An intro, a bit about me and this... the blog

Hi - I'm Emma I can't tell you how long it has taken me to start this blog, having never written one before and not being the most confident of girls, it's taken some doing, so please bear with me. Basically I just love everything to do with the beach and coastal living, as my friends would testify I never shut up about the subject… so a blog seems like a good idea (so I have been told).

I'll get the bit about me over with...... Although I am sure more will come out over time.

I am a work at home, mum of 2, with a lovely Labrador that is my shadow, now happily divorced and I'm a complete beach addict. I'm happiest when I am by the sea, smelling the salty air, feeling the sea breeze, listening to the calming sound of the waves lapping against the shore and I can waste hours staring at the endless ocean. I also love to cook (inside and outdoors - more to come on this in the future), travel, camp in my bell tent… when I say camp, I really mean glamping, you know with a wood burner, floor cushions, sheepskin rugs and hundreds of fairy lights (you can never have too many fairy lights in your life). I also love exploring new beaches, discovering new places to eat, drink and stay by the sea and generally just soaking up outdoor life.

I set up my first company (The Beach Hut Limited) 17 years ago after leaving my career in advertising to have my children. After being frustrated that I could only ever get the coastal style homewares I loved whilst holidaying in beach towns, I realised that there was a gap in the market and set out to offer coastal style products online. This was another thing I had never done before but somehow, in among the chaos of a toddler running around under my feet I managed it. 17 years on and after a long and challenging divorce where I admit I lost sight of the company and let it go a bit, I have rebranded the company to The Coastal Lifestyle Company to incorporate the new areas I would like to take the company into shortly. Lockdown has given me the chance to finish creating a new website that actually works properly and I feel full of enthusiasm for this new chapter.

I hope this blog will bring like minded people together and provide an opportunity for us to share ideas, thoughts and stories about the coast, our travels and of course the products.

Until next time, I hope you get an opportunity to visit one of your favourite places or discover a new one.