To those of you who are DIY'ers, you will understand.  To those of you who are not DIY'ers, I envy you!

This year has been the year of 'basement finishing' for Mr. G and myself.  We are so very lucky, in that we both are quite competent at all sorts of construction and finishing.  From electrical to tile, carpentry to design, we really can do it all.  While that SOUNDS great, it also stinks. Why?  Well, because we do it ALL.  How exhausting!!

Since we reside in Virginia, we've been making the 12-16 hour drive up to Maine (traffic-dependent) every two weeks, or thereabouts, to spend a long weekend working on the basement.  Don't get me wrong....we love doing it...but it can be a bit overwhelming.

The GOOD NEWS, however, is that we're within a hair's breath of being completely DONE!  Hallelujah!!!  We began this 'finishing trip' in February, literally walking construction supplies in (our road was impassable due to snow), in March (walking more supplies in, due to impassible road ~ deep mud this time), in April (yup, more mud)…..you get the idea.  So, being so close to the end is deeply exciting for us!

Allow me to regale you with a couple of our before and after photos (only a couple though because I can't give it all away yet!) and explanatory captions.

The Basement Bedroom:

The Basement Rec Room:

The Basement Half-Bathroom:

So there you have it.  Looking back, it doesn't seem like it should've taken so much time....but, finishing a 38'x48' basement is no walk in the park, let me tell  you.  We just hope that our present and future guests will enjoy this space as much as we do.  :).

​Happy DIY'ing!!

It's rental season!  We're so excited!  But, if you rent our amazing home, you will quickly discover that I am an over-thinker.  After spending MANY years renting beach houses, I've found that I have a few pet peeves.  Well, lots.  And, because of that/those, I have tried to think of everything, anything, all things, in order to make your stay at The 'G' Spot Maine as wonderful as possible.

To begin with, I can't stand an under-stocked kitchen.  Both Mr. G and I are avid cooks, so NOT having sufficient cooking pots, pans, utensils, drives us completely mad.  We hope that we've alleviated that problem in our home.  We have so, so much stuff....  :)

Uncomfortable beds & not enough pillows.  Rather self-explanatory.  Everyone wants a good night's sleep when they are on vacation.  Tossing & turning, trying to get comfortable all night, is such a drag.  We have lots of pillows, extra blankets, and all of our beds have thick mattress toppers to allow our guests to 'snuggle-in' and get a good, solid, comfy night's sleep.

Gross bathrooms!  Really yuck.  I've been in a few places where the bathrooms were so outdated, especially that old linoleum flooring.  You know what I'm talking about, don't you?  Our bathrooms have beautifully tiled floors, plenty of thick towels, and even self-closing toilets (in the 2 main floor bathrooms).  And all have great bathtubs.

Nothing to do on a rainy day.  While guests are really responsible for their own entertainment (myself included, when I rent beach homes), it's certainly helpful to have 'other' things to do.  We've provided TV's of course, and DVD players/movies, but we also have a good-size library of truly interesting, books, covering all sorts of Maine-based subjects.  Puzzles - quite a few.  Decks of cards, poker chips, a dartboard, chess & checkers.  Don't worry, we'll come up with more stuff.

Never enough plates/cups/dishes/seating for a large group of people.  Another super pet peeve of mine!  Don't say that your house will accommodate 12 people, then not have a supply of things to accommodate those same 12 people.  Ya know?  We have plenty of that stuff.  While the upstairs Great Room seats a good number of people, the basement offers a 2nd rec/living room area and a 2nd dining area.  We've also provided multiple fold-out banquet tables & camping chairs, so that you may take your group's dining outside, comfortably, if that's your druthers.

Noise.  While some people are OK with ambient noise, I'm not.  At least not on vacation, especially when paying for a peaceful getaway.  The 'G' Spot Maine is QUIET!  No cars racing up and down the road.  No shouting or screaming.  No loud music blaring at all hours of the day and night.  While it's impossible to prevent any/all noise pollution, I would say that our area is probably the least noisy of anywhere else that I have traveled.

Unfamiliarity with the area.  No one wants to spend their 'off' time searching for things to see & do.  Besides our Airbnb Guidebook, we have also provided an Information Book at the house.  It's rather jam-packed, I'll have to admit, but I'd rather provide more information, than less.  We have listed phone numbers (emergency & non), tourist attractions, restaurants, shopping, as well as pertinent information regarding the house itself.   For example, where the users manuals are stored (in case you are a bit perplexed by one of the appliances), where the fire extinguishers are located, how the programmable lights & fans work, &c., &c.  If you look at our Information Book and think, 'good gosh, look at all of this information!'...….well, isn't that what an 'information' book is all about??  C'mon now.

Feeling like cattle being pushed in, then pulled back out, for a week.  Has that ever happened to you?  It's such an impersonal thing.  Like you're completely anonymous ~ just get in and get out.  We would NEVER do that!  Every renter is special to us.  So much so that we've 'over-thought' ways to allow our guests to 'own' their week at The 'G' Spot Maine. 
​For example, the kids.  No matter their age, if they are staying up in the loft 'bunkroom', they can 'claim the space'.  We've devised something special, keeping with the loft's 'Sea & Air' theme to allow the kids to make the space their own for that week.  No, I'm not going to tell you what it is!  That would ruin the surprise. 
The other special thing is our thank you for our returning guests.   If you book again for the following year, we'll make a decorative buoy, with your family name on it, to be permanently displayed at The 'G' Spot Maine.  It's our little way of saying 'thank you' and allowing our guests to 'claim' their part of our history.

So what irritates you on vacation?  Don't be shy.  Speak up.  Let me know.  Because I appreciate input, especially if that input provides insight and allows us to better accommodate our guests.  So, thanks in advance!  My over-thinking brain thanks you too.  :)

And Happy Spring!!!      

Now that the last remnants of Winter are leaving DownEast Coastal Maine (finally!!!), we have turned our attention to the task of finishing the basement.  The past few weeks have been rather frustrating, in that we've not been able to make it down our road (in our truck) due to snow, so we've had to walk the half-mile to the house.  Great exercise, but not the best way to haul-in construction supplies.

Mr. G and I are extremely excited about the basement, however, as it will be designed to look like an 'old cabin' in the woods, reminiscent of something that you'd see in an old horror movie perhaps (but nicer & certainly not as deadly), yet with a very Maine-ish twist.  Fish(ing), moose, black bear, deer, wooden logs, duck decoys, & plaid (of course) all make prominent design appearances in the space.  Tall vintage doors (some 100+ years old) will be converted into sliding barn doors, just because we like the look.  

The 48-foot long basement houses a rec room, queen bedroom, separate dining area, a half bath, and a bar.  Plenty of space for a whole family, really, as the rec room offers additional sleeping in the form of a queen-size sleep sofa.  Darts, cards/poker, & the Vermont Castings stove help to make it a really nice place to simply hang out.  Just outside the basement doors will be an outdoor shower and dog washing station and, believe me, when the weather gets HOT, that outdoor shower is HEAVEN!

Besides the basement, we hope to begin work on our petite guest cottage this year as well.  Certainly, we won't have a construction crew on-site when rental guests are present, but we hope to have the guest cottage completed, fully decorated, & ready for guests by next Spring.

As always, we'll post photos as we progress!  Stay tuned!

Since construction was just completed in October/November 2018, this Winter has been our first chance (ever) to experience 'cold weather' time at The 'G' Spot Maine.  Frankly, we loved it!  Deer (seven does) walked right in front of the house (we watched them from the basement sliders).  Quietly watching the snow fall from the upstairs sliders was breathtaking.  Sipping coffee in the mornings, in-front of the 'roaring' fire (from the gas stove) was soooo soothing and relaxing.... 

While The 'G' Spot Maine will not be a cold/snowy season rental (May through October only), it's certainly worth noting that Maine is an amazing place in ALL SEASONS.

Not that anyone would ask, but...why were we there?  To get our satellite WiFi installed, as well as the landline (phone) and our DirectTV.  Pretty important stuff!!  We also began completion of the interior basement, which we will be working on over the next couple of months (hence why our rental season doesn't begin until August of this year).  Of course, I'll share progressive photos, but in the meantime, please enjoy photos from  February (Valentine's Day weekend) 2019 below.

If you're still 'on the fence' when it comes to a Maine vacation, please check-out our Airbnb listing, scroll towards the bottom of the listing page, and click on 'Terri & Tim's Guidebook' to see some of the amazing adventures and fun places to visit/see/experience in DownEast Maine!

In the meantime, WISH FOR SPRING!!  :)

Now that we've come to the end of the traveling year, Mr. G and I are so sad to have to close-up our Maine house.  It seems as though it was just completed (well, it was) and officially became 'ours' ('cuz it did).  Tragic is the only word that could possibly describe the thought of not being able to enjoy 'The Spot' for another five months.  FIVE MONTHS!  That's outrageous!  Nauseating, really.  We will SO MISS this wonderful slice of Maine.

Isn't it funny (oddly, not humorously) how you can become so smitten with a place?  Has that ever happened to you?  When I first traveled to San Francisco, I was utterly enthralled with the area.  Completely loved it.  Then we took a road trip up to Northern California (close to the Oregon line) and I nearly hyperventilated ~ the views!  So gorgeous! 

​Our next trip was to Austin Texas.  Wowzers!  Not at all what I had imagined and I absolutely needed someone to find my fallen jaw.  Just beautiful!

No place, however, has matched or surpassed the intense beauty of the DownEast Maine coastline.  No Where.  No How.

Below are a few photos that I snapped at Acadia National Park, in mid-November, in 30 degree temps!  Cold, but breathtaking.

So truly....I'll say it again....if you've never been to Maine, GO!  It should be a must-see on everyone's bucket list.  DownEast Maine especially (bold, rocky coastline).  Extremely friendly people.  Jaw-dropping views around every corner.  Raw, unspoiled beauty.  One of the last remnants, other than perhaps Alaska or parts of the upper mid-West, where you are able to see what our wonderous America must've looked like hundreds of years ago.  :)

Which brings me to the 'exciting' part!  Next year, next Summer, our home will be open to guests as a vacation rental.  We couldn't be more excited about that!  We are so looking forward to sharing our slice of Maine with others!  No kidding.  I'm in the process now of getting The 'G' Spot Maine's listing up on the web and ready for pre-booking.  Pretty darn cool, if I do say so myself.

We hope to see you next year!

Not to belittle anyone, but if you don't know what 'frenetic' means, here's the definition:
fre·net·ic
[frəˈnedik]
ADJECTIVE

1. fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way.
   "a frenetic pace of activity"
   synonyms:
   frantic . wild . frenzied . hectic . fraught . feverish . fevered . mad . manic . hyperactive . energetic . intense . fast and furious . turbulent . tumultuous . confused

Like most of you, I appreciate my internet, my connectivity.  Good gosh, when I think back to my childhood, when we had NO social media (don't get me started on that), I honestly miss it (my childhood, not social media).  I am sad that my youngest children will never know life without instantaneous connectivity.  Surely, my grandchildren (some day) will be even more technologically savvy and hooked.  For better or for worse.

After living that crazy, must-be-connected life, and working in it as well, we've come to FULLY appreciate the lack of connectivity that The 'G' Spot provides.  Don't freak out, you can still use your phone, most days, but there is NO Wi-Fi at the present time.  We soooooo enjoy that.  The disconnect.  The possibility to defrag, if you will.  It's invaluable.  Don't knock it until you've tried it.

When was the last time that you (yes, YOU) did NOT check your phone and simply watched a movie, completely uninterrupted?  Or sat in a bubbling whirlpool bath without listening to endless pinging?  Or had an actual conversation with someone, face-to-face?  Better yet, how about playing a game, or putting-together a puzzle, with your family??

If you think that these ^ things sound mundane or boring, then you probably really need to get away.  At the very least, you probably should never rent our house. 

In this day and age, there are thousands, tens of thousands, of places to go (or stay) to get lost in the crowd, or to party until all hours of the night, or drink yourself into a stupor at some wild club.  Sadly, however, there are very few places where you may completely relax and unwind (although, certainly you could still drink yourself into a stupor if you so desired).  Where there are no expectations of you.  You don't have to set an alarm.  You don't have to 'check in' (and can legitimately use the excuse that you really truly 'cannot') ~ ha ha ~ that's right, blame it on us!

Being the magnanimous & selfless people that we are, Mr. G and I, have painstakingly constructed our home just for you!  For your mental clarity, for your family's memories, for your regenerated souls.  Wow, we're pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.  :P

You're welcome!!  :D

After all of the months (well, years) of agonizing over this home construction project, as a whole, it's done.  Complete.  Finished.  Wow...pinch me.

We've begun moving furniture into the house, whilst trying to sort out what will go where.  We're so excited to have FINALLY gotten to this point, but also a bit freaked-out, as there's just so much to do to get the interior as 'finished' as the exterior.  Ha!

During the construction phase, we watched, applauded, bemoaned, agonized, stressed over (and were so thankful for/to) others for their skills and talents. But now, during this decorating phase, it's all on us...….US!  If we succeed, fail, laugh, or cry, it's our own darn fault.  Good gosh, that's wicked pressure!!!
On top of that, we're also constantly trying to think ahead to what future renters would want to see, have, use, enjoy.  We want everyone who visits our 'spot' to love it as much as we do, obviously.

So, a  bit of a history lesson:  I was an avid OBX (Outer Banks of North Carolina) girl for decades.  My Jeep even had an OBX-themed license plate.  As far as that particular sandbar is concerned, you name it & I've probably rented it or stayed there.  Now, certainly the OBX is not Maine.  Nowhere NEAR.  Totally different atmospheres, topography, water (temperatures!), crowds, &c., &c.  Why am I mentioning this?  Well, what my previous, lengthy OBX vacation rental life has afforded me is a crystal-clear view of what I loved (and loathed) about the various rental homes and hotel/motel rooms over the years.

What makes it or breaks it for you?   For me, it's an unclean house, hands down.  No worries there.  But, other than that, it's having skimpy or worn-out supplies at-hand.  Like kitchen utensils and pots/pans.  Since both my husband and I love to cook, a properly-stocked kitchen is a must-have, even on a vacation.  Rest assured, my fellow home cooks & grill-masters, that we have supplied our 'G' kitchen with all sorts of useful and helpful cooking supplies.  Perhaps some obscure ones, too (like grapefruit spoons & cake testers).  We hope that, when you stay at our 'spot', you'll find our kitchen, and our home, to be in order and exactly what you need.

The downside of the OBX for me was the ever-present traffic and crowds.  If you feel likewise, then rest assured that you will not have that problem at The 'G' Spot!  We are far, far away from the maddening crowd.  :)
A huge plus in my mind because, for me, when you have spent years vacationing and doing all of the family-and-kids busy beach & boardwalk stuff, you get to a point where you just need some quiet time. Right? 
We have that.  Lots of it.  We have 'stuff', too.  Things to do to keep busy.  But at the beginning and the end of the day, we offer that de-stressing downtime that seems to be so in-demand, yet always so elusive.

As I've said many times, probably ad nauseum, if you've been to Maine before, or especially if you've never been, DO come visit our 'spot' and stay awhile.  We'd be so happy to share our little slice of heaven with you! 

​P.S. ~ Oh, and as for the kitchen, we've provided numerous Maine recipe books, including our own 'G Spot' recipe book, with some of our personal favorites (and even a few dog treat recipes).  :D

It's been awhile since my last blog.  My apologies.  We've been so caught-up with trying to get The 'G' Spot set/built.  What a tedious process!!  But, we're nearly there.  Nearly.

If you'd like to see how modular homes are set (at least ours anyway), please check-out our new YouTube channel ~ THE G SPOT MAINE.
You may also click-thru to the Photo Tour page to look at the progressive construction photos & watch some of the 'set' videos.

All-in-all, seeing our new home 'set' into place was one of the most fascinating things that I have watched.  Perhaps more so because it's OUR home, I know, but still...  Within approximately seven (7) hours, we had a home.  Mind you, it took MONTHS of prep-work beforehand, but the culmination of those months of design tweaking & re-tweaking climaxed in seven quick hours.  Awesome. 
If I were a smoker, I would've asked for a cigarette... Ha ha!

While this construction process has had many frustrating 'issues', we've recently had the pleasure to work with some exemplary people!  I have no qualms about promoting quality people or businesses, so I have two of them to mention (hopefully to help others who are trying to find quality tradesmen in the area).

First, our crane operator, Bob (the Snowman) from Keeley Crane Service out of Portland Maine.  AMAZING work!!  Watch the videos and you'll see for yourself just how skilled this man is.  Wowzers.
Secondly, our set/construction crew via Rob MacLeod and Highland Builders out of Harrington Maine.  Again, AH-MAZING!  I don't think that we ever saw these guys take a break.  They were always working, cleaning-up, doing something! 
HUGE KUDOS. <-- and that doesn't even come close to how ginormously pleased we are.

If you read these blogs, thank you.  If not, I'm ok with that, too.  ;)

Just last week I launched our official The 'G' Spot Facebook & Instagram pages!  Well, don't scoff, everyone knows that if it's not on social media, it's simply not REAL.  Correct?  

​But do you know what I noticed immediately after launching the pages?  I have a ridiculous amount of photos on my phone.  Seriously ridiculous.  Therefore, I have a great need to purge those photos all over social media (which I have begun doing and it feels ggggggreat!).

​But you may ask, 'why launch social media platforms so soon', Mrs. G?  The house won't even be ready until next year.  Yes, it's true, but we want people to see the process & progress.  See how raw, pristine, & addictive coastal Maine is, especially our little town of Milbridge.  Mostly, though, we want people to feel an affinity for The 'G' Spot ~ to feel as though you have already become acquainted with, 'properly introduced' to, the area, the house, the woods & the water ~ and are anxiously awaiting a vacation trip up.

​Now, I realize that there are other vacation homes up and down the coast of Maine, all equally as, if not more, lovely.  Some are perched high atop granite cliffs, others are tucked away in cozy, boat-filled harbors.  To be perfectly honest, there's really no bad place to be in Maine, especially if you're on the water.  Whether you come visit us at The 'G' Spot, or another home in another town, we really want you to getaway to Maine and see what you've been missing (if you've never been) or to remind you of deliciously relaxing Maine vacay life.