Relaxing and Celebrating in the Dominican

Hola family and friends! I have returned from the Dominican Republic feeling refreshed and recharged...so today I am going to interrupt the creativity posts with some favorite vacation photos. This trip had a special agenda - we were attending a wedding for one of my husband's best friends from high school. We were treated like royalty at the resort (Secrets Resort Cap Cana Resort & Spa) and had a lovely premium swim out suite with stylish Caribbean style décor. We sampled some wonderful foods, ate at most of the restaurants on the property and were spoiled by fresh tropical fruit daily! We spent quite a bit of time with friends (family) at the pool and the private beach and enjoyed fabulous meals and cocktails (and a wonderful coffee house!)...and also met some delightful people. The beach wedding was beautiful and the bride looked stunning. We also went on a private catamaran excursion with snorkeling at a coral reef and cocktail time/swimming at a sandbar. It was a fabulous trip - the islanders were warm and welcoming, the service was impeccable, the views were incredible and the food/drinks were tasty! This was our second trip to the DR and we would be happy to return...in fact, I could have stayed another week and enjoyed the pampering, sun, and sand...

Here is a selection of my favorite photos (as always, I took a gazillion images and narrowed it down to a grouping of favorites)...

Unfortunately, it's back to reality and business as usual in the studio (I'm already missing my toes in the sand and the resort pampering)...I'm busy working on some needlework finishing and project bags, along with model stitching/sewing and finishing up some new designs (hmmm - maybe I should work on one with a Caribbean theme). I have a fun Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour post scheduled for next week (think Halloween) and a new Therm O Web project tutorial that will be posted next Tuesday. Now that we are back, my website and Etsy shop are both open again...and I have responded to all correspondence, so if you contacted me while we were gone, you should have a message from me.

There will be more artistic things to share with you in the near future, so stop back soon!💙

Travel Time

I  am headed off to the Dominican Republic for a wedding, plus a little rest and relaxation - I'll be off the grid until next week, enjoying good times with friends...so, this is my short public service/housekeeping announcement....

While I am out of my office/studio, I will have very limited access to correspondence (I will be out of the country), so please be patient if you send me a message/comment/inquiry that requires a response. All shippable items will be deactivated in my Etsy Shop. Shippable items (paper patterns/charts, project bags, Stitch Starter Rulers, etc.) will return on Monday, May 6th. All digital items will continue to be available. I will respond to all messages, comments and emails in the order received on May 6th. Thank you for your patience!

I'm sure I'll be back to blog soon, when (I'm guessing) I will have TONS of fun and creative things to share with you! Have a wonderful
week/weekend....

Beaches and Birds

Hello friends! I am still busy playing catch-up and getting used to the new schedule in our household...however, I promised I would do my best to make time to visit with you more often, so here I am, doing my best to find a balance. I know this particular post is long overdue, but I just had to share some of my favorite photos from our trip to Florida. We traveled down to see my parents at the end of February for a little family time, along with some rest and relaxation. While the extremely heavy traffic and the large crowds really took away from the relaxation, we did enjoy our time and visit some of our very favorite places...plus, I really cherished the time with my momma and second dad. We visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the National Seashore, Disney Springs, Daytona Beach, Clearwater Beach and the Circle B Bar Reserve, to name a few. Here are an assortment of my favorite photos...

For me, any time at the ocean helps me find my center and refreshes my spirit. Today, I will leave you with a video I took at Daytona Beach...I hope it will give you a few moments of calm and serenity...sound on...