Shopping with Action Jackson: 20,000 Finds Under the Sea

The Simple Sailor Locket (vintage) by FreshyFig

I have a confession to make. I don't like the beach. On top of that, I'm almost always underwhelmed when I commit to a trip to Galveston or Corpus Christi. This could be attributed to any number of things-swallowing too much salt water as a child, being fair skinned, watching Jaws one too many times, beach volleyball being exponentially more difficult (and yeah, a little less fun) than indoor volleyball, getting seasick on boats, etc., etc.

La Sirena Print by IllustratedInk

There are two exceptions to this, one being a family vacation to Hawaii. If you've never been, it more than lives up to its alluring reputation. The water is crystal clear, which is not only pretty but also practical/helpful for anyone who fears almost everything underneath the vast ocean surface (I've seen a lot of people get jellyfish stings in my day). And though it isn't directly related to beaches, seeing flowing lava in person was arguably one of the neatest things I've ever witnessed.

Squid Linens by SquidInkKollective

The other exception was a day trip to Santa Monica that was part of a spring break excursion to L.A. with some gal pals. The day consisted of getting henna, eating all the boardwalk food you probably shouldn't eat, riding the ferris wheel, and teaching ourselves how to surf (they were foam long boards, so that made it a pinch easier). Needless to say, surfing is not as easy as some people make it look, and being able to snowboard isn't as helpful as you'd like to think it would be, trust me. I'm not sure I even made it to standing up on the board. However, I had a blast and wouldn't mind going back anytime.

Vintage Dictionary Art Print Crawfish by LittleBlueBirdStudios

Point being, because I have the two very positive beach experiences under my belt, I continue to hold out hope for coastal excursions being promising. Though, when facing the sandy prospects that someone with my vacation budget has for time off from work, i.e. Galveston and Corpus, the skeptic in me usually wins and I opt out.

Seahorse Roboticus by BinaryWinter

So, in lieu of touring Texas beaches or going to The Maldives, I seek out beach and sea-themed wares. There's part of me that wants to wipe out my stigma of the beach so badly, and I'm convinced that having nautical finds and retro beach prints in my apartment will do the trick. Lucky for me, countless artists on Etsy are inspired by the sea and provide ample beach eye candy, especially in the summer. I definitely encourage you to check out the shops of the artists featured here today because the pics are only a small sampling of their awesome shops. In the meantime, I'll leave you with one of my beach snaps from Santa Monica.

Action Jackson out.