October Is Over Folks

Is that a shark out there? It's always safer on the sand..

This last month has turned in to a blink and you miss it kind of blip on the calendar. Now I know there is lots to love about October - Anne of Green Gables said it best - but as Spring seemed to last all of five minutes before the heat of summer elbowed it out of the way… I'm kind of ready for November now any way.

Last Saturday we trekked up the coast and made it to the beach for an extended family get-together. Didn't know whether to be fascinated or appalled to watch the kids dodging sting rays in the shallows (mantra rays? sand rays? are they all the same? Somebody needs to google this and get back to me..)
I heard the same conversation going on all over the beach:
Are they dangerous?
Ask Steve Irwin…

At the end of the beach was a house. Not my ideal beach house. It was semi haunted hidden amongst the trees. Such a great spot. I couldn't stop looking, and wondering, and imagining myself up there, traipsing through the pines. Maybe even sipping drinks on that lawn.

Not the most glamourous of beach houses,  It looked a little haphazard, possibly in need of a big makeover. Suddenly I was thinking of oversized white glass lanterns, those oval shaped hanging chairs and lots of sea grass matting. Who could I get to reinstate verandahs? And new windows would work wonders.
Just saying..

In case the owners were searching for some inspiration, I'd make them look at this, just to get an idea of what they could do....

http://www.countryliving.com/homes/beach-house-decorating-0409#slide-1

And I'd get them to buy this. It would look so great in an entrance way.

Source

Here's the lantern I was imagining. Maybe about 50 of them scattered around.

Source

And here's a cute toddler to live in the seaside house. With his mother. And family, obviously.

And we have ventured forth in to Department Store land to check out the Christmas decorations.
So the Myer Christmas Bear this year is called: ARCHIE!! Because I am a mean (and miserly) mother, I told my Archie we'd wait till these Archie's were on sale before buying him one.