Tag, I'm It!

Megan from Beach Bungalow 8 and 1st Dibs fame and Neutral Dwelling both recently tagged moi, so here goes:

 

WHAT WERE YOU DOING TEN YEARS AGO:

Oh, sure, like I can remember!  Let me really think....my daughter was 7 years old back then, so I was carpooling a lot, I know that for sure.  I hadn't been working since I had Elisabeth - I was just enjoying being a mother and a wife.  I did rejoin the work force around this time period, though.  One morning Ben called me and said:   "I need you to go back to work, we could use the extra money."   His business was slow around then.    By the time he came home that evening, I had a new job working for an insurance agency (O.K. - it was owned by a friend, but still, he was shocked how soon I got that job!)  Very shortly afterwards,  I started back up in interior design after a 20 year hiatus (long story)  helping a few friends with their daughters' bedrooms.  I named my new, fledgling business Webb Design, and, urged on by a girlfriend who happened to be a Criminal Court Judge (I wasn't about to argue with her!) I quit the insurance business and started working for myself full time.  That was about eight years ago. 

 

One of my first jobs as an interior designer:  a friend's daughter's bedroom.  We wallpapered the room in a dotted blue and white pattern and added a toile border (I waned to do the entire room in toile, but she was too afraid to do that - times sure change!!!)  We bought a room full of Ethan Allen painted furniture and I had all the soft goods made by Monica - who remains my go-to person all these years later.  The only place to put the bed was against the window, so to make it seem more grounded - I had this faux arched canopy built and draped with the toile fabric.  The carpet is a blue and white pattern, which is hard to see in this picture.  Here again, I wanted the client to do a white with blue carpet, but she resisted!   That's a wicker bench in front.  There's also an armoire and a secretary desk in the room; and a skirted table along with a nightstand!  I started out doing skirted tables, I guess.  For the ensuite bathroom, we papered that room in the toile.   All in all I was proud of my first effort out.    Eight years later, the room is unchanged and Stacy, the daughter, still loves it.

 

FIVE ITEMS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST TODAY:

1.  Try to do billing!!!   The bane of my existence!

2.  Meet the electricians at a client's house to approve the installation of two pairs of sconces and one lantern.

3.  Meet the rug man at another client's house to approve a new living room rug. Whoa!  Two appointments in one day - a rarity for me!

 

The Egyptian rug going into a client's house.

4.  Go to M. Naeve to return some things for a client and drool over her new shipment.

 

M. Naeve, my favorite antique store!!

5.  Start to get my house ready for Father's Day brunch on Sunday afternoon.

6.  Try to do billing!!! ugggghhh.

I know it said five things, but I didn't count on having two appointments in one day.  Jeez, I'm exhausted by all this work.

 

SNACKS I ENJOY:

1.  Starbucks:  tall coffee with sugar free French vanilla, sweet n low and foam on the top - delicious!

2.  Starbucks vanilla biscotti.

3.  Hershey's Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Almonds.

4. All time favorite:  Jelly Belly's Popcorn!

 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE:

1.   Set up accounts for parents, in laws, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews, best friend.  Give them each 10 million!  Let's see that's:    $130,000,000 already.   hmmm.  Not much left now!

2.  Set up a family foundation for charity.

3.  Build or remodel a house  in Southampton (a neighborhood in Houston, not NY)  exactly how I want it - if I can only decide on one style.  Buy out M. Naeve's inventory for new said house.  Buy out everything in M. Naeve!  I mean that seriously. 

 

House for sale in Southampton - Houston, Texas.  Built in 1921 and located in the first gated community in Houston. 

 

The drive up to house, just gorgeous!

 

The back yard swimming pool and studio.  And this is right in the heart of Houston, two minutes from the Texas Medical Center. 

If I don't buy an old house, I will build a dream house - something like this new house for sale in Southampton.

4.  Buy a house at The Shores in South Padre Island and a house in Galveston, Texas for quick weekends.

House in The Shores, South Padre Island where Ben and I want to retire to.

And another house at The Shores.  We'll take both, we're billionaires, remember?

 

 

Since South Padre is 6 hours away by car, we will need a weekend home close by in  Galveston.  This is the new development on East Beach - Beachtown, Galveston.   Galveston only wishes it looked this good!

 

5.  Open a clothing store for my daughter to run.

6.  Apply for unemployment, I'll be totally broke after all this.

 

PLACES I WOULD LIVE:

1.  See #4 above!

The Shores, South Padre Island, Texas. Yeah, yeah, I know - I'm a billionaire, why stay in Texas?  Well, if you know my husband, his motto is "anyplace in Texas beats anyplace outside"  OR "anything not is Texas is a third world country" - seriously.   Leaving the state of Texas for Ben is  like leaving the country.

 

2.  The Hill Country, Texas on a lake, any one of them.

 

The Texas Hill Country, scenic drive, with bluebonnets - our state flower.  And yes, it IS this beautiful in the spring. 

See, I told you!

 

Lake Travis, largest of the lakes in the Hill Country. We'll buy a house here for UT game weekends -- football, basketball, and baseball.

 

3.  And, lastly, of course, Houston, always.

Home sweet home

Ok, I'm supposed to tag five people, but I don't think there is anyone left who hasn't already been tagged.  If you haven't been tagged, please tag yourself!  You're it!!!!