Monday, November 24, 2014
Thankful!
So thankful for so many things!
We, at House By The Shore, wanted to take a
moment and reflect on our many blessings.
There are so many things in life to be thankful for and we believe it is
extremely important and healthy to stop on occasion and look at how full the
glass really is!
As Thanksgiving approached this week, here are 27 things
that we’re thankful for:
- Family – because no matter where you are in life, your family is all you really need.
- Friends – they don’t have to love you, they just do.
- The good ‘ole USA – yes we have our issues but we are blessed to live in a free country.
- Our servicemen and women – who valiantly fight for the freedom we enjoy and sacrifice so much to protect liberty.
- Good health – not everyone has it and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
- The food on our table – we didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
- The roof above our heads – we have a home to live in.
- Oceans – there is nothing that puts into perspective how insignificant our problems really are than standing beside the vastness of the ocean.
- Seasons – each one is beautiful and unique in its own way.
- Sandy beaches and the crashing of waves on the
shore – for the inspiration and serenity they bring us.
- Second chances – everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance.
- Pets – who else loves you so unconditionally?
- Color – of the sky, the ocean, the creatures that live beneath the sea – how boring life would be without color!
- Trees – for their shade, their beauty and their strength.
- Good times and bad – without the bad, we wouldn’t treasure the good.
- Faith – no matter what you believe in, optimism, courage and determination come from faith.
- Little pleasures – a piece of chocolate, a great glass of wine or a bubble bath – the simple little things that put a smile on your face.
- Art – it inspires and brings joy.
- Snail mail – because receiving a note or card in the mail is heartwarming.
- You – our customers who allow us to do what we love.
- Random acts of kindness – humanity makes us proud.
- Laughter - it is contagious and healing.
- Naps – such a guilty pleasure but so restorative to body and soul.
- Rainy days – the sound of the rain on the roof, the fresh scent it brings and the opportunity to snuggle up with a good book and slow down for a bit.
- Wisdom – the one good thing about getting older.
- Sunrises and sunsets – masterpieces each and every day.
- Holidays – for the joy they bring and the time
to celebrate with family and friends.
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Friday, November 21, 2014
Fall Mantel Decor
Decorate your mantel with fall décor for Thanksgiving!
Before all the Christmas decorations come out we, at House
By The Shore, believe it is a great time to have one last hoorah for
fall. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time
to spend with family and friends and often is overshadowed by Christmas. We think it is important to pay homage to
this day and celebrate fall in all her glory as we reflect on all the blessings
bestowed upon us.
There are tons of ideas out there for decorating your fall
mantel and when you live at the shore; it really isn’t any different for you
than it is for anyone who lives inland.
If you want to have a fall mantel with a coastal flair all one really
has to do is add in a few seashells, a starfish or two or even some rope. We’ve pulled together some fall mantel décor that
we love from across the internet and hope it gives you some inspiration!
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| Photo via: Sally Lee By The Sea |
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| Photo via: Pinterest - Ashlee Eastwood |
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| Photo via: Landeelu |
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| Photo via: Sweet Something Design |
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| Photo via: Rustic Restoration |
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| Photo via: French Country Cottage |
A few pumpkins and gourds, some candles and some shells and
pretty fall leaves will turn any mantel into a beautiful fall mantel perfectly
adorned for your Thanksgiving gathering.
House By The Shore's Blog Policy
House By The Shore's Blog Policy
Friday, November 14, 2014
Beach Chic
Worried about being kitchy when you want beach chic?
How do you avoid the pitfalls that take your décor into the
land of kitch? What is kitch you ask –
think pink flamingos and tacky lighthouses.
The pitfall is never intentional it is just so easy to get caught up in
the tide. Par the pun. It all seems great when you look at it in the
store but when you get it home and all in one place you end up crossing the
line into kitch land. Why? Most of the time, it is simply too much. You’ve gone from 1 or 2 items that were fine
to 7 or 8 and it went too far.
We thought we’d offer up some advice that House By The Shore
lives by. First of all – exercise restraint. While the fun crab nightlight, lamp and
towels look really cute, you might do better just choosing one of them so that
it stands out and makes a statement – the right statement that is. When you get too many it all blurs together
and loses impact in your décor.
Think about color choices.
Now many will recommend going with bright whites and keeping it all
neutral. We don’t believe that is what
you have to do. Take this pretty dining
room we found on Decoist.com.
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| Source: Decoist.com |
The walls are painted a beautiful navy. White ceiling, cream rug and dark finish
furniture. The white slipcovered arm
chairs at either end of the table lighten the look of the dark wood. The rattan blinds carry the dark finish of
the wood to the windows and the white draperies soften and add light. The brass
chandelier adds the perfect hint of sparkle. The key to this room is that it is
balanced. Light and dark work together
beautifully. The room has a nautical
feel simply with the navy and white but nothing is overdone.
This brings us to our next tip – don’t overdue the
nautical. We hinted at that above but it
deserves to be stated again. This dining
room could have been overdone with a ships wheel chandelier, model ships on the
table and upholstery festooned with anchors.
See where we’re going here? You
want a chic, calming space to dine – not to feel like you walked into the local
seafood tourist trap restaurant.
Think about textures – we love to see rough-hewn wood
combined with some sparkle from shiny metals or glass. Take this room for example from Décor
4 All. The rattan coffee table
and the rough wood of the end table give depth to the light white walls and
slipcovered sofa. The sisal carpeting
gives texture as well. The sparkle from
the glass jars and the mirror help to balance it all out.
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| Source: Decor4All |
Use fabric, finishes and patterns to give a nautical,
coastal feel without taking things too far.
For example natural linens not only look great in coastal décor but they’re
extremely well suited for beach living.
So are heavy cotton twill or denim slipcovers. Use stripes and patterns that reflect the
nature around you. Pillows with pretty sea
life patterns and stripes can look nautical without being overbearing as you can see here with this pretty combination from House By The Shore.
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| Source: House By The Shore |
Choose wisely and practice self-restraint – that’s the key
to having beach chic décor!
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Thanksgiving Dinner - Coastal Style
Instead of “over the river and through the woods” it is
really nice to be “over the dunes and near the water” for Thanksgiving! Celebrating any holiday with family is a
special occasion but especially when you can do it at the beach. There are so many things to be thankful for
and a house by the shore is definitely a
great place to be this time of year.
Holidays can often be stressful though and they don’t have
to be with a little thoughtful planning you can have a beautifully decorated
home for the holiday, set a beautiful table and prepare a great meal to enjoy
with your family. Here are our tips for
a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner – coastal style!
Decor
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| via Indulgy.com |
We like to keep it simple and use natural elements as much
as possible. A grapevine wreath for thedoor with fall leaves and grasses and a shell or two or we love these wreaths created from driftwood as seen on Indulgy.
Place some pumpkins and fall foliage on the
front porch to greet guests. Add some
greenery, candles, pumpkins and clear vases of seashells to the mantle like the
one seen on Starfish
Cottage. This is all you need
and it can all be accomplished quickly and easily and will look fantastic.
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| via Starfish Cottage |
Tablescape
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| via Pinterest |
Set your table a day
or two before the big meal! This saves
time and helps to keep you focused on preparing your meal and enjoying family
on Thanksgiving day.
Centerpieces are easy if you keep it simple. We highly suggest keeping it low so guests
are able to talk to the person sitting across from them. We love using candles, hydrangeas and
pumpkins down the center of the table. Use
a piece of burlap for a quick, easy and inexpensive table runner.
Holiday meals are a time to bring out the pretty
dishes. Use a charger to ground the
plate and add some color.
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| via Emily Post |
Holiday meals are teachable moments for kids. Use this meal to teach them proper place
settings and to reinforce good manners. Brush
up on the rules at EmilyPost.com.
Menu
Plan your menu in advance.
Know what you’ll be cooking and make a plan. Research recipes and decide if you’ll try
anything new. The
Chew has a ton of great recipes for Thanksgiving dishes. Don’t be afraid to put a little coastal flair
on the dishes you’ll be serving. Coastal
Living gives a menu for a Cape
Cod Thanksgiving you may want to check out.
Prepare your shopping list in advance. Get as much as possible prepared
beforehand. There is a ton of prep work
that can be done in advance. After all
Thanksgiving dinner always seems to call for lots of chopping and dicing. Plan your cook times and create a
schedule. Know what should go in the
oven when. Ask for help. You shouldn’t be shy. Give guests jobs to do – they’ll all be
underfoot in the kitchen anyway so put them to work!
Relax and Enjoy!
You know that there will be moments when things get
hectic. A dish won’t turn out the way it
is supposed to or you could have sworn you bought that ingredient but it is
nowhere to be found. There’s also those
awkward moments when FAMILY gets together sometimes. This is when we say, take a deep breath, look
out the window at the ocean and have another sip of wine! Then relax and enjoy your family – time with
them at the beach is time to be cherished.
Happy Thanksgiving!
For more coastal Thanksgiving ideas and inspirations, check out our Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/HousebytheShore/coastal-thanksgiving/
House By The Shore's Blog Policy
House By The Shore's Blog Policy
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