b is for beach house

My friend B. went to Arizona to watch Spring Training (lucky duck!!!) and she let me and the two big girls stay in her beach house in Santa Cruz. No baby, no dogs, no dh...just a girlie weekend, and it was wonderful!

B's house is the perfect beach house, starting with the color. She actually has people come up and knock on her door, asking her the what kind of paint she used and what the color is called. Sometimes this is less than convenient, like early on a Saturday. She is typically a very good natured person but this was crossing the line. Anyway, by turns this color could be described as sage, smoke, mushroom, moss or any number of greeny - gray combinations, depending entirely upon the time of day.
There is a lot to see inside and outside. These sweet piper birds look just like the ones that run in and out with the tide along the sandy shore. Here they peek out and admire the view.

And what a wonderful view...there is a lovely park next door, and beyond the tulip tree you can see a glimpse of the water accented on each side by (left) the log ride and (right) the Big Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. (More on that in another post!)

Every day we were there, a birthday happened just outside the kitchen window...balloons, presents, cake and happy children abounded. It felt like a nonstop party.

B. has many collections, but none outdoes her sea glass. She has mounds of it, jars, bowls, plates tucked into every corner...I think she must walk the shore a lot. My favorite is this selection, which includes colors rarely found and formed into a beautiful beach mandala.

"But what did you do?" you ask. Well, can you see the knitting in this picture? I didn't think so. Look closely, on the ottoman...that is the extent of the knitting I did, even though I brought several other projects (yes, yes, including the mushroom socks...they are still languishing). There were magazines to be read, cable TV to watch, dreams to dream and long stretches of beach to walk. The girls were my main focus, so we spent a lot of time just "hanging out"...talking, joking, laughing and bonding for the first time in a very long time, just the three of us....just like old times, before second husband and baby came along.

We also ate a lot (oomph.)


More of B's collections, kind of an Ode to March don't you think? I love these little elf figurines..the plate says, "In my house, I do as I damn well please!" B. is very fond of green.

Every room is lovingly decorated with mellow antiques, soft faded beachy colors, worn linens and faded treasures. I love the look of this room, but we all decided it had too many "old items" (including sepia photographs) and was very obviously being occupied by a few other people already. (The minute she stepped in, P. #1 announced, "This room is HAUNTED mom." I had to agree.)


More elves, sweet plates, and sea glass. Treasure around every corner.

Last we have my favorite piece of art...a forest fairy, made of sticks and bark and feathers and crystals and seaweed, her crown a pumpkin stem. I will try to make something similar very soon I think.

Thank you so much B, for providing your lovely house for us to bond and be a family threesome again...if only for a little while. What is remembered, lives.