Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

January 29, 2012

Shells Galore!

This summer we too a trip to visit our cousins in Clearwater, FL. It was so much fun with the boys getting to spend time with their cousins like we used to when we were kids, building tents with blankets and sheets over the dining room table. Having their secret fort made everything so exciting, from eating meals under there and briefly spending the night under there (although that didn't last as it got "too scary!")

We spend a few days on the beach and there were a few seashells but finally, on our last overcast day we took the boat out to Caladesi Island and found tons of amazing seashells. The boys cast their nets and found many live creatures, fish, starfish, crabs. It was the best day at the beach ever!

Since I had hit the mother load of seashells and had no time to clean them all properly before we went home, I had to figure out a way to take them home without us passing out from the stench of a rotting, fishy smell because a seven hour trip home in the middle of summer closed up in the car would surely be a recipe for disaster. So I double sealed them in black trash bags and took my precious shells home (I had 3 garbage bags FULL!). It worked the ride home was successful and I moved on to properly cleaning them. I rinsed them in bleach water and layed them out on the back deck to dry for about a week (the cat was so curious about it all and was very perplexed why there was this scrumptious fish smell without anything to taste).

So, from the story you can tell that was about 6 months ago and I have just gotten around to doing something with all those shells.




I started by sorting them into types of shells (oh my aching back!)


Then I took this bust I had gotten a couple years ago that was covered in these ugly corn husks and began gluing. Oh the wonderful things a hot glue gun can do!! It took several days but it is finally finished and I LOVE it!!



Although this took alot of shells I have plenty left, what do you think I should do next? I am thinking furniture or something big and bold, let me know what you think!
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August 3, 2011

Curtain Redo

I took some simple stock curtains from Target and added a ruffle to the edge to give it a little extra touch. I have added just plain fringe to stock curtains before but I wanted to do something different this time.



So, I bought an extra panel and cut it in 5" strips, ran a basting stitch down one edge and pulled the end of the string to create a ruffle.  Once I had all my strips pulled into a ruffle, I sewed them on to the edge of the curtain panels and left the raw edge fringed a bit. I love the texture it adds to the curtains without adding more color. I am sure you could try this with any color curtain at your local "Big Box" store. And if I can do it I know you can too, it is simple!!



This is a picture of my summer look for the mantel, although I have added more shells as the summer has continued and we have collected more from the beach. I love this look and hate for the summer to end, but will keep you posted when I change to my fall look. 

Do you change your home for the seasons? What is your favorite season changing idea?
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June 16, 2011

Hi

Well, Jennifer and the boys have been traveling to the beach and back, doing laundry, going to the pool, seeing fun movies and then off again so I will blog.

She actually is working on new pieces for a show this weekend. See her post for some pictures of what she is selling.

Miguel and I are trying to keep our garden alive. No rain and 100 degree weather is making it difficult. Our water bill will be more than our house payment this month!
I am trying to figure out what to do on my back porch, I saw a cute idea with a bunch of different size vases, but I don't know what to put on them to keep them from blowing away. Any suggestions ?

2011-06-13 19.50.05.jpg

I'll post some pictures soon of our revitalized garden.
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May 24, 2011

Sunscreen



This is a page from Yahoo, that gives some tips on the safest sunscreens to use. I think we can all use the tips so we will have lots of fun in the sun this summer!!

Shopping for sunscreen? The Environmental Working Group's (EWG) newly released 2011 sunscreen guide can help you make smart decisions.
This research and advocacy group recommends a mere 20 percent of the 600-plus beach and sport sunscreens it evaluated. To score high marks in the rankings, a product must be effective -- adequately protect skin from both UVA (which causes premature aging, skin cancer, and other skin damage) and UVB (which causes sunburn) rays. It must also be safe, meaning free of potentially harmful chemicals.
The 2011 products to avoid list contains some popular brands.
EWG's Sunscreens to Avoid:
How did EWG come up with this list? Each of the products to avoid meets all of these criteria:
  • SPF values above 50-plus. Higher SPF products are not necessarily best. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration says these numbers can be misleading. There's a concern that high SPF products may give people a false sense of security and encourage people to stay out in the sun for too long without reapplying sunscreen. It's also important to note that the SPF is based solely on UVB protection.
  • Sunscreen sprays. They can fill the air withtiny particles that may not be safe to breathe in, according to EWG.
  • Contains oxybenzone and vitamin A. Oxybenzone is a concern because it penetrates the skin, is associated with allergic reactions, and is a potential hormone disruptor. Retinyl palmitate is a form of vitamin A that may not be safe when exposed to sunlight. EWG recommends choosing products with one of these ingredients instead: zinc, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, or Mexoryl SX.
Which products does EWG recommend? Here's a list of itsbest beach and sport sunscreens.
Unfortunately, some of the safest and most effective sunscreens on store shelves can be expensive so it's worthwhile to shop around for deals. Here are the most affordable products that performed well in EWG's ratings (calculated by Yahoo! based on price per ounce).
Safer, Affordable Sunscreens:
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