The studio has been a flurry of activity, getting me ready for my trip to the Gasparilla Inn. It's a particularly fun show for me, because I can concentrate on designs that are all about shells. My peeps will love them. You see, I know their sweet spot, for it is one we share. And I love visiting with so many regulars who by this point have become old friends. The show is this Friday to Sunday, so if you're in the area, please stop in and say hello. You can also get a preview of some of my new creations below.
These past few shell-forward weeks have gotten me wondering ... just what is it about seashells that keeps us utterly infatuated? From the smallest child to that elegant elderly beachcomber in the slightly cocked hat (you know the one), each of us is equally smitten with shells. Maybe it's because each specimen, from the humble coquina to the king's crown, feels like its own small miracle. We grasp it as a keepsake, a reminder that Mother Nature is indeed the best designer of all. When someone marvels at one of my modest shell creations, I like to remind them, "It was once someone's house". And then I get to stand back and watch as a wide smile erupts, beginning in the corners of their mouth, rising slowly into an allover glow which peaks in the outside corners of their eyes. (I think I just might sense a glow coming on in you?) READ MORE
Posts tagged: boca grande
And Just Like That - December Arrives 12/1/25
In our house, Christmas doesn't truly begin until after Thanksgiving. There's something lovely about giving each holiday its moment. Last week, over dinner at the Temptation in Boca Grande, my son admired the little Santa hat perched on the giant taxidermied tarpon on the wall, then paused to add, "Why'd they have to bring that out this week? Couldn't they wait until next?" While his brother heartily agreed, I was quietly delighted that they'd embraced my linear holiday philosophy. READ MORE
The Shell Seekers 5/12/25
I stumbled upon this curious shell tree during a March beach walk in Boca Grande, and got to wondering about its architect ... was he or she a he or she? Young or old? A local or a visitor like me?
Several decades ago, while I stumbled along towards an unpreventable divorce, a therapist told me I was "a searcher". Well I certainly was searching then - for a way to mend this enormously sad situation I was facing. But what else did she really mean?
I'm still searching for the answer. READ MORE
Seeking Tranquility 3/10/25
"The cure for anything is salt water:
sweat, tears or the sea.”
Isak Dinesen
Given a choice, I’ll take the sea, please. I’ve just arrived on the Florida gulf coast for a work trip (yes, lucky me - my trunk show at the Gasparilla Inn opens today). And I did indeed dip my whole pale self into the sea within hours of my flight's arrival. Old Isak would be pleased to hear that there's also been a fair amount of sweat in getting to today. Clever readers know that life isn't all Instagram stories, preparation for such a trip isn't limited to booking a mani pedi and shopping for caftans. READ MORE
Magnificent Places, Beautiful Spaces 4/22/24
One of my favorite spaces in Washington is the National Building Museum. I get that pause/big inhale/sigh/smile every time I walk in. READ MORE
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