December 2023 Newsletter

KATE CONWAY, REALTOR

CAPE COD FESTIVALS We have created the ultimate holiday festival tour.

WALLPAPER LOVE Wallpaper has made a comeback and it’s a bold new world of color!

5 WAYS TO BRING DOWN YOUR MORTGAGE RATE 5 top tips to bringing down your rate for a new home mortgage.

A FULL CALENDAR CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.CAPECODCHAMBER.ORG/EVENTS/FEATUREDEVENTS/CHRISTMAS-ON-CAPE-COD

CAPE COD HOLIDAY FESTIVAL TOUR STOP 1

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GLASSBLOWERS CHRISTMAS SANDWICH MA

HOLIDAY MARKET FALMOUTH ARTS CENTER

MASHPEE COMMONS MULTIPLE EVENTS

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THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER HARWICH JR THEATER

HOLIDAYS AT HIGHFIELD FALMOUTH MA

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CAROLERS & COCOA CHATHAM BARS INN

Use your slow cooker or stovetop and make your home smell like Christmas with this Simmering Holiday Potpourri!

Warm spices, cranberries, and oranges in a Christmas simmer pot will make your home smell inviting.

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

CINNAMON STICKS WHOLE ALLSPICE WHOLE CLOVES WHOLE STAR ANISE CRANBERRIES ORANGE SLICES

1. TO A SAUCEPAN OR SLOW COOKER, ADD 2 TO 4 CUPS OF WATER OR APPLE JUICE. THE AMOUNT WILL DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE POT YOU'RE USING. 2. ADD THE SPICES, CINNAMON STICKS, ORANGE SLICES, CRANBERRIES, AND ROSEMARY SPRIGS TO THE WATER. 3. GENTLY HEAT THE MIXTURE ON THE BACK BURNER OF YOUR STOVETOP OR IN A SLOW COOKER. KEEP IT ON LOW HEAT OR ON A SIMMER SETTING AND CHECK IT FREQUENTLY, ADD IN MORE WATER AS NEEDED.

FIVE

CRUCIAL TIPS

HOW TO WASH PILLOWS A Chore You Should Do At Least Once A Year

FOR BRINGING DOWN YOUR

MORTGAGE RATE NUMBER ONE: RAISE YOUR CREDIT SCORE BY PAYING OFF DEBT

NUMBER TWO:

Roll it up, using the longer side as a base, then place rubber bands on both ends and the middle. Doing so will minimize the synthetic fibers from clumping in the washer. Wash with mild detergent and warm or cool water, then tumble dry on the lowest heat cycle.

Never dry-clean down and feather pillows. Instead,

MAKE A LARGER DOWN PAYMENT

run them through your washer on a delicate cycle.

Make sure you wash two at a time so you don’t unbalance your machine. Use a mild detergent,

NUMBER THREE:

but skip fabric softener and bleach. Afterward, dry on a medium heat setting. You’ll have to keep

BUY MORTGAGE POINTS TO LOWER YOUR INTEREST RATE

drying your pillow past the point where it seemingly feels dry, as the down and feathers can clump up inside. Avoid scorching by removing the

NUMBER FOUR: MAKE LENDERS COMPETE FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND PICK THE BEST RATE

pillow from your dryer every half-hour. Fluff and allow to cool slightly, then pop it back in.

When the time to clean rolls around, avoid the washing machine. The mechanical motion could destroy the shape of your pillow.

Instead, submerge your pillow in lukewarm

NUMBER FIVE:

MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE BEST TYPE OF LOAN FOR YOU. DIFFERENT TYPES OF MORTGAGE LOANS COME WITH DIFFERENT FEES AND RATES

water with a small amount of gentle detergent. Gently squeeze out the water, then rinse several times until the water runs clear.

The same kid-glove treatment applies to drying your latex or foam pillow. Let it air-dry, a process that could take up to 24 hours. Set it in front of a fan to speed up the process.

LISTING SPOTLIGHT 33 Jones Lane East Sandwich MA $ 5 2 5 , 0 0 0 Charming 3 bed, 1 bath East Sandwich home within walking distance of Scorton Creek and Sandy Neck Beach, sitting on over an acre, this home exudes love and sustainable living.

Learn More

WALLPAPER REBORN

D

by Kate Conway

iego Alonso has been a painter for years and though his crew is always armed with their brushes and rollers, it is his long table and paste that has been his constant companion for the past few years. Why?

Because wallpaper is back and fabulous!

“I think with the new materials and colors, people became interested again,” says Diego. ”That feeling of nostalgia is there, but the look and texture and style is so elegant - it’s not what was back 50 years ago and people just love it. New products and adhesives allow it to be removed easily, making people less fearful of it. Wallpaper is art - it entirely changes a room’s mood.”

According to the UK’s Albert and Victoria museum, wallpaper itself has a long history, emerging in the 16th century (that’s the 1500s for those of you forgetting middle school history lessons). Originally just used in small spaces, like the back of cupboards and bookcases, it became a far more dominating feature of grand homes in the 1900s. For sure, most of us had a relative of the Greatest Generation who had wallpaper in their house . . . the style of which probably made one’s eyes water. Remember the 1970s and that gold and orange palate? Avocado Green and Harvest Gold is permanently fused in many minds and not in a good way.

But wallpaper now is something different - respectful of a huge range of tastes, styles, and colors and created in everything from silk to grasscloth. Rather than an afterthought, wallpaper is now an architectural asset.

F

inding a knowledgeable purveyor of exceptional wallpaper is critical in choosing what will grace the walls of one’s home. Hubbard Paint in Hyannis offers an incredible array of options, colors, and

an outstanding staff dedicated to helping anyone find their perfect wallpaper soulmate. A 3rd generation company, Hubbard has been a staple of Cape Cod since the 1950s and are trusted by the locals for their expertise and love of their products.

Kaitlyn Mattes, the creator of The Edelweiss House, a DIY home design channel, loves to use wallpaper. “I put it in rooms as a decoration - it sets the feel of the room; nods to the type of person you are. It sets the tone and lets me be creative without cluttering with decorations. It’s perfection.”

Whatever your home design goals, consider the beauty of wallpaper in your own home!

Diego Alonso Solutions Painting Cape Cod (508) 367-9028 Hubbard Paint Hyannis 50 Falmouth Rd, Hyannis, MA 02601 (508) 775-1568 The Edelweiss House www.instagram.com/theedelweisshaus

JUST SOLD!

LIST: $899,000 SOLD: $942,100

99 MAIN STREET SANDWICH MA Offering a separate 2 bedroom accessory living space above the 2 car garage, this home is - ideal for friends, family, or a home office. Meticulously cared for, the current owners restored the gorgeous Heart Pine floors, painted extensively inside, converted the entire home from oil to gas and installed 2 Bosch high efficiency boilers separately metered between the apartment and house. Large bedrooms and a flexible floor plan make this a transformable Cape Cod home for centuries to come.

Property Type Single Family w/ apt

Square Footage 2629

Built In 1830s-1850s

Renovated Extensively

Bedrooms 5 (3 in Main Home)

Bathrooms 3 (2 in main home 1 in apt)

Parking Type Attached 2-Bay Garage

Style Antique

SLOW COOKER SHORT RIBS

Directions a. Step 1 - Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to slow cooker and pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. b. Step 2 - Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. c. Step 3 - Add carrots and onions to pan, and cook, mixing occasionally until browned. Add garlic and ginger and brown until fragrant, 1 minute more. Remove from heat and deglaze with reserved soy sauce mixture, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker. d. Step 4 - Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. e. Step 5 - Garnish short ribs with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Spoon sauce over rice and serve.

SLOW COOKER ARTICHOKE DIP

Directions a. Step 1 - Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours. b. Step 2 - After 2 hours, stir until ingredients are well combined, and transfer the dip to the vessel of your choice. Serve warm with tortilla or pita chips, and a selection of sliced veggies.

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KATE WAS EXTRAORDINARY IN HELPING US FIND OUR DREAM HOME!

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KATE’S ENTHUSIASM AND KNOWLEDGE MAKE HER THE BEST AGENT ANYONE COULD ASK FOR!

508-415-1295 | KATE.CONWAY@KW.COM LUXURY AGENT

41+ MILLION SOLD

AWARD WINNING

KATE CONWAY

Capture Your Castle

www.WhiteSharkHomes.com