BEACH = sea shells

It’s July!

Off to the beach!

YAAAAY!!  I LOVE the beach.

Actually, I am lucky because I do not have to wait until July to go to the beach.  I merely have to put on my shoes or sandals, and in  10 minutes flat (walking, not by car!) I am on the shores of the Mediterranean.

I never sunbathe. Boooooooooring!

Instead, I swim. Or  I walk. Occasionally I  run.

What I always do, no matter what,  is pick up the little treasures I see at my feet:
seashells, pebbles, stones, twigs, sea urchin shells, sea glass……….

Sometimes I  carry the little jewels in my hand for awhile, and then end up throwing  them  back into the sea.

Other times I cannot resist the temptation of taking the treasure home.
The big ones are doorstops and paperweights, the tiny ones get made  into jewelry or mini shelf art pieces that you can get here.

I ran across an idea in Sweet Paul  magazine* about converting seashells = spoons.
Oh,  I HAD to try that!

Here’s a handful of shells that I picked especially for the project:

I won’t give you instructions how to make these spoons.

If you are artsy fartsy, like me, you can figure out it out by just looking at the photos.

If you are not a confident DIY-er, then here’s what you need:

***an assortment of seashells

***different thicknesses of wire (you can get some at the hardware store or at a craft shop)

***pliers (to help bend the thicker wires. any old pair will do)

***a hammer & nail (to punch a hole in the shell, you place the nail in inner part of the shell. With one quick blow, you’ll make a hole. Careful for your fingers! Be forewarned that some shells will break this way 🙁 Be sure to have lots of extras!)

It was a bit fiddly to make the first one. I was ready to give up.
I ventured to make another a week later.  That’s when I got  hooked and made 4 in one go.

So now I have 5 of these sweet mermaid spoons.

Where to use them?

In the salt jar? hmmm, maybe not. I already have a cute wooden spoon there.

In the sugar bowl? YES! Good idea!

My mom made this sugar bowl  eons years ago.
(OK , I know, I know. White sugar is a “no-no” nowadays but I have the stuff around the house for a few of my friends who need the so-called-white-poison in their coffee or tea).

Anyone for some blackberry jelly &  freshly baked whole wheat bread & a cup of tea??? mmmmmm

This isn’t a story. So it doesn’t need an ending.
But just in case here are the 3 morals:

·Observe the tiny things in life. (seashells, smiles,  butterflies, free hugs)

·Nothing is perfect. Yet everything is perfect in it’s imperfection. (each seashell is uneven in shape, size and color. like my teeth. like my body. like my new website. )

·Enjoy the process. Savor the journey. Sure, the outcome is  important but if you don’t pay attention to the ride, you’re missing out. (making the seashell spoons was just as fun as seeing the end result. life rushes past too quickly. take each day one at a time. and don’t forget to smell the flowers. you don’t know if they’ll be around tomorrow.)

*Original seashell spoon idea seen on http://www.sweetpaulmag.com/crafts/seashell-spoons