dining shell basket dmm

“What do you do with all of the seashells you collect?” Haven’t you been asked that question every time you tell someone you love to collect shells? I’ve been asked countless times and I’ve asked other shellers so I’m guilty as well. I think we all are interested in getting ideas of what to do with them from other people who love what we love… seashells.

Dick Mary Fatima seashells

Our friends Dick and Mary love shelling and love their seashells and beach bling surrounding them in their beautiful home. Join me as I show you their seashell arrangements… with the help from kitty Fatima.

Fatima kitty with seashells dmm

 This is a perfect example of what I love about Dick and Mary in the photo above…. there are no rules. They find so many beautiful shells on the beach but they also love to buy shells if they see one that strikes their fancy and they don’t mind mixing them. Most of those shells in the bowl (that Fatima is admiring) were found on the beach by either Dick or Mary but some, as Mary says with a laugh “I found that one too…. in a store”.

Alphabet cone display decor

 When it comes to ALPHABET CONES, they don’t have to buy a single one. They found all of the ones in the glass vessel on Sanibel and Captiva. Wow! Piling the same shell in any type of vessel is my favorite way to display my shells as well. They found all of these baby HORSE CONCHS too. Wouldn’t you love a bowl full of candy by your bedside table?

bedside candy dish dmm

 They framed their oddity treasures in a shadowbox.

Seashell wall art dmm

They framed some of their best shells to make a wall collage in the hallway.

Hallway framed seashells dmm

Framed seashell display dmm

framed starfish dmm

 This is the top of the very first shell mirror Mary made but the mirror is so big, I couldn’t get the whole thing in the photo. Again, she mixed bought shells with beach found shells.

Seashell mirror top dmm

Here’s the bottom of another shell mirror…

bottom shell mirror dmb

They displayed their “knobless wonder” HORSE CONCH (the spire doesn’t have those pronounced bumps normal horsies do) right at the front entrance with a striking vase of PAPER FIGS.

knobless wonder with figs

knobless wonder with figs

They call this little heart the WENTLETRAP trap…

Wentletrap heart trap

This wire bowl has a beach found key chain, pottery pieces, sea glass, driftwood and other beach bling along with a bought object d’ art. See? Mix and match, just do it.

beachcomb objects dmm

 Mary was a doll maker a number of years ago so on the shelves of her glass door cabinets she displays the things she loves mixed together.

sea urchin bowl display

 Of course there are OLIVE shells in the olive dish.

olive dish with seashells

 Remember I showed you the OYSTER shell mirror on my post Ordinary Oyster Turn Extraordinary? Mary made a plant stand out of them.

Oyster shell plant stand

I still have so much to show you! Like how they use their shells in the garden and by the pool and how they organize all of their shells. But, oh my. I’ve run out of time so I have to break this post into several so… hang on! You won’t believe your eyes at how many more shells they have and what they do with them. So for Part Two… CLICK HERE

sea life still under glass dmm