When Winter Hits, the Tropics Matter More Than Ever!

In this episode, Tom checks in from a frosty Houston morning following a rare arctic blast and reflects on why moments like these make a personal tropical escape at home more important than ever.

Between dealing with the cold, juggling multiple creative projects, and doing volunteer work, Tom shares an honest update on what’s happening behind the scenes at Cerulean Bay and why the podcast is temporarily moving to a biweekly schedule for the first quarter of the year.

Tom also focuses on how to start from square one when creating a tropical escape, especially if you’re craving calm, warmth, and renewal.

Tom walks through foundational questions to help you define your version of a tropical retreat.

• Do you actually want a visually immersive tropical space? Or is simple sound and imagination enough?
• What colors truly speak to you (ocean blues, seafoam greens, warm neutrals)?
• What do you already own that fits your tropical taste?
• What frustrates you about your current space and what can be changed?
• Are your furniture pieces scaled correctly for the room?
• How can lighting make the space feel larger, brighter, and calmer?

Tom provides practical guidance about building mood boards, defining your story before spending money and how to avoid becoming overwhelmed. He also provides super important tips for buying art and décor abroad including:

• Measure rooms before you leave and take those measurements with you
• Know your surface dimensions (tables, credenzas, shelves)
• Ask: Is it worth it to ship this home? Will it fit?
• Why social media (Facebook & Instagram) matter when connecting with artists
• What to know about international packing and shipping
• Why authenticity beats mass-produced souvenirs every time
• How a single authentic item you weren't planning on buying can become the anchor for an entire room
• Why you should visit high-end furniture stores both and home and abroad, even when you can't afford to shop at them

Tom also provides words of encouragement while reminder his listeners to slow down, ask the right questions, stay intentional, and choose authenticity over trends.

As winter starts to fade and spring approaches, this is the perfect time to reimagine your space, reclaim your calm, and design a retreat that supports your mental wellbeing. So take a breath, find your starting point, and start planning that escape… at home! 🌴

Links mentioned in the show:

Shop Cerulean Bay's Online Market!

Planning Your Tropical Escape At Home

Tropical vs Coastal: Accents Will Determine Where You Land

Create Your Own Color Palette

Support Angel's Attic on Poshmark!

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2025 asked a lot of us and probably of you too. It was successful but it was also stressful and demanding. Truth be told, it was hard!

As we step into 2026, Tropical Escapes at Home turns one year old, and this first episode of the new year is not about pushing harder or planning more. It’s about exhaling. It’s about stepping back to look at last year to see what worked and what did not. It’s about resetting and making changes where needed.

In this episode, we pause to acknowledge what it took to get here, offer a few tips about much-needed vacation planning, give some important updates about a new service I am offering, how volunteering at a local thrift store creates a change of pace (and how you can find some cool stuff for your tropical escape there!), and how to just gently reset your pace for the year ahead. Think of this episode as a quiet beach at sunrise - no agenda, no urgency, just space to arrive and rest.

This Episode Is For You If…

• You’re proud of what you accomplished in 2025, but you’re tired
• You want 2026 to feel calmer, slower, and more satsifying
• You’re redefining success to include rest and presence
• You love the idea of the tropics and want to include them in your life
• You want to set a softer, more intentional tone for 2026

As you listen, allow yourself to stop striving. Don’t try to fix anything or stress about how you are going to optimize things. Just imagine warm tropical air, gentle ocean waves, and the feeling of finally arriving somewhere. You are safe and unhurried. That’s the energy we’re carrying into year two of this podcast.

In 2026, Tropical Escapes at Home will focus on:

• Softer rhythms, self-awareness, and de-stressing
• Meaningful at-home escapes and ways of living that fit real life
• Tropical inspiration as restoration, not escape-from-burnout
• Creating space for joy, creativity, and rest, without feeling guilty about it

Links mentioned in the show:

Shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops and estate sales

Angel's Attic on Poshmark

Cypress Assistance Ministries in Houston

Cerulean Bay's Online Market

Cerulean Bay

Thank You for Being Here!

Whether you’ve been listening since the beginning or you just found the show, thank you for helping make this first year possible. Your presence is part of what makes this space feel like home! Here’s to a slower, warmer, and more deeply rooted year!

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In his final episode for 2025, Tom talks about the importance of slowing down during the busy holiday season to reflect on how this year really was for you and what you can do to make next year even better without relying on new year's resolutions. He offers suggestions for how to make 2026 a more tropical year for you!

Tom also recaps his year and how there have been the good things and the bad, and how he plans to move forward into 2026 with some great new ideas for you and Cerulean Bay. From his home to yours, he wishes you a truly Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

The Cabana Lounge Newsletter is moving to a new platform! It will be available again here soon!

Tom's podcast episodes from 2025! Lot's of great stuff here!

If you love the symphony and love planetary science, be sure to listen to his episode with special guest, Amanda Lee Falkenberg, creater of The Moons Symphony!

Check out the really great deals for tropical home decor in the online store!

For some great faux plants, check these out!

Send me a text!

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