by Roberta Murphy Thompson Last night, Steve and I invited friends over to share a story and a pasta dinner we brought back from Florence, Italy. Well, not exactly the whole dinner, but a Florence adventure that included a kilo of handmade fettuccine and a pan of onion and cheese stuffed raviolis that we transported from Florence back to Reno in a suitcase. Sauces, salad and asparagus sides were made…
Luxury Home Deal Breakers
Deal Breakers When House Hunting in the Luxury Market–or Any Market for That Matter. Having spent a year at home during the pandemic, homeowners in all price ranges have had to reevaluate their living spaces and adjust to the new normal. While millennials moved back in with their parents, many city loft owners were able to find refuge in a vacation home, possibly for more space. Now, as the country…
Cancel Culture: Just Shut Up
by Roberta Murphy Thompson I was enormously upset with the November election. It wasn’t who won or lost; rather, fury at what appeared to be a corrupted election process. In retrospect, the Cancel Culture crowd appeared to be hard at work manipulating votes and cancelling the votes of many. Within a few days (or weeks), emotions calmed down and I then struggled with the need to act rather than complain…
Luxury of Quick Kitchen Remodel
5 Awesome Kitchen Renovation Ideas to Design Your Dream Kitchen Are you planning a kitchen remodel? If yes, you may know that it is a time-consuming process and may prove challenging if you are running short on ideas. Here are 5 practical ideas to inspire you to design your dream kitchen. You don’t have to shell out a lot of money for a kitchen renovation – all you need…
Liminal Space: Floating Between Past and Future Tense
Liminal space–that place in life where you are between what was and what’s next. That strange place resting between where you’ve been and where you’re going. It feels strange, scary and exciting all at once. Becoming a widow can put one into that exact position. So might a job or marital change. It’s not unlike a rite of passage. I was widowed New Year’s Day, 2019. Mike’s death was sudden,…
The Luxury of Disconnecting
by Roberta Murphy I may dream of disconnecting from all things electronic, but fly into a panic when wifi goes down or more frequently, can’t find my phone. And I know I’m not alone. But there’s a persistent fantasy that I will one day deliberately land in some remote (and beautiful) location where there is no wifi, no television, no internet–and no clocks. I would be with my soulmate and…
7 Luxury Home Trends for 2019
Wondering about Luxury Home Trends for 2019? Here are some things you might want to consider in your purchase or remodel of your luxury home. By Jennifer Karami While the average sale price for luxury homes nationwide rose 4.7 percent annually to $1,772,000 in the fourth quarter of 2018, a few things remain constant: the kinds of features and luxury home trends associated with high end residences. Money can buy you a…
Alzheimer’s: Inventing a Possibility
Years ago, our oldest son Scott and I attended a long weekend with the Landmark Education Forum. I was challenged to take up a personal issue that I was willing to share with a thousand or so people the next day. I couldn’t help but consider Alzheimer’s, the disease that had rocked our family. I went home that night and wrote a letter to my mother, Edith Michelson. It was…
Luxury Home Sales Hit by New Tax Laws?
by Roberta Murphy Realtors in California were groaning when the new tax laws hit this year. Luxury home sales were sure to crash and burn. You see, the new tax code puts a limit on how much one can deduct in state and local property taxes–as well as income or sales tax–up to a measly total of $10,000. So when new tax laws went into effect, high profile experts were…
Cryotherapy: Freeze Your Face and Turn Back Time
by Roberta Murphy Last Christmas, son Scott gave me a series of passes to a cryotherapy center in Del Mar. I would strip down to only underwear, special mittens and insulated socks. Then, I would step into a cubicle and freeze my patootie off for 3 minutes in swirling gases that registered like 180 degrees below zero. It felt like my frozen skin was going to crack and fall off…
