For weeks I have been buying items for spring and summer for Piper and Dune. All the beautiful products have me dreaming about warm destinations and reminiscing about these vacations with family and friends.
I have always loved sea turtles. I love the way they glide through the water with such ease and how they bury their eggs on the beach - and watching their offspring hatch is such a treat - check out the movie “The Beach House” with Andie MacDowell and tell me you don’t share the love for these amazing creatures too.
As some of you know, in normal times Matt and I look forward to hopping to the Carribean islands any chance we get. The first time I went to St. John in the USVI’s, we took the short ferry ride from Red Hook in St. Thomas. It was on that ride when I watched a loggerback turtle playing joyfully; riding the waves all the way to St. John. In Anguilla BVI, a local named Calvin will ferry you from Crocus Bay to Little Bay where you can spend a few hours snorkeling in the little cove. There are desalination pipes that are off the coast there where the turtles like to hang out. It’s so much fun trying to snap pictures of them playing; Calvin is very good at spotting them at a distance.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to talk about turtles without talking about the trouble humans have caused for them and their habitat (our oceans). Like many New Englanders in need of a quick injection of sunshine, my family and I have escaped to the sunny shores of FL for an escape a time or two. If you’ve ever ventured to the Florida keys, you might have noticed a turtle hospital along the way in Marathon, Florida. (Check them out here: https://www.turtlehospital.org/ to see all the wonderful things they do!) My daughter Sarah and I were enchanted by how beautiful these creatures were, and we were both truly inspired by the work volunteers were doing to save the injured turtles and rehabilitate them so they could re-emerge into the wild. Knowing how much havoc humankind has raised for the sea life population, it is easy to be disheartened. For me, the takeaway was rather that if humans are the problem - we can also be a part of the solution. During the past few weeks, I’ve been working really hard to turn my pop-up shop into a full-time store location and I have been feverishly looking for new brands that people will love. When I came across Shelly Cove, we knew we wanted to be a part of their cause.
I am excited to announce that we are now selling Shelly Cove products both in store and on piperanddune.com. I had fun watching Rachael and Christa (who work with us at Piper and Dune) as they opened the box from Shelly Cove - I kept hearing them say they couldn’t make up their minds as to which shirts they wanted! Their brand is fun and their products just make us happy. I know our customers are going to love this brand as much as we do! Not only does Shelly Cove have the cutest t-shirts and accessories which will transport you or a lucky gift recipient to a tropical destination (even if it’s in their minds :)), their mission-driven impact is really compelling and will make you feel great as a contributor. They raised over $210,000 in 2020 for turtle rescue and rehabilitation. We hope that you love their products and their cause as much as we do. If you have any stories or photos that you’d like to share of your own wildlife encounters that made you excited to be alive - tag us in your instagram stories or send us a message (email, Instagram, facebook). We’d love to connect with this great community!
Mark your calendars… we are opening our first brick and mortar store on February 1, 2021. We are adding hundreds of new products - there’s something to please everyone! Check our website and social media sites often, and for those who can visit in person, we’ll see you at: 134 Main Street S, #50-E Bennett Square, Southbury, CT as of February 1, 2021!
Here’s to more exploration and awe-inspiring moments in the year to come. Be sure to take time to Explore What Excites You!
Chris and The Piper and Dune Family
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