New curtains, decorations and porch furniture

Because of the aforementioned snow, we didn't have a ton of things to do in CB over Valentine's Day weekend. SO ... we decided to make some improvements to the joint.

The biggest improvement was that we took down the nasty old, twisty, plastic blinds and replaced them with 4 panels of curtains.

You can see the "old" here (to the right) ...


... and here is the new (all four closed) ...


... and here (showing how "customizable" they can be).


We also added some shelves in the kitchen. And you can't have shelves without putting something on them.


We think we've done a pretty good job of making storage space in a space not meant for such.




New pictures/art were added to the walls in the living room and in the bedroom.














We also replaced the crumbling porch furniture with a set of nice, new 4 tables and chairs. Unfortunately, I neglected to shoot a photo of it.

And, finally, here's a shot of the glass tile work in the kitchen, of which we are very proud.


Remember, if you are interested in renting Our Beach Place for just a weekend, week or longer, just email us at collards12@yahoo.com

Snow ... at the beach?

The family had a nice, cozy time at OBP this past Valentine's Day weekend. The snow came down in droves on Friday night, meaning we were pretty much house/condo-bound on Saturday. No worries. We watched movies, ate frozen pizza and pretty much stayed in our PJs all day. All in all, a great day.

Here are some photos of things you don't see often: snow at the beach. Enjoy.

Farmers Market set to open April 24

Want some fresh veggies and fruits while you're enjoying your CB stay this spring and summer? The Carolina Beach farmers market is set to run every Saturday from April 24 through October 9. Vendors will begin setting up at 7 a.m., with the market open from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., according to the Star-News.

The market will operate in the rain, it will close for possibly harmful weather such as storms with lightning. While most vendors will be set up in the park area around the lake, some requiring refrigerated trucks will be able to set up in the nearby school parking lot.

CB may add lifeguards, parking meters

From the Star-News:

The town is considering adding parking meters along Lake Park Boulevard. Officials from Lanier Parking, the company that manages the town’s paid parking, also reviewed parking revenue for the past year and presented several new ideas, some of which are already implemented in other towns.

Click through to see the various options.

In addition, Carolina Beach officials "discussed expanding the beach area covered by lifeguards. Asked what he would recommend with unlimited resources, Ocean Rescue Director Simon Sanders suggested adding five lifeguard stands and creating a third shift, keeping lifeguards on the beach until 9 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.

The lifeguards, in addition to performing water rescues, also help enforce flag warnings that keep people out of the water when rip currents are especially strong, Fire Chief William Younginer said.

Happy New Year!

Unless your name is Taylor Swift, I can probably safely guess that 2009 was not the greatest year ever. Here's to hoping 2010 is much better.

At this point, we have quite a bit of availability for our condo at Carolina Beach. We have recently listed it on a vacation rental website, so we do hope it will be rented through much of the spring and summer, as it was last year simply by word of mouth. But Charity and I wanted to give you all a reminder in case you are interested in staying.

Here's the juice on the place (in case you've never read any of these posts before):

It's a 1 BR/1.5 bath unit right across from the beach that sleeps 4 (1 queen bed and a pullout sofa). Enjoy the ocean breeze from the patio, or walk just feet to any one of the three beach accesses close by (one literally right across the street). We did some updating to it last year but have since added a new hot water heater. The unit also has a brand new range, microwave and the rest of the appliances are updated as well. There is a pool on sight as well as cable TV in the unit.

Let me know if you are interested in staying there anytime this year. We will also rent it for weekends as well.

collards12@yahoo.com

Don't miss the Island of Lights New Year's Celebration

Carolina Beach and Kure Beach are proud to offer the Island of Lights celebration each holiday season. The event(s) features a host of activities: a flotilla, a Christmas parade, a homes tour and much more.

New Year's Eve will be celebrated Pleasure Island-style with the "dropping of the lighted beach ball." (And we in Raleigh thought our Acorn was nifty.) The beach ball drops at midnight followed by "spectacular" fireworks.

This free family-friendly event will feature a DJ and dancing with refreshments available for purchase.

In an Island of Lights tradition, there will be a raffle, with the winner taking home the original artwork for the Christmas card and ornament.

Bring the family to the Boardwalk at 9 pm to join the festivities.

Sorry -- Our Beach Place is already reserved for this wonderful event. Maybe next year ... Of course, you could try to catch the fashion show in the spring. If interested in renting our unit, email us at collards12@yahoo.com or call us at 919-325-2941.

(Photo of the flotilla from islandoflights.org)

Extended hours for the Boardwalk?

"The Ferris wheel and other rides have been gone for months, but a new form of family entertainment is taking shape on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk long before summer's return," says the Star-News.

"An empty lot on the south end of the beachfront business district now holds a 26-foot lighted tree, and more lights are going up all around. About a dozen local businesses are pitching in to decorate the coves leading to the ocean, some with clever themes to combine the holidays and their products.

"It's all part of Christmas by the Sea, the first-ever Christmas celebration on the Boardwalk, an area that in previous years has been all but barren during the off-season.

"The Boardwalk Makeover group, a nonprofit organization started in late 2007 to revitalize the once-booming locale, is hoping to build on the success of the rides last summer that brought to the area a number of visitors unprecedented in recent decades."

Hey, in this economy, if you can capitalize on any momentum, by all means, go for it.

“I wonder if we can fit anymore people on the island than we did this year,” said Dan Wilcox, Carolina Beach town councilman and founder of the Boardwalk Makeover group. “Our goal is to maintain momentum during the peak season and then move on to find ways to enhance our shoulder season.”