Monday's Color Inspiration - Pink and Navy!

This weeks color inspiration is pink and navy.  Navy is classy and chic, add pink and make it beautiful!

S is for Sea

The Begginings of a Coastal Inspired Nursery

 After many months and changing my mind many times, I have started gathering items for our baby girls nursery.  The main colors are bright (pool) blue and yellow featuring starfish, mermaids, shells and other coastal accents.  It's bright, whimsical, modern, girly and coastal.  What to name this new look? 

Illuminate!

This is a project that was actually done by my sister-in-law as Christmas gifts and I am so jealous that I didn’t think of it because it is so “me” and I love it!  They were definitely a big hit with the family on Christmas Eve.  First of all it begins with one of my favorite things a glass Ball canning jar.  There are so many uses for them and they have such a great look.  Not only that but they also hold up pretty well when dropped (don’t ask how I know, but my middle name is definitely not “Grace”).

She started with a set of battery powered mini string lights.  She covered the not so pretty battery pack with glittery blue ribbon so the on off switch was still accessible as well as the batteries.  Inside the jar were blue and white and silver small ornaments with sea shells.  She arranged the lights around the shells and ornaments and tied a big glittery blue bow on the outside. 

The fun thing about this is it doesn’t have to be just for Christmas.  Combine craft store sea glass and shells for an everyday coastal look.  They also make great centerpieces for a party.  The possibilities are endless.  I plan on getting a case of jars and some lights and seeing how many designs I can come up with!

Greetings from Key West!

After a lapse in posting we are finally settled in our new place and what better a place for coastal inspiration than Key West, FL!  My new home.  A new home means new décor, new projects, new paint and new organizational challenges.  A new home in Key West means exploring a fascinating coastal history, unique shops with even more unique artists, many new culinary experiences and restaurants to try, great Key West events and festivals and of course awesome pictures!  From my new home in Key West, I look forward to posting pictures of our new place and information on all the activities, restaurants, museums and shops I intend to visit.  As well as share new projects and ideas, all inspired by my love of the coast of course. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

Totally nautical bag by Straw Studios.

Whale Percale Sheets, also sometimes available in a red lobster pattern, from L.L. Bean.

Arrrrgh! Pirate accessories for the little man! From Childrens Place. I don't have to convince my little model that nautical is the way to go!

Check back for more of my favorites. I have a weakness for bags and bedding. Feel free to post your favorites or your shopping weakness!

Upcoming Festivals for Fall

Some of these festivals are coastal while others are a little inland, but all are sure to be a can't miss good time for you and your family. 

A Fun and Playful Housewarming Party

This should really be called the Target clearance party, because that is where our savvy host aquired most of the items for her housewarming party.  When coming up with the theme the host and I were actually inspired by the lovely diving ladies featured in the Retro Inspired post.  Well after many months of waiting planning and gathering items for this shindig, and even rescheduling thanks to Hurricane Irene, the big day had finally come and this is how it turned out.

An Easy Transformation

Many of you know that the easiest way to transform a look in your home is with some paint.  Well for one look in my home, I transformed an old picture frame into a piece of stylish beachy decor. I have no idea where this picture frame came from and had a hard time finding any use for it except hanging it on the wall with a piece of ribbon and no picture inside.  To give it a new life and purpose, I decided it needed some paint and a new ribbon.

Retro Inspired

These retro dive girls were an awesome find.  Inspired by, you guessed it, Coastal Living Magazine.  I saw them in an ad on the back of the magazine years ago and wanted them so bad for my own.  The price was just not right.  I found my dive girls this past summer on a shopping trip at the Christmas Tree Shop in New Jersey.  I am not so sure they were even in the right spot in the store but there were only two and they had my name all over it!  The cost of these lovely ladies...$9.99 each.  My insipration...$92.00.  Talk about a good find.

Check out - http://www.cottageandbungalow.com/seaside.html  for my inspired look.
Check out - http://www.christmastreeshops.com/ for Christmas Tree Shop Locations near you.