Anchors' Aweigh Nautical Decorating!

Not sure if I mentioned that I am a Navy Mom... and this Navy Mom is missing her sailor.  Alex called last week from the Seychelles - after having maybe one too many rum drinks - lol!  He's having a blast doing the "world" tour aboard the USS Harpers Ferry, LSD-49; visiting Hawaii, Hong Kong, the Seychelles and many more ports of call to come.

Not sure where Alex is this week, or next - some where in the Indian Ocean?  He did send me a Facebook note this week, requesting that I do not send any more chocolate.  Apparently,  the ship is underway somewhere in a hot climate and the chocolate melts all over everything else in the care-package boxes. Oops.

Here are my favorite men, enjoying our fabulous Half Moon Bay weather this past January when Alex came up for a quick visit before the ship left San Diego.

I am SO proud of Alex and so proud of the person that he's becoming. Toasting his success this week with his pre-deployment gift of Bulleit Bourbon to Tom.  Cheers to the the US Navy!

And because it's spring on our coast and we can finally start living outside again, I decided to change up the colors on our deck and add some nautical touches with a few new indoor-outdoor pillows from our store! Loving the fun bright yellow, navy blue and aqua combo for this spring.

Create our look at your home too!

Anchorage Whiskey Glasses.  Etched with rope and anchor motif, perfect size for sipping whiskey, scotch or a fancy cocktail!

Yellow and White Collection of Anchors Pillow.  Way too fun!  Available in more colors and 3 sizes.

Marina Aqua and Navy Anchor Pillow

Marina Aqua and Navy Anchor Lumbar Pillow

Comes in White and Navy too!

Have a wonderful Earth Day weekend-

Patio Perfection - Fun Outdoor Dinnerware

Look for our Caron's Beach House products in the April-May2016  issue of Cottage and Bungalows Magazine! This new issue contains so many fun, inspiring ideas for refreshing your home for spring, including the fun article on pages 28 – 31 “Patio Perfection”,  by Lindsey Stepes and Elizabeth Pardo, produced by Jickie Torres.

Chock full outdoor living ideas, including our wonderful,  “nested” acrylic teal green wine glasses! Super durable, affordable and unbreakable for spring and summer wine tasting beside the sea!

Teal Green Acrylic Wine Glasses

I don't know about you all, but we are so ready to start spring and summer living on our deck, Our fave spot to catch a Pacific Ocean sunset, while catching up with each other. Now, to decide on some new fun indoor-outdoor dinnerware.  We have so many new collections to choose from, it's going to be a tough choice!

 Reef Collection

Sea Turtle Collection

Dockside

Octopus!

Sea Turtle Love from Kim Rody

We are awed by Kim Rody's undersea whimsical art, but her Sea Turtles depicted on her dinnerware is simply magical.  The details and colors that she captures on each piece is really special.

 Enjoy Kim's guest blog post with a little bit of her love of the Sea Turtle!

Kim's Canvas Art - Brenda's Sea Turtle

The Beloved Sea Turtle
From leatherbacks to loggerheads, six of the seven species of sea turtles are threatened or endangered at the hand of humans according to seeturtles.org. Survival is harder as they face  many more dangers than ever in their wide area ocean migrations and daily life on the reef — including accidental capture and entanglement in fishing gear, the loss of nesting and feeding sites to coastal development, poaching, and ocean pollution, particularly plastic. 

These creatures are well-adapted to the ocean,  though they require air to survive. Their size varies greatly, depending upon the species, from the small Kemp’s Ridley, which weighs between 80–100 pounds, to the enormous Leatherback, which can weigh more than 1,000 pounds.  After living six months in the Bahamas, I was thrilled when they placed a ban on hunting sea turtles, both for tourists and for local Bahamians.  

(Kim's Canvas Art)

While diving and capturing photo images for my paintings, I run across a turtle or two practically every time I’m in the water.  A community of young turtles thrive in our little harbor where we live in what they call Fry’s Mangrove on Elbow Cay in the Abacos.  Occasionally, they overcome their fear and approach me underwater, curious and enthralling. 

Kim's Canvas Art - Contact us for details!

I strive to share the beautiful, but ever-deteriorating ocean reef along with its gorgeous inhabitants to both those who never have been below the surface of the sea, as well as those addicted to diving vacations.  Even during my lifetime, having grown up in Miami, I have seen entire reefs destroyed by pollution, reckless boating and over-fishing, along with the hundreds of thousands of sea creatures who used to thrive there.

Sea Turtle Place Setting

 What can I do to educate and inspire people to protect those reefs we have left?  I chose to recreate that sea life on canvas and then to extend that art onto restaurant quality dinnerware infused with the mysterious and incredible sea turtle.

Enjoy!

Out of the Blue Sea Turtle Collection

Sea Turtle Mug Collection

Doreen's Sea Turtle Dish

For all of Kim's Dinnerware pieces, (including many sea turtles!)  check here - Dishes with Fishes

  

Beach Bikes

If you are a follower of my Instagram page, you will probably recognize a few of these images.  Tom and I have become beach "bikers. and a whole new world has opened up to us!  It's funny how your neighborhood and beach trail look completely different from the seat of our bikes. 

There's nothing quite like sailing along on my beach cruiser on our Half Moon Bay coastside trail.  It's almost like being eight years old again with a complete sense of fun and freedom. BTW, yes this is me on my bike at Miramar Beach, just down from our house on the trail - after stopping for a glass of wine and Half Moon Bay artichokes at the Miramar Beach Restaurant.

Stopping for "sunshine" break!

We did quite a bit of comparison shopping before we bought our new Townies from our local Bike Shop (they were great!) Bike Works in Half Moon Bay.  (I am a BIG believer in supporting small local businesses)  Tom and I test rode and test "sat"on many different beach "cruiser" style bikes before deciding on ours.  We drove our our poor sales person at Bike Works crazy with all of our questions!

Tom off the coastside trail taking a quick view of Saturday waves! (Poplar Beach) 

There are a lot of features on these kinds of bikes that were important to me, and played a big factor into making the right decision for us. Beach bikes can be an expensive proposition, and since I had not been on a bicycle in 20 (or more!) years it was sort of a big deal. Not to mention that I was a little bit afraid of making a fool of myself, and not being comfortable riding.  

A foggy January morning off our cliff side trail - Kelly Ave/Francis Beach

We decided on these Townies by Electra after our young salesperson, Evan,  told us that these bikes were "like riding your couch".  He was so right!  Big comfy seats, and built with this cool technology that allows you to put your feet flat on the ground when you stop,  and the bike fits right so that you sit straight upright on the seat with an easy reach to the handlebars.  

And let's talk about beachy colors... okay, I admit it, I did kind of go for the "Seahawk" colors, but Townie bikes come in so many coastal shades from aqua or navy blue to coral orange. I do LOVE my lime green matching wire basket and adorable bell!

Shamrocks and fragrant blooming alyssum on our trail

Honestly, with my number 52 birthday just around the corner, buying these bikes was the best decision that I have made in a very long time.  Trying to get healthier while still having fun!

 Now you can find us most Saturday and Sundays whipping around our town; out to breakfast, down to the farmer's market, grabbing oysters in Princeton, or simply riding down to the beach to enjoy sunsets with a glass of wine. (hence, the NEED for the basket - lol!)  

Whale Wine Glasses are my FAVE!

Have to admit, I crashed the my bike the very first day that I rode it, but got right back up and peddled 2 miles home.  Big bruise on my knee, bent my basket, but no scratches on my bike and nothing broken. It was a rather spectacular accident! I hit a metal pole trying to cross the new bridge over Pilaritos Creek, and yes, there were other bikers that witnessed my "not so classy" downfall.

We're off on our bikes for appetizers and a glass of wine at Miramar Beach - have a great weekend everyone! 

New! Beach Bike Bookends - we think these are adorable!

Springtime at the Beach - Daisies Beach Bike Pillow