Coastline Treasures

Glass started becoming highly collectible beginning in the late 20^th century.  Some of the more common techniques used for producing glass  include; glass blowing, kiln-casting, fusing, slumping, pate-de-verre, flame working, hot sculpting and cold working.  Glass can be cut with a diamond saw or abrasives and polished to show off facets.  Acids, caustic, or abrasive substances can be used to etch into glass to create artful works.  In the 1920’s a new mould-etch process was invented using a mould so each cast piece was manufactured with the etched image already on the surface of the glass.

 With all these methods of working with glass it is no wonder we have such wonderful works of art.  No matter what method is used, beautiful creations are made; stained glass, glass sculptures, paperweights, vases, and more.  All these pieces of art can be purchased for a few dollars to thousands of dollars.  Everyone can add glass figurine art to their home or office in all shapes, sizes, designs and colors creating their own decorative statement.  Add artistic glass and enjoy.

Summer is just about here, the weather is warming and the days are getting longer.  We have more time to go outdoors and sit and relax after a day’s work.  How is your garden set up?  Do you have rooms or areas to relax?  As you walk though your garden are there places to stop and listen to the birds or just to sit and ponder for a moment?  Adding wooden garden furniture is a natural choice.  Wood works well with any décor and looks natural tucked into the garden.  Do you have an arbor?  Add a wooden chair to invite you to stay for awhile.  How about the shade tree?  It’s a perfect place to plant a wooden bench.  The more areas there are to sit the longer you will stay.

 Make these areas special.  Add a stool to encourage you to put your feet up and stay for while.  Adding some colorful pots with seasonal flowers will decorate these ‘rooms’ as will adding colorful cushions and throw pillows that you can sink into.  Adding wind chimes will create some music for your yard.  Do you like birds?  Add a birdhouse to encourage feathered friends to stay to enjoy your company.  Taking the time to create an enticing yard will give you hours of great pleasure.

First impressions are just that, your first impression.  When you meet someone what is it that you notice first?  The way they are dressed?  Their facial expressions?  Whether they are attractive?  Their physical appearance?  The way they greet you?  How do you quickly summarize your first impression of the person standing before you?  Once we get our first impression, the person has to work at changing our minds.  We need to watch them at different times and in different circumstances for us to readjust our perceptions.  People don’t even know what conclusions we have made about them.  We like to see some sort of welcome sign from the people we meet.

This is the same for your home.  What first impression does your home make?  How does its physical appearance look?  Is your grass cut?  Are the bushes trimmed?  Do you have flowers out front whether perennials or annuals?  Is the walkway clear of clutter such as bikes and toys?  What about the extras that give us a welcome sign?  Do you have potted plants framing the front door, a bench that says, ‘relax and slow down’, a water feature such as a fountain or pond?  What is the first impression that your house says to the people who come and visit?  Does your home say welcome?

When decorating you need to decide on what colors and feeling you want to evoke.  Is it soft and subtle or is it bold and dynamic?  Each of these looks will need different color schemes or at least different intensity of color.  Once the paint has dried, it is time to add furniture and accents.  Start by adding your larger items such as your couch and chairs.  Now you can see where to add accent tables, stools and lamps.  Get creative and find fun and interesting pieces that you will enjoy for years.  Feel free to mix it up a bit and add stripes with polka-a-dots.  It’s OK; just make sure that the fabrics carry a common color throughout.  A solid couch color will be enhanced when adding patterned throw pillows as accents.  A patterned chair will look great with a solid colored throw across the back.  At this point the larger items should be in place, now it is time to personalize your space.

The final touches on any room are your personal possessions; things that you love, things picked up on vacation or gifts received.  Don’t forget to add these items to table tops, mantles, shelves or walls.  Be sure that the items are size appropriate for where you are placing them.  A small figurine may feel lost on a large shelving unit but look wonderful on a side table.  Be sure that these accents compliment the desired look and not compete with it.  Have fun moving things around until you find just the right spot.  It will take a bit of patience and time to get your home décor just the way you want it.

As a kid I would go fishing with my dad.  He loved to get up in the early morning hours to catch the first fish of the day.  I wasn’t as eager as he was about getting the first fish or putting a worn on the hook.  We would get all our fishing gear together along with fresh worms and head for the dock.  I have to admit it was beautiful, calm and quite.  All you could hear were the birds singing, the breezes blowing and the lapping sounds of the water against the boat.  The vision of the sun rise and all its magnificent colors were breathtaking.   As we took the early morning ride to our fishing destination we would sit quietly taking in the sights.  While fishing we would visit, laugh, me squirming as I baited the hook, and dad trying to be patient while teaching me.  It didn’t matter, at least to me, if we caught anything or not, it was about spending time with my dad.

These were very precious moments spent together.  I often think of them fondly and find myself wanting a piece of that memory close at hand.  To recreate these memories I have added fishing home décor.  Whether I tuck a figurine on a shelf, hang decorative plates or wall décor, they all bring me sense of joy.   You too can bring back memories by adding home accents.

Have you ever seen whales migrate?  What a sight!  Living in southern California we are blessed with the migration of several different kinds of whales; Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales,  and sometimes Orca Whales also known as ‘Killer Whales’.  Each year whales will travel between 10,000 and 12,000 miles round trip from the warm waters of Mexico to give birth, to the cold waters of Alaska to feed.  Due to their near-shore migration route, we can easily watch their yearly migration.

 Along with seeing whales come the dolphin.  Some seen here are the Common, Bottlenose, Risso, Pacific White Sided and Dall’s Porpoise.  Dolphins love to play and jump above the ocean and surf the waves.  I remember a time when whale watching, this dolphin came from nowhere and started jumping the crests of the boat waves.  Next thing I knew, there were dolphin figurines all around the boat, jumping and playing with each other.  You couldn’t help but smile and laugh while watching their antics. You could see that they were having so much fun!  If you ever have a chance to go whale and dolphin watching, I would highly recommend it!

I remember our trip to San Francisco when my children were young.  The sounds, smells, street entertainers, the sea lions, China Town; there was so much to see and do in this beautiful hillside city.  Trying to decide what to see first, we walked along Fisherman’s Wharf.  To my surprise, there they were; huge ships from the 1800’s on their own pier.  As we got closer, I discovered that it was the San Francisco Maritime National Park.

 Here there were a half dozen or so ships from yesteryear.  Dating from 1886 to 1914 were real ships that had been used and restored.  There was a square-rigger, schooners, steam ferryboat, steam tug, and a paddlewheel tug.  We had a blast as the kids went running from ship to ship to walk aboard and explore.  The seaman that sailed these vessels had to have been brave to cross the seas in them.  Seeing these wooden model ships was such a wonderful surprise. 

 With spring here and summer on its way, it is time to take a good look outdoors.  Has it been a while since you took a stroll through your yard?  Take a moment and look, really look. What plants need trimming?  Which ones need to be replaced?  What about the grass?  Now is the time to trim, feed, replace plants, check sprinklers or irrigation systems. 

 Use your imagination.  What else can you do to enhance your yard for summer enjoyment?  What about a fresh coat of paint on the settee?  Add a few decorative pots with water wise plants?  How about some metal yard art to add a dash of fun?  Taking the time to add a few extras will really go a long way in making that outdoor summer BBQ more enjoyable.  The weather is nice so get outdoors and enjoy.

When it comes to decorating, most people tend to address the horizontal space (the furniture, accessories, and objects on the floor) before the vertical space (walls and ceiling).  But as the surfaces others will associate most with the room upon remembrance, the walls and ceiling are an important element.  The color of the walls and the various pieces of art or objects placed upon them set the tone for the space.  Creating a unique indoor space begins with addressing the color of the walls.  While the choice of color is up to the owner, it’s important to paint the color on the walls prior to committing, and make sure it is the desired color upon drying; often paint colors look much different when dried than when in liquid form.  Once a color for the walls has been picked out, address the wall art.  Consider pictures, posters, decorative wall plates or plaques, and even rugs.  These objects can do much to frame pieces of furniture and accessories in the vicinity.

Once a successful wall layout has been developed, decorating the rest of the room becomes much easier for the owner.  There’s nothing that makes a room more inviting than having a rich color on the walls and a lot of creative wall art and décor.