the fifteenth

and since that one was a bummer, you get this one, too.

What does your dream house look like? -- Naomi

For the longest while, I wanted to live in a castle. It didn’t really matter what it looked like, so long as it was big and had every amenity known to man.

Then I wanted a four-story house, also quite massive with all those elaborate, expensive comforts of home, shaped like a hexagon.

Now, when I become this incredibly wealthy novelist, I’m going to build a replica of the house Nora Roberts designed for a family of characters in her Dream trilogy, at least my vision of this particular home, called Templeton House. To be honest, I’m still working up this image in my head. I went through once and wrote down all the references to it, but they’re not that concrete, not enough to give me a great sense of what its appearance.

I see it built upon a rather large plot of land, off the coast of California, next to the cliffs. I see white wood and stone in various shades of gray. Massive oak doors at the entry, framed by an intricately tiled mosaic of grape leaves. Spanish tiled rooftop. Lots of windows. Every room would be divided by wide archways rather than rectangular openings, so that each room blends into the other. Sweeping staircases. Vaulted ceilings. Marble and ceramic tile. Hardwood floors.

But then, I liked the Hobbits’ houses Peter Jackson and his crew created for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with their rounded doorways leading from one room to another, too. Simply designed, nicely furnished.

The furnishings would come from Restoration Hardware and other such establishments -- simply lined, sturdy. Built to last.

That’s the kind of home I want. The sort that’s built to last.

to get a better look at the superior tastes c.c. has, go here.

for the fourteenth inquisition essay, go here.

as for the blog, don't expect to see any new posts for two weeks. but for the newbies, there's a crapload of picky pages to peruse. plenty here to keep you busy.

auf wiedersehen!