Skip to main content

Beach, Bath... and Beyond





I don't have to tell you how special the beach is to our family. To remember those special times at that special place, we have some reminders on the walls (and shelves).

Our downstairs water closet (because it truly is that tiny) was my big remodeling project that I started last year. A light green "beach cottage" look is what I was after, and everyone seems to believe that we have achieved that.



I finally finished up some shadowboxes last week to display part of our beach collection. Now, before you get all excited thinking that we actually found all of these, let me calm you down and say, no. There's quite a collection of stuff in there, but we can't honestly claim that we picked up all of it ourselves off a beach.

The large sand dollars, the starfish and some larger shells are part of my mom's old collection of beach stuff that she had lying around her bathroom. (She is renovating hers, too; theme, if any, TBA.) We acquired a few beach pieces that way, which was fine to both of us.

There are polished rocks from my childhood days of owning a rock polishing drum. The machine only polished one set of rocks before the motor fried itself. (But, I still have the rocks!)

Then, there are countless shells from beaches in North Carolina, Florida, and the Eastern Shore peninsula, where we have visited as a family. There may even be a shell from Vancouver, where my hubby and I honeymooned. D#1 may have thrown in a shell or two from her ventures with her dad to Virginia's Tidewater region. Rather than get scientific or historic, we just went for artistic!



In the girls' bathroom, we have a small shadowbox with more shells and D#1's crablike creation from Kindergarten. And, a real sand dollar that you can touch!

Shadowboxes give such great punch because they allow you to go 3-D. Pictures of shells on the wall are nice, but when you can actually SEE a shell or TOUCH a sand dollar, doesn't that help put you ON the beach, at least in your mind?


* * *

I really think we bring these kinds of 3-D displays into our homes because we are so enamored with the creation outside our homes. Which would you rather enjoy: a picture of a bouquet of flowers on your wall or a vase full of fresh flowers on your counter? Granted, there are many beautiful floral paintings, but when given the choice of the "real thing," doesn't that excite your senses a little more?

In Isaiah, God speaks to His people, Israel, and to all of us, about things to come. And He doesn't say that there will be more words written down for us to display. He says the new things will spring forth.
This is His prophetic Word in which He tells us that His Son is coming. His Son, who was the Word made flesh....3-D! And this Word would spring forth, as if from a shadowbox...reaching out to us with something new, exciting, memorable, tangible, REAL.

He would not leave us in the shadows of darkness, but He would show us His creation, His purpose, His plan for us all along by springing forth with great light, that we might see and know and believe and love.

"I am the LORD, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,

Nor My praise to graven images.
"Behold, the former things have come to pass.
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you."


--Isaiah 42: 8&9

Comments

On Purpose said…
Your post today is an awesome...it reminds me just how real and personal God is to each one us!
Kelly said…
I loved this too. What a poignant illustration of the reality of God - in 3-D no less.

I'm glad your blogging again! I missed ya!
The Patterson 5 said…
God in 3 D through Jesus! I love that! What a wonderful illustration of God's love for us! He gave us something to touch and as mothers we understand how wonderful that is for our children and God knew we needed that too!

I love your bathroom especially the shadow boxes and the art you can touch!
Edie said…
I love that verse in Isaiah 42, and the message you so beautifully illustrated that we have a God who is Real, 3-D, and we can reach out touch Him. What a great follow-up to your previous post too... or maybe the previous post was a great segway. :D

Your bathroom turned out beautiful and you definitely captured the seagreen cottage beach look.

(Why do they make the word verification letters so difficult to read? It's the image that prevents the spam, not the legibility. Maybe this should be a Random Question.... naaawww) - I got it wrong, 2nd try.
KelliGirl said…
Sue,
Thanks for your comment on my blog. You are so right in that it is so easy to lose our way as a writer/blogger searching for the praise of man (and woman!).

Ah, the beach! I really enjoyed looking at your pictures. My friend and I had a beach day yesterday. Even though it was cloudy and cool, sitting in the sand by the ocean, chatting with a wonderful friend made it a perfect day!

In response to your question about wonders in God's creation, the ocean is definitely one of my favorites--and it looks like its one of yours too!

Blessings,
Kelli
KelliGirl said…
Great post title too!
My ADHD Me said…
You are so talented. I had some mementoes similar to these but could never get them into a nice arrangement. Eventually they got scattered and disappeared.

I remember my brother had one of those rock polishing machines. All I remember about it is that it was loud, he used it twice at the most and I was very jealous because he wouldn't let me use it.
Bonita said…
Shadowboxes! What a splendid idea for the myriad of shells we've collected over the years that are in various bags and boxes in the basement, closets, utility room etc... I bet I could use shadow boxes for a lot of other things too. Great idea!

Popular posts from this blog

On this Merry Christmas Night....

Merry Christmas, blog friends! I know you're wondering, "Did she finish painting her family room (finally....)??" (Nope!) * * * D oesn't this look like how our days are sometimes? Myriad things scattered about, unfinished. Trying to take a cozy, restful seat by the fire, but still that seat stays empty. We try to make things brighter, but the light strings don't quite have the power to make things clear for us. And we wonder how many coats it will take to cover up what had been there before, without splotches and unevenness. (Three may just be right--sigh....!) * * * We may have things unfinished. We may have "miscalculated" the use of our time. Or perhaps we were called away to other things for which we were needed, even if they weren't part of our plans. Even in our peaceful approach to Christmas, that seat of rest may be vacant. But the opportunity to "Be still...." doesn't always lie in a cozy sea

When I was 45....

I t was a very good year! (Yep, celebrating again! I hijacked my own blog--LOL!) The glass is half full, and things have never looked more browniful! Awesome day on tap.... sunshine, take-out barbecue for dinner, cake.... Thanks for celebrating with me! Enjoy.... ( Let it rise....One of my all-time favorite praise songs! )

Post #100

L ong before we bloggers celebrated our first 100 posts, the psalmists provided us with theirs. In recognition of my 100th, let's celebrate by looking at the Bible's "Post #100" (a.k.a., Psalm 100, A Psalm for Thanksgiving or Thank Offering): Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Surprisingly, there is no direct Hebrew translation for the English word 'joyful' as used in this verse in the King James Version. That leaves things a bit open to interpretation. My study Bible (NASB) says 'joyful' is "a shout of loyalty and homage." The dictionary defines 'joy' with the word rejoicing, meaning "to be made glad again." 'Noise,' however, does come with a Hebrew equivalent, meaning "to split the ears with sound," as in to shout, shout for joy. Lands implies all the earth, the nations, the world. We, those of all nations, are to present to the Lord, out of our loyalty and homage to Him, joyful shouts that