Extreme Makeover......

From "Farty to Funky" Following a complete "gutting and renovation" of this home in Pt. Saint Lucie, selecting the paint colors was the next step. I found this fabric which was perfect with the color selections on the walls throughout the home and it was what was used to upholster a chair that had been in the family for 60 years. The first piece of furniture to begin the next step of decorating and furnishing the Great Room. And Great Room is the proper name in this case as the room is approximately 30 foot x 30 foot....where to begin????

We will most definitely refer to this chair as "Farty". Not at all what this young family would ever select. As a matter of fact, they were not sure they would keep this old chair.

Upholstered with the selected fabric, it takes on new life......becoming funky! I will refer to this as an extreme makeover!

It was decided to also upholster the existing dining room chairs which were ready to be "tossed to the curb". The style of the dining room furniture with a little rehab, fit this family's lifestyle and budget....and that is exactly what was done.

I decided to look for 2 fabric chairs in a light color so that when looking through the room, they would not block or distract from the incredible water view. Hopefully I would locate swivel chairs that would work with the other pieces, so that when sitting on them, it would be easy to focus on the fireplace/conversation area, turn to enjoy the view of the water or turn to be part of the dining room. I could not locate an acceptable chair that fit the description, however this chair was perfect and the upholsterer was able to convert them to swivel chairs installing a swivel mechanism. Yes he is a magician and wonderful!

The pieces were coming together, I loved this cocktail table which came out of a Model Home, but the problem was moving it. Having a solid granite top it weighed about a "gizillion" pounds.....I mean really heavy!

Locating the correct sofas was the biggest challenge. I carried around my fabric samples and cushion from the chairs to every furniture store in Orlando....and I believe I located the perfect sofa. Things really fell into place as there were two in stock and I was able to get them delivered in 5 days. The very same day that I was planning a trip with the upholsterer, from Orlando to Pt. Saint Lucie to deliver some pieces and install the window treatment, also done with the funky fabric.

This is the view from the Great Room that I did not want to distract from.

Do you blame me?

Here it is put together from various views.

Note the "Queens" chair over in the dining room next to the hutch.

Except for some minor accessories, like some silk plants, etc., this room is pretty much complete. It is functional, comfortable and inviting. Denise and John are thrilled with the finished look and everyone is happy.

Even Max the family dog has found his spot.

( In this photo: Bruce Ross & Maxine Thomas )

Thank you Bruce for working with me on this project. You are creative, extremely talented and an artist at what you do. Together we make a great team, not to mention great friends since we met about 10+ years ago. I look forward to doing the next project with you.

Contact Ross Upholstery @ 407-880-3331
Buying or Selling Real Estate or

need help with decorating, contact me @ 407-718-8323

Your home should be your castle and reflect your personality.

4 Cucumbers and an Eggplant....

This is my harvest from my garden this morning... Squash plants are spreading and taking over my garden.

It is obvious that a critter got into this squash.Japanese Eggplant on the vine.

Ripe tomatoes ready to pick.

My Sago Palms are healthy, no scale as many people have struggled with. I go to one of the local coffee shops, where they are happy to share bags of brewed coffee grinds. I generously sprinkle the coffee grounds within the top mound of the plant and make a trench around the base and fill with coffee grounds....looks like its working for me.

Several critters visit my garden.

I believe this is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

This dragonfly was happy to sit quiet and be photographed.

Back to my "edibles", a cucumber on the vine. There is nothing like a fresh off the vine cuke sprinkled with a little salt.

Spaghetti squash......

Just a garden ornament......love my dragonflies.

Before I pulled out my Brussels Sprout plant, which is a cooler weather plant, I picked these off the plant and prepared them as follows. They were a bit smaller then the first batch but mighty tasty.

This Brussels sprouts recipe is for the "I don't like Brussels sprouts" people. The super-fast stir-fry in butter and lemon retains the beautiful color, and the Brussels sprouts get the most wonderful sweet flavor, and tender texture. The secret is the thin slicing, and the quick cooking time.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, washed, bottoms trimmed
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into very thin ribbons (see picture). Place a large skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and oil; as soon as the butter is melted, toss in the Brussels sprouts. Saute, stirring and tossing constantly for about 45 seconds. Add the lemon juice, and toss for about 15 seconds more. Remove from heat, add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and transfer into a serving dish. Do not overcook, and the Brussels sprouts will stay green, sweet, and tender.

Oyster plants, my ground cover in my back yard islands is finally filling in from the Winter freeze.

A little bit of scattered color.

The Impatians planted around the borders are starting to get bigger with constant color.

Love those flowers.....Lily of the Nile.

Everyday in my garden brings new discoveries.

Life is a gift

Meyer (Mike) Deutsch

May 26, 1913 - February 29, 2008 With Fathers' day approaching, I find myself thinking a lot of my dad. Death is usually thought of as something sad and terrible. But, something that is so final has a way to make us put our mortality into a new perspective. When one dies who is 94 years old, it's also amazing to think about the gift of life and longevity.
My dad lived a strong and independent life. When he passed peacefully February 29, 2008, he was 94, with an extremely sharp mind. He lived independently until Jan 12 when he broke the second hip and went to the hospital. He recovered from his first hip surgery exceptionally well.

My dad was not formally educated, but he was very smart. My dad was self-educated, he read the New York Times almost each day of his life. He would have loved to be formally educated and was always very sensitive to the fact that he was not. (The photo above is of my dad dressed in a Graduation Gown for one of his grand children.)

I have several physicians in my family, but my Dad always said he was the first MD in the family...get it...Meyer Deutsch...he was full of humor and had corny jokes always! Dad, your influence on me shall live on.

Happy Fathers Day!

Life is a gift and 94 years is certainly a precious gift!