Peek of the Unique…
I had the fabulous opportunity to go to the “Peek of the Unique” sponsored by The Zonta Club of Sanibel Captiva presenting the 12th Annual Tour of the Island Homes. Zonta’s campaign to promote and protect the human rights of all women and girls. Improve the legal, political, economic, educational and health status of women worldwide. I have believed in their cause for many years and finally had the time to take part in this glorious fun fundraising event. We were able to tour four fabulous home on Sanibel Island that are so hidden, unless you were on the tour you would never know these homes even exist. It just made the adventure a little more fun…unveiling of the secret of the unique as you would say. Four homes labeled: The Artists Dream, The Architect Dream, The Designer Dream and The Pioneer Dream Homes. To respect the privacy of the owners, I am not going to reveal the outside landscape of the homes or the addresses, but show you the art collected during their travels, the love of nature reflected in colors and ambiance, tropical and casual elegance throughout the homes. I captured over 150 images and can only show a few on a post…I hope you enjoy our little design element tour.
In the Artists Dream home, one of the guest bedrooms, they recycled used furniture from a consignment store and had them custom painted to match the bedroom decor. Is this nightstand adorable now or what?!
The lighting and tile work just took my breath away here…
When I saw this pillow I just laughed out loud! Wouldn’t we all just love to carry this everywhere we go?
The infinity pool with steps down to the ground level, bringing the outside in…my oh my.
A modern “beach house” with wooden louver blinds as their outside exterior.
Stitched pillows convey a sense of lightness and fun!
How many of you would of thought of using a oversized gingerbread cookie cutter for your kitchen decor? Very unique…
This idea really caught my attention. My husband and I are avid shell collectors…and have wondered what are we going to do with all of them? The owners of the home, had their shells organized by species and every species was put in a different glass vase of sort through out the whole home. I loved the natural element of texture it gave to the whole landscape. The big black painter brush? This had a special meaning! The homeowners father was a painter and they wanted to honor him in the home in a special way.
I sure hope you enjoyed our little home design tour. I know it was such an designers delight to me.
Tip of the Day for Bloggers/Photographers:
Do you put a lot of work into your posts for your blog? If the answer is yes…read on.
If you are posting everyday or almost everyday…you are not giving your readers an opportunity to see your work! What do I mean by this? Most readers will not come to the blog everyday. Especially the ones who follow many blogs! There just isn’t enough time in the day to visit them all.
As human beings we are all pulled at every which way to get our attention, there is only so many minutes in a day.
Let your posts simmer a day or two, this gives ALL of your readers time to observe your work and all the effort it took to be uploaded to your blog for their viewing pleasure.
You will also find with time, when the reader does come to visit…they don’t catch up. They will read the last one only…so with that said…The word for the day…S.I.M.M.E.R!!
Remember, this is what works for me, your style of blog might need a different approach for your readers.
If you are enjoying the tip of the day and Pride in Photos, join our family by filling in your email and the inspirational posts will come straight to YOU!
We love your comments and insights…
Laurie
XXOO
If you liked this, you will love:
Pioneer Days…Peek of the Unique Part 2
Pride in Photos 
Please, Please tell me where you found the giant Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter? HomeGoods is said to have them, but never does! I have been searching for Four Years! I’ve seen DIY ones, but they are never wide enough, and the shape is just sad. I really need to find one like yours, painted, or not! Please help me find one if you can? Thank you!!!
This was at a craft show, many years ago.
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Gorgeousness! I agree about blogging. I can’t post daily- I need to live too! 🙂
Ooh thank you I have had time trailing along with you having a lovely time browsing though these design ideas Laurie ! What a super way to initiate fund raising for a worthy cause indeed.
Bed Linen Collection is a hit with me 🙂 and I bet that huge Gingerbread Man looks wonderful lit up with fairy lights *sparkle*
I am so in love with this photo set!
My favorite is the green/blue/yellow room with the hand-painted nightstand. Love these photos!
Very cool! And such encouraging tips. After posting daily for almost 5 years, caregiving needs required me to cut back to 3 x a week – once a week on grandkids, once a week on caregiving resources and ideas, and once a week with words of encouragement. So thank you for the spirit lifter 🙂
That infinity pool is AMAZING! And I’m in love with that adorable nightstand!
Thanks for linking up with Good Girl Gone Wife!
Lots of great ideas! I love those squid throw pillows. I have some shells on display in glass vases in a couple spots in my home–great look.
Wow this all looks so amazing. I would love to have some of those design ideas in and around my house.
Mollyxxx
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incredible shots … in the mean time I am simmering 😀 but I think I’m overdone already.
Be Nice or Leave!!! I like it!
Beautiful. I love the “Be Nice or Leave”! I agree.
McGuffy’s Reader
http://www.mcguffysreader.blogspot.com
Love those paisley sheets!
What a great experience that would be 🙂 Lovely photographs!
i have nominated you for the The Versatile Blogger Award http://zoey101745.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/the-versatile-blogger-award/#respond
Thank you so much!
your welcome 🙂
Beautiful series of shots.
My entries:
Liz (mcn)
Liz (mot)
I love the photos that you decided to share. As usual, your tip has really left me something to think about. Cheers!
Gorgeous house! Great tip!
What beautiful style – and shots!
Hi Laurie, such a good cause – and what a fantastic home! The wooden louver and the ginger bread cutter are just so beautiful! I smiled when reading about 150 photographs to edit … All the lovely things to capture~ it makes many all of the sudden! Have a lovely week, I enjoy your posts every time!
Nina
Thank you , I am getting more ideas here! 🙂
That looked like a lot of fun. Beautiful homes, I especially loved that kitchen. Yummy! They have a similar thing here at Christmas. So fun to see all the decorating ideas.
What a gorgeous place! Your photos are wonderful!
Now that looks like my kinda tour. Looks like fun.. Thanks so much for sharing them with us. .
Hugs~
Stopping in from The Grand Social. What a beautiful place for a “peek.”
A nice place with fine collection and decoration.
Wowzers! That kitchen is amazing! I would love to have it. I also like the Thai musician because that speaks of “home” to me. Makes me smile. I love your tip, and I often struggle to implement that because I want to support my friends’ endeavors as well as my own. It’s a tough balance, but I guess I will always go for erring on an abundance mentality in regards to giving and hoping it doesn’t hurt me.
How much fun this must have been.
There are so many unique things here, and I love what was done with the shells.
Thank you for taking us along with you!
I wonder if that night stand was ours that they painted. We gave furniture to a consignment shop and the night stand looked just like that.
I guess you really enjoyed the house tour.
Annie
Oh, I love the seashell idea…. I think we will try that!
Oh I do enjoy a good housewalk…isn’t it fun to see the decor and the unique treasures. Most of the housewalks I have been on unfortunately do not allow cameras…garden walks, yes, but not housewalks. Thanks for your continuing tips.
I think that kitchen is bigger than my apartment!! What a fun weekend!
Looks like it was a wonderful tour! Wish I could have been there! Nice pics
hi Laurie, OH that was fun, I bet the homes were amazing! I appreciated your blogging tips to, I have been thinking about cutting back on the number of weekly posts, and I think your thoughts are well founded. Thanks for the photos and advice,
Jenna
I appreciate that Jenna… sometimes I don’t know if everybody is loving them or not?
That is a great tour! I, for one, love your blogging tips. I have used a couple of them. Especially appreciate today’s. I struggle with a regular schedule and know I realy need to implement one, and NOT everyday 🙂 (for my own sanity)
uh….major typo…*really.
The interiors are absolutely beautiful! They need to do my house! Love that “Be nice” pillow; want it! The shells are an awesome idea. I have a little dish of them on my window sill above my kitchen sink because I had no idea what to do with them. I’d have to collect more, though, to display them like the ones in these homes :o) Another great idea (which I’ve done before) is to glue them to frames. They come out so nice! As always, love your blogging tip. I’ve thought about this many times. It’s funny too, because I usually get way more comments on a post when it’s been two days or so before I’ve posted something new.
Worthy cause and beautiful photos!!
Lovely photos! I love the little side table and the tile and lighting. Happy Monday!
A lovely post! Thank you 🙂
Beautiful homes and such a worthy cause.
Lovely charitable event with so much elegance and beauty shown in your photography ~ Enjoy ^_^
I just LOVE the way you captured the uniqueness of this experience! Glad to have shared it with you.
Nice photography! I didn’t know Zonta was involved in rights.
Laurie:
Great job capturing all the little details of the shells,pillows and the night stand.
Thanks for the tour of a lifestyle so different from my own midwest traditional colonial two story! I love the pillow too – I guess it’s prefered over the one my fun-loving friend had in her at-home beauty shop – “Don’t Talk About Yourself! We’ll Do That After You Leave!”
With another snow storm coming tomorrow with a predicted foot of snow, the infinity pool was just the thing for my soul. 🙂
Oh man, there are so many things that I love about all the photographs that you took in this post! The “BE NICE OR LEAVE” I actually typed up and framed it and had it on my desk when I worked. My boss did not like it, but I never removed it. You’re right, we should all carry this around with us. The craft stores have large (and I mean really large) wine glasses that you & your hubs could use to collect your shells in. I loved the super duper large gingerbread cookie cutter with lights on, as that would be something I would do! (on a side note, I hopefully will be making a chicken wire Bumble for Christmas for the front yard with lights). Also, the kitchen with the awesome tile and lights, I fell in love with the deer on the counter! Absolutely loved everything you photographed in this post, and oh if we all had the money & the time to decorate like this! Thanks for sharing!
A fun post …