shells, shells, shells...

We recently came back from a trip to Sanibel Island and I was hooked.  There were shells everywhere!  I found a tide chart and hit the beach.  There were several really good minus tides, where the tide goes out further than normal, usually during a full or new moon.  And a storm blew through dumping even more shells on the beach.  I got really lucky.

I put most of the shells in hurricane vases which now sit on the mantle and I have a few of my prized shells in shadow boxes where the kids can't reach them.  When it started to get cold we pulled the hurricanes down, dumped all the shells on the floor and played Sanibel.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites. 

Florida fighting conch, tulip, olive, I think.

More favorites...wentletraps!

And one more picture.

When we came home I bought these lamps on-line, www.jcpenney.com and filled them with some of the shells we collected.  Each of the kids have one and we have them at our bedside as well.  Pretty cool, eh???

One of our new lamps.

Note: I've added more shell pictures from our more recent visits to Sanibel as it seems Trip Advisor is sending a few people this way.  If you want to read about our adventures while in Sanibel then type in "Sanibel" over in "SEARCH ME" area on the right hand side of the blog over there.  

Have fun looking around and feel free to leave a comment!  

This is what I was referring to on TA.
A sand-dollar on a candle base.

These are from our most recent trip in October 2011.
That is what you think it is, in the center.  

Gracie trying to grab a few!

I love the murex!

  

Alphabet cone although I can't find a single letter on this one.

Close up of the lamp base.

Beach view June 2011.

Random shells.  October 2011.

October 2011.

 

Crafting shells for the kids.

Display in progress.

Display in progress.



Kings Crowns.



Kings Crowns.



This is what the Kings Crwons started as.  We found them
at low tide in the mud flats at Blind Pass. 
Not for the faint of heart!