Sandra Nickel
The Perfect Gift
As I was reviewing my emails today, I ran across this quote by Henry David Thoreau: “That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” And it struck me how very true that is, particularly at this time of the year when we are all tempted (and, everywhere we turn, encouraged) to spend, spend, spend. Frankly, […]
A Trip to Wonderland
Before embarking on my 36-year real estate career, I spent some time in the field of marketing and advertising. And it was during this time that I was introduced to and fell in love with the architecture variously identified as International Style, Minimalist and Modernist. A failed architecture student turned graphic artist came to work […]
Memories of Simpler Times
When I began kindergarten in Kirkwood, MO (a suburb of St. Louis), John Pitman Elementary School was already set for closure. Built in 1914, it had served long and well. But closing was just not to be. The Baby Boom was in full swing, and every classroom in our little town was pressed into service. […]
Operation: Redecoration
From the outside of our home, things appear pretty normal. Normal, that is, if you are accustomed to the sight of a tarp-covered sofa on our front porch! You see, we have undertaken the total redecoration of the living side of our bungalow (dining room, living room and kitchen down the right side; bedrooms and […]
Thinking About Waiting to Buy? Might Want to Think Again!
Forgive me if this sounds a bit commercial. After all, I am real estate agent and my team and I make our living selling houses. So you may find me a bit suspect. What drives me to write this today is my many years in the business and memories of people who have told me, […]
Moe’s BBQ: Countdown to Cook (Kick) Off!
Having an office right across the street from the much beloved (but now dark) Sinclair’s Restaurant has provided me a bird’s eye view of the development of its successor eatery, Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que. I’m delighted to report that it looks like the cookoff (that’s kickoff in football terms) “ain’t far off!” Every chance that presents […]
Cracks? Heck, No. Those are Character Lines!
When I was 9 years old, my parents very unexpectedly had a fourth child. She was a delightful little girl and she was the straw that broke the camel’s back in our two bedroom, one bath bungalow. So Mother and Daddy bought a larger home in the same neighborhood. Shortly after we moved in, I […]
Columns and Arches and Moldings … Oh, My!
On Sunday — the annual Old House Expo Day in Midtown Montgomery — I spent four hours in the home at 728 Felder Ave. During the course of the afternoon, 147 people visited the property and the choruses of “Oooh and aaah” were loud and many! We Southerners (whether by birth or “By the grace […]
The Debut of Renovators’ Happy Hour
If perchance you happened to be passing by Felder Avenue in Midtown’s Old Cloverdale neighborhood last Thursday, you might reasonably have assumed that there had been a death in a prominent family or something. After all, that’s the typical reason that long lines of parked cars accumulate on a residential Montgomery street. Well, the truth […]
If It’s Spring, It Must Be…
The late, great Robin Williams said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” Personally, I think spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Get off your lazy duff and take care of this place!” Lynne Burford’s heart-wrenching recent post, “Homeless,” reminds us of the importance of having our wiring checked regularly. That’s particularly important if […]
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