Happy Cinco de Mayo!

My lil' Chihuahuas, whose ancestors hail from the great land of Mexico, wish you a joyous Cinco di Mayo celebration!

Don't Toby and Bella look thrilled in their sombreros? :)

Aren't these the cutest sombreros you've ever seen?  I purchased them in Cozumel, Mexico on my honeymoon.

 Join me at Lucy's Pet Party over at Debbiedoos Blog.  You'll see some of the cutest pets from around the world!

We're #1...so let's indulge with an afternoon trip to Sausalito!

San Francisco is the "world's greatest vacation place" according to US News & World Report....and we live here!  So what are you waiting for?  It's time to pack your bags and visit the place where anything goes.

A spot you'll want to be sure to visit for lunch and an afternoon stroll is Sausalito.  My husband has a two-day break from work and I'm in between jobs, so we decided to spend the afternoon exploring an area of the Bay we've never visited.  Sausalito is a small, seaside community just north of the city across the Golden Gate.  It's waterfront dining, trendy boutiques, and picturesque views make for the perfect afternoon getaway.

Driving down Divisadero Street as we make our way to Sausalito.
What a great view of the Marina District and Bay.

An alternative to driving to Sausalito is to take the ferry across the Bay.
The bridge in the background of the photo is the bridge that links SF to Oakalnd. 

View of SF from Sausalito.

Sausilto is very pedestrian friendly.  You can stroll along the streets for window shopping
or enjoy the view of the Bay by taking the waterfront walkway.

I must say that Sausalito reminds me a bit of Charleston....quaint town on the water.

We stopped for a sweet treat at Lappert's Ice Cream.  The place was buzzing with tourists and all for a good reason
...my mint chocolate chip ice cream was delicious!

I'm a happy girl with my ice cream cone!

I love how so many homes dot the hillside.  Everyone wants a stellar view.

I'm a Christmas fanatic and LOVE year-round holiday stores.  I was in heaven when we came across this lil' gem called The Holiday Shoppe.  They had a funky, colorful tropical theme in one of the windows.  The glare on the window caused my pictures to not turn out so well, but this one isn't too bad.  Aren't these mermaids hilarious?!

The perfect ornament for me....it screams "The Coconut Life"! 

To finish off our lovely afternoon, we drove through a small town across from Sausalito called Tiburon.
Breathtaking views of the Bay!



Today I'm joining a linky party at A Beach Cottage.  Come check out all of the wonderful entries and meet new bloggers!

Beautiful Marin

Living in Northern California is a dream...there's so much to see and do for whatever fits your mood.  This morning I took my brother to Muir Woods in Marin, which is just a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.  After a beautiful hike through the Redwoods, we stopped by Muir Beach Overlook for gorgeous views of the Pacific.  When planning your trip to San Francisco, be sure to spend an afternoon in Marin!

Tropical Thursday and a Bonus...A Liebster Award!

Today's photo for Tropical Thursday was taken at Ft. Funston Beach just south of San Francisco.  I walk my pups here on the weekends.  This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago.  Isn't just gorgeous?

One of my favorite bloggers, Mallory at Mal-licious, passed along the torch to a newbie blogger like me...it's called the Liebster Award.  What is a Liebster Award you ask?  Well, it’s an award you receive, but it is also an award that you give. If you receive a Liebster Blog Award you are asked to choose 2 - 3 other bloggers and send them one as well. 

These are the *rules*: this award is meant to highlight small blogs.  So, the blogger receiving the award links back to the blogger who awarded him/her, and tags 2-3 people.  For those I am about to award, I should also point out there is no onligation to continue this award if it's not your thing...don't worry.

And here are the winners:

1. Janet of Sunshine Days & Moonbeam Nights is becoming increasingly more popular.  I'm a bit biased because she's my mom, but I really like how diverse her blog posts are!  Be sure to check it out.

2. Cheryl of Cheryl's Shells has a love of the Florida beach as much as me.  Check out her blog to see her creative projects made from shells.  I love her photo frames!

Beachy Tees

Check out these adorable tees just in time for summer trips to the beach!

Seahorse tank from Aerie for $19.50

 

Parrot Tank from Garage for $12.90



Sea turtle "poet" tee from Aerie for $17.50

Seashell "poet" tee from Aerie for $17.50

"Life is a Bikini" Cover-up from Victoria's Secret for $65

"Life's a Beach" Smufette Tee from Tees for All for $26

Pineapple tank from Roxy for $26.50

Bloom Blouse from White House Black Market for $94

Santa Monica Tee from Kitson for $38.00

Aurora Tank from Anthropologie for $68.00

Des Artistes Lobster Tee from Anthropologie for $78.00

Join me at DebbieDoos Newbie Party and meet some fellow bloggers!

Happy Easter from The Coconut Life!

The Easter Bunny and Yellow Duck (aka Bella and Toby) wish you and yours a wonderfully, blessed Easter!

I'm joining in the Pink Saturday party today.  Come join in the fun!

A Place to Rest My Head & Dream of Sun, Sand & Surf

My dream or should I say goal of home ownership is to have a craftsman style bungalow near the beach one day.  We're not quite sure where we'll plant our roots eventually, so for now I have the luxury of browsing through various magazines and websites dreaming of how I'll decorate my future, permanent, non-rented home.  In today's post, I feature some of my favorite interior design jobs for bedrooms I've come across....which one do you like?  The first six pictures are of our bedroom in the apartment we rent in SF.  We have a long way to go to look like some of my favorite rooms, but I think it's a good start on such a small budget. :)

I love the soothing colors of light blue and white. I added a pop of pink to
the room by placing flowers to the right of the bed and on my dresser.

 

Another angle of the room.  The frame on the far right of the photo is a beautiful cross-stich picture made by my Grandmother.  It was our wedding gift from her...such a special reminder of our wedding day.

 

I love pictures and can never seem to take enough.
I wanted a great way to display some of my favorite shots...my dresser made the perfect spot!



One of the bedside tables.  The lamp and sea turtle candle holder are from Target,
the picture frame a gift from my mom and the fake flowers/vase from a craft strore.



I LOVE this picture frame.  It was a gift from my mom when I got married
in Key West 3.5 years ago and matches my bedroom decor perfectly!



We love to be reminded of all of the wonderful, tropical places we've visited.  What better way to display our past adventures than in our coastal-themed bedroom?  I puchased the frames from Aaron's Brothers Art & Framing
and sent the photos to Walgreens to be printed in poster size.
Can you take a guess where the photos were taken?
(Top Row, L to R: Cozumel, Maui/Hawaii, Aruba;
Bottom Row, L to R: Bahamas, Australia, Costa Rica)



Photo by Richard Leo Johnson as seen in Coastal Living

Photo by Dominique Vorillon as seen in Coastal Living

Photo by Jean Allsopp as seen in Coastal Living

Photo by Brian Vanden Brink as seen in Coastal Living

Photo by Grey Crawford as seen in Coastal Living

Photo by David Tsay as seen in Coastal Living

Today I'm linking up to Debbie Doo's Newbie Blog Party.  Join in on the fun!