The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. And that is just another reason to love WP!
Check out the stats … And thanks to my readers for making 2011 a great year!
(Then go find your reveiw.) Continue reading
Image by sarah sosiak via Flickr
The Helmet seashells can be Kings or Queens, but surprisingly, the Queen Helmet (photo at Flickr) is larger. It’s scientific name is Cassis madagascariensis, which includes the word “madagascar”, the name given over 100 years ago when it was thought (incorrectly) that the shell was found on the island of Madagascar.
It is not easy to find a Queen Helmet, which is also known as an Emperor Helmet, as the populations are low, but it lives in shallow sandy water and on coral reefs to 30 feet deep. In Florida, it is most often found on the eastern coastline from mid-state to throughout the Florida Keys, but it may also be found from the North Carolina coast to the West Indies. (In Florida, the King Helmet can only be found in the Keys, and it is more brown colored and usually smaller.) They like to eat sea urchins and sand dollars.
The shell can be 12-14 inches long and has a wide opening that looks like a big, crazy grin with teeth no less! Not real teeth, but markings resembling teeth. The shell is stocky and heavy and light colored except for the opening (aperture) which is caramel tan. The spire (pointed part) is flattened, which gives it its chunky appearance.
Bouquet and Boutonniere
While researching tropical bouquets for my Sandpiper Wedding site, I came across a most beautiful craft idea for brides to carry. I’d seen bouquets with starfish and seashells added among the flowers for a beach wedding theme, but had never seen an entire bouquet of seashells! And they are quite lovely. I found a few people at Etsy who made them, and then found this one site – Romantic Flowers – by Kimberly Aurora, and its full of beautiful seashell bouquets.
This bridal bouquet (pictured) is so pretty with the starfish and sundial shells, and it includes a little boutonniere to match. (Kimberly kindly gave me permission to use her photo).
Just another example of what crafty and talented people are doing with seashells! I’m impressed.
I recently
wrote an article about Sailors’ Valentines and learned a lot about this shell art that is making a resurgence in popularity with collectors.
The Sailors’ Valentine was popular in the mid- 1800′s when after long sea journeys, men would come home with gift boxes filled with intricate seashell designs. Sometimes they would have a photo in the center and often a romantic message would be included using small shells to spell it out. Continue reading
What do you do with the seashells you
collect? Finding pretty shells on the beach is fun, but then what? Do you take them home and clean them for display or use them to make crafty items?
Beach shells can sit alone as a decorative accent in the bathroom, on the fireplace mantle, or on the kitchen window sill. They are good reminders of a fun vacation or trip to the ocean.
Seashells are useful as q-tip holders and nightlights (I have a couple) and even planters. Years ago the Calusa Indians in Florida used them as soup bowls and digging tools. Seashells were so plentiful in Florida and other places that they became a source of currency. The cowry shell was used most often as money, but other types of shells were used according to what was available.
Beach Wedding Blog Posts
