:: Join Tuvalu at the 2012 Revlon Run/Walk for Women ::

This will be Tuvalu’s sixth year participating in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women! We would love for you to join us in our efforts to raise awareness and fight to cure women’s cancer this coming May. Tuvalu runs in honor of The Barbara Molinaro Friendship Team, dedicated to Stephanie’s mother who lost her courageous battle against ovarian cancer in 2002. Stephanie and the team have raised an incredible $100,000+ over the past five years, all of which has supported cutting-edge research, delivered diagnostic treatments for under-privileged women, and provided social & financial support to women facing cancer.

:: Hand-Painted Pillows From Maui ::

What’s Trending Wednesday

On top of all the new items that arrived in the store this month, we are still searching high and low for more exciting pieces. A more recent favorite are these beautiful, hand-painted pillows from Maui. The artist, Annie Fischer, was inspired by 20 years of underwater photography and a lifetime at the beach. Each pillow is one-of-a-kind, painted in an ocean palette and fastened with shells hand-picked from the beaches of Maui. Keep your eye out for them in the store very soon!

:: A Day at The Beach ::

Feature Friday

We don’t know about you but we’re ready for summer! Unfortunately the sun is not cooperating. But that doesn’t mean a day at the beach isn’t possible. A great early season treat we always enjoy is a trip down to the Montage tide pools at Treasure Island Beach. Park near the Montage Resort and walk down their paved path. You may want to check the tide charts because it’s a tougher trek to the tidepools at high tide. But once you’re there, it’s worth the work! Check out the caves and crystal clear pools – but be careful trying to take home a shell souvenir as it’s a protected beach. It’s also fun to come around sunset – the meters are free after 7pm and the Montage shines spotlights on the water for a completely different experience. A great place to take visitors from out-of-town or a special date. Hope you get to enjoy them this weekend!

:: How To Mix and Match Your Prints ::

What’s Trending Wednesday

It’s always fun to see what fashion trends make their way into home decor and vice versa. We loved the new Tory Burch campaign on mixing and matching dress prints, which is something we’ve been doing for a while now in our home designs. Matching bedroom sets and sofa tables are long gone and some of the more interesting rooms we’ve seen lately have done a great job mixing and matching colors and prints. Let’s see how Tory’s tips on mixing would work in our homes!

:: Tablescape Tuesdays ::

This week’s Tablescape Tuesday is all about going vertical. Maybe it’s all the March Madness we’ve been watching but, just like those basketball players, we’re striving to score points with some height! Add this trick to your knowledge of the power of threes and landscaping and your tables will really start to kick into gear!

This week: Don’t be Afraid to Go Vertical

Plain and simple: Add height with a tall lamp, a vase with fresh tree cuttings or candlesticks. How high should you go? Look to surrounding furniture and accessories for clues… we’ll explain below! 

:: Our New Favorite Weekend Activity ::

Wide open ocean, a little sunshine, a great workout and meeting new friends – sounds like a great weekend activity, right? We recently found out about the Dana Outrigger Canoe Club, which meets to practice Hawaiian-style ocean paddling every Saturday and Sunday at 10AM in the Dana Point Harbor. Several of us at Tuvalu have tried it out this year and we had so much fun that we had to share it with you!

If you’re looking for a new sport, this could be it. All the equipment and instruction is provided (for free!) and no experience is needed – just a desire to learn the sport and culture surrounding ocean paddling. And, well, you should know how to swim! If you fall in love with it, there are even races and a more formal team that practices beginning this summer.

Looking for a summer program for your kids? There is a special session for ages 12-15 and 16-19, called the Keikei Program during June and July. Kids even get their own jersey and paddle. Now won’t that look good hung proudly on their wall at the end of the summer?!

For more information, check out the Dana Outrigger Canoe Club page. Hope to see your smiling faces out there to paddle with us!

:: Have You Seen The New Lonny?! ::

What’s a Lonny, you say? Well, we’re so glad you asked! Over here we love pouring ourselves over new decor magazines. Named after the hometowns of its two creators (LONdon and New York), Lonny is one of the more lovable web-based shelter mags. We’re very excited to say that after a few month hiatus, Lonny is back in action! This comes on the heels of the announcement that the previously kaput Domino Magazine, a Conde Nast publication, comes back to newsstands mid April.

The content is well curated and includes house tours of public figures and nobody’s, alike. Some may say the style in general leans a little “East Coast” for our West Coast minds, but we welcome inspiration from anywhere! What do you think? Are you in love with Lonny?!

:: Easy Ways to Go Eco-Chic ::

What’s Trending Wednesday

Maybe it’s our deep roots in the environment-minded City of Laguna Beach, but we at Tuvalu have always made it a priority to provide eco-friendly pieces to our customers – even before being “green” was cool! We source local artisans and pay attention to the methods in which our vendors construct items to ensure that they are sustainable and friendly to our environment. Here are some of our most popular items that would work beautifully in your Eco-Chic home.

Couch (see store) / Recycled Glass Terrariums / Saw Horse Coffee Table / Driftwood Heart / Grape Vine Candelabra / Crystal Door Knob Wine Stopper / I Love You Much Most Beautiful Art / BoatWood Frames

:: Tablescape Tuesdays ::

Happy Tuesday everyone! Although spring is supposedly here it’s still a little gloomy here in Laguna Beach. So cuddle up to your coffee or tea and enjoy this simple tip for creating beautiful settings on your tables and sideboards. Make sure to read up on the power of threes in last Tuesday’s post if you happened to miss it. And stay tuned each week for more easy tips!

This week: Setting Up A Dramatic Landscape 

Plain and simple: Place objects in the front, middle and back for the most interesting tablescapes

:: Huntington Beach and Santa Barbara House Tours::

Feature Friday

Congratulations! You made it to Friday! As we slide on into the weekend, stop on over to our { portfolio } page where we’ve added two new house tours in Santa Barbara (which may look familiar if you read this post) and Huntington Beach.