Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla - Pt. 3

Party No More

Having missed last year's Flotilla, we missed the encore of the previous year's party, missed seeing the people and just missed the whole experience that IS our Flotilla weekend.  Apparently, a lot had changed in two years.  With two little ones, one of which would be ready to go to bed soon after the Flotilla ended, my husband and I decided we'd tag team the party so we'd each get a chance to go.  Since our baby settles easier without her sister in the room, Peter suggested I take our older daughter to the party, socialize a bit, come back and he'd go.  It was a good plan and so she and I set off for the lounge, eager to see our new friends again.

That didn't last very long.  The Wilmington crew had undergone some pretty interesting changes.  There were a few familiar faces and welcoming smiles, but the tenor of the group had changed significantly.  The old group was warm and friendly, and they drank some, but mainly because it was there.  This new group drank to get drunk (not our thing) and engaged in some behaviors that we're just not into.  Whereas the old group engaged our daughter in conversation and made her feel welcomed, this group kept saying, "I can't say what I WANT to say" with a pointed look in the direction of my little girl.  She heard and felt the exclusion; she took her plate to a quiet place to eat, then told me that she was ready to go back to our room.  I'd had enough, so we headed back and my husband went to the party.

It got interesting at that point, and it was while he was there that we discovered the lifestyle preferences of this new group of people.  He had gotten his plate and two ladies - cougars both - approached him to invite him to join them in their room.  I don't think I need to go into greater detail than that.  He decided at that point he needed to come back to our room.

We've decided not to even try to party with this group again.  It would've been nice to have the opportunity to enjoy a Christmas flotilla celebration with these folks, but we much prefer the old group.  That was a very baby tradition, so it's not one we're going to miss.  It also won't take away our enjoyment of a great parade of boats or the lovely Inlet Inn.

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New Goodies for the Holidays

Wow! It's hard to believe that Halloween is just a week away! It seems like just last week it was warm and toasty enough here in central North Carolina to get by wearing shorts and t-shirts. Oh, wait. It was last week when it was that warm. Now Autumn is well and truly upon us with beautifully changing leaves, cool days and brisk breezes that cause the leaves to crackle against each other.

When Halloween's past, then I get to roll out all the delightful and fun Christmas soaps I've been working on and likely will continue working on until the very last minute. These here are one such delight. I created a custom fragrance that I call Christmas By The Sea, a scent reminescent of our annual trips to the coast for the Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla. I borrowed the name from this shop that used to be on the island where we always vacation.

Christmas By The Sea (the shop) was a charming Christmas store with everything you could want for Christmas - villages, trees, wreathes, ornaments, garlands and gifts. Twelve years ago, my then-boyfriend took me down there (thinking he'd surprise me and not realizing I knew this shop well) to find an angel for the Christmas tree I had in my apartment. When we arrived, we discovered that the Flotilla was going on that evening, so we stuck around for it before driving back home.

Since then, the shop (unfortunately) has closed, but the Flotilla continues. That first Flotilla became the start of an Advent tradition for us. The then-boyfriend is now my husband of almost 9 1/2 years, and the joy of watching the Flotilla continues and is something we share as a family. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the angel I bought then still graces our tree, year after year.

That's a lot to go into an unassuming bar of soap, isn't it? Happiness, memories, the tang of fresh cut greenery as it meets the scent of home and sea. It's all here in Christmas By The Sea. Look for it in a few weeks, but it will be ready in plenty of time for the holidays, and even in time for pre-Christmas giving.