Decorating Your Crystal Coast Home— Bring the Beach Indoors!

Living on the Crystal Coast, NC offers a great opportunity to bring that beloved beach style into your home. Jazz up your spaces by incorporating sandy elements, shells, summer beach photos and more to feel the sweet summer all year long— no matter the weather! Below are some great ideas for bring the beach indoors whether you're buying a home in Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Beaufort or elsewhere— or simply sprucing up your beach properties before the new season rolls around.

Family Photo Op
Take a throw pillow and have a fun, family beach photo imprinted to remind you of the summer year round. How to? Just grab a photo, scan the image or map on transfer paper, and iron the image onto the fabric of your throw pillow. You can even have this done at a local copy center.

Bulletin Board Staples
Cover a bulletin board's cork with a map of your Crystal Coast area— attach a map of your neighborhood, city, or even state. Next up, attach photos from the beach, travel push pins, and other mementos from the summer or favorite places in the area. This creates a great focal point for Crystal Coast love!

In the Shower
On your shower curtain, attach sand dollars, shells, and starfish with cotton cording or rope. What better way to bring the beach indoors than in the shower?

Photo Boxes
Create a photo box by placing a photo inside a shadow box and fill the empty space with sand, shells, and trinkets from your favorite areas or summer specialities. This is a great way to peer into the summer, even if it is fall!

Coastal Carolina is a great place to live the good life and embrace the beach properties in the area— and Crystal Coast real estate, if you're ready to move! How do you bring the beach indoors to your homes in North Carolina?

Gena Gilbert

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What to Do This Weekend on the Crystal Coast, NC

It's almost fall and with a new season comes new events and new opportunities to explore the Crystal Coast, NC. Below are some events happening this weekend for you and your whole family to enjoy the areas of Beaufort, Morehead City, Emerald Isle, and more!

Paint and Partake
Friday, September 20, 2013; 7 PM to 9:30 PM
Blu Sail Gallery, 903 Arendell Street, Morehead City
Every Friday evening come join us for a fun filled art and social experience where students will paint their own interpretation of the workshop inspiration painting. Students will follow easy step-by-step instruction. At the end of the evening, you will have your own original 16 x 20” painting read to hang on your wall! BluSail provides the rest. Call 252-723-9516 to make a reservation.

Emerald Isle's 8th Annual Day4Kids
Saturday, September 21, 2013; 10 AM to 2 PM
Emerald Isle Community Center, Emerald Isle
This event, takes place on the 3rd Saturday of September and has been a huge success for the past 7 years. Day4Kids brings adults and children of all ages together for a FREE fun-filled day of vendors, activities, games, face painting and more!

Some of the attractions and activities this year include: An amazing basketball trick performance by Dexter “Loveboat” Williams, a book exchange with the Friends of Western Carteret Library, hotdogs and drinks, popcorn, cotton candy, inflatable rides, kids BINGO, face painting and balloon sculpting by Isabel the Clown. 

Cycling for the Coast at Bogue Beach
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach
NC Coastal Federation’s 3rd annual ride offers 20K, 40K, and 80K options.  For registration and details: visit nccoast.org.

Build a Boat in a Day
Saturday, September 21, 2013; 9 AM
Watercraft Center across from NC Maritime Museum; Beaufort
Each adult and child team uses the stitch-and-glue technique to assemble a prepared kit for a small flat-bottomed plywood boat suitable for rowing or paddling. The boat is 7’10” long, 32” wide and weighs about 40 pounds. By the end of the class each boat will be completed to a watertight condition and clear-coated with epoxy. Teams are limited to a maximum of 4 persons, at least one of whom must be an adult. The minimum age limit for this class is 8 years.

Oktoberfest on Middle Lane
Saturday, September 21, 2013; 2 PM to 6 PM
Middle Lane, Downtown Beaufort
Join the crew on Middle Lane in downtown Beaufort for a craft beer and street party. More than 40 breweries will be represented, with German food and wines, and live music! Limited tickets available for $40 at Clawson's Restaurant and Back Street Pub in Beaufort. All proceeds benefit Carteret General Hospital's new Cancer Center.

Gena Gilbert

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CyberStars Internatnional Summit XIII 9-9-2013

OH MY!  ALL THOSE "CYBERSTARS" IN ONE ROOM?

WHERE?  RESTON, VIRGINIA

WHEN?  SEPTEMBER, 2013

We began the day by celebrating as many of the lifetime achievements of our founder, Allen Hainge, as we could possibly squeeze into the limited time we were allowed.  God Bless you Allen.  You will always be with us in our hearts and wonderful memories.  "You Da Best!"

Our minds are now still whirling with SO much great information shared between our CyberStar family members about websites, social marketing, attracting business from websites, new world social media and creating the ultimate traffic web, using video powers, learning more about SEO and taking it to the next level and social media and online reputation and more and more and more terrific ideas and sharing with the top agents in the real estate business.  That is just a short summary of Day 1!  

No, Wynne did not just 'break out', she was given a huge honorable discharge!

September Checklist for Your Crystal Coast Home

It's now September! That means fall is coming, a new season, a new opportunity to spruce up your Crystal Coast home and perfect its appearance either for visitors, for curb appeal purposes, or to impress potential homebuyers looking to buy real estate in North Carolina. Here's what you can do this month to make sure your home on the Crystal Coast, NC is in tip top shape:

Proof and Weatherstrip Windows and Doors
The air does begin to smell and act differently in September— it's time you make sure your windows and doors are ready to take on the new season. Weatherstripping can be plastic, foam, felt, or metal and its job is to seal small gaps to lock moisture and cold air outside where they belong. "Lock around your doors and windows," advises MSN Real Estate. Is the weatherstripping torn or missing? This little flaw can end up costing you in the long run. If your windows and doors are older, replacing weatherstripping can really cut down on energy costs this fall.

Check Your Windows Again
Check your windows for weatherstripping, but also check them for cracks. If they are dirty or cracked, repair and clean them now in preparation for fall.

Check Gutters and Outdoor Collectors
Do a visual check to make sure your gutters are clear of debris. They may soon be doing double duty in the fall with extra rainstorms and falling leaves.

Keep Out Unwanted Pests
A great time to proof your home for pests is just before the fall begins. September is the time animals begin looking for new places to call home— make sure it's not your Crystal Coast home. Make sure there are no gaps under your garage door, outdoor vents and screens are sealed and in working order, and exterior doors are free of holes or cracks for little mice to slip through.

Clean Your Dryer Vent
This is one thing you should do every six months, but now is as great a time as ever. "Scoot your clothes dryer away from the wall, unplug it, and vacuum behind it," says MSN Real Estate. "Unhook the tube that leads to the vent and clear as much lint from the tube as you can. Grab a shop vacuum, go outside, and tackle the outside dryer vent as well."

Fall is a great time to update your Coastal Carolina home or begin your search for a new one, your dream home in our North Carolina area. Contact us today to discuss your options and plans for moving to a beach property or buying a house on the Crystal Coast— we're here to help!

Gena Gilbert

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