Oyster Bonanza

I'm back today with...wait for it...MORE oysters!  It's a bonafide oyster bonanza at Dixie Delights this week.  (Just kidding.  I promise this is the last of my oyster inspired posts for a while.)

When my eyes first spied this lovely oyster lantern on the glossy and coveted pages of Wisteria, I made it one of my missions in life to have my own.

Alas, a price tag of $149 seemed a bit steep for the gal who's parent's have a hearty supply of oyster shells and a few random tubes of liquid nails lurking around their house.  [Apparently that price isn't so steep for the average Wister customer seeing as these lanterns are SOLD OUT until 11/25.]  I promptly alerted Mother and we both set out on the hunt to find a great (read: cheap) lantern to gussy up.  She lucked out with a tall black specimen at Homegoods for $12.99, loaded three in her buggy (one for moi, one for her and one for Sister) and raced to the checkout.

With all the supplies on hand, on my last trip down South, we set to work arranging and gluing and rearranging and then waiting a week for the shells to stick.  I didn't document this process - it's pretty self expanatory.  I do, however, have some tips.
1) You must use liquid nails.  Hot glue will NOT work.  It appears to work, but it doesn't.  The day after trying this short cut, I was left with blistered fingers (obvi I'm not the best glue gun operator) and a pile of oyster shells on the ground next to my lantern.
2) Oyster shells are heavy.  Lay your lantern on it's side, take your time and glue just one side at a time.  Let it set for a day and then wash rinse repeat on the next side.

And now, behold my copycat Wisteria Large Oyster Shell Lantern...

...a savings of 91.3%.  Honey, please mark this down on your (short) list of ways your wife is so uber thrify.  Right after the deals I struck at the Kate Spade, Lilly and CSB sales last week.

xoxo

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