Presenting

S ummertime in Florida, an annual tradition for many, another day at the office for some. As I finish up this issue on a sunny summer day, my mind wanders to the many excursions planned with my children for our summer vacation. The mecca of kid fun, also known as Orlando, will certainly be on our itinerary as well as boat rides, beach days and lots of ice cream. But, my favorite moments will undoubtedly be the lazy hours by the pool, just us playing games and floating around. To me it's often the non-eventful days in life that can mean the most. In this issue, The Great Outdoors explores design trends for creating your own backyard paradise for those non-eventful memorable moments. We also feature some fantastic vacation destinations, Useppa, Sanibel and Captiva Islands. These islands off the coast of Florida all offer a unique flair and intriguing histories. We visited the fabulous Avila Golf and Country Club where many of the grand homes remind me of the Southern architecture of my hometown, Atlanta. I also visited the luxurious hotel, Inn on 5th, and enjoyed an interesting conversation with Naples broker, Eben Moran. An exciting new project in development on the Southwest coast of Florida graces our cover this issue. Sansara is an exceptional new condominium building slated to begin construction this Fall in downtown Sarasota. High on the list of perks of living in Southwest Florida is our close proximity to fun places and exotic destinations. You don't need a plane ticket or the patience required for cross-country travel, just hop in the car and within a couple of hours you will find yourself in the middle of Walt's imagination or on an isolated gorgeous island. But in the end, Sangrias by the pool sound really nice, after all, there is no place like home, especially when home is centrally located in paradise. WELCOME from the Publisher 10 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE Jules Lewis Gibson Publisher & Editor In Chief

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