Wednesday 22 February 2012

I left my soul there...

Last year I shared a post about 10 things I'll always love: the sea was on that list. Whenever I am by the sea I always feel as though I have arrived home: a home in motion, stretching out towards infinity, its feet in the darkness its head in the light.
Biarritz November 2011
'Je ne me sens "chez moi" que sur les bords de la mer. Car je ne saurais me bâtir une patrie que de l'écume des vagues' (Paul Cioran)
('I only feel "at home" by the sea. For I could never construct a homeland for myself except one made from the froth of the waves')
handpainted beach pebbles by Natasha Newton
I love anything to do with the sea or the ocean. Beachcombing is a favourite activity of mine. Picking up pretty shells, wet pebbles and smooth-edged translucent beach glass appeals to the collector in me. They are little connections to the sea that I can hold in my hand.
necklace by Newfoundlander at Heart
So I was delighted to discover that I had won this sweet necklace by Newfoundlander at Heart (thanks to a big birthday giveaway hosted on the Whimsical Poppysmic blog). It is a little glass bottle filled with tiny beachcombed objects, as Margot explains:

"Beachcombed items include: small pebbles, gently tumbled by the rolling tide; colourful snail shells; and cods ears... huh? The white shell like items are small bones found inside a Codfish's head that helps it balance - Newfoundlanders call them Cod's Ears."

I love the idea of these little tide-washed messages in a bottle, travelling to me from a faraway beach! I hear she'll be listing them in her shop soon, so add it to your favourites ;)
starfish aquarium photograph by Rachele of The Nearsighted Owl
I've been delighting in the Winter Beach series of posts on the Nearsighted Owl blog (the beach in Winter is so beautiful, I think). Rachele takes amazing photographs: of the aquarium and of stones her niece found on the beach. I love sea creatures and always try to see them - whether admiring exotic fish for sale at our local garden centre with my little one or snorkelling on a coral reef (just once, Heron Island in Australia - we swam with sharks).
Fish tanks at Scotsdales - a free aquarium visit!
I love this pretty sea creature print by Ashlie Blake (available on Etsy). It really makes me dream of being by the sea and captures something of the childlike happiness that I get from being by the sea (or even just thinking about it!)
This charming print will soon be available as fabric on Spoonflower. I'd so love to wear these sweet creatures to the beach this summer! 


Finally I will leave you with one of my favourite sea songs: "The Sea" by Morcheeba. The image of seagulls stealing ice-creams feels very British to me. While I love to explore any stretch of coastline, I'll always have a soft spot for the British seaside resorts of my childhood memories.

you may also like

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...