Believe: Enjoying the Sea Anywhere


I'm in the process of making a series of sea-inspired paintings and every springtime, I get spring fever and it always resolves around the ocean. 








Many people love and identify with the ocean and relaxing, meditative feel, the scents, the foods, and the colors. We're coming into spring and if you have sea-fever like I do, here's some ways to bring the sea into life, no matter where you are. 


Sounds

Background sounds of sea or beach-inspired music - 



Artists like Dick Dale, Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet, and Bob Marley. Songs like "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama, or how about David Lee Roth's "California Girls"?




Smells

Kelp, salt spray, taffy, barbecue smoke, lime, coconut, and the smell of suntan lotion are just some of the sentimental beach scents. 


Start with something as simple and mood-lifting as a roll on scent that replicates the suntan lotion of beach vacations?  LINK



How about a candle made with non-toxic contents that reminds you of the scent of the ocean?  LINK



For the best house/fabric scent around, use an essential oil in grain alcohol or vodka in a spray bottle. I use this ocean scent  LINK


Wearing


A starfish headband is a great nod to the sea without being overly ocean-kitsch.  LINK


Add the colors of the sea from seafoam green to mint, periwinkle to sky blue.  LINK


Sights

Consider a glass plate or jar filled with driftwood scraps, seashells, sea glass and perhaps that ocean wave scented candle (above) as an ongoing homage to the ocean.


Driftwood  LINK




Seaglass  LINK




Seashells  LINK




Tastes

Fresh fish, crab, shrimp, coconut, margaritas, mai tais, pineapple, citrus, saltwater taffy....

It doesn't matter the time of year or distance from the ocean, the flavors can be obtained at home by stocking up with the right ingredients.

Just some things to consider: Ginger Asian dressing, ahi tuna seared with blackening seasonings, tropical fruit salsa, a chicken salad served in a scooped out pineapple half, a slice of lime on the rim of an ice cold Corona, coconut and white chocolate truffles, sea bass, white rice, sushi....

Consider a pitcher of iced tea that is green tea with grated ginger and a squeeze of lime....


Pampering


Sea and spa, they go hand-in-hand. A home spa is a simple enough thing - candles, loofah, sea salt, good music, warm water....


Sea salt soap  LINK


I make my own sea scrub by mixing a few cups of sugar with coconut oil until it's a nice thick grainy paste and put it in a container near the tub. Scrub head to toe.... No need for lotion!



Let's not forget bubbles, they make everything beachy!


Movies

Couples Retreat:  Romantic comedy of couples going to a couples retreat in Tahiti.

Adore:  Two women who grow up on the beach in Australia and then become romantically involved with each other's son.

Teen Beach Movie:  Teens accidentally surf their way into a 1960s surfer musical. 

Gidget:  An awkward teen girl finds a way into womanhood by surfing. 

Captain Ron:  Comedy. A family hires an inept captain to help them go through the Caribbean on their newly inherited ship. 

Point Break:  An investigator goes undercover with a surfer bank robber group. 

Dead Calm:  A couple grieving over the loss of a child take to the sea alone in a yacht, but rescue a soul survivor of a questionable sea accident.

Castaway:  A man's plane goes down and only he survives for years on an island until he manages to escape back to a world that has changed without him.

Blue Lagoon:  A ship crashes and a boy and girl cousin grow up alone on an island and come of age with no knowledge of how to handle it.

Pirates of the Caribbean:  Playful adaptation of the Disneyland themed ride with a bumbling pirate and a mission to deal with undead pirates on a ghost ship. 

Maidentrip:  If you love the sea and sailing, this is a great documentary filmed by a 14-year-old girl who sailed the world in 2 years' time, being the youngest to do so. 




Comments

  1. I've just booked a seaside Easter break for the family because of reading this! And I'll probably have to make mussels in a white wine sauce for supper!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oddly enough going to the beach doesn't seem like getting away to me.

    ReplyDelete

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