Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Creation Inspired Design


Early one morning last week my feet took a detour from ordinary life to dig toes into sand, slosh through gentle waves at the shoreline and bask in the early morning ambiance that can only be found oceanside.



Someone was out on their boat enjoying the sparkle of daybreak from the other side of the shoreline. 

Lucky. 

However, I suppose I'm pretty lucky as well to have this scene a short drive from home.


Seafoam was plentiful, but only for seconds at a time. It evaporates almost as quickly as the waves churn it out. 

It's inviting like soft, fluffy pillows of comfort. 


The fishermen look fairly close, but no, that's my zoom lens working for me. They were just specks to my naked eye. Don't worry, nothing else was even close to naked. I don't don a bathing suit these days, I wear shorts since I just come to walk around, hunt for sea glass and a moment.

I sometimes find sea glass. I always find a moment

The moment on this day was found amongst the salt spray and gulls, the scents and the sounds, the sun on my face and the cool April breeze in my hair and the sand that hitched a ride all the way home with me on my feet.

I combed the sand and seaweed with my eyes just to see what might have come ashore with it. Many odds and ends had been ensnared by those grabby tentacles as the seaweed tossed it's way about the tide, only to be stranded ashore eventually.



Driftwood and numerous odd plastic bits and pieces were caught in the seaweed's clutches.


Surely somewhere in the midst of the motley tangle of sea grasses there had to be treasure of some kind. If only I'd had the gumption to really pick through it with more than my eyes, who knows what might lie in wait of discovery there.

No thank you. Sometimes what lies in wait is less than the kind of thing you want to see or touch.
I moved on.


I saw this lying about. Hmmm...I'm not very good with bone identification. Any ideas as to the origins of such a thing? Intriguing.


There was a nice pile of shells begging for discovery. 
A few caught my eye and found their way home via my pocket.


The rays sparkled off the gentle waves and a cool breeze offered a salty sense of a promising day. The beach is good for that sort of thing...the setting right of a mind gone off the rails. 

As always when I leave, I think... I should do that more often

One way to hold onto the sensation of moments at the beach is to infuse its design style into your home.

Creation sparks a fresh state of mind, and it can also speak to our design sense as well.

The cool and warm, smooth and scruffy, tone on tone, gradience of color,


the gritty, the glossy...
 ...the shimmer, the light...it has it all! Makes me want to go home and clean my windows to get some of this sparkle for my own.

Icy cool...

...and sandy warm.
 Curves and contrast, sleek lines and gentle contours.

Comfort and balance with whimsical accents that remind the eye to pause and smile.


Highs and lows, shadows and showy artwork. 

A little happy drama for the soul.
An eclectic blend of style that's always changing. It's traditional to be sure, but the shoreline offers clean modern lines that give our eyes and our hearts a rest. The activity there also provides a sense of purpose.

God's gift of creation calls me to mimic the beauty that came about by the power of His Word and his outstretched hand. It's a mighty force, His creation. I'm in awe, and I drag bits and pieces of it home to infuse my inner world with the charm, comfort and grandeur of this outdoor oasis.


Like an intriguing place that draws you in.

 The weathered wood, the colorful glass, the fronds and driftwood, the hues of the sea...

...are all inspired by the design found at the water's edge.

A nod to the calm evoked during moments spent under the spell of the ocean

We can be style scavengers.

There are other scavengers on the beach besides me...only they don't have a houseful of their found treasure to deal with later. They take just what they need for the moment. 

I could take a cue. 

I could also learn to stop by often and soak up the creative genius that God provides at the shoreline. 

The inspiration is free.

Where do you find your design inspiration?


I'll be sharing at these stylish parties this week:

 
 mop it up mondays




Thursday Favorite ThingsFunky Junk's Saturday Nite Special


Furniture Feature FridaysFrench Country CottagePhotobucket



 
Adorned From Above  
     
     





Ivy and Elephants




20 comments:

  1. love your pics, liz:) what a wonderful place to be able to visit--i'd go every morning--if i only could!

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  2. Liz,
    This was a beautiful post. It is getting me excited to take my trip down to Florida in a few weeks. Ahhh the smell of the sea and the breezes. I can't wait to walk the shores and hunt for sea shell treasures. Beautiful post.
    Kris

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  3. I love things that wash up on the beach - driftwood, beach glass, etc. I love the soft edges and texture tumbling in the ocean gives them. Your photos are lovely, Liz.
    -Revi

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  4. Hi Liz! Beautiful photos!!!!You are so lucky to find these treasures on the shore!!!!!!
    Kisses!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. I would love to have a pile of driftwood! Maybe I should have you send me a boxfull!

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  6. I could smell the salt air in this post.
    Bliss

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  7. beautiful! I love the beach, the smell, the sand, the water

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  8. Thanks for the trip to the beach! Gorgeous photos. I love the sandpipers.
    I don't know what kind of bone it is...I just hope you didn't stumble across some evidence. ;)
    There's nothing like taking some time for yourself to just be. I feel like I went along. Loved it.

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  9. Great beach photos. It was a different sort of hunt today. Not for junk but for treasures washed up from the sea. Love your room with the stepladder accent.

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  10. Oh Liz! I just love this post....what a blessing to live so close to such a beautiful beach! I love the beach....it's one place on Earth that always brings such peace...:) The sound, the breezes, the water dancing across my feet....pure bliss! I love the way you incorporate it into your home as well...so pretty! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

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  11. Gorgeous place to just forget about everything and soak in the beauty nature has to offer. :)

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  12. Such a calming post. Reminders of God's strength and wisdom. Love your photos.

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  13. I would give up rusty and crusty junk if I lived a few blocks from this beach! Your words are as beautiful as the photography is. I love the photo of the spray off the breakers. I hope you took the bone home. I have always found you can sit on a beach, even one that is crowded, and be totally by yourself. Lost in the sounds, the smells, and the breeze.

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  14. How fortunate you are Liz to live near the shore. I’ve always enjoyed my time at the beach. Inspiration all around, the light, water, and moonlight. Your photos are lovely and I’ve enjoyed my walk with you. Thanks for the talk and stroll...........

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

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  15. Wow!! What amazing pics Liz!! Thanx so much for sharing everything at THT. Hope your week is going well!

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  16. This is one of the best posts I've read in a long time Liz - spectacular photos - beautiful words -
    I needed me some beach today - thanks :)
    XOX

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  17. Made me long for the beach! I'm only 4 miles away...about 10 minutes but I haven't gone down yet this year!! I especially love to go before school gets out....take a book, a cup of coffee, early in the morning.....wonderful! Great pics!!!

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  18. Liz, I love how you bring the inspiration that you feel at the beach into your beautiful home! Lucky you to live so close. I have never seen so many shells all together like that. Oh how I wish I had my toes in that sand! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  19. Liz, I miss living close to the beach! Love this post and your wonderful pictures. Thanks for linking to the Open House party.
    xx,
    Sherry

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  20. Featuring this today at the Home Sweet Home Party!
    Sherry

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