08.31.15 Treasures of the sea(shore)

We had a wicked good time on Cape Cod, followed by a short but successful stay in the Boston area to move my daughter in to her dorm for her sophomore year of college.

I am home and back at my desk, but happily in possession of both some wonderful memories and a few trinkets from our trip to the seashore.

We stayed at a small, family owned lodge called the Hyannis Holiday Motel.  It was straight out of a 1960's movie set - complete with the "return to" information on the key!  It was quirky (in a good way), convenient, and our kids thought it was way cooler than your average Hilton property.

Although we hung out primarily in Hyannis, we started our va-Cape-tion in Chatham (on the recommendation of very good friends who spend a couple of weeks there every summer).  After visiting the beach and the lighthouse, the guys found some bar seats at The Squire - a local pub - while my daughter and I ventured in and out of the shops along Main Street.
 
It didn't take me long to find a pair of  souvenir earrings. Longtime Chatham jewelers - Forest Beach Designer-Goldsmiths - have a lovely shop filled with work created by the owners, and other local artisans. 

My eyes landed pretty quickly on a pair of sparkly silver drops.  At first glance I thought they were covered with micro pave sized diamonds - but to my happy surprise - they are simply textured to create the sparkle (making them incredibly affordable)!  When I saw them, I said to my daughter, "these are going to be perfect with my lost wax pendant." I was absolutely right!

Hyannis Harbor Artist Shantis

After Chatham, we returned to Hyannis, where I found more local galleries and artists (and opportunities to shop!). Across from our hotel, along the harbor front, there are several small buildings - called Artist Shantis - where local artisans can rent space throughout the year.

In one of the buildings, sisters Christine Esperson and Jean Esperson-Golden, were selling their jewelry and accessories.  As I looked around, I visited with Christine about her travels, her jewelry-making and what drives creativity.  I knew I wouldn't be able to leave without a pair of her earrings, and settled on denim blue druzy drops, bezel set in an oxidized silver.  I expect, that much like blue jeans (with which the earrings share their color) these are going to be a pair that are easy to wear a lot because they will go with everything.

Photo credit: Dune Jewelry

A walk up the hill and into town led again to Main Street (every small Massachusetts town has one) where I was able to find the work of a jeweler I had learned about before our trip.  Cape Cod native, Holly Christensen,  makes jewelry from silver and sand.  Her company, Dune Jewelry, has grown from a hobby into a full fledged company - creating jewelry with sands from all over the world.  I had my eye on a pair of her "Sandbar" earrings before I ever left Austin, and found them - along with a lot of other beautiful things - at SoHo Arts.






Lest you think I'm the only one who went home with goodies - let me assure you - my daughter, sons and husband found things too, just not jewelry.

We visited two breweries - where the guys picked up tee shirts, glassware and some beverages to enjoy back at the hotel.  My daughter chose seaglass - but instead of jewelry, she decided on a sweet piece of 3D art for her dorm room.

We are now all back to our regular grinds - working or studying - but we had a wonderful time, and each have our own special memories and tangible treasures.

Until next time.