Sold! A piece of yacht club history.

Elusive, exclusive the Bay Head Yacht Club has been in existence since 1888.  It sits at the northern end of the bay where both Olympic and world sailing champions have competed.

from the clubs webpage

For as long as I can recall I have been in love with club's burgee.

Just a short walk from my office it is a lovely old place.

When the opportunity arose to attend an estate auction of

the Hubert Johnson family who was a well known boat

builder how could I resist.

Up on the block, coveted slices of the Bay Head Yacht Club.

From glassware engraved with the club's burgee that had

likely never left it's boxes in decades. To racing trophies of sterling

and silver plate in the form cups, bowls plates, trays, and loving cups.

It was originally thought and believed with some conviction

that the family would "donate" these items to the yacht club which

happens to be right next door.  When it was learned this was not

the case long standing members turned out to purchase the items

for their beloved club to be preserved for future generations.

I, for one, likely made the "acceptable" to win list only because

I was known by some who could forgive my winning 

although I wasn't a member.

My heart was set on an early 1900's beauty but it

was not to be. When this one came up without the date

it was mentioned it was from the same era.

I never put my number down. I think my final competitor

realized I wouldn't. 

When the cup was delivered I said

I finally won a trophy which caused an uproar of laughter.

The couple behind me said we have never seen

someone so happy.

It's a gift for my dearly beloved aka DB.

I think he is going to love it. Don't you?

Seahorse Mugs by Karrita Renzelmann. Custom handmade in America Beauties.

I spotted these large and lovely seahorse mugs in Karrita Renzelmann's Etsy shop My Mother's Garden.

 She also has starfish cups.

I wrote asking if she could make the seahorse cups 

where just the seahorse would have a light blue wash

and the rest of the cup in the lightest white she could do.

 

I admit to a bit of sticker shock at first. 

Me, that also crafts handmade items for sale.

Helloooo! 

Wait a minute; handmade custom colored cups just for me.

I thought about the process which is long.

Shaping the clay.

The clay has to dry slowly, be fired, fired again.

Firing up a kiln alone is small fortune

Handmade in America!

Original handmade custom works of art.

Something we can enjoy each morning.

My photos do not do them justice.

The seahorse has more blue and the white is lighter.

These are tall heavy cups.

Karrita even made them in his and hers; how sweet!

One holds 16 ounces and the other 14 ounces.

When I opened the box they were a sight to behold 

and well worth every penny and the three week wait.

Now I see Karrita came out with Mermaid cups.

I like nice looking mermaids and may have to get those too.

Go on treat yourself.  

Visit Karrita at My Mother's Garden on Etsy

Bon Appetite Magazine October 2011 issue features our stinky cheese marker

Beach House Living's stinky cheese marker has been featured in Bon Appetite's October 2011 issued titled the Home Entertaining Guide.

 

Page 44 under Give Good Gift on the left side is

"stinky cheese" in all it's gourmet glory.

Stinky was a request of the professional chef in the family,

Heather last year.  We thought it was so funny I  took photos

and put some in my Beach House Living Etsy shop

From time to time shoppers would comment how funny it was.

Stinky Cheese by Beach House Living

Looks like smelling "stinky" isn't always a bad thing.

White Clay Tags, Ornaments and Wedding Favors: Beachy | Shabby | French | Rustic

White clay ornaments and gift tags are my new passion.  I've stamped on just about everything else; silverware, paper, fabric, wood, canvas, linens to leather and then some...

I adored Play-Doh(tm) as a child.

I have been wanting to work with "metal clay" for some time.

 A kiln is not in the budget.

 

Pottery class isn't in the near future either.

I did have a "pottery clay" date with a friend last week.

I had mentioned my tags to her and she invited

me over to play.  It was so much fun. I can't

wait to see how they look after she takes them

to be fired in the kiln.

This is not kiln fired clay.

I like it a real lot though.

This starfish would make a nice wedding favor.

It's pretty big.  You can write on it with a felt tip marker.

So would these hearts.

I like a more organic, shabby, rustic, imperfect look so my tags vary

in thickness, texture and aren't always perfectly flat.

I will make some more uniform in the future.

These are shaped to hang on the curve of a bottle.

I named these "torn page" tags like a torn love letter or

page ripped from a book.  So far they have received a lot

of comments how unique they are.

Of course, the torn page starfish and seahorses are the favorites.
I have at least 30 different styles of tags / ornaments in the works..
and my DB dearly beloved is once again supportive.

 Compasses for your holiday tree?

Some will be stamped with ink like I used to do more often in the past on paper and fabric.
(don't be surprised if you see that revived)

I think DB was a little worried when I asked where that big huge roll of canvas was as well as the old barn wood we have hanging around while sorting paint brushes, tubes of acrylic paint and rubber stamps.
(yes, Dore the barn wood is still here) 

I can't imagine where my old painting palette went.
New ones just don't look as cool.

I hope to expand with more items.
Been talking about it for so long and done absolutely nothing!

Some styles are already posted in my Etsy shop.

Would love to hear your thoughts.