Good-bye 201, Welcome 2013

thoughtful words from Thoreau

A day in the life of Benjamin Franklin

Just a few inspirational images for the start of 2013. As a lover of nature, I am also a fan of Thoreau and love his quote above. I came across the above schedule on Pinterest and it made me recall a time about 14 years ago that I read The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time Management, by Hyrum Smith. Shortly after that I ventured out on my own and started my business. I am starting this year full of inspiration having been reading some great books like Strengthsfinder 2.0, by Tom Rath and HARD Goals, by Mike Murphy. Two books I was compelled to read thanks to a favorite designer of mine, Tobi Fairley. I had the pleasure of seeing her speak at High Point several years ago and have followed her ever since. Currently, I’m doing some e-coaching  with her. The growth in her business has been amazing to see and her blog is always full of inspiration. I’m looking forward to 2013 being full of growth and inspiration, as well, and I wish you the same.

XO, Shannon

A) The incredible joy and support of my family and friends. I turned 40 this year and it was a great excuse to get my family and friends together.

B) The opportunity to work with clients to create some beautiful spaces. We had the chance to revamp some existing pieces, use sustainable new pieces, and create spaces we hope will last and last.

C) This year, I was able to put together a team of two talented women who have helped my business greatly. Having them has also given me the ability to be more flexible with my children. A true gift.

D) We were able to have some great events this year at Sea Green Designs. We hosted a few trunk shows and had a few demonstrations at our Holiday Open House.

E) Lastly, I am grateful for our new location. I may not have had the best timing (the week before Hurricane Sandy), but with my staff, family, and friends, we made the move, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m looking forward to the new year in our new space.

Thank you, too for your support and following Sea Green Designs in our endeavors. We would love to hear from you.

May you have a Happy, Healthy, New Year!

LOL, Shannon

Yummm!

At Sea Green Designs, every year, we put out some holiday treats for the shoppers that stop in between Thanksgiving and New Years. We always hear “this is sooo good” from those who indulge themselves. So, I thought I would share the very simple recipes for the cider we always put out and the rice cereal treats that I have out today. The recipe here is adapted from one my husband printed for me when he saw it on Yahoo. It’s not the same as the one you typically would see on the side of the cereal box or on the bag of marshmallows. The sea salt adds a nice touch that cuts the sweetness. I know these won;t last long!

Happy Holidays!

Shannon

Coastal Holiday Pillows

Mercury Glass Ornaments in a Coastal Hue

Driftwood Trays for Breakfast in bed & Organic Cotton Robes in coastal colors

Hand-made Starfish Frames

Personalized Stockings with a seaside print

Well, I’m sure you have all of your holiday shopping done, but for those who waited until the last minute, above you’ll see some of the gift ideas you can find here at Sea Green Designs. Personally, I would love to get the flannel robe. It is so cozy.

Hope you’ve gotten a little coastal holiday inspiration. Happy Holidays.

xoxo, Shannon

DIY: no Sew Bow-tie pins on Decor8blog.com

We recently got the shop ready for the holidays and after hanging the garland and the lights and decorating the trees. I thought we needed a touch more. After seeing this creative post on one of my favorite blogs, decor8, I got an idea. It was very simple, but added the bit of color I was looking for. The steps to my little project were so simple, I wanted to share them.

Choose any combination of ribbon you like. I wanted to incorporate our signature seagreen with the red of the holidays and a deeper teal. I found all the ribbon used here at Michaels. I cut two equal lengths of both the red and the teal for each bow I wanted to hang. I also cut one longer length of the satin seagreen ribbon as the center ribbon that would bind them all together. If you want something more elaborate you can add more strips of ribbon.

Gather the shorter ribbon in the center and tie the ribbon you like best for the bow. This ribbon I cut long enough to be able to tie the loops and have enough left to hang the same length as the other ribbons.

Above is my finished product. I used a twist tie to attach the finished bow to the pine bow. In the end, the bows added just right touch. I think they bring a kind of Scandanavian holiday feeling to our unfinished wood beams and lit pine garland. I hope you’ll find this simple project useful in your holiday decorating.

Best,

Shannon

Click HERE for more details or to register. Hope to see you there!

Best,

Shannon

1) BLOGS

I am not quite as consistent with my blog yet as I would like to be, but there is no end to the inspiration blogs like the ones below provide to me and many others.

House of Turquoise

Tobi Fairley

decor8

These are just three of the many blogs I love. These are the ones I find myself drawn to most often. Check them out. They’re full of inspiration.

2) THE PARRISH ART MUSEUM

Parrish Art Museum photo Matthu Placek

This is an incredible building and amazing asset to us on the East End. Also, full of inspiration.

3) THE MONTAUK LIGHTHOUSE

Montauk Lighthouse courtesy Wikimedia Commons

We don’t get there as often as I’d like to, but this iconic lighthouse is just a 45 minute trip from our shop which make me grateful to be so close by.

4) COOPERS BEACH

Coopers Beach courtesy Velojoy

No matter what time of year it is this beach never fails to provide a beautiful site.

5) ART

Trying to get back into the swing of things after we moved the Southampton store around the corner and the superstorm Sandy, and the Noreaster. I hope all who have been adversely affected will see some relief soon. If you are in the unfortunate position of having to re-do your rooms due to flooding, maybe you’ll consider one of the coastal colors I’ve posted in the past or this weeks choice, Bleeker Beige, HC-80, by Benjamin Moore.

Living Room in Bleeker Beige, courtesy RestylingHomebyKellyblog

I love the use of Bleeker Beige in the image above as a nice neutral backdrop for this room with lots of natural light. I also love the vintage wine flask as an accent next to the table.

Mudroom in Bleeker Beige courtesy Decorpad

In the mudroom above, Bleeker Beige is an excellent match to the tile in this very organized mudroom. (I must admit, I’m a little jealous of this space. I could use a mudroom like this in my own home.)

Great contrast with Turquoise, courtesy Lucy Williams

Above is one of my favorite finds in looking for use of this color. I’m not 100% sure it is Bleeker Beige, but Lucy Williams did a wonderful job here with the neutral background for the vibrant turquoise and coral furnishings. Very coastal indeed.

Have you used Bleeker Beige? Is there another neutral wall color you’ve used with some vibrant accents? Let me know.

Best,

Shannon

For all those without power and damaged homes, we support you and pray for you receive the help you need to rebuild. For all those who donate, we thank you.

Best,

Shannon