buy this, not that: florida souvenir store/gas station/citrus center

i have been back from florida for a couple of weeks now, and have been meaning to post this,

but i was so busy catching up on *life that i just got a little bogged down.
here are a few great comments from my last post in this series, which you can check out here:

 i am finally back in full swing now, and wanted to share with you some goodies that i found at a souvenir gas station in florida (yeah---i KNOW that sounds incredibly classy...but trust me, EVEN here, you can find a few things that are attractive.) 

first off--a couple "overall" shots. just so you can see what we are dealing with here:

it was a little difficult to find some beauty among all of this stuff, but i DID.
(you are WELCOME.)

shall we begin?

buy THIS:

shells are, in my opinion, a spectacular gift from mother nature. the shapes, the textures, the colors...all

so unique and varied and beautiful. a large, pretty shell placed on a stack of books on a coffee

table can become a casual and elegant vignette.

not THAT:

 

ok. first off, this really scared me. i mean... not many things are MORE tacky and disturbing

that a toothless, cigar-smoking shell-man with weird claw feet. WHO is buying this stuff? 

buy THIS:

 natural. pretty. seeing a pattern here?

not THAT:

"hi honey. i just got back from florida, and as soon as i saw this plastic dolphin, with

it's torso splayed open and it's internal organs and spine replaced with a sparkly, plastic reef 

complete with little fish swimming in it, i just KNEW it would be perfect for you!"

buy THIS:

 or this:

 these frames are pretty simple, monochromatic, and made from REAL shells.

i approve. as long as you don't pair them with 76 other shell frames. things like these

shell frames look great when balanced with simple silver or wood frames.

not THAT:

uh. just don't do it. 

no matter how much you love pelicans.

buy THIS:

as far as souvenir glass objects go, this one is actually rather pretty. the colors are natural, and the shape 

is appealing. i have a *thing for birds. i love those vintage audobon birds etchings, and have a 

few metal bird paperweights in my office. 

not THAT:

 i really do think that handmade glass objects are really interesting, but the color and the weird

eyeballs on this octopus really put me off. 

buy THIS:

looking for a great housewarming gift for a friend? present this little orange tree in a pretty pot! the

tree will eventually produce edible fruit, and add color all year long. this could also make a fun and

different baby gift. it can grow right alongside the little one....and if you live in a tropical zone, it can be planted outside, where it can really thrive!

not THIS:

i don't EVEN need to comment on this one, do i?

buy THIS:

another simple, classy purchase. i imagine the light filtering through the shells when a candle is lit
inside this votive would be very pretty...

not THAT:

 uh....um...i don't even know what to say. 

poor coconut.

this about sums it up. poor, poor coconut.

and last of all...

where was THIS when i was 9?? i would have snatched this up in a heartbeat!
but should i be worried that i am finding my name on plastic licence plates in a florida gas station/souvenir store??
 cuz i am....

if you have missed my other installments of "buy this, not that",
click here and here.