Thinking About Christmas at the Beach

I came across these inspiring holiday photos (most likely from Coastal Living magazine) and I wanted to share them. Simple ideas to turn a typical live green wreath into a coastal display. Use the shells you have collected to make this into an original work of art. (Make sure you clean them properly first!) This is a great time to trim any boxwoods you may have and use the trimmed branches to give your wreath more green texture. Get creative and use your imagination. The garland staircase is quite innovative. You can probably buy similar rope at a marine supply store (or somewhere online). Send us photos of what you have created!

Finally, My Shell Table!

Years ago while vacationing in Key West, the condo/apartment we rented had this really interesting dining table. It was round with a glass top, but the unusual part was you were able to remove the top, fill it with sand and decorate it with shells, or whatever collection moved you. When we purchased our beach house, I searched and searched for this table, but was not able to find it. I ended up purchasing a simple white dining table, but always remembered that table and never gave up on the idea of wanting something similar.

I happened to be shopping in Pottery Barn one day, and although not a dining table, I found a table collection that would allow me to showcase my always multiplying shell collection. The tables are available in end table, coffee table and sofa table sizes. I decided to purchase the sofa/console table size and found a spot for it right behind a loveseat in our living room. I purchased play sand and then had fun setting up my shells inside. My favorite part is, though, all of the shells were collected on our beach during the crazy storms of the winter last year. The shells may not be perfect, but they came from my beach!