Monday, May 20, 2013

Finally A Bigger, Better Patio

We finally decided to add some life to our postage-sized patio, and after various building and furniture delays it is complete.  Yay, except now it 2 degrees below boiling point with 200% humidity outside.  Here's the transition.


Such a sad little space before the transition where so much furniture and a grill were shoved into the equivalent of a closet.  Even Little Pope did not want to sit or play on it.

So we decided to add some more concrete to enhance our backyard experience.  We debated for a long time on what to add, and ultimately decided to wait on stone and a covered roof.


It was a slow process in the beginning, but one day I came home to find this, and then the concrete truck showed up 10 minutes later and the space was finished shortly thereafter.


And here we have the (almost) finished project.  I still need to attempt to repaint our old chairs at some point, but it is mostly complete. Sorry for the glare off the concrete, but picture time does not always coincide with the best sunshine angle, instead it runs on Little Pope's nap time.


I have always wanted dark wicker furniture and this set was a good compromise between just buying a set at Walmart and the super expensive Restoration Hardware set that NN and Little Pope decided we should buy.  It is two sofas, two end tables, and one ottoman with a huge 'no eating here' sign.  This means you NN and Little Pope.


From the formerly sad patio side with the view to the lake and the Costco cantilever umbrella, which provides a good amount of shade.


Eventually we are going to put in a pool, but this will have to suffice for now!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

Gonna put the world away for a minute, and pretend I don't live in it, sunshine gonna wash my blues away...Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky breeze and it don't seem fair, only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair (Zac Brown Band.)  Thanks to some help from two sets of the grandparents, the Nutrition Nazi and I were able to escape away on a much-needed vacation to Mexico at the Casitas Royale.


 The view from our room as we walked in....serenity is that you I see?


So let me show you a few pics of the room. A nifty liquor cabinet.  At first glance you might think now why would one need this at an all-inclusive resort?  Well as members of the timeshare we have the option of getting better liquor in our room than we can get at the bars around the resort.  And yes my mini-beer drinking friends that bottle of Cuarenta y Tres did happen to jump in my suitcase for the trip home.


Pretty bed with a jacuzzi tub off to the right, which also has the view above!


Our own little private pool with floats!  


Outdoor patio with a bed and table perfect for having breakfast in the morning.


The bathroom area with closets to the left and indoor shower directly ahead.  Please excuse all of my mess.


Definitely one of my favorites about the room - the outdoor shower.  We never used the indoor shower the entire time because this is so cool, and yes very very private.


The rooms are set-up on a semi-circle so that all the rooms have a view of the pool and the beach.


Each set of casitas has its own pool with a swim-up bar.  This is usually where we retreated after being out at the beach all day.  It's a great place to meet your casita mates and have a good time or watch NN get a beat down by a middle-aged woman playing basketball.  In all fairness I believe she played league  ball until a few years ago.


The one thing that did surprise on our first trip a few years ago is what many people call the 'beached whales' which are gigantic sand bags to prevent further erosion.  About 5 years ago the resort lost about 2/3 of its beach to Hurricane Wilma and were forced to use extreme measures to save the remaining beach.  A few margaritas and you forget!


It was SUPER windy while we were in Mexico, as evidenced by the palm trees about to blow away.  We actually got wind-burned while we were at the beach.  Bummer!


For many of us native Houstonians clear ocean water is something we only hear about, and some don't believe it truly exists!


The grounds crew does a phenomenal job at keeping the resort's manicured tropical/jungle look and feel perfect.


The beach has these awesome covered beds to relax on, and the best part is the bartender from your pool will come out to the beach and bring you a drink.  And for those of you wondering...no I never wanted to come back because no one waits on me at home.


And so another great vacation comes to an end...hopefully to be re-visited soon.  Adios and vaya con dias!