Having a Beach Party is a truly exciting event. Beach Party is different from other parties because it is an outdoor event and has its own planning checklist that needs to be worked upon. There are a lot of different things that are a part of planning including sitting arrangement at the beach, games including beach volleyball, menu that needs to be prepared, grill for barbecue, etc. The first and the foremost thing is that the planning should be pursued in a very organized way. It is best that the different responsibilities are distributed among different individuals and a constant check is maintained to see whether the deadlines are met.

Planning a menu for the Beach Party can be a really big challenge, as this makes the most important part of the event. In order to plan the menu for the Beach Party, you must make sure that most of the food is prepared at home so that you can have maximum fun at the beach. An important tip here is that the food should be transported to the beach at an optimum temperature so that it does not get rot. You should first jot down the list of menus and select the ones that you need to prepare for the party.

Here is a list of menu that you can choose from for your Beach Party, which includes Szechuan Cold Garlic Shrimp. For this specific dish you need to make it such that there is adequate time for it to chill. The next recipe that you can consider is Red’s Eats Lobster Rolls. Another hot one includes Grilled Gourmet Sausages. You can buy the sausages from the store and grill them on the beach and serve them with grilled onions, pickled peppers, mustard, ketchup. Note, the sausages must be cooked on the beach. Another very interesting recipe that you can make for your Beach Party includes the Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Cilantro. Along with this cool menu, you can serve guests with beverages such as ice tea, lemonade or beer. Have A Cool Party.

Virginia Beach real estate is a hot commodity. First time home buyers and families alike have gravitated toward Virginia Beach real estate due to its close proximity of sandy beaches a plethora of activities and entertainment for both adults and children. Here are five of the best districts in Virginia Beach real estate if you’re thinking of relocating you or your family, or if you’re just thinking of investing in Tidewater real estate.

Kings Grant

Located in the northern central part of the city, Kings Grant offers education for all children, including Kings Grant Elementary for children and First Colonial high school. Living in the Kings Grant area also offers close proximity to the Lynnhaven shopping district complete with an upscale shopping mall and additional shopping centers for added convenience.

Bayside

Closer to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach border, Bayside also offers a strong school system and close proximity to the Naval Amphibious Base. Bayside is also in close proximity to Independence Boulevard, which offers a plethora of shopping centers and entertainment hot spots.

Princess Anne/Kempsville

The Princess Anne and Kempsville areas of Virginia Beach real estate offer close proximity to the Virginia Beach Towne Center in the Pembroke area. Town Center includes dining, shopping, and entertainment attractions. Princess Anne is also relatively close to the municipal district of Virginia Beach where the city’s courthouses, jails, and other government buildings are located.

Pungo

Home of the annual Strawberry Festival, Pungo is the most rural of the neighborhoods. Inhabited by approximately 100 residents, Pungo is the best community for families hoping to get away from urban city life, but who would still like to be within driving distance of the shopping districts. Pungo is located approximately ten miles from the heart of Virginia Beach.

Green Run

Boasting the largest Neighborhood Watch programs in Virginia Beach, Green Run has over 15,000 residents and 36 neighborhoods within the district. With recreation centers within close proximity, Green Run also offers several primary, middle and high schools for students.

Anyone fortunate enough to own beach front property should consider building themselves a beach house for the enjoyment of their family and friends. Beach house floor plans should follow the slope of the lot towards the beach and provide a panoramic view of the ocean. A clever design will exploit lot orientation, topography, gravity, direct light and spectacular views.

One type of floor plan arrangement for a beach house is based on a tri-level design. The lowest level encompasses the garage and utilities, the top level is designated as the integrated guest house with the remaining main level denoting the master and secondary bedrooms. Living and dining areas are also featured on the main level of this beach house floor plan.

The layering of living levels and slope of the land allows for a stair system from which one can enter externally, with the guest unit being independent, or via the traditional internal type staggered system. The external stair system gives the opportunity to add either a secluded terrace or patio on any level. A private footbridge with adjoining patio into the master suite would also be a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the main living area.

In keeping with the maritime feel of the beach house floor plan, interior walls of the main living area should be kept to a minimum and the oceanside end should be lifted high into the air and surrounded by glass to extend the view as much as possible. Many panoramic views are the key to maximizing the advantage of natural light.

Evenings and nights can be cool or even cold on the beach depending on the season. If your budget allows, a fireplace in an outdoor living area can be the perfect solution. Fire against the backdrop of the ocean is a classical allusion and can add to the beauty of your beach house floor plan.

The trend for beach wedding dresses or any wedding dress for that matter, has been leaning towards simplicity for the last several years. Gone are the wedding dresses that incorporated heavy materials, yards of lace and large fabric flowers. The bride’s arms came uncovered, bare shoulders became stylish and beach wedding dresses became uncomplicated and unencumbered.

If you look up the synonyms for simplicity, you’ll come up with words like ease, effortlessness, minimalism and cleanness. But then again, you’ll also encounter words like plainness or even blandness. If you look at the two groups of words, you probably have an idea of the challenge you’ll have to face if you choose to wear a simple beach wedding dress on your big day.

So what is simple? Choose words like ‘minimalist’ or ‘ease’ and combine that with ‘clean lines’ and you’ll have an idea of how a simple beach wedding dress should look like. If you need a good example of a simple but stunning wedding dress, go back several years and imagine what the late Carolyn Bessette wore for her wedding to John Kennedy, Jr. That was a simple gown with no frills - just clean, beautiful lines, a long sheath dress cut on a bias and made to hug the bride’s enviable figure perfectly.

Whether short or long, a simple beach wedding dress will work perfectly if it fits you to a T. Consider your silhouette and go for clean lines that follow your natural curves. Choose materials that work great with beach weddings such as linen, chiffon, tulle and organza. They are light, are available in different colors and will work well with your desired cut.

A simple beach wedding dress can either be a formal or casual number. A full-length gown is perfect for a formal beach wedding while a knee length wedding dress will work well for a more casual affair.

You can also go for a sarong-style dress. A simple length of fabric can be wrapped around and worn as a beach wedding dress - no frills, no need for sewing and it doubles as appropriate beach wear.

For those who are planning a beach wedding, piecing together what the men shall wear can be a real hassle and nightmare. Not only are the men expected to look good and pulled together, they are generally not allowed to upstage either the bride, or the bridesmaids. This means the men need to be pulled together in a pulled together manner, which looks good, is comfortable and matches a perfect style that you are trying to create. This can sometimes seem impossible, but piecing together the right pieces can have you creating the perfect beach wedding suit in no time at all.

Most men find that cotton beach pants, as well as linen fabric is one of the best choices to choose from. Not only is the fabric very lightweight but it is incredibly comfortable in the warmer weather and allows them to focus on the day ahead, rather than being itchy, uncomfortable or hot. Many couples choose to work with men’s drawstring pants and often a cotton dress shirt to create a great casual look. One of the great aspects of creating a casual beach wedding suit is the clothing is something that can be worn again on occasions, rather than only being reserved for the ultimate in formal wear occasions. This makes it a much more practical purchase as well.

If you are not interested in selecting a cotton dress shirt, you may be interested instead in selecting a nice men’s silk dress shirt and piecing it together with some nice linen pants, or even a pair of suit pants. This is again a casual outfit that wears well on the beach without causing the groom or the best men to be uncomfortable. In terms of comfortable clothing to choose for a beach wedding suit your best fabrics to choose from include linen, silk and cotton.

If you are unsure about the idea of choosing a more casual beach wedding suit, you should take comfort in the fact that most couples who organize a beach wedding use similar styles for the wedding suit. From suit pants, to cotton beach pants and even men’s drawstring pants there are numerous comfortable styles that are readily available to choose from. For men who are looking for the perfect pieces to coordinate with the pants, it is comforting to know and realize that almost never is a jacket worn, however choosing shirts such as cotton dress shirts and even men’s silk dress shirts to combine and blend perfectly with the various styles of men’s pants create the perfect image.

Regardless of whether you are organizing a wedding for during the day or at night, finding the perfect pieces to blend together beautifully and create just the perfect appearance is always important. Ensuring that your special day is perfect in each and every way is not something that is simple, it takes a lot of time to coordinate all of the pieces to ensure that you are completely satisfied with your beach wedding suit, but you are sure to love the finished result.

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The 1960s TV sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” made the area famous, as Cocoa Beach was the home of Jeannie (Barbara Eden) and her astronaut “master” (Larry Hagman).” Drive twenty minutes in any direction from downtown Cocoa Beach and you can sprawl in the sun on gorgeous beaches, parasail 800 feet over the water, fish in coastal rivers, or glide through silent wetlands in an airboat. Cocoa Beach is the best kept secret of coastal Florida.

The world famous Cocoa Beach Pier, built in 1962, is a historical landmark that stretches out 800 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s not just a fishing pier, but an adventure spot. The pier sports four restaurants, at least two of them offering fine seafood. It’s home to five bars that jump on weekends with bands pounding out intoxicating rhythms. The pier also has a dress shop, a bait-and-tackle shop, as well as the requisite gift and souvenir shops.

I would recommend staying at any hotel or motel facing the pier and ocean. One of my favorite activities during my stay in Cocoa Beach was a leisurely walk on the beach or to the pier. I felt safe walking around well into the evening hours. The Holiday Inn Express, Best Western and Days Inn are practically across the street from the pier. For those who want to be closer to the action in downtown Cocoa Beach there is the Four Points Sheraton Hotel. Its pool is small, but it’s on the beach with the Ron Jon Surf Shop right next door, not to mention a Starbucks in the lobby. For those who want the downtown scene on a budget, try the Wakulla Suites, a good family value. Jetty Park offers RV travelers and campers a great spot to enjoy the beach.

Cocoa Beach is obsessed with surfing and has been called “the surfing capital of the east coast.” Our family was there last October. We were surprised how many surfers we saw riding the waves at that time of year. We stayed ten days and were able to swim in an unheated pool four of those days. Granted we’re Yankees and were coming from a much colder climate, but there were other people swimming in the hotel’s pool. So, we weren’t the only ones who found the water temperature to be just fine. My husband and children were able to swim in the ocean, something I chose to pass up. They swore the water wasn’t cold, but I dunno. Autumn in Cocoa Beach also means there’s going to be a mean volleyball game on the beach.

In the spring, the place is crawling with surfers, as the Cocoa Beach Pier sponsors the annual Easter Surfing Festival. The pier also sponsors a warm weather concert series that recently offered the Beach Boys as headliners. The summer brings with it bikini contests, some super skimpy, but from what I can glean, no thongs. In January there’s the battle of the professional surfers, going for $85,000 in contest money. Spectators can bring a picnic lunch, spread out on the beach, and watch this death defying competition.

For those who want to combine sea, surf, and nature, why not try the Cocoa Beach Kayaking Guided Nature Tours? You can paddle through the Indian River Lagoon, a mangrove estuary that is home to bottlenose dolphins and the endangered Florida manatee, as well as all manner of exotic bird life. A little known gem is the Cocoa Beach Manatee Sanctuary Park, off North Atlantic Avenue. Get up close and personal with Florida’s gentle giant, in this beautiful, clean park. Bring your lunch. Picnic tables are provided in a sheltered area. Great family fun and you can’t beat the price. Admission is free.

There are more restaurants in Cocoa Beach than you can shake a stick at. We loved the Atlantic Ocean Grill on the pier for Sunday brunch, where it’s all about the view. The atmosphere is both beachy and romantic and the complementary champagne flows. There was something delectable for everyone in our family of four as we sat over the ocean’s waves enjoying a very good buffet. Be warned, there’s a dress code. Men must wear shirts and there’s no bare feet allowed. If you want to zone out on Chinese, go to Yen Yen, in downtown Cocoa Beach, for awesome food, and an extensive menu. You won’t expect Chinese cuisine of this quality in a beach resort area. We ate at the Pig and Whistle for lunch, though I wouldn’t recommend it for dinner if you’re eating with kids. It looks like the bar out of “Cheers” and gets noisy after dark.

The fish’n chips were awesome and the staff was extremely friendly. Our ten year old said the chicken fingers were great! Our family of four ran into Wahoo Coffee Company during a short rainstorm. The coffee was wonderful and so were the baked goods. They have an array of not-so-current issues of magazines to read while drinking your brew. The ladies behind the counter heard my husband and I daydreaming aloud about relocating to the area and they insisted I take a few back issues of “Coastal Living” with me. Really, terrifically nice staff! For a beach-bummy night out take a short drive north to Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar in Cape Canaveral. My childhood friend who lives in the area claims it’s been a local haunt for years and has the rep for being the coolest nitespot. Our family went for a late dinner and saw lots of other families there with kids. The food was excellent. I had coconut shrimp that was out of this world. After dinner, our family hung out on the restaurant’s pier and listened to a vocalist bang out classic rock tunes on his keyboard while the crowd at the tiki bar sang along with him.

If you absolutely have to, Orlando is only an hour away. With two children, we decided to spend a day at Sea World and another at Disney. I was disappointed in the Sea World. It costs an arm and a leg to get in and then all the shows were an additional price. However, the Sea World water park, Aquatica, was ab fab (absolutely fabulous). Disney is great. Well you knew that! We did The Magic Kingdom. A word to the wise, if you don’t want to eat fast food all day, you must make a reservation for dinner in a park restaurant a day or more in advance. Just call Disney customer relations and they’ll help you. Trust me this is a must!

Beach weddings are as romantic as they come. Where else can you enjoy the sensations you experience at the beach? Celebrating your love at the beach sure is perfect for any couple. Now, you can give your guests little mementos of such romance by incorporating some natural materials which the beach offers.

The abundant seashells are appropriate beach wedding favors. They provide accents as center pieces on reception tables. They can also be added to votive candle holders and floating candles. Abalones and clams make great name or place card holders; they can be part of a group with other smaller shells.

You can also give out special glycerin soap bars to your guest. These can be made with seashells and to keep in line with the theme, these can then be placed in soap dishes made out of clam or abalone. To finish off the design they can then be packaged in colorful cellophanes and tied in drawstrings.

Another great decoration or wedding favor idea is to use seashells in making your own candles. The shells to be used can be clam, mussel, oyster or abalone. Most craft supply shops carry candle making kits, you can also find these kits online if you want.

Seashell candles are really attractive to look at, and they can be placed on your reception tables to provide an additional effect of a beach wedding. The candles can be set in sand contained in wide rimmed vases or even decorative plates. The shells can also be placed inside a gift box adorned with several ornamental shells secured with a glue gun. For an easier approach, chocolates, soaps and pewter charms can be ordered in bulk and they can be placed inside abalone shells and tied with drawstrings.

If for some chance you don’t like seashells, then you can actually inflate a few beach balls, set up a few Adirondack chairs, flip flops and beach towels. You can use them in any creative way you wish. You can carefully place sand on the center of each table and on the sand, put miniature Adirondack chair shaped photo frames. You can then use these as placeholders by writing the names of the guests on the card inserts of the photo frames corresponding to the seats. To add a little more fun to the mix, you can alternate Adirondack designs with beach towel, flip-flop and beach ball frame designs.

If you’re holding outdoor receptions, you can place beach towels on the backs of their chairs to add a whimsical effect to the environment. It is an inexpensive touch but is functional as placeholders and even for those guests who want let go of what ever formality they have left and test the surf.

One really romantic and theme appropriate beach wedding favor would be messages in bottles. These miniature bottles can be purchased at craft stores or at party stores. The necks of the bottles shouldn’t be too narrow since it would make it difficult for the guests to take out their messages. The messages can be different for each guest and they can also serve as ice breakers while the drinks are yet to be served.

Planning a beach weddings doesn’t have to cost you the earth nowadays - You can go to your dream beach location for less than $10,000. Here I share some of my best tips for keeping the costs down when planning a beach wedding that won’t make your day any less romantic.

1. A ceremony can be as simple as you, your man, an arch and just a few guests on the day. Or it can be just the 2 of you. Beach weddings are great in that they can be as ‘relaxed’ and informal as you both want them to be.

2. You’ve got the opportunity to go barefoot when planning a beach wedding. Just make sure you bring towels with you to wipe your feet, though! This is the route my best friend Alex went with — She had these little feet jewelery that were simply painted on, on the day. They really were beautiful. Another option worth trying is to use simple ankle bracelets.

3. The beach wedding favors you choose can just be simple, or you can save cash and forget them altogether on the day — They’re really not essential, girls.

4. Start to get creative! Get your girl friends ’round to the house and make your own beach wedding invitations, name cards, table plans, cake, music etc. Here’s a tip: why not make a list of your fav. wedding songs and put them on a blank CD? This is a nice personal touch.

5. Planning a beach wedding with flowers? To be honest, this can be really expensive, depending on what time of year when you plan to get hitched in. The good thing is, you don’t really need many flowers at the beach though. So my advice is to have something simple like a small bouquet for just you and your bridesmaids.

As the hazy days of Summer start to give way to Autumn, and we all get back to Work and School, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to remember your holidays, and long, lovely days lazing on the beach … right through Autumn and into Winter…

Let’s face it, we all need something to keep us smiling and thinking of sunshine, on those dark winter days, and darker nights…

Bringing a little seaside style and beach decorating into your home and interior design, could be the perfect solution…

A beach decorating style is the perfect calming and relaxing style - it is simple, clutter free, but with enough personality and sunshine to keep you warm, smiling and comfortable all the way through Autumn and Winter.

In your interior design try to recapture the grandeur of waves crashing on the shore, the sandy beaches, call of gulls, and maybe even the beach huts, deck chairs, parasols and beach toys…

Get your inspiration for colors from the seascape itself…

Neutrals are the basis for this style … not bright white though … instead think of creams, muted beiges, taupes, slate greys and sandy golds.

Add a little blue, of any shade ranging through navy, teal, turquoise and sparkling aqua, to give that subtle hint of sea and sky…

This can be done by painting the walls, or by adding any form of accessory: curtains, throws, rugs, cushions and ornaments.

When choosing furniture, furnishings and accessories for your seaside style room, think natural. Go for something simple, rustic and possibly a bit weathered and distressed. Think of the lovely weathered wood, flotsam and jetsam washed up on the shoreline…

To make your room comfortable for Autumn and Winter, be sure to include warm, soft curtains, plump cushions and preferably a wonderful cosy throw.

As the weather gets colder, you may want to include small touches of deep, rich rusts, oranges and reds (be inspired by watching the sunset over your favorite beach!) as this will keep your room feeling warm and cosy, over the Winter months (remember how bleak beaches can get in the midwinter..?)

Nautical inspirations are the best choice for your accessories too - without going overboard (if you’ll pardon the pun!)…

A small and subtle addition of anything nautical: lighthouses, boats, fish, sea birds, pebbles etc will give your beach decorating room the authentic touch…

But do be careful you don’t go too far … unless you are decorating a child’s room, theming and gimmicky accessories will really let your own interior design statement down.

If, like me, you wish you lived closer to the sea, I hope you will find a small sanctuary of seaside life in your own front room this Autumn, and try out some of these beach decorating tips.

Painting a beach scene is not hard, but where do you begin? Follow these step by step directions and you will have a fantastic painting of your favorite beach in no time!

Sketch in drawing, Do not worry, the sketch does not have to be involved. You should determine where you want the water to meet the sky and sketch in this horizon line. Next, determine if there will be any boats, islands or land visible in the painting and sketch those in as well.

Paint in sky and clouds. With white, paint in the entire sky to the horizon. Now with blue, start at the top of the canvas and blend down. This will create a sky that is darker at the top and lighter or fade into white where it reaches the sea. This is a beautiful effect. You will paint right over the reference line you drew in. This is ok because the line was there just for reference. Let the paint dry before painting clouds if you are using acrylic paint. If you are using oil or watercolor go ahead and start the clouds on the wet canvas.

Now with white and maybe a touch of blue and or crimson add first layer of clouds using circular motions. Keep the tops of clouds distinct, but blend the bottoms of them. With circular motions paint in second layer of clouds using white. Keep tops distinct and blend bottoms. Don’t cover up all of your background clouds. Leave interesting pockets.

Paint in the Sand or Beach Using yellow ochre and or raw sienna and paint in the sand. Do not blend too much. The changes in color variations keep it interesting. You can use a stiff paint brush or toothbrush to flick color onto the sand for effects of small rocks and pebbles. Make the sand color go deeply into where the water will be. You will paint the water color right over the top of it - or at least some of it, but you need it done this way so it looks realistically like a seashore.

Paint in the Water Starting at the horizon line, add blue to create water. Use very even and horizontal strokes at the horizon. As you come forward, the strokes could be a little uneven for a motion effect. Use blues and greens and maybe even some burnt sienna where you want the water to appear darker. The water gets darker as you come forward. Leave some streaks of white to look like ripples and waves. Add some dark shadows under and to one side of things like boats if there are any in your painting. This will create an effect of cast shadows. If you haven’t already - “pull” the water into the sand using white. Make sure that you keep the strokes horizontal.

Land and Cottages.

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