Fashionista Flip-Flops

Wanna hit the beach in high style? Then gather the girls together for a night of sparkling Swarovskis and trendy flip-flops!

YOU'LL NEED
Flip-flops, turquoise.
Swarovski Flat Back rhinestones, Hyacinth Orange, 2.6mm, 86.
Swarovski Flat Back rhinestones, Light Topaz, 2.6mm, 96.
Beacon Adhesives Flip-Flop glue.
Sticky putty or clay, pea-sized ball.
Toothpick.

WHAT TO DO
1. Stick a pea-sized ball of putty on the end of the toothpick to create a tool for picking up the rhinestones.

2. Using the pick-up tool, tap the glitzy side of a Hyacinth Orange rhinestone and pick it up. Place a drop of flip-flop glue on the back of the rhinestone, then center the rhinestone on the point of the flip-flop thong. Surround the orange rhinestone with 6 Light Topaz rhinestones to create a flower.

3. Repeat the process to create a flower on each side of the first one, but use the Light Topaz for the center and the Hyacinth Orange for the petals.

4. Continue on, alternating the colors of the flowers, until you have 6 flowers on each strap.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 to embellish the second flip-flop.

Beachy Brights: Flip-flops come in dozens of colors, so try these crystal combos for a little bit of fun.

• Orange flip-flops: blue & lime rhinestones
• Yellow flip-flops: fuchsia & orange rhinestones
• Fuchsia flip-flops: lime & yellow rhinestones
• Red flip-flops: blue & yellow rhinestones
• Lime flip-flops: fuchsia & red rhinestones

Barefoot Sandals

Check out our cute "Barefoot Sandals" in this week's Woman's World Magazine!

Shelltastic Beach Tote

Glam up a canvas tote with shell stamps and rhinestones and hit the sand in style!

YOU'LL NEED
Loew-Cornell "Totally You" small canvas tote, 11"x9".
Plaid "Simply" large foam stamp, Clamshell.
Plaid "Simply" double-sided foam mini stamp set, Sea Adventure: clamshell, starfish, seahorse.
Plaid "Simply" double-sided foam stamps, Fancy Alphabet.
Rubberstamp, scroll, 3½".
Jacquard Textile Color fabric paint, Turquoise.
Jacquard Lumiere fabric paint, Pearl Turquoise.
Swarovski Flat Back rhinestones, Crystal, 5mm, 5.
G-S Hypo cement.
Light aqua 2" satin ribbon, 12" length.
Sponge paintbrush.


WHAT TO DO
1. Slide a piece of cardboard inside the canvas bag so you have a nice flat surface to stamp on. Using the sponge paintbrush, dab the Turquoise fabric paint onto the clamshell stamp. Stamp the shell in the center of the canvas bag.


2. Using the same technique and color, stamp a scroll on either side of the clamshell. Then stamp a seahorse and a starfish on the right side of the clamshell. Repeat for the left side, turning the seahorse upside-down.


3. Use the Pearl Turquoise fabric paint to re-stamp the clamshell creating a pearly sheen. To make the design washable, let the paint dry, turn the tote inside out, and iron on the cotton setting for 30 seconds.


4. Attach the Crystal rhinestones along the bottom edge of the clamshell using the G-S Hypo cement.


5. Using the Turquoise paint, stamp the first initial of the kit recipient onto the end of the aqua ribbon. Let dry.


6. Tie the ribbon onto one of the handles with the monogram facing out.

Get A Breezy Island-Inspired Bath

Create your own little paradise with decorator touches inspired by the islands.

The island bath gets its inspiration from the white sand beaches and clear blue waters of the sunny tropics. To get this breezy look, combine natural basics with blue and green accents. Add seashells from your strolls on the sand and your favorite beach photo in a weathered wood frame, and your bathroom will take you back to the islands the moment you walk in the door.

Dabble In Water Colors
The island palette is a combination of tropical colors and sun-bleached neutrals. Start with a light colored room for that sun kissed, beachy look. Then add color with towels in ocean hues like turquoise and teal. An azure shower curtain and World Market's Green Bamboo Rug go well together without competing for attention. Once you establish an overall palette of blues and greens, bring in a designer touch with a punch of complementary color. A piece of red coral, a tangerine glass tray, or a sunny yellow perfume decanter will add a splash of style.

Show Off Your Seashells
Adding personal flair to your island bath is as simple as taking a sunset stroll down the beach. Decorating with seashells, sea glass, and snapshots from your trip not only enhances the décor, but also reminds you of those relaxing walks by the seashore. For a delicate jewelry display, arrange your rings and things in a scallop shell filled with sea glass. Tie a piece of twine around glass canisters and hang a seashell from each end of the knot. And place a gorgeous conch shell on the floor next to the tub as if it just washed up on the sand. You can almost hear the ocean.

Weave In Baskets
Go for wicker furnishings and hand woven baskets for storage in your island bath. Stick with a light straw color—painted white says Nantucket and dark rattan says Out of Africa. A woven flatware caddy sets just the right tone and makes a handy carryall for shampoo, shower gel, and a scrubby. And the next time you visit the Bahamas, head straight for the Straw Market and stock up on baskets. They are perfect for housing all kinds of bathroom sundries. Mini baskets make terrific catch-alls and a large bowl-shaped basket turns towel storage into a playful display. For larger items, a woven dresser is a tasteful hide-away.

Discover Underwater Treasures
Beachy accessories are so abundant, you could outfit a bathroom with seashells on everything from the soap dish to the Kleenex box cover. But the trick to creating a stylish retreat is to go easy on the matching accessories. To create a room that reminds you more of a relaxing visit to the Caymans than a display at a department store, seek out one-of-a-kind items that are more art than kitsch. One amazing shell art piece, such as a pearlescent shell-encrusted mirror designed by Heather Kendall of Elegant Shells, makes a bold and beautiful statement. A Capiz Shell Curtain from GAIAM draped over a turquoise shower sheer is another elegant seaside detail. Plus, it’s jewelry for your shower curtain!

Bask In Candlelight
Candles are wonderful by the tub and with today’s larger scale spaces you can bring in larger scale accents like Z Gallerie's Seahorse Candle Holders. The seahorses lend a little whimsy, and the weathered finish is modern and subdued. Bring in some color with aquamarine Island Flowers Pillar Candles from Illuminations, scented with mandarin, orchid, and coconut milk. The aroma alone will send you to the tropics.

Savor Citrus Scents
The scents of the islands are a blend of refreshing citrus, luscious fruits, and alluring botanicals. While vanilla, coconut, and coffee are common exports of the Caribbean, it is fragrances like orange blossom and gardenia that truly transport you to paradise. For your own island oasis, infuse the bath with tangerine-lime salts. Or treat yourself to kiwi-mango bubble bath and pink grapefruit body splash. Then celebrate your new tropical retreat with magnolia bath confetti.

Splash In The Falls
There's nothing quite as invigorating as a dip in a tropical stream. You can create that same unforgettable feeling by turning that ordinary shower into a cascading waterfall. Try the Cascadia showerhead by Waterpik, featuring an over-sized head and one hundred spray channels. Place Organize-It’s clear plastic Pebble Bath Tub Mat under your feet, and you’ll feel like you’re bathing under the falls of a secluded rainforest.


RESOURCES
Elegant Shells, www.elegantshells.com
GAIAM, www.gaiam.com
Illuminations, www.illuminations.com
Organize-It, www.organizes-it.com
Target, www.target.com
Waterpik, www.waterpik.com
World Market, www.worldmarket.com
Z Gallerie, www.zgallerie.com

Deck Out Your Deck In Seaside Style

Create your own "coastal" retreat with beachy flea market finds.

Seaside style is all the rage. And whether you live minutes from the shore or hours by plane, you can breathe the sea air by creating your own patio paradise. Coastal accents like glass floats, fishing nets, and even conch shells can be found at flea markets from Maine to Texas to Idaho. So get out your straw hat, pass the tanning butter, and get ready to turn your deck into a seaside oasis with these seven essentials for beach living.

1. Make A Cooler Table

You can't go to the beach without a cooler, so keep this flea market find by your side as a "seaside" table. Skip the modern plastic models and go for a vintage metal one in blue or silver (you can find one for between $5 and $25). Fill it with ice and this cool table earns its keep!

2. Go Blonde/Whitewash Furniture

Bleached wood and white wash paint a coastal scene. To get the look, simply paint flea market furniture white and use it outside. Look for bargains like dressers that have lost their drawers. The "shelves" are perfect for beach towels and flip-flops--even if you live in Kansas!

3. Catch A Net

Every seaside shanty has a net or two. This swap-meet regular makes a terrific outdoor curtain. Hang it from a long branch to create a virtual wall. Or make a chic, seaside swag by draping it from a tree. You can dress it up with shiny shell buttons for a little natural pizzazz.

4. Send A Message In A Bottle

Long for your own desert isle? Set the stage by adding a kooky message in a bottle to your island retreat. Just look for an old Coke bottle and a cork at the flea market and roll up a note inside: "Help! My umbrella has drifted to the other side of the glass!"

5. Make A Crate Great

Aged shipping crates abound at flea markets, and for some reason they are irresistible. So give up the fight and get a few favorites in different shapes and sizes. Turn each crate on its side and tack it up to your fence or wall for an instant outdoor shadowbox to showcase your shells. Now that sand dollar looks like a million bucks!

        

6. Get Out Your Beach Booty

Have piles of seashore finds from romantic walks on the beach, but no place to put them? Take your beachcombing skills to the flea market and search for half a dozen wire-clasp jars. Fill them with precious shells and sea glass for a splashy display of your tiny treasures. Just keep an eye out for pirates!

7. Hang A Sign And Hang Out!

No beach bungalow would be complete without a weatherworn sign, and the flea market is the perfect place to find one. If you see a sign that's peachy but not beachy, just paint it white and make your own. "Beach Access" is a classic, but "We're Happy As Clams" says it all.

Beachcombing At The Flea Market

It's summertime and the shores of the flea market are awash with seaside treasures! Vendors wait all year to haul out their beachy bounty, from life preservers and crab trap buoys to abalone shells and coral. So on this trip to the flea market, we were on a quest to help transform a friend's guestroom into a breezy coastal retreat. Kitty was looking for a few authentic ship lanterns with red glass and a pretty patina that would be handsome on the bedside tables. Maritime artifacts like these go for hundreds at auction, so she was happy to find a pair for only $50!

As we ventured on, we spotted a weathered "Private Beach" sign that would add a whimsical touch to our island look. A galvanized bait bucket caught Jennifer's eye. She thought it would make a clever storage container, and at $24 it was a steal. The find of the day was a collectible sand pail in near-mint condition. Lithographed, children's beach buckets like this one are often scratched and dented after years of sandcastle making, but this particular pail looked like it had never seen the sun! This vibrant goldfish pail would probably sell for over $100 online, so we paid the $65 asking price and saved our haggling skills for another day.

Bouncing Beauties
Scalloped, metal lawn chairs from the fifties (sometimes called "motel bouncers") are as popular as ever and can cost over $100 in the real world. Fortunately, these classics are regulars at the flea market and go for a fraction of the antique store price. Old metal chairs are great makeover candidates if they don't have too much rust. Just sand any rusty spots, wash and dry the chairs thoroughly, and then give them a coat of fresh spray paint. We found a pair of these chairs for only $30! They'll be stylish with a coat of Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze and cabana-striped cotton throw pillows.

Seashell Chic
The perfect finishing touch for a beach retreat has got to be seashells, so stock up on these natural home accents. Look for colorful, affordable shells like speckled sea snails or lion's paw scallops to display in an apothecary jar. Starfish, sand dollars, and sea urchins make attractive objets d'art for only $5 each, and those you find at the flea market will have lost their fishy smell! An abalone shell with its mother-of-pearl finish makes a naturally glamorous soap dish. Spectacular finds like a sea fan ($5 to $15) or a nautilus shell ($15 to $30) can stand alone as amazing organic pieces of art. And look for peachy, king-sized conchs, which run between $10 and $20 each–they make dramatic bookends.

Buoy Crazy
Glass fishing floats in blue-green and aqua evoke that ocean feeling in any room. These vintage glass buoys are still washing up on the shores of the Pacific Northwest. Baseball-sized floats sell for between $10 to $15, and larger grapefruit sized floats go for $15 to $20. Genuine floats are hand-blown, have bubbles in the glass, and have no seam. Authentic glass floats should also show serious signs of wear and tear–after all, that breakable buoy has been battered by the waves for who knows how long. Plus, the frosted effect is beautiful!

What To Shell Out
Sea Snails 50¢ to $3
Sand Dollars 50¢ to $4
Starfish $1 to $10
Sea Urchins $1 to $10
Abalone Shells $3 to $5
Scallop Shells $3 to $6
Sea Fans $5 to $15
King Conch Shells $10 to $20
Nautilus Shells $15 to $30
Ruffled Clam Shells $15 to $30

Hit The Beach!

It's summer time and the living is easy. Easy as a no-sew towel tote! Check out our cute canvas beach bag in this week's issue of Woman's World magazine. On newsstands now!