Coastline Treasures

An accent table makes a great little sofa-side coffee table, or, if you prefer tea as your hot beverage of choice, a tea table.  Tea is one of the most widely popular beverages around the world.  And while its popularity is something awesome, tea’s history is even more interesting.  This drink, now served hot or cold and at all time of the day, dates back centuries as a delightful and special drink.

Because we tend to associate tea with high society and posh England, thinking primarily of tea time in the afternoon, you would expect that tea originated in Europe.  However, tea’s origins are actually in China.  Legend states that an emperor demanded all drinking water be served boiling, and one day dried leaves fell into the emperor’s cup, creating the first cup of tea.  From that point on, tea became an important part of Chinese culture.  It was through trade that tea found its way to Europe and the rest of the world.  We can thank China once again for introducing us to one of the finer, and commonly used, things in life.

Whether you have one glass figurine or a collection, keeping them safe is a priority.  Our eyes are automatically drawn to these gorgeous reflecting pieces of glass and the little tikes are no exception.  If you have children or ones that come and visit, be sure that your pieces remain safe.  Set these keepsakes out of the way, or supervise the children, and adults if need be, so that they do not touch them.  Some precious items are very fragile and are crafted with delicate pieces that break easily.

Keeping your collection on a shelf or in a curio cabinet is a good idea.  The advantage of keeping your pieces in a curio is that they will stay cleaner longer and it is less likely that people will touch them.  Another way to keep them safe is with putty sometimes known as Museum Putty or Earthquake Putty.  Just a dab under your figurine will keep it in place should someone attempt to pick it up or bump into it.  Keeping one piece or an entire collection safe is important so not to have a broken heart.

Accent tables are a great way to make use of a small space in your home and make great decorations that also serve a functional purpose.  They are perfect to display small pictures, flowers, or little table top figurines. Accent tables are very versatile as well.  They look great alongside a couch or bed, but can also stand alone in a hallway or entry way.  They come in multiple shapes, sizes, and medium, so you are bound to fine one to fit any type of décor.

Choosing the right table for your home is essential.  You want to make sure that the table you choose not only matches your décor, but also does not take away from the room.  Use the table to play up a part of the room, whether it is a sofa or another piece of furniture.  That way, the small table in the corner does not capture the attention and remove from the room’s over all essence.  Once the tables are properly chosen, your room will look neatly put together and make a great place for the family to relax together or to entertain company.

Everyone knows the lovable name Shamu.  Black and white has never been two more popular colors then when associated with that killer whale.  But, did you know that Shamu isn’t a whale at all?  He is rather the largest form of dolphin.  Also known as Orcas, this species of dolphin can measure in at thirty feet in length and weigh up to ten tons!  There are actually close to forty different species of dolphins and are found all over the world.

Dolphins are also protectors of the ocean.  They are the only animal that will stand up to the largest predator in the ocean, the shark.  And because of it, the dolphin is the shark’s only enemy.  Dolphin figurines are a classic way of bringing these magnificent creatures into your home.

We all need basic furniture; a couch, chairs, tables, and so on.  We can decorate in so many ways, too numerous to count.  The fun is in choosing our furniture, size and shape as well as color and design.  There are so many decisions to be made to make our abode exactly the way we want.  Adding a theme can be fun and lends itself to creativity.

When choosing a theme, make sure that it does not overpower the environment.  Using basic furniture pieces and then embellishing them with detail is best.  Adding themed pillows, pictures, figurines, accent tables and the like will make the room pop.  You don’t have to stick with ordinary, try finding a few special accents even if you have to pay a bit more for them.  It will certainly pay off in the end with a fabulous look.

When decorating you need to decide on what colors and feeling you want to evoke.  Is it soft and subtle or is it bold and dynamic?  Each of these looks will need different color schemes or at least different intensity of color.  Once the paint has dried, it is time to add furniture and accents.  Start by adding your larger items such as your couch and chairs.  Now you can see where to add accent tables, stools and lamps.  Get creative and find fun and interesting pieces that you will enjoy for years.  Feel free to mix it up a bit and add stripes with polka-a-dots.  It’s OK; just make sure that the fabrics carry a common color throughout.  A solid couch color will be enhanced when adding patterned throw pillows as accents.  A patterned chair will look great with a solid colored throw across the back.  At this point the larger items should be in place, now it is time to personalize your space.

The final touches on any room are your personal possessions; things that you love, things picked up on vacation or gifts received.  Don’t forget to add these items to table tops, mantles, shelves or walls.  Be sure that the items are size appropriate for where you are placing them.  A small figurine may feel lost on a large shelving unit but look wonderful on a side table.  Be sure that these accents compliment the desired look and not compete with it.  Have fun moving things around until you find just the right spot.  It will take a bit of patience and time to get your home décor just the way you want it.

Have you ever seen whales migrate?  What a sight!  Living in southern California we are blessed with the migration of several different kinds of whales; Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales,  and sometimes Orca Whales also known as ‘Killer Whales’.  Each year whales will travel between 10,000 and 12,000 miles round trip from the warm waters of Mexico to give birth, to the cold waters of Alaska to feed.  Due to their near-shore migration route, we can easily watch their yearly migration.

 Along with seeing whales come the dolphin.  Some seen here are the Common, Bottlenose, Risso, Pacific White Sided and Dall’s Porpoise.  Dolphins love to play and jump above the ocean and surf the waves.  I remember a time when whale watching, this dolphin came from nowhere and started jumping the crests of the boat waves.  Next thing I knew, there were dolphin figurines all around the boat, jumping and playing with each other.  You couldn’t help but smile and laugh while watching their antics. You could see that they were having so much fun!  If you ever have a chance to go whale and dolphin watching, I would highly recommend it!