Picture Moments at the Beach

I took this dreamy calm picture with my old iPhone 4 at Myrtle beach.  It is so strange how a rickety old fence, a bit of sand and tiny yellow flowers can bring back a happy calm memory.

The reality is I probably looked really crazy walking around the beach snapping away at everything that catches my eye trying to capture the moment.

Happiness is a choice.

This photo is not the whole "picture" of what I was looking at. There was probably a big ugly garbage can right outside of frame. I choose to focus in, edit out all the distractions and see this tiny corner of happiness at the beach.

Life is a lot like this. I have had to discipline myself to just glance at the news headlines to be informed of world events. But I cannot let the negativity of the world distract me from the good and the beautiful things that happy everyday.

Thank you for reading

Mermaid Wall Plaque Art From Christmas Mouse

Every since I was a little girl, I have always loved mermaids. I actually read the very sad ending Little Mermaid story from Hans Christian Andersen long before I ever saw the Walt Disney very happy ending animated movie.

 

I think of mermaids as beautiful strong magical free spirited mysterious women who live on both land and sea. The ocean is such a magnificent powerful full of life place, I think it would be incredible to call that huge body of water home.

 

Whenever I am at the beach, I always look for any mermaid anything I can find. I happened upon this mermaid wall plaque at the Christmas Mouse in Myrtle Beach, SC.

 

 The first time I saw this piece on the wall of a staircase in the store, I did not have enough money to get it. So I went home, saved up my money and purchased the mermaid then next time I went back to the beach. You wouldn't believe how excited I was that it was still there on that return trip. The store does not have a lot in backstock for certain items.

 

I am sure you noticed, my mermaid is sitting in a crystal vase I got from Marshalls years ago. For some reason, I do not want to put her up on a wall yet. Hopefully I can find some sort of stand to sit her in.

 

The sea shell fan and her hands are very well done. It can be really hit or miss with mermaid art. There is the tacky, overly sexy, bad design and the good. I am very very picky when it comes to the pieces I add to my collection.

An overhead view of the mermaid plaque sitting down into the vase. Those are some really big shells on her boobies right? LOL!

I was drawn to this piece because it is very well made. The overall composition, the design of her beautiful face and the artistry. I have seen a lot of very bad mermaid art - we are talkin' scary bad art and poor quality. I will be doing a post on a piece of ulgy mermaid art I did buy - I just could resist.

This close up of her hands holding the shell is so well done. As an artist, I know personally, hands are very hard to draw let alone sculpt. For the price I am very happy with the quality of this piece.

Love this very affordable price. There are other stores that have amazing mermaid art but the price point is extremely out of my small budget range. This company Midwest CBK is apparently for retailers only. So your best bet to purchase this or something similar is at the Christmas Mouse or on Amazon.

The design of the facial features of my mermaids is very important to me. I love her serene graceful pose.

I really wonder if the scales and the tail were carved by hand or if this is a mold. It looks like it was carved to me. The material it is made of seems to be more of a kind of resin not a plaster.

I was so glad the "distressing" is very minimal. My other mermaid statue had too much rough distressing for my taste and I am trying to figure out how to paint over some of the gouges in the surface.

The facial expression reminds me of Madonna art.  Eyes gazing off to into the distance calm and meditative.

Here is a full view of the whole piece. It was actually very hard to photograph these plaque for some odd reason. I really do prefer this plaque to stand rather than hanging on a wall.  I probably want to enjoy observing the piece close up than on a wall in the distance.

The plaque measures about 13 inches tall and at it's widest point (the tail) it is about 3inches.

I was really lucky to find her but now I am on the search for black mermaid art. There seems to be a huge void in the market for them. I am writing a mermaid novel and one of my dreams is to have a whole line of multi cultural mermaids in all colors and shapes to represent the beautiful diverse women of the world.

A New Day. A Clean Slate. Don't Waste It.

Myrtle Beach    January 2016 with a CanonPowerShot ELPH 170 IS

I love sunrise and sunset at the beach. The symphony of soothing colors playing in harmony on the brightening or fainting sky is truly awe inspiring.

Watching the sun rise over the ocean waves gives me have so much hope and enthusiasm for the fresh new day. At the end of a day at the beach, watching the sun set over the ocean horizon, I feel thankful to have lived another day of life.

Life is too precious to be wasted. Every breathe is a gift. The older I get, the faster time seems to fly by. I appreciate life so much now. Getting through the hard times in life has made me stronger and more aware how precious life is.

My goals are to have a peaceful, creative and productive life. I love encouraging people to be their best and live life to the fullest.

Watching sunrises and sunsets fill me with respect for the Creator and the creation. I hope you will have a wonderful inspiring day today. Go pursue your dreams today. Give yourself permission to live the life you always wanted.

Thank you for reading my post.

Thomasina

My First Tommy Bahama Necklace Purchase and Review

I have walked into the Tommy Bahama store in Crabtree Valley Mall for years wishing I could afford their beautiful beach themed jewelry. Usually it is very much out of my bargain budget of how much I will pay for costume jewelry. The prices can range from $50.00 and up.

In January, I was on a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC and I stopped into the Tangers Outlet that has a Tommy Bahama Outlet store. The outlet store was having a 50% off sale Wow! I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Interesting fact about the regular Tommy Bahama stores: They do NOT do markdowns.


This amazing bib style necklace is a statement piece composed of very shiny gold tone and rhinestone sprinkled sea life pendants. The pendants in the shapes of pieces of coral, shells, round shapes with the imprint of sand (?) and other random faux pearls and plastic beads.

It is a little over 18 inches long stretched out. The center pendant (the shell) is an inch long. The extender is 3 inches long with a crystal bead at the end.  Near the lobster clasp is a tiny tag with the initials TB.

This is a back view of the necklace with the clear faceted plastic bead. Side note: My necklace stand is not covered in lint. It is actually the sun reflecting off the velvet cloth on the stand. So annoying. LOL!

I really love this necklace. I will get a LOT of wear out of it. The quality of the piece is impressive. I don't think the gold tone will faint or turn. The rhinestones have a lot of sparkle and are attached very securely. The pendants have a lot of detail and dimension.

A couple of  close up views of the pendants. It is gorgeous! Definitely a standout piece in my collection.

There are only two downsides to the necklace: it is slightly heavy on the neck after wearing it for a while and the pendant do jingle jangle a bit when you move around.  While this is not very annoying, it is a lesson learned from here out to shake a necklace to hear if it will be noisy and feel how comfortable the weight will be around the neck.

I could not believe I was finally able to buy something from this expensive "resort wear and beach home lifestyle" store. This necklace was in an end of the season markdown at a Tommy Bahama outlet store. You might not find this exact piece but I have a link to the store's website at the beginning of this post.

There is no way I would pay $68.00 for a piece of costume jewelry. I was lucky to get this 50% off plus tax. Yes I think the necklace is worth the sale piece. I love the quality and the design of Tommy Bahama jewelry but I am can find similar pieces Versona.  Tommy Bahama is a bit better quality, designs and materials but the price is not what I am willing to pay.

I love it when I get jewelry bags with the purchase of jewelry. Anything that will help me keep my vast jewelry collection organized is appreciated. It was just a thin cloth drawstring bag.

Finally this is a back view of the necklace. It has a nice good quality gold tone finish.

My inner mermaid was definitely drawn to this beach themed jewelry. I am inspired to see if I could make a necklace like this from pieces I can gather from the beach and craft stores.

I have not only a beautiful statement necklace, I have a source of inspiration.


Please let me know what you think of this necklace.

thomasinawords@gmail.com

@ThomasinaWords - Twitter


 Thank you so much for reading my post.


Thomasina

Peace

 

 

Waves from the Atlantic Ocean at Myrtle Beach

 

 

 

The beach has always been a place of peace, relaxation, happiness and mental cleansing in my life. As I drive down to South Carolina, all of my problems fade away to nothing. The constant chatter in my mind is silenced.

 

 

There were many years when I was unable for many reasons to go to the beach and my life suffered because of that. Being near the water (a lake will do in a pinch LOL!)  instantly makes me focus my calm energy and smile. I will never ever take for granted any trip to ocean after so many years of wanting to visit and being unable to.

 

 

It's my "inner mermaid" longing for her ocean home beneath the crashing waves that pulls me towards the coast every chance I get.

 

 

I am sending out this peaceful foamy sunlit wave to you. I want to give to you the same peaceful calm strengthening positive energy I receive every time I stand on the sandy shore.

 

Today is your positive hopeful productive day. Believe in your inner strength. Run towards your goals.

 

 

Peace be with you my friend.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Thomasina



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fighting The Fall and Winter Blues

Some people love this time of the year when the temperatures are cooling down and the leaves are changing color.

I am definitely NOT a Fall or Winter person. in fact,  I wish there could be blue skies and bright sunshine every single day during the year but this is not reality where I live. 

The beautiful sun shining has always made happy and energized therefore I really struggle with cold overcast cloudy weather. This year I made a very important decision that I will make an strong effort to bring "sunshine weather" into every single cold weather day.

At the very end of Summer, I brought a lot of beach and tropical themed home décor items to decorate every room in my home. Transforming the interior of my house into a beach house with bright happy colors, sea shells and pictures of the ocean has been my first line of defense again the sad feeling I get from the changing weather.

I will be positive  and productive about Fall and Winter instead of giving into my usual habit feeling down and unhappy. The cool and cold months take up half the year and I do not want to waste a precious moment being sad.

Choose happiness. Choose life. Everyday is a gift and should be lived to the fullest.

Tell me how you deal with the "cold weather blues."

Thanks for reading!

Thomasina

Dollar Tree Beach Items From Myrtle Beach

The Dollar Tree Stores are awesome for finding all kinds of inexpensive items. From home decor to frozen food this store will help you survive on a very tight budget .

This past Saturday, I went down to Myrtle Beach for a fast fun day trip getaway.

I was so happy to see find more beachy items to decorate my home. A Surf's Up sign and a gorgeous hulu dancer.

The sign is lightweight material with glitter  letters but it is not flimsy. I love the graphic design. For only a dollar, this sign is a steal compared to the crazy high prices of beach items in the beach shops down at the beach.

The hulu dancer is a hanging party decoration. Her facial features are really well done. I can be very picky about faces in art I buy. 

As I am not a fan of the cold months, I decided to be proactive and make the inside of my house as much like a relaxing warm beach retreat as I can.

When I came home, I went to my local Dollar Tree store, only hulu girl plates were available and no beach signs.

Things do tend to sell out quickly. 

Of course always check the quality of the items - some things are so cheaply made they are not worth paying a dollar for. 

When I look at the two signs paired together on my door, they make me smile, relax and think of the beach.

What is your favorite thing to buy at the Dollar Tree?

Thanks for reading!

Thomasina

Sunrise At Myrtle Beach

Watching the sunrise at Myrtle Beach, SC  yesterday morning was not only an awe inspiring sight but it reminded me of how blessed I am. 

I am inspired to paint sunrises over the ocean. I actually became emotional watching that glowing orange and gold  ball of light rise out of the ocean. 

There was a time when I longed to be able to travel to the beach but I did not have the finances or transportation. As a result, I never take for granted being able to travel outside my city limits. 

Roadtrips help me clear my mind, inspire and motivate me. I definitely have a travel bug. 

Thankfully, I did not give up my dream of going to the beach again and after a lot of hard work I visit the beach more than I ever had.

During hard times and dark sad moments, it is easy to want to give up on your dreams. Do not ever give up on your heart's desire. 

You might have to change your plans or revise your strategy but stay focused on getting what you want.

Everyday do something to reach your goals. Believe it is possible. 

If you don't think you can, you are definitely right.

Thank you for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

The Beach Fixes Everything

Hello Everyone!

Spring is almost here and I am so happy. It was a very long and cold winter. Warm temps and the  bright sunshine are a very welcome change.

I saw these signs in Marshall's the other day. "The Beach Fixes Everything" is the story of my life. I have always felt relaxed, calm, zen, creative, and focused when I am at the beach. 

There is something soothing and awe inspiring about looking out across that endless span of water.

A plan for a roadtrip to the beach is in the works. I cannot wait.

When I saw these cute beach themed signs, I thought they would look great in my home office but I know I can definitely made them myself. 

A very easy DIY: 

a piece of wood or thick paper, draw with a light pencil the lettering, two paint colors or markers and presto you have this sign for free or a lot less than the $7 to $10 dollars they were priced at.

Thank you for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

Ron Jon Tote Bag and Flower Pen Clearance Haul

This is a reusable bright coral color tote I got for just $1.29 at the Myrtle Beach RonJon store at Barefoot Landing. 

My favorite item I got on clearance is this pretty flower big barrel pen for only 88 cents. Of course I had to get several of this. 

Ron Jon is one of my favorite stores to browse in when shopping at the beach. I say browse because the prices at usually a lot higher than my only buy on sale for $10 or less strict budget.