thankful ...

Dan had business in wine country on Friday, so I did what any smart wife would do and went with him :) Wandered around downtown Napa waiting for him and his business partner, then the three of us slid into the only open spot at Bouchon, a very French ooh-la-la kind of restaurant in Yountville. I mentioned this to my sister-in-law, who's in the know about Napa, and after gasping she said, "How did you get in there without a reservation?!" All I can say is the guys were wearing their power suits...so maybe that had something do with it. Lol...as for me, I was just lucky. Had lobster bisque over crab cake for lunch and enjoyed every sip/bite!

After a whirlwind couple of days touring through Napa (lots of cheese and chocolate at Dean & Deluca!) and Sonoma (lunch on the plaza!), we flew home Saturday night, landing in Burbank. My new nephew "Luca" decided to show up a week early, so D and I drove straight from the airport to Cedars-Sinai hospital to meet the little bundle. Ahhh...so precious and cute-cute-cute!

Today is Memorial Day, and we're home, flying our flag proudly. As we landed the other night at the airport, the flight captain reminded us to remember those in the military who gave their all for us ~ and to offer up a prayer for them. That's exactly what I plan to do this day. Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are.

Pack your beach tote contest!

Celebrating summer's imminent arrival (woot!) with a fun new contest over at Fresh Fiction!

First prize: copy of Sweet Waters and a sling back book chair!

Second prize: Life is Good at the Beach sign from Julie's Beach Shop!

Click on the Fresh Fiction link to enter, and have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Prom daze

So my baby attended his senior prom on Saturday. Back in the day, I went to the prom with my brother's friend (cue the violins). Actually, he was fun and he liked to dance, which is all I cared about. Just didn't want to sit and watch everyone else cuttin' a rug while my date and I made origami with our napkins. Know what I mean?

Matt met his date at her house along with TEN other friends. From what I hear they had a boss time. Wait ... they probably don't say that anymore. Hm. Anyway, he said they laughed, ate, danced, then went back to his date's home for a late night swim. Seriously good memories.

Speaking of memories...it's time for you to share yours. Be they happy or strange or downright pathetic, you can share it here. Just keep it clean. See more prom photos on my facebook :)

She sells seashells ...

I've always thought it romantic to run a beach shop with all kinds of sea-inspired things, like signs and shells and cool frames. One thing I'd never stock? Shark's teeth ~ ba! But all the frilly stuff, uh-huh, I'd like that.

So last fall I opened up a mini-version of my dream called Julie's Beach Shop. It's been a kick to get orders from all over the country (most recent from Arizona :). One thing I cannot seem to keep in my shop, though, are beach signs from Danielson Designs. Got a new shipment recently and had two sold before we marked them 'in-stock' online.

Can't say that I blame the buyers, though. So pretty. And made in the USA (Colorado, to be precise), by a charity-minded, hard-working family. Their sweet story gave me goosebumps when I read it, so I hope you'll read it too. Read about Danielson Designs here. You can also read about how they help build freshwater wells through charityis.

After that, get ready for summer ~ cuz itsa comin'!

If I could be a bird ...

Don't you love this picture? Author Kathleen Y'Barbo put it up on Facebook and I asked her if I could swipe, er, borrow it to post here. It's a photo from Galveston, Tx, a place I've only visited in the pages of Coastal Living :) The shine on that wave barreling onto shore reminds me of Jello! Ahhh ... another place I'd like to visit sometime.

Kathleen's got all kinds of books coming out soon. Stop by and say 'hey' to my southern friend: KathleenYBarbo.com

P.B....I love you

Love Pismo Beach. Hubby had a business meeting up there Friday night (I know, rough). First a cocktail party at an associate's swanky beach front home, then dinner in Shell Beach. Only had one night to spend in Pismo, but the hotel we stayed in was ocean front ... which meant waves crashing. All. Night. Love that sound.

Our daughters were at Disneyland all day, (thanks Mom for making sure they caught their rides!) and our son working, so Dan and I took our time driving down the coast, even stopping for burgers at the Padaro Beach Grill in Carpinteria before reaching home. The girls tumbled in about 1:30am (Sunday) all wound up about hangin' with Mickey for most of the day, and then we were up and out the door by 6:45am for a soccer tourney in the desert some 90 minutes inland (which explains the large amounts of coffee we both consumed :).

That's a pic of me on our Saturday morning walk. The fog hung low but we didn't care. Neither did the dozens of other beachcombers we encountered along the way. By the way, that's my raggedy pink beach jacket, the one I've worn so long that it's got fun little pinholes in various places. I'm quite sure my family's pretty embarrassed by it now, but it makes me all warm and cozy on those foggy central California beach days, so it's not going anywhere. Lol...

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are.

Chill out

So yesterday I found myself relaxing for a few minutes while sitting in my car next to the soccer field. Between my laptop, iPhone and stray signals that are easy to catch, working every minute of the day is a *snap* ... so no wonder we're all so tired! When's the last time you stared into nothingness? (and I'm not talking about prime time TV ... ;0).

One day my son noticed I hadn't updated all my apps on my phone, so he did that for me. (Sweet boy ... not :) The next think I knew, my phone buzzed (and buzzed and buzzed) every time I received a Facebook comment or like or wall post. Don't get me wrong...I love receiving those. Just not 24/7. Know what I mean? Last week I figured out how to switch off that feature, and now my phone has calmed a bit (and the battery's lasting longer too!)

My point is this: We all need time to chill. I love this passage from Psalm 127:2 (The Message): Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? Yay, God! He created rest for a reason. I know that when I take that time, even if it's for a few minutes of watching the clouds float lazily across a nearby soccer field, that it's a GOOD thing!

Then, after that, I'm ready to tackle both life's work and the fun stuff like FB again. Can you relate?

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are ... or else! :-)

Ducks on Kayaks

So yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day dinner at Duke's in Malibu. Eleven of us had a table right at the window overlooking the water. Why did I not get a picture??! Probably too mesmerized ... haha. Earlier in the afternoon, the girls and I headed to Venice Beach and hung out with my brother who lives a few steps from the canals. You might recall my previous post about the Venice Canals being a little piece of Italy.

So anyway, a beautiful day to walk the canals and looky-loo at open houses on the water. For a measly 2.5 mil, you too can have your own piece of paradise! My teen daughter was all over it. "We can relocate ~ you can write from anywhere, Mom!!!" Somehow I think she'd get tired of eating all those beans and rice ... :)

Took this photo on one of the north facing canals. Even though it looks like he's hit the water, that duck on the right is actually airborne. Funny, huh?

Kickin' back ...

My parents gave me this Adirondack chair for my birthday (along with table and foot rest ~ yes!), and I love it. I love it because if it had a voice it would be saying, "Girl, get over here and sit a spell." (It's inspired by all the southern friends I've made lately ... :)

And I do. Not nearly enough, but I do. Last evening, after way too many hours in front of the computer and steering wheel, I grabbed my copy of Coastal Living and a cool drink and wandered outside to that chair beneath my palm trees. Very ahhh...!

What do you do to force yourself to take a rest without every leaving home? Feel free to send me a photo of your kick-back place and I'll try to post it here some time in the near future. Send to julie at juliecarobini dot come

Have a beachy day weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

summer dreaming

Unlike last week, the sun's been out and making me long for summer. Just think! No taxi driving in the wee hours, or late night homework sessions. Ahhhh...just sand in my toes and shallow waves lapping onto shore. Oh yeah, and writing. Lots of that :)

Took this pic when visiting a friend of a friend's beach house last month (did I mention I spotted Kevin Costner surfing that day??). Anyway, this is the view from their master bedroom. Can you imagine waking up to that endless blue ocean each day? So dreamy ...

Ad-libbing winners!

Congrats to Daniel & Denise Harmer, winners of the Ad-Libbing contest over on Tamara Leigh Kelly's Blog. Their post is up, so please head on over and add a line or two. I really want to know how the heroine skirts that tidal wave. Or does she ... ?

Out of my routine

So I like to think of myself as this laid back beach chickie who can move with the waves, but the truth is I'm more tied to routine that I'd like to admit.

I usually get up in the morning, throw on a robe and flip flops, then make my youngest child's lunch (the older ones fend for themselves). But today the kitchen was abuzz, so I switched things up. I decided to get myself ready first with plans to make her lunch when everyone else was done. Only I forgot. And because of some weird school scheduling, I had to take 2 kids to 2 different schools at about the same time. Rats.

Thankfully I'd already swigged a latte so I flew into action, smearing p'nut butter on bread, wrapping it up and tossing it into a bag while flinging instructions to pre-teen girl about other things to add. We then made the trek to the two schools, making it to the second one with several minutes to spare...ahhh!

My daughter Angie took this photo of a sea turtle floating around at the aquarium in Denver. I'm kinda envious of that little guy right now. Know what I mean? Lol ...

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Thoughts on Idol

UPDATED: Who do you think'll go home tonight? Hard call, but I'm going to guess ... Siobhan. (I like her ~ just a guess!)

Okay, so last year (and the year before, and so on...), readers could pop in here after American Idol and we'd discuss the group of contestants, i.e., who rocked, who didn't, who might go home, etc., etc. But I don't know...this year's kind of dull. Maybe I've still been missing Paula, as I mentioned in this post earlier this season. Or maybe I've been sore that Alex Lambert got kicked off too earlier, as mentioned in this post. Or maybe the competition has just grown tiresome.

What do you think?

That said, I think Casey James is a cutie (and yes, dh knows I think this), and that Lee's got some interesting chops. I think Casey, Lee and Crystal are the ones with distinct voices, and that because of that, one of them will win it.

Just yesterday, teen daughter and I were driving along (and did I mention that she got her driving permit last week ???), and we heard a new song on the radio. We stopped talking and listened. "I know that voice," I said. It sounded warm and familiar. "Yeah, that's Kris Allen," she replied. I sat back. "Of course!"

So I guess we're watching with a more critical ear these days :-) ... how about you?

A favor ... and the view

Heard it through the email grapevine yesterday that the ACFW Book Club is voting on the August book selection and ~A SHORE THING ~ made the list (woot :). Would you consider voting for it? You have to be a book club member, and it's FREE to join. Just send a blank e-mail to: acfwbookclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Then head on over to the yahoo book club site, click on "polls" (& vote for A Shore Thing :)) THANKS for considering this!

Okay, on to other things. We spent much of the weekend inland watching our youngest play in a soccer tourney. Let me just say ~ we got some sun! We're talking you-have-to-wear-a-tank-top-&-flip-flops-weather! But then we rolled back onto the coast and right into ... FOG. By the brrr in the air, you would have never guessed that we had sweltered much of the day beneath a gigantic heat lamp in the sky.

But as the saying goes, it's all good. (Am I the only one who hears that all the time???) Thinking about the different climates as close as my backyard, reminded me of other differences. Like this photo of the Atlantic Ocean from reader Wendy. Years ago, our fam rented a house in Nags Head on the Outer Banks and experienced the differences, like high humidity and a sun that rises out of water.

Whaa? Where we live along the west coast, people descend on the beaches at night to watch the sun sink into the sea, but on the east coast, it's all about the sunrises! Super fun for a visit when all the deadlines and other work brouhaha has been set aside, but since I'm NOT a morning person, this would never do on a regular basis ;-)) You?

Beachy Pennsylvania

Published poet, songwriter and author (and photographer :), Wendy, sent in this charming photo taken at Rickett Glen State Park, Pennsylvania. My husband Dan's from PA, but I'd never heard of this beautiful area so I checked and it's in the Northeast. Hubby's from the Northwest of the state.

26 miles of hiking, including a BEACH trail that wends around a lake! I think I know where we'll be visiting on our next trip back east ... :)

Thanks Wendy of the Promotingandme blog for sending in this pic (and the others that will posted before summer!).

Have you taken any photos of a snowy beach? I'd love to share them and your link on this blog. Send them to julie at juliecarobini dot com.

HAPPY Monday Tuesday! Finished up two big deadlines this weekend and somehow missed posting yesterday. The good news is that, after some tweaking, my 2011 release is now off to my editor, Karen (woot!) And after another proofing, my July 2010 release A Shore Thing, is off to the printers.

Speaking of A Shore Thing, B&H Books, decided to add some pizazz to the cover. Instead of plain white lettering, aqua and coral now splash across the front. I'm told that when it's all spiffed up and printed, the seastar and the water will be "sparkly" ~ perfect to sit on coffee tables everywhere (wink, WINK :)

Reviews are already circulating. You can see some of them here: A Shore Thing: Otter Bay Series #2

Come back tomorrow when I'll be posting a couple of go-jus seaside photos sent in from reader Wendy. Until then, have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Seeing the light ...

Maya over at Completely Coastal sent me this photo of Castle Hill Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island. Beautiful! I've had a book in me about a lighthouse, so maybe this is a sign :-)

It looks like sunset to me, but could it be daybreak? Maybe Maya will pop in later and let us know.

Also wanted to announce that the winner of the 'small-talk' sign from juliesbeachshop.com is ... LAURA LANG. Congrats, Laura! Thanks to all who signed up for my occasional newsletter. Watch for fun exclusives in your inbox soon!

And have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Here comes the judge ...

Remember back in school when the teacher would start a story with just one line? And as it went around the class room each student took a turn to add to it? Remember how funny they would get or how cool they would sound? Now it's available on a blog. Join in! Have some fun! Share your creativity!

That's the lead in to Tamara's Ad-Libbing Blog, and this week, she's holding a contest for the best lines that add to a story. Fun part for me is I get to judge :) Fun part for the winner? They'll receive $25 to Amazon (woot!)

So ... lots to win this week. Subscribe to my mailing list and you might receive a cool beach sign (see post below). Give ad-libbing a try and you might win bucks to Amazon.

On another note, our water heater blew out this weekend and the water's been so brrrr. But the plumbers are here now so woo-hoo, hot water is on its way. Off to grab a shower, and wash some dishes, and do the laundry ... ah, necessities!

I'll check in on the contests soon, though, so have f-u-n with those. And have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Happy Birthday to Me ...

and a gift for one of you! Sign up on my blog sidebar or website for my occasional newsletter and be entered to win this 'small talk' sign available in Julie's Beach Shop. This 8.5″ wide x 2.75" tall reads: May you always have a shell in your pocket & sand in your shoes.

Is that cute or what?!

This giveaway ends Wednesday, April 14 at noon 'cuz I'm getting ready to send out some news soon. If you're already a subscriber to my newsletter, THANKS and don't despair! I plan to offer more giveaways in the near future.

Have a beautiful and beachy Sunday, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Caron's Beach Photo

Meet fellow beachcomber Caron, a Twitter friend and the author of the warm and happy Everything Coastal blog. She recently moved from the Pacific northwest to the Bay area of California and runs an online shop called Caron's Beach House with to-die-for coastal decor. Caron sent me this photo from a recent weekend visit to Stinson Beach, just north of San Francisco.

"I always think that kids are so wonderful to watch at the beach," she said, "No fear of the wave, the cold or the wet sand."

I totally agree, Caron. Thanks for sharing your photo with us!