The Move to Florida

It was a snowy April in Ontario, spring 2013. Ben, my husband, just accepted a financial management position in Daytona Beach. We packed up our little home and moved our family to balmy Florida.

I grew up here, no, actually here, in Ormond Beach. My childhood is overflowing with happy memories all set to the backdrop of a house in the Village of Pine Run. A planned neighborhood of homes with acreage, all set far from the road. Ours had three acres, mostly wooded.

The backyard swimming pool filled our summers with mermaid adventures. As young children, we tried our hand at running a business. Selling seashells roadside and tickets to our motley circus performances. Neither proved much financial gain.

This is the life I dreamed for my littles...all four of them. That's right, four. It is our own brand of crazy. And we love it.

When buying homes, we always try to find a house where we can update and add value. Our renovations are cosmetic in nature, as that is the level of our knowledge. It still provides ample opportunity for lengthy renovations. It's all about patience and saving all those pennies so that each room can soon transform into the dream.

Our living room is my favorite room in the house. It is my studio space or "the pretty room". We freshened the walls with a grey-white paint, installed Pergo flooring, and incorporated Ben's grandmother's piano.

My style is clean, simple, and coastal. I am drawn to timeless pieces architecture, incorporating family heirlooms with current design.

The floor-to-ceiling light that pours into this space fills me daily with bliss. It is the very best for capturing images. I use this for any still life images that I shoot, like invitation suites or indie artist works.