Beach Wedding Hair Accessories

Mermaid's Delight - Scallop and Faux Seaweed Hair Barrette

I would be a mermaid fair;
I would sing to myself the whole of the day;
With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair;
And still as I comb'd I would sing and say,
'Who is it loves me? Who loves not me?'
I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall
Low adown, low adown,
From under my starry sea-bud crown
Low adown and around,
And I should look like a fountain of gold
Springing alone
With a shrill inner sound
Over the throne
In the midst of the hall;
Till that great sea-snake under the sea
From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps
Would slowly trail himself sevenfold
Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate
With his large calm eyes for the love of me.
And all the mermen under the sea
Would feel their immortality

Die in their hearts for the love of me.

Excerpt from 'The Mermaid'
by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Have you ever seen the movie 'Splash' with Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah? I found it delightful and have seen it more times than I can recall and still, I love it. There is something about the idea of mermaids that captivates me. I am not big on animated movies and yet I Iove 'The Little Mermaid'.
Christopher Columbus recorded sightings of mermaids on his 15th century voyages, and stories about the perils of the lonely mermaid and her tempting songs were standard sailors' lore until well into the 19th century. They say that the best time to observe mermaids are fine summer days when the sea is calm and the waves twinkle in the sunlight. It is also said that mermaids are easier to see at dawn or dusk, noon or dawn, being just visible at the extreme edges of vision, far left of far right. Mermaids should never be gazed at directly or they will disappear in an instant, as fugitive as a mirage.

If you, too, have a fascination for mermaids, you will appreciate our new 'Mermaid's Delight' Hair Barrette. It is a magical accessory for any bride having a beach wedding or for any woman who simply loves the sea. We will be adding more nautical hair accessories to our site soon, so keep an eye out from time to time!

May you enjoy many magical days by the sea not be afraid to believe 'the impossible'.

Our Trip to Gabriola Island

Shabby Chic - Beach Cottage Vase or Container

Washed Ashore - Rustic Picture Frame

Cheryl and I decided it was time to catch up on our beachcombing so we headed off on the ferry to Gabriola Island recently. We could not have picked a better day. The sun's rays felt so wonderful after such a long spell of gray, rainy weather.

We packed a picnic lunch and ate it at beautiful Drumbeg Beach where we found all kinds of seashells and pieces of driftwood for our creations. It was a bit of a drive but oh so worth it! I was amazed at how we would find different things we needed at different beaches... oyster shells at one, sea glass at another, mussel shells at another.

When we were too pooped to do more beachcombing, we went for some delicious steamers at Raspberry's Jazz Cafe located in Folklife Village Shopping Centre. Perfect timing as the weather began to get chillier and grayer. Then we had a look around a lovely little shop with all kinds of local handcrafted treasures called Gabriola Artworks .

So our day on Gabriola was perfect and now we have all kinds of new ocean treasures to make our creations. You may see a couple of our newest seaside creations in the photos above. They are both for sale on our website. We hope you take some time this spring and summer, to enjoy the ocean and all the beauty our area has to offer. It is so good for the soul.

A Unique Souvenir from Vancouver Island, BC

Last Saturday was an amazing day... almost like summer. My hubby David had a great idea to go for a drive along our gorgeous coastline up to Courtenay and have brunch by the sea. We saw hundreds and hundreds of sea gulls because they always come in droves during herring season.

So after our yummy brunch, we walked along the seashore and we saw several seagull feathers along the beach so I decided to collect a bunch of them and do something fun with them. So this is what we, at A2Sea, put together... a 'Seagull Feather in a Bottle Souvenir'. I don't know about you but I am pretty bored with the usual souvenirs, namely spoons and mugs. So here is something completely different with a seaside twist!

I can't say I am very thrilled with snow visiting our island (what is that about?) but I am sure glad we got to enjoy that one, lovely summer-like day!

Learning New Things

Beachcomber's Bounty - Earthy Jewelry Set

A very popular pendant fashion at the moment are the longer styles. And even more popular are the ones you can adjust to any length. There is a store in Coombs that is interested in carrying my jewelry but asked if I could just change the cords to the slip knot style. I said I would give it a try.

So, with some help from my hubby, (he was a boy scout, way back when) I managed to learn the technique and posted one on our Etsy site. I love to learn new things... except for those painful moments when you are all thumbs and think you will never get the hang of it. But it's such a good feeling when you finally master something and see the finished product.

My next challenge is to start drilling holes through sea glass and seashells with my dremel tool. I've watched some videos and my dear hubby has offered to give me a hand. This will open the door to creating so many more wonderful jewelry pieces.

I have a sense of excitement about this year. I have made up my mind to do some things I have only talked about up till now. If I can't do them on my own, I will find help. The possibilities are endless and I am up for it.

So keep an eye out for our new jewelry and nautical treasures we will be posting soon on A2Sea Creations!

More New Wedding Accessories at A2Sea!

Elegant Ivory Seashell and Rose - Bridal Bouquet and Boutonniere

I am quite excited about our new wedding line in our gift shop at A2Sea Creations. At the moment we have our first bridal bouquet with matching boutonniere, as well as our Ocean and Lace Wedding Cake Server Set and our Earth and Sea Bridal Hair Clip . We plan to keep creating and adding to our shop so be sure to check in from time to time!

When I got married to my David, I made almost everything, with the help of my matron of honour and very dear friend, DonnaLee. It was a satisfying feeling as I watched our creativity unfold and I loved customizing our handiwork to fit with my tastes and preferences. Fortunately, DonnaLee has the same tastes as I do, for the most part... we both love the Victorian look. We spent quite a few days working together making my bridal bouquet, my ostrich feather pen, all the corsages and boutonnieres, the flower girl's basket, the birdcage centerpieces... my kitchen became our little workshop. It was fun and created many memorable moments for us both.

Creating, for me, is non-negotiable. I must create to feel balanced . And it is very important to me to do quality work and not just slap something together. Perhaps that means I will never be rich but, oh well. Richness of the heart is something one cannot buy with money. I tend to be a slow worker but in the end, I am pleased with what I have created. Everything Cheryl and I sell in our shop has been made with the utmost care and attention to detail. We would have it no other way.

Well, it's almost Halloween and I am ready for all the little goblins and ghosts. All the goody bags are packed and my eerie music is ready, the skeletons are hung and... oh oh... I almost forgot the cobwebs! That will never do! Happy Halloween everyone! OOooooooo.........!!!!

A New Craft Room!

'FLOWER OF THE SEA' - PHOTOART BY MICKI FINDLAY

Today was a very productive day and I have my hubby David to thank for that. He bought me a large fold up table and some bookshelves for our spare room so it could be turned into a craft room for me. Until now, Cheryl and I have been creating in my kitchen because it was the only room large enough to work in together. So you can probably imagine the chaos involved in trying to cook around such things as seashells, driftwood, sea glass, moss, raffia, fish netting, crab shells and a multitude of other seaside treasures. Fortunately for me, I am quite adaptable and can work amidst chaos. And also fortunately for me, David is extremely lay back and easy-going and does not get his knickers in a knot over these things. In fact, when I apologized for the mess he said, "What mess? When I'm sitting in my chair here (in the livingroom) I can't see any mess."

What a man I have... a real prize. Not many men would put up with having to make coffee in the morning over a sink full of soaking seashells and a counter full of cleaned crab shells and drying driftwood! Not many indeed! But even so, it will be nice to have some order in my home once again. And Cheryl, my partner in crime, is an amazing organizer and has kindly offered to help me get my new room set up. So thanks to David and Cheryl, my life will soon be back to normal, until I find another way to mess it up, that is.

A2Sea Creations & A2Sea Photography

A DAY AT QUALICUM BEACH

Story and Photo by Micki Findlay - (To purchase click here) A2SeaPhotography

I had an appointment yesterday... not a fun one and way too boring to mention. However, the entire day was not a loss. I decided that seeing as I was in the neighbourhood, it would be a great opportunity to go down to the beach to collect more shells and bits of driftwood for our projects. Fortunately I had a plastic bag in my car (It's amazing the variety of things one can find in my car. Sometimes I discover things I never even knew I owned. Figure that one out!)

So with bag in hand, I sauntered on down to the beach, which seemed a bit strange considering it had just snowed the night before. But the sun had shown up and although chilly, it was a lovely day. Collecting seashells was not an easy task, however; with my uncooperative (old lady) back, my jeans that kept falling down (I am hoping that is because I am losing weight?) and my, well, never mind... I always seem to have clothing issues. But I was not to be conquered by life's little challenges! I did prevail, managing to find so many of nature's treasures that I filled the bag to nearly overflowing.

So today, I am up to my pajama sleeves in hot water and bleach, shells, driftwood, numerous crab shells and seaweed, the last of which is presently 'cooking' in my oven so that it will dry out ready for use. There are shells drying on towels all over the kitchen, which is just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately for me, I can work amidst chaos and also fortunate for me, my husband David is extremely easy-going and quite unruffled but the whole affair. He is most assuredly, the man for me. Who else would put up my bizarre lifestyle?

Okay so I am off to check on how my seaweed is progressing. Maybe I should add some to our salad tonight! Well... maybe not.


A2Sea Creations