It's Always Summer in Florida

I know soon the Fall decorating begins in blogland. Too soon for me.
I will be the very last to indulge in that.

I love summertime, and no matter how hot it gets, I always want the season to remain. I have to admit September is one of my favorite Summer months. Yes, summer doesn't end until September 21, so it is officially, mostly, a summer month. The water is warm and the beach is delightful in September. So, being my favorite summer month, I savor it. I celebrate the last stages of summer, like it was the final stages of a ceremony, and aren't those final stages always the best?
Now when I am down the shore in New Jersey I can literally tell when summer is coming to it's final 3 weeks by the blooms on the seagrass out back. .
As you can see from this picture taken today, the blooms are just beginning to sprout. August 14th, plenty of summer left. ( My neighbor got a nice new picket fence.... I might need to plant some roses! I love roses on a picket fence)

There is actually only one visible plume sprout, dead center in this photo just popping out

 By the end of summer there will be tons of plumes up and they get real plump and full like I showed you here in this tablescape post where I filled a fabric basket with the seagrass plumes.

So Jersey's summer will end in 5 weeks. But Florida, now that a different story.

What I truly appreciate about Southwest Florida is that it's pretty much always summer. And that's why I go there, in the dead of winter after Christmas when I start longing for sunshine again.
My mantel in Florida will forever reflect summer. The tropical painting was a Home Goods find.

 I suppose if i were to actually live there, well then I might actually make a Fall and Christmas mantel, ...for like.. a week....but in no way, no how, will I do it now. First off I won't be there till after Christmas.

I go there for the never ending summer. To get way, far away, from the cold.
To drool at the warm delights of the sea. The shells are all collected from beaches on the gulf coast, except the starfish. Both mason jars are old, an Atlas and a Ball, found at a little antique shop in Englewood. And the large shell my daughter found while snorkeling at Boca Grande

I love my Florida fireplace!  It is made entirely of fossilized coral.  My little nymph was found at a thrift store, isn't she sweet? A candle or seashell fits perfectly in the flower she holds. The picture below is only half of our gang. Hub, me and our 3 girls. We also have 3 boys.

And I love how tall this fireplace is, it goes all the way up to the ceiling, and they are high.

I am seriously considering painting that black and gold  to  beige. ( hummmnn another project reason for me to disappear to Florida for a month)

I cozied it up by with some throw pillows, It's another place to plop down when there's a crowd.

I made the pillows myself

One side is a novelty fabric, the other side is dropcloth with beachy words written on it.

Thanks for stopping by, Smooth Sailin to ya!
Eileen


posting at:
Show off your cottage
Metamorphosis Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage

Whites

I was on a thrifting mission recently and was lucky enough to find 4 milkglass dishes that match a set I've had for a decade, with only four plates, but 8 glasses. I was so happy to find these :0)




And along with the dishes, in the same shop I found this pretty white pitcher.
(I have a weekness for pitchers. Weather they are white or blue and white. I have a hard time turning away.

I have a few favorite places here in New Jersey but this was a new place I discovered while visiting Florida.




And I also found a pretty little burlap coffee bag,




which I eagerly snatched up and stuffed with beach grass and seashells and a starfish.

I love finding new places that are chock full of things, don't you? It's like being a little kid in a candy shop, and you almost have to drag me out. My next trip down there, I am hoping to get some vintage mixing bowls.

I am still in the process of little by little, making the florida house more beachy. It's getting there. These things take time. Especially when I'm not there too often. But it is always fun to sneak away and shop and discover new places.





A vintage lace tablecloth and one of my white pitchers in my shore house in New Jersey. I felt very lucky when I nabbed this piece of pottery.

I haven't looked it up yet but it has a number on the bottom and I think it's a Hull or Mc Coy.
 If you do recognize it please let me know in the comments.
I like how the off white lace looks over the white table.

 I can't forget to include the pretty white roses for my daughters graduation!

 Her friend gave her one red rose because that was the color of her grad cap and gown.

I love how it looks mixed in with the all white.

I hope you all have a great white wednesday!

Posting over at Faded Charm's
~White Wednesday # 106~

House of Hepworths

• Feathered Nest Fridays
• Frugal & Fabulous Design

Beaching up the Florida Kitchen

I wasn't nuts about the paint job in my Florida house kitchen. It happens to be a relatively stark combination of black and white from the previous owner.  The paint job was sort of a ragged on grey with black on top.
The way I felt is this... because the cabinets are a very stark white and the counter is black, the black and  white walls were just too much!

It felt like I was in  a big Oreo cookie!

Because I don't get here as often as I would like, except for the occasional spring break, or November break, lthat leaves me with no real time to make improvements that I have been dreaming of,  this is the way it has stayed.... for 5 years.

That's why I came this time for a month.
To make changes.

I'd like to tile over the stove but can't quite afford it yet. After all I just completely re-did my kitchen at home and that one had to wait for 12 years!!
You can read about the major kitchen re-do in Jersey here and here


But there are small changes I can do to make it a little more beachy.

So I started the process of painting the walls. Just a very soft grey, almost white.
And decided to accent with just a couple of starfish. And these cute tin tiles I found.

I love the old tin look.

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Here she is painted in a very soft grey.

I know I need to add some splashes of color in here.

I think if I add some  nice nickle pulls my cabinets would look so much better.
 Right now they have none. I don't really like that look, and besides they get a lot of fingerprints that way. But that will be another project for me.

I found the tin tiles, and a tin square basket for fruit, up in Venice Florida, when I went up there on a Saturday club mission directed by Sarah at "a beach cottage" to do a bit of boutique shopping. I was so delighted to find them because they are just the look I was seeking.

So goodbye Oreo cookie colors

For a softer gentler palette

Nice what a bit of paint and some refashioned old tin can do isn't it?

That was then

This is now.

Soothing the savage beach in me!

Thank you for stopping by!

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Between Naps on the Porch 

DIY showoff