We want to see your island vacation photos for possible inclusion in the February 2010 island issue. Click here for more information on how to submit. The deadline is November 17, 2009.

Photo: Laura Breault

Ever year around mid-October I start complaining about the cold. This year I'm looking to beat the chill (and follow runway trends) with chunky knit and fur accents for my home.

Here's what I've been looking at this afternoon.

I found both of these images (above and below) on The Style Files. I love the crocheted look—reminds me of my favorite knit scarf I'd like to have around my neck right about now. You can find more info about the pouffe here, and more info about the wood raffia stool here.

Something about this faux sheepskin pouf from West Elm really appeals to me. It's large enough to accommodate cast-offs when you're too tired to hang up your clothes (not that this ever
happens to anyone), but small enough to not take up too much space in a small room. Better yet? It's portable, which is essential for those of us who have difficulty committing to pieces of furniture.

If it's flooring you seek, there's also this faux sheepskin rug.




If you really crave comfort, then this blanket is essential for you. Everyone in my family
has a Kashwère throw. We—pets included—frequently fight over them. They're super warm yet breathable and withstand frequent washings. In short, they're worth every penny.



This year, Pottery Barn turned your warmest sweater into a comfy throw pillow.



They also created an incredibly soft fisherman blanket and sham for those
in need of added layers for your bed.

Do you guys have any other suggestions?

Producing the YOLO shoot in Seagrove, FL, earlier this summer was one of the more fun photo shoots I've had the opportunity to do. Not only did Mary Katherine Stump, our writer, and I get to spend the day picking the brains of Jeff Archer and Tom Losee (above), the entrepreneurs behind YOLO Boards, but we also got to learn how to stand-up paddle. The sport, in which one stands on a more-buoyant version of a surf board and paddles, is like nothing else—tranquil yet exciting, calming while seriously working the core muscles. I've been hooked ever since—I even convinced my husband and some friends to try it on our vacation. To get the full story and find out what YOLO means, pick up the October issue of Coastal Living. In the meantime, check out these photos taken during our shoot!

Chris Lambert, a local YOLOer, loaned us his meticulously-restored vintage VW bus for the shoot. So we loaded it up with boards and tailgating essentials and headed for the beach!

Madra Medina McDonald, of M Public Relations, and Mary Katherine return to the bus after give the sport a try.

Our photographer, Colleen Duffley. Check out her studio, Studio B, here. For more info on YOLO Boards, click here.

**Special thanks to the Lamberts for loaning us their VW and taking such great behind-the-scene shots! 

Before the Cancun airport opens its new runway to jets, runners will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to try out the surface. The Cancun airport run on Oct, 10 is open to anyone who wants a chance to jog along a  air strip.

The event should be a cakewalk for experienced runners. The runway’s mercifully flat, of course, and since the 5K and 10K races start at 7 a.m., participants won’t have to face the full heat of the tropical sun. Registration is $200 pesos (about $15 U.S. dollars) if you register before October 8, or $250 pesos ($19) to register late.

But for runners, it should be worth every centavo. After this event, you can only try the course if you’re willing to be pursued by security officers.

Of course, Cancun is really just excited about the new $67 million addition, which will allow the airport to have simultaneous takeoffs and landings on both runways. Its new control tower, the airport brags, stands more than 315 feet, making it among the 20 tallest in the world.

Our September issue’s roundup of great coastal roadtrips, has me daydreaming about a wonderful drive I took last month.

About 20 of us gathered for a family reunion in the cute town of St. Michaels, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, where we shopped, wandered, toured and ate our fill of seafood. We stayed at the Harbourtowne resort just outside of town, which was a delight. Our group had a separate wing with adjoining patios, and we talked into the night as a cooling breeze blew off the Bay.

After we said goodbye, I took a meandering route back to D.C, driving shaded country roads to the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, which calls itself the nation’s oldest privately run ferry, dating to the late 1600s. The ¾-mile trip crosses the Tred Avon River, and is a wonderful chance to get out on the water. Along with cars, there were plenty of bikes on our Sunday morning crossing. The area has some of the best cycling routes in the country. But even from the driver's seat of a rental car, I could tell we were somewhere special.

Photo: Talbot County Office of Tourism

How are you guys? It's been a while since I've posted, and I wanted to catch everyone up on what we've been up to. We've been busy!

I hope you've had a chance to flip through the September issue. As you may have noticed, editor Lindsay Bierman mentioned in his editor's letter that we recently welcomed a new member into our Coastal Living family—Chippy the sea lion!

Chippy

"This 600-pound sea lion was rescued by The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA," Lindsey writes. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but when The Center's vets examined him, they found a bullet in his head. (Don't worry, they nursed him back to health!) This year, shocking numbers of sea lions and other creatures have been coming ashore starving and weak. Their food sources seem to be moving away from the coast or disappearing, and no one knows why."

But you too can welcome a marine mammal into your family. Visit marinemammalcenter.org or call (415) 289-7339 to learn more and join The Center's Adopt-a-Seal program. Here's a few more friends who need your help.

Astro


Calloway

Poppy


Garnett


Repo

Just in time for our Road Trip package, San Diego’s illustrious Lamb’s Players Theater is mounting a stage production devoted to the American ritual.

While our magazine piece focuses on drives with incredible coastal scenery, the play, Leaving Iowa, is more of a journey of the spirit, as an adult newspaper columnist returns home on a last trip to honor his father. Sounds pretty heavy, but much of the play is built around a childhood road trip – one taken in the days before mini vans, mobile satellite TV, and in-car DVD players.

Back then, the only scenery was, well, the scenery.  As hours passed, the world blurred by the back window, and the only entertainment was fighting with your siblings, and watching your Dad negotiate highway interchanges at 70 mph.

Reviews for the play have been uniformly good. So if you’re anywhere near Southern California, it’s worth road tripping down to Coronado, to catch a production.