Cottage Beach House

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Life is Good

We took a trip to one of the islands on the Gulf Coast, Boca Grande Florida yesterday. this is one of my favorite beaches. I knew it was going to be a great day when we were pulling out of our driveway. Right there in the middle of our lawn stood a great big white egrit or heron.

Then we had one of our most awesome beach days ever.
The area we went to is full of sea life. We took our snorkles with us. My daughter found these 2 large conch shells in the water about 5 feet deep.

A thrilling find!

They were both empty. Which means you can keep them. If you find one with a live animal in it you must throw it back.

Boca is an awesome place. This is the lighthouse.

The sand is very soft in some places, and all crushed up seashells closer to the water.

There were so many seashells.

And the water is aqua like the Caribbean.

We also saw a manta ray. I was walking with my camera, just taking shots and here comes this dark object in the water. It could have been a dolphin or a shark. They come close here because of the river. this manta was about four feet wide.

A quick shot as he flaps by.

This was one of those very memorable days!
I feel so blessed to be able to enjoy these wonderful gifts from the sea.

My daughter's found seashells will grace my coffee table now.

I love Life by the Sea

Posting in A beach cottage good life wendesday
and Treasure Hunt Thursdays

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Sarah's Saturday Mission 4

I am so ready for this one.
Flowers...check
Coffee...check
Beach...Double check
Ruffles... check
Prairie boots...can I do Flip flops? it's 85 here.

Flowers. ...When I stepped off the plane, Hubbo was waiting at the airport to pick me up, hubbo had these flowers in hand. Sweetie.

With a sign that said Eileen!! ( He is a bit of a joker) :))

He missed me, because I was in Florida for 3 weeks while he was in NJ.

And then he was in Florida for a week while I was in NJ

It was a month we didn't see each other!

I put the flowers in some thrifted old milk glass vase (as per the Saturday club rules) :)

Sarah said fluff the flowers with some shells. I started and then I....

.... went a bit nutsy with the flower fluffing and the shells. Cause I have so many pretty shells . We have such a great beach.

Every shell found on my beach.

...forcing myself to stop.

Flowers and shells....Done.. Gee that was fun.

2. Coffee... every morning without fail, 3 cups to open the eyeballs... easy peasy ....Done.
3. Beach.. with teens on spring break? of course! Easy again...done.. and I think it will be every day this week !! A different Gulf Coast beach. Manasota Beach, Blind Pass, Boca Grande, Siesta Key....Done and Tomorrow

4.Ruffles... of course, A cover up for the beach. Mine happens to have ruffles, and OMG eyelet!!!
How prairie is that?...Done

5. Prairie Boots... I had to draw the line here and substitute my pink flip flops with the bow. It's a bit hot here for boots on the beach. I'm just a rebel from way back. I gotta break some rule...Kinda done

Sarah's notepad says DONE....KINDA DONE.....NEVER STARTED..... TOMORROW
I love it!
A beach cottage's Saturday club Mission 1V accomplished. (cept for the boots)

Friday, April 15, 2011

Cottage Beach House Table Intervention

I am back in Florida and I am at it again. I HAD to do an intervention on this table. It was too Beetlejuice looking for my taste. Honestly, it's not my fault, It came with the house.

Still working on the chairs. But I Beachified that hutch you see in background
previously here in this post.

I'll cut to the chase and give the BEFORE of this black laminate Horror

And the AFTER

And the HOW

The last time I was here at the Florida house I had posted how I wanted to change the look of my dining table. Which as you can see has 2 big black laminate squares for legs.

I asked for ideas and you wonderful women had come up with some great ideas for me, but one tiny problem kept me thinking. That was the fact that the glass top is so heavy, it can not be lifted off, unless I had 4 men, which sorry to say, I just didn't have!!
But it could be lifted a tiny bit to slide something between the glass and the stump.
Now, just what was it that I wanted to slide in there? ... I had to keep thinking. We are talking paper thin here.
Ultimately I was inspired by one of my trips to Home Goods.
Where I saw this this little nautical side table.

I love the nautical maps and instantly got me an idea. I can re create that with a lighter paint job and get the look I wanted.

So off I went to Michaels for some scrapbook paper, which would be perfect to recreate that look above. Look what I found. It even says the Gulf of Mexico! Our house is down there on the gulf side in the Southwest Florida area. This will be perfect!!