2018 was a year of oceans and celebrations for me, I took advantage of turning 60 by getting in as many celebratory trips as I could. This heart wrapped flock of fairies, that says "Thanks" and "Blessed" sums it up for me.
The first part of the year was a flurry of making plans, daydreaming over possibilities and destinations. Looking at Disney resort and cruise options, perusing AIRBnB for getaways, talking to sisters and grand fairies about all of the what ifs and where tos, taking our time to get things just right.
All of the details of planning itineraries, booking rooms, and thinking about the fun, was every bit as exciting as taking the trips. I had charts, I had lists, I had logged hours of looking at houses online and scrutinizing photos to see exactly how good the views were from the rooms in the pictures to make sure we had the perfect place to enjoy ourselves on our getaways.
The beach house where I met my lifelong friends at in St Augustine during April to celebrate our 60th birthdays together was so nice, that my sisters and I changed our plans for fall to stay in the same place for a few days then. I found sea glass both times!
Not just sea glass, but a shell that looked like a set of teeth.
Perfect for our Halloween/Hocus Pocus themed vacation!
That ideal view from the beach house we rented also inspired some artwork, and I spent an entire summer learning a paint pour technique.
It was a year of Disney Sister Trips too, while in Florida, I was able to sneak in magical trips to see the mouse. First with sis, Terry, then with the four grand fairy sisters, then with Sissy and Bobbie!
One of the very best memories of the year was waking up to see the sunrise at Cocoa Beach with Sugarwings and making a fairy on the sand together.
How can you beat a day like that?
Believe it or not, you can! We headed to a Disney cruise ship that morning and sailed off to the Bahamas for my birthday and more beach time there. I found un-ending sea glass at Atlantis, and strolled the beaches of Disney's private island with four grand fairies and my handsome husband.
Where I made a Grammie fairy.
We had a quick trip to Florida later on, and I had very little time for wave watching, but did get to go for a walk along the marina in Ft Lauderdale, where I made a riverbank fairy. I found one tiny shell for her to hold.
In October, I found plenty of black shells to make a witch.
Guncle Randy joined my sissies and I in St Augustine, and I made a sprite for each of us.
I'm thankful for my blessings. My beloved husband, sons, grand fairies,sisses, bro, great friends, and wonderful trips together. I think that the message I wrote in the sand will be my words for the upcoming year- "Blessings" and "Thanks"
And I wish a blessed New Year to you too.
PS- I am thrilled to announce that I will be teaching a class in Florida at Karen Hillman's Cozy Castle!!!!!!!!!
I'll be posting photos and more info soon. I hope to see you in sunny Florida (as you can see, I adore Florida!!) for a day of friendship, creativity, and fun with my ruffly wings and romantically inspired autograph book projects
Happy New Year to you Karla!!