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Friday, October 1, 2010

Dressing up my favorite Giga.....


I love decorating with clam shells.  And with that - I've always wanted an authentic, giant giga clam shell to be the centerpiece of my clam shell displays.  I recently stopped at this wonderful coastal decor and seashell shop in Key Largo - that was filled to the brim with gorgeous giga clam shells of all shapes and sizes.  I was mesmerized by the variety but really was quite shocked at the prices.

At first, I thought it was a mistake when I saw that the one I liked best was $1500 dollars.  So I moved on to the next one and after looking at about 15 different ones varying in price on the low end starting at $500 and the high end - $2000 - I realized these clams are crazy expensive.  So I asked the sales person - why are the clams so expensive - the first thing she said was "they never go on sale, either"...with an annoyed tone - because she obviously gets asked this question frequently.  So I asked again.  She said they are rare and very hard to come by - (based on the quantity at the store...it appears they must have the world's largest inventory because there were giant clams all over the place) and that the better the form and shape, the more expensive it will be.

Armed with that information, I clearly had to go in a different direction - but did not want to abandon my vision for a coastal clam centerpiece.  Determined to create my masterpiece - I ordered this resin one from ZGallerie for $59.99:


I was very pleased with the size - 12" by 20" and also the quality. As soon as it arrived, I began the process of collecting my favorite things to fill it.

Sea biscuits, sea cookies and sand dollars.....
















Pink and Green Sea Urchins.....











Pink and Green Shells......











Starfish and seashells.....











Lovely white and blue coral....











Anchor pieces of coral & sponges











Moss from Michael's & "The Shell"






















I set the anchor pieces first....











Mixed in the smaller coral pieces











Added the assorted shells....












And here is the finished piece.....what do you think?
 I call this my "coastal" flower arrangement.






I didn't dress this up for Fall - but I definitely plan on re-mixing the pieces for the holidays - so stay tuned  for future posts on "Dressing up my favorite Giga".  


I'm linking this up to:

Show and Tell Friday with My Romantic Home
Feathered Nest Fridays with French Country Cottage
Saturday Nite Special with Funky Junk Interiors
Motivate Me Monday with Keeping it Simple
Show Off your Cottage Monday with The House in the Roses
Make it for Monday with Cottage Instincts

16 comments:

NanaDiana said...

OMGosh...I am totally IN LOVE with your Giga clam shell. Under $60 clams (get it-clams..dollars-never mind) Anyway...You done good, kiddo...you done good-

It looks absolutely spectacular filled with all your shells and coral & starfish. I didn't realize you had so many beautiful sea shell memories!

When we used to go to Spanish Cay they would dump those big shells right outside of the huts by the piers. I wish now that I had grabbed some of them to bring home. The conch shells numbered in the thousands..sigh...another lifetime ago.

I love it just like it is-it doesn't need ANY Fall dressing..it.is.perfect. hugs- Diana

Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal said...

Oh my, that is so pretty! I had no idea they were that expensive. And I thought coral was expensive. Geez, I think their prices were geared towards the tourist. I love the mix of treasure that you put in there.

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

OH my!!!!!! I absolutely LOVE that huge shell with all those little shells!! SOOO Gorgeous!! I thought my seashell salad bowls were big! Wow! I love how your coastal arrangement looks- I'm sure any of your fall touches will be gorgeous too! Thanks so much for joining Feathered Nest Friday and sharing this!!! :)

Anonymous said...

That's a pretty realistic looking for being resin. I usually don't like the fake ones but the new ones are so expensive. I found one for $150 and I still thought that was a lot to pay!

Beach House Living said...

For me? You shouldn't have! Love, love it. I would leave it just the way it is. It's so perfect. Okay throw an ornament in at holiday.

Kaybe said...

That clam shell is absolutely stunning! I always pick up washed up coral because that has gotten so expensive. We had a huge double-clam in our front yard that my mom found skin-diving in the 60's. It turned up missing...wah! Mom found another much smaller one at a yard sale. It graces the garden.

Blooming Rose Musings said...

Your shell is beautiful and divine is the product of your artistry! It is so lovely and I can see how very much you enjoy working with all the natural elements. It really doesn't have to be dressed for the seasons because nature has done that for us! It truly is a shell for all seasons. Absolutely gorgeous!

KimMalk said...

This is really beautiful. How smart to look at a different source. Maybe Key Largo figures they'll get tourists, too.

pam@ iLoveShelling said...

I have to have one of those giant clams! You found the deal of the century on this one. I have looked for them too and they are so darn pricey so thank you so much for letting us know where I can get one at a reasonable price! ThankYou!!!!

Heaven's Walk said...

Wow, Debbie! What a gorgeous centerpiece!!!! So clever and very creative! I never realized how expensive those shells really were, but your resin one looks very real! Thanks for the inspiration and the inside scoop! :)

Hugs! xoxo laurie

Cindy said...

I found a great coral picture frame at Z Gallerie a few years back that I simply love, they have some good finds! I love your clam shell too! I know what you mean, I have been on the "lookout" for one of these as well, but they have always been pricey... Thanks once again for the great inspiration!!

Drawn to The Sea said...

I've been hoping Santy would bring me a giga for years but he never obliges. The resin's a great option, imo. Love how you arranged the shells... the shell shop should hire you as a stylist, to do their displays.

Pleasant weekend!
Julia~

Anonymous said...

Well done! looks fabulous and I love that you shared each shell which fills it. Great job...

Marie

Mikey Fuller said...

Beautiful! I, too, have a faux Giga--it is very large, I got it at a quaint shoppe in VA Beach while visiting a friend. I want to say I paid $20.00 for it. I have styled it with Christmas ornaments and glass floats. Currently it holds spools of burlap twine.

fitty's pinky rose cottage said...

wow! stunning collection of shells! i have some in my collection but not as many and pretty as yours! thanks for sharing..

Ann @ makethebestofthings said...

Beautifully, wonderfully gorgeous! Perfect as they are, so lovely. Thanks for the wonderful post.