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Southern Living, Jun 2002 by Thompson, Annette

Back to the Islands

When Southerners congregate at the beach, it's always a festive event. We've searched the Internet for treasures to liven up your waterfront escapades. If you can't get to the shore but still want that fresh-from-the-water feeling, this cool stuff brings the surf closer to home.

Frolick with a fun selection of tropical goods at www.islandmadness.com. Start out in a campy shirt adorned with brilliant pink flamingos or colorful jungle birds. The rayon-- and-cotton garments for women and men are priced $24.95 and up. Top off your Jimmy Buffett look with a ridiculous hat such as the Shark Shaped Snood ($22.95). Ladies dancing the samba in the Fruit Salad Fedora ($42.95) will make Carmen Miranda jealous.

Lead guests through the starry night to the party by the glow of tiki torches ($7.95 for three). Complete the island theme with a couple of inflatable palm trees ($24.95 each). At the end of the night, give your guests a memorable party favor with a wiggly hula girl that sways on their vehicle's dashboard ($9.95-$14.95).

Whether you're having a party by the seashore or bringing the flavor of the ocean home for a celebration, these Web sites will make your event beachy keen.

Accessorize, Darling

Dress your table up shipshape with nautical accents from www.islandweddingshop.com. You'll find a Florida-inspired collection of centerpieces, including conch shells, lifeguard chairs, lighthouses, and sandcastles. We also liked the whimsical sand dollar place cards, daintily adorned with white ribbon bows ($24.99 for a set of 10). Catch your guests' attention by draping fishnet over tables or hanging it from the rafters.

Splish Splash

Slip away from the goings-on to relax on the waves atop a comfy float. The selection of lounges and floats at www.aqua-toys.com has us contemplating hours of total relaxation. In addition to traditional and silly water lounges, the site sells a float that's so large it can also serve as a small portable pool or a funky tub for icing down drinks ($27.99).

If you can't get away to the water, bring it home with the choices of inRatable swimming pools at Aqua-- Toys. Their 12-foot Neighborhood Swim Center holds 765 gallons of water ($89.99). Have an air pump handy for inflating this backyard behemoth-or simply invite some long-winded friends over, and put them to work.

A Taste of the Sea

Whether you are planning a crawfish boil or a clambake, the Web teems with companies that specialize in flying the freshest seafood to you. Have live blue crabs shipped to you direct from Crisfield, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay, at www.lintonsseafood.com. A half-bushel of jumbo male blue crabs costs $119.95. Linton's also offers Chincoteague oysters for $10.99 a dozen or $74.99 per 100.

If you'd prefer mudbugs, go to www.crawfish.cc to order some live Louisiana crawfish. Ten-pound orders sell for $45. Remember, the proper way to eat one of these red delights is to suck the heads and bite the tails. Bon appetit.

Blowing in the Wind

Keep your towel from flying away to sea with the ingenious Sand Towel. If you get tired of stacking shoes, coolers, and drinks around the corners of your beach towel when you lay it out on the strand, try this one. The towel has a pocket filled with sand on each side to keep it weighted. Order yours from www.sandtowel.com for $29.95.

Wetting the Whistle

Keep everyone at the party chilled out with a refreshing beverage. Click on www.texas-stuff.com to access a tasty collection of drink mixes. Select either a bottle of Brazos Legends Lonesome Red Habanero Bloody Mary Mixer ($4.95) or Mariachi Margarita Mixer ($5.95). Or go to www.texastastes.com, and purchase an Old Fashioned Soda Sampler for $14.99. It includes concentrates for several homemade sodas, including root beer.

The Play's the Thing

Add drama to your beach party with a murder-mystery game. The folks at www.tailormademysteries.com offer 22 different kits to download for $29 each. (You'll need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 to print the files, or copy the files to a disk and print them at a copy store.) Each kit includes a host guide, invitations, clue booklets for each main character, and clearly marked pages explaining "who did it" so you don't find out before it's time. Several mysteries revolve around the Caribbean or Mediterranean for your cast of friends.