Ok, I'm a few days late with Day 14's post but I won't have a problem remembering what we did. For starters, it was an easy process. Then there was the interesting fermentation gasses. :-) The yeasty-winey smell was expected and doesn't perfume the air until you take the top off.

Anyway, Day 14--halfway there!--means it's time to add the stabilizer and clarifier. The mixture in the tank was golden and pretty cloudy, like apple cider.


 

After sanitizing the tools, I took off the top and added a plastic cone to the center. Stir in a couple of packages, then replace cover.

For the next 3 days, I unlocked the container from the base and rotated it a couple of times. This releases any sediment that accumulates on the walls. So far, so good. Can't wait until it looks like wine.

I've never really had a place to put on makeup in the morning. Since college, I've been sitting on the floor in front of a mirror. My husband commented on this recently, and we decided it was time to do something about it.

We had purchased a small desk at a garage sale ($40) that we'd been using as a TV stand in our bedroom. We moved the TV onto one of our dressers, and an afternoon later and voila! A dressing table all my own.

This is an easy weekend project that's economical and requires minimal effort. Here's what we did:

 

1. We bought a can of spray paint ($3) and put two coats of paint on the originally bright yellow desk.

At Coastal Living, we love to eat. And our favorite meal, of course, is seafood.

If you’ve ever had a weakness for fried shrimp, smoked salmon, lobster, chowder, or anything else that once lived in the water, you have got to check out our new list of the best Seafood Dives.

This epic package names our favorite dives (that’s a good thing!) from all the coastal states. You’ll find dozens and dozens of choices – from Lowell’s in Seattle’s Pike Place Market to, down to the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans, to the famed Thurston’s Lobster Pound on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

You’ll definitely want to consult the list before your next coastal trip. Some folks have even built road trips around our listings.

I was just in Newport, Rhode Island, and followed our guide to the incredible Flo’s Clam Shack in nearby Middletown. How good was it? I went back a second night to taste it all again!

If we somehow missed your favorite, let us know in the comments section. Meanwhile, happy dining.

We just returned from the spring High Point Furniture Market and saw lots of great pieces. Lindsey Beatty, our market editor, and I were relieved to see a little color coming back - a major departure from all the neutrals of markets past. One color trend that seems particularly suited for the coast was new interpretations of classic blue and white pairings. Below are some of our favorite finds...

The Nadia Sofa in Bixby Blue, with throw pillows in Figi Blue, From C.R. Laine. I love the subtle pinstripe on the velvet upholstery.

And this sofa by Lee Industries, whose cushions are covered in Ikot Blue, a new fabric for them this market. The simple and classic blue stripe on the ottoman is the perfect complement to the more exotic ikat pattern on the sofa.

If you’ve always wanted to kayak, head to Texas next week for an intensive (and fun) long weekend class.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is sponsoring a three-day educational vacation package led by American Canoe Association certified instructors and environmental educators.

Kayaking is surprisingly easy -- and quite fun. My wife compares it to being a mosquito and just skimming across the surface of the water.

The Coastal Kayaking class runs May 7 through 10. Classes include three days of instruction, guided tours, lunch and use of kayaking equipment. Prices run from $495 for classes without accommodations to $1.495 for a family of three, including three night’s lodging.

Skills taught include maneuvering a kayak forward, backwards, and sideways; spinning and turning, plus rescue techniques. But class won’t be held in an some indoor pool. Excursions progress from the protected waters of  Laguna Madre on the first day to a half-day excursion through Lighthouse Lakes on the last.

The class will also cover the unique ecology, history, and lifestyle of the Texas coast – including a trip aboard A&M Research Vessel Wetland Explorer. Although it might seem like it's too late to sign up and make the trip, airlines have been discounting fares sharply even for last-minute travel.

We're putting together our first-ever reader photo gallery, and we want to see your photos. Click here to find out how to submit. I'm posting a few photos below for inspiration.

This is me (left) with freelance photographer Shelley Metcalf in 2008 when we were working on a story about the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. Check out our July/Aug issue for great deals on lodging in coastal state parks such as this one.

This is a photo of my niece on her first trip to the beach last summer. How cute is she?!

Finally, this is my husband and I hiking the Blue Trail through the hills of Cinque Terre, Italy (one of my favorite places). You can't see it in the background, but that white space is the Mediterranean Sea.

Ok, now you've seen some of my coastal photos. E-mail us yours!

Remember back when pirates evoked images of Johnny Depp and Peter Pan, not Navy Seal snipers and hostages?

The Museum of Mobile Bay does.

Its timely pirates exhibit explores the myths and mystique of the bad boys (and girls) of the sea, like Jean Laffite and Edward Teach, aka Black Beard.

The exhibit examines the historical and economic forces that fueled piracy from the 17th to the early 19th centuries. "Florida's East Coast Pirates" is on loan from the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach. It traces the history of piracy on the East and Gulf coasts. Artifacts include pirate weapons and treasure recovered from shipwrecks. One dagger even has the requisite skull and crossbones. The exhibit remains until July 4.

Photo by earcos via Flickr

Creating perfectly smudge-able lines just got easier with the advent of Revlon's Beyond Natural Eye Pencil ($7.99). I'm really bad at using eyeliner, but this pencil makes it so easy. And truly, it creates these great medium-thick super blend-able lines that I love.

I was talking to our Advertising Production Manager Meagan Yeilding recently and she raved about Aveeno Lip Conditioner ($3.69) (she just bought three tubes!). Here's what she said:

"I love it, because it truly conditions your lips. I use it as a base coat before putting on gloss or another color, but it does well standing alone too. It has a little bit of a sheen, so if you’re in a hurry or don’t have color with you. It serves as a conditioner and clear gloss combined. Plus, it smells good and is affordable. so it's hard to resist."

Courtesy of aveeno.com

I'm a natural blond, but I'm finding that as I get older my highlight are starting to fade into a  not-very-pretty dull brown. In an effort to preserve my salon hightlights and boost my natural color I recently picked up John Frieda's Color-Renew Tone-Restoring Shampoo & Go Blonder Lightening Conditioner ($7.99 each). After a couple of washes I was sold. My hair really does look lighter and brighter.

Courtesy of johnfrieda.com

Here's a simple tip that might save your day: Sign up for flight alerts every time you book a trip. The free text message will alert you if your flight is delayed, rescheduled or canceled, which can be a lifesaver. It may also let you know the status of a connecting flight. More than once I’ve powered up my cell phone while we were still taxiing, and immediately determined my connecting gate.

If your airline doesn’t offer the service, create a free account at FlightStats.com, and set up alerts there. It will text you with flight info for scores of airlines.

Why do this? I once got an alert on the way to the airport telling me that my flight was hopelessly delayed. I called the airline and was rebooked before I even got to the airport. On the way to the gate I passed a long line of folks who had only learned the news when they showed up at check-in. By then, alternative flights were all filled.

Bottom line: I got out of town that day because of a flight alert. My fellow passengers didn’t.

Do you use flight alerts? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.

Photo kiwanja via Flickr