50 $ense Beach Glass Hunting!

So what happens when you grow up on an island and about 80% of your childhood was spent playing outside… ? You fall in love with nature and all the treasures the island has to offer. From pinecones to beach glass, tadpoles to rabbit holes, and almost everything in between. One exception…spiders!

The lake was our playground! We swam in the lake, washed our hair in the lake,  water skied, paddled, sailed, power boated, floated in the calm and in the waves. The waves brought treasures to the shoreline.  I started collecting beach Glass at an early age and used it for a multitude of craft projects.  As I began to travel, I collected rocks and bits of nature as a form of souvenirs.  In the mid 90s, I opened up a retail shop called Local Color on Erie Street.  Local Color was an outlet for all of my creative juices at the time.  I was able to hand paint glassware, custom paint children’s white rocking chairs, display local artist’s work,  reproduce old island prints, along with a selection of my own artwork.  I would spend the winters creating-covering bottles, lamp shades, vases and baskets with beach glass.  Due to the fact that the retail shop was seasonal this gave me the entire off-season to produce enough inventory for may opening. The sidewalk in front of the building, which is now a historic overnight rental, still makes people smile as they walk over the beach glass and stone flowers I set in the concrete sidewalk.  There are 13 flowers still remaining.  Next time you’re at the Real Bar or the Fire Engine Bar, take a few minutes and about 30 steps for a quick 

LOOKABOUT.

As time passed and seasons changed, so did my life.  Three children came into the picture. Summers were always spent on the island and off-season in Cleveland. Put-in- Bay is a magical place for children. They can ride their bikes, meet up with friends, and do what kids do with the security and safety that this island community does not take for granted.  I instilled the love and respect for the lake and nature in all three of my children.  Family vacations often took a detour in order to find some treasures to take home.  I always packed gallon size Ziploc bags because I never knew if we were going to bring one shell home or 3 pounds.  The kids got used to crafting on vacation whether it was covering styrofoam balls with shells &  beach glass or picture frames.  I often had a project for them. 

Let’s fast forward to present day.  Two out of the three children still spend their summer on the island and work for the family business. “Mom” continues to create and is always working on a project.  I’ve had to slow down in the Beach glass collection department because I simply had an abundance and could only fill so many glass jars. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS FUN!  Using 25 years of collecting beach treasures for decor in our restaurants and Local Color (2nd shop opened in 2012).  There are three different areas at The Keys where you can see some of my creations.  Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for a more in depth look at island life. 

If you’re lucky enough to spend a day and evening a weekend on the island and would like to take home a little beach treasure…I am sharing the top three beaches for hunting.

1.South Bass Island  State Park- a beautiful crescent shaped beach. Perfect for swimming, picnicking, and hunting. 

2. Scheef Preserve- An incredible nature preserve perfect for hiking, watching the sunrise, hunting for beach glass. 

3. Miller Ferry beach. As you wait for the ferry, the waves will bring you beach class so get out of your car and go hunt!

Here’s my 50 $ense:  Go get lucky and hit the beach on the Bay!  Once you find your first lucky stone… the second, third, & fourth are easy. It’s all about the PURSUIT!