Beach Blues

The beach will always be my first choice for a summer vacation. The laid back attitude, the sights and smells of the ocean, collecting seashells, building castles in the sand (and the high tide which eventually washes them away), picnics under an umbrella, and swimming in the surf, are my fondest memories of vacations on the New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland seashores.


For those of us that don't have the luxury of homes by the sea, we can still bring the seashore inside by creating vignettes with beach related items or colors. Shells, corals, sand, postcards and souvenirs combined with whites, blues, and aquas can create a soothing and beautiful collage to remind us of beach vacations past.

This is an overview of the cabinet that I change out according to the season. For the remainder of the summer this will be decorated with a beach theme with items I've accumulated over the past few years.

I love vintage postcards of people vacationing at the seashore and have accumulated quite a few. Most are from Atlantic City and date to the early 1900's. I love the images of people in their beautiful clothing strolling up and down the boardwalk, and the swimming attire is such a contrast to today's beach fashions!!

This is a close-up of the bottom vignette with a vintage picture of a woman sitting on the Atlantic City boardwalk, I love the sailboat in the background! There is also some beach glass that I collected at Atlantic City a few years ago and a poem from Edna St. Vincent Millay:

Eel-Grass

No matter what I say,
All that I really love
Is the rain that flattens on the bay,
And the eel-grass in the cove;
The jingle-shells that lie and bleach
At the tide-line, and the trace
Of higher tides along the beach:
Nothing in this place.


I found this box of saltwater taffy at Fralinger's in Atlantic City. I fell in love with the ocean blue color and vintage graphic!

Wherever your vacation travels take you this year, remember to collect and save mementos from your trip to display in vignettes throughout the years!

Renee