ETCETERAS: Sea Glass Succulent Bowl

It wouldn’t be summer if I didn’t create some type of beachy coastal décor piece and this one is a quick and easy. The sea glass is from a floral arrangement I received years ago. The vase was filled with these beautiful glass chips and of course I washed and saved them.

EXTRA CREDIT: Coastal Crafts : Decorative Seaside Projects {giveaway}

There’s nothing like a little beach décor or coastal crafting to really celebrate summer. Whether you live near the seaside or not, it’s fun to bring a little coastal charm into your home. Coastal Crafts (Lark, May 2015) by Cynthia Shaffer has over 20 projects that use seashells, ropes, sea glass and other nautical materials. Perfect for some summer fun.

BE MY GUEST: Beach Vignette by An Extraordinary Day

Every summer growing up, I spent time at the beach. It's my favorite place in all the world. I can close my eyes and dream of splashing waves and sand between my toes.... Ahhhh....   All the dreaming in the world just might not get either of us to the beach. No worries... We can create a beach vignette. Don't roll your eyes....it really is a sweet band-aid solution. And it's super easy to do.

Have you ever noticed play sand for sale at the garden center? When you do...be sure to buy a bag. Yes...it may be more than you need, but I'm pretty certain that once you have your bag of sand, you'll be glad you bought it (and it certainly won't break the bank). Plus, you'll find lots of ways to use that sand.

Upcycling: Weathered Nautical cans

It’s not too late to get that beachy coastal look for summer and here’s a simple diy recycling project to add a nautical touch to your décor.

Be My Guest: Fox Hollow Cottage

Hello everyone! I’m still working on getting caught up and I have one final guest today. Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage always amazes me with her beautiful diy home projects and spot-on décor. Today she has us dreaming of the islands with this adorable summer beachy project.  

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Aloha Homework Readers!

I'm Shannon and I'm sharing a little island style Aloha Wreath with you today!

Summer is officially here.. and who doesn't love Hawaii?

In celebration of the season and my love for the islands, I whipped this up!

And you can too.

The base is a Pool Noodle. Secured in a circle with clear packing tape.

Then wrapped with strips of fabric, secured with a glue gun, with all seams on the back.

Etceteras: vacation inspiration with room 77

Thank you to Room 77 for sponsoring my post.

Room 77 is an intelligent and easy to use hotel search engine that allows travelers to find and book the best rates from across the Web in one fast and simple search.

Summer is over. School has started. Raise your hand if you took a fantastic vacation recently. Note: my hand is not raised. I did travel this summer but it wasn’t for a relaxing vacation – trust me, I came home exhausted. This year, I’m going to plan ahead and start researching for our next real vacation. And you know how much I love the beach and the inspiration it provides for creativity. Some of my favorite beachy projects are above.

Etceteras: shell souvenir jars

Summer is winding down and beach, pool or outdoor days will soon be over. Every summer we try to get to the beach as much as possible and at the end of summer we wish we had gone more.


I’ve always collected shells along the beach and used them for projects here and there and then tucked the rest of them away. This year I decided to display them in little jars.

I wanted a weathered vintage look for this jar and went to work “rusting” the lid. 

One of the fastest ways to rust metal is with vinegar. This jar lid had a brushed gold look so I sanded it with fine sandpaper to remove the gold layer. To start the rusting process, soak your lid in vinegar – I left mine in for about an hour. Place the lid on a paper towel so it’s exposed to air. The combination of oxygen and the acid in the vinegar will start the oxidation process. The photos above show the jar lid before the vinegar, at one hour, two hours and the next day.


I found this broken sand dollar and it’s too fragile to put in one of the jars. So I just placed it on a small glass tile. It’s rare around here to find an unbroken sand dollar and I love this one even if it isn’t perfect.


Every summer our last beach day is spent with a group of friends. It’s a symbolic end-of-summer tradition and I’d love to have more of these tubes filled with shells for years to come.


If you don’t live near the beach, you can make summer souvenir jars with other items. Pebbles, sand, or other bits of nature that have meaning.

I feel very lucky to live so close to the beach. Do you have a favorite summer spot? I’d love to hear how you like to make your summer special.

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here and

 

Etceteras: sharpie coffee mugs [starfish]

I’m fascinated with the Sharpie mugs that I’ve seen on Pinterest. Have you seen them? A lot of the mugs that I’ve seen have fun, bold illustrations and word art drawn with a black sharpie.



I’m out of practice drawing and sketching and using a big, fat, black Sharpie would be a recipe for disaster for me. Besides, I wanted to draw something nautical and beachy on my mugs.



This drawing was a good solution for “oh my goodness – it’s a permanent market” phobia. Since the design is made up of little dots, I would be less likely to make a mistake.



To make your own Sharpie mug, you’ll need:

• Mugs {mine are from the dollar store but they are oven and dishwasher safe]
• Sharpies
• Pencil – optional

Pick a design and practice drawing it on paper. Hold the paper to the mug to see if you’re happy with your drawing. Once you’re satisfied, draw your design onto the mugs with pencil. Start filling in your drawing with a Sharpie. You can use line strokes or dots like I did.

When you are done with your drawing bake your mugs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (again, make sure your mugs are oven safe). Let cool. The drawing is now permanent and the pencil marks will wash away.



Since I’m currently obsessed with starfish, I’m thrilled with my new mugs. If only I were sitting on the deck of my beach house drinking coffee out of one of the mugs…

Oh well, one can dream…

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here and