Sea Glass Inspired Bedroom Style

An escape to the shore - there is nothing quite like the look and feel of sea glass! Tumbled pieces in shades of cobalt blue, aqua and green, if you are lucky to find those coveted colors when walking on the beach.  

Searching for sea glass is truly a "zen-like" experience for me, and has been my whole life.   It's one thing that I can do to reset my mental clock and feel sane again to tackle the rest of life. Collecting these little jewels of the sea have become a little bit of an obsession... 

We've curated a fun collection of ideas to decorate your coastal bedroom with a sea glass feel, to instantly create that retreat style right in your own home - any time of the year, not just for a vacation holiday.  Enjoy!

Modern Ikat Sea Glass Bedding - Comes with ALL of the pieces; Comforter, Shams, Euro Shams and  3 Decorative Pillows

Miramar Bedding

Add some sea sparkle with our new Hand Beaded Pillows...

Ocean Beaded Pillow - Love these!

Beach Beaded Pillow

Manchester Cover Tumbled Glass Lamp

 Sea Horse Coastal Collage Wall Art

Shell Coastal Collage Wall Art

Laval Frosted Turquoise Glass Lamp

Add a gorgeous Sea Glass Mirror!  (love, love, love this Currey and Co. Arista Mirror from our store)

 Sea-Washed Glass Bottles for a finishing touch!

Come see the Sea Glass Collection for more inspiration 

to create your new summer coastal bedroom look. 

Sea Glass Heaven

Really, this place does exist!  I have been hearing about Glass Beach in Fort Bragg for years, and have always wanted to go explore, but never had it on our travel agenda. We almost made it last fall on our trip up to Point Arena, but did not realize how close Fort Bragg was and we didn't make the drive farther north up the coast.

This year, I turned the dreaded 50,  and was not too excited or thrilled about the whole ordeal. Tom to the rescue - he planned a fantastic birthday surprise weekend to celebrate!  Actually, I had no idea where we were even headed until he handed me the agenda when we hopped in the Mini-Cooper and headed North. (He was pretty cute - had the whole thing planned and the agenda all printed out!)

Decided that we might as well take advantage of our fabulous hotel room at the North Cliff Inn,

perched on the cliff overlooking the harbor entrance and the jetty in Fort Bragg.  Sunset on our deck with a glass of wine... heaven.  P.S. This was a great place to stay for us, jetted tub and gas fireplace in our room, plus a spectacular view!

On Sunday morning, we grabbed cameras, my beach boots, and a few bags to take home treasures, in case we found anything.  OH MI - do you think we found anything?  Honestly, I had no idea of what we would find when we got down to Glass Beach.... It's difficult to even accurately describe what it really looked like.  I hope you can all see from the pics!

Instead of sand or pebbles, the tumbled sea glass covers every inch of the beach.  

In some places, it is 6-7 inches deep! 

Absolutely crazy!

 Needless to say, I was a very very happy birthday girl! 

Here's a peek at my stash! 

How to get to Glass Beach? Luckily my good friend Bev Jacquement, author of "The Sea Glass Rush" was incredibly generous with directions and tips about which section of the beach to go to, and how to climb down from the rocks to the beach.

"Go over Golden Gate Bridge & turn left on Hwy 20 at Willits. The Jack-In-The-Box is on the left corner. Stop for bathroom break, get food to go & head towards the sea! The road is twisty. Lots of pull outs, use them as the locals drive it fast. When you get to Hwy 1, turn right. Go through town, turn left on Elm, at the Denny's. You will end at Glass Beach Drive. Park. Take the path & when you can turn to the left, do that. Do not go to the right & do not go straight. If you walk all the way to the end, that is not the best way down to the beach. Back up a little & there is a better way."



Tips for Success:
1. Good Shoes or Hiking Boots (or rubber boots)
2. Backpack with water and snacks
3. Maybe a tiny potting rake or shovel to sift through all of the pretty tumbled pieces
3. Wear pants as you will be scrambling up and down rocks
3. Camera - I personally am a fan of my new "Tough" Olympus camera as I have now trashed 2 cameras in the sand
4. Baggies to take home treasure!

Not to be Missed - Josie Iselin and "Dr. Beachcomb" Book Event in Poulsbo!

I wish I was going to be home next week on the Kitsap Peninsula to have the opportunity to see my friend, author and photographer Josie Iselin, speak at Liberty Bay Books in downtown Poulsbo.  Josie will read and present images from her recently published Sea Glass Hearts,  and from her newest project: An Ocean Garden: The Hidden Romance of Seaweed.

"On rare occasions, sea glass takes the shape of a heart, the universal symbol of love. In Sea Glass Hearts, Iselin assembles an inspiring collection of these precious objects that are free for the taking—if you are lucky enough to find them!"

(As you probably can guess, I am a huge fan and do have my autographed copy!)

And lucky beach treasure hunters - Josie will be bringing Dr. Beachcomb, Deacon Ritterbush, with her! She will present her latest book, Connecting to Nature Through Beachcombing. She will discuss the relationship of beachcombing to “willing stewardship” and how it can serve as a portal into shoreline conservation, science and history.  (image courtesy of Dr. Beachcomb's Facebook page)

When: Monday, March 4, 2013

Where: Liberty Bay Books

18881 D Front St.

Poulsbo, WA   98370

Time: 6:30 PM

Contact the bookstore if you need directions or any other information.  

Phone: 360-779-5909

E-Mail: libertybaybooks@embarqmail.com

This should be a really fun event! Don't forget to bring your favorite beach treasures (sea glass, flotsam and jetsam) with you to share your adventures with Josie and Deacon Ritterbush.

(image courtesy of Josie Iselin)

Signed, autographed copies of Josie Iselin's and Dr. Beachcomb's books will be available for purchase at the event.  If you are not able to attend the book event,  Liberty Bay Books should still have some available copies available for purchase.  Just let them know!

Sunflowers and Blue Willow... A late summer Coastal Tablescape

We are so lucky to live in California where we have foggy mornings and sunlit days, and we can hang onto every little bit of summer before we really have a "fall" season.  I was inspired  by all of the gorgeous bunches of sunflowers that are so abundant at roadside stands, our coastside farmer's markets and in our local grocery stores.   Could not resist picking up a bright happy bunch at Trader Joe's!

Then I got to thinking about how pretty they would look with my grandmother's blue willow dishes.... Maybe a late summer tea party setting? 

Step One: Find all of the pieces of Blue Willow.  I packed it up when I moved to California a few years ago, now where did I put the boxes?

Step Two: Sort through my vast collection of sea glass and shells to come up with some pieces that would match my color scheme.  Truly - you would never believe how many pieces of cobalt blue and amber pieces of sea glass I found!

Step Three: Let imagination be my guide.

Blue and amber sea glass mixed with white shells in my sunflower vase.
Vase found at Ikea - set of 3 for less than $15.00

I mixed in some pretty yellow sunflower shaped glass salad plates that I snapped up at Homegoods. Tablecloth is my favorite - $1.49 at Goodwill in Seattle about 10 years ago!  Blue Willow and antique silverware are inherited.

Do you remember my cottage boat rental sign?  

Found at the Fremont Flea Market in Seattle earlier this summer!

This was fun.  I was so glad to see all of those vintage Blue Willow pieces unpacked, they were just hiding in my extra closet waiting for an opportunity to come out and play.  

Have a great weekend everyone!  

A Sea Glass Winner!

Thank you to everyone that entered our "Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook" giveaway.  We had so many wonderful stories on the blog, and on our Facebook page - I wish that I could send everyone one of these fun little books!

Vicki is our Winner!  If you haven't had a chance to read her blog - make sure to stop by "2 Bags Full....",  Adventures  in travel, knitting, and blessings in every day life!  

" I love sea glass- am totally obsessed with finding sea glass treasures. My favorite find- a secluded little beach in Bermuda- totally covered with sea glass! I'd love to win this book!"

I borrowed Vicki's photo (to the left)  from her blog post that she wrote about her travels to an incredible sea glass beach in Bermuda.  "Washed by the Sea"   Her story is a must read for sea glass hunters and fans!  You will be simply amazed at the sea glass covering the beach, and you might be more than a little envious.   I know that I am...

The "Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook" can be ordered for 20% off at Liberty Bay Books if you don't already have your copy. Ships within a few days right to your house.  

Thanks again!!! 

Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook - A Giveaway!

Oh! A new sea glass hunter's guide to finding elusive sea glass.... Imagine my surprise when my friend Suzanne, at Liberty Bay Books,  gave me a copy of the new  "Sea Glass Hunters's Handbook"  last week when we were in the Pacific Northwest.  It's now been added to my "Beach Reads" on the Liberty Bay Books website!

I like this book so much, that I thought more sea glass fans should know about it too!  I also thought it would be fun to have a give-a-way contest to share a copy with our blog readers.

As you all probably know, I am a sea glass fiend.  I hate to admit that I don't have a clue about its' origins or any of its' history.

This new Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook is a fun guide, perfect for those of us collectors wanting to know just a little bit more!   Some of my favorite pages in the book are quotes and stories from other sea glass collectors about their favorite finds. Many of whom I have met on Facebook and on Twitter. (Sharon Sand, Tami Ewing, and Melinda Vahradian)

There is a section on beaches around the world to find sea glass - by no means complete, but there are some great locations, and hopefully a beach near you.  (I know that there are a few near me!)

The handy "lexicon" for us sea glass obsessed beach combers, is also a fun chapter.  I had no idea that there were so many words to describe sea glass hunting and beach combing!  Did you?
Some of my favorites;

*"Clinkers, Clunkers: fragments that need to be thrown back into the ocean"
*"Flotsam: odds and ends, usually from wreckage or cargo spill, that float on water; not to be confused with jetsam"

The online recommendations guide compiled by the author, C.S. Lambert,  is also a great resource.  She has included some of my favorite networking sites to connect with other sea glass lovers.  Here are a few of the examples that are included:
*www.northeastseaglassociety.ning.com
*www.seaglassassociation.org

I would love to share a copy with one lucky give-a-way winner!  

The rules - 3 ways to enter:

1.  Leave me a comment about your favorite sea glass find  - 

Don't worry,  you will NOT have to reveal your secret sea glass beach!

2. Join our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/caronsbeachhouse;
and post a pic of your favorite sea glass find on our wall

3. If you are not a follower of Everything Coastal, join our page, +

let  me know that you are a new follower.

*PLEASE make sure that we have your correct e-mail
*contest ends September 10, 2011  at midnight, and the winner will be chosen by random.org

Good-Luck. And wishing you especially good-luck with your sea glass hunting!

Hope you enjoy some of my sea glass adventures....

 I might even tell you where I found the pieces if you ask nice!