I swear I'm gonna write about our trip soon, but first I must pose a question:

Why oh why do (most) people who own beach houses/condos feel the need to decorate them in such a ghastly way?

First: You really don't HAVE to go with a lighthouse/sea shell/nautical theme if you don't want to. We're already at the beach, so it's sort of redundant.

Second: Why all the horrible silk floral arrangements? All they do is collect dust and look terribly depressing--like someone's untended grave. Just don't do it.

Third: If you're going to spend the dough to update your condo with really nice ceramic tile, sisal rugs, new cabinetry, and silestone countertops, why the HELL don't you do something about the ghastly wallpaper in the master bedroom, the master bath, and the second bath. And just a hint--if the wallpaper is peeling off in big-ass sheets, maybe it's time to get rid of it altogether.

Fourth: Some sort of window coverings besides sheer drapes might be appropriate since this is a vacation spot and most people would like to be able to sleep in a bit later than normal.

Fifth: Rattan furniture? Really?

Sixth: Why not go ahead and splurge on a) a mattress cover and b) a fitted sheet rather than putting a flat sheet on the bottom, tucking it in, and calling it a day.

All in all, our place was nice. It was clean, and quiet, had a fabulous view (see below), and the grounds were lovely. It's just that the way things were done in our particular condo were kind of...half ass? Tacky?