Signs You Love Beach Style

I love the Country Living website -- have you visited it recently? It really is very fresh and on trend -- not at all like the old version of country living from the past.

 I came across this article there entitled, "23 Signs You Need a Beach House" and I thought it would be fun to put a little twist on this since we already have a coastal vacation home. Do I qualify as a certified coastal lover according to the quiz? Turns out I do, indeed!  Using pictures I've taken in and around Sea Glass Cottage, I'm a card-carrying member of the beach lovers club.

Are you? Take the quiz and find out! (Of course, it's all in good fun.)

1. Practically every room in your home is decorated with a blue and white color palette:

The walls in my home are painted a soft gray-blue and there are many soft blue accents throughout the cottage -- lamps, pillows, florals, candles, rugs, and other decorative accents.

 2. And a few pops of turquoise:

Throughout the cottage, I display collections of vases, bottles, and decor that reflect the beautiful colors of seaglass....  You will also see vintage stained glass windows which act as sun catchers to reflect beautiful colored glass. It's a simple DIY project -- old windows are hung on chains inside the window -- use small hooks drilled into the window frame to hang.

3. You decorate with shells:

You will find shells scattered all around the cottage in lanterns.......

and on shelves with pieces of art and decor.....

I even have a shell basket!

I took this plain, dark driftwood mirror and transformed it to fit my decorating style at Sea Glass with shells and seaglass. You can read about my DIY project here.

.........and I  definitely have a love of urns and bowls of shells in every room.




4. Starfish and Coral decorate your home.

I scatter pretty starfish and coral pieces all around the house.....here are a few starfish in my bedroom sitting area with some of my magazines.

I've tucked a starfish in my loofah sponge and soaps to make a pretty vignette in my bath area.

I love jute and have this burlap table runner and candle set out as my year 'round neutral look. 

Another quick DIY project -- A coat or two of chalk paint on a terra cotta pot, a little burlap ribbon, and hot glue the starfish (or shell).  

And, of course,  there are plenty of pretty pillows with shells, starfish, and coral.




5. You have white, slipcovered furniture.

Ummmmmm, yes! See All of the Above photos! :)

6. Flowing curtains are a must.

I love the romantic look of these sheers around the master bedroom -- they hang around the bed and over the french doors, and it's so pretty when they are blowing in the breeze!



7. Even your dishes are blue.

Yep.

My everyday dish set is white, but my coffee mugs are seaglass blue, of course!

8. You use a nautical theme in your home.

My son's vintage nautical bedroom and en-suite bath are my favorite -- so colorful and fun. A nice break from all the white and soft blue.

Another DIY project - use wood and pegs to hang nautical decor.

I enjoy adding a touch of whimsy to my decor -- in this case, wooden figurines.
9. You spell out your love of the beach with signs and decor.

This fun vintage sign on wood hangs in the family room.

...and this weathered beach sign hangs in the powder room.


10. You dream of lazy afternoons on the porch or sipping wine watching sunsets.


Oh, yes! We were given Sea Glass Wine as a gift, and now we have to have a bottle
 on hand all the time.

And here is a typical sunrise and sunset at Sea Glass Cottage:

Watching the sun rise in the east from my bedroom balcony....

And beautiful, breathtaking, colorful sunsets on the back porch.....

11. You dream of long walks on the beach.



Yes, yes, YES!

How did you do? Are you a beach loving, certified fan of all things coastal? 

I sure am! 

Thanks for playing along with me, and may all your coastal dreams come true!

Sharing this Post at:

Stone Gable (The Scoop)

Across the Blvd. (Snickerdoodle Sunday)
Sand and Sisal (Inspire Me Monday)
Ms. Toody Goo Shoes (Best of the Weekend)
Starfish Cottage (Your Inspired Designs)
Southern Savvy Style (Wow us Wednesday)

A New Year at Sea Glass Cottage

Hello, friends!

I hope this post finds you recovered from the hustle and bustle of the holidays and that you are ready to begin a fresh new year!

While I generally find January to be one of my least favorite months of the year (I always seem to get the "blahs" if the days are too grey and rainy or cold), what I do like about it is the chance for a fresh start.

A new year with twelve months of possibilities. Places to go. New experiences and new acquaintances. New doors opening, and maybe some closing. I think it always feels right to start anew in January by planning some goals for the new year ahead.

Here's what I've been focusing on in January:

 I. What I'm Reading

Besides the fiction that I read for pleasure and the scriptures that I read for the soul, I've made a plan to include a few non-fiction popular titles that spark my interest. I love organizing and I'm a regular at purging closets and clothes on a regular basis, so naturally this book seemed right up my alley.  I'm sure you've heard about this book as it is all "the buzz" lately, and I've taken away some very good tips and ideas about simplfiying the process of creating uncluttered living spaces. (I'm not on board with everything she advises, but there are some good, solid ideas about categorizing and organizing.)

Here's the biggest tip I learned from this book (so I'll save you some money and you won't have to buy the book!) -- if you tidy up your house room by room, you will forever be tidying up your house. Tidying up room by room is like doing the dishes or the laundry -- it's never "done." It's a continuous, never-ending task.

The key to decluttering and tidying up your house is to go by categories, and NOT by room.

This really is a key principle, so I sat down and made a master plan of big categories that I will tackle this year. I can be pretty ruthless at purging things, and this is also key. Keep only the things that you really need and use and enjoy-- everything else that is saved for "one day" or "I may need it in the future" should be packed off to charity or given to someone else to enjoy. Categories are the things that take up the bulk of our living spaces such as furniture, clothes (and that means everything from socks, purses, hats, coats, men's ties, scarves, etc....), books/magazines/cookbooks/children's books, kitchen items/dishes/bowls/appliances, etc. etc.

I've tackled a few big categories already and I love the liberating feeling of out with the old -- another key is to not run out and buy new stuff to fill up all that nice space you've created by purging!

There's also decluttering and organizing tips on Pinterest that are extremely helpful. I'll leave you with this final advice from Marie Kondo:

2. What's Cooking?

    Well, not much cooking going on except for the same fairly simple things I usually cook. But in an effort to maintain healthy snack habits, I ran off this list and I am keeping it in my daily planner so that I can refer to it every day. Fairly obvious choices, but I need to stay away from the temptations that I usually turn to which contain too much salt, sugar, and artificial ingredients.

3. What I'm listening to....

I recently went with some friends to see a production of Motown the Musical at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans -- if it's coming to a place near you, go see it! You won't be able to stay still in your seat!( Click here to see preview.) Naturally, I had to have the Motown cd for the car and my home office.

4. What I'm watching....

I've been a fan of Downton Abbey since the beginning and I'm glad to see that it is going to end with grace and dignity this season. Much as I enjoy the characters, the lifestyle and fashions, the storylines, it is time to wrap up all the loose ends before things got stale.  I watched the entire final season through to the end, and all I'm saying is that it left me in a flood of tears!

5. What's new for Sea Glass Cottage?

This year, I'm going to turn my attention to the exterior of Sea Glass Cottage.  The landscaping and outdoor spaces need some sprucing up, and if I can get my ideas approved by the Home Owner's Association, Sea Glass may get a fresh new coat of paint. It is currently a soft yellow, but I am envisioning a beautiful sea glass color. I've known since day one that the yellow was not going to stay.

 Here are some colors I've been considering....

Which color do you prefer? #1, #2, or #3???

I'll keep you posted on the updates I do to the exterior of the cottage.


In the meantime, thanks for visiting Sea Glass Cottage and all best to you in 2016!!



Sharing This Post At:

Starfish Cottage (Your Inspired Designs)
Southern Savvy Style (Wow us Wednesday)

Christmas comes to Sea Glass Cottage

After what seems like forever (it actually has only been two months), I was finally able to squeeze in a quick visit to my beloved beach cottage this weekend! I had one day to spend on decorating for the holidays before I had to turn around and head back home, so I had to make the most of every minute.

The weather was gorgeous -- cool and sunny --so I threw open the doors and windows, cranked up the Darlene Love Christmas music and got to work. My family is looking forward to spending a few days at the beach house during Christmas break, (our first time ever to do this) and I'd like it to be festive for our stay.

We spend the most time in our den in the back of the cottage, so I wanted to make this room warm and cozy for watching our favorite movies. A burlap pillow cover stamped with "Merry Christmas" was my inspiration, and I added a few other pillow textures and patterns into the mix to create a cozy gathering place on the sofa.

I love playing with pillow combinations, and I always go back to my go-to formula: Solid + texture + pattern. I especially like soft stripes mixed with prints, and I love that the red print pillows aren't necessarily a Christmas pattern. The creams, taupes, golds, and maroon colors are warm and rich.

Now, I needed to add just a touch of green -- a tiny tabletop tree, jute reindeer, and a basket of cinnamon scented cones.

I downloaded this beautiful "Come Let Us Adore Him" printable and framed it for the sofa table. (Wish I would have remembered to bring my tiny creche to place by the quote -- I'll bring it on the next trip!)



Next, I moved into the kitchen/dining room/sitting room area. This is a wide open area and each space flows into the next and opens out onto the second floor balcony. I decided to stay with my love of sea glass colors (blues and aquas) for the all-white kitchen and dining room decor with a little silver for some winter sparkle.

I created a coffee/hot chocolate station on the kitchen counter and added another framed quote in sea glass colors: "Joy to the World, the Lord has Come." It's too humid at the beach to put out ingredients for the hot chocolate station, but I will add containers of candy canes and marshmallows when I'm ready to serve.

A little sparkle and winter berries for the kitchen island.

Now, for the dining area -- this is what happens when you start to run out of steam and the cool breeze is beckoning you to come sit outside and enjoy the beach.   :)

I totally didn't feel like ironing the pretty white table cloth, nor did I feel like ironing the silver chevron table runner and putting out dishes. So, I just threw the wrinkled table runner on and called it a day!  ;)

 I love the silver crystal encrusted reindeer and Christmas tree, and next time I'll go searching for my taller and more substantial candle holders. Right now, I'm calling it good enough.  ;)

The last thing on my list was to hang our Christmas stockings. Hmmmmm, no fireplace here, so what's a person to do?

I ran down to the entrance hall where we hang up our beach totes and towels. Normally, this is what it looks like:

A quick change, and now the stockings are all hung with care, ready for Santa to add a few goodies.

I hope you enjoyed this short tour as Christmas comes to the cottage -- of course, the most important part of this celebration will be when the family is here. Family is everything, and being together, sharing good times, and making memories makes me happy.

                                        It's really all I want for Christmas.

Wishing you and yours a very blessed, peaceful, love-filled Christmas!

                                    (**sigh** From a Christmas long, long, ago!)




Sharing this post at:

Snickerdoodle Sunday (Across the Blvd.)  Featured!
Show and Share (Coastal Charm)
Your Inspired Design (Starfish Cottage)

November -- A Change of Scenery

Things have been very quiet at Sea Glass Cottage....the natural rhythm of high-activity summer has gradually changed into a quiet, gentle fall.  The result has been long periods of time between visits and the cottage has been mostly empty.

At the present time, the storm shutters are closed, outdoor things are locked away safely, and the house will have a little peace and quiet for a while.

We will be back to spend a few days here during Christmas time just to experience something new and different for us. This will be our first Christmas with the cottage, and my family is excited to make some new holiday memories here and see what it is like to be surrounded by sandy beaches and palm trees in December!

Traditionally, my family spends the Thanksgiving holidays in the woods in our cabin, and that is where we will be this month and part of December. I'm so looking forward to being together with as many family members and friends who can travel to be together.

The cabin is completely the opposite of Sea Glass! Sea Glass is white slip covers, and fresh coastal decor with tones of soft creams and blues. The cabin is warm earth tones, rustic, with lots of reclaimed wood, leather, and metal. Very masculine and comfortable, as it's main purpose is a hunting lodge.

I hope you enjoy this quick tour of our sanctuary in the woods!

Pool table for the pool sharks in the family.

Warm, rich colors throughout the house.

Entry hall bench from Pottery Barn

The property is home to wildlife such as deer and wild turkey, so you'll see lots of these (Pottery Barn) pinecone turkeys throughout the cabin. (Mirror from Birch Lane.)

Dining table, buffet, and chairs from Pottery Barn.

Dining area chandelier.

Kitchen details.

Caught on camera......a very rare sight, indeed! Me, cooking breakfast! ;)

A cozy fire in the den, my reading chair, and my husband's pride and joy -- a flat screen tv the size of a football field!

Comfy rockers on the front porch.

These are some of the beautiful wildlife around -- wild turkeys and deer (caught on cameras in the trees.)

*********

Well, that's it for now as I plan on doing a little Christmas decorating here (think burlap and jute)  at the cabin which I will post about later. 

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with family and friends. 

                                                           

                                                        We are abundantly blessed!