Happy New Year!

It's been a wonderful journey to write this blog,
finding ideas and sharing them with all of you.

I very much look forward to continuing to do so in 2012!

And I can't thank you enough for celebrating the sea with me!

THANK YOU!



I'm wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
May it wash ashore what you wish for and more!

Sea you in 2012!

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Have you Been Coastal Inspired this Year?

With the year coming to a close, I would love to know: Have you been coastal inspired by anything you saw posted here this year? A craft project perhaps? And you couldn't wait to get the glue gun out! Maybe you swooned over a beautiful interior shot and it prompted you to change things up a little. Did you fall in love with a product that you now call your own? Or if you simply have enjoyed looking, that counts too! Or are you new here? Please share below and check all the right answers, then click vote!

poll by twiigs.com

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A Happy Coastal Holiday

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday! My husband had some time off and it's been very relaxing..., with plenty of beach walks in the mix.


We felt inspired to do some sand drawings before Christmas!


Unwrapping the little gifts in the stocking was fun.


We've been enjoying long candlelight breakfasts.


And we found more seaglass pieces on a tiny stretch of beach, right down the road! I added them to the "light jar" featured on My Crafty Homemade Christmas.

I'm still in Holiday mode and am taking it easy this week. I will post a poll on Wednesday..., because I have a question for you! I hope to see you then!

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25 Christmas Holiday Trees Inspired by the Sea

Once in a Blue Moon

Christmas season is so wonderful. I love all the lights and decorations, and of course the sea inspired Christmas Holiday trees. They're all amazing and I put together 25 of them -from past postings and new discoveries. So without further ado, I am wishing you all a very Happy Holiday and very Merry Christmas!

To see and learn more about each Christmas holiday tree,
click on the link below the picture.


Grace Happens


Love of the Sea


The Space Between


Coastal Living


The Yellow Cape Cod


Alisa Burke


Boogie Board Cottage


Suzanne on Houzz


Mastery of Maps


The Quintessential Magpie


Sand and Sisal


Coastal Living


Coastal Living


Monogrammed Life


Koren on Facebook


Blue Kat Kraft


Monalisa on Facebook


Aimee on Facebook


Stacy from New Jersey via email


Santa Cruz Cottage


Sue on Facebook


My Home Ideas


Martha Stewart


My Crafty Homemade Christmas

"The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect."
Charles Barnard

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My Crafty Homemade Christmas -Decorations from the Beach & Inspired by the Sea

Welcome to my crafty homemade Christmas! I'm going to show you all my Christmas decorations. Most of them I found on the beach, and the ones I didn't are, of course, inspired by the sea. Ready for the tour? Let's jump right in then!

A few weeks ago I didn't know what razor shells were (see: Free Beach Christmas Gifts & Decor), now they're my Christmas tree topper. I tied the first shell to the tree with wire, then hot glued the other shells on top, plus added a piece of seaglass for a touch of green.


We have a ton of drop cloth leftover -and I've been using it! First example, a drop cloth Christmas tree garland. Husb made the wave stencil for it. I used spray paint, and fringed the edges. Crafty Christmas decorations as promised! The gold painted Shell Ornaments are the same as last year, only facing the other way. The gold just didn't work. The white does!


This year, husb and I decided to surprise each other with stockings. When I saw what he made, I had a fit of "oh, wow, can't believe you made this" A stocking hanging from an awesome wooden lighthouse! After Christmas, he'll attach a bottom under the open space, so that I can use it as a tray for beach rocks and shells! Oh, and the stocking, he bought it in a store, toned down the bright red of the Santa with mesh fabric and edged the whole thing with rope.


My stocking for him -much more modest and smaller in size! Made of? Yep. Drop cloth. I hot glued on a shell and rope. Then, I remembered that I had a piece of fish netting in my beachcomber's stash, so I draped it over a parcel that we received from family.


All the crafty homemade Christmas tree decorations! Shell topper, shell ornaments, sand filled clear ball ornaments and drop cloth wave garland.


I stole a branch from the Christmas tree in the living room to create a sparkly display with Christmas lights, a few scallop shells (found a bunch on the beach, see This Coastal Mix) and a Fishing Glass Float.


I placed a few white Christmas Balls into my beachcomber bowl that sits on the dining room table (on drop cloth).


Also in the dining room, a small green wreath hangs over a window and in the distance you see my Mini Driftwood Tree. On the left, My Shell Garland.


A close up shows how I attached chunky pieces of seaglass with wire.


In the Kitchen you find a mini Christmas tree. The tree's topper is a large whelk shell from the local beach.


Dangling from the branches, my wooden cutout ornaments, featured on 12 Homemade Xmas Ornaments to Make.


And more crafty homemade Christmas decorations from the beach on the kitchen counter. A jar full of seaglass with Christmas lights! This jar will stick around.


A lantern with scallop shells glued on sits on the kitchen island. And a large green wreath with Christmas lights is hanging in between windows over the sink.


The wreath is adorned with gold painted wire starfish. I'll post the how to next year!


Lastly, a buoy with a bow! You might recall the post 9 Easy Homemade Christmas Decorations ..., I had put a bow on the Monkey Fist Knot door stopper. The buoy clearly needed a bow too! It hangs from the staircase by the entry. And that's my crafty homemade Christmas tour! I'm so glad you stopped by!

Come back Wednesday, the last post before Christmas. I'll be lining up all the beautiful coastal Christmas trees!

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Coastal Mix -Unique Christmas Trees, Office Cubicle, Santa, Snowman and more

The grand Ocean House hotel in Watch Hill Rhode Island is all decked out.
Who knows, maybe we'll drive down. Would love to see it in person!



Paula Deen's Rental Cottage on Tybee Island.
Sweet idea to make a pillow look like a present!



Gingerbread lighthouses featured in Coastal Living Magazine.
Which one is your favorite? 2010 or 2011?



Carol of Beautiful Details dressed up her Office Cubicle!
Will she win the contest? We'll see.



Lots of folks love Jim Shore figurines! Do you?
This nautical Santa comes from Back Porch Musings.



A really sweet Christmas song!



So... are you Dreaming of a White Christmas or Tropical Christmas?



I know some of you will watch Christmas boat parades!
I spotted this cutie on Nantucket Water Front News.



Thanks to the Lighthouse Guy who left a comment on Facebook, the Christmas Lighthouse on the cover of Coastal Living Magazine 1997 (which I included here: Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Coastal Style Living) has been identified.
It's Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse on CA's Redwood Coast.



Airstream Trailer Living..., with Holiday lights.



Brrrrr. The cutest snowman ever! This guy is made with seaglass and a battery operated light! Submitted to the Completely Coastal Facebook Page by Leanne.



Another awesome and unique Christmas tree! Shared by Aimee on my Facebook Page.
Her fiance made it. He found the perfect driftwood logs from a stash on the beach.
And it comes apart for easy storing.

And there are two more very unique Christmas trees!
You might recall the oar tree, see Coastal Mix -Unique Christmas Decorations and more.
Then there is the seaglass tree, hung heavy with chunks of sea glass and beneath, beach rocks take the place of presents! Featured on Pictures of Decorated Christmas Trees.

Need an easy or last minute gift?
Check out all the Email Gift Certificates from Completely Coastal sponsors!

And come back Monday for a Christmas tour of my home!


I hope, you are all enjoying the Holiday season!
Happy Weekend, Everyone!

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