Tracy ~ I started hanging shells from my little nature tree this morning before heading off to work. I'm using a fine gold thread to hang them with. DH saw it and really liked it so that made me feel good. I told him I wish I had a small star fish for the top. Don't know if we can find any of those anywhere or not. He said they may not be 'politically correct' these days. I said 'What stars aren't politically correct? They're in the sky for Pete's sake!" (See how easy it is to take something other than what the person meant.) :-) He meant harvesting and selling the little creatures. DUH. Sometimes I think FL has her head in the flowers too much. There is a seashell place in the next town south of us. They might have some, maybe. Except they wouldn't have been found by us. DH did find a nice star fish in some seaweed one time not long ago. We had never found one before and this one was perfect! It's too large for my little tree though. I do have bits and pieces of sand dollars, and DH suggested that if I had one with the star in the center he might could cut it out for me. I told him I didn't think I had that, but I'll have to do a more thorough search tomorrow morning. I will post pictures when it's done. FlowerLady

I'm bringing this back up as you asked about my painting real shells & adding Twinkles glitter! Wish I could show a pic but my camera will discard all my pics that are on it now unless I get DD over to change setting & after she puts them on backup! Anyway this is so simple. I tried the antique copper metallic paint- OK, doesn't show up much on tree, but then I used FolkArt 675 Metallic Champagne brush it on & let dry overnite & brush on "Twinkles" crystal by DecoArt for a beautiful shimmery shell. Folk Art 659 Metallic pearl white brushed on & brushed with Twinkles the next day is wonderful also!! I just cut a 3 in. piece of fine gold cord & knotted it on the end & put the knot in Weldbond on the back top center edge of shell for a hanging cord. So simple & so beautiful. I did a doz. today & I love the fan shaped shells but the small conch? shells are nice also. They shimmer in gold,purple, blue, green etc.(All those colors in the crystal bottle, it is best glitter I've ever used & very fine, doesn't look like glitter. I have some other by same company but it is tacky looking & very little shimmer. This glitter reminds me of sparkle of white sand on a beach in the sun!! Try it. You don't have to be a painter, any artist type brush that is flat & about 1/4 to 1/2 in across will work, watch for drips & remove them but it's so easy. I let them dry on a board covered with smooth Formica but wax paper would work just fine. I had gotten a bag of shells from WalMart craft area & some of those were used. I only painted the front side not the side the animal lived in. I was careful not to get paint on it so it would look nice on the tree from any angle. Some of my fans had lovely purple on backs. Fun & fast! Enjoy!! Jan

Oceanna, I'm in the process of going thru them, I've looked at so many pics, I'm getting lost in them LOL. Annie1971, what I'm looking to do is not so much a "theme" room or decor but something that reflects the beauty of the colors found in nature in the tropics and at the beach. BTW, I'm close to the SE Coast, Sandhills of SC. My landscaping is going to have a lot of Banana trees, Palms, and tropical plants with a lot of lush green. I'm also planning some roses, lillys and annuals with an eventual Koi pond. For instance, it's an instant archetecture(sp), color, decor and garden feast for me when I visit Charleston SC. That is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my life. I had the same reaction to the the beauty of the Bahamas. My house is a ranch style, about 2200 Sq Ft., nothing fancy yet. I chose a light Cape Cod grey exterior, charcoal colored roof, white trim and black shutters. I have a lot of windows/natural light in the living areas, and Master Suite. My office is on the sunny side of the house and DH's is on the darker side, making the perfect Mechanical Engineer CAD station cave for him. I'm strongly leaning toward Blues/Blue/grays in the dining, kitchen and open living room adjacent to them. The one room I've done so far is my hall bath, darker side of the house with white marble countertops, double sink and white fixtures. I chose a nice blueish (if that is a word LOL) seafoam green (I used SW Forrest Glen) with bright white crown moulding and other trim. I have bright white plantation blinds and accented with decor in sand, peach, shell pink and taupe. I've some pictures on Flickr that I can link to. I used a nice thick group of white sheers as curtains to give the "Key West" feel to the room. This kinda gives an idea what I'm trying to go for. Sometimes I'm not the best with words. LOL Please feel free to critique, as I'm looking for ideas and the best ones for this house. I'm not looking to make this a "resale" house, I plan on livinghere a long, long time. Its a custom built house on 15 acres. Here is a link that might be useful: Hall Bath

I also agree with ptreckel; we have been renting at beaches for more than 10 years now. If this is a family rental, tv is essential. Kids get sunburned, tired, etc. and parents want a vacation too -- time for tv/video/movies. If its possible (which I am not sure it is) the simpler to operate, the better. I'd also suggest fabrics, patterns, and materials that both hide dirt/stains and clean up well. Its off-putting to come into a rental and see tired, damaged, stained, and worn furniture, but its hard to avoid when renting -- the stuff gets used, and hard. No matter what the rental level, people do not treat rentals as well as their own home. Lastly, my preference is for a minimum of tchtockes for decor -- especially if renting to families. It is no vacation to constantly have to tell children not to touch interesting looking decor; stuffing it in drawers when we arrive for its own protection, guess your cleaning crew could report back on that stuff. Additionally, tables covered with stuff -- personally I'm looking for a place to set my phone, beverage, and relax (and having to move stuff off side tables and coffee tables to do so) -- its just more wear on decor that didn't need to be there in the first place. That may not be your style, just reporting back on what we've experienced in some places. How lucky to have a beach house!!! Good luck with decor, and renting!