Lost At Sea
Hi everyone, happy Wednesday!
I’m writing this having just returned from one of those beach vacations where you sit on the sand and drink pina coladas until you’re a semi-sentient puddle seeping through the cracks of your lounge chair. Combined with finally getting around to watching Little Mermaid over the holiday weekend, can you blame me for feeling a bit fish-brained at the moment?
She Sells Seashells
STARFISH AND SEAGLASS WIND CHIME - CHIMEUP ($65.50)
Normally I’d give a pass to any decor that’s got beach bungalow vibes (sand dollars are cool, but I don’t need them chilling in my living room, you know?) I’d make an exception, however, for these wind chimes from Etsy shop ChimeUp. Artist Janelle Kellison scoops up scallops, shells, and sea glass from the Maryland shoreline and threads them into lovely little mobiles accented with colorful beads. In the future when I’ve got the garden of my dreams, I’ll string one up and spend my afternoons enjoying the crystalline tinkling and the sunlight glinting off the kaleidoscopic shards.
Jump the Shark
DANISH TEAK SHARK BOTTLE OPENER - CONTEMPORANEA33 ($78)
Recently while trying to crack open a cold one, I realized that our typically well-stocked kitchen was missing one crucial gadget: a bottle opener. I proceeded to spend ten minutes watching YouTube videos of people popping tops off using spoons, lighters, and countertop edges, then spent ten more minutes attempting it myself, to no avail. Naturally, when shopping for bottle opener options, I skipped right past the $5 keychains and zeroed in on this mid-century $78 one carved from teak. I’ve taken a shine to the little guy, not the least because it looks like his mouth is open in perpetual terror — a state I can certainly empathize with.
Shore Chart
THE BURGESS SEASHORE BOOK FOR CHILDREN FIRST EDITION - RASCALS RARITIES ($110)
I came across a worn, tattered version of this book at Unnameable Books, a used bookstore in Prospect Heights, and spent half an hour leafing through its pages marveling at the illustrations of crabs, conches, and clams depicted in exquisitely delicate detail. It’s a children’s book that follows a mouse, a fox, and a skunk as they explore all the treasures the seashore has to offer, and the writing is so old-fashionedly wholesome it’ll make your teeth hurt. Thornton W. Burgess’ book was first published in the 1920s, and though you can buy an updated version, it won’t have nearly as much charm as the original.
Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line at kittylguo@gmail.com or swing by my Twitter @kitguo!