Living by the Water | 2008 | September

You just never know when an item is going to be a huge success, but it certainly helps to have Coastal Living feature it in their magazine - as happened to our Coral Coir Doormat last September.

Terrific photo, catchy copy, beautiful item, great price and guess what, we had a smash success on our hands. Until… we ran out, barely two weeks after the magazine hit the newsstands - and couldn’t get more! Surely, if we could have filled the hundreds of requests we received, it would have been the biggest seller we ever had!

A year later, and we’re STILL getting requests for that doormat from people just now finding that year-old issue of Coastal Living!

Well, great news for everyone who wanted one last year, and everyone who has yet to read through their September, 2007 Coastal Living Magazine… a terrific new Coral Coir Doormat is on the way, and will start shipping the end of November.  With its seafoam and taupe color scheme, multi-branch coral design, and the same sand-trapping natural coir fiber construction, we think it’s an even better mat than last year’s! 

You be the judge, but - a word to the wise, (based on our experience last year), order early!

DJ

<a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/rbfpx6bunc” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

As part of our new Fall Collection, we’re introducing a beautiful new line of extraordinary hand embroidered linens from Thornvale, a South African company with a story as extraordinary as their linens.

Since 1999, Thornvale has produced meticulously embroidered linens made by Sesotho women in the Free State, South Africa. The sophistication and perfection of their embroidery work is unmatched. Thornvale currently provides employment for 125 women, (many of whom are heads of their household), in a very depressed part of South Africa where the unemployment level is exceptionally high. Thornvale literally feeds hundreds of families through this project, which is truly a beautiful accomplishment in itself!

Among the embroidery designs we’re carrying are a lively sea life pattern of crabs and starfish called “Marine Life”; a whimsical “Schooling Minnows” pattern, and an elegant “Coral Branches” pattern. Each design is available in a variety of embroidery thread colors.

It’s a pleasure to offer such uniquely beautiful products. It’s also very gratifying to know that the production of these linens is enhancing the lives of so many talented and dedicated people.

An email from our sales rep echoed my own enthusiasm for the project: ”I can’t begin to tell you how many people you will be touching.  I am going to give the link to the ladies in South Africa - they will be so thrilled to be on your site.  Kind regards, Sue”

DJ

Two great local boat shows were on the docket this weekend, the Lido Yacht Expo in Newport Beach, and YachtFest in San Diego.  Both are in-water annual shows with an always-impressive number and variety of boats to see and explore.

I enjoy strolling along the docks - don’t forget the sun hat and sunscreen - and geting an inside look at all the different boats. 

Naturally, I couldn’t help thinking how great they’d look with a couple of our nautical pillows casually tossed on the banquettes….                       

or our embroidered towels adding an elegant touch to the heads (bathrooms)….

or maybe a few nautical, shatterproof acrylics for the aft deck bar…

After having spent so much time on boats, I hadn’t considered how daunting the ”outfitting” process might be for anyone new to boating. My friend Caroline relayed her own ‘first boat purchase’ story recently, and the challenges she faced as a new boat owner.

“The hard work of selecting the perfect boat, negotiating the right price, and organizing the financing was over,” she said. “Now I was on a high, with this incredible urge to ‘feather my nest’ … but I had no clue where to begin.” 

We decided right then, that a practical how-to guide for “soft-goods” boat outfitting would be a huge help. So, stay tuned…

After the boat show, it’s always a treat to relax and discuss your favorite boats in a fabulous spot overlooking the water. We chose the end balcony table at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla for a charming late afternoon lunch.

DJ