Girl's Lunch at Maggie's on Miller Bay...

So... I should be working on a newsletter for the Caron's Beach House site, but am having a lot of trouble getting motivated. (Gosh, was it the late night red wine and gumbo?)  I have a backlog of beachy blog stories to write, so I am opting for sitting here with my cup of tea, and gooey brownie.

By the way, don't you just love my new "under the sea" coffee cup? It was a present from my daughter and can be found at Starbucks if you would like one of your own.

Want to tell you all about my lunch at Maggie's beach house on Miller Bay outside of Poulsbo. Maggie is the talented designer behind Burning at Both Ends, she creates all kinds of neat accessories; wine charms, zipper pull charms, goblet charms, flip-flop charms - so many cool ideas!  I love carrying her coastal themed wine charms on the website, and she was so gracious to come up with some charms and bead colors just for us. Pretty cool, since she has some very big clients, like the "Made in Washington Store", and "Exclusively Washington".


This is her collection of antique oars and shells that greet visitors on her front porch.  Maggie's vintage painted oars are very special, and come from a treasured uncle's house in Michigan. I like how she wrapped shells and old fishing  floats with rope and tied everything all together.

Maggie can't help being creative, her dad is an incredibly talented artist and is still enjoying presenting his art at local Northwest galleries at nearly 90.  Here's just one example of the beach scenes covering her walls throughout the house, forgot to ask what beach this might be, but it kind of looks like Dungeness Spit in Sequim (?)

This is one of the coolest ideas that I have ever seen: a moon snail shell mortared into their fireplace for a safe keeping spot for matches! If I ever have another house, I am definitely copying this idea. (you all know I already have the shells)  Love all of the barnacles covering this shell, confirms that it actually washed up on Maggie's beach! Could not help it, I had to put the "Rosario" and "Latitude 47" matches in the photo - Northwest favorites.

 Enjoy the collections that are on her mantel too; shells collections, special rocks, beach washed birdhouses...

Miller Bay is a little inlet on the Kitsap Peninsula between Poulsbo and Kingston.  Living nearly all of my life in Kitsap County, I never even knew that this little bay existed until I knew Maggie. The day that we had lunch, it was more of a mud flat surrounded by beautiful homes, and some beached boats!  (P.S. this is Maggie's front yard - sort of!)

Our girl's lunch table on Maggie's stone patio right above the beach, so pretty surrounded by spring flowers, and natural beach grass.  We had the perfect day to enjoy sitting outside in the sun, definitely sometimes a rarity in the Pacific Northwest for the month of May.

Now, for the lunch menu: It was so good that I had second helpings! Maggie made us "Swimming Angel" - a Thai Chicken, peanut sauce, spinach and  brown rice concoction that looked so yummy piled in a charming pasta sea shell pasta bowl by Mud Pie. Accompanied by a sparkling pink pomegranate wine from World Market, and little ginger cookies with vanilla icing.  And yes, I do like to eat - invite me over ANY time!

I used to sell the Mud Pie dinnerware  in my Poulsbo store, so fun and soooo beachy! Managed to keep only one of the dinner plates that I now use for serving appetizers for our cocktail hour on the lanai. She is so lucky to have all of the matching pieces, including serving pieces and the cool napkin holders.

Check out our fun place settings for our girls' beach lunch -


Thank you so much for inviting me over and for introducing me to another beach girl - Sherry Eckert. So happy to always make new friends, especially when we are kind of living the same path.. Check out Sherry's Moondrops Yoga Blog, in her words "Yoga and the beach, the two things in my life that fill me up and keep me sane!!" Check out her blog for musings on yoga, life and doing lots of beach walking... (my kind of new friend!)  You have got to see her jewelry, absolutely beautiful, one of a kind art pieces..

One more final picture before I run off to finish that darn newsletter - here's a close up photo of the rusty kids' shovel with Maggie's ever growing shell collection on her front porch that I had to take.  Loved it, and such a perfect reminder of why I can't ever be too far away from the coast.

Come see our selection of Burning At Both Ends Wine Charms on the Caron's Site!

Nautical Wine Charms

Pirates! 

Tropical Designs!

See you at the Beach! Headed to Aptos and Santa Cruz tomorrow...

Seattle Tourists

Had a wonderful time visiting Seattle and playing tourist this past week.  My kids thought it was pretty hilarious to be taking pictures in our hometown, but I just could not resist the temptation!  Besides, I don't live in Seattle anymore, so that makes ME a bona-fide tourist.  

We started out on the waterfront at Ivar's Fish House - famous for many things; "Acres of Clams" humour, the best clam chowder in the Northwest, for great views of Elliott Bay, the Washington State Ferries and views of Olympic Mountain sunsets. And, of course for hungry sea gulls...

Thought that this bowl of clams was absolutely the funniest thing in the "Exclusively Washington" gift shop connected to Ivar's!  Look at their crazy eyeballs and teeth! Everything in this store is made in Washington by local artisans, including my friend Susan Butler's cool local pottery - check out her website for her special Seattle and coastal images.  http://susanbutlerstudio.com/

Also can find my friend Maggie's Washington related charms from Burning at Both Ends http://www.burningatbothends.com/tabletop.htm (Caron's Beach House carries the wine charms)

The "Curiosity Shop" is right next door.... the kids would not let me go in. This is a once a year MUST for all Seattlelites...

Next stop, "Pirate's Plunder". We've all been in these kinds of stores - total tourista heaven!  Lots of "Twilight" memorabilia, polished rocks, plastic sea life, pirate hats, shirts, shells, Seattle postcards, I think you get the picture.   Could not resist taking this photo of this pirate sentinel as we walked in the door.

I really wish we had planned better, would have liked to have had the time to  go to the revamped, and remodeled, Seattle Aquarium.  Next time I am requesting  that we do make time to go.  Loved loved loved this pretty red octopus bike rack standing outside!

Then up to walk through the Pike Place Market!

Pappardelle's Specialty Pasta - cannot even begin to describe how wonderful this pasta looks! Every flavor and every combination imaginable. I can personally vouch for their handcrafted "Bistro Blends" - extra virgin olive oils and heirloom balsamic vinegars.  YUM!

Tulips and Peonies!

And no trip through the market is complete without a show at Flying Fish 

Monk Fish - kind of disgusting!

Allison just had to show me the famous gum wall. Have to admit sort of fascinating, but very gross!

Alex posing outside of the North Face store on 1st Avenue.. pretty funny really! 

Leaving you all with a few pictures from one of my favorite stores in Seattle  - "Watson Kennedy",  I always have to buy a little something in here.  Love the old jazz, the french touches, the displays, the candles, soap, martini glasses....

(P.S.  I have the oyster plates too, on the Caron's site - check them out!

 http://www.caronsbeachhouse.com/servlet/the-251/seafood-platter,-oyster-plate,/Detail

Gotta run!  Having friends over for dinner at our apartment tonight, and I think that I will attempt to make Gumbo.  Will let you all know how it turns out...

Announcing the Winner of Everything Coastal's 1st Giveaway!

Thank you to all new followers and for all of your kind comments, and as always, your encouragement to keep writing and having more adventures at the beach!

SeaLaura was our winner of the Beach House Candle! She is also a fellow blogger, writing about beachy living in Southern California.  Make sure you check out her terrific blog for fun coastal projects, coastal fashion, restaurants, quick recipes and more. http://sealaura.blogspot.com/