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!!



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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!)




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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!

Are You Ready for Some Football???

Lately, the world has been bursting with big, bright, beautiful pumpkins!

Pumpkin patches are cropping up, porches and steps are filled with pumpkin vignettes with autumn flowers and crunchy leaves, and pretty soon we will be carving up a spooky jack-o-lantern for Halloween night!

I love pumpkins and have my front porch all decked out with my collection from a recent pumpkin patch visit.....and I think I'm going to borrow a few and decorate them to celebrate my favorite collegiate football team. Yes, for football!

Pinterest is teaching me that I have to start thinking outside-of-the-box. Who would have thought that pumpkins and football go so well together?

Here are some of my favorite pinterest pins that have taught me that they are not just for jack-o-lanterns anymore:

This generic football pumpkin is cute and sure to appeal to the football fan in your house that follows many football teams. You can make it team-specific with colored ribbons.
                                                                         (source)


For the LSU fans in my house, I spotted these clever purple and gold pumpkins ~ Geaux, Tigers! (You can easily change the colors and letters to your team's colors and/or logo.)

(source)

The Eye of the Tiger

And just to show that I'm a good sport, I'll highlight some pumpkins from some of our toughest opponents on the field!

(source)

(source)

So go grab a pumpkin and decorate it to show your spirit for your favorite team! 

Saturday Spotlight at Junk Chic Cottage!

 Happy weekend, friends!

 Today I am so excited to be in the "spotlight" over at the gorgeous blog, Junk Chic Cottage.

 Kris has been so kind and encouraging to me as a new blogger, and I truly appreciate her very generous spirit and efforts to highlight bloggers and bring new friends to blogs. Her heart is as beautiful as her shabby chic home!

Thank you, Kris, and if you are a new visitor, I am so happy you are here! Welcome to our home away from home, Sea Glass Cottage!  I would love it if you could leave a comment so that I may follow you to your blog ~

Collections #2 - Sea Creature Trinket Jewelry Boxes

Recently, I posted about my curio cabinet in the cottage where I house my  collection of charming vintage seashore postcards from the past.

Today, I am sharing a closer look at my collection of tiny trinket boxes,  blinged-out crustaceans and sea creatures, encrusted with crystals!

These tiny enamel trinket jewelry boxes are tucked in around my collection of sea shell topped bottles.

Of course, in keeping with my sea glass-themed cottage, I'm on the hunt for tiny trinket boxes in blues and greens that are beach themed.  Aren't they cute?

Thank you so much for stopping by the cottage day!

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