The Home Page | Have a Merry, Berry Weekend

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on November 19, 2023. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

So I threatened to mark this holiday weekend newsletter with just a photo of Scout, but a couple of extra treats hit my desk this week that I wanted to share. First up: I got an inside look at the adorable 1918 Craftsman cottage at 417 Donze Avenue that I mentioned in last week’s newsletter. It’s red and green — apropos to the season — and cute all over. I visited on Friday in the aftermath of our super-storm the day prior, and it was showing off in dramatic style:

It was the message on the front doorstep tile mosaic, shown above, that made me pause and smile. My house got hit hard on Thursday, and I’ll be cleaning up for awhile, but there’s so much to pause and be grateful for. ’Tis the season.

Next up: Etsy announced their color of the year for 2024, and its BERRY! In addition to the Belgian waffle that I enjoyed at Lilac last week — gluten-free, so it must be good for me, right?! — that was drowning in berries, I just love that Etsy’s color choice is so in tune with the season. And who doesn’t love a dressed-up color that’s in between the bold reds and the precious pinks? Bring on the rosy richness of berry! And while you’re enjoying Etsy’s berry-licious offerings, scroll down for some fun categories like “Romancecore” and “Denim Decor” plus my favorite:

…This article about the best wallpapers to deck your walls! Keeping it all in the spirit of the ho-ho-holidays.

For the Scout fans out there, I leave you with this sweet berry-colored sight from one year ago today. You’re welcome. In late December 2022 I came down with COVID, quickly changed my holiday plans, and spent a week cooking soup, enjoying the sparkling Christmas lights in my neighborhood, and spending extra quality time with my four-legged sidekick. Christmas vacation wasn’t what I had expected, and I didn’t get to see my kids as planned, but it all worked out just fine. No matter what your holidays hold, may you enjoy the bright side of the season and find the magic. Pick up this week’s Independent for our annual Year in Pictures issue, with treasures from front to back. Happy Holidays to all!