Saltwater Sounds Weekly: Finding Balance
Welcome to Saltwater Sounds, a collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration. This is where I share all that’s been happening in the world of Shiplap and Shells, what’s to come and the inspiration I have found from other bloggers around the web.
This and That…
Happy Summer Sunday! I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.
I tried something new last week. I carved time out for just me. Here are some of the things I did…
- Shopping in Gig Harbor
- Enjoying the Farmer’s Market
- An Evening on the boat with friends
- Relaxing on the deck with Jax & Ollie
- Spending time with friends
- A walk in the garden
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Shopping in Gig Harbor
For you locals out there reading this, I have a question. Have you ever shopped at Dolly Mama Boutique in Gig Harbor?
I spent some quality time there and bought an outfit, a necklace, and a lot of home decor. I can’t wait to share some of the fun finds next week.
I walked down to the waterfront and went to this place, Dolly Mama Too. This store has more of a coastal feel and a completely different vibe. I bought a cute throw and Gig Harbor sign here.
My next stop was the Gig Harbor Farmer’s Market.
There was produce, loaves of bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, jewelry, honey, and so much more.
I’m sure you can probably guess which booth was my favorite. Yes, it’s all about the flowers for me.
This bakery had the most delicious brownies.
S’more, peanut butter, and chocolate were some of the flavors being offered.
This one was the raspberry lemonade white chocolate blondie.
I brought one of each to an event that evening so my friends could try each of them, and I could get a bite of each without having to eat the entire brownie.
And by the way, the peanut butterbrownie was my favorite.
An Evening on the Boat
Every Thursday, members of the Longbranch Improvement Club get together at the marina and share food and boat rides on the Puget Sound.
Relaxing on the Deck
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on the deck since we got our new outdoor sectional.
I love summers so much because we have another entire living space out here to enjoy.
Guess who else loves relaxing on the deck? Looks like Ollie likes my socks too.
There he is again. I’m not sure where Jax was hanging out but Ollie and this mama were pretty happy.
A Trip to a Friend’s Garden
My friend Lori has such a beautiful home and garden. I love visiting and taking lots of pictures.
She has so many gorgeous wildflowers growing about.
The new pond is incredibly relaxing.
A Walk in the Garden
Of course, the best part of the day is when I walk through the garden.
Look how beautiful these yellow alstroemerias are.
This is the most beautiful daylily I got from Longfield Gardens. Isn’t the color gorgeous? It’s called a hemerocallis rebloomer ageless beauty daylily.
The gladiolas are in full bloom.
So are the lovely loosestrifes.
A few dahlias here and there are also in bloom. I’m hoping the other plants will open up soon.
The cut flower garden is starting to fill up with cosmos, snapdragons and yarrow.
Here are the sunflowers I planted in the garden this season.
It is my first successful attempt without the birds eating the seeds. This year I decided to sow the seeds in the greenhouse and plant the seedlings after the last frost.
The good news? My first sunflower has bloomed.
The bad news? I have pests all over the plants.
I’m not sure what they are but after doing some research I came up with a green leafhopper. Any thoughts?
Last Day To Save 30-40% Off Candles – Antique Candle Co.
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I just bought a bundle pack of candles for Christmas gifts. And a few for me.
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And there’s more…
- Free shipping on all U.S. orders
- A FREE 8 0z. candle on orders over $130
- Pineapple Coconut 16 oz. candles are now 40% off.
What’s Happening at Shiplap and Shells…
All the Highlights from Our 3 Week Trip to Italy and Greece
Have you ever traveled to or dreamed of visiting Italy or Greece? These 2 destinations have always been on my vacation bucket list and I can’t wait to share the highlights from our 3 week trip to Italy and Greece with you.
4 Easy Ways to Propagate Lavender Plants – A Step By Step Guide
Have you ever wanted to create new lavender starts from your existing plants? I’ll show you 4 easy ways to propagate lavender cuttings, with detailed step-by-step instructions.
Coming Up…
- Vintage Finds in a Summer Garden
- Coastal Vibes Tablescape
- Christmas in July
- Our Trip to Venice, Italy
My Favorite Inspiration Around the Web…
You will love how Wendy at WM Design House repurposes her vintage tools into succulent planters. This is just the cutest idea and I can’t wait to try this in my own garden.
Are you looking for a fun summer cocktail that’s simple to prepare and tastes delicious? My friend Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms shares the most refreshing blueberry mojito recipe for summer.
Courtney from French Country Cottage is sharing 5 room decor ideas with personality. She has such a beautiful sense of style.
More Inspiration
5 tips to create an intentionally planned home.
I LOVE this interior designer’s style.
How does a strawberry pretzel ice cream cake sound?
This Provencal farmhouse decorated in traditional style.
Cooking with the summer’s farmer’s market bounty.
Summer dessert recipes for all occasions.
How to create plaster walls with drywall mud.
An Oldie But a Goodie
Cut Flower Garden Dos and Don’ts
I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let me know what you’d like to see on the blog! Thank you for being here.
Until next time,
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,
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What a lovely post Kim, I am in love with your new daylily from Longfield Gardens and those loosestrifes, just gorgeous.
I can only imagine how yummy the peanut butter brownie was as well.
And what a lovely surprise to see my succulent tools at the end! You are the sweetest.
Thank you, Wendy! The peanut butter brownie was pretty darned amazing my friend! Sorry you missed it.
Hi, I am a local and wonder what day of the week you attended the Gig Harbor Farmers’ Market? It looks as though there is more than one. Thank you so much!
Hi Barara. So sorry it took me so long to reply back. The Gig Harbor waterfront farmers market is on Thursdays 1-7 until Aug. 25th and 1-6 on Sept. 1 and 8. They are at Skansie Park.
Kim, I love that you are carving out me time….I so desperately need to do that! Your garden looks so beautiful. My sunflowers have come and gone. Last year, I grew big ones from Floret Farm and they attracted peach faced love birds. I so enjoyed seeing multiple ones in the garden I just let them eat the seeds. This year a much smaller sunflower came up in its place and no lovebirds. It’s always a mini-vacation to read your Sunday blog. I love all the links.
It has been fun to find a balance this summer Mary but I have definitely been behind on the blog. Oh well, I’ll catch up when it starts raining again. The sunflowers are so beautiful. I’m sure you got a lot of enjoyment from them while they were still in the garden. The 4 varieties I got from Floret Flowers are so amazing.
Kim, wow it sounds like you had such a wonderful week. I loved all your shares and I really appreciate you for sharing my post.
It was a great week Rachel. Thank you!
Your deck is perfect with the new sectional. I’d love to hang with you admiring your gorgeous view someday.
You are always welcome to hang out with me on the deck anytime!
This whole post was extra pretty!
Thank you, Rachel. I really appreciate it.
Love the new furniture Kim it looks so comfortable and inviting. Happy Sunday?
Thank you so much, Ann.