Celebrate You 2016 Workshop

We had a wonderful time creating vision boards at our Celebrate You 2016 creative arts workshop.  Let's see what fantastic creations unfold for the ladies this year.  Come join us for more creativity at Blue Pelican Gallery Gifts & Yarn every Saturday beginning in February. Stay posted.


The process of creating our visions.

Living the dream teaching creativity and healing on the beach!

2015 a very crafty year

This has been an absolutely fantastic year for Crafty Diva Creative Arts Workshops at Blue Pelican Gallery Gifts & Yarn I have had so much fun with my regular knitters on Tuesdays.  I've enjoyed Chatting and Crafting with the vacationers to Hatteras Island.   I was able to meet local artist's through a wonderful community crafting event.  I got to end the year weaving with old friends at the Clothes Encounters Clothing Arty Party.  Thank you all for your support and enjoyment in the creative process.  Especially thank you Jennifer Johnson for providing me this opportunity and Suzanne for cheering me on.

My regular Tuesday group and their gorgeous projects.

Loved meeting and chatting and crafting with the vacationers.

So happy to meet new friends and reconnect with my 'arty party' ladies.

2015 started and ended with a flurry of color and creativity.  I got to walk out my dream of crafting everyday in my dream cottage on an island.

Blooming where I am planted.

Morning exercise/meditation

My stair master this morning.  Breathe, breathe, breathe!

Yay! I made it!

Today I finally did it!  I walked the steps to the beach entrance at the end of my street.  I bought my dream beach cottage in 2011 after years of dreaming and searching up and down the southeast coast.  I had been vacationing here on Hatteras Island since 2002.  Everything came together for me to buy my beach getaway, but there were a few setbacks.  My father passed away and I was nearly on death's door myself.  When the opportunity came I plunged at it even though I really couldn't enjoy it.  I had planned and designed my beach life for over 15 years and I had the house and the beach , but no life.  

What I did have was wonderful friends who helped me walk out my dream by renovating and decorating my Crafty Diva Cottage.  It took until 2014 for me to move into it full-time.  God and myAngels  brought me here despite my kicking and screaming.  I had lots of fears and doubts but as I always say it takes a village and my village has helped me so much.  I am forever grateful for their love and support.  

When I moved here I was using a walker.  I had no plans except to get healthy and start living life.  I wanted to be on the beach, but I couldn't.  I didn't realize when I bought the house that it was such a little trek to actually get on the beach.  I knew there were stairs but I didn't realize that you had to go up then down then cross the dunes to get to the beach.  The stairs were my block until today.  I've had a challenging week a real growth period.  I realized that I had been making a lot if my decisions from fear instead of joy.  Today I was going to face my fear.  I had lost a lot of weight this year and was getting around pretty well.  I drive to the stairs and decided to take the plunge.  I'm so glad I did.  

Here is the walkway to the stairs.

Here I am finally on the beach.

This is the roaring surf of the Atlantic.  I can hear it from my house and I always wanted to see the waves hitting the beach.  Today I did.

I planted firmly in this sand on this sandbar in the middle if this island.  Why?  I don't know yet, but I'm enjoying the journey one day at a time.

This passage through the dune.  It's size changes depending on the storms we have

Going back down.  My house is at the end of this street.  You can't see it through the trees.  My ultimate goal is to walk down the street from my house up the stairs over the dune and then walk the beach.

Beginning the Becoming 360 Training

This week I started my personal and professional development training Becoming 360.  I'm ready to branch out and expand my mind and my business.  I've taught myself a new photo app for professional ads and photography on social media and for printing.  It's been a powerful week and I've gotten a lot accomplished.  These are some of the topics I have worked on this week.

Working on self-care by going to the beach to meditate and soothe the soul and get some Vitamin D after being in the house for 3 weeks.

Working on personal and professional development through my Becoming 360 modules.

Took Nala to be groomed.  She looks beautiful.  Have a good weekend.

Building a Life and a Business at the Beach

Here's the story of Year 1 of Island Living!

When I arrived at the beach last August, I was numb.  I was slowly recuperating from a five year personal and career crisis due to illness, grief, financial & legal issues and hopelessness.  Moving to the beach was not my first choice.   My original intent for having a beach house was to have a vacation place where I could walk out my dreams of being an artist and teaching craft workshops in the summer to pay for this lifestyle.  Due to unforeseen circumstances when I sold my main home I began a journey of rebuilding a life.  I relocated from the Wash DC area to the Chicago suburbs.  The beach kept calling but I ignored it.  I left Chicago after a few months and temporarily moved to Durham, NC to get healthy and heal.  It was close to the beach, but I still wasn't healthy enough to get to the cottage that I had purchased two years earlier.  During this year I made a trip to Asheville, NC to participate in a training seminar.  My soul-sister friend who also lived at the beach attended this seminar with me.  I was using a walker and still not getting around well.  I felt shame at my physical condition but I was determined to participate in putting myself out there in the business world again.  I met a group of wonderfully supportive women entrepreneurs who I began to connect with on social media.  This gave me the mental and physical energy to go checkout my beach cottage.

I felt that I had to make a decision whether I was going to keep the cottage or let it go.  When I got to the beach that Memorial Day I reconnected with old friends and acquaintances.  This led to new introductions and my old goal of teaching crafts in the summer were realized.  I came back in July to set up a craft camp for vacationers at a local real estate company.  I planned on making my final decision at the end of the summer.  We had a hurricane in July which brought out all of my fears of being ill and unable to physically handle any emergencies that might arise living out on a sand bar in the middle of the Atlantic.  Instead, I met my new neighbors, connected with the community and had a great summer.  I still had a grey cloud hanging over my head which was pulling on my energy, (long-standing legal issues and my illnesses).   But, I was getting stronger everyday physically, spiritually and emotionally.  I was just getting ready to establish a more permanent residence in Durham when I was notified that my landlord wanted to sell the house I was renting there.  I was upset for a minute and didn't know what to do.  So, I 'Let Go and Let God!  I packed up once again for the 3rd time in a year and a half and moved to my beach cottage.  Enrolled my youngest in school, waved good bye to my son as he embarked on his own adventure and settled in.  My intent was to focus on getting healthy and putting myself on a fast track to wellness.  Then market myself to local businesses as a creative arts educator and business coach.

My daughter made friends immediately at her new school and began participating in school activities.  (Ok, check!  Happy teenager)  She came home one day and said that her friend's mother owned a gallery and was looking for a knitting teacher.  She urged (nagged) me to call her.  I was hesitant because I was still recovering, still needed a walker and not sure I could follow through because of my health issues.  I set up an appointment with Jennifer Johnson, owner/artist of Blue Pelican Gallery Gifts & Yarn.

The rest is herstory!  If you've been following me on social media and my blog you will know that I have had a Great day everyday since I decided to listen to my inner wise voice and 'Let Go and Let God!'  My Beach Dreams have been manifesting themselves one-day-at-a-time.  I am so very grateful to my new community of friends, family and neighbors.  Thank you for your encouragement and support during this transformative year.  I'm looking forward to seeing what miracles this next year presents.  Peace!

Click on link to watch year video of workshops:

http://animoto.com/play/kmdQkuH0VAfnygdy3xE0AQ

Bloom where you are planted

Change is in the air.  I have been living, creating, teaching and healing in my dream environment, my colorful cottage (on an 'at times' almost deserted island Jan - Mar) since September 2014.  I had only vacationed on my island during the holidays so I didn't know what island living was like year round.  I got the chance Easter weekend to travel to Richmond to meet family members and a new addition to our family.  I was in Heaven for 6 hours Malls, high end town centers, Barnes n Nobles, Craft stores , 5 star restaurants and whole foods store.  New houses, apartments urban centers etc.  You get it.  Normal day to day affluent american suburban life.  I hadn't experienced it in a while,  by day two I was 'I'm not missing much', day three 'I've had enough', day four 'I'm so over this' take me home.  I had a great few days visiting my oldest and my sister and her new daughter.  My middle and my youngest were home at the beach working during spring break.  (That's what island kids do, serve the vacationers over the holidays).  So I was by myself just a little bit.  I got a chance to breathe and reassess my life and the direction that I am now taking.   I realized that I don't miss my old life and my new life is just beginning.  I drove home yesterday through a deep and heavy fog, (the weather that is) going over bridges and feeling like I was moving into another dimension.  When I got to my village 'tada' the sun was shining.  These pictures sum up what I'm feeling today peaceful and content where I am and emotionally, spiritually and physically processing all the overstimulation I received by traveling in the "real world."  Nala is processing my new energy too.  She didn't sleep well while I was gone.  I feel like I'm the verge of a Grand New Adventure.  I can't wait to see how it unfolds.  My motto is 'Bloom where you are planted,' for now I am planted here.

Fiber Arts Open Studio

It was snowing 'to beat the band' yesterday on Hatteras Island up to three inches total.  But the ladies and I were warm and toasty embarking on new knitting projects and casting off old ones.  I'm so proud of this beginning group they've caught on fast and have created fashionable accessories.  Amy mailed her scarves off to Cali, and is learning to knit in the round; Jane completed her first scarf and is working on a novelty yarn cowl; Claudia has knitted scarves, throws and now this beautiful shrug.  Come join us at Blue Pelican Gallery & Gifts and learn to make your own handcrafted fashion.

Snow Day

Today is the first real snow storm I have experienced on an island.  It's very raw and beautiful.  Normally I see this kind of snow in the mountains is so different seeing snow on a beach.  It's very beautiful and raw.  I love the different faces of Mother Earth.

I love the contrast of the bright colors of the house with the snow.

Nala loves the snow.  She's watching the kids snowball fight.

My son went to the beach to take these beautiful photos of the snow on the sand.

Fiber Arts Open Studio

Yesterday we had a wild, wooly and windy time at Blue  Pelican Gallery and Gifts.  Hatteras Island had up to 50+ mile an hour wind gusts and the rain and noise was deafening.  But, we were cozy and warm knitting and spinning up our own storm at the Fiber Arts Open Studio.  Linda Sue was mastering the art of using the drop spindle and Claudia revealed her beautiful Yarntaster throw.  (The picture does not show the depth of color or the many beautiful yarns she used) Come join us next week.

Fabric Painting and Duck

Yesterday I finally got out my paints and stamps and made a real mess in my cottage.  I've been chafing at the bit to get going on my fabric experimentation.  My intent is to find my voice in fabric, I just haven't found it yet.  I'm continuing to explore all avenues and can't wait until I sing.  But, until then I'm enjoying the process.

When I began painting I felt great, I was in a rhythm.  Then it became work, but I wouldn't stop.  I keep pushing myself.  This is a long process.  It takes a couple of days to see the end result.  I was hand painting on cotton and faux batiking using a resist paste.

Then I decided to take a break.  I had been in the house all week through all of the weather changes.  The sun was shining it was almost 60 degrees so I went to the beach.  The wind surfers were out.  It was extremely winding, but felt good.  Nala and I got out to touch the sand.  There were a lot of washed up seashells.  So I started picking them up and before I knew it I was strolling down the beach.  This had been a visualization of mine a few years ago when I was almost immobile and very sick.  Wow, dreams do come true!  I couldn't believe it I wasn't huffing and puffing. Yay!  When I got back home I was ready to paint, but had a duck to prepare and cook.  My sister had sent me it for New Years and I was ready to cook it.  So, as the duck was cooking I was painting more fabric.

I went to bed tired, yet fulfilled.  I had accomplished a lot and my visions were manifesting before my eyes.  Bright colors on fabric, collecting shells on the beach and beautifully roasted duck ala orange served with baby peas.  Healthy goodness.

Nala's First visit to the Beach

Today was Nalas first visit to the beach.  She's ridden in the car numerous times and people watched out the window, but has never set foot on the sand and water.  Most of the time it's just the two of us. This time Samantha was with us.  I move too slowly to walk her on the leash by myself.  So, now that we weren't alone she could get out and play.  She had a blast!  She  also helped a man who was mourning the loss of his own dog.  He and his wife had come down from PA to throw her ashes in the ocean where she had played so much.  Wow, it was a honor to help him along.  I've just gotten over my long grieving period so I know how it feels.  I'm glad that Nala and I could be of service and Samantha took away some Life lessons about compassion.  As Nala's leash says 'Life is Good.'

Musical, Meditation, Morning

Little did I know that when I set my intentions to 'find my own rhythm' it would be such a challenge. Phone calls, alarms, truck noises etc. All burst into the morning silence. So after I got back home I decided to stop on the porch and just 'be' for a minute. Listening to my own musical, meditation, morning.

Taking time to smell the sea

Yesterday and today have been topsy turvy.  Little and big things have been challenging and irritating.  I have a lot on my to-do list this week and I didn't need more interruptions.  I'm trying to find my rhythm in my new environment.  The old chaos tries to slip into my peaceful setting.  I let it for a few minutes, then I shoo it away.  No more holding onto negative thoughts and feelings.  'Shake it off.'  Well on top of that my daughter forgot something and I had to take it to her to her at school.  I was definitely grumbling and shaking inside.  I decided to 'Shake it off.'  On the way home I stopped and smelled the roses, observed the lighthouse, colorful cottages and pulled out my umbrella and stool and smelled the salty sea air.  How's that for finding a new rhythm.  'Pat's back'!