My Plans for an EPIC Driftwood Sculpture + Other Creative Driftwood Decor Ideas

One of my goals in life is to make a massive driftwood sculpture, inspired by the talented Heather Jansch.  Her driftwood sculptures are so captivating, I can't stop thinking about them: 

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Instead of a horse though, I'd like to erect a massive Komondor sculpture in my backyard, inspired by this sculpture of a Puli in Hungary:

 

(As an aside, how amazing is it that there is a sculpture park in Budapest celebrating the nation's dog breeds?  I've never been more proud to be Hungarian!) 

Instead of lumber painted black, I plan on using driftwood, which I think mimics the cords of the typical Komondor so perfectly.  So my newest hobby is collecting driftwood.  A LOT of it...

Earlier this year I refrained from collecting driftwood because, for awhile anyway, it was protecting our eroding shoreline, but then one day it disappeared.  That's the nature of driftwood I guess, it drifted away...right toward our neighbor, who burned it all in a massive bonfire.  Dude, you had enough for two horses, where are your priorities?  I started collecting it late in the season and soon the lake will freeze, so this is definitely long term project.  But I have still been dipping my hands into icy water to add to my growing pile.

Meanwhile, I've been collecting beachy ideas for driftwood decor that don't require quite the epic haul - plus some pretty pieces to just buy (because sometimes that's just more fun).  ALL of these ideas and DIY tutorials are much easier than my DIY idea (I honestly have no idea how the heck to make a massive Komondor sculpture, but that's a problem for Future-Me to sort out).

Here Are My Favorite Driftwood Decor Pieces:  

This dreamy driftwood and clay spoon is handmade by Fall for DIY and I'm obsessed with it's earthy, natural look.  Plus it looks so easy to make!

This Etsy shop makes the most gorgeous driftwood pieces, like this mirror and coffee table (which is seriously inspiring some ideas of my own):

I actually spotted a driftwood mirror at the IDS back in 2012, not realizing that I would ever find my dream home on Lake Superior and develop a craving for all things beachy.  Tutorials abound on how to make these but I don't think it's too complicated (famous last words). 

A little chalk paint in some watery hues really complements this easy peasy driftwood art so beautifully.  I love the scale of this piece (from Sustain my Craft Habit). 

This driftwood wreath is another cool take on beachy, driftwood art.

I love this driftwood table lamp because it has such graceful lines.  A knock off could easily be made by hacking a really simple, inexpensive lamp by affixing some driftwood pieces...



A few years ago, Sarah M. Dorsey knocked out two AMAZING DIY driftwood tables: this Target hack and also this herringbone coffee table.  It is absolutely dizzying how much work went into making these two table - you have to click over and take a peek!

If DIY isn't your jam - or you just don't have access to driftwood - this driftwood and brass jewelry stand (available through Etsy) is a great way to bring that beachy feel inside.

If my sculpture doesn't pan out, maybe furniture would be fun!  I am so inspired by these massive, organic hunks of driftwood turned into furniture - like this glass topped coffee table or this glass topped driftwood table:

Because I first planned a horse, I hauled out a few large, curved root pieces but with my sculpture plans changed, I love the idea of making a driftwood table with glass top with those random pieces.  If I changed the top to something less breakable, it could be an outdoor table instead.

Big Fab Designs, an Etsy shop, makes such stunning wall art made from wood, including beautiful driftwood.  The weathered wood with the vibrant hues is such a striking contrast!

These DIY driftwood boats from Alisa Burke are so pretty - I love the swirly blue sails and it looks like such a fun and easy craft project, I think kids would love making these.

There are so many beautiful ideas for using driftwood, but these are my favorites right now!

I've never really gone too "coastal" with my decor, staying away from anchors and seahorses and opting for a watery color palette, a mix of wood tones with some driftwood greys and creamy whites, and beach glass inspired finishes here and there, but I do find myself pinning more and more modern coastal spaces these days.  If I have any driftwood left from my sculpture, I might just make a pretty mirror or wall hanging - it would look really perfect in the fish room.

P.S. If you're planning on making a little driftwood craft - or tackling a massive project - check out this post on how to clean and sanitize driftwood. 

Our Stand Up Paddle Board Adventures on Lake Superior

For various reasons (both fun and decidedly un-fun), we decided not to launch our sailboat this year.  I was definitely disappointed about that, especially because I just love being out on the lake.  But after realizing last year just how much work owning a sailboat is, a little part of me was looking on the bright side and relishing the idea of a lazy summer just relaxing and exploring the bay with our canoe.  But when we flipped our canoe over for the first paddle of the season, we realized that bees had moved into one end of it, safely hidden behind riveted panels we cannot remove.

How does one deal with bees in a canoe? 

Drive into town and buy two stand up paddle boards!
 
Our interest in stand up paddle boards had already been piqued because friends of ours had them and were eager to go paddling on our bay of Lake Superior.  A canoe full of bees was the motivation we needed to get boards of our own, so we spent an afternoon checking out the local sporting goods stores and found the perfect stand up paddle boards, made right here in Ontario.
 
Learning to Stand Up Paddle Board

Learning to stand up paddle board was super embarrassing.  We didn't watch a single YouTube video or anything - we just pushed them out into the water and hopped on.  Hubby took to it much more quickly than I did, but we were both wibbly wobbly enough for a neighbor to comment: "not as easy as it looks," when she saw us the next day.  I think this implies that we were terrible at it and the whole bay was watching us.  In my defense, I have not fallen off - not once - but I did spend a lot of time shrieking, "I'm going to FALL" in the beginning.  I wasn't prepared for how high I would feel: because the water is so clear most days, when I can see right down to the bottom it was surprisingly trippy at first.  Plus any little ripple in the water felt like it would send me ass over tea kettle.

But I got used to it!

   
We were both off work for all of August so we went out almost every day and now I feel so much more confident paddle boarding.  I started by kneeling and then once I got a feel for it, I would stand up only when the wind was calm.  Eventually I found it less nerve wracking to stand where the water was deep because I was convinced that if I fell I'd crack my head open where it was shallow.  Probably an irrational fear, but paddling in deeper water ultimately helped me feel more at ease - even though it weirded me out at first.

Although we still definitely prefer calm days, we have also been out on crazy wavy days and I'm starting to love the feeling of getting tossed around.  I still cannot fathom how people actually surf because on even slightly wavy days here I feel like an extreme sports enthusiast - even though we stick to our extremely sheltered bay. 

On the day of the solar eclipse, though, the bay was dead calm so we actually paddled right out into the open water, which was such a cool experience.  We'd actually never been that far away from our bay because it's usually prohibitively choppy, so it was so exhilarating.  Although I felt very exposed being on this tiny little board in open water, it was also so peaceful.  Until I got distracted by the rocks.  I didn't realize that beneath the water out there are these massive boulders - the size of cars, polished so smooth into giant eggs.  I was really expecting a more sandy bottom, like in the middle of the bay, so I guess that's why I'm super fascinated by this discovery.  I also didn't realize how much random stuff is in the water, which is also super distracting because part of me hopes I'll find a chest of gold.

So far, no gold - just a lot of tires.  

Choosing the Right Stand Up Paddle Board

Choosing a paddle board was stressful because they're so pricey and every salesperson kept pushing the inflatable models.  We didn't really need the portability or small storage size of an inflatable board, although I did come very close to ordering this turquoise one from Amazon because of the color (of course) but also the great reviews and price - especially considering that it comes with an adjustable paddle and coil leash (even the paddle is aqua, I'm drooling).  Living right on the lake, we don't plan to bring ours anywhere so we liked the convenience of a rigid board - plus no possibility of leaks!  After spending days playing, "where is the air leaking from?" with the old inflatable Zodiac we use for our tender, neither of us were super excited about the inflatable paddle boards.  Once we started shopping though, we were blown away by some of the prices of the rigid fiberglass boards. 

We hadn't really planned to spend thousands of dollars per board but it really seemed that it was either that or a $500 plastic one from Canadian Tire that got ho-hum reviews online.  When a salesperson let it slip that the fiberglass ones are actually really delicate and they can't be dragged over rocks or anything rough, it seemed like we might not get paddle boards after all.  Luckily we stumbled across the perfect one at a local place (Chaltrek for my Thunder Bay friends - they rent them too).  The Inukshuk (by Clear Water Designs) is linear polyethylene with molded fins and it's durable as heck, which is perfect for our rocky shore.  Plus it has a deck bungie and a paddle holder, which is really convenient. 

The $799 price tag was a bit pricier than the Pelican ones from Canadian Tire, but our friend bought one of those and after we compared the two, we found ours was much more stable, plus the Pelican board weight rating didn't seem accurate because it seemed to really sink.  Plus I could get blue with the Inukshuk!

Do you like my t-shirt?  I know that the SUP lifestyle demands a slim blond gal in a skimpy bikini for photos but this is my paddle boarding tee - it has sharks on it :)



Hubby picked out a black and white board.  I quite obviously picked out his turquoise swim trunks.

Like so many hobbies, the cost of this one definitely added up pretty quickly.   

 
In addition to two boards, we also each bought a coil leash (a must-have) and an adjustable paddle (If I had money to burn, I'd totally splurge on this turquoise one).  I liked the adjustable style because when I was first learning if it got really wavy I'd kneel for stability and the adjustable paddle was great for that, plus it's perfect for sharing my SUP with friends and family when they come to the lake to play.  I almost always stand to paddle but a friend of ours only kneels and she uses a kayak paddle, which actually would be really nice on choppier days, so I am currently shopping for a small one (this one's cute!) to keep clipped to my board. 
 We both already had a life jacket but I'm thinking of buying a newer style that's meant for SUP and offers a better range of motion.  We both have one of these self-inflatable ones on the boat but I keep an older style from our early days of sailing at home and that's what I've been using for now.  For the last bit of "gear," they don't look very cool, but we found that these cheap water shoes from Walmart (wish I'd seen these aqua ones) are the comfiest option because they can get wet and still offer good traction - flip flops are terrible for paddle boarding and bare feet feels weird for me, especially when we hop on and off on our pebbly shore. 
 

In the end, I'm grateful for those bees moving into our canoe because we've been having SO much fun with our stand up paddle boards.  Now that we have the hang of it, it's really enjoyable and I love that there's no set up required: we just grab our boards and head down to the water and hop on.  It's such a great workout and such a beautiful new perspective of the lake.  My only complaint is that summer is ending soon and now I have one more reason to miss the warmer weather...

Nobody talk about fall!

Instead, tell me: have you tried stand up paddle boarding?          

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DIY Melt and Pour "Lake Superior" Soap

I warned you: making melt and pour soap is addictive.  It's the perfect craft for stress relief because it's fun and foolproof - nothing vexes me more than a DIY project that refuses to cooperate.  But making soap is easy!  Plus it gets bonus points for being a useful, consumable thing.  I have so many crafty ideas pinned to Pinterest but I am really picky about what I make because I just don't want more clutter.  Really, I can only use so many decorated vases and clay trinket dishes, but that mindset really put a damper on my creativity so I've been on the hunt for fun DIY projects that are useful, too.

Perhaps the best part of this is that the soap base I buy is organic and it lathers so beautifully, so I enjoy it more than the humdrum white bars we were buying.  

Today I'm sharing my latest melt and pour soap creation: "Lake Superior soap".  I wanted to create a bar that looked like the swirling depths of choppy water and it turned out so pretty.

Supplies:

• Glycerine soap base (clear)
• Mica soap colorants in blues/teals (this mica dye lot looks promising too)
• Soap fragrance (optional - I chose coconut)
• Bar silicone molds
• Loaf silicone mold
• Pyrex measuring cup
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Cheese grater
• Microwave 
• Old spoon 
• Small spray bottle
• Rubbing alcohol

Some Notes on Supplies: 

I purchased this exact soap base on Amazon in both clear and white, but I do prefer the clear glycerine base because the translucent base really highlights the shimmery mica so well.  I started with five pounds, three clear and two white, and that was a great amount for getting started with melt and pour soap making.   Definitely spring for at least 5 lbs! 

I have bought the mica colorants a few different times (including this exact teal as well as this teal shimmer plus this earthy color lot) and I'm not sure which ones I used here (plus I mix them).  If you're starting out, buy a mixed lot with color options - I guarantee you'll use them because you'll dream up different ideas while you experiment.

Because this project cleans up really easily, feel free to use a cutting board, measuring cup, knife and cheese grater from your kitchen cabinets.  While I was busy making soap, my white cutting board got a teeny tiny spot of discoloration from one of the mica colorants but everything cleaned up beautifully in the dishwasher - it's soap, after all. 

How to Make Swirling Melt and Pour Soap:  

The first step is to make the colorful "swirls".  Cut up the glycerine into 1 inch cubes and melt a cup or two in a Pyrex measuring cup for about 30 seconds in the microwave, until it's liquid.

Add a pinch of mica colorant and stir with a spoon until the color is uniform.  Pour into the bar soap mold and spritz with rubbing alcohol.  Repeat for different colors, using varying shades of blues and teals.

Set the bar soap molds aside, undisturbed, overnight.

Place the loaf silicone mold on a cutting board for stability.  Pop the bar soap out of their molds and grate them into the loaf mold using the cheese grater.  The soap is slippery so be careful - this is where a set of thin, cut-proof gloves would come in handy.  Grate the soap right into the loaf mold, alternating colors, until it is almost filled to the top.  Layer the lightest blues on top.

Melt about four cups of clear glycerine soap base in the microwave and add just a neutral white or pale gold mica colorant - just something for a bit of shimmer.  This is where you can add the fragrance - I used 20 or so drops of coconut essential oil.  Pour the melted soap into the loaf mold while it's still really hot.  The heat will make the top layer of grated soap melt somewhat and the resultant soap will have a pale turquoise background color with subtle swirls and movement.  By the time the melted soap reaches the bottom of the grated soap, it's cooler and the bottom layers stay much more intact.  Working with the hot melted glycerine is how I kept the grated soap design from just looking speckled (which also looks good).  Let it harden overnight and then pop out of the mold and slice, using a large sharp knife.

I don't know what scent best says "Lake Superior," so I just went with coconut because I like it.  I'm open to suggestions for my next lake inspired batch...

It is really difficult to photograph this soap because it's translucent and shimmering with different layers and a depth that I just cannot capture in a picture.  You'll have to take my word that this soap is staggeringly pretty.  I have literally stood in the shower for way too long, admiring it.  Just like my DIY gem stone soap, this soap doesn't dye or discolor any surfaces once it's finished. 

Have you tried making melt and pour soap?  I loved hearing about your experiments when I shared my last batch.  Tell me what you've been up to! 

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Highs and Lows Sailing Our Ticon 30 on Lake Superior

Hubby and I launched our new-to-us Ticon 30 sailboat a lot later than we expected, largely because there was so much work to do!  A sailboat is a lot like a house: there's always something to repair or tinker with, and so we spent much of the summer in our boat on land, which made us laugh.  It still had a waterfront view, I guess.  The reason we finally did launch was not because we felt ready, but because the boat launch was getting a new concrete pad poured.  Because it would be unusable for the rest of the summer, it was either launch when we did or not at all.  Secretly I'm happy we had that extra push because I think part of the delay was just a little bit of nervousness.  Although we had a boat inspection, for all we knew the boat didn't even float!  Both of us envisioned hopping in and promptly sinking to the bottom of Lake Superior.

Luckily everything went as planned!  The launch went pretty smoothly and we knew what we were in for because we had seen the process while boat shopping:

A huge boat travel lift came to our storage spot and moved the sailboat to the water.  I wanted to cheer when the engine turned on and the boat floated, but I played it cool.  Some fellow Yacht Club members were kind enough to help us launch, with only a minimal amount of heckling.

I might have failed to mention that, from the outside, our boat is an ugly little thing.  Beige fiberglass, brown hull, forest green late 80s bimini... We've already given the inside a makeover and we'll get to the outside at some point - we both love the idea of a black hull and black sails.  But most nights I repeatedly whisper "turquoise boat, turquoise boat" while Hubby sleeps.  I'm wondering how much longer I have to do this until he wakes up one morning, unable to shake the idea of a turquoise hull.

After the boat was in the water it was up to us to get the mast on, which took my Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Hubs and I the better part of an afternoon.  I got to operate the hoist (which is a lot less impressive than it seems - just a toggle switch for up and down):

It was grueling getting that mast up!  At one point my Mom was steadying the mast by hanging onto a rope to keep it from swinging as Hubby and my Dad tried to position it.  As I lifted the mast with the hoist, Mom's length of rope shortened but she didn't let go or ask for help.  At one point I saw her sort of leap and swing by in front of me, frantically gripping the last four inches of rope, toes barely hitting the gravel.  She's tenacious, that's for sure (Mandelbaum Mom I call her).

The rigging took another day as we tried to figure out what goes where.  This is our second sailboat, but our first - a 16 foot Fireball - was much smaller and we were already accustomed to it.  Luckily Hubby's Grandpa (the same one who painted our art) was an avid sailor so Hubby knows his way around a boat - that makes one of us.

Our first sail made us wonder why the heck we had waited so long to launch because it was just perfectly idyllic!  It was dusk, the weather was beautiful, the sailing was amazing, and we were just beaming at one another.  It was so peaceful and so much more comfortable than our last sailboat, which was tiny so we always got totally soaked and spent most of the time crouch uncomfortably.

Everything was beautiful - even the industrial area near the Yacht Club looked amazing from the water at dusk.

This is the life, I thought, feeling a lot of gratitude for essentially living in one of those smarmy motivational posters I always pin on Pinterest.

But, alas, Lake Superior is not always so nice to unsuspecting sailors like us.

Cue the ominous music in the Lifetime movie of my life.

We never sailed our boat home to the lakehouse as planned, because the day we planned to sail was AWFUL!  Our tow line for the inflatable dinghy got caught in the engine but we didn't know that, so we were frantically trying to figure out why the heck we were dead in the water.  (Lesson learned: the dinghy line should always be of the floating variety.)

The channel was super windy and wavy and we were about to crash our new boat into the docks.  An older gentleman was sitting on his boat, shouting instructions but we couldn't hear him so he was just a huge distraction - until he finally communicated the problem to us (thanks!).  Before we got it, Hubby went sprinting to the bow to drop the anchor - which we'd never used, so it was a nightmare to release and we missed a collision by inches.  I was trying to steer the boat but it was my first time and I had two people yelling competing instructions at me.  I was certain I'd crash a tear a big hole in the side.  We finally sorted out the problem, got out of the channel and hoisted the sails, only to find ourselves trapped in 28km/hr gusting winds and giant swells which almost engulfed us.  It was fun at first but then the sailing became really terrifying as it felt nearly impossible to stay in the cockpit.  I was certain one of us would be thrown out.  We tightened our life jackets and white-knuckled it for an hour or so before turning around and heading back to the Yacht Club, where strong winds kept pushing us around.  We were sort of close to the slip when Hubby hollered at me to run and jump off the bow of the boat with the dock line as the boat lurched wildly.  I looked at the slip, which seemed too far to jump to, and yelled back, "you want me to what now?"  I paused, terrified of missing the slip and cracking my coconut open.  All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I see Hubby, previously manning the steering wheel, race by me and leap off the boat himself.

I seriously love this guy. (He's wearing an "Arrrbucks" pirate shirt - "bilge brewed").

After we collected ourselves, surveyed the minor damage (she needs a new paint job anyway - turquooooiiisssseeee) and grabbed a hot coffee, I think we were both thinking, "well sh*t."  Neither of us were looking forward to the 5 to 7 hour journey home, having just had our asses handed to us. 

Happily, we were lucky enough to be able to rent a slip for the rest of the season!

I think the club pitied us newbies because there's usually a waiting list - years long - for slips.  When we were "initiated" into the club there was an agonizingly long 45 minute lecture about how we wouldn't get a slip and I was all, "yeah, yeah we don't need one we're mooring on our bay" so I really had to eat crow but it was worth it.  Am I ever happy that Hubby thought my "buy a boat in Toronto and sail it home" idea was ridiculous.  "Too epic," he called it (that was putting it nicely).

But subsequent sailing adventures have been a lot of fun!  

I wish the sailing season wasn't winding down already because I feel like we're only just getting the hang of it.  We'll be ready for next year though, and we'll be able to launch a lot earlier because shopping for, buying, and fixing up the boat consumed a lot of our spring and summer.  I'm excited to actually bring the boat home to our bay next year.  A neighbor made us a really cool mooring anchor that screws into the ground.  To get prepared, we're thinking about signing up for sailing lessons but in the meantime we've been taking the Ticon out in inclement weather so the next time we end up in huge swells, we won't be caught off guard.  Hubby always tries to aim for nice days but I tell him that while we're sailing from the club and have the luxury of staying close to shore, we should sail in any weather so we learn how to handle the boat no matter what Lake Superior throws at us.

P.S.  How adorable is the Yacht Club?  There's a washroom with shower facilities and a kitchen (not pictured) that is seriously nicer than mine.  They literally had to remove the couches because some dudes were just living here.

It has tulip tables, tulip tables. 

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