It's that time of year when you're struggling to find that perfect gift for your best friend, husband, wife, neighbor, mother-in-law... the list goes on. What's a girl to do? The Room at the Beach staff has picked our top 5 gifts this year.

#1 Gifts for Girlfriends
We love these silver sea necklaces with matching cases. We like this gift for a special girlfriend who's been there for you and that you'd like to show some appreciation. Our favorite design is the mermaid pendant... because who doesn't want to make waves?

#2 Gift for Colleagues
This is a great little gift for a colleague. The body wrap can be heated and chilled and helps to relax sore muscles after a stressful day (or season).

#3 The Perfect Gift for Dog Lovers
For the dog lovers in our life, this is the perfect gift this year! The Faceplant pillows are 300 thread count so not only are they cute, but comfortable too.

#4 Mother-in-Law Gift
Your mother-in-law deserves the best, right? This year we're impressing mom with the endlessly luxurious and soft Keiki robe. It's such an indulgence, you're sure to be in her good graces all year!

#5 BFF Gift
We think our BFF's would love this star pendant with a sparkly stone. She's our sparkly star so she should have one!

Join us this Saturday as we ring in the Holiday with a glass of champagne & chocolate by Kron's Chocolatier at Room at the Beach. There will be carolers throughout the Country Mart, adding to that magical Holiday spirit. Mingle with other Room at the Beach guests and make it a Malibu afternoon.

Date: Saturday, December 10th
Time: 2 pm - 4 pm

A Special Gift for You!
Mention this invitation and receive a $50 gift certificate with the purchase of $50 or more.
(Excluding fine art and jewelry)

Join in the fun at Malibu Country Mart this Sunday with an afternoon of trick or treating! Look for the orange balloon at the door of each participating store and come inside for candy handouts and don't miss the highlight if the day: the children's and pet costume contest! Our event was a huge success last year and we can't wait to see all the cute little ghosts and goblins again this year at Room at the Beach.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 30th
2 pm - 4 pm Trick or Treat
3 pm - 4 pm Children & Pet Costume contest

See you there!

Happy autumn!

Our store is abuzz with new items for fall! We always get excited for this time of year - the days are warm and sunny and the evenings are crisp and cool. The Holiday season has begun to take over our store. Halloween is in full swing here at Room At The Beach with glittery spiders and witchy hats already finding happy new homes! In preparation for Thanksgiving, we have plenty of dinnerware and napkins to get the perfect Thanksgiving feast set.

We have all that a hostess-extraordinaire will need, from glasses to plates to tablecloths, our team at Room At The Beach can bring California beach style to any Holiday function. One way that we stand out amongst the rest is that we work with your individual needs – is your table a custom size? Is it an unusual shape? Do you desire just the right type of fabric – say Belgium linen or casual crisp cotton? Do you want your items personalized with a family name or a meaningful saying or poem? Room At The Beach can do all of the above and more, making sure that your Holiday is a time of laughter and bonding, rather than stress and unease.

Stop by the shop this Holiday season to put all your decorating needs in the hands of caring professionals!

The warm days of summer are behind us. Although it's still warm during the day here in Malibu, it's crisp and cool in the evenings. The perfect time to invite friends over to celebrate Autumn. I don't know about you, but our family and friends (practically family) have so many birthdays in the fall. An easy way to celebrate is to make some warming soup. Soup you say? Not so special? Ahh but this one is... Tortilla Soup topped with fresh cilantro and avocado. Easy and so yummy!

Easy Tortilla Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 can drained black beans
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced uncooked chicken
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mild cheddar)
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Cut tortillas in half, and then cut the halves into 1/4-inch wide strips. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart pot. Working in three batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove the tortilla strips from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the chopped onions to the pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the chicken and sauté for a few minutes until golden brown. Add the drained black beans. Add the broth, tomatoes, and salt. Increase the heat to high, heat until the soup begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

To serve: Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with Pico de gallo, sliced avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

One of my best new finds is La Brea Bakery half cooked Ciabatta loaves. You can freeze it or bake it fresh. The smell of hot bread is so wonderful. It doesn't really matter what else you make. Light a fire (make sure you have lots of wood) and if you can, move your table near the fire. My fireplace is in the family room - I just shove back the soda to the walls and drag in my round table and chairs. It changes up the whole house!

You will enjoy the ease of the preparations and your friends will enjoy your company and your home will glow with the colors of Autumn.