Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings

(I like to include everyone.)

When you live in Florida along, or near the coast, most everyone seems to have a ‘Beachy Christmas’.  

What a unique experience that it is too!  To me Christmas is about nostalgia, traditions, making new ones, and remembering all those special people that are no longer with us.  I am more of a spiritual person than a religious one.  I think all religions are special.  Christmas isn’t just a Christian holiday I know several people that are not Christian yet celebrate with enthusiasm and enjoyment every year.  So join us as we fill this page with fun ‘Beachy’ ideas that will hopefully inspire you to do something similar or just to entertain you.  Whether it be a rustic theme or an elegant one, any look will do when it comes to enjoying a beachy Christmas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A Wreath with a Jewel Inserted into Driftwood, A Large Star Fish for a Tree Topper, and Painted Driftwood——————————————–Hand Woven Headpiece

Here I topped a handwoven headpiece that someone made in Hawaii to the top of our fish net.  Kind of my version of a halo.

Our Christmas Fish Net I always have some kind of fish nets for Christmas.  I think they are great to put gifts into.  Small ones, anyway.

——————————————Christmas on the Beach

Christmas tree made with seashells, pink hibiscus blooms on a handwoven mat.

Happy Beachy Christmas—————————————–

Beachy Christmas Gordon————————————

Showcase old photos for Christmas

Jingle Bell ShellsI Love Seashells at ChristmasThe jingle bell shells I glued all over an old hurricane lamp.————————————

 A beachy candelabra, a mermaid, some coral and some sea shells.  Oh, and a few star fish make Christmas just a little bit more special when you are at the beach, or at least, close by.

I picked up this lovely vintage pottery planter at a thrift store and added some sea shells and even a little present on top.  To the left are some giant barnacles that hold a lovely feather found on the beach.

A perfect beachy Christmas wreath.A cross made out of drift wood with a bit of sparkle from thrift store rhinestone buttons, some star fish, sea shells and some dried roses.  Very nice.—————————–    Sea Shell ‘Wrapping’ Paper

This isn’t actually wrapping paper but I am gluing scallop shells all over this box to simulate wrapping paper.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                First I wrapped the gift in some plain white paper.  Then I arranged a pattern on the box top with the shells.  As you can see I do have them angled in different directions.

I used my hot glue gun for this project.  I simply applied the glue around the edge of the scallop underneath, then placed it on the box to dry.

I did this all over the box.  Even on the bottom.  I didn’t want the box to sit flat, I wanted it to look a bit suspended.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Always remember to have a small bowl of water beside you whenever you work with hot glue.  I burn myself all the time.

Finished!

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Sailor Section

I love this sailor girl standing next to my

white milk glass vintage planter filled with 

sand and shells.

This is a vintage jar with a blue metal lid. 

I believe my mother bought it at an old seashell shop years ago.  It now houses some of my favorite things.

The sand in this old wine bottle I brought over from

Hawaii.  I applied some Hawaiian stickers to it, even

to the cork top, see below.   

The driftwood below I also picked up in Hawaii.

The coral is from Hawaii as well.

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Beachy Christmas Fun

Sometimes the Best Gifts in Life are Free

This is my brother Johnny, his partner Sabina and their daughter Vivien.  They live in Ireland.  They have been over here in America on vacation for Christmas, spending their time between here in Florida, and our birth home in Georgia. 

My Favorite Subject, Vivien

I wanted to give Johnny and Sabina the best gift that I could think of and I decided to give them the give of photography.  I have an excellent camera with the best lense and I am not such a bad photographer myself.  So my gift to them are these photos.  Actually, I took about 350 photos of them on the beach and most of them are wonderful!  Especially of Vivien.

We were on our beach in Indian Shores at sunset.  The lighting was PERFECT!

Throwing a Sand ‘Snowball’

I was very proud of all the photos.  I thought they turned out wonderful.

Sabina and Vivi

 

Vivien is a hard child to get to sit still.  So running around on the beach and being active is typically her.  Luckily, I have a camera that captured her personality. 

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Vivien Learns about Sparklers

What great memories that I was able to capture on film.

Beautiful Sabina, from the Czech Republic

Sabina and Johnny

Christmas Bubbly on the Beach

Our Green Star Fish Tree

Sunset

p.s.  I hope you loved all the photos.  I know that I enjoyed taking them.

————————————-Large Star Fish Tree Topper

Tropical flowers, Hibiscus, and a star fish look lovely here on top of the tree.

But for the bottom of the tree, a coconut, hibiscus flower, and a message in a bottle. 

Oh, it might just attract a crab. 

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On the Beach at Sunset

Why not try champagne on the beach at sunset?

Barefoot Champagne of Course

Beautiful Sunset

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A driftwood cross sitting in a driftwood log.  Lovely.

The beautiful hand crafted cabinet from India.  It just has that beachy weathered look to it.

      Red Paper Bag

Vintage “crown” cross on driftwood.

A little quiet spot in the windowsill.

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Because I spend so much time in the kitchen I wanted to make my kitchen as festive as possible for the Christmas holidays so I made this little corner, my elegant beachy Christmas. 

My feather tree, sea shells, pearls, shell roses and candles.  Also special sand dollars that I painted our names on, Julie and Gordon.

My little Buddah I bought in Hawaii looks nice here.

Gordon Sand Dollar

A wine glass Christmas

I love my Christmas in a glass.  Some sparkly “snow”.  In this case you could use sand though.  Some of my sea shells and a sea shell rose that I made.  Add some nice candles and you have quite a festive corner. 

None of these items are expensive.  But it all looks lovely together.  Create your own little ‘Kitchen Christmas’ in your home.———————————–More Touches in the Kitchen

My vintage milk glass cake stand with a vintage ivy milk glass bowl, some sea shells, orchids, lemons and some of my yellowed key limes.

Candles in Asian Tea Cups

I glued the Jingle Bell sea shells onto the hurricane lamp many years ago.  It is a favorite of mine to use for all occasions.  But I do think it goes very well. here.  Yet another corner in my kitchen for me to decorate and enjoy.————————————————————–

Driftwood CrossI love collecting driftwood and using it in many areas of decorating and crafting.  Here I glued two pieces of driftwood together to make the cross and then I glued a vintage button on it to add this little special touch.  I found this driftwood in Hawaii from when we lived there.

The Beachy TreeThis is just a small artificial tree that probably cost me about $5.00 a long while ago.  I did add some small little twinkling lights and some shells.  Underneath the tree I’ve added some driftwood, Spanish moss, shells and dried roses.  Oh, and  little knobby star fish.

Spanish moss makes a lovely tree skirt under the tree.Drift wood tall and small. 

I like a plain wrapping paper for the gifts so that the ‘stars’ of the show can shine through.  Such as the sea shells and star fish and any other elements that you chose.

Pretty things under the tree.

This is something of my homage to Mary.  I found this wooden Mary at a thrift store and came from a Catholic Church and I’ve added the little cross that I made along with a “Star”, as in a star fish.  Also a candle lights the way.

A sea shell topped present.  Who wouldn’t be thrilled to receive it?

It’s the little touches that count.

More Gifts

Handwoven baskets make an excellent ‘gift box’.  Accent with woven roses, ribbons and shells.  Or try some fish net, drift wood and feathers.

This  little bench is actually my son Brodie’s toy box that I bought for him before he was born in Hawaii.  It sits in front of our big window in our ‘nook’.  It also houses some of my crafts.

Very pretty and festive to look at.  I especially love all the tall driftwood.——————————————–