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!
For those of us who don't live at the beach, it comes as a huge relief to know we don't have to go to the coast to find coastal style. Take these spots in the lower west side of Manhattan, Harbour Restaurant in Soho and the Maritime Hotel in the West Village.
From its porthole mirrors to its boat-like banquette, Harbour, at the corner of Hudson and Spring, embraces everything we love about ship-shape style: refined elegance with clean but classic lines. I'm also digging that crisp white upholstery and those chrome table bases - it's so yacht chic! And the restaurant cooks with "blue" (read: with our oceans' health in mind) principles to boot - their menu features many a dish prepared with sustainable seafood. Jump on board
here!As for overnights, why not check into the Maritime Hotel, at the corner of 9th Ave and 16th Street? The porthole windows offer surprisingly broad views of the city and, of course, we can't get enough that deep blue. Dive in
here! .
Last week, one of our favorite swimsuit labels, Marysia Swim, debuted its 2010 collection at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at The Raleigh Hotel in South Beach. We can't get enough of the retro-inspired suits. Click here for more information...and stayed tuned for a look inside Marysia's Charleston home in an upcoming issue of Coastal Living.
Read More "Marysia Swim at the Raleigh" »
This week the best surfers in the world are gathered in Huntington Beach, dubbed Surf City, USA for its ideal surf conditions, for the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing. Spectators have come from all corners of the country to fill the grandstand built on the beach. With the junior competitions and men's trials completed, the men and women's championships get started Monday. Also on tap for the week: concerts, a fashion show, and hall of Surfers Hall of Fame inductions. Click here for more information.
Working at Coastal Living certainly has it perks, the most exciting of which (for me anyway) is travel to beautiful seaside locations. I was fortunate enough to be on location in Malibu for the photo shoot that appears on our June cover. Better still, I was able to squeeze in my first ever surf lesson with a friend early one morning before boarding my return flight home.
At dinner the night before the lesson, my friend instructed me to practice "popping up"* from the floor of my hotel room to determine whether I am a "goofy" or "regular" surfer. Before she had a chance to explain the difference to me, I assured her I'd fall into the former category.
As it turns out, I was right - but not for the reasons I'd originally thought, at least not entirely anyway. What the goofy/regular determination actually refers to is whether a surfer leads with his left foot (regular) or right foot (goofy) when he pops up from his belly to his feet on the board. The natural predilection for one leading foot or another should reveal itself in just a few practice pop ups on dry land. Check out my goofy first attempt at surfing below!
images courtesy of Lisa Romerein
*If you've seen the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you'll appreciate just how awkward this dry land "practice" is - far more awkward than the real thing, which is surprisingly natural, once you get the hang of it. Check out a clip from the movie here.
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.
Box office tickets go on sale today for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. The festival runs from May 22 - June 7 and events include opera, theater, dance, live music performances, and visual art exhibitions. The 32-year old arts festival fills Charleston's theaters and public spaces with performances by renowned artists - but it's particularly known for creating a forum for emerging artists. It's also well-timed to offer visitors a chance to enjoy the charms of Charleston just before the summer heat sets in. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, check out http://www.spoletousa.org/2009.php.
Three guesses where this beach is: the Bahamas? Jamaica? the Mayan Riviera?
Those are good guesses, but they're wrong. The beach belongs to Cuba - as do many of the Caribbean's most beautiful beaches. From the looks of Obama's decision to ease travel restrictions to the island, we just may get to see some of those beaches in our lifetime.
No, the Administration's decision does not make it possible for any American to visit the land of Castro - just Cuban-Americans who have relatives that live there (in addition to those already permitted to enter Cuba, such as students and journalists). But while Obama's plan will not make it easier to purchase cigars anytime soon since it does not lift the trade embargo, the decision certainly represents a sea change in America's Cuba policy.
(Check out NPR's coverage of Obama's plan here.)
In the meantime, how about a Cuba Libre? Nothing like the first few days of warm weather to trigger a hankering for the sweet, refreshing cocktail...
