As we walked along the beach this morning we passed two teenage boys discussing the weather.
One boy said it felt like summer and the second boy said that it was literally about as far from summer as you can get.
The second boy is correct that we are at the seasonal opposite of summer, but it does feel like summer.
Thinking about "summer like" weather and reading my new decorating books made me realize what was wrong with my post Christmas mantel.
After Christmas, I left the existing painting on the mantel and used a New Year's theme, but it just didn't feel right.
The change to a beach theme might not be right in other parts of the country, but it fits on our little part of the coast.
The painting is of the side of City Hall looking down to the sea on a mild January day.
Shells, found in abundance in our house, fill metal baskets.
Candlesticks I received for Christmas add height to the shell displays.
The walls shine bright yellow enhanced by the sun and an abalone shells holds a mere pittance of the wealth of sand dollars Steve finds on the beach each day.
There is a method to my madness in decorating with "summer" items - perhaps it will encourage winter to laugh at me bringing rain and snow so that we can get in a little skiing.
This mantel fits our little beach cottage and lifestyle and it reflects who we are- no matter the season.
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Looking so very pretty, our home is full of shells also. Happy new year.
ReplyDeleteDear Carol,
ReplyDeleteI wish you a fantastic NEW YEAR!
ciaooo
Lisa
A beautiful painting--it looks great above your mantel. And happy new year!
ReplyDeletedid you really find those sand dollars in full form? my mom has it why i did ask? most shells i see are not fully there. there is a beach in South Carolina ... that if you take the shells you will see a big old fine. it was so shocked to see all the shells ... just amazing!!!!! ( :
ReplyDeleteAnd that is the point: TO REFLECT HOW YOU LIVE. When we were flying over the country to California, I was just admiring the geography of our country. From snow and artic conditions to sunshine and palm trees, this countrie's landscape is as diverse as its peoples and languages. Celebration is in order 365 days a year for such an array of beauty.
ReplyDeleteWhile in California, I had this delightful "tickle" in my heart as I could literally smell the flora which reminded me of my youth. I wish everyone could go back to places of their childhood to get a whiff of their past as I did. It does a body and mind good. Even the "California knockdown" plaster walls as I see you have that I saw in the two houses we were invited into had it and I again felt that rush of memory hit me. Oh the joy.
Carol dear, thank you for a lovely 2013. Everything you share means so much to me. Blessings on this New Year's Eve! Anita
That Tuscany pink in Steve's beautiful painting is the colour I want to paint my house, next time we take on the challenge! Your mantel is perfect for your environment.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and your family, Carol!
Poppy
PS: Am glad we've connected via our colours and style!
I am so jealous! I hate the cold, but that's what it has been here. Have a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteAre you loving your new books, they look fascinating?!! Your mantel decor is just right for you, and please send some sunshine and warm our way, we'll be glad to send some cold to you in exchange :)
ReplyDeleteHugs ~ Mary
Happy New Year to everyone.
ReplyDeleteYour little cottage by the sea reminds me of my So Calif, I love so much.
Anita, said the plaster walls reminded her of her childhood too, not so good for my Whittier house
during an earthquake. But I would take an little shaking over all the rain here in Seattle.
Take a little walk on the beach for all of us "stuck in the snow"...............
Blessings to you and your family.
Linda C in Seattle.
Carol, as we await 9.5 inches of snow and bitter temps….wish I could say it feels like summer! Love the mantel with the ocean theme. Living near the coast, I keep shells, and sea glass, and mementos of our location everywhere as well. Just a thought….perhaps we should trade a heart shaped rock or shell….from one coast to the next!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the shells on your mantel. I always say decorate your world for yourself and you have! Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletehugs,
Linda
I love your mantel and the shells are a perfect fit any time of the year. It's been cold here in the morning, but it feels like summer all day. We need rain!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous. Thanks so much for linking to Inspire me and I wish you a very Blessed and Happy New Year. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteLove seeing all your posts with the beach decor! Best wishes for a wonderful New Year!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Janet
It is all beautiful, Carol! I just love sea shells! Ventura beaches are my favorites to go to in the summer! xoxo Jen
ReplyDeleteI think your decor is a perfect reflection of the lifestyle you have created for yourselves!
ReplyDeleteI may not relate to it feeling like summer, but there is a brilliant blue sky today, snowy white clouds, and cold invigorating air. Your home, as always, looks comfortable and inviting. Happy New Year to you!
ReplyDelete-Karen
Love the mantel! Such a beautiful collection of shells :) Hope you have a wonderful New Year!
ReplyDeleteCarol, I think that it is wonderful to decorate your home to suit your environment! I have a shell Christmas tree at our beach place, although, I usually do not decorate for Christmas there. Love those shells - we do not find many on our beach. We have to buy them!! Happy New Year to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteOh I think your mantel is wonderful - I'd decorate the same way if I lived at the beach! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteYour mantle is just perfect! Living a parallel life in Florida. However, the temp has dropped tonight! Happy New Year! xo
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteJudy
It's all just lovely, the colors, the painting, the shells and the sentiment. I am a firm believer in decorating for yourself! Happy New Year! Kim
ReplyDeleteSunshine and warm weather sounds heavenly right now! Your mantel reflects your lifestyle and looks bright and cheerful. Happy New Year, Carol!
ReplyDeleteHey you!!! I am loving your sand dollars! They are fantastic in your metal baskets! And yes you all have something special on the coast that is all so lovely! Beautiful mantel!! And a very happy New Year friend!!! I hope as I am writing this you are surrounded by all of your friends on your street having a rocking time!!!
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, we have had a number of nights in the thirties this year, not just a few; but, the days usually warm to the seventies.
ReplyDeleteThe mantel looks pretty. I love the sand dollars.
Beautiful mantle and I love the shells. Yes, we are so fortunate to have such beautiful weather. I feel so guilty about how good our weather is when the rest has such terrible weather.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful 2014 and I have so enjoyed your posts this past year.
Mary
I just checked our local weather and we are to get more snow and then an "Arctic Blast" in a day or so....keep showing summer there; you warm me up for a bit :) Happy New Year :)
ReplyDeleteHi Carol . . . Looks like gorgeous! Your posts are always so lovely. I would love it if you could bottle up some of your weather and send it our way. We haven't really had any snow to speak of, but it's cold and frosty outside. I'm celebrating my second year as a blogger, come join the fun.
ReplyDeleteYour blogging sister, Connie :)
It look great and makes me long for summer... Here the weather is all about our usual winter storms, which can be pretty bad on the seaside!
ReplyDeleteThank you dearest, dearest Carol. Your visits mean so much to me, your boundless creativity and vision for change has always struck a chord with me. I wish you and Steve more of that boundless happiness, and I want more words in my mind this year to help me really write something special. LOVE TO YOU! Anita
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to look at such summery/cottage photos during the lull of winter. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOhhh to be at the beach for Christmas-- that is my dream. Your photos are wonderful-- makes me just sigh---
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and those you love--
Vicki
LOL Bring on summer!!! :D
ReplyDeleteI love the pretty abalone shell on your mantel. I hope you have a prosperous and happy 2014! Happy New Year!
xo,
RJ
So pleasant seeing all the wonderful "beach" goodies as it is sub zero here with blowing snow and a winter storm warning...so I could "relax" a bit reading your post and forget about what is outside for the next 3 months...thanks for sharing! Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteOh- to have your Winter Weather as even our Summer Weather-we are often cold even during the summer months. God bless you and your family in 2014. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteIt does not feel like summer in Northern Ca but rather spring. Definetly not winter. We used ti gather sanddollars in abundance but for these past five years we never see them. They must all be on your beaches :). I really miss them. Happy new year to you!
ReplyDeleteIt most certainly doesnt feel like anything but Winter this morning as the snow is flying and blizzard like conditions threaten. I do love the beach, and I am looking forward to getting SOuth before Spring arrives. Your mantel is lovely,
ReplyDeleteI only wish it felt like summer here...I so live in the wrong part of the country. It finally just stopped snowing for the gazillioneth time this season after 2 days straight of falling flakes. We have about a foot of snow now. Maybe more. And temps going below zero again tonight. Love the sand dollars!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think it's appropriate to decorate your home in a coastal style. After all, that's where you live. You have to embrace the area in which you live. I think a lot of people would love to be able to walk on the beach this time of year. Many people are experiencing a different form of white stuff right now.
ReplyDeleteIt's been really stormy here and hundreds of starfish have been battered by the sea and washed up on the beach so I brought a few small ones home and when the decs have gone I'll find somewhere to put them.
ReplyDeleteYour mantle suits your surroundings perfectly, as does the new header !
All the best to you and Steve for 2014
Carol, it's cold here and definitely feels like winter. It's been like this since before Thanksgiving and is unusual for us. I rather like it! I'm amazed at the sand dollars and shells you find on your beach. Do you also find those large star fish?
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, my friend. Just want to say how much I enjoy my visits to Art and Sand.
Just stopping by to wish you and your hubby a very Happy New Year. May you enjoy many more summer-like days this "winter season" :-)
ReplyDeleteHugs and Kisses,
❤️Ana
It warms me up seeing the painting. This weekend it is gong to be 10 below not including the wind factor. The sand dollars remind me of my Mom who was a beach bum at heart. I agree with Castles, Cottages above that what you share means so much to me too. Happy New Year xo
ReplyDelete