BEACHY BOTTLES & SUMMER VIGNETTE

Re-sharing a simple DIY project I posted two years ago, perfect for summer: Make Your Own Beachy Bottles and displaying them in a summery vignette. Uncork your imagination: Recycle those empty wine bottles into summer coastal decor treasures with some items you probably already have. All you need is  latex or even acrylic paint in Caribbean blue, seafoam green, or any shade of white, water, old mixing bowls, mixing sticks, a funnel and old cookie sheets. After you've already soaked & removed labels from your (wine) bottle collection, play around mixing the bottles into some of your beachy decor for coastal vignettes. If you plan ahead where your bottles are going, then you'll know how many of which color you'll need & where. This is a wonderful way to bring the beach to you, no matter where you're located. Read how to details at: http://nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com/2011/05/myo-beachy-bottles-for-seaside-style.html

 

 

 

LOVE this seafoam palette - Perfect for summer, no matter where you are...

 

After the bottles dry, you're ready to style your vignette...

 

Color block book stacks for impact. 

Roll up a pashmina for an extra layer of color. Fresh cut palm fronds always add to a tropical feel - if no palms near by, use fresh cut branches with leaves or go faux from a local craft store (like Michael's). Wooden bowls (fun to collect at thrift stores) can display stones, shells, or foreign coins...

 

 Tie shell necklaces collected from travels around bottle necks - If you don't have any, check your local thrift store. Starfish can make for fun bottle topper finials. Add height to your coastal vignette with tall dried grass in a cylinder plus book stacks - flip dust jackets to create an all white stack. 

Happy Summer!

Thanks for stopping by...

DECORATING WITH STARFISH

Somewhere between the months of April to July, I get into a coastal state of mind. When I do, I like decorating with starfish I've collected from our travels. As I was taking them down this year, to pack up and put away for next Summer, I thought I'd share some places I've used starfish in our home. If you live near a coast or enjoy a coastal look all year long, starfish are a great choice to use. They can be strung as a garland, painted and hung as wall art, add texture to a tablescape, or even jazz up your bottles or vases...

I spotted these two pretty pics of starfish decor, but it was before I started pinning...

Recently, while pinning, I did spot this beautiful starfish wall art pinned by Caron White...

For more of Caron's Coastal pins, check out her boards on Pinterest.

When I pack up my shells & starfish, I usually use Ziploc bags for the small clusters of shells, and wrap others in newspaper, and stack stars in between. I store them in plastic totes out in the garage... until next summer season.

Living in South Florida, you'd think I'd have shells and starfish out all the time... But I guess because I come from up north, I like to recreate the seasons in our home with decor and color, since it's pretty season-less outside. The one coastal treasure I do like to keep out year round is coral - because of its organic detail.

What are some ways you decorate with starfish?

Bye-Bye Summer... Autumn is knocking at the door :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

LINKING POST WITH:

The DIY Showoff - Project Parade

Under The Table and Dreaaming - Sunday Showcase

Between Naps On The Posrch - Metamorphosis Monday



Coastal Cottage Moodboard Challenge Wrap-Up

Even though many of us are packing up our summer details to get ready for Fall, many people still love, live, and admire Coastal Cottage style! And most recently, I was invited to participate in a collaboration with six other bloggers and Olioboard, to create roomboards representing our take on Coastal Cottage style. We each selected a room, and it's interesting to see how an entire home could be created from the looks we styled. Here are the bloggers, their boards, and my boards too:

The Coastal Cottage Studio / Library

Roomboards by (me!) Lynda - blog author of

FOCAL POINT

I had imagined the studio was for either a fashion designer or for a painter. I really enjoy the flexibility for creativity Olioboard offers - so I made two boards. Your can read more about the details for them at my Coastal Cottage Challenge post. Click link below each board to read aboiut each bloggers board as well...

The Coastal Cottage Home office

Roomboard by Lindsay - blog author of

Living With Lindsay

The Coastal Cottage Bedroom

Roomboard by Kristi - blog author of

Addicted To Decorating

The Coastal Cottage Dining Room

Roomboard by Shannon - blog author of

What's Up Whimsy!

The Coastal Cottage Living Room

Roomboard by Rhoda - blog author of

Southern Hospitality

The Coastal Cottage Front Porch

Roomboard by Rachel - Online Editor at

Fresh Home Ideas Magazine

The final board is being posted today at the Olioboard blog

The Coastal Cottage Kitchen

Roomboard by Sheilah - Co-Founder of

Olioboard and Olioboard's blog author

It was a fun collaboration of bloggers, and getting to see every one's different perspective and spin on Coastal Cottage style. I hope seeing all their boards helped inspired you to head over to Olioboard to design a roomboard of your own. You can use it to pull together your thoughts for autumn or holiday decorating, a room makeover, or even use Olioboard to plan your next tablescape or party event.

 Are you already using Olioboard? What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

SUMMER COOL DOWN: BLUE & WHITE COASTAL TABLESCAPE

While 'speed-styling' some red white and blue tablescapes last Thursday, I came up with two summery styles (without the red). The crisp blue and white combo is sure to refresh these HOT summer days and nights. Again, most items I used were existing: Everyday white dishes paired with simple details. The inspiration not only came from the table cover print (which is actually a repurposed shower curtain I got at HomeGoods), but from using frozen blueberries as beverage chillers...

 

Styled with two shades of simple blue dessert plates... The stripe bowls added a playful pattern mix and really help to give new life to everyday white dishes. Although I do not have blue stemware, the blueberries in the wine glasses  added just enough blue to the glass. Two white table runners placed across width of table connect the guests, break the pattern on the table, and pop the placesetting...

Then came this more coastal look, using the flat seashells I just picked up while we were in Key West...

 

 

Pottery Barn blue chargers: HomeGoods for $4 found back in January

Indigo printed napkins: Pier 1 (2 yrs. ago at $1.50 ea.)

White & blue stripe bowls: Dollar store - last week

Indigo dessert plate: clearance at Pier 1 LY

Denim blue dessert plate: Macy's clearance 2007

Printed tablecover: (never used shower curtain) HomeGoods LY

White Chair Covers: (actually pillowcases) HomeGoods 2007

Glass pillar holders: Ross $12 for both LY

Skinny starfish: bag of 15 from ZGallerie 2008

Red wine glass: (w/blueberries) HomeGoods 2006

White linen runners: HomeGoods 2006

Wine glasses: Linens & Things 2005

Metal tea-light stands: Walmart back in 2003

Post Update:

Shared post on the HomeGoods Happy By Design board on Pinterest.

Other Details:

Large starfish: Bahamas trip souvenir (and painted white): 2005

Flat seashell as dish: Key West souvenir: Shell Warehouse - Mallory Square: 2010

Blueberries: 2 pks. for $3 (only used 1 pk. for 4 glasses)- Publix (FL grocery store)

It was a fun afternoon - speed-styling - creating about seven different tablescapes and photos from 1pm until about 5pm... Then the dreaded cleanup afterwards... good thing hubs was working late that night!

 

Tablestyling Tip Takeaways: 

1. Shop your own home for your tablescape color story

2. Use everyday pieces in new ways - for example: a fabric shower curtain can add pattern as a table cover.

3. Layer your tablescape and connect people using bands of table runners.

4. Give a different look to everyday chairs repurposing pillow-cases as chair back slip covers.

5. Personalize your tablescape with your own travel treasures.

6. En lieu of ice cubes, freeze berries to use as chillers.

And now off to bid farewell to the turquoise dining room wall... pull out last years blue paints, mix in some black and white, and see if I can make my own inky-blue concoction!

Hope you've been inspired...

Have a great day!

SHARED LINK AT:

HAPPY BY DESIGN

HOMEGOODS on PINTEREST

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH

DIY - BEACH EDITION

A SOFT PLACE TO LAND