beach towel sale

It is not quite the end of July and already the beach gear sales are in full swing. Every summer I think,  this year I will replace all of the old beach towels that have been with us since Y2K was newsworthy, but every summer they find their way back into storage. Not this year! I will take advantage of at least one of these sales.....

 Images/Sales: Target, Amazon, Land of Nod, Zappos, Crate and Barrel, Land's End, Land's End, Pottery Barn Teen, Kohl's

sea glass earrings

While on vacation at Cape Cod, I thought a great project for my daughter (and  for me) would be to spend an afternoon collecting sea glass that we could later make into earrings to gift to my sister and mother, who were also vacationing with us. I had visions of gathering enough glass to make sets of earrings for the cousins for Christmas and for my friend who adores the beach.
Wouldn't you know, we did not find a single piece! I know certain beaches are better for uncovering sea glass and we definitely were not on one, but I am still including a link to the project.
If you find yourself with an excess of sea glass just begging to be repurposed- this is for you.

Images: marthastewart, coastallivingblog   Project: marthastewart

Chappaquiddick Sunset

swim cap beauties

via glamour daze

Yeah, I know... In my current condition, I'm not one for hanging out on a hot beach or crowded pool in a swimsuit of any kind. And with my pinhead, I am also someone who should never - and I mean never EVER - wear a swim cap. And yet I punish myself by being drawn to these vintage pictures of bathing beauties in the prettiest of swim caps. I wish being at the beach could still look this lovely...

 via Modern Marie

via Conde Nast

via Pink Cupcake Vintage

 via mOnKeY pAnTs

Sand and Sidewalk Chalk

Image courtesy of knowledgerush.com

It is the season for unique artistic mediums. I don't think much about sand and chalk in terms of  creative expression (beyond my own children's drip castles and hopscotch games of course), but this past weekend there was a sand sculpture contest at a nearby beach and reading about that got me considering sand and chalk art.

I was amazed by the sand sculptures I found online- not just the architectural wonder of the beachside palaces, but the people and animals rich with detailed expressions and unbelievable texture.

Image courtesy of iimageworld.com

Image courtesy of phototraveltours.blogspot.com

Image courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

My search for sidewalk chalk art uncovered some equally impressive artistic feats. These three-dimensional renderings on sidewalks and streets are perfection in shading and perspective. It is difficult enough to draw something that looks as if it could leap off of the page, or something that draws you into the scene, on a piece of paper, never mind accomplishing that on a roadway and in such a large scale.  Neat-o stuff....

Image courtesy of google

Image courtesy of google

Image courtesy of cleancutmedia.com

Wave

Just a quick post in the midst of my vacation hangover to sing the praises of a picture book I found at Buxton Village Books during our stay in Cape Hatteras last week. After years of bringing home cheesy OBX t-shirts and store-bought sea shells, I finally found a vacation memento that records exactly what our week at the beach was like--at least for our youngest child.

In Wave, Suzy Lee's gorgeous, soothing illustrations of a little girl (I imagine her as a 2 and a half year old, like my own daughter) meeting the ocean capture the relationship between child and sea so perfectly it puts a lump in my throat.

A lovely video at Chronicle Books animates every page of Wave, so you can witness its charm for yourself, but I can promise that the sweetness and wonder of Lee's illustrations can only truly be savored with the book in your lap.

Sea Glass

Image courtesy of littlebird2009 via flickr

There is something so simply beautiful about sea glass. Is it the marriage of a man-made thing to the natural world? Could it be the incredible array of color? Maybe it is the smooth perfection...no matter the reason, it is something I could look at it all day....

Image courtesy of candyonthebeach via flickr

Image courtesy of LightShapeColor via flickr

Image courtesy of italia2114 via deviantart

 

It seems I am not the only one who appreciates beach glass. In A Passion for Sea Glass, author Carol Lambert goes beyond the art of collection and discusses how artisans have incorporated these rainbow shards in their work. Amy Wilton's photography illustrates the beauty of the glass in every incarnation. 

My favorite pieces are those in the shades of seafoam green and the lightest blues. I realized recently that my house is missing a jar of beach glass and this summer I plan to change that.

Image courtesy of ihearthome via flickr