The funny thing is, after my store closed in April of 2007, I could not bear to go into any type of interior or exterior design stores. Could not even read any of my favorite design publications; no Coastal Living, no Elle Decor, no Cottage Living, no Traditional Home..... My heart was simply broken after we packed everything up, locked the doors for the last time, and gave the keys to our friend Tom. I wouldn't even go in Pier One or T.J. Maxx! How stupid was that??
This dream all began again last year sometime, after a vodka & cranberry cocktail (really, it was only 1 drink!) at the Cliff House in San Francisco. The cocktail lounge has all of my "stuff" on display - vintage bathing beauties, seashells, blown glass sea urchins.... Found myself sobbing into my drink and realizing that I missed my beach/coastal lifestyle store, web store, customers and my life long dream of owning my own business.
This year has shown me that it might be
possible to get it all back.
It all begins with market research, and part of that research is finding other stores that you might like - not to copy their inventory or their idea, but to help better form your own ideas.
"Half to Have It" is a fun, unique, happy store that I discovered in Half Moon Bay on a sunny afternoon. Mermaids, King Neptune, nautical home accents, crushed pottery and glass made for a very happy afternoon of exploring and dreaming just a little. Explore the multitude of unique beach decor items that can be found, all while strolling through iron arch ways and stepping on crushed vintage pottery and glass. Can you see the shell mosaic ball perched gingerly next to the iron mermaid in the top picture? This is just one idea of the many mosaic products that this store carries!
www.halftohaveit.com
How about a fanciful Mermaid to point out the direction of the coastal breeze?
Glass floats are such a great nautical/beach cottage essential. Look at this array of colors - and extremely affordable too! Think of the ways that these could be used in a display for a cool beach dinner party? Surrounded by white pillar candles -
Stay tuned - still working on that dream to reopen a store, might only be on the web for the next year, but will be full of great new ideas for beach lovers.
Thanks again for joining me on this journey, and thank you everyone at "Half to Have It" for sharing your store and letting me share it with other "beachcombers"!
Found this lovely moon snail shell on my beach travails earlier this week; a walk in the rain and the gray to escape writing and the depression of living indoors in January. 
