Delightful Discoveries - You Light Up My Life 08.07.10

My husband Al was reading my blog post from yesterday and chuckled as he said "I wonder where you came up with that theme from..." referring to my lighthouse theme today. I informed him that it was National Lighthouse Day... and he continued with, "Oh, I thought maybe you just looked up and saw a lighthouse and that's how you got your theme!" You see, at last count, we have 12 lighthouses in our office - art prints, collectible figurines, and a few that are part of the mural I painted in here several years ago, including the one to the right of this paragraph!

I LOVE lighthouses! I love the symbolism behind them, their history, the legends surrounding them, and their unique charm and beauty.

In 1989, National Lighthouse Day was first designated as a day to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Act for the Establishment and support of Lighthouse, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers, which was enacted all the way back in 1789! In this age of satellites, GPS, and improved navigational systems, what few active lighthouses remain are automated, and many of the most famous and legendary lighthouses have fallen into disrepair or are now maintained as landmarks by private citizen volunteer groups. To learn more about the history of these sentinels by the sea or to find out more about the many groups who are working to preserve these remnants of history, visit the American Lighthouse Foundation's website.

Nominations for today's feature were pretty scant, so most of the pieces you'll see here today were found by browsing through Etsy. With just under 4000 items in my "lighthouse" search, I hope you'll agree that these are some of the most beautiful and unique listings! Now let's let those lights shine!

(Left) KnitzyBlonde offers this great American Lighthouses Wristlet/Makeup Bag. I love the bright colors and the variety of lighthouses it has!
(Center) jps3dcreations offers several sets of lighthouse themed notecards, but I have to be honest - I selected these North Carolina Lighthouses because they had my name on them!
(Right) Lighthouse on the Rocky Shore Decorative Wood Silhouette is from mountainbrook. If you look closely, you'll see just how amazing and intricate the detail truly is!



(Left) This unique Vintage Cast Iron Skillet with a Lighthouse design is just one treasure of vintage Americana available at TotallyVintage. With a little elbow grease and time to properly season it, this pan would be wonderful for those skillet cakes just like Grandma used to make!
(Center) The Sailor's Guardian, a stunning stained glass sculpture from MountainNavy, is patterned after the Portland Head Lighthouse in Maine. This lighthouse was first lit on January 10, 1791 and decommissioned on August 7th, 1989. What a lovely tribute!
(Right) WhimsicalXpressions offers a couple of different lighthouse themed photoframes. I selected this Lighthouse Frame with Glass because I liked it's color and slightly weathered design. Perfect for that office or den with a nautical theme!



(Left) If lighthouse jewelry is more your thing, I think you'll love this great little Lighthouse glass tile pendant from loismarie22. The soft sea green is a great contrast to the red stripes of the lighthouse, and the seagulls add the perfect touch of nature's charm!
(Center) Another vintage find, this Ceramic Lighthouse and Sailboat Salt and Pepper Shakers set is a perfect addition for the collector or lighthouse aficianado. You can find the set at ClairesFaire.
(Right) OrangeCatArt is back with this set of 4 Lighthouse notecards featuring North Carolina's Outer Banks lighthouses - the sentinels of the Atlantic. What gorgeous landmarks they are!



(Left) SatinStitchery also returns with the Bodie Island NC Lighthouse Embroidered Clock, another piece that would be perfect for that nautical themed room in your house or office!
(Center) Looking for a photo print of a lighthouse? How about this Long Beach Lighthouse Photograph Art Print from paulgiunta. It's available in a variety of sizes to fit your needs!
(Right) Painted in a bold red and white stripe pattern this Lighthouse Tea Light Candle Holder from 3HootStudio is a perfect addition to your bathroom, family room or any space in your home.

Writing this post was a challenge for me - not because the subject was hard or that items were hard to choose, but because I want to buy them all!!!!! So, do me and my PayPal account a favor and beat me to it!

I'll be back tomorrow with my next feature - this splendid, vibrant purple. You know I love purple, so I am really looking forward to seeing what you'll be nominating for this grand display! Whether it's handmade, vintage, or even supplies, I'd love to see your favorite bright purple nominees, so simply click here to e-mail me the link to the page of the shop where I can view them. Then join me here on Sunday to some purple lusciousness!

See ya soon!