Happy 2013!

 Fleur de Lys Villa and TC Millwork would like to wish all of you a very Happy & Healthy 2013!

Season's Greetings from Fleur de Lys!

Fleur de Lys would like to wish all of you Happy Holidays!  We hope you are enjoying some rest & relaxation with friends and family, wherever you may be.  Special thanks to our current guests, the Seabloom family, we wish you a wonderful week of joy, peace, sunshine, seaside, and many memories! 

A little holiday cheer; vignettes from around the villa . . .

Pretty Pergola at Fleur de Lys

Just in time for the holiday arrivals, a pretty Pergola awaits our Fleur de Lys Villa guests.  Now the birdwatching balcony is better than ever!  TC Millwork did a fabulous job with the upgrade.   Not only are we thrilled with the traditional Caribbean design, but love the practicality of having shade and rain cover over this area, which the adjoining office hardwood floors will thank us for later!

These rocking chairs are a pair of the best seats in the house for soaking in the views.

Holiday decor vignettes from Fleur de Lys Villa soon to come, stay posted!

Micah visits the Turks and Caicos

Micah making one last stop before flying back to Texas

After sixteen months of life change and intense career momentum, Micah was in serious need of a vacation to recharge her batteries.  With a disposition and charm just as sunny as our climate, she quickly said she had found her home away from home.  It was lovely having such a vivacious guest at Fleur de Lys, so in awe of her surrounding view!  Micah had e-mailed before her arrival saying all she needed was a beautiful beach; to hear the waves lapping on the shore and see the sun setting over the horizon . . .

As her photos above and below attest, she was not disappointed!  Thank you Micah for choosing Fleur de Lys and for your kind words:

"WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE! Most beautiful, hand crafted home I've ever seen!

Review Submitted: November 27, 2012 Date of Stay: November 2012

There's art and then there is ART. Fleur De Lys Villa is definitely ART! For those that don't realize..this home was hand crafted and designed by the hands of the owners...a Carpenter and an Interior Designer.

From the moment I walked in I fell in love. The attention to detail in every corner and crevice is really amazing. It's the little things that show how much love and care went into the planning of this home...away from home.

It's very appartant that the owners put lots of time, effort and thinking into making this feel like home...while being on one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

A short walk to the beach, it's a great location and all you have to do is walk a mile down to be at the resorts to get lunch or a coctail.

Stacie and Stephan were very helpful in every way and I couldn't be happier with my experience. I went snorkeling, sailing, dancing, swimming and dining...but the best part was spending time alone...in the house..with the crickets singing and the wind blowing through the windows and the beautiful ambiance of Fleur De Lys.

I highly recommend this home for your vacation to one of the most magical places I've been.

Enjoy your stay! Give the hammock a kiss for me..I miss it already."

 

 

To find out more about Micah's journey and her transformation through Visalus please read on . . .

My journey to home...Visalus and how it's changed my life and why you should say YES!

by Micah Winder on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 12:08pm

I've always thought there were two types of people in the world, either you get it..or you don't. I'm a gatherer of people who get it. Call it my collection project. I've been super blessed with amazing, compassionate, positive people and always look to surround myself with more.

In business it's always been my struggle.Finding somewhere to call home that had the same ethics, standards and morals as me was very difficult.  I'm in the people business. I was meant to help people be successful. I've chosen Network Marketing and Direct Sales as my vehicle for this calling. It's been a fun journey but ridden with lots of bumps in the road and road blocks. Mainly because people get greedy and people run companies. I've invested in about 6 different businesses over the 10 years while I searched for my home. I thought I had found it and was with a party plan company for 7 years. I was on the Board of Directors for 4 of those years. Which meant that I was in the top in Sales and recruiting. I ran a very successful business and put my whole life into the project. I worked harder than I have in my life and made so many amazing friendships along the way...but the company was always very difficult to deal with. It was almost as though they didn't want you to succeed and once you did you were scrutinized and devalued and treated like a nuissance. They LOVED to tell us no and make policies that made our job more and more difficult. Looking back now I recognize what a money trap it was. I recruited easily over 300 women into that company over the years and none of them had the success that I did. There was something wrong and I stood up to their greed and had my business ripped from underneath me. Cease and desist. 8 years of my life...3500 customers, non compete agreement. I was screwed.

It was time for a life intervention. When life gets dumped upside down on you..it's time to re-evaluate and figure out what is not working and you have to make a change to get back on track. I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't recognize myself. I had gained 100 lbs. I weighed 236 lbs and had shrunk into myself so painfully far and deep that it was suffocating me. My spirit was dying. I had to do something and fast.

That's when I decided to take my weight loss on as a job. I found a product that had the right ingredients to help me on my journey and I worked at it like I did my previous business. I'm very money motivated and with none coming in I had to lose the weight to sell the product and make a living. It was the best decision I had ever made and started me on a beautiful, very public journey of losing 75 lbs.

In that process, I found my passion and my purpose in helping others with their weight loss goals. I know how it feels to not want to look at people in the eye because you are afraid that they will think you are fat. I know how it feels to want to wear sweats everywhere you go because shopping for plus size clothes just isn't going to happen. I know how it feels to be invisible and to be called fat to your face. I know how it feels to have your weight consume every waking thought and be the reason 4 years of your life doesn't exist because you wouldn't let anyone take pictures of you. No one should have to go through that. So I have made it my personal goal to help as many people (especially women) as I can get healthy and regain their confidence and make their insides match their outsides.

Success naturally comes to me when I'm passionate about something. It's a blessing I've witnessed a few times in my life. So I did very well with that company..built a strong organization but the product only worked for 1/3 of my people. That wasn't where I wanted to be. If I was going to be the best, I needed to be with the best.

I had seen Visalus all over facebook. Had been asked to look at it by 4 different people. I was impressed..but stubborn. I was loyal and not ready. Then the phone call came for me to go to Miami all expenses paid by the company to go to the Co Founders home. They said Miami, paid for...I said hell yes!

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no intention of joining another company. I had just finished my resume and was going back into Corp. America..battered and bruised from the MLM industry. I was giving up and it was killing me.

When we got to Miami, I met 18 other very strong business people. I was the youngest and we got picked up in a limo and taken to Nicks home on the water.

That's where I met Nick Sarnicola and his beautiful and powerful fiance Ashley Riggs. They looked just like me, young, hip, down to earth and best of all I would soon see that...they GET IT!

We comfortably settled into their living room and Nick proceeded to blow our minds for the next 6 hours. To say that this company is a Network Marketers dream is doing it serious injustice. What they have created from TOP TO BOTTOM is the most beautiful, perfect, fully equipped most amazing thing I've ever seen. They aren't just doing things different they are doing them OPPOSITE. So if you have ever had a bad thought about Network Marketing, THIS IS NOT THAT! I should know..I'm an expert in the subject.

I got so excited after seeing the pay plan I literally started the wave for Nick. But it wasn't that that had me completely in love..it was the energy behind it. It was these beautiful angels in front of me..they GET IT! I mean really really get it. They genuinely care about changing the world. Genuinely care about helping people live their best life. Genuinely care about stopping America's top two problems..FAT AND BROKE.

I have never taken a mentor on in my life. Nobody was good enough in my eyes and here in Miami I found my mentor and I said yes. Yes to the life I've always dreamed, yes to my full potential, yes to my divine calling on earth. I was meant to help people break free of mental slavery, push through their fears and empower themselves so they can live a life of happiness, abundance and bliss while creating a legacy for their children that can insure success. I had found home..every cell of every part of me knew it and I was ecstatic!

I resigned from my company that week and proceeded on a strategic business launch with Nick and Ashley that was a whirlwind of hard work. I had never had so much fun. I had never been so passionate and focused. I had never experienced so much energy. It was invigorating and exactly what I needed! My life had been renewed.

Our team put 42 people in BMW's in 45 days. I got mine in 20 days.  I will never pay for a car payment again in my whole life and I will always drive a BMW! I recruited 12 people my first month. Had four Challenge Parties and talked on the phone every minute I could. I made 1100 my first week and I've never paid for my Challenge kit since the day I signed up. I also have a free business with no inventory, no deliveries, very low overhead and a support system that was unstoppable. I was in HEAVEN!

My 12 people soon turned into over 200 and my team just ended our 4th full month of business with over $80,000 in sales!!! We have over 500 people on the 90 Day Challenge and not only did I lose 25 lbs my first 90 days but my team and customers have lost over 1500 lbs easily already!

Unbelievably, that's not even the best part. The best part is the ability to FINALLY FINALLY help people be successful and gain self confidence. The movement that this company has created..the energy that it has infused to the peoples lives it touches is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It's like Extreme Home Makeovers in a company. It's like House Music in a company..it's like Abundance at it's best and The Secret at work and it's working FAST! And don't let me leave out the part about it being Martin Luther King's dream. Nick actually trained us to recruit DIVERSITY! I mean really? Was I dreaming? The events are so diverse and filled with so much power, love and happiness it's almost overwhelming. We are UNIFIED in our cause. We are making a change in this world and it is a DIVINE journey that can not fail.

We are set to be the first Network Marketing company in history to reach a BILLION in yearly sales without going global. That is going to happen by March!And then...and then we go GLOBAL! I'm going to learn Spanish, French and Italian in the next year..because I can't be left out of this amazing journey to spread this to the world.

I could go on and on about why this company is fantastic..and I can't even really call it a company. It's a mission..it's a cause and it's so on time and so perfect and the most complete business anyone could invest in. We are currently giving 25 BMW's away a day. We give over 25 MILLION in FREE PRODUCT and prizes a year to our customers and promoters, we have helped people lose over 8 million lbs DOCUMENTED in under two years and we are a VIRAL marketing machine that works. We have social media on lock and I've witnessed over 10 MILLION in BONUSES be given out and that's just what happened in the last 6 months.

By the end of the year..Just 6 months into my business I will be making more money a year than I have in my life. That will double in the next 6 months if not less. 50 % of our top income earners are under 40 years old and top income is 50-140 k a MONTH. This is a whole company of people who GET IT. We are not making millions..we are making MILLIONAIRES. And not just to make the money..but to put a stop to our economic problems and effect real change in the world. The more millionaires we make, the more money that we have to go around to help others. We are SERVANT DRIVEN LEADERS and we are looking for YOU!

Sometimes in life you just have to go with your gut. If this made a piece of you wake up, if this ignited a flame somewhere within you. Please contact me asap. DO NOT WAIT! I have prayed and prayed that the people that were meant to be with me on this journey would come and say Yes effortlessly. I know there are many of you out there. I need you, we need you and we have lots of work to do.

For all of the people I love. Please please please pay attention to this. I am BEGGING you from the depths of my soul. THIS IS THE ANSWER TO ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS. Health, financial, emotional and even spiritual. I am very good at this and I was trained by the man who put it together himself. I have been very blessed and am completely dedicated to helping you reach your goals...whatever they may be. Let me help you. I am still gathering people who get it. It's your turn to make a choice. Unplug from the Matrix. Free yourself from mental slavery. Put in some good work for yourself for a change. Empower yourself. You deserve it.

My team name is Team 143. It stands for I love you. Because we give you the right LOVE and Support to reach YOUR full potential! We are waiting.

Love is Love and it is SOOO GOOD!

Special thanks to God and my angels and the Universe for lighting my path. There is so much comfort in clarity.

Micah Winder
512-589-4682
www.90dayswithMicah.com

Halloween at Fleur de Lys Villa

After three years of participating in Leeward's Halloween trick or treating, Fleur de Lys Villa finally made it on the map!  The last couple of years we disappointingly watched little ghouls and goblins pass us by, despite the lantern lit drive and open front door.  Looks like the Leeward neighborhood's Halloween spirit and reputation has grown, and Sandpiper Avenue's in particular.  The most trick or treaters in years passed tallied around 25, we delighted to see that number triple this year!

So much fun to have the streets full of costumed kids laughing, "boo!"-ing eachother, holding hands or bound in big groups in anticipation of an unexpected fright from any direction. 

Our ghost did a great job of welcoming everyone at the gates!

 

Our first trick or treaters (pictured above) arrived around 5pm, receiving big handfuls of treats as I recalled the weeks worth of leftover candy in years past.   I soon wished I had not been so generous as I looked into our fast emptying bowl!  I had to resort to giving away plastic spiders from the decor while waiting for candy reinforcements!  The back up supply arrived just in the nick of time as a few clever kids had figured out how to open the front gates.  Our final trick or treater, miss adorable below, had just missed the last treat by seconds, but she was kind enough to share her bag of goodies with us instead!

Fleur de Lys Villa Bird's Eye View

It was a very busy weekend between Longbay and Leeward, bittersweet to think we will not be traversing between the two neighborhoods so often anymore.  The Beach Barn, our home away from home and pet project for the last few years, sold last July.  We sign and seal the deal in a short few days so the deadline to make our move had come.  It was eye opening to discover just how many belongings we had acquired; what seemingly appeared to be very little set against the massive floorspace of the barn, in reality was two parades by caravan of  boxtruck, two pick-ups, and an SUV!  A skytrak also joined the fleet, more to come on that topic later, but we thought while we had use of it, may as well take a few overview images of Fleur de Lys.  Utilizing a kiteboarding harness and a couple of dog leashes, I was strapped to the forks and up, up, and away!  Thanks to residual winds from hurricane Sandy it was a pretty wild ride!  The birds eye view was beautiful, and it allowed a great study of the size of the bird reserve to the north of the property.  I  had not realized it was such an impressive wetland, it stretches nearly the length of the block.  No wonder we see such variety of feathered friends at Fleur de Lys!

Fleur de Lys Villa supports the Arc of Natrona County

Image via caninesforcharity

The Arc of Natrona County came into existence in 1964 as an informal parent organization for children with disabilities.  Formally incorporated in 1977, the mission remains; 

"The Arc is committed to securing for all people with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to choose and realize their goals of where and how they learn, live, work and play. The Arc is further committed to reducing the incidence and limiting the consequence of developmental disabilities through education, research, advocacy and the support of families, friends and community."

For as long as I can remember my mom has been dedicated to several charity organizations, one of those big hearts that never tires of giving time, attention, and resources to those in need.  She took special interest in the Arc, serving on the board and as an officer, over the course of many years.  For this much needed and respected organization, and in thanks to her, we donated a one week stay at Fleur de Lys Villa for the Arc's charity auction hosted early this year.

The winning bid went to Mark and Lesley Vigneri, who brought six friends for a week of rest and relation. Mark, who serves on the board and just so happens to be an old friend from school, and Lesley, who serves as the Arc's secretary, enjoyed a week of picture perfect weather; days spent at the beach, adventures on the water, and nights out enjoying several of Provo's best restaurants.  

 We all got together for dinner their final night at the legendary Blue Hills establishment, Da Conch Shack.  Fabulous local faire, uppity island music, and toes in the sand as you do the conga line!  We had a great time getting caught up and hearing about their week.  These philanthropists deserved an incredible vacation and we were so thrilled to hear they got one that exceeded their expectations!

To learn more about the Arc, please see the many programs they offer here.  To learn more about the wonderful people that the Arc assists, please see this amazing youtube video below about Carly and her breakthrough in autism;

 

Wednesday Woodworks - Fleur de Lys Villas Fourth Bath

On deadline for the first of February, the fourth bathroom at Fleur de Lys Villa was complete!   After converting the pool house/art studio to an additional bedroom last September, we quickly realised how beneficial a fourth bathroom would be to our guests.  After gathering a few indoor/outdoor bath inspirations we quickly set to work the first week of January.  The new bath features a large terrazzo shower, louvered doors and back wall for breeze and ventilation, bright white open rafter roof and tongue and grooved side walls, and a few charming details such as below to create the cottage like ambiance.

Here are a few photos below while the bath was in progress.

Modifying the existing native stone path to curve to the new doorway.

Painted frame ready for the louver doors and panels, floor ready to be tiled.

Pebble stones collected from the beach, laid out in design for the base of the terrazzo shower.

Big thanks to the TC Millwork team for all their hard work to complete this lovely bath in a very short four weeks!  Bravo everyone!

Wednesday Woodworks - Indoor/Outdoor Bathroom Inspirations

Image via keenandfitting

Today we broke ground on a fourth bathroom for the Cotton Cottage at fleur de lys villa.  This was a project we had been considering for quite some time so are thrilled to put the plan into motion.  The layout will resemble the above image, a long room that will feel like a sun room; an indoor extension of the outdoors, a bright and airy space full of sunshine.

Image via coastal living

The room will feature large doors at either end that will open to already existing curved native stone paths wrapping around the cottage to the pool.

image via myhomeideas

Image via southernliving

As much as we would absolutely adore a lovely tub like in the above images, 

Image via bathroom-of-week post on Keen and Fitting

we will most likely keep it simple with a shower framed in the center of the fully louvered back wall.  Stay posted for before and after images to come!

Black Friday Bargain

Months ago I spied these completely incredible antique mirrored Currey-and-Company-Napoli-Wall-Sconces at one of my favorite local boutiques, It's Stuff Consignment shop.  I knew the retail price was way out of budget but kept them in the back of my mind.  On my last visit I was quite surprised to see them still sitting in the shop.  With a bright idea of how these two lovelies could add some elegance to the Sisal Suite at Fleur de Lys Villa, I made an offer.  The shopkeeper said she would get back to me after getting in touch with the owner. 

On Black Friday I received the great news that the offer was accepted and I could pick up my purchase.  I am so pleased with my Black Friday bargain having paid half the price for the pair as one sconce purchased retail and landed.  They are pretty AND practical.  No more having to set aside the lamps every time the bi-fold windows are opened or shut. 

Did you have any success finding a black Friday bargain? If you find yourself on island and looking for unusual, unique, or antique wares, please stop by It's Stuff, located in the Marketplace across from the downtown First Caribbean Branch on Leeward Highway.  You might just find the perfect Christmas gift amongst all the treasures!

We are off to the 8th annual Turks and Caicos Conch Festival in Blue Hills to eat, greet, and be merry!  If your are here, you should really be there! It is one of the best not to be missed events of the year!  Please click here for the schedule of events and more information.

Landscaping 101 in Turks and Caicos - Part 1

  Today is a rarity here in Turks and Caicos; a grey, overcast, cool day perfect for landscaping and an opportune time to finish a few last touches to a major summer project at Fleur de Lys Villa.  A year ago I blogged a few before-and-afters showing just how far the villa had come over the course of five years.  Take a peek there and one can plainly see how a house in the Caribbean is simply not a home until you have a yard.  I sincerely hope that our landscaping mistakes and naivety (introduced in  this post) can act as a learning tool for others who are in the same predicament, or are about to sink their shovels in on their own project. 

Villa before the finished entrance in 2007. A change of mind on the driveway placement lead to unnecessary clear cutting in the front.

  When we built the villa we had a solid knowledge foundation with regards to construction and about zero when it came to landscaping.  With a home designed around a central courtyard and whose very essence is all about enjoying the great outdoors, our yard was elevated to numero uno on the priority list.  Our first mistake: clearing too much of the indigenous bush.  When we began construction I did not have the appreciation of the beautiful TCI bush that I do now.  Now I am educated on just how rare and lovely our Tropical-Dry-Forest really is.  As soon as one realises the amount of labor, love, and pocket money it takes to keep a single plant, flower, shrub, or tree happy and healthy over the course of it's lifetime, one knows to LEAVE ALONE what is already there and thriving!  Leave alone what is already rooted and acclimated and most likely a home to all kinds of species if you just take a moment to study it.  Mother Nature put it there for a reason, and unless it's an invasive-species or harmful/poisonous, it is providing a vital function in it's given environment.

September 2006

Our second mistake; hiring a pricey landscaper.  We thought we had the best in the business, a well reputed, long established company with loads of impressive contracts in their portfolio.  Turns out we two DIY'ers would have been far better off to save our money and simply take things slowly, seek advice from neighbors, friends, and the professional/environmental enthusiasts at the DECR.  Within the first year we had; ripped out the courtyard grass the landscaper talked us into which never took and had us tracking mud into every room in the house, removed the mulch that invited termites onto the property, and transplanted dozens of ficus placed along the exterior walls when we discovered how aggressive their root systems are and that our plumbing pipes were soon to be targets.  The following two years were filled with several casualties; two large coconuts who caught lethal yellowing, $1400 worth of yellow allamanda smothered by macho ferns, and firecrackers that didn't survive the attempt to save them from feet climbing in and out of the hot tub. There were also many more transplants, some out of  necessity such as the mahogany who began to be crowded by a large coconut, and others out of aesthetic, like the dozens of fountain grass we thought would look great near the pool until they bloomed . . . and sent their feathery seed pods swimming.   Then there was the massive undertaking of converting all of the spray-irrigation to drip-irrigation after researching ways to conserve water and finding out that the later is 90% effective in comparison to the formers 30-50%.   I strongly suggest to everyone in the Caribbean, where water is a precious resource, install drip systems to every applicable area.  It will save tons of water and a great deal of money over the course of time. 

 

Courtyard in 2009

If you do hire a landscaper, do your homework!  Inquire with a client they don't include in their portfolio, someone you may know who has a project similiar to yours.  Take an evening to google the species on their estimate and make certain if you find any negative characteristic, ask the lansdcaper if those possibilities are applicable here in the Turks and Caicos. Request drawings and reasonable projections for what your yard will blossom into 5 years from now, 10 years, and even 20 down the road.  If we would have had this foresight, we never would have allowed an olive tree to be planted in the courtyard.  For three years we watched her grow from a skinny little stick (as shown in the 2006 image above) into a gorgeous Shady Lady.  This lady and her neighboring tabebuia friend pictured above, had the courtyard looking absolutely beautiful, that is if you swept it every hour on the hour!  That's right, these two were quite the lookers but what mess makers! They shed so much that the spa, the prized water feature and focal point of the courtyard, was kept under cover for the last two years, creating an eyesore versus the serene sight we intended.  We thought of how much time we had spent sweeping, digging leaves out of the gutters, carefully raking the planters so as not to disturb the delicate peace lilies and other plants, and knew that something must be done.

2008, native stone replaced the impractical grass

After weeks of brainstorming possible solutions, we looked around at the covered hot tub, the leaf littered courtyard, the native stone buckling from the expanding roots of both the Schefflera and the mahagony (which had also begun to shed daily in the pool) and we decided with very heavy hearts, to make some very big changes.

September 2011, in the middle of the transplant

 

Stay tuned for the "after" images in Part 2!