Westport

This month I have the privilege of working out of Westport, Washington. Westport is a beautiful town, and a working seaport. Unlike a lot of the smaller coastal towns that rely on tourism, fishing and crabbing still go on daily and more of the residents fish than don't. That makes it a wonderful place to explore, and certainly to photograph.

As you wander the long boardwalk at the waters edge, you can hear the fishermen call out to each other as they work on the ships. Seagulls patrol in sweeping arcs alone and en mass, and follow boats entering laden with fish. The air is fresh and salty, faintly fishy but not unpleasantly so. Sometimes it mixes with the scent of waffle cones and coffee from the shops opposite.

On a sunny day the sky and sea are both brilliantly blue, so close in color that the creaking, moaning ships seem to drift in a formless world of their own. Everywhere there is movement. The boats rise and fall, dip and sway in the undulating water. Ropes arch gracefully from sailor to sailor, and everywhere people are working and laughing as boats move in and out. Great plumes of white water burst from behind the ships as they go.

You can buy crabs and mussels, octopus and salmon and many more from off the dock as fresh as can be had.

I'm looking forward to checking out the beaches in the coming weeks, especially on a good stormy day! The ocean is so much more beautiful when it is wild and powerful.

They also have glass boxes in the middle of town by a museum with whale skeletons in them! A few other sea creatures too. Definitely worth checking out, For anyone going to the Washington coast, Westport is a place I can wholeheartedly recommend. Especially if you prefer seeing someplace quite unique from home in lifestyle to resort like places.

Beach Break

 It has been a really heavy work week! It is not likely to slow down any time soon either. I do have the good fortune to work only a few minutes from the beach, and its lovely taking lunch breaks on occasion that look like this.

 We've also got a bit of debris from the tsunami in Japan washing up lately, which is fascinating and sad. What a journey this must have taken.

DIY Beachy Mirror

 Lately I've been working on decorating my bedroom. I am hoping to give it a bright but natural feel, and spend as little as possible. I decided to spruce up some picture frames and this mirror, with shells from beach adventures.

 I love how it came out! Its nice being able to see each shell in greater detail than when they were crowded in a jar.

If you would like to make your own you will need- 

sand paper

painters tape

acrylic paint

polyurethane 

epoxy or other glue

a mirror or other wooden surface

shells, agates and sea glass

(River stones and other sturdy natural objects would work too.)

First, run painters tape neatly along the inside edge of mirror to protect surface. Then sand down any rough spots, and give the whole thing a light sanding. Dust off the frame and give it a thin coat of your paint. If you are using a light color you may want to use a primer first. Letting the paint dry between layers, keep going until you are happy with the opacity.

While this is drying, you can choose to give all of your stones and shells a coat of polyurethane. You can skip this step and the stones will have softer colors, but I like the way the varnish brings them out.

Once the paint drys add a coat of polyurethane to the frame, and allow to dry. Experiment with where you would like the stones until you are happy with the results. I had enough similar pairs to match the sides over the whole mirror, but this is definitely not necessary.

Glue your decorations to the mirror and allow to dry. Add one more coat of varnish if you would like, and you are finished! Hope you enjoy this tutorial! 

Home Sewn

 I made a dress! I've made a few skirts and smaller items, but this is the most ambitious thing so far. There are a few things I'd do differently, like measure instead of guessing size. Initially it was a bit big, and altering the sides may have changed the shape some. Overall though, I'm happy and excited!

The fabric came from a rummage sale, in a huge box with other vintage fabrics for $3! Up close it has a lovely sheen and texture, and is the perfect old fashioned shade of warm pink.

I think that next time I will combine the skirt portion with the bodice from another pattern. Any advice for an amateur seamstress?

My boots are JCPenny! They are also on sale at the moment...