The Wintry Ocean

As a kid I used to spend part of every summer at the beach. The Jersey Shore to be exact: cheese fries, Wildwood piers, Atlantic City... but I wasn't anything like Snooki. I can remember building sand sculptures with my dad for the yearly competition and we came in 1st place one year for building a giant sandragon. The smell of coconut will always me of suntan oil. As an adult I have tons of freckles from all the sunburns I got for spending all day, every day in the sunshine at the beach.  Such good times!

It goes without saying that the ocean is a big part of my inspiration. A horseshoe crab, a jellyfish, the foam created by waves crashing on the shore, I love it all.  Especially in the winter. There's something peaceful and silent about a winter beach, without all the crowds, and it makes it special. Like it's all mine. A welcome solitude.

A few weekends ago we were lucky enough to spend some time in Martha's Vineyard at a very generous friend's house. It was already Spring but one of the coldest weeks where the wind whipping off the ocean makes you shiver even if you're wearing a full length winter coat (which I was).  We made a trip out to a pier in Menemsha where we climbed 'treacherous' rocks.

Later that afternoon we made s'mores.

And the next morning we ran around the beach in our winter coats and bare feet!

I love that my kids took off their shoes and socks to run around. Little sand crabs.

Coming soon... some new additions to my ocean-inspired collection. I'm so excited to share them with you!!!  Soon... soon... soon.