the home’s elixir. A dark and sleek yet rustic tone sets the stage for anything you want it to be. From its solid wood beam fireplace mantle to the deep blue walls and ceiling…you can envision yourself working, sipping cognac or relaxing with a good book. Think luxury. Even the sliding closet doors are designed with exacting detail with a reclaimed wood header built directly into the door frame. And like the rest of the home, polished brass plates adorn every single outlet and switch; a nuance that has lasting impact. The en suite bathroom is complete with a seamless glass shower, a floating walnut vanity with solid marble countertop and stunning black and white shower tile that adds to the “chic”.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams SW 6237 Dark Knight.

Powder Room

“I wanted this room to evoke “speakeasy”. It’s dark and sexy and has character. The brass accents pop in the midst of the darkness of its Farrow and Ball paint. From the lighting to the high-end faucet to the wall-mounted towel shelf and rotating French soap holder – not a detail was spared in this intimate space. The back wall draped in exposed reclaimed brick is edgy yet cozy. If I could drink a cocktail in a powder room, this would be the one.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Railings.

Faucet: California Faucets Descanso.

Mirror: here & here – similar.

Wall: Real Brick – Other Option: here.

Sconce: here – Other Beautiful Sconces: here, here, here, here & here.

Upstairs Loft

“Atop the stairs, I wanted an open plan with a designated nook. This versatile niche will, in no small part define the home. What a family decides it to be will say a lot about them. It’ll be part of their story. The possibilities bring a smile to my face. Will it be a study nook, a cozy reading corner or an open space where art resides? I love the idea that a family will make it their own and give it meaning.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Chandelier: RH – similar here – Others: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Jack and Jill Inspired Bedroom

“Rather than the traditional Jack and Jill bedrooms that share a bathroom through private doors, I wanted to eliminate the hustle and bustle of so many entryways and allow for more space. The larger of the two bedrooms surrounding a center bathroom has high vaulted ceilings and a truly unique feel. The enormous window on the back side of the room overlooks the spectacular backyard and pool area. Sunlight abounds in this generously-sized bedroom. Like all of the closets in the home, Farrow and Ball off-black paint covers every nook and cranny for a luxurious and classic look.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Paint Color: Dunn Edwards DEW354 Van de Cane.

Inspired by this Look: Beds, Duvet Cover, Quilt, Bedding Sheet Set, Chest, Bench & Rug.

Jack & Jill Bathroom

“With its vaulted ceilings and Restoration Hardware lighting and mirrors, this shared bathroom has plenty of space for everyone. Unlacquered brass fixtures take center stage atop the marble countertop and dark painted vanity.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Hardware: here & here.

Bathroom Paint Color

Cabinet & Door Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Off Black. Walls are Dunn Edwards DEW354 Van de Cane.

Faucets

Faucets: Phylrich.

Lighting: RH – Others: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Bathtub

“A huge shower/tub combo with double seamless glass doors not only look beautiful, but make bathing the little ones a breeze. I designed this solely with parents in mind, knowing how hard it to maneuver at bath time around a narrow shower door.” – Alycia Lane Joseph.

From the outside looking in, you’ll see supple leather handles with brass bolts on each glass door.“

Tile: Arizona Tile – similar here, here & here.

Bedroom

“The vaulted ceiling theme continues in this smaller version of its sibling. Airy and bright with a dark painted walk-in closet with custom shelving replete with nooks for anything and everything.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Interior Door Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Off Black.

Rug: here.

Bathroom

This beautiful bathroom features an unique custom vanity and hardwood flooring.

Mirror: Custom – Others Wooden Mirrors: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Tile: Arizona Tile – Inspired by this Look: Accent Tile (or here) & Wall Tile.

Lighting: RH – similar here.

Faucet: Phylrich.

Guest Bedroom

“Spacious simplicity drenched in sunlight. I wanted this sleeping space to be a breath of fresh air. Vaulted ceilings and clean lines make this room perfect for anything and anyone.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Guest Bathroom

“The en suite bathroom softly complements its other half. This room has a seamless feel to it.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Faucet: Phylrich.

Lighting: RH – similar here.

Mirror: here – similar.

Tile: Arizona Tile – similar: Wall Tile & Shower Pan Tile.

Master Bedroom

“The Master Suite speaks to French industrial tranquility in its slightly sunken elevation on the upper level.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Rug: here.

Accents

“Once inside, from the vaulted ceiling housing a reclaimed wood beam hangs a rustic caged chandelier that lights this sanctuary. A tongue and groove midnight backdrop for the sleeping space is adorned by bedside Restoration Hardware 20th century library sconces in antiqued brass.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Shiplap Accent Wall Color: Sherwin Williams SW 6237 Dark Knight.

Inspired by this Look: Bed, Throw, Rug, Nightstands, Sconces, Bench.

Fireplace

“In the master, the fireplace needed to exude ‘mountain pleasure’. I had to work around obvious safety concerns; having anything flammable directly above a fire box is prohibited here in Los Angeles. So I searched high and low until I discovered El Dorado wood replica stone in Foxwood. It looks so real, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference from its timber twin.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Beverage Center

“A shallow step down at its entry is met by a luxe built-in coffee station and beverage center.

Two eight-foot- tall artisan raw steel barn doors lead to both the master bathroom and walk-in closet.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Built-in Coffee Machine: Thermador.

Master Bathroom

“Master Bathroom boasts a light and brilliant feel. The warm oak flooring and a giant calacatta marble shower kindles a sense of cleanliness and order.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Cabinet

“The linen cabinet brings you back in time with its X bar style and antiqued bronze chicken wire detail.

RH antique brass sconces surround the brass framed mirrors over each sink. The linen cabinet brings you back in time with its X bar style and antiqued bronze chicken wire detail.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Cabinet Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Schoolhouse White.

Faucets: Phylrich Faucet.

Lighting: RH – similar here.

Mirrors: here, here & here – similar – Other Beautiful Choices: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Shower

I am loving the combination of white marble with the warmth of the wide plank hardwood flooring.

Tile: Arizona Tile – similar: Wall Tile & Floor Tile.

Master Closet

Master Closet: “Opposite its neighbor, deep and dark is the vibe. Farrow and Ball Off Black paint, consistent throughout the home’s doors, make these dressing quarters a standout. A secret laundry chute proud of its uniqueness also speaks to domestic practicality; a simple drop into the walnut lined hamper and your dirty wares magically appear in the laundry room’s hidden bin below. Thick glass shoe shelves, a lit interior, polished brass rods and custom leather handles make you feel as if you’re in an upscale department store rather than a closet.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Off Black.

Laundry Room

“I wanted one of the most used and under appreciated rooms in the house to get the attention it deserved. So behind a custom made vintage style door with frosted glass and a brass rim lock and key, sits a spacious and utilitarian space. Farrow and Ball Off Black paint sets off the stunning Cole & Sons designer wallpaper. Behind a large cabinet door hides a giant laundry bin which gets fed by the master bedroom laundry chute above; making hauling dirty laundry down the stairs a thing of the past. Solid walnut countertops and shelves make this normally neglected room a centerpiece instead. A stunning natural brass utility bridge faucet with attached soap dish over a cast iron farmhouse sink really finish the job. But not without one last detail…a reclaimed wood backing behind the faucet which subtlety takes you on a walk back in time.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Paint Color: Farrow and Ball Off Black.

Laundry Hamper: here & here.

Balcony

The Master Bedroom features a private and inviting balcony overlooking the backyard.

Rocking Chairs: here – similar.

Backyard

Who needs go on vacations with a backyard like this, right? This gorgeous home features a sleek pool & spa and plenty of entertaining areas.

Lounge Chairs: here – similar.

Cabana

“I wanted the outdoor cabana to feel a bit like the inside of the house; I wanted harmony. I wanted it to make you think of wintry nights by a blazing fire even though we reside in one of the warmest climates in the country.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

View

“The cabana which sits behind and runs seamlessly into the pool in an infinity fashion – is plainly visible from inside the home. It doubles as a breathtaking view from all angles.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Outdoor Fireplace

“The enormous hearth is covered in continuous old world stone with a reclaimed wood mantle. The stucco walls are adorned with custom made steel sconces.”- Alycia Lane Joseph.

Dream Home

Isn’t this California home incredible? I am really grateful to the designer for sharing so many details with us today. I hope you enjoyed this tour and have learned a thing or two with it!

Find more details about this California House for sale here.

Many thanks to the designer for sharing the details above.

Interior Design: Alycia Lane Joseph of House Averie Lane.

Photography: LA Light Photo.

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anneedmonsonus · 6 years ago

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What I’d Buy on Facebook Marketplace Today (If I Wasn’t Broke)

I was a teenager the first time someone told me I had an addictive personality. “Oh!” I said brightly, flattered. “Meaning people find me addictive?” I was picturing myself as this alluring, magnetic creature. “NO,” they shot back rudely. “It just means that you get addicted to things very fast.”

It wasn’t the last time anyone said that to me, and I have to admit, they have all been correct. When I start getting addicted to ANYTHING, I feel this pentup, excited, nervous energy coursing through my blood, like there is a happy little person is in my brain hopping up and down on the spot shouting more more more “MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE OF THIS”. It’s at the back of my mind always. (So many examples. The Sims. Chalk paint. Jamaica Blue walnut brownies. Marie Kondo. The other night, when Mr Nerd taught me how to play Blackjack, then dragged me away from the table once my eyes got the crazy gleam. Forbrydelsen. Work. Pinterest. Manhattan Nest. Words with Friends. Coffee. SNES Battle. etc).

One of my latest addictions is Facebook Marketplace. (“MORE MORE MORE,” shrieks my inner crazy). It’s like Gumtree but better, to be honest. Firstly, a lot of things in the homewares realm tend to be priced cheaper than they would on Gumtree, with some people just offloading stuff for very little or even free. Also, with the ability to check out a seller’s public profile, I like to think you have a lesser chance of going out to a stranger’s house and them being an axe-wielding maniac (I hope).

Similar to image-sharing platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, Marketplace is predominantly image-focused, making it more visually pleasing and fun to browse. This is a feature that I also think makes it pretty effective if you want to make a sale. One of my friends was telling me how she listed three items on Gumtree for a week with no bites; on Facebook Marketplace they were gone within the day, one within 20 minutes.

While I think the userface could be improved in some ways, on the whole Facebook Marketplace is great – particularly if you’re decorating a house. There are so many furniture and homewares bargains to be had. Sure, some of it has that scary “did someone die in this armchair” vibe, but it’s all about envisioning (and maybe re-upholstering).

There’s a LOT of cool secondhand furniture, art and homewares – and a lot of bargains. Especially at the moment, with a whole lot of people going KonMari-mad after binge-watching Marie Kondo’s Netflix show Tidying Up during the New Year break. (You might have seen my Instagram, I definitely went a little Konmari nutty). Something might not spark joy for you; but it sure as hell can spark joy for someone else browsing Facebook Marketplace.

HOWEVER. We now have a six-month-old in our midst and I’m only working part-time (essentially in naps and at night, ugh. Which as you can imagine isn’t the most conducive set-up).

Ok, so I’m not exactly broke (that was me getting your attention with my click-baity title, and you’re here so clearly I succeeded) however, we are pretty much a one-income family at the moment and are trying to be more careful with our spending, so we’re on a bit of a budget. Also, to be honest, I have everything I want, really. Our not-huge house is full; I wouldn’t mind swapping Mr Nerd’s bedside table for one with more storage, but at present, furniture-wise there’s really nothing I neeeeed.

That doesn’t mean, however, that it isn’t fun to just look! Sometimes even when I’m just on Facebook, things on Marketplace pop up on my feed and I can’t resist an idle browse; the same way I scroll realestate.com without the aim of buying a weatherboard cottage in the Blue Mountains.

One of my friends who shares my fondness for online bargain hunting is Nelly Reffet, an interior designer at Twinkle and Whistle. Nelly’s signature style of interiors caught my eye long ago when I first saw them online – what I liked about them is that she relishes the challenge of finding vintage and secondhand things and making them work, in both her own home and her clients.

And man, Nelly is the Facebook Marketplace QUEEN. She regularly texts me things like, “Look at this *insert any covetable MCM design* chair/table I got from Facebook Marketplace.” I gape in awe. “FOR FREE,” she continues. “Master,” I moan.

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She also puts my bargain hunting to shame. When I text her things I like, she’s usually like, “It’s pretty! But too expensive.” She is the Facebook Marketplace equivalent of that friend everyone has where you them what they thought of that guy you liked and she’d be like, “Yeaaaah…… you can do better.” Brutal.

So when I thought of writing a fun story on things I’d buy on Facebook Marketplace if I wasn’t on a budget and had a few big houses to decorate, naturally asking Nelly to join in was the second thing that came to mind. She was keen. “What I like is that we can show people that we can get super cool-looking interiors without breaking the bank, without resorting to Kmart or big stores, and we recycle things too, so it’s much better for the environment,” she said to me. “Plus, people are Marie Kondo-ing their lives, and Facebook market is becoming the source of all good things that spark joy!”

So here’s our pick of what’s out on the Perth Facebook Marketplace at the moment – what we’d nab, and also, Nelly’s awesome guides on how she’d style some pieces and in what kind of setting to get a great look for less. “Certain items are more than we would personally pay – but they are beautiful and were available at the time of putting this together,” says Nelly. “But I always think when it comes to buying secondhand online, the best deals are usually made by being patient. I set myself a price I don’t want to go over, and I wait… the concept of Slow Decorating is key to cheap deals!”

So here are our picks! Look, Nelly doesn’t agree with all of mine, but hey, one person’s trash is another’s treasure, right? Enjoy.

(Also, if you’re looking for an interior designer to help you pull your own curated, individual look together, I recommend Nelly regularly. You can contact her via twinkleandwhistle.com or check out her Insta @nelly_reffet).

VINTAGE WARDROBE

The item that sparked this post. I so badly wanted this linen cupboard. And it’s $20. Do I have any room for it, anywhere? No. Do I need it? No. Do I love it? Yes. It’s such a pretty shape and colour. I could see it in a children’s room.

MID CENTURY HABITAT DESK

Oh I love this. And what I love about it is that the light rattan sides and back would help disguise any ugly under-desk computer stuff, cords etc, but they don’t weigh the piece down and make it look heavy. If your study/home office is open-plan with the rest of the house, it’s a desk that would add to your home’s style, not detract from it. It’s beautiful and $450 is decent for something like this.

VINTAGE CANE CHAIR

I think this is cute. It’s a nice cane, not a yucky blah orange-y cane. I see it in a bedroom with a little white fluffy throw against crisp white walls, or with a colourful pillow and an oversized plant or a little mother-in-laws tongue. OR I’d have it outside on a (protected) deck with a little side table. I’d also reupholster the pink cushion. Nelly thinks it is too expensive, but she is brutal.

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INTERIORS THEME: BOHO CHIC

“Think plush, weathered sofas you want to collapse in, bold patterns and a few shimmering touches for a casual and fun place to call home,” says Nelly, who loves the vibe travertine tables like these add to a room. “Real marble and travertine will never go totally out of fashion,” she says. “If they do, don’t worry, they will still remain cool!”

GET THE LOOK Sofa Coffee Table Rug (as an aside, Marketplace can be a great place to find beautiful secondhand rugs) Metal Bowls Hanging decor

Total budget: $1,710

VINTAGE DRINKS TROLLEY

I love a drinks trolley or a butler’s cart and I would have one in every room if I could. This one has a sort of daintiness about it that is quite pretty. I’d restore it or maybe even paint. (Is that bad?)

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RUSSELL WOODARD SPUN FIBREGLASS VINTAGE CHAIRS

At $275, they’re not such a bargain that I’d cry tears of joy, however, it’s worth it. For a) these chairs are stunning and b) They look like they are in great nick, and c) for that price you could buy two new chairs or two awesome vintage pieces that you could sell again down the track without them losing their value. They’d look so good on a patio or veranda against an old rendered wall or in a black/white/themed garden setting.

INTERIORS THEME: AUSTRALIANA

Here’s a nod to a more simple life in our country. “We’re so globally focused these days that we forget the natural beauty Australia has to offer and how inspiring its landscapes and colours are,” says Nelly, who is French-born but now an Australian citizen. The kangaroo chairs are a little kitschy, but cute in their own way. We can picture one of them in a kids room at a cute desk (see the school desk coming up). Inspiration source.

GET THE LOOK Watercolour Wardrobe Chairs Basket

Total budget: $180

FREEDOM ATLAS SOFA

I cannot go past beautiful brown or camel-coloured leather couches. My sister-in-law has this Freedom couch and it is such a nice modern shape and is also long and comfy enough to have been the recipient of many a nap. $1500 is a decent price too.

ANTIQUE 1904 LONDON MARBLE TABLE

This is expensive (for Facebook Marketplace) but it IS a beautiful piece and it looks like it’s in great nick. If you had an old house and a large kitchen it would work in there or even in a large hallway as a very pretty drop zone.

OLD PAINTINGS

My love of an old painting knows no bounds, it appears. My husband would hate them, but these are cute, and c’mon, $5, people. I think I’m drawn to paintings because at one point you can tell that someone put so much time and love into them. I think my fave is the one of the mountains with the haphazard-looking cabin and the unnaturally blue water.

REGENCY STYLE BUFFET SIDEBOARD

From what I can tell in the photos, this looks in good nick, although they say it is veneer. I do love walnut anything though – it’s such a nice versatile timber colour and I love the front detailing on this, and the legs. I’d have it in a dining room or even behind a sofa or against a wall in a really large living room.

VINTAGE FLIP SCHOOL TABLE

A nice easy DIY project (sand the top, sage green or duck egg blue legs?) and in a kids room – if our kids room were larger I would nab this.

INTERIORS THEME: DESIGNER-INSPIRED

Nelly and I share a massive design crush on Arent & Pyke. Seriously, they can do no wrong. Everything they do is individual and eclectic yet cool and pulled-together. They are not afraid of colour, or taking risks that I think a lot of people – even other designers – would be afraid of. “When I first saw their Bronte beach house, I fell massively in love with the living room they had created, and it’s been haunting my visual brain – in the best way possible – ever since,” says Nelly. “So when I stumbled across a FREE armchair on Marketplace the other day that vaguely resembles that grey beauty in their design, my heart raced a little bit. Oh the opportunity! Sure the free armchair will need to be reupholstered (which is lucky for me since my hubby is an upholsterer and is just about to start his business and needs a few pieces to redo to get his portfolio started), and it is not the same as the beautiful designer one from Arent & Pyke. But still, it is testament that we can get a bit of a designer look, on a budget, without resorting to flat pack and Kmart.”

GET THE LOOK Armchair Sideboard Rug Vintage chandelier Artwork

Total budget: $995

BOOK SHELF

Simply put, seller. You call a spade a spade. I like it. And sure, this book shelf is simple and basic, but something about the top is cute, and it’s $10. I’d buy this in a second, give it a bit of paint (I’m thinking spearmint or yellow, something fun) and use it in a kids room or hallway with a cute trailing plant on the top. I used to collect bookcases the way some people collect shoes. When I moved out of homeI realised I had nine bookcases through my parents home. I do give away books regularly, but there’s still some I just can’t part with.

INTERIORS THEME: TROPICAL COOL

This look is 70s and 80s glam with a hint of Bali about it, and these Casala chairs are the biggest bargain of the lot. Inspiration source.

Casala Chairs Bamboo dining table Beaded Chandelier Vintage bird ceramics Teak bowl Artwork

Total budget: $355

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CARVED SERVING TRAY

This is pretty and would be lovely in a light and white coastal home. I’d lean it against the top of a sideboard or buffet in the dining room with a white sculpture or little framed picture in front and a Boston fern or something next to it.

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MID-CENTURY WALL UNIT

Don’t quote me on this but I’m pretty sure my in-laws have this exact same wall cupboard that was passed down to them. It’s not a classic designer piece but it’s well-made and sturdy. For $75, if I were a first home buyer again and furnishing say a cute mid-century cottage, I’d snap this up for storage and fill the side panels with books.

ART DECO

“Curves curves curves! And pink, soft velvet. A definitely feminine twist on Art Deco,” says Nelly.

Dresser Stool Armchair Ceiling light Rug Artwork

Total budget: $710

TWO JARRAH AUSTRALIAN MID-CENTURY CHAIRS

Something about these chairs makes me think of two old grandfatherly types, sitting in their chairs and laughing over some inside joke. I think just one would be cool in a living room teamed with a more modern sofa. They have a nice solid shape and you could reupholster the pillows.

WEST ELM CHAIR

Given its $170 it’s probably not hugely off the retail price (I’m not sure, you’d have to check) but this would add a bit of warmth to a bedroom corner or kids room at a desk. Yep I really am a sucker for brown leather anything.

80s FLAVOR

“The 80s were not for the faint-hearted,” says Nelly. “It called for strong patterns, bright, contrasting colours, and a rather playful take on furniture design. You couldn’t quite be neutral or minimalist in the 80s.” But elements of the 80s are coming back, and if you like the look, here are Nelly’s picks.

GET THE LOOK Curved Sofa + Ottoman Round Chair Pottery Decor Cowhide Artwork Artwork 02

Total Budget: $1,069

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IKEA SPINDLE CHAIRS

For four chairs for $20, I’d run there. These are cute; I’d probably spray paint black or mint and have them around a round table or an old farmhouse table.

CUTE RETRO BEDSIDE

This is a little different to the usual and the handle is a nice feature. I’d get it if it weren’t too low for our bed!

Have you ever bought anything awesome on Facebook Marketplace? Maya x

The post What I’d Buy on Facebook Marketplace Today (If I Wasn’t Broke) appeared first on House Nerd.

from Home Improvement https://house-nerd.com/2019/02/02/what-id-buy-on-facebook-marketplace/

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interiorstarweb · 6 years ago

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Living Room, 5 years In!

I’ve realized lately that I tend to blog about a room once it’s renovated, and then I kind of move on. I guess I feel like…how many times does anyone possibly want to look at the same room, just a little altered from last time we looked at the room? I never feel like a room is finished because I move stuff around ALL THE DAMN TIME for shits and giggles, and then posting about it feels so…self-indulgent? Unimportant? And then years go by and the room actually does look TOTALLY different than it did before, and then I feel a little regretful that entire iterations of the space have gone undocumented in the meantime. The public must know. For the purpose of…I don’t know, this is a blog and that is what we do here.

Which leads us to my living room, which regularly ends up as the victim of my late-night puttering. And the last time I felt inclined to write a blog post about it was OVER THREE YEARS AGO! Oopsie! We have some catching up to do!

Back when I bought the house, the living room looked like this!

A couple years later, it looked like this! Let’s take a moment to appreciate and mourn the extreme cuteness and specialness that was Linus. I miss that dog so fucking much.

Today, it’s more like this! I didn’t consult my old pictures before taking new pictures, so APOLOGIES for the inconsistent angles. I didn’t ask Mekko (or Linus, who did not take direction) to pose for pictures—she does that on her own free will—so, I don’t know, do we feel weirded out she chose the same spot? It’s like she…is trying to tell me…something. (She isn’t; she’s a dog.)

So some things have changed and some have not changed. My dumb little bench is still my coffee table, which really just goes to show how utterly impossible it is to find a good coffee table. I MEAN MY GOD. All the ones that are right in most ways are still so wrong in other ways I fear I will die before the culture at large figures this mess out.

I got that painting a couple weeks ago from a local consignment place. I had this idea that I’d paint the frame but instead I got home and immediately just put it up and so far have not addressed it further. It appears to be signed S. Eagle in the bottom right corner. Seagull?

Also, the sofa is new! And by new, I mean no longer really new, but I guess making its big blog debut? Just in time for me to WANT IT OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW? Fancy that! So this is the IKEA NOCKEBY 3-seater, which I found in the As-Is section at IKEA around 3 years ago for something stupid, like $200. I didn’t like the legs so I swapped them for these Pretty Pegs, which this couch isn’t really made to do but I made it work. I’ll spare you the DIY tutorial but it involves extra screws and additional support and it’s just not that interesting. Anyway. The NOCKEBY is in most ways a good sofa, but I’m not allowed to own a sofa that isn’t going to also serve as a luxury dog bed. This sofa has a limited selection of slipcovers, and this one (which may now be discontinued?) is TERRIBLE when forced to interact with either dog hair or dog nails. TERRIBLE. Of course it can be taken off and washed, but with IKEA couches that’s actually kind of a production, and it doesn’t wash well, and I just do not like it at all.

This lead me to purchasing a SECOND, DIFFERENT slipcover, which had a tighter weave, and that was SOMEHOW EVEN WORSE. After trying every stain removal method I could imagine, I could never get the thing clean and I eventually threw it away.

SO now I’m at this dumb crossroads of either buying yet another slipcover ($$) for this so-so cheap sofa I performed some light hackery on, or getting this menace out of my life and buying a new leather sofa ($$$). I suppose I could also just put the original black/chrome sofa back, since I still have it, and it IS leather, but I didn’t like it in here either so I’m not sure that’s an improvement.

I think I just need a different sofa.

Let me think about it for another three to five years.

The rug is also new! But not new-new. I got it at auction and I like it! The colors and the pattern are so bright and bold and fun. Which is also me saying: I have not taken the time to learn anything about the origins of this rug, but it is a nice rug that was $300 and the main color is mustard and I’m into it.

2013! Those walls were wild, man.

2015.

So this looks like that now, you get it. More stuff on the mantel. Less big scary lady. Bertoia wire chair from yore still hangin out.

Ya know, I feel like I pulled this faux fireplace project off.

The arts above the fireplace are by Gregory Gummersall. On the mantel are stuff and things. We have vintage studio pottery. We have my dead dog’s collar. We have 2 Dala horses. We have my precious lamp. We have some antique crocks.

WE HAVE THIS BANANAS CRYSTAL I paid $5 for at a garage sale recently. I’m not, like, a ~crystal person~ but I’m totally a crystal person. Also, Dala horse butts are so cute.

This is 2015. This wall has always been tricky. I’ve since moved the piano. I have NO IDEA what to do with the piano. It’s HUGE and in reality, there are exactly 3 walls on the main floor that can fit it. I do not play piano. I do not have any desire to learn how to play the piano. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to know how to play the piano, but I do not see myself trying to learn that of all things in the foreseeable future. Shower/car singing is my only real musical passion. But I have this huge piano that came with my home, because the man who lived in it FROM AGE SEVEN TO NINETY-TWO was the lead organist at the Old Dutch Church and taught piano lessons out of this very house during the Depression and, like, the war and shit and who the hell am I to put his piano on fucking Facebook Marketplace?

It’s a real problem.

Also I got a nice bench that matches it pretty perfectly. And then I moved them both into the hoard room of doom.

So, in a fit of I-don’t-know-what, I made this situation all by myself and I call it Curiosity Corner because I don’t know what it does, it just is. It is my things assembled in a way that is just a way to look at a lot of things at once. Shiny objects I have acquired by various means.

The mirrors are nutso but I like it a little nutso.

I inherited these two really groovy lucite end tables from a recent exciting purge of my parents’ storage space, which came in a shipment including things like my old soccer trophies and these truly astonishingly long spools I made of my finger-knittings (not pictured). The tables originally came from my grandparents’ house! I don’t really have anywhere for large end tables like this right now, so to maximize Curiosity Corner I put them side-by-side and then put things all around them. Over! Under! Inside! More things!

That blanket folded up on the chair, yonder, I bought at a war reenactment with my friend Chandler in high school. The bud vase I got at a thrift store in Sweden. That little colorful container has a set of matching coasters in it, and once lived in my grandparents’ rec room (the other grandparents, not the lucite table grandparents). My friend Maya gave me that mirror above the lamp. The lamp is from IKEA and I love that thing. Maybe not as precious as some of the other stuff but I’d still TRY to save it in a fire.

Also on display are a few things I’ve found in the walls or swept into the corner of the attic, that kind of thing. I blogged about the one in the back a while ago!

Is this…doxxing? Forgive me Madame Jeanson.

That pillow in the background was part of the Marimekko for Target collection and the alpaca wool pillow on my safari chair was a thrift find a couple weeks ago! It was $20 with the down insert and is in PERFECT condition. It’s by Elvang Denmark and was…definitely more than $20 new. Look at me with a fancy throw pillow.

Does that about cover things? Mekko’s OVER. IT.

Living Room, 5 years In! published first on https://novaformmattressreview.tumblr.com/

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billydmacklin · 6 years ago

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Living Room, 5 years In!

Back when I bought the house, the living room looked like this!

A couple years later, it looked like this! Let’s take a moment to appreciate and mourn the extreme cuteness and specialness that was Linus. I miss that dog so fucking much.

I think I just need a different sofa.

Let me think about it for another three to five years.

2013! Those walls were wild, man.

2015.

So this looks like that now, you get it. More stuff on the mantel. Less big scary lady. Bertoia wire chair from yore still hangin out.

Ya know, I feel like I pulled this faux fireplace project off.

WE HAVE THIS BANANAS CRYSTAL I paid $5 for at a garage sale recently. I’m not, like, a ~crystal person~ but I’m totally a crystal person. Also, Dala horse butts are so cute.

It’s a real problem.

Also I got a nice bench that matches it pretty perfectly. And then I moved them both into the hoard room of doom.

The mirrors are nutso but I like it a little nutso.

Also on display are a few things I’ve found in the walls or swept into the corner of the attic, that kind of thing. I blogged about the one in the back a while ago!

Is this…doxxing? Forgive me Madame Jeanson.

Does that about cover things? Mekko’s OVER. IT.

Living Room, 5 years In! published first on https://carpetgurus.tumblr.com/

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gillespialfredoe01806ld · 7 years ago

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A Decade on, the Fate of Madoff’s Mansions

Gordon M. Grant for The Wall Street Journal

When real-estate agent Jason Haber first viewed Bernard Madoff’s penthouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 2009, he saw Mr. Madoff’s personal belongings still in the apartment—as if the disgraced financier had just stepped out of the room. White polo shirts were stacked in a drawer. An electric shaver sat on the bathroom vanity.

“It was so awkward because you knew it was all his and it felt weird being there,” said Mr. Haber of Warburg Realty, who was vying to get the listing from the government. “There were federal agents all over the house inventorying everything. They asked me to surrender my phone because no one was allowed to take photographs.”

It has been almost 10 years since Mr. Madoff confessed to his sons that his investment company was basically “a giant Ponzi scheme,” estimated at the time to represent about $50 billion.

His confession set off a chain of events that led to the court-ordered seizure and sale of his four prime real-estate properties, including the Manhattan penthouse where Mr. Madoff had spent several months under house arrest. Proceeds from the sale of the penthouse, his Hamptons beach house, a Florida home and a villa in the South of France, among other assets, were used to pay restitution to his victims.

Today, Mr. Madoff is nearly nine years into a 150-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to 11 counts of financial and mail fraud, money laundering and perjury related to the Ponzi scheme. Meanwhile, the properties, mostly sold at the bottom of the real-estate bust, have gained in value by millions of dollars, partly because of the real-estate recovery and partly because of improvements made by the homes’ new owners.

The infamous Manhattan penthouse where Mr. Madoff and his wife, Ruth, spent most of their time, for example, sold in 2010 for $8 million. Today, its estimated value tops $13 million, according to industry experts. Here is the story behind the sales, most of which were organized by the U.S. Marshals Service, with estimates by real-estate professionals of what they are worth today.

Madoff’s New York penthouse

Dorothy Hong for The Wall Street Journal

New York penthouse

Sold for: $8 million

Estimated value today: $13.268 million

Mr. Haber, who interviewed to get the East 64th Street listing but wasn’t awarded it, recalls the apartment looked dated when he toured it in 2009.

“I remember I said to one of the marshals, ‘Madoff certainly didn’t use the money to keep up the house,’” he recalled. “Whoever bought it was going to need to put a lot into it.”

The property had been purchased by Ruth Madoff in 1984 and was valued at about $7 million by the authorities. It sold for $8 million in 2010 to Alfred Kahn, the former chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment and the executive behind the Cabbage Patch Kids phenomenon, and his wife, Patsy. Mr. Kahn said he thought the penthouse was a value proposition at the time.

“I thought no one would buy it, period,” he said. “The government was vetting everyone before they’d let you see it. I thought it would take out a lot of buyers who didn’t want to be vetted.”

The Kahns later divorced, and Patsy Kahn relisted the home for $17.25 million in 2013, later reducing the price to $14.5 million. It ultimately sold for the lower figure in 2014 to Lawrence Benenson, a real-estate executive, public records show. Mr. Benenson didn’t respond to a request for comment. Ruth Madoff, who was never charged with any crime pertaining to the scheme, couldn’t be reached.

The duplex apartment, located in a building dating to 1927, had Neo-Classic-style features, including Greek-inspired window frames, attenuated pilasters and a Vitruvian wave in limestone, according to a listing for the property from that period. It had three bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms and a sprawling terrace with triple exposures

Michael Graves of Douglas Elliman, Ms. Kahn’s real-estate agent at the time, said the Madoff name was good for publicity but also worked against the seller, because some prospective buyers found the connection off-putting. They couldn’t imagine hosting friends in the former home of the swindler who had possibly lost their friends’ money, he said.

“It was a complicated affiliation,” Mr. Graves added. “Over time, it’s gotten better. But at that time, it was a little more poignant. There were people still grappling with their losses. There were people who simply turned away from even looking at that home based on the historical context.”

Ms. Kahn recalled first visiting the home out of curiosity but quickly saw how she could improve it. “There were big awnings that hung over the windows, so you never saw a glimpse of sky,” she said. “It was as if he was consciously, or subconsciously, trying to hide.”

When she moved in, Ms. Kahn invited her friends over for a so-called smudging party, she said, where they burned lavender and sage, and recited prayers and poems, to rid the home of negative energy.

Mr. Graves said it helped that his client had banished the dark-colored drapes and brightened up the home with whimsical art. She also hosted charity fundraisers there and would have guests write their names on the door. “She had this rainbow collection of permanent markers everyone used as they came in,” he recalled. Anyone willing to see the home, he added, would be met with a cheerful image.

If the apartment were to sell today, it would likely trade for a similar price to its 2014 sales price, provided no further work has been done, Mr. Graves said. In 2014, the median price for a three-bedroom Manhattan home was $3.728 million, compared with $4.094 million in 2017, according to a report by Douglas Elliman.

Appraiser Jonathan Miller said the market for luxury New York sales—classified as the top 10% of homes—had dipped by about 8.5% since 2014. All other factors being equal, that would equate to a value for the apartment of about $13.268 million today.

Cap d’Antibes villa

Sold for: About $1.3 million

Estimated value today: $1.6 million

Mr. Madoff’s home in the Cap d’Antibes area of the South of France was a three-bedroom apartment in a Mediterranean-style villa with terra-cotta roof tiles and green shutters, according to Guillaume Turquois, the agent who represented Mr. Madoff in his purchase of the property.

It was located in the Chateau des Pins development, a luxury community with tennis courts and sea views. It has 24 apartments across seven villas, Mr. Turquois said.

The Madoffs bought the property in 2000 or 2001, according to a filing by Mr. Madoff’s lawyer in 2009.

It was sold by public prosecutors in France to a Russian businessman for about $1.3 million in 2009, Mr. Turquois said, confirming reports in the French press. Mr. Turquois didn’t represent the French government in that sale of the property.

Mr. Turquois said the apartment was unremarkable. “It was nice. I won’t say luxury fixtures. There was nothing extraordinary,” he said.

If it were to come on the market today, the apartment would likely be valued at roughly $1.6 million, based on current market conditions, Mr. Turquois said.

Madoff’s Palm Beach waterfront home

realtor.com

Palm Beach waterfront home

Sold for: $5.65 million

Estimated value today: $12.1 million

The Madoffs bought their Caribbean-style Palm Beach, Fla., property in 1994 and didn’t do much work on it. Mr. Madoff and many of his clients were members of the Palm Beach Country Club.

The real-estate agents marketing the property for the Marshals Service in 2009 called the five bedroom, roughly 8,800-square-foot property a “classic island home.” It had high vaulted ceilings, a covered loggia, a pool and a private deepwater dock for a yacht.

While it lagged behind the other Madoff properties during a weak Florida luxury market, the home was purchased from the marshals by the Texas-based Bray Children’s Trust for $5.65 million in 2010. The buyer hired Michael Perry of MP Design & Architecture in Palm Beach to renovate it.

The trust then resold the home in 2013 for $9.1 million to a Garden City, N.Y.-based company identified in public records as Algonquin Partners LLC. Records link that company to Austrian Prince Alexander von Auersperg. Neither the trust nor Mr. von Auersperg could immediately be reached for comment.

As for what the property might sell for today, prices for high-end homes in Palm Beach have risen substantially since the home last sold in 2013, according to findings by Mr. Miller. For luxury homes, defined as the top 10% of sales, they increased by 33%, meaning the home could be worth as much as $12.1 million, all other factors being equal.

Madoff’s Hamptons beach house

realtor.com

Hamptons beach house

Sold for: $9.41 million

Estimated value today: $21 million

The Madoffs’ Montauk, N.Y., home was decorated in a similarly dark aesthetic, with Formica countertops and dark oriental rugs.

Mr. Miller, an appraiser with Miller Samuel, recalled watching a video tour of the property offered to the media, and remembered that the host, a U.S. Marshal with a bulge from a firearm on his side, speaking of the property’s “understated elegance.”

Owners Steven and Daryl Roth bought the roughly 3,000-square-foot beachfront home, which has unobstructed views of a public beach and a gunite pool overlooking the ocean, for $9.41 million in 2009 and completed a huge renovation spearheaded by designer Thierry Despont. They installed a new staircase and moved the master suite from the ground floor to the second floor.

The Roths are selling because they have two other homes nearby in East Hampton and don’t have much time to spend at the Montauk property, listing agents Gary DePersia and Joan Hegner of the Corcoran Group previously told The Wall Street Journal. The property is on the market for $21 million. Mr. Roth is chairman of Vornado Realty Trust, a real-estate company. The Roths declined to comment.

Mr. Miller said he rarely saw a substantial premium or a discount on a property based on its connection to a boldface name such as Madoff’s.

“For every example that can be provided for someone that paid a premium, you can provide one or more examples of a discount,” he said.

The post A Decade on, the Fate of Madoff’s Mansions appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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foursproutwealth-blog · 7 years ago

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Money story: Two broke millennials in pursuit of financial freedom

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/money-story-two-broke-millennials-in-pursuit-of-financial-freedom/

Money story: Two broke millennials in pursuit of financial freedom

This guest post from Claudia Pennington is part of the “money stories” feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. These stories feature folks from all stages of financial maturity. Today, Claudia shares the steps she and her husband have taken in their pursuit of financial freedom.

Garrett and I were your typical, college-educated millennials (thanks to student loans) who purchased new cars (courtesy of auto loans) and an overpriced, pre-recession home with a 30-year mortgage. We were good consumers, the kind of consumers that lenders love: We spent on credit and we paid our bills on time.

Fast forward to 2014 ⇒⇒ We managed to acquire even more debt. We had a car loan, two car leases, a mortgage, student loans, and credit card debt. Living paycheck to paycheck was exhausting!

It took years for us to realize just how tired we were.

Tired of not having any time.

Tired of not having any money.

Tired of not being able to travel.

After listening to people on the radio talk about similar money problems, we decided it was about time that we get our own finances in order. In 2015, we took a hard look at our spending from 2014. We didn’t like what we saw. We created a plan to get out of debt and change our lives.

Fast forward to today ⇒⇒ We managed to eliminate all of our debt. We’re a one-car family (no auto loan). We paid off our student loans (paid Sallie Mae Navient back). We paid off our mortgage in just over a year.

Let me tell you how we did it.

Home Expenses in 2014: $45,954, in 2017: $7,227

According to Mint, we spent $45,954 on everything “Home” related during 2014. Our “Home” expenses included mortgage, insurance, repairs, remodeling, utilities, and any “stuff” we bought to adorn our home.

Having a 1500-square-foot home was a drag. Between the money going out for heating, cooling, taxes, insurance, and many repairs and the time we spent cleaning it, mowing the lawn, and shoveling snow, we were over home “ownership”.

After spending nearly $46,000, you’d think we might have made a dent in the mortgage. But no, you’d be wrong. At the end of 2014, we still had a mortgage balance of $156,000 because we weren’t paying anything extra. Our house owned us.

Baby Boomers around us were dying to retire but finding themselves handcuffed to jobs in order to pay their mortgages. Neither of us wanted to end up like them. But in 2014, that’s exactly where we were headed.

By 2017, we had sold our 1500-square-foot house, moved into a 500-square-foot house (yes, I’m serious), and managed to pay off the mortgage on the new place. Our $7,227 in expenses included taxes, insurance, utilities, and the “stuff” to take care of the house like soap, rugs, and whatnot.

Auto Expenses in 2014: $10,256, in 2017: $7,466

At one point, both of us had a Volvo and a smart car. That’s right: Our household of two owned four cars.

To acquire four cars, we had two car loans and two car leases, so it’s no surprise that in 2014, we spent $10,256 on debt, repairs, and insurance for four cars.

And you know what’s really crazy?

We had so much stuff in our two-car garage (hobby stuff, home stuff, deck furniture, etc…) that we struggled to park just one car in the garage. The time and money we wasted juggling four cars was obscene.

By the end of 2017, we had become a one-car family. The leases on our smart cars ended in early 2017, so we paid the end-of-leases fees and returned those cars to the dealership. Most of our expenses in 2017 were the result of car repairs and maintenance, like a new computer, fancy synthetic oil, and so on.

Health Expenses in 2014: $14,532, in 2017: $3,726

In 2014, Garrett started seeing a new, out-of-network, out-of-pocket doctor ($$$). It was a last-ditch effort to address a lifetime of chronic fatigue. (He’s doing much better today!)

Also in 2014, I came down with some bizarre symptoms that went undiagnosed (probably tick-borne illness). Thousands of dollars in MRIs, blood tests, and CT scans, no one could explain the difficulty walking, fatigue, and brain fog. (Thankfully, I recovered.)

In total, we spent $14,532 on our medical needs in 2014.

And all of the stress about money certainly didn’t help our health!

Eliminating all of our debt also eliminated much of the stress we felt about money. What a relief it was knowing that we were true homeowners, living mortgage free in our “tiny” house.

Downsizing to the 500-square-foot home freed up a lot of time. No longer were we spending hours each week maintaining or remodeling our home. Instead, we spend our time hiking, kayaking, and doing all the other action verbs we enjoy doing.

Food Expenses in 2014: $15,693.48, in 2017: $7,070

Between our jobs, half-done home remodeling projects, and countless medical appointments, we had convinced ourselves we didn’t have time to cook when we lived in our larger 1500-square-foot home. In fact, we thought that by eating at restaurants every other night, we were actually saving time.

Going to restaurants all the time led to laziness and poor food choices. We weren’t eating well. We weren’t exercising. It’s probably no surprise that our health expenses were as high as they were because we weren’t taking care of our bodies.

Looking back at that year, it’s clear that we were the problem in our lives. The state of our finances was largely due to bad decisions and poor choices. But spending nearly $16,000 on food wasn’t the problem — a lack of accountability was our real problem.

Honestly, food continues to be a struggle — even as I write this in early 2018. When we plan ahead and purchase enough groceries for the week, we’re okay; going out to eat isn’t even a thought. But when we don’t plan portions properly or we forget to go to the store to replenish the stockpile, we run into trouble. Our spending on food is down significantly, but there’s still room for progress.

2015: The Year of Change

In 2015, we started talking about money and what we wanted to do with money in the future. We quickly realized that we weren’t spending money in a way that aligned with our values. Neither of us imagined that we’d be working until 67, but we weren’t doing what we needed to do in order to retire earlier.

I started seeking out online personal finance resources to help us get our financial situation in order. One of the blogs we found was 1500 Days, which is all about financial independence. It was the first time we’d encountered the term; it sounded as if though financial independence would lead to the life we sought.

J.D.’s note: I love 1500 Days. It’s one of my favorite finance blogs. Two of its best features? First, Carl is hilarious. And second, the blog contains plenty of dinosaurs.

By April 2015, we set a plan for getting out of the hole we’d dug, to become money bosses for the first time in our lives. We wanted to achieve financial independence in 1500 days — on 19 May 2019. Having such a lofty goal meant we had to make some big changes.

Since our saving rate was nonexistent, we stopped spending on all non-essentials and started budgeting. We challenged all of our expenses to see how low our spending could go. Each expense we lowered meant more profit margin. But cutting our expenses wasn’t enough to get us out of debt in the timeframe we outlined. We had to take bigger steps to rearrange our lives in order to accomplish our mission.

I left a part-time job in favor of a full-time job. Garrett put extra hours into his W-2 sales job because of the commissions he could earn.

We put the 1500-square-foot house on the market in April 2015. (Sold in May 2016 — $0 in proceeds from the sale.)

We set about the process of building a smaller home. We found our postage-stamp lot — 2500 square feet — and had a small house manufactured to fit on the space. We moved into our 536-square-foot home in September 2015. (We’ve been loving it ever since!)

We sold one Volvo and turned in the two smart cars at the end of their leases. Now, we’re a one-car family. Since I work from home, I’m content with biking around town to run errands or when I just want to hang out by the river.

We started a side hustle and used the income from our side hustle to pay off our credit card debt in October 2015. [J.D. again. Claudia is too shy to say, but I’ll mention it for her. Their side hustle is SEO Audit Guide, a company that helps folks in the online space optimize their websites. I’ve paid for their services myself. Twice.]

We used the debt avalanche approach to eliminate the remaining debts, which we paid off in March 2017. (Here’s a debt avalanche calculator.)

We’re just three years into this journey to FI, and I’m proud to say we are 100% debt free. No mortgage. No car loans. No student loans. No credit card debt.

2018: The Year of Growth

Our purpose for this journey was to create margin in our lives to pursue something purposeful, our “why,” something other than W-2 employment: a life of financial independence colored with slow travel and entrepreneurship.

If you know about the stages of financial freedom, you know we’re working on Stage 4: Security.

In the last several months of our journey to debt freedom, we were able to make monster debt payments — as much as $13,000 toward the end. We were obsessed with getting out of debt, so we didn’t save any money. Sometimes we had as little as $500 in our checking account. Most of the time, we had less than $100 in savings.

In 2017, we made solid progress on Stage 4. We set aside enough in our emergency fund to cover one year’s worth of expenses (about $30,000) and we invested the max in our tax-deferred retirement accounts.

In 2018, we’re focused on growth. We want to grow our income, which will in turn increase our saving rate. This will give us more money to invest. (We’re interested in dividend investing.) After much debate about how we should pursue financial independence, Garrett and I decided that real estate just isn’t right for us. Dividend investing is a better fit. (With real estate, we’d need to invest far too much time and money to generate enough passive income to cover our expenses.)

Pursuing financial freedom changed us for the better. We’ve seen significant improvements in our finances, but also our health and happiness. No longer are we broke millennials living paycheck to paycheck. Somewhere along the way, we became happier, healthier, self-actualizing, wealth-building millennials. And financial freedom is finally in sight.

Reminder: This is a story from one of your fellow readers. Please be nice. After twenty years of blogging, I have a thick skin, but it can be scary to put your story out in public for the first time. Remember that this guest author isn’t a professional writer, and is just learning about money like you are. Unduly nasty comments on reader stories will be removed or edited.

The post Money story: Two broke millennials in pursuit of financial freedom appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

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