Monday's Coastal Christmas Inspiration

In place of this week's Color Inspiration, I bring you some Coastal Christmas Inspiration.  Make your own Coastal Christmas Decor - as easy as filling a jar with sand, seaglass and ornaments or making you own sand and shell filled ornaments. Take it up a notch and make your own coastal wreath or starfish Christmas tree.  Or just explore the world of Etsy, where crafty people can do it for you.  Like the Christmas Whale tea towels featured here from https://www.etsy.com/shop/LemondaisyDesign.

Monday's Color Inspiration - Coral ~ Seafoam ~ Khaki

So my inspiration for this comes from our current living space.  When we first looked at our current home to rent over a year ago I a noticed the deep sunset red wall. (there is a tinge of pinkish orange is think).  Anyway, I was not excited about the color so we asked if we could paint the red wall...we could as long as we did a good job.  We have a seafoam green couch and chaise set so I chose a light gray shade.  Only to return to our new home just before moving in with a gallon of paint and seeing it was not one wall like for some reason I had in my head, but all four walls in the large open living space - complete with archway.  Whoops - I still have that gallon of paint!  So we moved our stuff in and it didn't clash after all.  I used a brown throw and some khaki colored pillows and it all seems to tie in nicely with our dark wood accents.  Wa-la - my version of Coral, Seafoam and Khaki...with out any painting. (Yay!) So the moral of this story is color inspiration is not exact and can be pulled from the same color family and still work.  And moving things from another room or location from the house can pull a look together without any added expense. You don't have to break the bank to create a new look.  And as time goes on I can pick up things I really like here and there.  It's a pro-cess.

Tuesday's Pic of the Week - Fall Foliage near Seneca Lake

A beautiful drive through Senaca Lake in the Fall.  

Tuesday's Pic of the Week - Blue Hyrangea

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers.  Their simple elegance and beauty make them great for any occasion.

Monday's Color Inspiration - Yellow, Blue and Green

These are my dream colors for my dream tropical wedding.  Inspired by a comforter and the start of my inspiration for my baby girl's room which then evolved into what it is now.  The perfect mix of tropical colors without being totally in your face tropical.  It kind of reminds me of sorbet.

Happy Patriot's Day

Old Town Key West

All American Sunset

Monday's Color Inspiration - Gray as a Neutral

Gray seems to be the new neutral, make it the main color or an accent and you can't go wrong. Gray and Yellow, Mint or Pink is just the start of some great color combinations.  You can also try gray with navy, deep purple, lavender and even red.

Thursday's Products we Love - Brighten up your kitchen!

I love these bright blue kitchenaid...well, kitchen accessories available at Target!

Tuesday's Pic of the Week - American Shoal Lighthouse

The American Shoal Lighthouse is located in the beautiful blue green waters off the Florida Keys.  Also available for purchase as an 8x10 print including 11x14 mat and ready for framing on our Etsy shop for only $10! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/161575453/american-shoal-lighthouse-original

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!

New Blog Format Coming September 2013!

Key West Travel Recomendation

Just yesterday I had an old high school friend ask me my recommendation on a few hotels in Key West.  I am pretty sure I gave her more information than she needed or even desired, but here it is. 

"First if you are planning a trip to Key West I recommend you check out our tourism pages www.fla-keys.com and www.keywestchamber.org .  The chamber has a “Shell out less” link on their home page for coupons and deals.  Next decide how you want to get here.  Flying into Miami or Fort Lauderdale from Baltimore is most likely a more affordable option.  You can rent a car and drive your way through the Florida Keys to Key West stopping at some great places along the way.  All of the Florida Keys have something great to offer.  It takes about 3.5 to 4.5 depending on which you choose (MIA is a little closer than FLL), traffic and how many times you decide to stop of course.  You can also get some good deals flying in and out of Key West on occasion (EYW).  Check one way tickets as well.   Sometimes it is a little depressing driving 3 hours to leave the Keys so you can also rent a car one way, return at Key West airport (Dollar, Budget and Avis) and fly out of Key West if you can find a decent return flight.  You may know this but best day to book and check process is Wednesday (at midnight I’m told), best price days to fly are usually Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.  “Season” in Key West is late fall early winter (it really kicks into high gear around Christmas) to Feb./March.  Summer months is “off-season” and you will find lower rates, as long as there are no big events going on.  Event calendars are available on both sites I gave you earlier.  Unless it’s your cup of tea I recommend avoiding Fantasy Fest…last week of October…rates are HIGH and it’s a big party.  

Now on to hotels.  My favorite place to stay is Coconut Beach Resort.  Great views, beautiful rooms/Suites with kitchenettes (save money by not eating out every day and night), pool, hot tub, small private beach, walking distance to attractions and Duval Street.  Budget wise I would say it is middle of the road.  If you are traveling with a group a great budget friendly idea is to do a weekly rental.  Like this one – Mike and I stayed here with my cousin and her boyfriend a couple years ago in August it was $1000 for the week.  http://www.keywestbahamahouse.com/paradiseisland.php No pool, but perfect walking distance to Duval Street (shopping, restaurants, attractions). And one block from Starbucks! Some other places in town to check out are http://courtneysplacekeywest.com/index.htm ;  www.historichideways.com or www.southernmostresorts.com. 

Outside of the downtown area you have some other great options as well.  They will be more budget friendly as well because they are a little further from the downtown area.  There is currently road construction going on by these hotels, but they are still a great oasis.  Ibis Bay, Parrot Key and The Inn at Key West.  On the other side of the Island closer to Smathers Beach is a Sheraton and Best Western (Key Ambassador).  If all else fails we do have a Days Inn right when you come into town, not high on my recommendation list. 

Key West has some great attractions!  If you love being on the water there are many options for snorkeling, fishing, sightseeing, jet-skiing and sunset cruises.  A must do is the Sunset Celebration on Mallory Square every evening…at you guessed it…Sunset!  Free, but bring some dollars to tip your favorite performers!  Plenty of museums to explore.  Also, some low-to-no cost options.  Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park (beaches, hiking, nature trails and visit the old Fort).  Nearby is the ECO-Discovery Center (FREE) and the USCG Cutter Ingram.  On the outside of town is the West Martello Towers (Garden), Higgs Beach and the Wildlife Refuge.  (ALL FREE, donations accepted for the Garden and Wildlife Refuge).  Just outside of Key West at MM4ish, Stock Island is the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden for just $7 dollars per person you support a non-profit Garden and get to explore several acres of hardwood hammock and tropical forest.  Bring a picnic to eat in the courtyard by the Orchid Waterfall!  If you have time make the trip up to Bahia Honda state park, beach, trails and walk up over the old railroad bridge. "

There is so much more to see and do in the Florida Keys and I didn't even touch on Restaurants.  From date night fine dining and a night to remember to culinary treats or even take-out, we have it all!  Even a desert bar called Better than Sex!  I really could continue on with all the wonderful things to see and do in Key West and the Florida Keys, but to do that would take a book, but if you check out the tourism information pages I referred to you will get a lot of useful information. 

We love this Coastal Gadget!

I recently purchased this Underwater Video Camera Mask from PBTeen for my other half for Father's Day.  This has turned out to be one fun gadget for documenting our water adventures.  Once you get the hang of it it takes pretty decent pictures and videos.  It is not professional grade but still fun.  Great gift for the water loving guy or gal in your life.  The camera is by Liquid Image and is available from other online retailers and in other versions as well.  Here are a few of our images. 

 

Personalized Coastal Inspiration 8x10 Wedding Print

Finally an 8x10 Print in action for my brothers wedding! 

 

Also great as a teacher's gift, new baby gift, birthdays and more.  Contact me to order yours!

 

Dream Beach Bag

As summer approaches, I would love to have these things in my beach bag.  First and foremost..sunscreen.  At the request of the man of the house we currently use Ocean Potion....apparently it is less greasy.  I like the fresh orange scent.  Can't head to the beach with out some magazines, Coastal Living of course.  Love the colorful cabana towels, Costa sunglasses, shoes are from Banana Republic (I am waiting for them to go on sale), sarongs/scarfs from PBTeen and Lacoste Beach Bag.

Weekend Project - Before & After

This weekends Before and After, while the other half was at work.  I know he half expects something to change while he is at work.  You just never know what it is.  Anyway - this old dresser in my son's room needed a face-lift.  And I was finished by lunchtime!

The Inspiration - 

The dresser is from Pottery Barn Kids at a cost of $699.  http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/speedboat-2-drawerchest/?pkey=cdressers-nightstands&
In a few years, after this dresser is completely kaput, I would definitely invest my dollars in something like this, because it is quality made.  In the meantime, I have to use what I have.  I chose to do a Navy Blue top instead of the brown because it fits better with my sons room.  I think a dark gray or even black would be nice as well.   

The Process - 

I would never paint an old piece of furniture that is made of real solid wood.  This is just veneer and it was starting to peel.  To fix the veneer, glue them back down with some wood glue, then I fixed the missing pieces with some filler and sand it smooth.  Always do the job right for the best results.  I lightly sand to give the paint something to stick to.  Remove the drawers & hardware before painting.  I used silver spray paint to update the hardware.  Use tape if needed for clean lines.  

Other Helpful Tips - 

Like I said before - I would never paint a quality solid wood piece of furniture and be careful - some veneers are made from quality pieces of wood like redwoods, etc.  You don't want to cover up the beautiful grain of something like that.  A refinish/stain job will do just fine. 

Ask if the paint store has some paint that have been mis-mixed or left behind.  The cream paint for the dresser was $3 because it was mis-tinted.  It was an outdoor paint but that is perfectly fine for a piece of furniture, maybe even better.  

I have found that using a semi-gloss with a primer requires less coats, lasts a little longer, sticks better and cleans up nicely.  The outdoor paint worked well, but requires more coats and was harder to clean of my hands.  

Always do a light sanding to give the paint something to stick to.  Nothing major, just dust of the top layer.  

Change up the hardware for fun, I wanted to use small cleats for the drawer pulls to give it an even more nautical look, but needed my other half's help.  Waiting for him to help me with a project is like waiting for it to snow in Key West...it's just not gonna happen! 

Don't go crazy - Although I love to change my look and paint furniture, not all your furniture in the house should be painted.  Having a few solid wood and quality pieces really makes colors pop.  

S is for Sea

A Coastal Stay at Home Mom's Summer Schedule

As much as I would love to pack up my two small children every day and bring them to the beach, then return home covered in sand, then clean-up said sand…umm wait…yeah right! And just because I am a stay at home mom doesn't mean I want to clean the entire house every day. Instead I have come up with a summer schedule to keep us busy and happy. And when Dad is home, he can join in the fun too! There is a little time every day for cleaning and time for play. Feel free to use for yourself, I can send you the template directly in a Word format, because of course every house is different.  My schedule is also a rough estimate, my goal is to be starting by the next activity by the hour indicated on the sheet.  And because I will be doing some business work from home, this schedule allows me time to fit that in.   

I have two new ideas I plan on using this summer that you will see on the schedule...an Activity Jar and a Field Trip Jar.  In our Field Trip Jar I plan on putting in trips like the library, beach, park, the Garden's, downtown, etc. - all are little to not cost.  We will also choose a few field trips that have a cost as well.  This way we get to experience something different every week.  For our Activity Jar - I plan on using both education and fun activities, this is also where my little guy may end up with a little extra TV or game time.  Some of our activities will include 1 hour TV, 1 hour video games, board games, crafts, drawing, painting, baking, reading or workbooks...etc.  For those of you with more than one older child, there is no bias here, just the luck of the draw.  You won't have to hear complaining because Mom picked so and so's activity over mine.  

The first of Coastal Inspiration's posters.  Available soon! 

Lego Police Party

The fun included, guess how many Legos with a build-able Lego kit, build your own Lego table, and cupcakes with a chocolate Lego on top!  No police party is complete without a police hat and crime scene tape.

A Little Boys Pirate Paradise






































A collection of old and new items are what have helped to create this pirate paradise.  Old storage trunks or "treasure chests", store toys and extras.  The old nautical lamp with the map was a lucky find and the previous owner was in Pearl Harbor during WWII.  No pirate room is complete without a parrot!  And the bedding was a couldn't pass up find at TJ Maxx.  A room where a little boy can grow into with "grown-up" art pieces, furniture and accessories. 

A Coastal Retreat for Baby

A beautiful coastal retreat for our baby girl who is due today.  Hopefully the occupant of this room will arrive soon!