BEACH Entertaining

I love to entertain.  It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that I really like a theme party:  Mardi Gras, Halloween and My Endless Summer Party are a few that quickly come to mind.

I love to use shells on my table in the summer.  I love to collect shells and have done so all my life.  The shells that I use in my decorating are ones that I or my daughter have picked up over the years.  I guess you could call me a "Shell Snob" because I like to use my own shells.  I know almost all their variety names and can remember where I was when I picked some of them up.  Happy memories!

Here's a peek at my shell decorations.  I had a luncheon for the teachers that had taught my daughter at school this year.  Talking about some happy women!  The last day of school and someone prepares and serves you a lunch to say thank you (including homemade double chocolate cheesecake). THEY LOVED IT!!  You see, they teach high school and I have found that lots of fuss is made over the elementary teachers, but no one really makes that big of deal over the junior high folks and for sure the high school teachers are sadly over looked.

The only shells on the table that I didn't find are the starfish on the napkins. 

 The other starfish in the pictures were ones

 that we have found (Sanibel Island and Indian Pass, FL).

I decided to mix in some blue canning jars for extra color. 

 A week after this luncheon, I found two more blue canning jars in my mom's attic!! 

 One was a 1/2 gallon size.  What a find!

My friend gave me a large stack of vintage post cards last year

 and I have had fun with them.

  I put them on my coffee table last year and I decided to

add some to the table this year. 

 I really like the vintage look of the pictures of Florida from years ago.

 

I also added the names of the places where I have picked up the shells.

  All of the places are in Florida. 

 I placed my aunt's magnifying glass on the table this year, too.

I know these pictures aren't very bright.  I have the darkest house!

This jar is on the counter of my butler's pantry between my kitchen and my formal dining room. The jar sits on an old page cut out from a dictionary and it rests on an old column piece I love to use.

I like the scrabble tiles that spell out "SEA" (I bought the starfish).

I have another old column piece that I love to use.  I do different things with it several

times a year and I really enjoy it.  This is on my kitchen counter.

I took some twine and wrapped it around the glass container several times.  I randomly strung some beads, too and then threaded this shell through the twine....it's always nice to find a shell with a hole in it.  The beach sand came from Orange Beach, Alabama.

I also love to decorate with photos of my family. 

I like the picture to compliment the event or the season. 

Here's a picture of my coffee table (another dark room) in my family room.

 

I hope you enjoyed my Beach Party!

Having fun and linking up with the party:

Linking up with Between Naps on the Porch: