temporary settlement

I fell off the virtual radar for awhile but I do still exist, though I must admit there were a few moments in August when I needed to check my own pulse just to confirm it. After all this talk about selling our house, it actually happened. We signed a contract on August 2nd, thus setting into motion a whirlwind of activity, complete with panic attacks, angry outbursts, anxiety eating and drinking, heart stopping moments and lots of prayer. Due to a few difficult circumstances people, it was a less-than-pleasant experience, which was disappointing to be honest. But with the help of our awesome realtor and some superhero-type friends, we fought our way through it and walked away mortgage-free a mere 28 days later. Never mind that, 3 weeks post-closing, we swear we're both suffering from PTSD. We still stamp this closed case with a big fat MISSION ACCOMPLISHED and walk away, smiles plastered across our pale faces.

So....where are we NOW??? Through a series of "divinely providential" events, we have landed in a luxury condo belonging to some dear friends who own several homes in several locations. The "friendlords" spend little time here in their Charlotte home anymore so they consider this an opportunity to see if they really want to keep a presence here long term. They offered it to us at a price that fit our budget and tons of flexibility that would never be available to us in any apartment complex or rental house. What a gift! 

The only downside to the whole deal was the desire to keep most of their furniture in the condo. Yikes. Don't get me wrong, their stuff is super nice and beautiful. It's just that their stuff is not my stuff. And I really like being surrounded by my own stuff. Anyone who knows me well understands that my home is a real canvas of self-expression. But to ease my potential separation anxiety, the friendlords generously offered to clear out the 2nd bedroom so we could have one entire room that is completely ours. Except for the toile drapes, that is..;-) The rest of the condo has become this interesting mash-up of styles. I looked at what they had and made very specific choices with regard to the belongings I chose to bring here. And while it's not perfectly perfect, I think in general it works pretty well and we can be happy here!


Check out the results:

Bedroom-2-turned-personal-retreat. It's all ours except the drapes and the fancy chandelier. I'm actually loving this room!

I'm getting a little "retro-Hollywood-glam" vibe, don't you think?

Adler cats feel right at home here.

Royal feels right at home as long as his humans are with him.

Ah yes, the infamous Adler vase also made the cut....;-)

"Our humans will be fine on the floor."

I wouldn't say Richie loves it here, but he's tried out every piece of furniture and they all seem to work fine for sleeping.

My stuff and art on their furniture makes a nice little vignette in the master bath.

I've left the master bedroom pretty much "as-is" but I couldn't resist throwing a few of our own pillows on this ginormous king-size bed which, btw, makes a a great playground for the cats. 

A private world of cat possibilities exists under a bed like this.

The master bedroom opens up to this long hallway. My designer friend, Heidi, spent an afternoon helping me create this wall I can see from our bed. I feel a real sense of "home" when I look at it.

Every piece has it's own story.

And so our journey continues. Due to some interesting developments in the story (more to come on that), crossing Providence may not be the "straight shot" we had originally envisioned. Our timeline may have shifted a bit and the  possibility exists that we may even have to let go of this dream. But for now, we proceed (with caution) until we hear differently, embracing the twists and turns along the way. 


Missoni has built an empire out of the zig-zag, after all. So why shouldn't I do the same?