Little by little....

Little by little we'll get there, is what I'm finding I keep telling myself lately. Just when I really started to get things going with The Cove Studio Etsy shop I was offered an amazing position as a Massage Therapy Instructor. You know the saying, 'When it rains, it pours', that applies to good things as well. So, of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity and I took the position. I'm not in anyway complaining here. I'm so grateful for all of the opportunities I've been given, but I need to figure out how to juggle like a pro asap. I'm working on my fourth week and sadly, my other passions are missing me. Key here, remain positive! There is nothing that says you must blog daily, or list a new item daily, or be in the studio daily so....Little by little we'll get there. Just like the grains of sand in this photo. They are magnified 250x and I like to think each piece will one day become apart of something larger. Each one is on it's way to forming a beautiful shell  or stone or other natural creation. So, when I find myself thinking maybe I have too many things that I'm trying to juggle at once, I'm going to remember this photo and remind myself that little by little we will all get to where we are going or at least enjoy the journey and have fun trying ;)

Shelling....A way of Life!

I realized today it is physically impossible for me to visit the beach and leave with out a shell or two in hand. Well, more like a bucket or two. I tried...I really did!
My nephew and his girlfriend are visiting from Massachusetts and spending the last weekend of the summer with us. I don't know about you , but for us, that calls for at least one trip to the beach. I mean really, what better place to entertain, visit, and relax than a sunny stretch of sand and waves.
I swore to myself that this time at the beach would be completely off the clock (so to speak) and I would just enjoy some quality family time. It wasn't long before I found myself walking along the waters edge with a little voice in the back of my mind, playing on loop, telling myself to look straight ahead and don't look down. Of course, I found myself peeking towards my feet to see all the shells I was passing by. Still, I was doing pretty well (so I thought) until my guests began finding gems of their own and bringing them for show and tell. It was so hard to fight the urge, but again I did. Then, my husband and nephew Nathan came back with a gorgeous pristine specimen of a channeled whelk, beautifully intact and a whopping 9" compared to the 7" or less that we usually find on average. That was it, game over for me....the jig was up and the shells won out. I set out like a kid in a candy store sifting mounds of tiny shells through my fingers and filling my bucket with the little jewels from the sea that bring smiles to my face. There is just something about shelling that takes me back to summertime childhood memories and awakens the girl in me. There is just no denying, summer is a mind set and shelling IS a way of life.

See all of my ocean gems at my Etsy shop!

New Beginnings...My 1st Blog Post

It’s another beautiful sunny day here in southern New Jersey and having heard from so many that I should blog about what I do, I thought today is a good day to give it a go.

First, can’t be rude, introductions. My name is Patti. I’m a wife, mother, daughter, beach lover, photographer, jewelry maker, crafter, pinner and ring leader to my circus which consists of the hubster Shan, teenage daughters Emma & Megan, the adorable k9 Gigi, cuddly cat Mimi, the Cadbury bunny, Momo the fearless hamster and Charlie our turtle. All-in-all we have mastered chaos on the reg.

My escape; the Cove! It’s a small stretch of beach here in Brigantine, NJ and serves as my little slice of heaven. I do my best thinking while strolling in that sand. Looking at all the sea shells is a great distraction and gives the mind a break when things get a bit too crazy. Then there’s the surf. Oh, the surf. The tide is so haunting to me. It’s curious, mysterious, strong and powerful. Its energy excites me and scares me. Definitely have a healthy respect for the water. Here's a little sample of the beach I call home.

So, what is it that I do? Well, I combine all of my passions into a year round business and create. I sell my photography as wall art; I collect and clean shells to design jewelry pieces; and I recycle old wood pallets into signs. Although I’ve been doing this for years, I only recently opened an Etsy store and really began focusing on bring my works to the online community. Take a look, I list new products all the time in Etsy , view my Gallery Album for artwork on Facebook , follow me on Pinterest & Twitter

Being new to blogging, I haven’t quite figured out what I’ll bring to the table here. I’m sure I’ll be posting how-to’s, pictures and the occasional short tale of my latest adventure but, like my life, it’s a work in progress and with your input we’ll figure it out as I go. Or, I’ll just rabble daily. Either way, I hope you enjoy ;)

With that, I’ll leave this as my first entry (not too shabby, right?!) Next time, I’ll bring more on one topic….maybe, my latest photage or shelling quest, or shell cleaning, jewelry making how-to’s. Let me know your thoughts and what you’d like to read about.

Thanks for visiting and hope you won’t be a stranger…..check back soon!