There’s nothing so pleasing as stepping out your door onto the beach and into the shimmering waves. Here’s our guide to the best beachside lodging in New England.
sea glass
Massachusetts
Boston Harbor Islands | National Recreation Area
Unlike most National Parks and despite its proximity to the city, a visit to the Boston Harbor Islands can still feel like a secret escape.
How To
Make Sea Glass Bottles
Sea glass bottles — a lovely beach picnic craft — can be added to any beach themed home decor or used at an under-the-sea themed party, a bridal shower or beach themed wedding (the bottles would make beautiful favors). Materials Needed to Make Sea Glass Bottles Clear empty bottles—mine varied but I experimented with an […]
On the edge of the quiet side of Acadia National Park sits Winter Harbor — a fishing village with perhaps the best ocean-view housing deals in New England.
Last week I went to Parson’s Beach in Kennebunk, Maine, to celebrate a friend’s birthday with a beach picnic (we referred to it as a Mermaid’s Breakfast). I love any excuse for a picnic—even early morning ones—and I wanted to make this picnic extra memorable. I pulled a couple craft projects together that would add […]
Massachusetts
Spectacle Island | An Island Retreat Minutes from Boston
Boston’s Spectacle Island is the ultimate story of urban revitalization. A former smallpox quarantine and garbage dump turned into a bucolic retreat for city dwellers…with the help of truckloads of dirt excavated from the Big Dig. And it’s just a 20-minue boat ride from Boston. The human tale of Spectacle Island goes back centuries. […]
Summer in New England offers endless places to explore. Beaches, rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests are abundant and accessible, and the weather is finally enjoyable. I am less of a “crafter” in the summer because winters are long here– once spring arrives I’m ready to get outside! That being said, I don’t let my desire […]
How To
Decoupaged Hearts on Stones
New Englanders tend to be fond of collecting natural treasures from their outdoor adventures. Smooth round beach rocks, sea glass, and drift wood are examples of things we tend to pick up and bring home with us. Although these natural collections are beautiful on their own, you can actually transform many of these items into […]
For some people, November may seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas and all the baking, decorating and gift giving the holiday entails. But some holiday crafts are best prepared for in advance — like this handmade Christmas Advent calendar. I like to experiment with different styles and types of Advent calendars to […]
Rhode Island
The Beaches of South County
Whether you seek isolation or bustle, waves or calm ripples, there’s a beach—and a beach town—for everyone in South County, Rhode Island.
PROJECT: Sea-Glass Mirror Surround Beachlovers Holly Rader and Carol Smith-Sloan are longtime friends who share a passion for beach glass. Recently they’ve started transforming their collections of those ocean-tumbled fragments into art. They’ve adorned mirrors, picture frames, and mantels with colorful shards — but these days they’re concentrating on larger installations, such as the mirror […]
This seaside garden in Connecticut is an oasis for birds and butterflies. “I choose plants to feed the birds or attract the butterflies,” says Bunny O’Callahan, explaining the composition of her seaside garden in Connecticut. “Sunflowers really draw the goldfinches in. I like to float on my back in the pool and listen to them […]