Navy and White Coastal Living Rooms

I love, love, love white slip covered couches. Seriously though, are they able to endure pet hair, dirty paws and fingers, baby spit up, and spilled grape juice (both the kid and adult shiraz version)? One home owner featured in the latest issue of Coastal Living said her white denim slip covers are "absolutely incredible". She throws them in the wash every 3 weeks with some bleach and they come out looking just like new. Wouldn't that be tedious? And she has 4 kids and 3 dogs! Are they worth it for that gorgeous coastal feel? Maybe? Maybe not?

I just picked up some beach inspired fabric (75% off - I love a good sale) to recover some chairs and to make some DIY pillow covers. This, I plan to tackle in a month or so as a fun project to counter the dry wall mud dust. I am slightly obsessed with ikat and stripes.

I am working with a brown couch. So while I am lusting over white slip covered couches (someday!) I simply remind myself how low maintenance things are right now. This is a good thing. Here is my inspiration:

Image 1, Coastalhome.blogspot.com; image 2, my own; image 3, hgtv; image 4, houzz; image 5, House Beautiful, image 6 and 7, Ethan Allan; image 8, Seasidestyle.blogspot.com

Tropical Love

I've been on vacation this week, visiting a tropical retreat that has washed me over with calm. Between one room filled with dry wall mud and sanding dust, another room filled with furniture and boxes, a yard that needs serious weeding and my long list of things-to-do, I took a pause and escaped. In my mind, that is! Who would like to join me? A beautiful sunset, a hammock for relaxing, a delicate fish dinner, a refreshing mango daiquiri, and gorgeously styled rooms. It's amazing how revisiting a past vacation through visualization can actually take you back and allow those wonderful feelings to resurface. I've been doing a lot of that lately!

Bring the tropics inside.

Fan: California Fan Company

Pillow and seagrass ottoman: Pottery Barn

Porcelain pineapple: Eco Chic

Seaweed print and garden seat: William Sonoma Home

Franboise striped area rug: Dash and Albert

Round Adirondack Mirror: Wisteria

Image 1, tumbler; image 2, Coastal Living; image 3, Hotel Club; image 4, seepuertorico.com; image 5, decor pad; image 6, beachbars.com 

Tropical Plants and Palm Fronds in Vases

I love tropical plants and we do have a few around the house, but truthfully I am not the greatest when it comes to caring for them. I also love the simplicity of single palm fronds in vases - a bit of lush greenery without having an entire plant. With our harsh winters and the fact that our future beach house is still in the pre-planning stages, I am enjoying the faux palm version from Pottery Barn, on sale for $3.07 each. I love a bargain. I'd say they look real... except that you can see that there is no water in the vase! I suppose I need opaque vases. Anyone else struggle with keeping healthy tropical plants? What's the secret?

Decor Pad

Coastal Living

Traditional Home

House of Turquoise

House Beautiful

Tkee Love and Beach Dresses

I fell in love with Tkees the second I slipped a pair on. I spend all of my warm weather days in flip flops and wear them inside come winter. It's a little lot bit of an obsession. They are truly my sole mate. Tkees are a close as you can come to actually feeling like you are walking barefoot. And their colors are incredible! I prefer the glosses line, as the sole easily wipes clean and doesn't stain. Perfect for sandy feet in the summer. Aren't these the cutest cover ups and beach dresses?

Sheer Cover up from Swell

with Tkees Blue Breeze

house image from Coastal Living

O'Neill shirt dress from Swell

Tkees Floral Punch

Coral Beach Kitchen from Traditional Home

O'Neill printed beach cover up from Swell

Tkees Purple Pucker

Purple Beach House from google images

Mason Jar Projects, Crafts and Storage

Happy May everyone! Every time I am on Pinterest, I discover new creative uses for mason jars. I have dozens (they are seriously overtaking the house) used as decor and storage.

A few vintage turquoise mason jar flower vases.

They became a gorgeous centrepiece for a family gathering.

I also use mason jars to store my paint brushes. 

Colored glass gems at the bottom keep them separated to dry.

I have a bunch on my kitchen counter filled with cooking and baking staples.

I created labels and painted them with Modge Podge so they would wipe clean.

I love how Linda from It All Started With Paint 

painted and distressed her mason jars and created beautiful vases.
Check out her blog to see the tutorial.

And I love the practical and stylish bathroom storage created by Liz Marie over at Liz Marie Blog. 

I still have a bunch of jars waiting patiently in storage for that increasingly elusive craft day. So many possibilities!