Well, that month flew by!!

After our January 2016 trip, Don & I decided that we would attempt a month of ‘snow-birding’ on St George Island. Spending a week in sweatshirts and/or shirtsleeves while dodging -4 degrees back home in Iowa made us think, “why not do this for a whole month?” And so it began…

Fast forward to January 2017 and who knew how much our lives would change?! Not too long ago we had dreamed of owning on the island and WOW! suddenly we have made that dream a reality!

So, January found me on the island for the entire month as planned, but now furiously preparing our own lovely SunCatcher for guests! And oh how that month flew by! As much as I loved the house from the moment I walked in, I knew it could be so much more. First a pretty paint job throughout; we covered the dingy, flat, patched yellow paint with a lovely ‘greige.’ Then out with ‘Grandma’s decor’ in the living room; replaced by new furnishings in soft, beachy neutrals. I love our new leather couch & love seat and custom fabric chairs. Fun lamps, a new area rug, art work from our fave island gift shop, Island Dog (given to us by Deb & Scott Crane, what a LOVELY house warming gift!) and a slate top coffee table (made by Don and my Uncle Terry) have completed the look I had envisioned. Next the downstairs bath was updated with fresh paint throughout as well as a new durable countertop finish. New light fixture, cabinet hardware, sink faucet and shower head completed the look. Both ground floor bedrooms received fresh paint and some minor (but much needed!) redecorating including all new linens and artwork. Then came a coat of paint for the interior sitting porch. (Thanks to my travel companion, Tracy McMains, the time it took to do the tedious painting of wooden shake edges was cut in half …BTW, wooden shakes should NEVER be painted yellow!) Thank Heavens the upstairs master bedroom and bath had been built in 2014 so no work needed there other than a few ‘touches’ to make it ours. (Thank you, Doug & Mel Roberts, for permission to use Doug’s photography of a local shrimp boat on the Apalachicola Bay in our Master suite!)

Due to limited time available, Don traveled down mid month (skirting a huge midwest ice storm on the way!) pulling a trailer full of ‘toys.’  This was when the real fun began! Out came the tools and sawhorses; when this guy got going he didn’t stop. What emerged from a pile of cedar was the loveliest outdoor shower and fish cleaning station ever! While he was outdoors working, I thought, “why shouldn’t I get outside, too?” So a fun, albeit sweaty, day ended with our dunes cleaned up a bit and my palm tree trimmed. (Don was thoroughly entertained by my proficient use of his chop saw; palms are TOUGH plants!!) Last but not least, we moved indoors and doubled teamed SunCatcher’s kitchen facelift! I am so proud of the transformation from tired and dated to fresh and new! With a bit of planning and elbow grease, we achieved an entirely different look: updated cabinet color scheme, new hardware, new faucet, and a gorgeous backsplash by the guys. (thank you, installation assistant Scott Crane)

Work breaks on the deck for R&R, and some drinks, and to soak up sun, and to chat turned into walks on the beach and, of course, visits to our favorite watering holes, eateries, and shops. All in all, it was a fantastic month that flew by all too quickly. We are incredibly blessed to have had this time away and loved the opportunity to share our island retreat with our friends and family who came to visit as well as lend a helping hand!  

Our first renters are now in SunCatcher; enjoying beautiful weather, making new island friends, and exploring charming SGI and the Forgotten Coast area. We came home energized by our island time shared with friends & family; full of sunshine & laughter…

…now it’s YOUR turn! 🙂