It’s getting hot out there. Real record-breaking heat has been our guest for a good part of the summer now and I’m ready for a long stay. Because to me, heat is so much better than the cold, snowfl – wait – I don’t even want to finish that thought. Cape May is filled with people going to the beach, coming back from the beach, biking, jogging, walking and -best of all – shopping, despite the high temps. My kind of town.

Why beat the heat when you can join it and …celebrate it? The most fun summer party is the BBQ, no? I’ve been planning a mid-summer afternoon’s fiesta for about two weeks now and have gotten cautiously optimistic every time the forecast comes on.

Cape May is a great place to have a BBQ because its cool location virtually guarantees a nice breeze and cooler temps, even in a heat wave. But if you aren’t in Cape May, you can still have a CMBBQ party or something like that. Here are a few suggestions to help you bring that Cape May Touch to your backyard.

I discovered my first find at Good Scents on Carpenter’s Lane. Good Scents is full of just that - good scents. But it’s far from a perfumey-type shop. There are candles, jewelry and pretty, eclectic things all over the place, including a brilliant little music section. In the far back corner I found cute, colorful votives on top of a rustic, circular tray and I knew I had come across a fab center piece.

There are two sizes of trays, so you can choose the one that best fits your table and then pick out the votives you’d like to use. I love loads of colors all mixed together because it just reminds me of rainbows, kites, and basically, summer. Though if you are having a themed party or just happen to love a specific color, go with it. You can’t go wrong here because the votive colors contrast with the tray in a most excellent way. Light these up as guests start arriving (yes, even during the day) and they’ll burn all night long. With each hour, they’ll get more into that melted down look (which I happen to love even more than when they are fresh). The candles will do a good job at keeping away those pesky flies and ‘squitos but for a backup, pick up a few packs of the Colibri incense sticks and place them around in your planters or, better yet, your hanging baskets.

Good Scents Jewelry buyer Laura McPherson recommends the latter because in an effort to rid her own party of bugs, she placed these sticks everywhere and wound up getting stung, not by a bee, but by the end of a burning stick. The incense is full of peppermint, lemongrass, and basically, as Laura put it, “all essential oils that bugs hate.”

Snap up some purty little holders (Good Scents has loads of them each cuter than the rest) if you’d also like to place them on your tables. However, put these only on tables that don’t have any covers because the ash will fall on them.

Speaking of covers, it’s totally necessary to have cute tablecloths and not the plastic kind that you find in drugstores. You can be creative and use different cloths - not just those that are labeled “tablecloths.” Last week, I used sarongs to make living room curtains and this week it’s happening again. Towards the front of Good Scents, Laura showed me these lovely pieces of cloth that she said were sarongs. Of course, the first thing that came into my mind was that they would make great tablecloths, and then she said “You know, you can also use these as tablecloths.” Thank you for confirming my thought. These cloths are light, soft and best of all, beautiful making them perfect to lie over your outdoor tables. They’ll match the colored votives and trays too. Pick a few different patterns to keep with the multi-colored theme your table will look seriously festive without being tacky in any way.

As I was leaving the shop, I really was trying to get out but there are so many things everywhere – not good for a shopaholic, I finally noticed the fun, sort-of zany music (think Munsters theme) that was playing and found out it’s old cuts from the 50s and 60s together in Ultra-Lounge’s leopard sampler. Ultra-Lounge also has a Tiki sampler and for a BBQ that is just right background music.

Locals and many returning tourists know that Swain’s Hardware is like, THE place to get anything you need because, well, they have just about everything under the sun. I love this store. It’s been around Cape May forever and it’s still run by the family. Terri Swain and her pup, Tabir are there every time I go in – there’s just something comforting about a shop that has a doggie mascot and a friendly face, no?

Walking around the store with BBQ in mind was a dream come true – I not only found Weber grills but the tools to go with them and an entire wall of accessories. When the grillin’ begins, you don’t want to be caught without the right apparatus, so be sure to look all the different options and choose accordingly.

I’m really digging the stealth-looking metal case that includes several tools and, well, is just plain cool. After all, you do want to look good while standing behind the grill and that includes what kind of utensils you use to flip those burgers and roll those hotdogs.

Standard paper or plastic dishes are okay to use in a pinch but if you plan right and look around you can find sturdy plastic dishes that are completely reusable and much better than anything Dixie puts out. Swain’s has these fantastic yellow and orange plates (the yellow are dinner sized and the orange for salads) on display that would look perfect on the tables and that guests will appreciate. Don’t worry if you think they are too bright, remember, it’s outside and summer. Bright and colorful is good and way apropos. Swain’s also has fun plastic goblets that match and again, are so above the regular red and blue plastic cups. Okay, I’m not saying that the disposable cups shouldn’t be used (especially for large parties) but it’s nice to at least give guests an option. And it’s much kinder for the environment. Think of it this way – you can be creative and enviro-friendly with a simple purchase.

Right in this same area of Swain’s they have an umbrella set up with moon and star lights strung underneath it. If there were any truly essential rules to outdoor fiestas, this should be one of them. String lights under umbrellas are cool, silly, and basically fabulous. Swain’s has an entire display of them so choose one or two that you love and string them up.



Perhaps the most important part of the BBQ is the food. Just kidding, it’s the décor but the food is up there in rank of importance so it’s best to find good stuff that your guests will enjoy. West Side Market in West Cape May is a great substitute for the ubiquitous Wawa because they have awesome sandwiches, friendly staff and a killer deli. This is a great place to come for hamburgers, hotdogs and deli cheeses. Grab up some different cheeses for a gourmet spin.
For rolls, La Patisserie on the Washington Street Mall is where it’s at for me right now. Michel Gras makes wonderful little rolls that are the perfect size for hotdogs and hamburgers that are sliced. The roll plays such an important role in the meal, doesn’t it? It can make or break the sandwich in my opinion.

Remember – think out of the box. Sarongs for tablecloths. Funky tableware instead of throw a ways. These and other little touches like tiki music and umbrella lights will ensure your CMBBQ is a success and prove that even in this hot weather, your guests will think you are nothing less than cool.


By Jen Calvert

Lighthouse Vase from A Little of This and That

The name of this shop, tucked away in the brightly colored stores of the Chattel House Village, is definitely accurate. From the doorway you can see an odd assortment of holiday ornaments, soaps and bubble baths, home decorations and gourmet jams. Right in the middle of it all is a case of Lenox collectibles, housing this etched glass vase. This piece is nothing short of classic beauty. A lighthouse is impressed on the front with a swirl of teal-colored glass showing through from the back. Lighthouses aren’t your thing? They have you covered with an equally graceful dolphin vase. Just an example of the charm this shop can bring to your home.

 

Bamboo Curtain
from Silk Flowers

Right next to A Little of This and That is an extension of Cape May Wicker: Silk Flowers. After going around the shop several times, I found a dozen things to write about among the amazing variety of silk flowers. But, I must say, this bamboo curtain stopped me in my tracks. Next to it is a plain canvas with the same shore scene, but making it into a beachy wall hanging was a stroke of brilliance. It feels almost like having x-ray vision and seeing what’s behind the curtain in the curtain. So here’s a way to feel like you have the beach right outside your door, even if you live in Minnesota.

Wall-hangings from Cape May Wicker

I could say the best thing about Cape May Wicker out on Sunset is the variety of distinctive wall-hangings, but even better are their prices. You have a hundred colorful plaques and dangling signs to choose from. If I had to pick one (and I do) it would be this 3-D Welcome sign. I just love the design, and the enchanted-forest feel it has is definitely welcoming. But you don’t have to pick one, so why not grab a few of them? One for every day of the week or each mood that sways you. Believe me, they have them all and you can afford them.

Wall Flowers The Bird House of Cape May

The Bird House and Sea Level, acting as bookends of the Chattel House village, are both owned by Ken Low and Sharon Flanagan. Already knowing how great Sea Level is, I couldn’t wait to check out their first endeavor. I wasn’t disappointed. These wall flowers caught my eye the moment I stepped into the store. The only word to describe them (and a fitting word for the rest of the shop, I might add) is enchanting. They come in various colors, individually or in long chains to decorate doorways and banisters. The flowers are a combo of copper and ash wood, handmade in Wisconsin and steamed to make the wooden leaves curl. You’ll never find anything like them. And while you’re there, ask to meet the trolls. Trust me.

So, did you enjoy shopping in Cape May? Who knew you could get the same shopping buzz sitting at home in front of your computer with your jammies on? Well, perhaps you did know that Smarty pants, but did you know that you can stop back on this page every week and find the latest cool stuff from Cape May stores? Well, you can so if you can’t be here on Cape Island, the next best thing is to bring the island to you and your home. Life is a beach, after all, no?

Next Week...Shopping for garden accessories!

See what we went shopping for last week!

Tell us what you think about our NEW column