Just Heavenly

Yesterday my mom & I took the train from Grand Central to the Gazda family beach house in Clinton, Connecticut. Sharon picked us up from the train station and brought us to her perfect retreat on the shore. Clinton is a quaint little beach town that overlooks the Long Island Sound. It is about 2 hours from Manhattan via the Shore Line East train.

What an absolutely perfect, serene, welcoming environment to relax and heal. Every recovering patient should have a prescription for this! Sharon & Stan have done an amazing job of renovating this seaside home. It is incredibly impressive. They did a lot of gutting and stripping - and stripping and stripping and stripping - of layers - and layers and layers and layers - of old wallpaper and carpets, and like a few month's worth of HGTV shows, turned a house sporting some cosmetic atrocities into a truly splendid place to dwell.

The house will make its first magazine debut in Cottage Living in October. The grounds are beautiful, with green and colorful landscaping, the stone deck perfect for outdoor reading or lounging, and the newly reconstructed pool that was brought back to life. The house is the perfect showcase of "casual elegance," with a touch of New England charm and an overall feng shui simplicity favored by the Japanese. The furnishings are so tasteful, yet relaxed and comfortable with a coastal feel and many elements of nature brought indoors -- particularly the stunning rock fire place that was custom done by hand. (Stan & Sharon don't know it yet, but I'm never leaving!)

Tomorrow we might take a walk to the cute harbor marsh area at the end of the street, or head over to the beach on Waterside Lane. It is wonderful just to be here, and we can't thank Stan & Sharon enough for the use of their beautiful home and providing such a peaceful abode to rest, renew, and heal.