5 Tips to Turn Your House into a Beach House!

The Headlines:


No matter where you live...

Bring the Beach in! 

Here are 5 ways to do that.




This is my most favorite time of the year.  Summer.  I know many of you love when the holidays arrive:  Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year it's all so festive.   But, for me, there is something really special about Summer.  The feeling (it's more carefree), the vacations, the weather, the water.... the DECOR!

Yea, that's what I really love.

Decorating for Summer.  "Summer-izing!"  I grew up at the beach but I don't live there now.  I'm landlocked here in Scottsdale, Arizona.  But that doesn't stop me from bringing the beach TO ME!

How do you do it?  Don't go overboard if you don't have the cash.  There's certainly lots of expensive ways to "Summer-ize" your house but it's not always necessary.

It can be easy, and INexpensive, if you pay attention to these 5 Tips:

1 - Sea Glass



It doesn't even have to be the real stuff.  They sell it everywhere these days.  Simply put this glass in a beautiful jar (below) or as a bottom layer in a vase (above).  However you use it - it will always look cool!

2 - Make a Summer Wreath

I've always loved a good wreath.  For the longest time, I looked for one to help accessorize my Summer decor... but found nothing.  That's when I decided to make one.  You can too!
First, find a grapevine wreath... they're inexpensive (at Michael's).  Then, just grab your glue gun, some stuff you want to stick on there and go to town!

3 - Use lots of Turquoise (aqua)! 

The clock strikes Summer and I put Turquoise (aqua - whatever that color is) EVERYWHERE.  It just yells SUMMER FUN!  It really should be named the official-color-of-Summer if you ask me.  It's found all over my house May-September and it's heavenly.  In pillows (above), in candy (below)

I buy towels...

and even napkins in the color.

Just sprinkle Turquoise/aqua/light blue all over the place and you may start to hear waves crashing just beyond your front door.

4 - Natural Elements
This is a no brainer.  Bring in those Sea Shells.  Put them anywhere you can stick 'em... on the coffee table

 Under the coffee table...

On a ladder...

In the shower...

As a soap dish (this is in my daughter's bathroom - otherwise that soap would be - YOU GUESSED IT - Turquoise)!

But don't limit yourself to just Sea Shells... think all natural elements like Sea Grass (below) and even SAND!

Not sure how environmentally PC it is... but I grabbed a little sand from the beach I grew up on and I use it, almost every year, here... as a filler in my candle hurricanes.

Natural, beautiful and Summery!  Oh what a wonderful world....

5 - Signs 
Finally, if people aren't getting the feel of Summer with all the other tricks - spell it out for them.  Literally.  Put fun signs up that tell people to chill out and enjoy the Summer Sun.  That arrow (below) is pointing to the "Beach..." even though it IS 300 miles away!

I made the sign below, years ago...

Finally, check out my "Relax" sign that's pictured first up on this post.

Inspired yet?!  Now, take all those ideas into each room and turn your house into your very own beach house this Summer!  Hmmmmmm... does that mean you can cancel vacation and just stay home?  Naaaahhhhhh!

Time Flies When You're Living the Dream.

The Headlines:


Why is is that time flies when you're 88...

But crawls when you're 8?

Because dreaming about life is easy.

Getting the dream takes a lot of work.



Yesterday, on my little boy's last day of 3's Pre-school he was bubbling over with excitement saying:
"I can't wait 'til I'm in the 4's class... I just can NOT wait."
He paused for a a few seconds and then added,
"Mom, how many years 'til I'm in the 4's class?"
"Not years buddy... months... 3 months until you're in the 4's class!"

But to a little guy like him it may seem like years until he starts his next pre-school class.  Think back.  Remember how it used to take FOREVER to reach Christmas after Summer break?  Yes, when you're a child, time seems to go by so very very slowly.  But as you grow... something happens and all of the sudden - time speeds up faster than a lightning strike.

The past few weeks, the constant chatter here is all about the end of school.  In Scottsdale, Arizona, our school year concludes before Memorial Day Weekend.  Another year in the books.  2014-15 is about to turn the page forever.  "Where did it go?"  all the Moms wonder.  It seems like just yesterday I was volunteering to be the Room Mom in my children's classrooms.   Now, we're preparing for the "End of the Year Party."  And I'm not sure how we got here.

Ask my daughter or son and they may disagree.  It's the typical children's, "are we there yet?" mentality.  In this case, we are there.  But what seemed like a flash to me was one long drive for them.  Why is that?  Why does time go so fast the older we get?

Do I dare I say it's because, as adults, we're busy working?  And not necessarily at a job.  I think... time flies because we adults are pursuing our dream.  Many of us, using up every last second trying to do something incredible.

If you're not working to earn money, you're improving your house, trying to help your children, maybe perfecting your margarita or taking the best picture.  Perhaps you're training to do the hardest marathon or finding just the right out-fit.  You could be busy planning an amazing vacation or the perfect party.  It's all "work".  It all takes time.  And it all flies.

On the other hand, our children take those same minutes to play.  Sure, they do some work.  Be it homework, maybe sports, they read, do chores.  But mostly - they just be.  And dream.  About what they want to be or do... someday.  So time seems to drag on and on and on.

My daughter's last day of 3rd grade is tomorrow.   As she finishes, I will take comfort in the fact that she will enjoy the day as she wishes it away into the next.  And I will remind myself to relish the moments as I live out the dream that once danced in my head as a child.

To Summer...