Nautical Escapes

My husband and I love kayaking. When a LivingSocial coupon popped up for a guided eco-tour of the Intercoastal with Nautical Escapes, we were excited about an afternoon on the water plus the opportunity to learn a little more about our backyard.

The first trip we booked was canceled due to rain (gotta love those Florida afternoon storms). The next week was a go.

The short 2 hour trip is designed for beginners and our guide, Ed, was eager to help the kids in our group who were having a little trouble. We started at Dutton Island Preserve and once we got out to the Intercoastal, we stopped so Ed could show us some periwinkle snails.

(my cheapo waterproof camera was having focusing issues)

I kind of wanted to keep them, but my hubby was not keen on doing the rest of the paddling himself.

Ed pointed out all the different birds we saw and explained what the different marshy areas and islands are called.

We paddled down to the Atlantic Boulevard bridge where Ed said the dolphins like to feed in the afternoon. Sure enough, they were everywhere! I'm not going to lie, I was pumped.

On the way back, we went through the salt marshes and the thunder we'd been hearing in the distance finally kept its word -- it poured on us. But it actually felt great because it was so hot out! (I just wish I had brought a hat to keep it out of my eyes.)

getting rained on!

It was a fun little trip. Great for beginners or anyone wanting to learn a little more about the critters who call the Intercoastal home!

Trash to Treasure

In preparation of my husband leaving for deployment in a few short weeks, I've been planning projects. So far, those projects have involved Craigslist, $50, heavy lifting and two hideous pieces of furniture with a lot of potential.

I'm not a fan of the shabby chic thing, so these need a BIG makeover

My husband, who is having trouble visualizing said potential, was aghast when I came home with these pieces. I will admit, in their current condition they are going to stay tucked away in our garage because they are, well, pretty hideous.

So I had to prove to him that with a little creativity, you can turn trash into treasure!



Had I not been so excited, I would have taken before pictures of the items used. Whoops... I'll try to remember that next time. But I found a picture online of a DIY candle holder using old vases and random candlesticks. I grabbed two vases that were collecting dust in our cabinet and Wal-Mart provided me with two candlesticks, two candles and split peas (how great is that idea?!?!) A little glue later and voila! They cost me less than $10 to make.

And hubby did not think these were hideous. Hopefully this has increased his faith in my upcoming decorating endeavors?

Cake Pop Project

Earlier this week, while looking for creative projects on the web, I stumbled onto this image.

Oh stop it. Really? Those are awesome!

However, other than the easily-recognizable chocolate chips, I had no idea what they were or how to even begin making them.

Google provided me with the following information:

They are cake pops. You mix icing and cake together and roll them into balls, put a stick in them and dip them into candy coating.

Sold.

I worked at a bakery in college and loved when a customer came in with a challenge like that. I figured out cupcake cakes (cupcakes arranged and then iced over in the design of a dinosaur or a bike or whatever) way before they started appearing in Martha Stewart, and my absolute favorite thing was making wedding cakes.

Which, by the way, made for a hilarious story at our wedding, when the cake decorator at Cinotti's Bakery got confused (after letting her know I used to do wedding cakes and the multiple meetings, pictures, sketches, phone calls and email reminders).

picture I gave them vs what showed up at the reception

So when I walked into the wedding reception and saw a BLUE cake, I almost fainted. And then I almost died laughing. I mean, really, at that point, what else do you do? (Yeah, everything at Cinotti's is delicious, but don't use them for your wedding cake.)

Okay, back to cake pops. So I figured, how hard could they be?

A few trips to the grocery store and Michaels later, project get-cake-all-over-the-kitchen was in full swing.

Step 1 -- Bake cakes, then crumble into bowl. (I also added red food coloring to the white cake mix.)

Step 2 -- For each box of cake mix you used, mix in 12 oz frosting. (Again, added the red food coloring prior to mixing.) I also added mini chocolate chips to the mixture to look like seeds!

Step 3 -- Roll out the balls.

It's entirely possible I was so excited about this that I did it at 1 a.m. after I got home from work. Haylie was keeping me company (and cleaning whatever I dropped on the floor -- good dog!).  

Step 4 -- Dip them in the coating. Put in the sticks.

This is where I started to have some trouble. If you just put the stick in and try to dip them, they fall off the stick. After staring at them for a while, in my now-2-a.m. daze, I realized the chocolate will also work as a glue. I dipped the end of each stick in the chocolate, stuck them in the balls and then put the tray in the fridge overnight to set up. It worked!

Step 5 -- Now dip them in the coating! Melt the chocolate according to directions. After burning a lot of chocolate in my bakery days, I now use this method: microwave 30 seconds, stir 15 seconds, microwave 30 seconds, stir 15 seconds, microwave 15 seconds, repeat, using 15 second intervals until melted.

Step 6 -- Let cool. I used a piece of styrofoam and it worked great!

Step 7 -- Dip again, this time in green candy coating. I found the green, pre-dyed candy coating I got from Michaels to be much easier to dip and significantly thicker.

Step 8 -- Let cool.

Step 9 -- Eat!!!

Enchanting Etsy

Could it be? Is it true? Not everyone knows about Etsy???

This post is bigger than Jacksonville, and for good reason -- Etsy is freaking awesome!

Etsy was modeled after craft fairs, like the Riverside Arts Market here in Jacksonville. Except at this craft fair there are hundreds of thousands of vendors.

Literally anything you want, if it can be made, can be found on Etsy.

Anything from handmade beads to clothing to incredible art.



And if you're getting married, it's a great place to find unique invitations, favors, hair pieces or keepsakes. One of my friends from college recently got married and had her dress on a personalized hanger. SUCH a cute idea -- I'm so jealous I didn't have one for our wedding!

Links for the above listings (in case you're interested and so I don't get sued):

beads -- http://www.etsy.com/listing/24204381/moukaite?ref=mt

jacket -- http://www.etsy.com/listing/72993116/double-breasted-button-wool-coatcape?ref=mt

painting -- http://www.etsy.com/listing/65505877/autumn-aspen-sky-high-contemporary-huge?ref=mt

wire hanger -- http://www.etsy.com/listing/75968314/custom-bridal-hanger-beautiful-lettering
wedding frame -- http://www.etsy.com/listing/74991319/personalized-family-name-sign-picture?ref=mt

wedding invitation -- http://www.etsy.com/listing/76055392/seaside-wedding-invitation-sample?ref=mt

She Glues Sea Shells

It's entirely possible there's nothing I love more than finding expensive art and then making it myself. While I'm not going to be copying any Van Goghs anytime soon, on most stuff I can come pretty close.

This project started around Christmas last year, as I was perusing Etsy for a non-fake-flower door wreath. (I've just got this thing about fake flowers.) While I was looking through a variety of white berry wreaths, I came across this one.

Ok, I'm not really a huge fan of beach decor. I think to theme an entire room with jars of sand, flip flops on the wall as art and nautical print all over belongs, if anywhere, only in a vacation condo. And only if it's actually on the beach. It doesn't count if it's in Nebraska somewhere.

But come on. That wreath is gorgeous! I was hooked (get it?). I was set to snatch it up... when I looked at the price tag.

$98.

Are you kidding me?!

So several months later, using the natural (read: free) resources located in my backyard, I set out to make my own!

Here's how I made the $98 wreath for a quarter of the price.

You'll need a high temp glue gun, a package of glue sticks, around 100 shells, a straw wreath and ribbon or twine.

For two weeks, I went to the beach every other day picking up as many shells as I could find. I stuck with mostly light-colored ones just because our door is a darker color. Something I learned as I was making the first wreath is that the shells don't need to be perfect. You're going to be layering them, so all shapes and sizes work and it's easy to hide the flaws.

The Jacksonville beaches don't have a lot of the exotic shells, so I picked up a bag of random shells (including those large spiral showpiece shells) from Hobby Lobby for $7 and a bag of small spiral shells for $5. I also bought the starfish from Hobby Lobby for about $5. The straw wreath was $4 and the twine was $3. I already had the glue gun and glue sticks, but to buy those will run you about $10. 

Pick a starting point and start gluing!

Work your way around the wreath, fitting in shells. It's kind of like a puzzle. At the top, I layered the shells so they made a bridge over the ribbon, so if it moves or I want to tie a different ribbon there eventually, they aren't actually glued to it.

I used most of the beach-found shells for the bottom layer, and used the prettier spiral shells to create depth on top.

The finished product was a huge hit. I've already made another one for our sweet neighbors and have requests lined up for when I have time to make more.

This would be a great project to do with kids, letting them pick out which shells to use next, as long as you're doing the gluing!

the finished wreath!

See the Sea Creatures

While the beaches of my last stop (Panama City) are much prettier than the Atlantic beaches (sorry... but it's true...), the beaches here have WAY more shells, which are coming in handy for some projects I've been working on (post coming soon!). And our dog, Haylie, is happy because it means more walks to the beach for shell collecting.

On my last few visits, I've encountered more sea creatures than I've seen in the past year! Perhaps it's the time of year? Whatever the reason, I'm letting my inner nerd out and doing a little research on the critters in my backyard.

This Netted Olive Sea Snail started it all!

The meeting went something like this:
Me (to no one in particular): "Oooh what a pretty shell!"
I try to pick up the pretty shell.
Pretty shell fights back.
Me: "AHH!"

I then of course hunkered down and picked him up despite his protests. I couldn't get a good picture of him out of the shell (holding the squirmy little guy and the camera at the same time didn't go very well) but the picture on the bottom I found on one of my new favorite websites, the O'Keefe Family Website. The family includes a biologist and photographer and documents tons of animals, marine life and shells in North Carolina. Lucky for me, we have a lot of the same critters!

Next, I found (read: almost stepped on) this guy.

Thanks to my sister-in-law (studying to be a vet), I now know this is a Cannonball Jellyfish.

Had I stepped on him, it would have been pretty gross (ew) but they're harmless to humans.

These, on the other hand, are not harmless.

The yucky picture on the left is the one I found. This one had obviously been there a few days though because the beautiful colors had faded, so I had to add some pictures that do it better justice (dear owner of pictures: please don't sue me).

I didn't need any help quickly identifying this as a Portuguese Man-of-War. What I didn't know was that while they're commonly called jellyfish, they're actually not! Instead, they're actually siphonophores. What!? It's actually a colony of creatures including the Man-of-War fish that depend on each other for survival.

They carry one of the most toxic marine poisons though. No bueno, but they sure are pretty.

Another cool fact about the Man-of-War is that they live on the surface and are moved by the wind (hence that neat-looking sail).

I'm so geeking out right now.

The next sea creature I happened upon is also not something you want to step on.

I knew he was some type of puffer fish, so after some Googling, I'm pretty confident to identify him as a Northern Puffer. Although the spines would hurt, they aren't actually poisonous. (Yay!)

On to some nicer creatures...

As we were wrapping up one walk, I spotted a WHOLE sand dollar.

Almost perfectly round and a perfectly centered "flower".

Sand dollars are such neat things. What we find on the beach is the exoskeleton which is bleached white by the sun. Those petals are actually five sets of pores that are used to move it through the water. And apparently you can use the rings to tell how old the sand dollar is (they usually live 6-10 years)!

I had never seen this beautiful kind of starfish before.

I almost didn't pick it up because it was so brightly colored and brightly colored animals tend to be poisonous (see Man-of-War...). But I picked it up anyway, lol. It was big, as far as starfish I've seen on our beach go, probably 8 inches from top to bottom and bright purple and orange. I wish I had taken a closer picture now because the orange trim looked like beads.
 
Although these are apparently very common, it took a bit of digging to actually find any information about them. Apparently this is a Astropecten articulatus. Common names include Royal Sea Star and Beaded Sea Star. The arms can grow up to 9 inches long! It was beautiful.

Next post: What I made with all the shells gathered on these beach walks and how you can make one too!

HomeGoodies

On a recent visit, my mother announced she wanted to go to HomeGoods telling me, "They talk about it all the time on the blogs!"

A) I love that my mom is so hip and following "the blogs"
B) I have no idea to what blogs she's referring
C) I was a little upset I'd never heard of/been to this "amazing home store"

We found a HomeGoods (actually, we found two during our day of shopping, one on Jax Beach and one near The Avenues) and began the shopping excursion.

I do a lot of discount home shopping and I was in heaven here. Stores like Ross or Garden Ridge have good deals, but you have to weed through dented/broken/junky stuff. Everything in HomeGoods was super cute and in good condition!

I spotted these amazing serving dishes. LOVE LOVE LOVE the bright colors!

But... I couldn't rationalize any reason I needed them so I just helped Mom carry out all of her purchases.

This past weekend, DH and I decided to have a few friends over. At first I swore I wouldn't be doing any decorating. Then I thought about those serving plates I had been eyeing. 

Text message to DH: "Um, I had an accident."
DH: "What happened?!"
Me: "I accidentally bought some serving dishes..."
DH: "Sigh."

They are a sturdy ceramic and microwave and dishwasher safe - score! I left with a few serving plates (~$5 each), a condiments tray (~$8), a few bowls (~$4 each) and a huge orange platter I found in the clearance section ($7).

Finished up the festive look with limes in a few brightly colored glasses and some flowers I grabbed in Winn-Dixie ($6) in a vase I already had!

Sushi + Easy = Sushezi

Cooking is an activity, too, right?

A while ago, a dear friend posted a video on my Facebook wall entitled "Redneck Sushi."

While I found the mere thought of smoked beef and barbecue in a seaweed roll revolting,  I was intrigued by this bizarre gizmo they called the "Sushezi," selling for $20.99 on Amazon. I then magically obtained the gizmo. (Read: I mentioned the gizmo to my mom and it showed up two days later via Amazon. Thanks Mom!)

When you first take it out of the box, the Sushezi appears a little gimmicky and not at all like it would actually make anything resembling sushi. It's an embarrasingly American (though made in China, of course) sushi-maker.

But the thing works. And it really is easy. I was honestly shocked.

The Sushezi

The Play-by-Play

Make your rice (short-grain sushi rice), adding whatever seasoning you like (a little rice vinegar, salt and sugar is standard).

1 c. rice makes two rolls

Using half a cup of rice per roll, mash it in the tube and use the plunger thing to make a dent for the filling.

Wet fingers to keep rice from sticking to you.

Prepare your fillings. I made a basic California roll (without cucumber... forgot to grab one at the store) with imitation crab and avocado.

nom nom nom

Layer the fillings on the rice.

It's easier to close if the fillings are all on one side.

Put the plunger in place, close the thing, latch it, turn the plunger to tighten the roll, and then push it out onto your seaweed sheet. Magic.

This large roll uses a whole seaweed sheet.

Then roll up the sheet and trim the excess seaweed.

Use a bit of water to get it to stick to itself.

And slice with a very sharp knife.

Wipe the knife with a damp cloth in between cuts. 

The Verdict

This is by far the best-looking sushi roll I have ever managed to produce... and yummy, too!

The only downside is the size of the roll... they're really big. I do wish it came in a smaller size.

The other thing is once you buy all the ingredients, especially if you're starting from scratch, you could have had a sushi feast at a restaurant for less $$.

I'm not brave enough to work with raw fish, so all of my at-home rolls include either tuna or crab, so being an at-home sushi chef (ha!) can be a little limiting.

I just wiped it off after I was done and stuck it in the dishwasher on the top shelf and it washed up nicely.

It does what it says it does and it IS easy. Fun weekend project and for $20 it's affordable!

Happy sushi-making!

The Edge Rock Gym

As a kid, every summer at a week-long camp we could choose two "interest groups." Mine were the same every summer: the adventure course and rappelling.

So when I drove by The Edge Rock Gym (in that mostly deserted complex by the Ice Rink on Phillips Highway) a few weeks ago while working on a story, I was pumped. Friday when I saw a Groupon for an instruction and gear all-day pass for $15 p/p (regular price for the day pass, including everything you need, is still a really reasonable $25), I was even more pumped! $30 and one day later and we were on the wall.

Have you seen those rock climbing towers in malls and at fairs? The Edge Rock Gym is kind of like that, except an entire gym of climbing walls.


ready to climb!

They asked us to make reservations with the Groupons, and I believe if you are doing the regular day pass package they also ask that you make them.

When we arrived, we signed a waiver and were fitted with climbing shoes and harnesses and each given a carabiner. Then my husband, myself and another couple went through an instruction course, which took about 30 minutes. The instructor was very nice and easy to understand, showing us which knots to tie, how to use the belay ropes and how to properly belay your partner so you don't drop them (that would be no bueno). Even my husband, who has never done any climbing or rappelling, had no problem picking everything up. After making sure each of us knew all the steps needed to keep us safe, he turned us loose.



on the auto-belay wall

On my first climbing attempt, I made it about five feet off the ground and then decided I wanted to "test" the belay system (aka my husband's ability to catch me). It worked/he did. Falling is pretty uncomfortable the first time, so try climbing a few feet up and then falling so you can experience how it feels before you're 20 feet in the air, petrified and clinging to the wall. You don't have to be a muscle man to belay your partner -- they wrap the ropes twice at the top, so the weight is significantly distributed. I had no trouble holding up my husband... and I'll admit, at first I was a little concerned about my ability to not drop him! 



auto-belay wall

There are probably about 10 pairs of ropes situated around the walls so you can climb different sections with your parter. There are also four or five auto-belay ropes, meaning there is a machine doing the job of a partner, so you can both climb. Think it's scary jumping down when your husband is holding you up? The first jump trusting a machine was quite a bit worse. Again, definitely recommend trying it once just a few feet off the ground so you can see what it feels like. The auto-belay was a really uncomfortable feeling. It's kind of like a seatbelt... if you try to sit back into it, it won't "catch". You have to fall or jump, and it takes a split second to "catch" so there was a moment of panic each time for me. But, each time, it worked like a charm, and the more we used it the more comfortable we got with it. 

Three hours later, we were completely wiped out. We knew we were done when our hands were so sore we couldn't get more than three "rocks" up. If you have lifting gloves, bring them. Those would have helped a lot.

Overall, an extremely fun afternoon! This is a great couples' date, and it would also be fun for kids. There were two kids there, both maybe nine or 10, having a blast. It IS hard and it IS a workout, so you do need to be in good health but by no means to you need to be crazy fit. All of the equipment was in good shape and seemed clean, and everyone there was very nice and very helpful!

IMHO - Do it! Fun and affordable activity for kids and adults!

Cumberland Island

Cumberland Island is a magical place, of which there are very few left in the world. Even fewer which are accessible without a private plane and priviledged pocketbook. Just off the coast of St. Mary's, Cumberland Island is an untamed paradise out of a children's book where horses roam free without so much as a second glance at the strange two-legged creatures sharing the pathway, where the only footprints in the sand are yours and maybe those of a racoon and where the graveyard of the Carnigie plantation rivals the beauty of even the most elegant modern mansion.

Reservations

The website suggests making reservations for the ferry, which departs twice in the morning from the historic district in St. Mary's. However, be aware reservations can only be made Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We made the decision to go the night before, so we weren't able to make reservations. It's suggested you arrive 30 minutes early if you have reservations, so we got there an hour before the 11:45 a.m. departure time, prepared to beg for a spot. They were very nice about it and we were able to get tickets, but the ferry was packed so I definitely recommend making reservations if you can. The ferry is $20 per person for a round trip.

IMHO - Make them in advance or show up really early with a back-up plan

What to Wear

waiting for us at the ferry dock



The beach is pretty much a straight shot across from Sea Camp but unless you're planning on going straight there and parking (which would be a shame), wear tennis shoes. There is a LOT of walking involved if you want to get around and you are in the woods. There are snakes (saw two), poison ivy and such, and bugs (I found a tick on my foot when we left). If you don't want to take your sneakers to the beach you have two options: 1) bring flip flops in your bag or 2) carry a small hand towel in your bag. I take one on any adventure. When we went to the beach I took my shoes off and then just used the towel to dust off the sand before I put them back on. Most of the trails are shaded but if you burn easily you might want to consider wearing a loose-fitting long-sleeve shirt. It will also help with the bugs. Same goes for pants. I wore a tank and shorts and left with more than a few bug bites.

IMHO - wear sneakers and cool clothes, carry flip flops

The Ferry

The ferry ride out took about 45 minutes. We sat on the top deck, which was lovely but we definitely paid for it with sunburn later.

IMHO - sit inside or on the lower level



sharing the bike path

Bicycles

We rented bikes for getting around ($14 each for the day). These are available at the second ferry stop, Sea Camp. The bikes are one-speeders with foot brakes, which took a little getting used to since I haven't had foot brakes on a bike since I was a kid. Mostly my stopping consisted of stopping by putting my heels on the ground or crashing into trees (or, once, a lady. Soooooooo sorry about that...). They also couldn't be adjusted, so for someone with bad knees like me, using a bike that was too small for several hours made for sore knees that night. With that said, they do their job making getting around faster and easier, and I would actually recommend them. A few of them had baskets on them as well, which was helpful. Just take them for a spin before you get too far away to make sure the chains aren't loose.

IMHO - rent them

The Horses



outside the Ice House Museum

Since the island is nearly 14 miles long and we were only going to be exploring the southern portion, I was concerned we weren't going to see any of the feral horses or that we'd see one or two from far away. Boy was I wrong. They were EVERYWHERE! When we pulled up, a mother and foal were grazing on the beach right in front of the ferry dock. I took a million pictures thinking they'd be the only ones we saw. After we got our bikes and left Sea Camp, we headed down to the Dungeness ruins and there were more there, along the paths, at the Ice House... everywhere we went! It was pretty incredible. You are warned before you leave not to bother them, feed them or try to pet them. I got closer probably than encouraged to take pictures of them, but they didn't seem to mind. If you got too close, they simply walked away. They are wild though, so especially with kids who are anything like I was when I was younger (i.e. think they are the horse whisperer and want to go pet their new best friend), it's probably a good idea to maintain a safe distance.

IMHO - They're everywhere!

Lunch

There is NO food on the island. Or water, unless you're okay with a faucet outside (the water is treated from Sea Camp southward but I'm not quite THAT adventurous). So anything you want to eat or drink you have to bring yourself. We packed sandwiches in a little cooler and stopped at a CVS a few miles back from the ferry port in St. Mary's to stock up on bottled water and trail mix. Especially on a hot day, all that walking/biking will make you crazy thirsty, so if nothing else, at least bring a few bottles of water. (Another reason to grab a bike with a basket... so you don't have to carry everything around.)

IMHO - bring it! (and water!)

Safety

While I am not going to say there is no crime on the island because I don't know for sure, I will say I'm pretty confident there's not much. Only a handful of people live on the island and most of them are park rangers or folks who run Greyfield Inn. The only people who can visit the island must take the ferry from St. Mary's, another ferry which leaves from Fernandina Beach and only transports Greyfield Inn guests or a private boat. We weren't carrying much of value, mainly just a camera, sunscreen, bug spray and lunch (although I would have been pretty upset if someone had taken my lunch!) but we left our stuff with our bikes several times and had no problems with anyone messing with anything. I certainly wouldn't advise leave your wallet but I think for the little stuff you're fine.

IMHO - your stuff is safe

Sunscreen and Bugspray Suggestions

I have tried many different types of sunscreen and bugspray since I am outdoors a LOT for work and also when I'm not at work. I LOVE La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 sunscreen. It's not cheap but despite my Irish skin, this stuff really works. I don't use it on my face though... it tends to cause breakouts. I haven't tried the la Roche-Posay face sunscreen yet, which may have a better outcome. I've used Neutrogena Healthy Defense Oil-Free Sunblock on my face for years and it works like a charm.

On the bugspray side, I am a mosquito magnet so I've tried a million bugsprays. My old faithful at work is Off! Skintastic (I like the tropical fresh one because I don't come back smelling like camp) but if I'm going to be outside all day I use the Off! Clip-On Starter Kit and love it. And if I'm going to be out on the beach and will be layering sunscreen and bugspray, I like the clean feel of Off! Smooth & Dry.

Things to bring

Bottled Water
Lunch/snacks
Sunscreen
Bugspray
A towel
A camera!
A little money for bike rentals
Sunglasses and/or a hat
Anything else you think you might need because there are NO STORES!