Travel Photos 24

  • Home
  • Real Estate
  • Home & More
  • Uncategorized
  • Contact

My Favorite Pastime – Home Improvement

Angelo P. June 20, 2016 Home & More
Home-Improvement-Pastime

DIYI do a lot of home improvement. I’m not the type of person who calls someone every time an appliance breaks or when something needs to be installed. Instead, I try to do almost everything on my own. When it comes to me and my home, Do-It-Yourself is the name of the game. Most of the time, you can end up saving a few dollars doing things on your own. Only, there are two parts to doing any home improvement project on your own.

First, you have to make sure that you really know what you’re doing, which is why I carry out extensive research before I even start to pick up my toolkit. Whether you’re replacing some floors or you’re installing some new gutters, make sure that you’re familiar with all of the common issues people run into while completing your particular home project. Utilize the internet, friends, and family to discover any tips and tricks about your home project. You may find that someone you know has experience in that particular project. Either way, the last thing you want is to hit a roadblock because of a common, easily fixable problem. Make sure you know what you’re doing before you potentially ruin part of your home.

ToolsSecond, you have to make sure that you have the right tools for your project. Good quality materials are an important part of any DIY project. If you’re doing something yourself, chances are that you’re trying to save a little bit of money. If your DIY project ends up taking a turn for the worst due to bad materials and shoddy toolwork, you don’t want to have to pay double what it might’ve cost you to get it fixed. So when you’re shopping for tools, make sure that you don’t skimp on even the smaller pieces. The littlest pieces in your DIY project can end up being the most important.

Shopping for ToolsWhen you’re shopping for tools, it’s important to look for a company who has your interests in mind. Whether it’s flooring or wall installations, you want to make sure your company is the right one for the job. While you’re at your local hardware store or shopping online, make sure you get into contact with someone who can direct you towards tools that are both good quality and friendly towards the do-it-yourself crowd. Remember to always work with the best materials you can and consult multiple people on the intricacies of your project; getting several opinions is a good tip for making your DIY project go as smoothly as possible.

For me, that company ended up being National Tool Supply. They helped me with every part of my project, even on the little bits and pieces of things. When I work on my home improvement projects, I tend to buy most of my tools from them. So if you’re in the market to start fixing any part of your home, I’d recommend following my tips and working on gathering the right materials and the right research for your project.

Time to Remodel

Angelo P. June 17, 2016 Home & More
Time to Remodel

Home RemodelingEver since I was a little kid, I’ve been dreaming of a home that’s entirely my own. From the ins and outs of the showers to the landscaped lawn, I’ve imagined up almost every bit of the house. As I grew up, I watched my parents set to work on making our own home the paradise that they’d always dreamed of, too. I watched as they updated our home to keep up with the times: at one point, our outdated 1970s-style wood paneling was even replaced by bright ivory walls. Like a lot of people, I’ve always wanted to create a home that’s completely and truly of my own creation. That’s why I decided to build my own home from the ground up.

I built my home in late 2012, taking advantage of the low prices of a cheap lot a few miles away from my workplace. I ordered it to be totally customizable with the hopes that I’d eventually have a place of my own. After all, why else build a house if not to make it exactly as you want it? After about a year of planning, gathering materials, and construction, my new house was built and was completely of my own creation. I couldn’t have been happier with the state of how things turned out.

Sunroom AdditionBut like my parents, I eventually found that I wanted to remodel a few things as the years passed. Along with being fully customized, I wanted to have a house that could be updated as was necessary. Soon enough, sunrooms became popular and really, I saw the appeal of them. It would be nice to recline in the shade and away from the bugs while still enjoying the outdoors. I was quick to stay on top of this trend by calling a local remodeling company. While I can do-it-yourself with the best of them, there are some projects that are better left to the professionals. I sat down with the best remodeling company I could find and planned the ins and outs of the sunroom addition. Before long, we had a plan that everyone was comfortable with.

Home Improvement & ConstructionI was shocked at how quick the sunroom construction was. I anticipated having to look at a swath of construction around my house for at least a year, but it only took about the span of 12 weeks. 12 weeks was a small price to pay for something that I have ended up using every day. Say what you will about trends coming and going, but this is a trend that I can definitely get behind. After all, a sunroom is a great place to relax after a long day. It’s also a great place to hang out; I know it’s made quite the popular party location come the summer months.

If you’re like me and you want to create the house of your childhood dreams, I’d recommend getting a great remodeling company like M Daigle & Sons’ business card. As the years change, your dream home is going to change with it and you’re going to want to be on top of the ins and outs of it. Whether you think you’re going to be remodeling a home you’re about to buy or if you’re thinking ahead, make sure you keep a remodeling company in mind. With a construction company on your side, you can create a truly great place to live.

Rental Trucks from Tom Nehl Save the Day

Angelo P. June 16, 2016 Rainy Days
Rental-trucks

Nobody wants to imagine the worst when it comes to their small business. When it comes to my business, the thought of a major catastrophe makes me sick to my stomach. When you own a shipping business, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Weather conditions can completely halt your operations, workers can be hard to come by, and even vehicle accidents can happen. Basically, a lot can go wrong and as much as you dread it, something going wrong is ultimately inevitable.  In late 2012, the unimaginable happened to my small business: complete and total theft of almost all of my shipping business’ trucks.

TheftYou can imagine how devastating that was, both for my business and for me as a business owner. I instantly began panicking at the loss of profit and, worse, the fact that I would probably have to close my business due to the loss. I cringed at the idea of having to face all of my employees and tell them that they were going to lose their jobs, especially over something like a major theft. By closing the business, it seemed like I was just letting the thieves win but there didn’t seem like there was any other option. I prepared myself to tell everyone the worst news that I could’ve ever imagined: the business was closing.

Line of trucksThen, one of my employees suggested something: rental trucks. If the financial side of things worked out, why not take advantage of a good rental truck company? If we could get enough commercial trucks on our side, we wouldn’t have to sacrifice absolutely everything. Instead, we might be able to make ends meet with a rental company who was willing to work with us. Thankfully for me, my employees, and my small business, we sat down and did the math. While we certainly wouldn’t be making much profit this month, we definitely would’ve been able to sustain ourselves on rental trucks until we were able to buy brand new trucks on our own.

Rainy DaysWithin the week, we had a swath of rented trucks and happy customers. They didn’t lose any of their shipped products and we didn’t lose their faith in us. Thanks to a good rental company, my small business was saved. Although we were just barely holding our heads above water for a time, we managed to put ourselves in a position where we could uphold our company. Not two weeks into our rental, our stolen trucks were recovered and we ended up spending much less money on the whole truck catastrophe in the first place. However, I know we couldn’t have done it without our rental trucks. Our medium duty trucks kept everyone from panicking over the whole situation, including myself!

If you’re a company who relies on trucks to operate, you may want to consider having a good rental truck company on your side. You never know when a truck might break down or, worse even, you might end up with a stolen truck. For those worst-case scenarios, it’s always good to be prepared. Consider contacting a rental company like Tom Nehl Truck Company for those rainy days.

The Locked-Out Blues

Angelo P. June 13, 2016 Miami
Locked Out Blues

Busy ScheduleLast August, I managed to lock myself out of the house. Stupid, I know, but it was a huge day for me. With my schedule jam-packed with meetings, evaluations, and other kinds of expectations, there was so much that I had to do in order to make it through the day. It seemed like five o’clock would never come. Only, when it finally did roll around, I drove home to find that I’d locked myself out. All I wanted was to settle down with a cold drink in the air conditioning, especially considering what a hot summer day it was. However, I was stuck outside my home without any kind of relief from the high temperatures.

What do you do?

DIYSo, what do you do when you find yourself locked outside of your home? I knew that the rest of my family wouldn’t be home for hours, leaving me stranded just outside the front door. For me, there was only one option to rescue myself from the heat: calling a locksmith. Now, I’m a person who likes to DIY almost everything. When I bought my house, I remodeled almost everything completely by myself: the kitchen, the floor, and even the bathroom were all things that I did with my own two hands. Unfortunately, there are just some situations that you cannot DIY yourself out of, especially when your tools are locked away in a separate room!

I’ll be the first to admit that finding a good locksmith was a little difficult. I sat in my car and ran a few searches on my phone, trying to find the best, quickest residential locksmith in my area. Although a lot of them claimed to have great response times, not all of them were open past five. Some of them also had outrageous prices, leaving me to scroll through window after window in an attempt to find an affordable locksmith that worked for me. After a few minutes of looking, I eventually found a 24-hour locksmith that offered emergency lockout assignments at good prices. Within seconds of placing a phone call, they had someone on their way to my location.

The Hottest Summers of Your Life

Hot SummersTo my surprise, they only took about ten minutes to get there! I was so grateful when they arrived quickly; after all, August in Miami is no joke. People have been known to die of heat stroke from being locked outside their homes and cars, and I wasn’t exactly keen on being one of them. Thankfully for me, the locksmith service arrived in a timely fashion and quickly began to unlock my home for me. After a little time, the technician managed to get my front door open with ease. I could’ve jumped for joy when the air conditioning hit my face! Cold air in Miami August is something that anyone could write songs about.

So if you happen to find yourself locked out this summer, I would recommend looking into a locksmith company as soon as you can. Once that locksmith arrives, you’ll be singing their praises as they unlock your door. If you have a great experience, you might also be able to have the same company handle any of your future lock needs. Need a lock installation or just a few locks rekeyed? What better company to use than one you’ve worked with before? At least for me, I know that i’ll be calling The Miami locksmith company for any of my future lockouts.

Extending A Big Day

Angelo P. June 09, 2016 Summer
Extending a Big Day

toonvectors-19154-140They always say that you shouldn’t expect everything to go perfectly on your wedding day. When it came to planning my wedding, I tried not to let the little things get to me. However, one bad haircut, not a week before my wedding day left me nearly in tears! I was absolutely panicking. I imagined myself in my wedding pictures, immortalized forever with this terrible haircut! It seemed like all was lost and that I was just going to have to deal with an uneven, choppy haircut on my wedding day. Although it seems silly now, I couldn’t help but worry, worry, worry!

Bright-IdeaThankfully, one of my bridesmaids had an idea: hair extensions. This bright idea was definitely something that I jumped after. After all, it was the only way to make me feel more at home in my own skin during my wedding day. With my bridesmaid in tow, we placed a call to my local hair salon and made an appointment as soon as we could. Once the day arrived, we quickly ventured down to my hair stylist and asked her if she could work in hair extensions into my already-ruined hair. I already felt ridiculous with my uneven hair; you can imagine how ridiculous I felt sitting in that salon chair!

My stylist stood at my chair and matched my hair to several different kinds of extensions, from clip-ins to tape-ins. See the differences by clicking here. She explained the benefits of each kind of extension type along with the negatives so that I could decide which would work best. Together, we came up with a plan that would work for me on my wedding day and beyond. I ended up asking her to use glue-in extensions all along my crown. On the day itself, the extensions could be curled and pinned into the updo that I had initially asked for. Thanks to a great hairstylist with quality extensions, I felt much more confident going into the appointment itself a week later.

Clip In Hair ExtensionsAt that appointment, the hair extensions were glued-in and cut so that they were blended with my own hair. I ended up with something that was not only acceptable, but it looked great, and I felt great. As my stylist installed the hair pieces, she explained exactly how to care for them and how long they would last. They were good quality extensions, she said; she’d gotten them from a new company called Aqua Hair Extensions, and they’d ended up working great on all prior clients. Thanks to her and that great hair extension company, my wedding day ended up going smoothly.

So if you’ve got a big event coming up and need to look your best, consider looking into hair extensions. They might end up making a little difference that goes a long way. I know they did for me. I couldn’t have been more grateful for my hair extensions and have used them ever since! I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for that little extra oomph in their hair on their big day.

Finn & Summer Fun

Angelo P. June 05, 2016 Miami, Summer
Summer-Fun

FinnAnyone who knows me knows that I don’t go anywhere without my dog. Finn is my best friend and my partner-and-crime; he and I rarely leave each other’s sight. When I travel, he’s part of the vacation. When I set off for a little corner of paradise, Finn is right there alongside me. The travel carrier and him have become great friends over these past few years, especially since I’ve made Miami my new home away from home. I just love the sun and surf and I couldn’t imagine having so much fun without him at my side!

Traveling with a pet means making special accommodations. After all, plane trips with a pet can get a little hectic. But after doing it so many times, I can proudly say that I’m an experienced aficionado in anything and everything concerning pet traveling. If you just follow the recommended guidelines for your airline’s pet accommodations, you should be just fine. When it comes to traveling with a pet, the real kicker is in finding the right hotel. After so many trips south, north, west, east, B18and every direction in between, I can tell you that finding a good hotel for your pet is probably the most important part of your vacation. The right hotel for your pet can be hard to find but with my tips, you won’t have to worry about anything.

For me, the right hotel in Miami ended up being Hotel Boutique 18. Hotel Boutique 18 isn’t specifically a pet hotel, but they do make specific accommodations for those who travel with French bulldogs or tomcats alike! What’s more, they also take care to make sure both their human and animal companions alike are taken care of. Although I always want my animal counterpart to be kept safe and happy, that doesn’t mean I’ll put my own needs aside in order to accommodate him. It ended up having all the things I wanted as well as the pet aspect – including a close distance to a dog beach that I could take him to whenever I pleased.

Great Restaurants in MiamiI also like a little nightlife and some great restaurants in my travels and for those things, Miami is great. I can spend my days eating some of the best food the city has to offer and spend my nights dancing away. When I come home, I can settle down with one of the flat-screen TVs that my hotel provides and cuddle up with Finn at the end of the night. After all, what else are vacations for than relaxing? In the morning, I know that Finn and I can spend the early-bird hours on the dog beach with a frisbee and the ocean.

So when it comes to your travels, you don’t have to leave your pet behind. Just follow my tips and tricks for finding the right hotel and you’ll be just fine. Once you find a hotel that works for you, the rest of your pet-filled vacation is smooth sailing! Get ready to have the time of your life on your vacation without leaving one of the most important family members behind.

Building New Memories

Angelo P. June 03, 2016 Home Building, Real Estate
Building-New-Memories

Flipping Real EstateLike a lot of people, I’m always looking for ways to make a little extra money. I’ve started online stores and I’ve sold things that I don’t use anymore but these days, I’ve turned to flipping homes for a little extra cash. While it isn’t always the easiest sidejob in the world, it definitely has its benefits. I like being able to create a great place to live out of a previously outdated, dilapidated, or otherwise unacceptable home. When I finally sell the house, I know that I’m giving someone a home that I put my heart and soul into. After all, I do the majority of the home improvement projects with my own two hands. I flip homes not only because it brings me more money, but because home improvement is truly something I’m passionate about.

However, when I saw that there was a cheap lot of land near a great metropolitan area, I thought it was a great opportunity to create a home. It was close to a mall, a grocery store, and everything else you might want in your home location. It was a great place to raise a family. But while I’m great at improving both the interior and the exterior of a home, I can’t exactly create a home from the bare-bones and up. So when I bought this lot, I immediately looked for a company that would build a home that I thought my sidejob could benefit from.

Building a Home from Scratch

Building a Home from ScratchFlipping homes is easy, but building a home from scratch is another job entirely. As handy as I am, I know very little about building a home from the ground up. However, I eventually found a homebuilding company that would help me build a predesigned home that I could improve upon. With the help of Adams Homes, I managed to build a home that was a great skeleton for me to work on. After about eight months, I had the building itself completed. After a year, the home was finally something that I could put on the market.

I installed a whole new kitchen complete with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, new hardwood floors, and even remodeled the two bathrooms so that I could have something that was worth the price I wanted. After a couple of weeks on the market, my flipped home eventually sold. My buyers were happy to have something that was completely, totally brand new and I was happy to have given someone a brand new place to live.

Your New Lot, Your New Home

empty lot for your new homeIf you’re experienced in flipping homes, I would definitely recommend looking into a company that can build you a home on your own lot. Depending on your location, pieces of land can be a lot cheaper than you might anticipate. Building a home on a new lot might even end up being more profitable than buying a home to flip! I would also recommend Adams Homes to anyone looking to build a home in the Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or even Tennessee area. If your experience is as great as mine was, you’ll be looking into buying cheap lots alongside your home flipping.

Work Hard, Play Hard

Angelo P. May 31, 2016 Miami, Real Estate
WorkHardPlayHard

Character TraitsAs someone who started working at the age of fourteen, I can appreciate hard work and dedication when I see it. I consider work ethic to be one of the key indicators of a person’s character. If someone doesn’t work hard, they probably aren’t someone I’m going to get along with. Whether that hard work and dedication is obvious when a person speaks or by the way a person handles their items, I can tell when someone has come far in their lifetime. I can appreciate a hard worker. I can also appreciate someone who chooses to display their hard work in the form of their things: particularly, in their homes.

Moving to Miami

MiamiWhen I moved from Boston to Miami, you better believe that I was looking for a home that would become the fruit of my labor. I wanted something that I could come home to at the end of the day and feel like I’d really been able to create a place that was completely mine. When I was a kid, I shared a room with my brother and never really had a space of my own. Now, I wanted to have a place that I could really call my own. At the end of the day, I wanted to be excited to come home from work. After all, I could settle down into a place where everything was just to my liking.

You could say that I was a little picky when it came to my real estate in Miami. Before leaving my sleepy little burg of Boston and moving down to the greater metropolitan area, I made sure to scope out the area beforehand. I ran countless Google searches, asked everyone I knew, and checked every review I could find. I made sure that this was really a place I wanted to call home. I made sure that the area was safe, I made sure that there were things to do in the area, and I even made sure that there was a dedicated area for evacuation in case of a serious hurricane. I was particular about every part of my potential move.

Why I Chose Sunny Isles

Sunny-Isles-Real-EstateI ended up checking off every bullet point on my laundry-list of requirements in Sunny Isles. Sunny Isles is an island just off Florida’s eastern shore, known for its sandy beaches and endless sunny days. True to its character, it seemed like the perfect place to live. Almost immediately, I contacted a local real estate agent in order to figure out how to make my Sunny Isles dream condo a reality. I sat down with an agent from Brosda & Bentley realtors as soon as I could and I went through several properties that I absolutely loved. The best of them ended up being a beachside condominium that had all the bells and whistles I wanted. After a tour and a bit of paperwork, I was happy to call that condominium mine.

So, my hard work and dedication all paid off in the end. I ended up in a place that I could really call my home. Now, I wake up in the mornings to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the call of the seagulls. If you’re looking to create a home that is nothing but yours, I would recommend contacting Brosda & Bentley realtors in order to make your dreams a reality.

My First Post

Angelo P. May 27, 2016 Uncategorized
Slide01

Howdy, I’m Angelo Portokalos. I started off my career as children’s photographer. It began when my wife Maria gave birth to our beautiful, newly born daughter, Angela. I began taking photographs of her and posting it to my personal photography blog on Tumblr. I found that I truly enjoyed photographing her and many of my friends on Facebook and Tumblr followers enjoyed them. I soon began getting offers from some of my friends to photograph their children as well. The photography was fun for a while, but I decided that it wasn’t for me after taking so many photos of children with their parents whispering in my ear that they wanted their child to look like so and so.

So, I did what any sane person would do and changed careers: 1) because I wanted to be able to better my income, and 2) because I wanted to have a steady income. I moved back into accounting and began working for a travel agency. I worked there for 10 years, while I worked on my photography as more of a hobby than a career. I still partook in being the photographer for my friends who were getting married. I also did that as a side project to make a little extra money for Angela’s college fund. But, I soon found that accounting was no longer what I wanted to be doing. I decided to finally make the jump as a fully-fledged photographer with my wife, Maria, taking the role of primary breadwinner.

Because I was a part of the travel agency for so long, I knew what I wanted to do most was to get out of the office. So, I became a flight attendant and decided to make use of my free time to photograph everything that I possibly could while away from my family. Yes, that was the most difficult part. Being away from Angela and Maria for long durations. But, I had to do what I needed to do because I couldn’t stand being miserable in the office any more and it was taking its toll on my personal life. After 3 years as a flight attendant, I have been wholly happy. It has been a great opportunity for me to get the chance to take Maria and Angela traveling with me so that we can enjoy the rest of the world together. I want Angela to be more cultured, and she has loved every moment of traveling. So, if you find that you need a photographer and want me to take photos for you, or if you would like to purchase some of my photography please let me know and we can arrange a meeting.

Recent Posts

  • Home-Improvement-Pastime
    My Favorite Pastime – Home Improvement
  • Time to Remodel
    Time to Remodel
  • Rental-trucks
    Rental Trucks from Tom Nehl Save the Day
  • Locked Out Blues
    The Locked-Out Blues

Archives

  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Home & More
  • Home Building
  • Miami
  • Rainy Days
  • Real Estate
  • Summer
  • Uncategorized
© 2016 Travel Photos 24. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy