19 August, 2011

Anatomy Of A Beach Bag

I could pack it in my sleep...

My très faded, but much beloved, pink and green L.L. Bean beach bag...

The reads; book du jour and whatever mags roll in that week. Always a li'l extra spring in my step when I'm toting a Hamptons and US...

Accoutrements bag containing:
  • Glacier Tropical SPF 20 good for my skin and the environment
  • Skinceuticals Physical Defense SPF 30 for heavy duty protection
  • old school Coppertone SPF 8 for the smell
  • Neutrogena and Mario Badescu sunscreen for lips
  • bug spray from Whole Foods for those west wind days
  • Lilly Pulitzer playing cards cuz Emma used to be a card shark
  • Raval Page Flags and a pink highlighter for marking finds
  • cash for Diet Coke emergencies
Damp, sandy, and smells like summer needlepoint project...

Lunch. While neither animal nor vegetable, I'm pretty certain Diet Coke qualifies as a miracle...

Impossible to see the screen in direct sun buuut, still can't be without it...

And, one of the most useful DIY projects EVERRRR! Merci beaucoup to EAS for the Igloo water cooler outfitted with a 2PreppyGirls monogram decal idea. Beach goin' geniussss...

Kindness of everyone for not raggin' on my Coppertone 8. I am very well aware of it's limitations but, my overwhelming desire to huff it overrides any protection deficiencies it may have...XXOO

44 comments:

  1. I love those pretzels...I count them out and eat them by five's. In my distorted mind it's calorie counting. Enjoy your last few weeks of summer!

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  2. Now, that is a well-stocked and well-monogrammed beach bag!

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  3. I cannot begin to even describe the happiness I felt when I saw the beautiful much loved LL Bean tote. You can tell it has some memories. My mom has some that the monogram has faded completely and it's a big mess of worn canvas but my goodness it's as strong as it was when she first started her set in the 80s.

    LL Bean totes are forever a classic. :)

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  4. Spring, then Summer is just around our Australian corner...can't wait to hit the beach after a long and blerky Winter. Your beach bag inclusions are much the same as my own and have me longing for a warm South-Easterly and a sandy beach bum! x

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  5. faded glory! what a great post and a glimpse inside your summer is a verb.
    pve

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  6. I love the little pouches for your phone and stitching. Please enlighten me and tell me where you got them? They'd be perfect for organizing all the junk in my work bag. Have a sunny, sandy, and fun weekend!

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  7. Looks perfectly packed...I love that you carry Post-its and a pink highlighter. I will be using my pink Igloo this weekend! I am still proud of myself for the little DIY project...I am glad you enjoy it too! xx

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  8. Coppertone and Bain de Soleil. That along with the smells of the beach transport me back to my childhood. Of course my mother was the lovely slathered in the orange gelee...so glamorous.

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  9. I have the same LL Bean bag (in the size which can fit a small child). The coffee hasn't fully kicked in yet, but can we talk about the one item that has caught my eye -- the Lilly Diet Coke cozy? Off to hunt one down right now!

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  10. Nice to know there are other weird people like me who keep the Coppertone around just for the smell. THAT is the smell of summertime and surfing.

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  11. The li'l pouches are Lilly Pulitzer. They come with all shoe, jewelry and some jammie purchases and they're great for a multitude of uses.

    There was also an unmentioned bottle of verboten Carrot Oil in there but, I thought I'd keep the backlash to a minimum.

    And, I too have an OCD pretzel eating habit :)

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  12. Huffing Coppertone! OMG you kill me and I'm so right there with you sister! I LOVED Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The ending is tear worthy. EAS' cooler is the best.

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  13. So, I thought I was the only one who kept around low-SPF coppertone solely for the smell. I can let my husband know that I'm not weird, other people do it too!

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  14. It's not the lack of protection that would concern me...but have you checked the EPA site for Coppertone? You might not like what you see.

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  15. My mother would rather I carried coppertone SPF8, cause for me, it's all about Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil, which has ZERO SPF. But looooove the smell. Finally found a pink igloo cooler for my 2PG monogram this summer... Just really wish I had a whole summer left instead of the little time that's left! xoxo

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  16. Love the look into the beach bag...wish mine were as preppy. I do have the Bean monogrammed boat & tote, so that should count for something, right? I'm guilty of SPF 8 as well. But, I'm rockin' a killer tan this summer. Will pay for it later, I'm sure...

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  17. Oh, I LOVE the fragrance of Coppertone. It IS the smell of Summer.

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  18. I am totally with you on the Coppertone 8 for the smell. I actually bought Bobbi Brown's "Beach" perfume because it smells like Coppertone. Which smells like summer, childhood and sun! :)

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  19. We were a Sea & Ski family - wish they still made that! Totally huff-worthy.

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  20. I carry the same bag to the supermarket here - it's just not the same is it? Sighs wistfully.

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  21. Do I regret spending the first 20 years of my life in the ocean and on the beach? No. Do I regret spending 8 months out of the year body surfing, board surfing and riding horses on the beach? No.

    But there are mornings - like this morning - when it's a little depressing to get up and look at my skin in the mirror. The blotchiness, the growing bigger every day sun/old age spots, the deep wrinkles - and that's just on my face. My hands look like they're 80 years old or that I'm wearing very wrinkled gloves.

    If I had to do it over again, I would - but I'd wear a burkini. :)

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  22. LOVE love love your blog, read it faithfully aspire to be as fabulous + witty as you are. I too tote a LL in hot pink and natural, diamond monogram fulla the same Lilly koozie, DC and similar sunscree/phone/camera bag of tricks (mine says "wet bikini"). Along with my slowly fading tan comes some serious SAD post Labor day - the Jacks, White pants, Lilly, seersucker and linen. C'est la vie...

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  23. Riding horses on the beach!!! May I please be a character in that Danielle Steele novel Laguna??? And, while you're at it, make mine a Palomino to match my blond locks and gold lamé bikini :)

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  24. Yes, well once upon a time, (in the early 60's) there wasn't much in southern california between LA and San Diego except the ocean, the beaches, and the ranches. We lived on the beach and had friends with horses. Salt water is very good for horses too.

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  25. Coppertone devotee myself, I am addicted to the aroma.
    Sometimes I just use it as regular lotion when there's nary an SPF consideration to be had...
    Ya gotta try Bobbi Brown Beach. It is THE perfume for sunny-summer-coppertone-salty snackin-days on the water lovers!

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  26. Yankee Candle in the Sun and Sand scent is very "Coppertone ." The higher SPF Coppertone still smells good, and carries less guilt!

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  27. My beach bag has many of the same items! I always get Coppertone for the smell, but try to be good and get the 30 or 50. I couldn't find a pink Igloo but got my monogram decal in hot pink, which does look nice against the blue Igloo. (Thanks to you and EAS for the 2preppygirls rec...I also ordered a monogram decal for my iPhone!) My deck of cards is not Lily but does have 52 different cocktail recipes ;-) Enjoy the last few weeks of beach time...I can't wait to hear about your new life in CT!
    ~HMC

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  29. Now that is a well-loved tote. Thanks for letting us peek inside. I must say that your beach tote is better organized than mine. Happy Summer Days at the Beach.
    xo

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  30. As with Patsy, I was a Sea&Ski girl, and still miss it--that and Lemon Up shampoo! Have a great weekend!

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  31. Can't you still get Lemon Up shampoo at Vermont Country Store?

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  32. Love it! looks like so much fun. What size LLbean tote is that one? I'm in the market for a new one.

    xoxo.

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  33. Pretty sure it's a large. Been awhile so I kinda forget...XXOO

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  34. pop over for a slice of beachy b-day cake!
    happy birthday dear lady of summer love.
    pve

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  35. I LOVE carrot oil Banana Boat, Shimmer Effects SPF 15 by Hawaiian Tropic. I cannot judge you and don't feel like it anyway.

    Your bag is classic. A true WASP always holds on to things like that forever!

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  36. Coppertone 50 spf smells just as good as Coppertone 8 and you won't end up looking like an old prune when you're my age.

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  37. A tote bag full of birthday wishes to SIAV!
    barbaraG

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  38. I'd give anything to be able to have a reason to carry a beach bag! I miss having sand in everything.
    Happy Birthday wishes Allie! A little birdy named pve spilled the beans. :)
    xo Jessica

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  39. perfection!! love these ideas :)
    im your newest follower!
    xo
    Erin

    pinkandpolos.blogspot.com

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  40. Thanks for sharing the contents of your beach bag! Would love to know where you buy your needlepoint kits :)

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  41. Almost all of my kits over the years have come from The Elizabeth Turner Collection in Lexington, KY...XXOO

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  42. Thanks!!! I will head over to ETC to check them out.

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  43. I asked Margaret at 2PreppyGirls if the monogrammed decals would stick to the igloo...I wanted to do that and now that I see yours, I'm on it! LOVE all the cute stuff in your beach bag:)

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