Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Outer Banks Memories / Seashell Wall Art

Many years ago we lived in the Tidewater Area (aka: Hampton Roads) of Virginia. Moving from Norfolk to Virginia Beach and north to Hampton and Newport News, our family enjoyed the inherent pleasures of living near the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay.

Becoming a Girl Scout leader was an easy choice, having a husband away on the USS Yellowstone and three daughters to keep occupied. As luck would have it, my Sandpiper Girl Scout troop decided to plan a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Earth Day weekend of 1990, eleven of us set out on our “explore”  to discover the sights, culture and history of this naturally beautiful chain of barrier islands.

We all returned with such special memories. Each one of us came home with one or two favorite experiences from our coastal journey. For Kristie, the best part of the trip was exploring Jockey’s Ridge State Park, site of the tallest active sand dune system in the eastern United States. For Ali, the most fun was our walking tour of Ocracoke Island. Visiting the Wright Brothers Memorial, attempting to locate the legendary Pin Hill, getting up early to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean… the list went on and on.

We  commemorated our Outer Banks adventure with individual hand crafted seashell wall hangings.  Simple needle work and glued on seashell bits now remind me of how much fun we all had together on the coast of North Carolina.

Using burlap border found in a roll at the fabric store, Outer Banks seashell treasures, yarn, glue, and a little imagination, we had a great time crafting our wall hangings. My seashell wall art included the 11 of us stitched on the top of the banner, the prettiest seashell pieces glued into place, a Girl Scout pin, a needlework depiction of the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse and the year of our trip. A small wooden dowel and hanging ribbon completed the seashell wall art. It captured treasured memories of our Colonial Coast Girl Scout troop and the fun-filled trip to North Carolina’s barrier islands that I still hold dear today.

Explore the Outer Banks Girl Scout Patch