The Search for the Perfect Beach Retreat

Oh I've got decorating and fashion ideas galore for my ocean oasis  The question is, where exactly do I plant my beach umbrella? Will she sell seashells in the Seychelles? Build a boho beach shack in Baja? Go modern and minimalist in Maui?  Where in the world will that perfect beach--and town--emerge from the mist, satisfying all my requirements?

Such as:  charming shops, good restaurants, a dab of art, a dollop of culture, a good library and bookstore, a well-stocked grocery and well-edited wine shop, no chain restaurants or stores, no high rises.  The beach would be clean and bright, the ocean clear and warm.  And the housing would be affordable.

Yeah, that last part is where my practical list of destinations pretty much disappears.  But maybe you know of a place?  If so, please share it with us, in the Comments section.  Looking forward to your suggestions!

Photo courtesy Elle Moss

She Sells Seashells

Photo by Claire Brocato / Images by Claire on Flickr. Source: french-knot.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

In a charming cottage by the sea

I'll dine on vintage china 

Sourced from roadside sales,

Mix sunset-hued cocktails

And dive into suitcases of books.

Source: mrsamberapple.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

Source: thecityofhope.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

Source: bookshelfporn.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

In an antique armoire 

I'll stash filmy sundresses, soft coverups 

And sweetly sexy retro swimsuits, 

Like Marilyn might wear.

Source: loveyourchaos.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

On rainy days I'll paint the walls 
In abstract pastels

And arrange pretty vignettes 
Of turquoise and persimmon.

Source: oncewed.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

Source: pinterest.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

And every morning I'll awake to this:

Source: cptnrin.smugmug.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

This Style Story is part of 
THE SANDCASTLE PROJECT: Dreaming Of Creating An Escape By The Sea
For continuing updates follow She Sells Seashells on my Pinterest. (Need an invite to join Pinterest? Email me.)  For more on what you might read, cook, eat and enjoy in such a coastal cottage join the conversation all week on the Style Maniac Facebook Page and @thestylemaniac on Twitter.

The Sandcastle Project

"Build me a castle,
a magic sandcastle,

in the sand, 
on the shore, 
by the sea."

As a little girl I would often lull myself to sleep by decorating homes in my head.  Now that I own a decorating business, when I'm not plotting work for a client, my own fantasy projects have become much more specific: decorating an escape by the sea.  And thanks to the magic of Blogger and Pinterest, I can now create whole worlds of wonderful destinations in which to live, laugh, learn, listen, read, decorate, dress, eat and entertain--and share them with you. I've got the ideas, plenty of them, ranging from sweet cottages to boho beach shacks, to sleek modern retreats. And I've got a a definite idea of the kind of town I'd like to live in, although I wonder if it actually exists?  Well, perhaps you can help me with that part.  Off we go, ideas and images flying through the salty air, The Sandcastle Project has begun.


Image from an archive copy of Coastal Living Magazine.  As for the quote, I'm honestly not sure if I heard this somewhere, or made it up myself, but it popped into my head one day intact.

WHAT WOULD KATE SPADE WEAR IN NEW YORK?

Given how much a website can convey a brand's personality, it's amazing how dull and downright unattractive many online shopping experiences can be.  Not so Kate Spade.com, a site so charming and fun I check it even when I'm not in the market for pretty baubles (my only peeve: music, which I don't care to have blaring at me from any site).  It just so happens that Kate & Co. also traveled to cities and shores this season. Here's her wardrobe suggestions for a New York City weekend (check back for tropical attire).
Images via katespade.com

I LIKE NEW YORK IN JUNE ... HOW ABOUT YOU?

UPTOWN: Central Park on a glorious spring day ... the dramatic view from the terrace after a concert at Lincoln Center ... Patricia Field's fun and glamorous Sex & The City 2 windows at Bergdorf Goodman ... the bar at Jean Georges Vongerichten's new mouth-watering and surprisingly affordable restaurant at The Mark Hotel.  DOWNTOWN: The style maniacal yellow doors at The Standard Hotel ... the sublime High Line and views of the Hudson River ... brunch at charming Cafe Gitane in the Meatpacking District.

Mark Bar photo by Julie Glassberg via The New York Times. Cafe Gitane photo by Katie Sokoler via The Gothamist.  All other photos by Doreen Creede.

FROM CITY TO SHORE

Perhaps you've noticed:  each month I choose a theme for Style Maniac, around which all the blog posts, most of the Facebook entries and many of the Twitter musings revolve.  Usually the theme pops into my head weeks before and the only challenge is to edit ideas down to a manageable amount.  But this month I found myself stumped.  Should I celebrate the staycation fun of summer in a city?  Or do I escape to the balmy breezes of days at the shore?  And then two unexpected invitations arose in one week that made it click:  why not do both? And so this month on Style Maniac we travel From City to Shore, with stops at some wonderful small towns in between. The car's decorated, The Avett Brothers and Frank croon on the radio ... won't you join us for the ride?
Video discovered on Some Teachers Are Cool.  (Thank you, Christy!) For more of  The Avett Brothers amazing music click here .  VW Bug photo via Kris' Color Stripes. Nantucket Beach House via CountryLiving.com.

BACKYARDING with MRS. LILIEN

Oh the joys of blog- and twitter-land:  they deliver you to such delicious discoveries. Thank you, Mrs. Spade, for introducing me to Mrs. Lilien, a  fashionista decorista Dr. Seussian delight.  Not only are her images pure perfection, but her witty words are simply divine.  Click here for her Styling House of treasures. Mrs. Lilien, you're invited over any time.

Images courtesy Mrs. Lilien Styling House

PINK PARADISE

We started and now end the month with images of this lovely pink paradise. Enjoy while Style Maniac follows her own advice and heads to the beach with a pile of books. Hope you have a great holiday...see you in September.

THE BEACH: Harbour Island, Bahamas
Harbour Island has everything I want in a beach vacation--powdery pink sand; warm, aqua water; no high rises or chains; really good food in restaurants with personality and a beach chic dress code; simple yet stylish accommodations; a few cute shops; and golf carts as the default mode of transportation; all of which combine to make you feel you've landed on a magical dollhouse island plucked straight out of a storybook.

THE BOOK: A Trip to the Beach by Melinda and Robert Blanchard
A really great beach can get you thinking about selling everything and starting a new island life. But what's it really like to live in paradise? This book answers that question from the perspective of a married couple who sold everything, moved to Anguilla and then opened a gourmet restaurant. A fun, easy read.

Photo by Doreen Creede

SUNRISE TO SUNSET

summer style: tequila sunrise by Style Maniac featuring Alice + Olivia dresses

An outfit that would work from brunch to cocktails no matter what beach you may be on.

WAVES

THE BEACH: Westhampton Beach, NY
My husband's favorite beach, to which all ocean waves are compared. I find it amazing that such blue water and untrampled miles of dunes exist only 60 miles from New York City.

THE BOOK: Heat by Bill Buford
As I sweltered in Manhattan during a trade show last week I thought of this book, the account of a New Yorker writer who takes a year off to apprentice with Mario Batali. Entertaining, elucidating (sometimes too much so); and who knows, out in the Hamptons you might actually run into Mario himself.

Photos by Doreen Creede

LUSCIOUS LITTLE COTTAGE

Why can't all beach rentals be this cute? Just one glance at those crisp white walls, zebra chairs and hot pink accents mixed with vintage finds makes me want to reserve this aptly named "Luscious Little Cottage" on Tybee Island, Georgia right now. Bonus: it's just "99 1/2/ steps to the beach." I'd pack a stack of design magazines, some new and old Rebecca Wells books and while away a week or two if I could.

Discovered in Coastal Living Magazine's January/February 2009 issue. Visit www.coastalliving.com to view other enticing beach rentals.

MANIAC FIND: The Bare Minimum

summer essentials by Style Maniac featuring Calypso bags

Life at the beach calls for the bare minimum, beauty-wise. My top five picks: a sheer foundation I've used forever and still love; lip glaze that stays on but doesn't dry out your lips; mascara that doesn't smear or irritate (it comes off in mini-tubes with warm water); a really good sunscreen; and a face/body bronzer because you used that really good sunscreen.

For more details on products and links of where to buy, click on the image above.

SWEET CAROLINA

THE BEACH: Bald Head Island, North Carolina
Every beach has its own particular light. While the Greek Isles may be about vivid contrast, Bald Head Island's beaches shimmer with a soft golden glow. Uncrowded, unspoiled, with no cars, high rises or chains (in fact just a handful of restaurants, a golf and a beach club, a few perfect little shops and an excellent grocery/wine store) plus acres of maritime forests and marshes. A sense of calm begins the moment you step ashore--and lasts until the moment you step off.

THE BOOKS: Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life In France by Julia Child
My sister, Denise, and I have always loved books, food and travel. Often we read about food while traveling--or in this case, while lounging beside each other on Bald Head Island's virtually deserted South Beach, with only our husbands and her daughters nearby. While Denise actually cooks dishes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I prefer just reading about how Julia Child wrote the famous cookbook and how Julie Powell transformed her life by writing about cooking through the famous cookbook. (Blogs to riches--gotta love that story!) Of course we both plan to see the movie inspired by the books about the cookbook--and if I'm lucky Denise Marie Julia (!) will cook one of the dishes for me afterward.

ABOUT THE PHOTO: Taken with my camera ... by a friendly stranger who snapped a pic of the group of us ... which I cropped out for this post. Blown up like this, the photo looks more like a painting.

GUEST SET: Kelly's Beachwear

guest set by kelly by Style Maniac featuring Roxy

My teenage niece Kelly has been a big fan of Style Maniac from the beginning--particularly any zebra-related posts and the Polyvore sets I've been creating for the past few months. Since I love her sense of style--and since we've shared some great beach vacations together--I asked her to create an outfit she'd wear to this week's beach destination: Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

Stop by Friday for more on Bald Head Island and the books I'd read there. Kelly's book choice? Shadowlands (The Mediator Series, Book 1) by Meg Cabot.

MY VIRTUAL GREEK VACATION

THE BEACH: The Greek Isles
If the cyber-world were reality I would be meandering down this path right now, sandals dangling from one hand; a cold glass of white wine grasped in the other. Ah ....

THE BOOK: Vefa's Kitchen by Vefa Alexiadou
Ideally my escape to the Greek Isles would last the entire summer. In which case, I'd need some things to cook in my sparkling white cliff-side villa. This 704-page cookbook of alluring photos and straightforward recipes from a well-known Greek chef and cookbook author should do the trick. We'd eat on the patio, waves crashing below, mesmerized by a view like this:



Photos by Marcel Germain

ABOUT THE PHOTOS: I first glimpsed "Seaside Alley, Mykonos" (top) on another blog (maybe Absolutely Beautiful Things?) then explored the photographer's work further on Flickr, where I found (amongst many other marvels) "Oia by Night, Santorini" (bottom). Marcel Germain is a self-described "amateur" photographer who travels extensively, speaks eight languages and has a great eye. He was kind enough to grant permission for use of some of his photos on Style Maniac. Here's his Photostream.

A GREAT BEACH & A GOOD BOOK

We were pretty lucky with the weather in Philly last month, with glorious days and cool nights instead of the usual oppressive heat. But August has arrived and a thick blanket of humidity now enshrouds us. Which turns my thoughts from "Summer in the City" to "Escape to the Beach." Whether you are planning an escape of your own or just looking for a virtual vacation, stop by Style Maniac this month for a glimpse of some tantalizing beaches, along with suggestions for good books to read (on a beach, near a beach or just daydreaming of a beach).

For more on the beach above check back later this month.

Photo by Doreen Creede

RESORT STYLE

No matter where she was (or how she felt), my grandmother Jean would arrive immaculately coiffed and elegantly attired (no jeans, ever) --and at 5 p.m., ready for a cocktail "dahling." I think she would have enjoyed this glimpse at how women with far more funds (but the same classic sense of style) put together their summer wardrobes. I think I'll enjoy it too ... it's on my Wishlist, awaiting publication in September.

READ: Resort Fashion: Style In Sun-Drenched Climates by Caroline Rennolds Milbank. Coming in September.

CROON, SWOON, FLY ME TO THE MOON

Ice cubes clinking. Drinks poured. A soft breeze wafting across the bay. Sinatra on the stereo. Talk about timeless summer style.

LISTEN: Nothing But The Best does a pretty good job of compiling my favorite Sinatra tunes. But nothing beats these albums: Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back, Strangers In The Night and Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim--all inexplicably out of print according to Amazon.com. If you find 'em somewhere, grab 'em.

SPLISH SPLASH

summer style: splish splash by Style Maniac featuring Old Navy

A good portion of my summer "sundresses" are actually bathing suit cover-ups. For some reason they fit me better, plus they often cost less than a "real" dress. If a piece is too sheer or too short I layer a long tank or cropped leggings underneath. Then I throw a bikini and a magazine in my totebag so that after running errands on a sultry summer day I can stop off at our gym's outdoor pool for a quick dip and relaxing read beneath the city skyline.

(Note: I'd wear that Becca cover-up in a heartbeat, but the white bikini I'd leave for my niece Kelly as she would actually look good in it.)

DRESS: Errands & A Dip in the Pool

SHADY LADY

Not quite the bargain of the Hula umbrella featured last week, but so pretty and whimsical I couldn't resist.

Shadylace Parasol available from droog.com.