When I knew my Friends Myko and Brett were doing a Beach Cottage Sweet Retreat at the SWEET SALVAGE Event I knew I was in for a Special Treat! Nobody would do Beach Cottage Style quite like Myko's Vision for it. Miraculously she pulled it off in record time since they'd been away on an East Coast 'Pick' and didn't have the entire Month to prepare and Work on the Vision. That Gal can do more in three days than most of us could do in a Month anyway... and with meticulous Attention to Details ta boot!
I knew that with the soothing Pastels and Whites it would be my Friend Pamela's Idyllic Sweet Retreat Vision... but what few peeps might not know about me is... that though I'm not a Pastel or Colorless Palette Type of Gal the majority of the time... if I had a Sweet Retreat on the Beach by the Ocean... my Palette for such a Vacation Getaway would certainly be a more muted and subdued version of my Usual Style!
And Hues such as Aqua, Conch Shell Pink, Seafoam Green, Pearly White, Salmon Pink and Robin's Egg Blue are some favorites of mine as well as Sepia and Vivid Jewel Tones. And my Ideal Tropical Island or Beach Retreat would certainly have loads of Natural Elements and Found Treasures gleened from the Sea and washed up on the Shore to Discover and drag Home as Trophies to Style with and Create Beachy Tramp Art.
Granted when I'm Vacationing in Paradise... beside the Ocean... any Ocean... I am rarely Indoors... so my Sweet Retreat would only be for brief Relaxation or Sleep after spending enormous amounts of time Outdoors. Skimming the Shoreline for Found Treasures... sitting with my feet deeply dug into the soft Beach Sand and listening to the Rhythm of the Ocean as it ebbs and flows with the Tides and soothes my Soul... watching spectacular Sunsets on the Ocean's Horizon while sipping an Exotic Drink with a little Umbrella or a Corona being served up by Handsome Cabana Boys... Enjoying the Boardwalk or Exploring a Tropical Island over and over again and reveling in what to me is a slice of Heaven on Earth!
As you can clearly tell THIS would be MY Idyllic Sweet Retreat of choice if we were to Invest in a Vacation or Second Home! It could even be a Beach Shanty with a clear view of the Ocean or a tiny Airstream parked on the Sands and I'd be Okay with that... because the Location would be far more Important to me than the Lodgings or the Interior Decor quite frankly. Though if I were to get a proper Beach Cottage or Tiki Style Home I'd do it up totally Beach Cottage or Tropical Style to the max because that Environment and Atmosphere just Evokes the Lifestyle I'd be totally immersed in!
There is just something about Beachside Living that is more Laid Back... Casual... where Time almost stands still and you don't Feel hurried or worried as much. There is a Calmness and a Serenity about Tropical or Beach Bum Living that I have always found to be Idyllic.
And it certainly is one of those Environments where you are Encouraged to spend more time Outdoors Enjoying Nature and Physical Activities than you might in other Locations. When we have Lived near or Vacationed at a Beach I have gotten up at Daybreak and only reluctantly come indoors at Sunset! I never Tire of the Ocean and I could most certainly become a Gypsy Mermaid on the Canvas of my Imagination!
And though the Beach or a Tropical Isle is not The Man's Idyllic Sweet Retreat... he knows that for the G-Kid Force and I it is... and so I could probably talk him into a Sweet Beach Retreat if the Resources for it became available... so long as he could get away a few times a year for one of his Grand Hunting Adventures in some Wilderness Locale! *LOL*
Besides... he could take long leisurely Naps to his Heart's Content, totally undisturbed... because The Force and I would be out the door at Sunup and probably be out and about in our Element all day every day... so he'd have that daily Respite, that Peace and Solitude he Cherishes. And without the fear that a Bear or Mountain Lion might eat us! *Smiles* I know, you're probably saying, "But what about Sharks Dawn?" Don't worry... we'd be more inclined to stay on the Beach or in shallow waters than risk Jaws making a snack of us! I didn't say we'd become Sailors, Surfers or Deep Sea Fishermen and do any Episodes of 'The Deadliest Catch', go Five-O or anything that Extreme! *Winks*
We'd be more those Laid Back Beach Bum Types... gathering Seashells, hawking Pearl Necklaces, Sea Glass Creations, Fragrant Floral Leis and Shell Art... stuff like that! Smelling of Tropical Oils and Coconut Balm... Barefoot and deeply Tanned... Beach Gypsies...
I only Wish that more of my Images had turned out and not been so blurry and hurried... but the Beach Cottage Sweet Retreat area was also mobbed by the Adoring Crowds... so obviously I'm not the only one that has the Idyllic Beach Retreat Dream Vision going on! *Smiles*
And who knows... I'm not giving up Hope that maybe some day my Prayers will be answered and I will end up in Bora Bora for a Bucket List Vacation... or back on the Shores of one of the Hawaiian Islands to Scout out a Beach Shack within our means... you never know!?!
Props to Brett and Myko for pulling off an Awesome Inspirational Beach Cottage Sweet Retreat for the Event in record time! Though they were both mad busy I did manage to get a quick shot of Brett before he climbed back up some ladder to get a Chandie down for some lucky Customer or load up some of the Awesome larger pieces of Furniture offered at the Event!
And it's always worth Attending these Events just to run into some of my Blog Friends and Loyal Supporters of the Bohemian Valhalla Blog in Person and get to know you all a bit better! Just know that you WILL probably end up in a Post! *Winks* And that it will likely take a few Delightully Unexpected Meetings of Serendipity for me to consistently remember everyone's Names and which Wonderful Blog you have here in the Land of Blog... because as I get Older... well, that Short Term Memory is... S-H-O-R-T T-E-R-M!!! *LOL* So, if I forget details... help a Blog Sista out if you drop by and leave your Name and your Blog or Facebook Page so I can Edit the Post and provide a Link for all of our other Kindred Spirit Blog Friends Okay!?! It is ALWAYS a Joy to meet each and every one of you, it Truly is... so don't be Shy... always come up and Introduce yourselves Okay!?!
UPDATE: This is Susan! Thanks Susan for reminding me... and when you get your Blog up and running GF be sure to let me know about it so we can Link it here for all our Blog Friends to find!
I realized that I had taken far more Images than I thought I initially had... isn't that always the case tho' with us Pathological Picture Takers? *Winks* And so this won't be the Finale' Post of the Event since I have some more Eye Candy to Share that turned out decent enough to Post an Image of! *Whoo Hoo!*
I had thought I might return to the Event sometime this Weekend after the Crowds of Opening Day subside and the G-Kid Force could come along... but I'm feeling quite Exhausted and Fatigued lately with all this Caregiving... so I dunno yet if I will get a Second Wind or not? And besides... I'm outta Bread... and not the loaf kind if you know what I mean? *LOL* But more on that in Future Posts because when you see what I got a killer Bargain on at another Fav Shop, so I've put on Layaway and The Son agreed to help me Fund before the Shop Closes for the Season... well, it's gonna blow your Mind! Coveted Japanese Bug Necklace shall have to wait... this was a once in a Lifetime opportunity... so I Seized it! {Which you always should by the way IMO!} I know, I'm Wicked keeping you in such Suspense. *Insert Wicked Cackle*
But I will give you a peek at my Trio of little Trinkets I picked up at SWEET SALVAGE this Month... a couple of Crystal Finials... one large and one small. They had a mound of these Gorgeous Finials at the Event in a Lovely Vignette and alas, my Image of it didn't turn out. Wish I could have Purchased more of them actually... both to screw onto Lamps and to use for Altered Bottle Art Stoppers... but I was Happy to come away with one of each size.
And a Copy of Jeanne d'Arc Living Magazine's 'Outside' Issue. I Love this Publication... the French Nordic Styling is so Clean, Fresh and has such Serenity to it. There is page after page of Inspiration and Eye Candy!
SWEET SALVAGE carries many of the Popular European Decorating Magazines and Books that you can't get at the Bookstores and would have to pay a premium to order directly from their Sources in Europe. Many now come in English, but I was a Fan even when they were still in their Native Language because an Image transcends language barriers and speaks a thousand words in any language!
If you've never picked up a copy of one of these Publications or Books you might want to... the Inspiration and Visuals you will Receive are Priceless and will give you loads of Inspiration and Ideas fresh from another Continent!
Be sure to come back Tomorrow for even more Eye Candy from the SWEET RETREAT Event at SWEET SALVAGE...
For even more Ideas and Inspiration about Decorating YOUR Sweet Retreat... where ever it might be... either on the Canvas of your Imagination or in Real Life! Because you can build a Sweet Retreat right at Home... your little Nook carved out to Escape to when you want or need to... your Secret Getaway to the Private Space you Yearn for and Retreat to in order to Restore your Body, Mind, Soul and Spirit...
And Tomorrow's Post will discuss that Option... of Creating your Sweet Retreat right here and now in your Primary Residence... for those times when you can't get away on Vacation or have the Luxury of that Second Home.
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian