Gone To The Beach: 07.29.2022

Friday, July 29, 2022

Out and About! So fun!

Good morning on this foggy Friday as we say goodbye to July. The first month of summer is almost done, hot and dry [yet humid] but still lovely. I just washed my big windows, rain will no doubt fall within 24 hours. This weekend is the anniversary of my/ our moving to this tiny beautiful oceanfront home. So many years ago, just a young couple in their 20s looking for a weekend getaway.We never had a single thought or worry about where the future would take us, good times, sad and bad times.

The other day L and I got out for one of our Just for Fun girly shopping trips. Out and abouts are few these days, as we are no longer young moms with an afternoon hour to kill before school let out. I cherish each time we do meet up, so inspiring. Happy retail therapy, shallow as that may seem.

Here we go! Where else!

Home Goods was lovely, clean and empty [masks worn]. ALL about Halloween though, more on that in a minute.

They did have some items left of earlier offerings. Only one cute fish,"Coastal"---driftwood inspiration, if only my beach actually had driftwood.

Great very tall planters. "Outdoor". How I wish I could have lifted them to bring home. The big ones

[waist high] are great bec they bring the flowers up to sitting eye level. One fills the base with plastic bottles or baggies of styrofoam peanuts.

Don't these fun chairs look painful, lol.

And the Boho Marketplace, vintage-y hippy things I love every year. Lots of great pouffes and cushions.

Love these bolsters and also the pouffe below, never even noticed it in the store.

Then, yes, it is Halloween in retail world.

Wonderful glass pumpkins.

Cute and different pumpkins, like Tim Burton Nightmare Before Christmas designs?

Loved this pumpkin like my pineapple.

Too expensive.

Black scary stuff?

We shopped fast then went on to Trader Joe's for fresh flowers. All so pretty.

I also grabbed a box of heirloom-ish cherry tomatoes even though I promised we wouldn't really take the time to shop..

For a delicious Ina Garten summer salad, so simple but amazingly good with real summer tomatoes. I used tarragon instead of basil, because I like tarragon better and basil-tomato is a smidge trite. And add a teaspoon of sugar/ honey/ sweetener.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgerxKQLuwj/

@inagarten click here

Want to guess what came home with me?

New water bowl for Mo, flowers, tomatoes..

Room spray, because candles are less effective in the summer with open doors and windows. Though FYI Home Goods had a great stock of fall scented candles.

Smallish puzzle for those first dark evenings in October. I am hoping I can do my puzzles again, as my vision is improved though I will have one, maybe two/ more surgeries this coming winter. But at least now I can see the pieces I think.

Poppy red ranunculas! ❤

Blue-lavender stocks/phlox.

The orange bolster! Had to have it.

Nancy asked me if orange is my favorite color, I said No, but really/ maybe? Yes? I am picturing late October cottage with creamy linen pillows and this accent of orange.

Soft and sweet, no scary skulls ooor spiders/ ghosts/ skeletons for me this year.

All hand embroidered.

And though I cannot find the photo it was the most adorable pompoms and tassels, [happy sigh].

Not sure I grabbed the right one though.

I save the TJs bags for garden deadheading as they don't blow away, but I kept this one thinking I will cut out and save the cute old time-y motifs in case I ever start my junk journal.

Mo is still lying by the AC, hope springs eternal in Pug world. I haven't heard from the appliance guys recently though. Don't look too close but you can see where water intrusion [forced in by high winds/ storms, not a real leak] and rust and roadwork dust have damaged the unit and the electric baseboard heaters below.