WELCOME TO: Our Brick + Mortar Shop in Cleveland!
While this post is long overdue (we have been open since November, haha) I wanted to share some info about all things shop in this space. Instagram has been getting the most up to date info and behind the scenes – but this deserves its own post here!
Many of you who have been longtime readers or customers might know that opening a physical space has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I had some plans in motion a few years ago, and then — surprise — 2020 showed up. It was frustrating to pause everything indefinitely (as with everything else in our lives), but I prepared myself to pick it all back up when things stabilized.
As we slowly crawled out of the peak of the pandemic, I still had doubts about what the year ahead could look like, what challenges we might face, and how I could level up my commitment to the business while already wearing so many hats. With the support and encouragement of family, friends, and collaborators, I knew it was worth the chance to see this come to life and time to say YES, LET’S DO IT!
Located in the Hingetown neighborhood in Ohio City, we’re in a highly walkable, densely populated area – full of great places to eat and drink, lively patios, and the cutest neighborhood dogs! Because of that, our shop is dog friendly – so if you stop in, be sure to bring your furry friend up to the counter for a cookie (or two). We’re located next to Him & His, another new shop full of stylish decor, vintage pieces, and home accessories. Our shops are connected with an interior entrance, too, so you can shop freely between our spaces!
We are excited to offer FREE in-store pickup of your local orders – simply shop online as usual, and select the pickup option at checkout.
When you stop in, free street parking is available in the neighborhood – usually we have spots open on Detroit Ave. or nearby on W.29th or Church Ave. There are also paid parking options at the Transformer Station and in the Church + State parking garage.
If you haven’t visited yet, I hope to see you soon! We’ve been adding more new arrivals and partner brands to the shop every few weeks, so stay tuned to our social channels for the latest product launches. I can’t wait to enjoy all of the seasons in the shop in the year ahead. We wouldn’t be here without all of your support – and for that, I am so grateful!
Spooky Season Playlist: 2021
The countdown to Halloween is on! I can’t believe we’re here already. It’s time to share this year’s Spooky Season playlist – this one is moody, atmospheric and creepy, with some fun party tunes in there for good measure.
Enjoy it on repeat during your workday, or save it for Halloween night – hopefully it puts you in the spirit!
Click below to listen and follow on Spotify:
Recipe: Spooky Sidecar Cocktail
Something about fall and the cooler months makes me really into cocktails. Spring and summer, I like to keep it simple, but all of the flavor options for fall get me inspired to actually mix something up, beyond a simple pour. Plus there’s nothing more fun than sipping alongside a spooky, decked-out bar cart!
The inspiration for this cocktail came after being introduced to Empress gin for the first time – a beautiful, color changing purple gin that instantly said HALLOWEEN to me (though, to be fair, it will make some gorgeous spring-centric cocktails).
I ordered this pair of smoky gray coupe glasses from H&M home, which add the perfect spooky touch to this cocktail. This twist on a classic gin sidecar is super easy to make, and has a hint of fall flavor with the dash of cardamom bitters. The luxardo cherry garnish is also giving me subtle eyeball vibes – anyone else?
Simply shake, pour, and enjoy with your favorite scary movie! Read on for the recipe and instructions – I doubled this easily to make two, but you can scale up the proportions however you need to.
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Makes 1 cocktail | Recipe adapted from Growing Up In Cali
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounces Empress Gin
3/4 ounces Cointreau
3/4 ounces fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons simple syrup*
Dash of Cardamom bitters (optional)
Luxardo Cherry for garnish
*It’s very easy to make your own simple syrup! Heat equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, stir until heated through and sugar is melted. Cool in a heat-safe container until room temperature, before mixing into your cocktail.
DIRECTIONS:
1) Add the gin, Cointreau, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled
2) Strain into coupe glass
3) Add 1-2 dashes Cardamom bitters, and garnish with a single Luxardo cherry
Cheers!
Halloween Decor Faves
You guys all know how much Halloween sings to my heart – I love decorating for this time of year! I like to keep the color scheme pretty neutral and focus on black, white, and muted orange with interesting textures, and playful, unexpected details. That’s why I love some of these entertaining pieces, like the ghost serving bowl and the skeleton wine glass – so fun! These all feel a bit seasonless, too, so you can get continued use and enjoyment out of them.
Many of you voted in my Instagram poll about a decor post, so I had to put one together! Links to shop everything shown here are below – enjoy!
Beach House Playlist | 2021
I look forward to putting these Beach House playlists together every year; they each take on a life of their own that captures the feeling of the times – this one is no different. Full of chill vibes and some singalong moments perfect for a bonfire or the boat; with glimmers of optimism that reflect how I’m sure we’re all feeling going into this summer. It feels like the right time to sing along with John Hiatt:
“Thank God the tiki bar is open, thank God the tiki torch still shines”
Link to listen and follow on Spotify is below – enjoy!
Self Care Sunday: Beachy Bath Essentials
Spending more time at home this past year has unlocked a new obsession for me — a darn good bath. I make time to take one every week, and it’s become my favorite way to chill out and enjoy some little luxuries. I started out small – a bath bomb at first, a candle here and there, and now we've gone fully extra, with Netflix on the iPad and a glass of bubbles and a color-changing underwater light (instant vibes!) and it makes it even more enjoyable.
I think what I love so much about it is connecting with water again, which is where I feel most relaxed. If I can’t be swimming in the lake or floating in a pool, this is next best! It’s been a great winter remedy and I’m continuing to enjoy it through spring. Some of my bath essentials are linked below if you’re a bath lover too, or looking to add them to your self care routine. Let me know if you give any of these a try!
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Home Office Organization
Happy New Year! Phew, guys – we made it.
While there are many unknowns still ahead, I feel a glimmer of hope for what’s on the horizon for 2021. This will definitely be a winter unlike any other – spending even more time indoors – and one of my favorite things to do during this season is to organize and declutter our spaces.
I’ve been working from home since March, so my office has been serving the dual purpose of supporting my work at my day job, and running Shore Society in my off-hours. With new needs for the space, I did some decluttering and re-arranged the storage options on the shelves to hold my supplies, packaging materials, and smaller products/samples. We also did a big overhaul on the closet, adding shelves for inventory and some lighting, and it’s made a HUGE difference from the mess it was before!
With less stuff, some new decor, and some gifted bins and baskets from iDesign, the office is feeling fresh and ready for a new year! I’ve share some photos on Instagram already, but have had lots of requests for links and sources, so I’ve linked everything that’s available online below. Hope this provides some inspiration if you’re looking to spruce up your workspace, too!
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Spooky Stories: Exploring the Haunted Sites of Cleveland
It’s that time of year already – the season of bonfires, scary movies, and spooky stories – and my favorite stories to discover are those from our own backyard. Growing up in Cleveland, I’ve heard my fair share of local rumors and stories about our city growing up; whether being dared to sneak out to Gore Orphanage in High School, or driving past Franklin Castle and gazing into the windows, hoping for a glimpse at a ghost. Cleveland has such a rich and storied past, I needed time to fully dive in and discover these sites for myself, before working on the artwork for this map. Thanks to some internet digging and my spooky friend Chris, I was finally able to put it together and hope it inspires you to do some digging of your own! You can shop this design on a tote bag, tee, and print in either Black or Creme.
There are many more locations than what’s shown on my map design, but I narrowed it down to a handful that felt the most iconic or inspired me the most – you may discover some others as you do your own research. Also, Lake Erie certainly deserves its own map, so these are mostly city sites ;) If you’d like to learn a bit more about each location on the map, I’ve pulled together brief summaries for each. Read on…
FRANKLIN CASTLE: Built in 1881 by Hannes Tiedemann, this home was named after the street it occupies in Ohio City. The family suffered the tragic deaths of four of their children, along with Hannes’ mother and wife – although any suspicion of foul play by Hannes is said to be unfounded. The castle has since gone through many different owners, and with each one, have come new accounts of strange ghostly activity, stories of secret rooms, and attempts to contact the dead that may haunt the property. It’s now a private residence, but admiring its looming presence from the street is enough to send shivers down your spine.
RENAISSANCE HOTEL: This beautiful and historic hotel has hosted a variety of celebrities over the years – including guests like Eliot Ness, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Duke Ellington. Built in 1918 and originally named Hotel Cleveland, the Renaissance has spawned a collection of ghost stories and encounters – with reports of flushing toilets, possessed faucets, and slamming doors. These “visitors” are said to perhaps be guests of the tavern that originally stood on this land – but it’s clear they aren’t ready to check out.
FAIRPORT HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE: The first lighthouse keeper’s wife, Mary Babcock, became ill and was bedridden in the keeper’s quarters – with her cats around to keep her company. A gray cat, named Sentinel, disappeared after Mary’s death, only for his remains to be found during renovations in 2001. The remains of the mummified cat are kept on display in the lighthouse museum, and the ghost of the cat has been spotted on the property. The site has since been explored by paranormal researchers – you can climb to the top of the tower and see for yourself, if you dare!
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK: The Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Cleveland, built in 1914, is said to be haunted by a woman named Matilda. She took her own life in 1929 after the stock market crashed, and she lost everything. When she appears to people, they have said she’s dressed like a flapper – so keep your eyes peeled when you’re in the bank! Fun fact: its original vault door is the largest in the world, and incorporates the largest hinge ever to be built.
PLAYHOUSE SQUARE: Many guests of the theaters have reported spooky encounters – from seeing people who aren’t actually there show up in photos, to the feeling of being watched, to sightings of the infamous man in the green suit. It’s said that theaters are a hotbed for ghost activity, as they are attracted to the bustling human energy within them, allowing them to make their earthly visit. Have you ever spotted a theater ghost when catching a show?
GRAYS ARMORY: The Cleveland Grays were a private, volunteer military organization that assisted local law enforcement, and had duties in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I. Now a museum, this Romanesque building from 1893 features several incredible rooms – including a ballroom, a pub, a billiards room (that has hosted the likes of Teddy Roosevelt) and a full shooting range in the basement. Having toured this space myself, it’s wild to imagine what those walls could say if they could talk. Reports of hearing voices, doors locking on their own, and sightings of a woman in white by the piano have all contributed to this landmark’s haunted history.
SAILORS’ AND SOLDIERS’ MONUMENT: Did you know that this memorial in the heart of Cleveland’s Public Square sits atop an underground tunnel system? Yeah, I didn’t either! The tunnels were used as storage for the city, and at one point, a fallout shelter. Those brave enough to explore the tunnels have reported footsteps, voices, and ghostly apparitions seen in photographs. Public tours are available each October, if you aren’t too claustrophobic to run into a ghost underground!
ERIE STREET CEMETERY: As Cleveland’s oldest standing cemetery, it’s a sight to behold right in the middle of the city, across from Progressive Field. Some of Cleveland’s earliest settlers are buried here, along with Joc-O-Sot, the proud Chief of the Mesquakie, a Native American tribe from Iowa. In traveling back home to Iowa, Joc-O-Sot became ill and passed away, and was buried in Cleveland against his wishes. It’s said that he remains restless here, causing him to crack his grave marker. Other stories include seeing a woman in white, and various apparitions – which is no surprise, as it’s estimated that thousands are buried within this small plot of land.
DRURY MANSION: Built in 1912 by industrialist Francis Drury, this sprawling mansion features over 50 rooms, maze-like hallways. and a secret tunnel that runs under Euclid Avenue to the Drury Theater. In its later years, the property served as a boarding house, and then a halfway house in 1972 – and that’s when the ghost stories seem to begin. Inmates reported the feeling of being watched, hearing footsteps, doors closing, and window blinds sliding up and down on their own. An employee reported seeing a ghost of a mysterious woman with a top knot, who has been spotted in the main staircase as well as the kitchen. Eek!
SQUIRE’S CASTLE: Tucked away in the North Chagrin area of the Metroparks, F.B. Squire built this mansion as a summer home for himself and his family, where they could eventually live off the land and he could enjoy hunting at his leisure. The story that’s become legend is one where his wife ventured down into the trophy room with her red lantern, saw something terrifying, fell and broke her neck – however, records show she didn’t pass in that manor. Still, there are reports that you can spot a red light coming from the windows of the castle at night – or see something moving about within the interior. The building is an empty shell now, with only the exterior remaining, but I’d venture to guess it’s still a spooky sight to behold if you’re hanging around the woods late at night.
Sources: Cleveland 19, Ghosts of Ohio, Only In Your State, Rock the Lake, Wikipedia, New Day Cleveland
Beach House Playlist | 2020
It’s hard to put a finger on what summer will look like this year — it will definitely be different, but hopefully it will be equal parts weird and wild. While we had to cancel our summer vacations, we’re still making time for our favorite things, and thankfully boating and beaching can still be done safely. That’s mostly what I need for a fun summer anyway — how about you?
This year’s playlist has some upbeat tracks (we need ‘em right now!) as well as some chilled out, vibey tunes for floating on the lake or driving during sunset. It’s a collection of some of my favorite songs of the moment, so I hope you enjoy them too!
The lineup for the playlist is below, and you can play it right from this post or click here to view it on Spotify. Feel free to subscribe and play it all summer long!
Gift Guide: For Boaters
The holidays are HERE — I can’t believe how fast they snuck up on us! Between holiday markets and getting orders out the door, I’ve been pretty behind on my Christmas shopping. I’m relying on two-day shipping more than ever, and am very grateful for all the gift guides out there to give me inspiration for those impossible-to-buy-for people.
I put up a poll on Instagram last week about doing my own gift guide, and got a lot of great suggestions and questions (so thank you)! I had LOTS of requests about what to buy for rookie boaters — asking what a new boater might want, and what essentials they need to get started. A lot of the safety basics and tech gadgets depend on your boat’s individual needs (GPS, depth finders, speakers, etc), so we’re coming to you with our own perspective. After wrapping up our first year, these are some of the things that made our time on the lake safe, efficient, and stylish! I asked Jim to weigh in, so I have some of his practical suggestions as well as some style picks for the guys.
So let’s get shopping:
L.L. Bean Boat & Tote // Does anything scream boat-ready like this tote? Roomy, durable, pockets galore — and I love the rope handles. The durable fabric makes it a perfect fit for a sandy beach, too. We pack a lot for a day on the boat, so having a stylish, workhorse tote is a no-brainer.
Captain Bottle Opener // We keep a bottle opener on our boat at all times, and have a similar version of this Captain one. It’s so cute and the perfect guy gift!
Tom Hope Anchor Bracelet // I’m OBSESSED with Tom Hope for obvious reasons — the chicest nautical bracelets and amazing quality for gifting. Jim picked this particular one up when we were in Capri last year and it looks great alone or paired with a watch. They have tons of styles and colors, and more delicate womens versions too.
Emergency Paddle // This was a necessity we didn’t think of right away, outside of the safety basics like a first aid kit, air horn, life vests, etc. It’s good to have on hand in case of emergency, and collapses easily to be stored.
Dry Bags // These waterproof roll-top bags are essential for keeping small items dry on the boat, or for tossing wet swimsuits into. We keep a dry bag in our hull storage with our “boat kit” — sunscreen, hair ties, extra sunglasses, koozies, etc. so those things never leave the boat.
Yeti Hopper Two Cooler // If I had to pick one boat essential (that’s not safety related) a Yeti cooler would be it! Guys, we have left this cooler on our boat for an entire weekend, in 90 degree heat, in the SUN, and come back each day to ice and cold beer. It’s totally worth the hype. We have this soft-sided version, which we find easiest to carry down the dock. Its slender shape also allows it to tuck into smaller spaces on the boat (even though this is a BIG capacity cooler – fits a ton of beer, ice, sandwiches, and snacks). The hard-sided ones would probably take up too much room for us, but check those out too if that’s your preference! I’d also recommend getting a small 6-8 can cooler for quick rides when you don’t want to lug this one — we have a cheap one from Target that works just fine for a few hours.
Corkcicle Wine Tumbler // This tumbler didn’t leave my bag all summer long! It keeps your rosé or cocktails cold and the slide-top lid prevents spills when you’re out on the boat. I also like that this particular tumbler has a flat edge on the side, I find it easier to hold on to.
Anchor Baseball Cap // Between the humidity on the coast and the lake spray from the boat, I realized pretty quickly that lake hair is not my best look, haha. The sun can also get intense on the water, and as much as I’m a sun baby I like to keep my face shielded. I throw a hat in my bag every day and this is a favorite — and goes with everything and can be dressed up or down!
Bow Scrunchie // In addition to the hat, I keep a scrunchie on hand for trips when I don’t want to risk a crease in my ponytail. These Lululemon scrunchies are honestly the best I’ve found — they don’t stretch out with use, the fabric dries quickly, and the bow is extra cute.
Boat Hook // A totally practical gift, but you would not believe how necessary these are! This is the size we have, but the length you’ll need depends on the size of your boat and your slip, but you’ll want one on hand for tying up at the dock. They collapse, like the emergency paddle, and stow away easily.
Supergoop Sunscreen Set // This summer, we spent more time in the sun than we have in a long time. We made a conscious effort to be diligent about sun protection, and Supergoop is one of my favorite brands for all-around performance. Their Everyday Sunscreen with SPF 50 absorbs fast, is non-greasy, and husband approved (huge because he’s super picky about sunscreens and lotions)! I love that this kit also includes their setting spray, which is super refreshing with the rosemary and adds an extra boost of sun protection to your makeup.
Columbia UPF 50 Pullover // When you need a little extra protection, a UPF layer is essential for long days in the sun. Jim picked this one up for fishing and loves that it’s lightweight and breathable, even in the summer heat. The quarter-zip collar helps protect the back of your neck, too.
Anchor Necklace // I’m a huge, HUGE fan of Vanessa Mooney’s jewelry, and was so excited when she launched a nautical collection this summer. This necklace is delicate, yet the edgy flat chain adds a hint of glam. The perfect gift for your female boater friends and wearable for every day!
West Marine Gold Membership // We spend a loooot of time and money at West Marine. Like, a lot. Getting a Gold Membership is a no-brainer — not only do you earn points on your purchases, it also includes a one-year BoatU.S. membership, which offers 24/7 unlimited water towing, discounts, their monthly magazine, and more.
Hope this was helpful for you guys! If you’re buying for a first-time boater, getting some of the safety essentials I mentioned might make for a great starter kit gift. We bought a lot of cleaning supplies right away — vinyl cleaner, mildew spray, etc. and those would all be practical but very handy. There are certain things they’ll need based on local regulations, so be sure to check into those, too. And if all else fails, a West Marine gift card will certainly go a long way! ;) Thanks for reading, and happy shopping!