Welcome To This Week’s Saltwater Sounds…

A collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration. Here, I share everything happening in the world of Shiplap and Shells, what to look forward to on the blog, and the inspiration I’ve found throughout the week.

This Week at a Glance

Summer isn’t officially over yet, but it’s close enough to feel it.

We’ve headed out on Wildflower for one last boat trip… a rendezvous where owners of Kadey Krogen boats gather for a few days of dinners, boat tours, safety talks, and all the things you learn when you’re in a room full of people who love the same kind of boating you do.

dog parade on the dock of a marina — Jax and Ollie in the dog parade at last year’s Kadey Krogen rendezvous

It’s one of our favorite events of the year. We always come home with something new… a tip, a fix, a connection, a better understanding of the boat we live aboard for a good chunk of every summer.

On the way home, we’re stopping in La Conner, which means one thing… Christianson’s Nursery.

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La Conner and Christianson’s Nursery

fall flowers, pumpkins, and a vintage bike at Christianson's Nursery

I’ve shared this stop with you before, and we always try to fit it into our schedule.

fall flowers and pumpkins at Christianson's Nursery

Christianson’s Nursery has the best fall plants and flowers I’ve found anywhere in the region: mums, ornamental cabbages, asters, gourds.

orange pumpkins and mums displayed with bales of hay

And they’re all beautifully displayed.

dried flowers hanging from the porch ceiling at Christianson's Nursery for fall

But what makes it a real destination for me is the little home decor store tucked alongside the nursery.

home goods at the Christianson's Nursery featuring vintage dishware collections

It’s full of the kind of finds you don’t see in other shops, and this is where I bought my first brown-and-white transferware pieces for fall, which started a collection I’ve been adding to ever since.

open shelving in the kitchen decorated with brown-and-white transferware for fall — Brown-and-white vintage transferware pieces from Christianson’s Nursery last year

These are pictures from last year’s visit, so you can get an idea of why I’m looking forward to seeing what they are offering this season.

home goods at the Christianson's Nursery

wooden cabinet with fall decor on top and dried flowers hanging from ceiling

2 ladies posing for the camera — The friendliest women who work here!

A Few Fall Touches at the Cottage

cottage style living room decorated for fall

Disclaimer: These pictures are from last year.

living room decorated for fall with a vintage wooden dough bowl of dried hydrangeas

Before we left, I started adding a few fall touches around the cottage.

wicker basket hanging on the wall with dried hydrangeas and a cream vintage chair in living room

Nothing major yet. That will come when we’re back home, and I can really dig in. But a few small things have shifted, and the cottage is starting to feel like the season is changing.

wicker basket hanging on the wall with dried hydrangeas and a cream vintage chair

I’ll share the full fall decorating when we return. For now, here’s a little preview of where things are headed.

cream dog Ollie laying on the white chair

I can never share pics without one of Ollie in his favorite spot.

wicker and glass vase of dried flowers from the garden

These dried flowers are all from the garden.

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One Last Look at the Garden

chippy bistro set on stone patio in cottage garden

I took pictures in the garden before we left, and I know they may look similar to last week’s. There wasn’t too much of a change this week.

black-eyed Susans and purple petunias growing in front of the greenhouse

The asters had their very first couple of blooms just before we left. When we get back, I’m expecting shades of purple woven through the sea of yellow black-eyed Susans and deep rose sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.

black dog in the garden with dahlias and purple asters — Here are a couple of purple asters in full bloom last year.

That transition is one of my favorite things about September in the garden, and I can’t wait to come home to it.

pink and straw-colored celosia and fuchsia dahlias in white picket fence garden in front of the bay

The garden is in good hands while we’re gone. And it will have stories to tell when we return.

Close up of cottage garden and greenhouse in the late summer with black-eyed Susans and sedum 'Autumn Joy'

cottage garden and greenhouse in the late summer with black-eyed Susans and sedum 'Autumn Joy'

greenhouse and cottage garden in late summer

pink zinnias and black-eyed Susans growing in front of white picket fence garden

PNW cottage garden and greenhouse in September

cottage garden view for deck overlooking the bay in Spetember

LET’S GO SHOPPING FOR

Garden Supplies and Tools

Check out my favorite garden supplies and tools for the growing season. Whether you’re looking for potting soil or deer repellent, you’ll find what I use in my own garden.

SHOP HERE