Filed under: Estates

Cornelia Guest’s Templeton isn’t the only grand home in Old Westbury, New York for sale. The Phipps estate was built in 1930 by the famed architectural firm Delano and Aldrich. The Georgian-style estate is on 20 wooded acres that include a garden, fishpond, waterfall, vegetable garden, tennis court, heated pool, a five-bedroom apartment and a three-bedroom caretaker’s home.

The main home has parquet and marble floors, high ceilings, deep moldings, pine paneling in the library, carved wooden fireplace mantelpieces and hand-painted wallpapers also contribute to the interior’s splendor. The home includes a breakfast room, greenhouse, a master bedroom with a hall of closets, additional bedrooms with fireplaces and a second-floor staff area. It is listed at $11.5 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

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Continue reading Phipps Mansion, Estate of the Day

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In one of my journeys around the Internet I found a writer named Brenda Ueland.  She was born in 1891, died in 1985, lived in Minnesota, was married 4 times, and wrote a wonderful book titled:

If you want to write: A book about art, independence, and spirit

Ueland talks about writing, but she is really talking about any creative process - painting, sewing, quilting, sculpting, designing, you name it.  I found her book extremely inspirational.  For example, here’s an excerpt:

“I have established that you should work from now on until you die, with real love and imagination and intelligence, at your writing or whatever work it is that you care about….I’m so afraid that… you’ll put off working as so many wonderfully gifted people do, until that time when your husband can retire on full pay and all your children are out of college.”

My favorite quote:

So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering….
Moodling - what a great word! Brenda Ueland’s advice is simple: “Tell the truth” and “Don’t do anything you don’t want to do.” There is lots to think about in this little book, and you can find much to inspire you to create whatever it is you want.
The contest: I’ve a copy of the book that I’m willing to give up (I have another that’s all marked up that’s mine… all mine!). To be the winner of the book, leave a comment on this post no later than midnight, October 7 (that’s next Tuesday). In your comment, tell me what you would like to create - a book, a poem, a wall hanging, a garden, a scupture, a painting, whatever you want. I’ll use the random number generator to find the winner. Read more about my contest rules at: Thoughts and other Stuff.

I can’t wait to read what you want to create. And I am sure you’ll love the book.

Tags: baby boomer contest, Brenda Ueland, creativity

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Filed under: Estates

An unnamed Russian billionaire has splashed out $99 million on an ultra-luxe Moscow penthouse around the corner from the Kremlin. The seven-story, 14,000-sq.-ft. oligarch’s aerie features five bedrooms, five baths, an indoor pool, separate children’s floor and winter garden on the roof. It’s located in the chic Chistie Prudy Residence complex, which has underground parking, private security and a water purification system. “For Moscow, it’s an absolute record,” the townhouse’s real estate firm’s spokesman Ruslan Barabash tells Reuters. The interior is done in a Moorish style with marble mosaics, myriad columns and arches, Moroccan-style lighting and garish touches galore.

[pix via BallerHouse]

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Many business owners have said they are being affected by the credit crunch in two ways:

1.  They’re unable to borrow money to pay their bills.

2.  Their customers are taking longer to pay.

The availability of credit is a serious problem for any small business.  It’s about survival.  Believe me, I’ve been there.  The problem might begin out as a small amount that you need, “just to make payroll,” and it grows.  Pretty soon, you’re using your credit cards to put money into your company to pay your business bills and pay employees.  And it gets worse. If your business has no assets to borrow against, and sales are stagnant or declining, you face the prospect of having to lay off people, cut back inventory, and delay payments to vendors.

2.  Which brings us to the second issue - delayed income.  One recent report in USAToday said that trade credit (extended from one business to a business customer) is being strung out longer, and customers are taking longer to pay. 

How is your business doing?  Are you hanging on?  Are you getting paid by customers?  Any recommendations for other boomer business owners?  Comments appreciated.

Tags: baby boomer business owners, collections, credit crunch, small businesses, trade credit

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