Beach Shabby Chic Clock

One of my New Year's resolutions was to create a video of one of my projects in hopes of continuing to do more videos. Be kind, this is my first video and I know I need work ,but I did it!




Very Coastal Very Bohemian

Driftwood Anchor

Pinterest provided the inspiration for this driftwood anchor.






I found the background wood thrown in the trash around the street from my house.It was an old top to a table that had broken. I knew it would provide the perfect backdrop for something I was up to.

Of course ,I happened to have the right pieces of driftwood hanging around my house to pull off this project.


I used a nail gun to attach the the wood and the rope. It was real quick and easy and done in 5-10 min.


Very Coastal Very BohemianWith love and gratitude,

Michele

Remember the anchor's in your life. They help keep you safe in rough waters, they keep you grounded. Or maybe you need to remember you are the anchor in someone's life and that's an all important role.The boat is nothing without it's anchor.


Michele Michael 

Driftwood Embellished Night Stand Beach Shabby

Driftwood again. And why not? 

Found this lonely, old girl cast to the side of the road while doing errands one day.

Painted her white with some chalk paint to freshen her up and get my brain chugging away at some inspiration.

Next, I dry brushed her with some grey and then some copper. 

Dry brush is simply a paint brush dipped into paint and then almost all that paint is removed from the brush. Remove almost all of the paint using newspaper or cloth or paper towels. Just run the brush back and forth until there is very little to no paint left on the brush.  Then gently brush the furniture and it will pick up the grain of the piece.

She sat around for a while until I took some driftwood and started to nail it around her. I used my pneumatic nailer. Suddenly, she was  like a little princess, or Cinderella coming into her own. Hahaha...I crack myself up. I'm ridiculously attached to my projects and my driftwood.

Digging around in my hardware draw I found her a little bling and attached this vintage crystal knob.

She was really becoming beach shabby. 

I finished her off with a vintage pink lamp and lace. 

Creating beach shabby  is a challenge but I think this is Very Coastal, Very Bohemian,Very Beachy, and  Very Shabby.

Hope you bring some more driftwood into your home. Please feel free to share your driftwood creations. I'd love to see them and share them.

Michele Michael 

Coastal Bohemian 

coastalbohemian@gmail.com

Beach Cleanup / Treasure Hunt / Scavanger Hunt

Years ago, we use to volunteer to clean the Town of Babylon beaches with the American Littoral Society every September. It started out as a Scout event but we eventually grew it to include much of the community.
One year we decided to make it a little interesting and see who would get bragging rights by bringing in the most amount of garbage in pounds. We added a few bonus point finds like tires and bottles. It became very interesting  to see such a  complete variety of  treasures make their way back to weigh in.
This gave me the idea to have a beach cleanup/scavenger hunt with my children and their friends and their parents.

Below is a check list of items to help you get started putting together your own scavenger hunt /beach clean up.

Printable List

I hope you have as much fun as we did back then .
The American Littoral Society is always looking for beach clean up Captains. Follow the link above and see who the captain is in your area. Join the clean up or start your own by becoming a Captain. Very Coastal. Very Bohemian. Very Environmentally Clean.
Michele Michael

Find me partying here all week, at these link parties, with some great bloggers.

If you are in Myrtle Beach come on down and visit us at the Coastal Bohemian Studio or Follow us out on Facebook, Pinterest , Instagram,Linkedin,  Bloglovin or Etsy .


coastalbohemian@gmail.com
www.coastalbohemian.net

Upcycled beachy plant stand /cake stand/ side table

I stole this idea from Pinterest. There, I said it. Of couse, I added  a  little coastal flair so really it's my idea.



1 tall vase (this is 20" tall)
 +
1 large plate preferrably a platter size (you could probably even pull off a plastic plate from a dollar      store)
+
 clear silicone(caulking)
+
seashells pearls, and driftwood
=

Add some weight to the top plate after caulking to ensure a tight adhesion. Make sure to let the caulk dry real well.  I had to let this dry for two full days but it may have been the humidity.

I hope you take time to make this easy project. You can tailor it to your style with rocks , pennies, sand or legos filling the glass vase.


Very Coastal Very Bohemian.

Holiday Coastal Garden

During the holidays I like to cut fresh evergreen boughs and holly and tuck them into my now flowerless planters. Tuck a few picks inside and add a bow and it always lifts the little tired areas in the garden or at the entry way.

This year, I walked the nearby woods for my evergreens and tied the whole beach theme together with other elements from the garden. I pulled in a architectural block from an old Manhattan church along with some shells and an outdoor candle lit lantern. Very Coastal. Very Bohemian.

                                                           Happy Coastal Holiday Decorating to you.

                                                                     Michele Michael

Before and After Furniture 5 draw chest

Before 

                                    After 

Sorry these pictures are so bad, These are after we were hit by Hurricane Sandy.

I mixed up some of my own recipe for chalk paint using an aqua flat paint from Lowe's. Afterwards, I used Annie Sloan clear wax , then a coat of dark wax and then a coat of clear wax again.  I love to mix in other hardware when possible and so you can see here that I had salvaged two white porcelain handles from another project. So we have some repurposing and recycling here as well.

I have the recipe for DIY chalk pain that has worked really well for me. Email to me at Coastalbohemian@gmail.com and I will send you the recipe I use.


Keep up the fun projects.

Michele

It is Written in the Sand

Take a walk on the beach, pick up a piece of driftwood (of course)and write in the sand. Tell the world that you are in love or that you catch big fish or life is beautiful or as I was famous for writing in the sand, "Have your cake and eat it too." I wanted to have my cake and eat it too.

Don't forget to take photos to decorate the that nautical , beachy, coastal home.

Take a friend , a spouse,  a child and make memories in the sand. Leave messages for others that may happen upon the writing. I used to draw roses in the sand and leave a mound of seashells for anyone that happened upon my notes and I always hoped it would make them smile to find my little gifts.

This is a fun thing to free your spirit and  dream out loud. For those who are more reserved and less inclined to actually do this.....the colder months are perfect for your first message to the sea gods. In the colder weather less people travel the shoreline and are less likely to catch you exploring outside of your the box. 
Maybe you have something inside that needs to be released  or something that is stressing your mind. Take it to the sand  and write out your rants and then watch them wash away on the shoreline and feel them wash away from your shoulders. Then breathe again. 

See you at the shoreline.

Michele Michael

39' Sandcastle- #DaddyCanYouBuildmeOne ?

Now every kid is going to want one of these.

What's a parent to do?


I'm sorry this footage does not describe the height , however the news report I saw on TV said it was measured at 39'



Happy Shore Day.

Michele