So, I bought a house! About 2 years ago, when I was deeply in need of a break from work and some recalibration, I fell into this wild urge to flip an investment property. I made an interior design LLC called Madonna Interiors, acquired trade accounts, and set up a nice little platform for myself. I scoured Zillow, became friends with a real estate agent who somehow kept believing in me all this time. (Thank you Taylor!)

Back then, the market was sky high, and we just couldn’t find a house that would work. After spending the summer tirelessly refinishing wood furniture in my garage (because why wouldn’t I be doing that?) and becoming increasingly overwhelmed by my abundance of unfinished projects… I tired myself out on the design front. I eventually dipped my toes back in as a nurse at my community hospital and forgot all about the dream … until now! Because somehow, the universe had a Big Blue house renovation waiting just for me.

Finding Big Blue (When I Least Expected It)

I must have needed to recalibrate again, because I am officially the NEW OWNER of a property I just knew was “the one” the moment we found each other. You guessed it… I found Big Blue.

The synchronicities in life blow my mind sometimes. Just as we were doing our taxes last spring, and the words left my lips that I should probably deactivate my interior design business… something made me check Zillow. I was not in the market for anything at all. I wasn’t even in the practice of looking inside that app on my phone anymore! My life was completely consumed with a huge project I was working on for my “real life” job in informatics at the hospital. (Not to mention, I have the full-time gig of keeping up with 2 young kids, we had a new puppy, and I was still desperately trying to finish writing my book… I’m sure we’ll get to that another day.) Yep, I had moooved on!

That’s the part where I imagine the universe giggling… like…

“This girl actually thinks she’s done here? Let me send her the most tragically beat up gem of a house. Let me send her one that she could envision herself going absolutely mad in. Let me send her one with a big, huge backyard. One that inspires her, because she won’t be able to walk away from what it could be. One that is zoned for short term rentals, and so close to beach that she can see sand. Let’s put a walking distance yoga studio and restaurants right there too. That’s the house I’ll send her. Come on, Lyndsay, open that Zillow app…”

And there she was – Big. Old. and very Blue.

The Village That Made It Happen

This picture was taken on the day of our final walk through. Photo credit goes to the lovely Taylor Johnson, whom I highly recommend for your real estate needs! Don’t let her age & good looks fool you, she’s a total shark!!!

I must also thank my “money girl” and dear friend Rhiannon Alley, who was instrumental in making this happen. Who even knew a business loan based on future rental income existed? She did!

And last but certainly not least – To my dear husband, who has put up with my antics and ideas for over a decade now, who grounds me back down to planet earth when my head is up in the clouds … I love you so much. Thank you for being you!

What Comes Next for Big Blue

Moments before this picture was taken, as we pulled up to the house, I told the girls they had to put their imagination glasses on and look at this house not as it was, but as it could be. I told them we were going to make a Hotel.

(Spoiler Alert: I think this 3-unit gem by the beach is about to be called the Madonna Hotel after I transform it?!)

The Big Blue house renovation is just beginning, but I can already feel she’s going to become something truly special.

The Not-Self Nurse