Monday mishmash

Happy Monday, fellow beach lovers! May still be a bit June gloomy here on the central coast, but it's summah-time, so who cares? At least it's warm, you know? Soon teen daughter and I are going on a ROAD TRIP up the coast ~ woohoo!

Couple of fun things happening with A Shore Thing that I wanted you to know about. First, Cindy of Cindy's Book Reviews is giving away a copy on July 4. Easy to enter.

Also, Rel of Relz Reviews just posted a character spotlight on Gage, Callie, and Moondoggy. She asked me about the inspiration behind these characters and that was easy. In my head, they were based on ... go on over and you'll see who :)

I hope that where ever you are, you're enjoying your summer. Work or not, take time out to experience the long days and comfortable nights. Walk the beach. Smell the blooms. Hike the hills. Thank God for making them all...

We have a flip flop winner!

This sign from my beach shop makes me smile every time I see it...flip flops, sunglasses, sunscreen and a pretty shell...ahh! Okay, as for the contest~drumroll please!...Congrats go to Shirley! Your name was pulled out of the 'hat' :)

Thanks for all the photos sent my way ~ had some GOOD LAUGHS! Shirley, I'll get your $25 Payless Shoes card out to you, stat!

Flip flop entries coming in ...

Summer's in full swing in the Carobini household! Yours? Had my first radio interview yesterday for A Shore Thing, then took a peek at the sea. Today I ran Charlie the Dog to the beach, and now I'm getting ready to take pre-teen girl and friend to the pool.

Wanted you to know that entries are coming in for the Flip Flop contest (scroll for details). You have until Friday to get those photos to me for a chance to win a Payless Shoes gift card. Above are a couple of entries. I love the first one, taken at the Dead Sea in Israel. So cool! The 2nd one makes me laugh. The reader says her Tevas were "de-soled" during a 6th grade class trip to Catalina Island (as long as no de-souling was going on ... ;)

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ and get those photos to me, stat!

Happy Nat'l Flip Flop Day!

My stretch of the west coast is a bit hazy today, but that won't stop me from wearing flip flops all the live long day :) The contest for a $25 gift card to Payless Shoes opens today! (I wrote about this on June 14. I've updated the rules somewhat because it's a writer's prerogative to change her mind, you know ...).

Anyhoo, send a photo of your flip flops to julie at juliecarobini dot com. Show me your worn out sandals, your flip flops with missing bling, your huaraches with stretched out straps ... that kind of thing. Or if you want, feel free to show me your fave pair, even if they haven't yet bit the dust. I'll pick the top three saddest/cutest/funniest sandal-flipflop-huarache-etc. photos and toss them into a hat. Then, I'll draw one name at random to win a $25 gift certificate to Payless Shoes!

This giveaway is limited to USA peeps, void where prohibited (you know who you are). Hugs to all my friends outside of the USA ~ hope to do something for you soon. Contest begins June 18 and ends June 25.

I'll be posting some of the photos, so watch this space for the fun. Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Class of 2010

My eldest kiddo is graduating from high school today and I have to say, I'm so emotional. I joke about it but it's so true. As I type this, I'm fighting tears (and not winning).

Is this crazy?

He's a good kid, and he's grown into a bright, funny, loving, young man. I'm excited to see what God has planned for him, and where He'll lead him.

Matt'll be moving away to college in Auguest--not too far away, thankfully--but even though it's exciting, it's also bittersweet. It means that the next phase in his life has begun, that the cord that binds us has gotten a little bit longer, and that soon he won't be needing our input quite so often. It means I'll be staring at the ceiling some nights, wondering what he's up to, knowing I should think twice before picking up the phone. Admittedly, it means the space I sometimes longed for as a sleep-deprived young mom--and the letting go I don't feel quite ready to do.

So here's to the class of 2010. May they live long and prosper ~ and call their mothers often!

Beach ready

Here's a pic of authors Jamie Carie, Patti Hill, and moi after our publisher, B&H, bestowed personalized beach bags on us last year. I LOVE my bag! It's got the title of my last book, Sweet Waters, on it, so I used it all year to hold goodies for book signings. Now that summer's almost here for me (couple days of school and one high school graduation to go!), I'm planning on keeping that baby stocked with sunscreen, water, a towel, and the latest issue of Coastal Living, so I can head to beach at the first crack of sunlight.

How about you? Are you ready to head to the beach, lake, swimming hole, etc. this summer? And what will you have in your bag? (Would it be shameless promotion to suggest my newest book, A Shore Thing? ~ bu dum bump)

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

Get ready for Nat'l Flip Flop Day Giveaway

THIS Friday, June 18 (the day after my oldest kiddo graduates high school) is National Flip Flop Day. Hey, I'm not making this up! This is what I love about America ... the FREEDOM to celebrate all that's right with the world. Like flip flops. Lol...

So here's the deal: you have this week to take a photo that proves why YOU deserve a new pair of flip flops. Show me your worn out sandals, your flip flops with missing bling, your huaraches with stretched out straps ... that kind of thing. I'll pick the top three saddest sandal-flipflop-huarache-etc. photos and toss them into a hat. Then, I'll draw one name at random to win a $25 gift certificate to Payless Shoes!

This giveaway is limited to USA peeps, void where prohibited (you know who you are). Hugs to all my friends outside of the USA ~ hope to do something for you soon. Contest begins June 18 and ends June 25 ~ so hang onto your photos until then.

In the meantime, watch for A SHORE THING to arrive at your favorite bookstore any day now. I received a single, hot off the presses copy on Friday, and I'm told that "the books have left the building" (i.e., warehouse) :) Woo-hoo! If you see it on a shelf, would you let me know?

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

Sea worthy

By now the good news has circumnavigated the globe that 16 year old Abby Sunderland from nearby Thousand Oaks, CA has been located ~ and she's fine. Woot! Her boat, Wild Eyes, not so much. Reports say the mast broke, disabling the boat.

What's been disheartening, though, are the unkind comments at the end of many of the reports. Everything from suggesting her parents be thrown in jail to charging the family for the rescue bill.

Oh, brother.

I wonder how many of the most outspoken (and profane!) critics have kids glued to Facebook rather than outside creating their own adventures. Or how many have kept their thoughts to themselves as our taxes pay for things like a school district's money-draining $725,000 pizza vending machine or $2.2 million for skylights in a state-run liquor warehouse?

I'd rather my kids stay purposeful, and taxes be used to protect life.

Does the idea of a teen girl sailing solo around the world make me think twice? Yes. It does. One of my daughter's turns 16 this summer and I. can't. imagine! When I learned about Abby I worried over all the unthinkables: capsizing, pirates, sharks...

But I've also been inspired by her. With the support of family, she trained and pursued a dream. I've do doubt that her quest has or will inspire teen girls around the world to not let age or gender ~ or couch potato-itis ~ stop them from putting their dreams into action, too. And although the mothers among us secretly hope Abby will stay on dry land for awhile, chances are she'll be back in the water in no time~ a little more experienced now ~ and sailing toward another goal.

Beach Ridez

So I'm driving along the other day and I see this cool old car and the first thing I think is "Beach." (The second thing I think is "take a picture!") I'm all for luxury (hubby will attest to it), but something about a ranch wagon with sea colored paint, white walls, and sweet longevity makes me long for ride like this to use strictly for pretty beach days. This ride was made for sandy feet and piles of boogie boards (in my mind, anyway :)

Then there's the Thing. I grew up in an area of LA that teemed with VWs. My brother Danny is the ONLY person I know who gets my mini-obsession with them, but he's only 16 months younger than me so he grew up with them too. Over the years, I've owned four VWs, in different styles, but never a Thing. This is a cherried-out one I found last year. Isn't she pretty? Hubby thinks I'm nuts, but wouldn't this be a groovy ride to throw a board into (you know, if I surfed and all ...) and take a spin out to the Rincon (ala Beach Boys)?

If I had a choice, I'd take the Thing, no doubt. But if someone bequeathed me the Country Sedan in sea blue, I wouldn't squawk ... ;-) How about you?

Pool party!

I'm on my way out the door to a pool party for the middle school group I lead with my pal, Missy. Since September, we've met twice a month with a group of 7th grade girlies, usually at my home, but the past couple of weeks we've switched things up a bit. Tonight for their summer send-off, we'll be swimming at my folks' house on the warmer side of town :)

The photo was sent to me by reader, Emma Casey Griffiths (center). She and a couple of friends started a book club recently, and their inaugural read was -- get this -- my 2007 novel, Chocolate Beach. What a kick! Emily's note and the photo is such an honor!

Don't they look like they're having fun?

I guess that's why this photo fit so well with my post. I'm thinking about all the chats about God, life, and boys that Missy and I have had with our sweet middle school girls this year. I'm thinking about the sober discussions, the questions, and the laughter into the night. Most of all, I'm thinking about friendships, and how we help each other survive the sighs and groanings of this crazy world.

I'm dashing off to cook up hot dogs and pour lemonade. Here's to the start of summer fun, and most of all, to friendships!

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 ...