Welcome to 1226 Designs!!!

To spend an hour or two on the beach searching, hunting,and combing for shards of glass has to be one of the most intoxicating feelings we've known. (Well the wine helps)! That intoxicating feeling started when we were little girls (sans vino) during the family vacation at our most favorite spot in the world, our little red cottage. For most of our summer holiday was spent beach combing and glass collecting. Loads were loaded, much to my fathers dismay,in the back seat of the station wagon,for the road trip home. Inevitably he would unpack the bags of shards and line yet another shelf in the garage with that years pay-dirt. Our short attention span left the beachy treasures there to collect dust. We loved the time spent at our cottage as children. 1226 Designs was started a result of that love, the love of a very special place our little red cottage, our beach home.

1226 Designs shard collections no longer line garage shelves to collect dust, rather these found treasures are used to make really hip, totally stylin' authentic, hand made, one-of-a kind jewelry, house wares, stationery, bar ware....

To us, finding an extremely rare red, or a shard that is so beautifully distressed after being tumbled in sand and water for 75 years is not just a thrill, it's picking up pieces of our past, glimpses of our most fond memories, and of our hearts!

All of that goes in to each and every piece we design. To us they are truly treasures. We hope you will feel the same. Please feel free to share our memories read our stories, and view our products.

Each shard or nugget we find on our shore line is authentic. We do not tumble, or toss...we leave that to Lake Erie.

Thank you for shopping 1226 Designs it's authentic, handmade and it's beachy keen!

all work and images © 1226 Designs all rights reserved

Love, Exciting and New...

No, that's not "Doc" Adam Briker (Bernie Kopell) with cruise director Julie McCoy (Lauren Tewes) aboard the Princess Pacific. And although, more than likely smaller than a dingy on the luxury liner and most certainly not able to provide yardage enough for a musical production by Ann Miller complete with as many back up dancers that would have made Ziegfeld envious, this black and white version of the love boat was a romantic and comic tale of the passengers aboard just the same.

The sweethearts aboard this love boat are my parents, sans sand, sans wedding bands, and sans children. They were courting and their love was exciting and new! The era was post WWll, when men were men and women were glad of it and when women had the cutest figures and greatest clothes in the history of wardrobes! Her little two piece nautical number is ideal for floating off toward the horizon to watch the sunset. I doubt if it crossed her mind while hanging on to her hunky beau that her daughter some 60 years later would be oh-ing and ah-ing over the clothes she chose for that days voyage, but here I am doing just!

Thanks Mom for your love of fashion and your sense of style, (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree), and for your romantic tale, 60 years in the making, what a tale it is!

Now Mom, I realize you'd say the sound track to your story would be something sung by Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, but in keeping with the theme of this post Jack Jones will have to make due! http://classic-tv.com/TheLoveBoatThemeSong.html

If you set sail with your sweetheart on the waters of lake Erie or any other, make sure you are prepared, life jackets, ores, wine glasses,a fine vintage and.... http://www.etsy.com/listing/47612440/bottle-stopper
http://www.etsy.com/listing/47609707/wine-glass-charms
they are authentic, one-of-a -kind, and beachy keen!

Hook, Line and Singer

Fishing was one of my Dad's favorite past times and that is certainly evident by the look on his face in this picture! Posed, proud and poised he and his catch of the day are captured forever in film. When the lake was smooth as glass, the temperature rose above 80 degrees and the humidity laid on your skin like a wet suit, the fish would jump out of the water and my Dad would jump in to his favorite fishin' hole! He certainly knew how to make great "gone fishin'" moments.

My siblings and I are creating "gone fishin' moments today, just like my Dad did years ago. It's so wonderful to put our feet in the same sand, fish in the same lake, sleep under the same roof and breathe in the same air. Nothing would make him happier than to see us laughing like mad while playing spoons at the dining room table, to hear our nephew Brian's girlfriend Lizzy, sing a tear jerking rendition of "Hallelujah" in the front room of the cottage...(he was a sucker for a pretty girl, especially an Irish one, who could sing)! or to see us enjoy each other's company during our annual hors d'oeuvre party we will be having tonight. That is what our cottage is for...family, families making "gone fishin' moments and those moments becoming memories, memories that capture your heart.... hook, line and singer!!

One of my favorite recordings ever sung is "Gone Fishin'": Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjZ7hx4--iU
You can hear the scratchiness of the vinyl against the phonographs needle...I love that sound. Take a listen, then...go fishin!

Shore 'nuff Engaging

4:43 p.m., my text signal beeps on my cellie!
It reads."OMG...ENGAGED"!
Why, that could mean only one thing!

Rewind; two-n-a-half weeks ago. My sis and I are working diligently on delightful pieces of wonderfulness. My handsome, big, strong, bro-in-law, was hanging with the wonderful creative ladies of 1226 Designs (because where else would he want to be)?. Enter: Nick. My niece Katie's hunky beau. A slight tension takes over the room. Not the kind of tension that makes you a little sick to you belly and encourages a run to the loo rather, the kind of tension that makes you sit still because you want to see what comes next...a, this is gonna be good kind of tension. Nick, the dear, sweet, keeper, then pops the question to my sis and her big daddy hubby. He asked for our Katie's hand in marriage. AHHHHHHHHHH!!! Just thinking about it makes me well up! I can't tell you how happy I was to be at their "parent privilege" moment. Although, it goes with out saying. I am Aunt "horner-inner" (It's a long story and this is a happy blog so gory details are not permissible), but since I've been single, my siblings children, are to me like my own. I'm there for it all. Whether they want me to be or not, I'm horning in! Any way, the three of us (My sis, her hunky hubby and myself) all give our blessings and blubber a bit. He leaves the room and we three chitter-chatter about 'lil Katie, teen-aged Katie and now all-grown-up Katie. My how time has flown. Anyway, let me just say this, it's been tremendously difficult holding this information in. Nick asked the three of us not to mention the news to anyone and I had to show our new, soon-to-be relative, that Auntie Horner-Inner can be trusted for corn sake. Plus, not to blurb it out to Katie was crazy killin' me. She's like my sister-daughter-niece and bestie rolled in to one. (As are all my my nieces).

Cut to present. Today, my sister and her beautiful daughter, our Katie, were recreating on the beach, in front of our family cottage, and found out for themselves just how shore 'nuff engaging the beach really is! Nick, Katies hunky beau, got down on bended sandy knee and proposed marriage. It couldn't have been at a more appropriate place to do so. Katie has grown up in this lovely beach community. She is the fourth generation to experience the love affair with these hallowed grounds, this 4 mile radius, our family compound. And this moment has marked yet another milestone in her life by accepting his hand. Congratulations Katie and Nick, I am so so happy for you both!!!!!!!!!! Nick's a lucky man, because Katie is authentic, one of a kind and beachy keen!

Oh, yay! Now we get to start planning a wedding!!! We already have perfect shower favors. http://www.etsy.com/shop/1226designs

What? I know, I know, shamelessly self-promoting, but if you're not gonna toot your own horn, who is? Listen, you have to put the oxygen mask on your face first, survival one-o-one!

I love you Kate!

Trunk Show-down!

Today we are honored to have the Daddy-o of cools-ville, Maxwell Truth as our guest blog-star. The Off Beat Cinema host said, "I can dig it!" and graciously took time out of his tremendously busy hipster life to judge a beachy keen competition we here at 1226 Designs put on.

The competition was to pit three iconic male images; Ken, Mjr. Matt Mason and G.I. Joe, against one another in a swimming trunk competition. The trunk show-downs winner was decided upon rather quickly by our beachy keen beatnik bud. The following is the official Maxwell Truth statement sent to 1226 Designs HQ:

"Well first of all Ken was a skinny 'lil dweeb with no genitalia who claimed to dig Barbie, but she had no nips!!! I suspect he was more fond of Todd.

Major Matt Mason was a spaceman for cryin' out loud. Spacemen do not wear swim trunks! They eat freeze dried food, drink Tang, wear cool helmets and pee in their space suits.

I think it goes without ... saying that GI Joe would undoubtedly be the best swimsuit model of the bunch. In fact, maybe that's why Barbie dumped Ken for him. Or was it his kung-fu grip"???

There you have it....this year's BEACHY KEEN SWIMMING TRUNK COMPETITION WINNER, as per Maxwell Truth, is G.I. Joe! Better luck next year Ken (Johnny West says he wants in, in 2011...but let's face it, he'll chaff those gams without his dungarees and chaps)!

For winning the first annual Swimming Trunk Competition, G.I. Joe will receive a handy bottle opener designed by 1226 Designs. It's made with Lake Erie beach glass...it's authentic, hand made and beachy keen!!!!!!!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/47609088/bottle-opener

From Swim Caps To Nite Caps

Okay, fellow bathing beauties...why is it that we are not all donning this apparel? I mean,
the day to night, night to day thing happens so quickly during the dog days of summer. No fuss, no muss, wash 'n wear, dip 'n do do's are essential. Women of yesteryear knew the drill. The photo above is of my Aunt Lil...sporting that swim cap like no one's business (circa mid 40's).They went from swim caps to nite caps, seamlessly! I'm seriously considering the cute cap! I'd rather have a garden of rubber daisies growing on my head than the gray roots that are blooming now....

For more daring swim caps darned with,darling, daises...check out headcover.com
http://www.headcovers.com/swim-caps
This vintage ad was found on the French Factrice a lovely blog I'm sure you'll adore.
http://www.cpaphilblog.com

Beachy Keen Outfits.

My advice to you today, is dig through your old photos. Inspiration awaits.
I had the most enjoyable day yesterday. It was spent with my mother. We blasted the music of Ronan Tynan and Luciano Pavarati throughout the house (and probably the neighborhood) while digging through baskets, bins and albums of old pictures. I came across this little gem. I love it so much! It's my grandmother (my Mom's mom). As sun sensitive as she was she still managed to be super fashionable on the beach! This one piece,breezy ensemble was very popular in the late 30's. They referred to them as beach pajama's!!!! How stinkin' cute is that? I want beach pajama's! I'm bringing them back in vogue!!!

The other thing that just kills me about this pic is the fact that Gram is wearing heels. Check her out! I'm calling them beach slippers....I mean, it's a no brain-er! Perhaps some clever young up and coming designer will come across my blog, see this pic and get inspired. If so, all I ask is for is the first pair. Actually, after I publish this post, I'm going to dig through my closet to find the most darling dressy pj's I own, I'm putting on said re-purpossed sleepwear, and I'm heading down to the beach. Beach glass collecting is calling, and to do it in pj's...? Sweet joy, dreams do come true!

If re-purposed sleepwear isn't your thing, try modcloth.com, they have the cutest retro inspired swim wear, anthropology has some darling poolside numbers too. Either way, it's all beachy keen!