coastal — pleasure in simple things

Tag: coastal

christmas magic

December

The best time to visit a favorite store as the holidays approach is when Christmas gift buying has been completed. Sound crazy? Well, once the pressure is off to find the perfect gifts, the whole shopping experience changes. The perspective shifts from one that has been focused on gift buying to one that is enjoying the shopping experience in an entirely different way.

For me, I can genuinely appreciate my surroundings and soak in the effort that has been made to create a beautiful holiday aesthetic. If I should find a little something special to add to a stocking – fine. But, there is no real urgency to the gift buying.

You probably know by now that one of my favorite stores is Grace. Today, for Friday field trip, I am sharing some of the wonderful holiday aesthetic created by this marvelous shop in Niantic. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

2 comments » | field trips, holiday, inspiration

a few more gift tags

December

It is time to start wrapping gifts! I am way behind on my planned Thanksgiving weekend wrapping session!

I have all the supplies together. I made the sea glass gift tags and the painted metallic feathers to adorn my packages…But, wait…shouldn’t I have a couple sea creatures to add to the mix?

I decided to make a couple more quick gift tags and they are super simple to create in no time flat!

For the crab, I used a teeny, tiny rubber stamp I found at the craft store. The size alone makes it super cute! I added it to card stock using an aqua colored ink stamp pad. To add the holiday sparkle, I just used a cotton swab to add a few dabs of aqua sparkle craft paint. Super easy and super cute!

The starfish gift tag took even less supplies to create than the crab gift tag. I used a light gray watercolor marker to draw a quick, free hand outline of a starfish. To this too, I added a few dabs of acrylic metallic craft paint to give it a little more bling!

Now I am content with my collection of gift tags for my sea glass holiday themed packages!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | diy, inspiration, sand & sea

sea glass diy gift tags

December

For Friday field trip today, we are visiting ‘gift wrap central’ where I designed some gift tags to go along with my sea glass holiday theme.

I decided the perfect detail for my gift tags was grommets. Not only are they currently a big fashion trend, but they add a nice ‘beachy’ vibe to my tags!

Since I was designing these gift tags myself, I wanted to make them unique. That was part of the reason I decided to make them a little different shape than a typical gift tag. I decided on long rectangles – cutting card stock into 1“ x 4 1/4“ strips.

After I cut the tags, I added the grommet detail. If you decide to make these – don’t be intimidated by the grommets! They come in 2 pieces and are easily applied using a simple 2-piece metal tool and a hammer. The grommets and tool are inexpensive and are available at any craft store. Believe me; once you apply your first grommet, you will come up with tons of applications!

I used twine on my tags to stay consistent with my theme. Lastly, I used a big dab of strong glue, careful not to let the glue show, to attach a small piece of sea glass to each tag. Pretty easy, right?

I love the way these tags came out! It makes me eager to get wrapping!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | diy, inspiration, sand & sea

beach house dresser redo

October

Today I am sharing a summer beach house dresser redo. I am really proud of the finished piece because I think it captures the spirit of the owner’s personality while still keeping the nostalgic vibe of the house.

The dresser is really, really old and had tons of paint on it! I probably spent more time stripping the top of this piece than the total time I spent stripping all the pieces I have worked on in my lifetime! Yes, I did think about abandoning the stripping – painting the entire piece would have been so much easier! But, I just couldn’t do it! This dresser has been in a family beach house at least three generations and I really thought the best way to pay homage to it was to have a little bit of the original wood intact.

After all that stripping and sanding – I can’t even fathom how many coats of paint were applied to the dresser – the piece of wood that made up the top wasn’t even very nice! The piece seems to have been homemade and possibly constructed of scrap wood. It definitely has tons of character!

I chose a dark stain for the top, hoping the finish would be a little more forgiving to the not so great quality of the wood. I chose Minwax Dark Walnut stain and added three coats of Minwax Satin Finish polyurethane.

Although the owner of the beach house loves color and would have enjoyed a bright colored dresser, the man of the house really didn’t want any color at all! I think I came up with a good compromise by staining the top of the piece and adding a little color and metallic to the drawer fronts. I know the owner well enough to know her style is definitely one that includes tons of color and plenty of glam!

For the drawer fronts, I mixed Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White with Antoinette and a touch of Graphite to create a shade of pink that coordinated well with the dark walnut stained top.

After adding a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax, I did a second coat using dark wax and finished it off with some touches of gilding wax. I added the gilding wax to the drawer pulls and top edge of the dresser.

I am thrilled with the way the dresser came out – hopefully to be enjoyed by many more generations! I was asked to give new life to all the bedroom dressers in the house, so I am looking forward to additional inspiring pieces! Thanks for joining me for today’s makeover.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Finding Silver Pennies, Sand & Sisal, and Coastal Charm.

Comments Off on beach house dresser redo | diy, inspiration, sand & sea

coastal table redo (before & after)

September

We are not traveling very far for today’s field trip…I want to show you one of my all-time favorite furniture transformations. This revamped piece is called Chatham – the name of a wonderfully enchanting seaside town in Cape Cod, Massachusetts…this town, like the table – is one of my favorites!

When a friend showed me this piece in her garage and offered me the opportunity to give it a little loving care, I jumped at the chance! It was just one of those pieces that immediately got me inspired! I couldn’t wait to give the table a coastal look!

I knew right away I wanted to strip the top so I could give it a driftwood look. And, I had a specific Anthropologie knob in mind right from the start! Actually, four knobs since the single drawer on this piece used four knobs.

I chose Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg for the main part of the piece.

Here are the steps I used for this transformation:

• Strip top using Citristrip stripping gel (a wonderful product recommended to me by Danielle over at Finding Silver Pennies).
• Paint (all but top) with two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg
• Apply a wash to top of piece (using a clean lint-free cloth) with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White (thinned heavily with water)
• Paint detail on drawer front and around legs (using same thinned mixture above, careful not to let it drip)
• Apply a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax
• Sand & lightly distress
• Apply a second coat of clear wax

As the finishing touch, I added a pretty blue watercolor patterned paper as a drawer liner. I am so happy with the way the piece came out. What do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy the last weekend of summer and pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Sand & Sisal, Coastal Charm, Finding Silver Pennies and Miss Mustard Seed.

4 comments » | diy, sand & sea, style

newport table (before & after)

August

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing the before and after photos of a newly refurbished piece I named Newport.

When I first saw this table, I loved the way the sides came up and the detailed legs…isn’t it pretty? Of course, I wanted to ‘beachify’ it!

As I suspected, the finish gave me a little trouble. Looking at the color, I thought the finish may require a shellac coat before I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I tried to get by without one, but realized after the first coat of paint that I would need the shellac. No worries! I just put a coat of shellac right over the paint and continued with my business!

For this piece, I used French Linen, probably my very favorite Annie Sloan color. I just love the way a white wash looks over French Linen!

Here were my steps in revamping this piece:
• Clean the piece
• Apply one coat of Annie Sloan Old White
• Apply (with a clean cloth) one coat of Zinsser shellac
• Apply two coats of Annie Sloan French Linen
• Add a white wash – a mixture of Annie Sloan Pure White and water (probably about 60 percent water) using a dry brush technique and then using a soft cloth to soften some areas
• Hand paint seahorses across the drawer fronts with Annie Sloan Graphite
• Apply one coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax
• Lightly distress
• Apply an additional coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax

I made sure that my brush strokes were visible as I applied the paint so that later they would show when I added the white wash to the piece.

I chose to keep the original hardware since I planned on painting a sea inspired design on the front and I didn’t want the hardware to distract from the design.

I painted the seahorses freehand, but patterned them from a design I found online. After looking around the internet for something with a vintage feel, I found a great pattern on The Graphics Fairy and used it as a reference as I painted the images.

I didn’t do a lot of distressing on this piece, but since I didn’t want the seashores to look newly painted, I gave them a sanding with some fine sandpaper until I got the worn look I wanted.

As a final detail, I added drawer liners cut from a sheet of paper I chose from the large selection at The Paper Source.

Newport is complete! What do you think?

Thank you so much for stopping by for Friday field trip and sharing my table transformation!

Have a fabulous weekend, Jackie

Sharing at City Farmhouse, Jennifer Rizzo, Finding Silver Pennies, Miss Mustard Seed, Craftberry Bush, and Shabby Nest.

5 comments » | diy, field trips, sand & sea

shopping coastal cool

August

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing a little eye candy from one of the best coastal lifestyle stores in Connecticut.

In addition to the best in home, personal, and gift wares, this store carries both Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint! The only shop in my state to sell both paints, Grace in the center of Niantic, is definitely a one-stop shop for everything beautifully coastal!

I definitely needed a ‘beachy’ fix today…I hope you agree! It is such a great time of year and I am having trouble thinking about it ending! I am having a really tough time seeing Halloween candy in stores already! :( Walking into Grace is like walking into a warm salt water breeze! :)

My detailed nature always prompts me to make one final observation when I leave a location – at a restaurant this is always a trip to the ladies room – was as much thought put into the ladies room decor and amenities as in the rest of the restaurant? In a shop, this test is in the way the purchases are presented to the customer…

I think Grace has it covered nicely!

I hope you enjoyed Friday field trip to Grace in Niantic. If you are in the area, be sure to visit…Niantic celebrates Main Street’s Bargains by the Bay Tent & Sidewalk Sale now through Sunday so this weekend would be the perfect time to plan a visit!

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on shopping coastal cool | field trips, gift ideas, sand & sea, swag

august book giveaway!

August

Today’s Friday field trip will be announcing the July book giveaway winner and also the title for the August selection. Congratulations to Amy, winner of the July giveaway book Summertime.

The choice for this month’s giveaway book is one that I also happen to own and love. I grew up boating and fishing the waters of Long Island Sound, and over my lifetime have developed a great appreciation for the native fish of the area waters.

Ocean Fishes depicts the beauty of these fish in reproductions of detailed watercolor paintings by Connecticut native James Prosek.

I had the privilege to attend a showing of Prosek’s original artwork when it was on display at The Academy of National Sciences in Philadelphia in 2013. At that time, Prosek was honored with the Academy’s Gold Medal of Distinction in National History Art. My favorite painting on display in Philadelphia was a 15-foot life-size blue marlin…an incredible expression by the artist.

Dubbed “the Audubon of the fishing world” by The New York Times, Prosek is known for his detailed and arresting watercolor paintings.

This book is a great one for any lover of the sea and is perfect to add to a coastal library collection. Just leave a comment to let me know you would like to be entered to win this wonderful book.

Instagram users, please read on! For August, let’s share our treasures from the sea…a sea creature, a smooth piece of sea glass or driftwood, a beautiful shell , an unusual rock…any coastal find will do! The summer is passing so quickly and there is still much scavenging to do! Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share your beach finds!

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend, Jackie

5 comments » | field trips, monthly book giveaway, sand & sea

diy button anchor wall hanging

February

For today’s Friday field trip, I am turning an item from the past into something unexpected that can be permanently displayed and fondly admired.

While my children were growing up, our family vacations always involved water – even when we were away from our own beach, we were tent camping on a lake or visiting the ocean at a state park.

Shortly after my children were born… I don’t think my oldest was even a year old… I splurged and bought a couple of good quality staple items to be used for our family’s water time…a mesh bag to tote toys (there were always plenty) and a large cotton beach blanket – both purchased from L.L.Bean. Every family trip to an ocean, lake, or pool was accompanied by the large mesh bag filled with water toys and the brightly colored cotton beach blanket.

Over the years, the mesh bag disappeared as the mountain of plastic toys was replaced with sand chairs and Baggo. But, the blanket always remained…that is, until this past summer…when I noticed (to my horror), that someone had decided this old beach blanket, now a shredded mess, should be put out of its misery. I found it tossed in an outdoor garbage can!

What did I do? I immediately took it OUT of the trash, of course – determined to save it and preserve all the memories associated with this sacred beach blanket. I gave it a good washing and decided I would come up with some way to use some part of it to keep forever. After all, this blanket was like part of the family! I can’t even begin to explain all the wonderful moments that happened on and around this blanket!

So, I came up with a wall hanging that serves the battered old blanket perfectly and evokes memories of happy times with my children every time I see it!

If you want to create something similar, here are the steps I used:

Stretch fabric (blanket) onto an embroidery hoop sized appropriately for the design you have chosen.
Sew buttons onto the fabric in a desired pattern. (First, work up your design on a flat surface to determine the buttons you want to use and the size of the design. I was inspired to use the anchor by a photo of a tote bag I saw in Marie Claire.)
Trim the fabric edges and glue them to the back of the hoop edges.
For a decorative edge, attach a thin piece of twine around the edge of the hoop using a glue gun.
Tie on a piece of twine for hanging. (This is a decorative option since the hoop can be hung without it.)
Use a glue gun to add on a ribbon accent.

Have you found unexpected ways to display items with special meanings? I would love to hear about them…I still have blanket left. ;)

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a wonderful weekend, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush and Common Ground.

Comments Off on diy button anchor wall hanging | diy, nostalgia, sand & sea

coastal nail colors

April

This is an unusual Friday field trip. It is a trip to the beach…we all need that right about now, don’t you think? I know, a Friday field trip to the beach is not that unusual…especially for me. But, the reason for the trip to the beach is a little unusual…the reason is to create a nail polish collection!

I have always wanted to create a nail polish collection and I have been inspired to do so from so many sources…I could create an entire collection just from the colors of my sea glass or, an entire collection of neutrals just from the white flowers in my garden.! And, there definitely is plenty of color inspiration at the beach…many more colors than I wanted for just one collection. I decided the collection would be six shades…the top six…and these shades would be the ones I most wanted to wear. A versatile collection and, a realistic one. Cutting it down to six was not easy! This meant I had to eliminate watermelon slushie, beach donuts, gull, lavender sea glass, and ragosa – to name a few.

I think a beach collection has to contain some blue…there is so much blue at the beach. Rather than go with the obvious…water…I decided to get inspired by the sky.

The beauty of the sky at the beach is that it is always changing. Sometimes, when the weather is the most severe, the sky is the most beautiful. A clear sunny day may be what a beach lover craves, but it certainly is not the most beautiful sky at the shore. This photo illustrates this point perfectly… a clear, sunny day would not be as beautiful as the sky I captured in this photo on a very cloudy day. Because of this, the blue shade inspired from the sky is named cloud.

Neutral colors are definitely my favorites and there are plenty to choose from at the beach. Just as beautiful as a shell or a piece of sea glass, are the many stones at the beach. They are sometimes speckled or striped…some are the most beautiful when wet with salt water. The color inspired by one of these beauties is called beach stone.

Old whitewashed fences and posts are everywhere at the beach. The old ones have so much more charm than anything new. The age of the shore is part of the beauty contained in the wood. This is the inspiration for the third color called old fence.

Not all the color inspirations at the beach are natural objects…a beach umbrella, a horse on the carousel, or a striped beach towel can all prove to be color inspirations. Here, I am inspired by the color of my sunglass lenses and I am naming this color reflection.

An obvious choice for color inspiration is a shell. The subtleties of color on some of the shells (both interiors and exteriors) on the beach are just so beautiful. Here it is the blush of mauve. I’ve named the color shell.

For the last color, it really needed to be a gray tone to round out the collection. And gray is an easy color to come by at the beach. For this shade, I was inspired by the wet footprints on the sun-bleached wooden path and named it footprint. That makes six…

I present to you, the entire CONNECTICUT COAST NAIL COLOR COLLECTION 2013:

What do you think? I would wear all of them!

I hope you enjoyed our Friday field trip to the beach to create a fantasy nail polish collection.

Dreaming of warm days and salty breezes :)

Thanks so much for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend, Jackie

I am sharing at Boogieboard Cottage, A Pinch of Joy, and Little Red House.

4 comments » | field trips, sand & sea

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Tag: coastal

christmas magic

a few more gift tags

sea glass diy gift tags

beach house dresser redo

coastal table redo (before & after)

newport table (before & after)

shopping coastal cool

august book giveaway!

diy button anchor wall hanging

coastal nail colors