Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Of Love & Sea Glass

Sea Glass is a rare treasure brought to the beach by surging tides.
Tumbling in the ocean for years or even decades,
the ocean takes old, broken pieces of glass and turns the glass frosted and the edges soft.
No two pieces are the same...the color, size and shape are unique, 
once the treasure is found, the mystery of it's origin begins.

I have been collecting sea glass since I was a young girl,
most of my older pieces came from 
Seaside, New Jersey.

I have a pretty large collection, a lot of it sits on this open shelf in the kitchen.

This white tray is in the center of the shelf.
Much of this glass is separated into individual glass containers,
the white strips of paper memorialize the date and place I found it.

This grouping is to the left of the tray...
the large purple shell is one that the hubs bought and threw down on the beach for me to find.
He does that often with glass and shells and enjoys watching me find them. 

I do pick up shells in addition to glass, pretty one's that are whole and unique.

Now I am just keeping all the sea glass I find in this large glass bowl,
I am not separating it out anymore.

This is a close up of the right side of the shelf.

This is the table the hubs made for me, displaying a lot of my older glass pieces.


This table is in the same room with more beach glass memorabilia. 

This shell dish holds some favorite pieces...
there are some small pieces of glass in the cup to the right.

Some of my books...

more favorite pieces...

a close up of favorites...

these red pieces are considered to be very rare, the hubs found both of them.

More shells and pretty rocks.

I met the author of this book at a Sea Glass Show,
and he signed the book for me.

This book came from my favorite cousin Evelyn, I am so happy she wrote that sweet message.

This book is a favorite, also signed by the author.

Hunting for sea glass is more than just an occasional obsession.
It is a way for me to spend hours alone with just Chuck and the ocean.
It is a way for me to appreciate the vastness of the open water
and the miracle that is the sea!

30 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

We don't get to the ocean too much, but it is possible to find a little sea glass along the shores of the Great Lakes. The table your husband made for you is a great way to display some of it and I am sure it is a lovely addition to the house. We will be visiting La Gaspésie along the Atlantic coast of Québec in August and I am sure that my wife will be searching for some. Then we will be going to Australia in September/October and she may have a chance there too, but you sure can't load down your baggage with that stuff. We are getting to the point where we need to start getting rid of stuff not adding to it!!

italiafinlandia said...

Hello Debbie,
I had never heard of sea glass before reading of it in your blog. Nice to know. Amazing material. Your table looks very smart! Your hubby was clever.
Enjoy it.

Marie Smith said...

I understand that feeling about the sea and a loved one. It is amazing how the sea transforms the glass into such an object of beauty! Love your collection.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Debbie, your sea glass collection is beautiful. I love the table with the sea glass and all your shells. I heard there was a beach in Bermuda that is filled with sea glass. Enjoy your day and week ahead!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I was SO excited to see this post on Sea Glass! I was planning to write to you and share our love of sea glass but this is even better. When we moved to FL, I fell in love with walking the beach looking for pretty shells or anything unusual. We don't find much sea glass here so it's very exciting when we do. And we pick up fewer shells now but always pick up sea glass when we see it. I don't have any of these books. I'll need to look for these. And of course your table is fabulous! What a great way to really enjoy some of your collection. I love your bowls too. If I ever visit you, you'll have to check my pockets before I leave! hahahaha! Enjoy your day! Hugs!

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

yep...someone LOVES their sea glass :)

Changes in the wind said...

I am glad you found your sweet spot...hunting for sea glass.

Farm Girl said...

Do you know that I didn't start collecting sea glass until I started reading your blog. I had never thought too much about it. Now every time I go to the beach that is what I look for and I think of you. All the way across the U.S. on the West Coast. So I love seeing your wonderful collection and I love that table. What a neat display.
You do have some lovely pieces. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

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Lori said...

Amazing! Love your pretty collection of sea glass and what a wonderful table your husband made!

Debbie said...

hehehe, good one - i will weigh you coming and going!!! i have heard that sea glass is hard to find in florida, it is pretty abundant around here. i wish i could visit the beach more often!!!

Judy said...

Ohhh-in a large wide mouth dish--the better for me to steal a couple pieces when I come to visit.

Екатерина Балагурова said...

Great collection! Most impressed with the table)

Brian King said...

You have a fantastic and gorgeous collection! The table is beautiful!

Pam said...

You have some large pieces...I looked and looked while in Fla. and there just was none. I love your collection.

LeAnn said...

Sweet friend,
This is such a lovely post. I enjoyed all your magnificent photos of the Sea Glass and the Sea Shells. You have a fantastic collection and I love how you are displaying them. I really loved the large glass bowl and all the other smaller display dishes but I especially love your table. I like your book collection too. Your Chuck is amazing at facilitating your hobby and being with you on these wonderful adventures.
Blessings and hugs for you both!

Michelle said...

Your collection is beautiful and nice to see it out to enjoy!!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

i guess i will have to lie and say I weigh more.....oh my....that makes it tough! if the front of me looks flat, you’ll know theres a book in there somewhere! teehee😇

Ruth Hiebert said...

WOW! Debbie,I could spend hours just admiring that sea glass. I am sure I would be collecting it as well, if I lived closer to some place where I could find some.

Conniecrafter said...

You have quite the collection there, I found a craft to do with the glass today, thought it would be neat to try.http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/2012/11/photo-transfer-on-glass.html?m=1

BeachGypsy said...

Debbie I don't think I know anyone who has a bigger and more beautiful sea glass collection that you! Love looking at these pictures! I love how you display and mark them all and I love all the different containers--glasses, dishes, plates, etc. You have such a pretty way to display it all and love the books as well. My favorite is the coffee table, bet maybe that is your pride and joy?! I love it when you share your neat things and collections with us. Your home is so lovely.

21 Wits said...

Wow, I know I've said this before, but you do such lovely and amazing things with this sea glass, and your presentation of it all is simply beautiful!

Sue (this n that) said...

It always fascinates me to see your collection of gorgeous sea glass Debbie. That table your dear hubby made for you is incredible!

Scrappy Pink Corner said...

What a great collection. I have yet to find one sea glass, but also I don't go to the beach. Plans now at the new house is to go to the beach often. Ana

Unknown said...

My goodness, Debbie, what a wonderful collection. I love to think about where each of those pieces originated, and how far they traveled to get to you.

There are not enough superlatives to describe just how beautiful I think your sea glass table is. What a clever design, and how talented the Hubs is to be able to make that for you.

xo.

Laura. M said...

Beautiful!! 😍 I love crystal!
Besos.

Karen Lakis said...

You have an amazing collection! I love sea glass, too never find much on the beaches around me. When my daughter got married a couple of years ago, she had her bridesmaids in mismatched dresses, all in sea glass shades - it actually came together really beautifully and fit so well with her personality and style. Your home is beautiful and I love the way you display your passion. It’s also wonderful that this is something you enjoy doing- just you, Chuck, and the ocean!

Angie said...

Wow, Debbie! You were not kidding when you wrote this is a bit of an obsession for you - and you clearly are talented with it! Love, love, love the table your hubs made for you. And although you are not doing it anymore, I really liked the idea of labeling your finds so it's clear where you found them. Neat idea! Have a super weekend!

Jill said...

The way you display these pretties takes them to a whole new level of awesomeness! That table is truly a labor of love. It is stunning as are all of your displays.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Oh my! I'm enjoying reading about your collection of sea glass over the years! Be still my heart! I never even saw the ocean until I was in my 40s and now I close my eyes and imagine it when I want to feel at peace. It's hard to find sea glass. You really have to have an 'eye of it'! Love the way you've displayed it and the table is WOW!!! Hugs!