Coastal Bliss

A Hot Day

2009-08-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend a hot day than out on the lake paddling around with family. Ahhhh.....summer days. They are going by way too fast!

Butter Mints

2009-07-30T11:43:00.001-07:00

Aren't these the cutest? So yummy, too! They are made locally.

Love Scrabble tiles for decorating. How about you?

Barn House Flea

2009-07-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of sweet finds from the Barn House Flea Market my daughter and I went to yesterday. If you ever find yourself in the Pacific NW when the Barn House has one of their shows, it's a MUST for you to see! You will never be disappointed. Each vendor's space just oozes talent, charm, and beautiful, beautiful finds! Show pics to come soon. . .

The Puffin Cafe

2009-07-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

My two youngest and I went down to the waterfront in Camas, WA on the 4th of July. It's along the beautiful Columbia River. I couldn't help but notice this cute little cafe on the water.

It looks like it should be in the tropics somewhere with it's bright, beautiful turquoise color with yellow trim. Love the name of it!

Too bad it wasn't open or we would've eaten there! It looked a little coastal and a little retro inside. So fun! We'll definitely have to make a trip back.

Cleat

2009-07-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

I like this graphic picture I took of a cleat. Isn't that what it's called? I wanted to see what it looked like in black and white, but I don't have a fancy photo editing program to do it in. Hmmmm...what to do...

I'd like a series of black and whites of different nautical/coastal images I've taken. Now wouldn't that be fun! Not just art, but personal art.

Shelfscape Saturday

2009-07-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this isn't Saturday. . . .but, you know how there's a Tablescape Tuesday in Blogland? I think doing a Shelfscape Saturday would be fun, don't you? Don't hold me to it. It was just something that came to mind when I thought of posting pictures of this vignette I just did.

I think the little blue glass floats are so pretty. They were a recent find. I had been on the lookout for some, and a guy along the beach wanted $50 a piece for his. It burst my bubble thinking that was the general going rate for these babies. How happy I was to find them in a local antique store for $6 each! That I can handle. I did pick up the little 5x7 beach painting at that garage sale so all wasn't lost! See the pretty blue and brown shell at the bottom of the picture? I just picked that up Saturday when our two youngest and I were visiting Camas, WA. A great little reminder of our 4th of July!
I'm still in love with these pretty Ball jars. The starfish and seashell were picked up in Camas as well.

The framed black and white photo I took last summer on the Washington coast. So what do you think of my little shelf so far? It still needs a bit of tweaking, but I'm liking it! We really don't have a lot of display space in our home so this is the one place that I like to layer on what I can. Do you think it's too much?

Where I Wanna Be

2009-07-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

Right here...

(photo: A Lovely Morning Blog)

I love these paths to the beach, and they make for great photo ops.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

2009-07-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

This heavy, metal mirror went from sage green to Green Apple. Do you think it's too much?

I love the seashell border. A bit of whimsy.I guess if I get tired of this I can tone it down with white or a pretty blue. It took all of 2 minutes to transform, and I had the paint on hand so it cost me zero $$ to do it. Gotta love that!

Calm Colors

2009-06-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have long been a fan of Tracey Rapisardi's decorating. I'm wanting to create the same kind of calm, relaxing, beachy atmosphere in our upstairs rooms that I felt when I first saw the following pictures in a magazine a while back. Wouldn't you love to curl up on the bed or one of the cots and immerse yourself in a great summertime book? I was utterly delighted to find that the wire shelving and other pieces shown in these pictures can also be found on her website.

I just know the creative juices would flow in an office space like this!

Now if only I had a view like this from my windows. . . .

Mango Wood

2009-06-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

My children gave me a Target gift card for Mother's Day. I looked and looked for something there that I would really enjoy and treasure and that wasn't just a necessity like sheets (not that that's bad). I found this mango wood tray in the kitchen goods area. I love the beautiful dark wood and the contrast with the light shells and candles.

It's something I probably wouldn't have normally just bought. I'm so glad I used my gift card for it! Now I'll think of the kids and Mother's Day 2009 every time I see it, and it won't wear out like clothes or sheets would.
I've really enjoyed looking at The Lettered Cottage's blog and noticing how her decorating is based on textures and beautiful fabrics. I tend to get too theme-y and I'm trying to change that. I think this tray is a great start!

Seascapes

2009-06-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

This pretty little 5x8 painting was found Memorial Day Weekend at the 28 mile long garage sale along the Long Beach Peninsula. It fits perfectly over our thermostat to disguise it during the summer months. I now have 3 beach paintings. Isn't that considered a collection? I'm thinking it would be fun to fill the narrow strip of wall (maybe 4'w x 10'h) with seascapes. A great thing to watch for now at flea markets and garage sales!

The Hunt

2009-06-17T13:37:00.001-07:00

The hunt for inspirational photos is so much fun. It's the decision-making that's the hard part! (Country Living)

I am ready for a good flea-market to find a few of those one-of-a-kind pieces! It seems like I've missed some good ones lately with the passing of the Farm Chicks Show, etc. There's still a whole summer left so I better get busy!

Seahorses

2009-06-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

I'll take two! One for each side of a window. Aren't they great? They can be found here and can be ordered in an array of colors. Personally, I like the pale aqua, like tumbled sea glass.

Sailing, sailing . . .

2009-06-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

I would so love to go to this! Have you ever been sailing or wanted to go? I think it would be so awesome to learn how to sail! A 'must do' someday. . . .

Dip your toes in...

2009-06-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but I'm starting a new blog to reflect my love for all things coastal and beachy. A place where I will post photos that are inspiring to me and of course bits and bobs of home decorating that reflect coastal style. I am on a journey to turn our sweet cottage into a soothing, relaxing home that reflects my love of sand, shells, and sophisticated beach cottage style. I will also list other blogs on my sidebar that truly inspire me towards that end.

We don't live on the coast right now, although, we are close to it here in the Pacific Northwest. We've lived on the Puget Sound before and my husband and I share a love for the water. I've always dreamed of living in Maine and that's still something I'd like to do in my lifetime.

I hope you'll come back soon to visit!