the girls "rock" seaside.....

when i looked back through my photos for this post, i realized i really didn't have that many. i think i've finally learned, that if i'm too busy shooting everything, everyone, every little detail, that i end up not living in the moment. and when it comes to girl time, living in the moment is terribly important.

we thought writing meaningful messages all over our bodies with india ink would be fun, but decided making signs was a better idea considering it was so chilly outside.

okay honestly. we were never going to write on our bodies. 

even if it had been 100 degrees. paper signs are good.

~

{and after surviving breast cancer, this girl is stronger then strong}

the girls were lucky enough to be here on one, of the two yearly saturdays, where seaside hosts its community sale. vendors from all over kept us thoroughly entertained, while quickly taking our money.

kim talked to this sweetheart {who reminded me of maggie gyllenhaal} at the farmer's market and learned lots about her, while i fixated on her amazing and fabulous hat.

testing a blood orange at the farmer's market. she said it was fantastic.

{i love you kim for being able to totally crack me up}

after the community sale and the farmer's market, we kicked up the sand and headed down to the beach just to be in awe for a few moments. then the {damn} chilly air sent us back indoors.

on our way back to the cottage, we met diego and we all fell in love.

on sherry's last day here {along with her hubby} we walked to the "great southern" for a warm and yummy breakfast with smoked gouda grits. 

i could live on those grits, people. i'm telling you. 

i.could.live.on.them.

and 

what's a breakfast without an appetizer of beignets. a lousy breakfast me thinks.

here we are getting ready to say our good-byes to sherry {kim still had one more day left with me} while we shivered and gave all of our cameras to sherry's hubby, al, for our group shots. 

okay, maybe it was only me, the weenie in the middle with her winter coat on, 

who was doing the shivering.

sherry, i love you and thank you for coming all the way down here to see me, while trusting me enough to make the trip worth your time. i know kim is a much better hostess then i am, so i'll thank her again right now, right here, for always making sure you had what you needed. and al, thank you for letting kim and i steal your wife for a few days. that was so sweet of you.

now if we could just get you to laugh at our videos.

and

in case anyone out there has forgotten my motto

"be yourself"

"be you"

just remember

people like you that way and being anything other then yourself, takes way too much work.

~

{this is a mushroom with one of kim's painted rocks sitting proudly in the middle of it. if you are new to kim and haven't a clue to her being the rock fairy, be sure to check her out}

*

the two and and a half weeks prior to the girls arriving had been in the 70's. as soon as they showed up, it cooled down, mostly noticeable due to our nights that dropped into the thirties. brrrr. as soon as they left, boom, seventies again. oh the panhandle in january and february. i love you no matter what. thankfully a cottage filled with the laughter and talking of girls goes on, no matter what the temperature. now granted, sitting for hours in the sand laughing would have been my first choice, but i can't complain. i am blessed and terribly lucky to be able to have friends visit me here. 

thank you kim and sherry for loving me. for being here. for being you.

*

girls gone wild...

life at the beach is good and it's gotten even better

~

my sweet, huge hearted friend kim arrived last night 

and 

today we wait patiently for lovable sherry to arrive

~

girl time

something everyone needs and something most men don't understand

{fortunately our husbands all do}

~

happy thursday everyone

and then there were five....

::painting pottery at fired-up::

this is laurie

~she's deb's friend, not a blogger...gasp... and i said....sure, bring her along~

this is deb

this is the queen. the rock fairy.

i call her sweet kim.

and

this is debi

~

we were all strangers. blogging friends. with big curious hearts. i asked if they wanted to visit. they said yes.

{i warned them that i swear and can't stand smelly perfumes. i should have warned them that i'm not the greatest hostess. oh well. now they know}

~

three of them drove over ten hours from texas to get here. kim flew from new hampshire.

and

when we were all together

we shared and laughed. we cried and created. we listened and learned.

~

we walked and photographed everything. we didn't spend enough time on the beach. we ate amazing food created by deb and laurie. we tried to learn some arty things from kim.

{i'm an awful student}

~

seashells were found. beautiful gifts were given. sleeping hours were short. warmth from the sun was minimal. hearts were opened wide. ideas and techniques were shared. candles were lit. wine was drunk. stories were told. a canvas with overlapping hand prints was made thanks to debi. the smell of coffee filled every morning's air. bravery was tangible. new foods were eaten. {yep. i actually ate jicama} sophie was loved on. massages were given {actually only to me. thank you laurie for being an amazing massage therapist}

and

in the rare moments of down time

loved ones were called

letting them know how much they were missed and how much fun we were having

~

was it always easy. no.

five women. enough said.

{it takes real women to admit, know and understand that}

but

was it worth it.

more than i'll ever be able to tell you. and were our big curious hearts filled. to the brim.

*

thank you

thank you thank you

kim and deb and laurie and debi

for being brave enough

to take a chance on

me

~

thank you kim

for staying {and putting up} with me the longest. you really got to see seaside at its best.

lucky you.

{i think you got to see me at my best, too}

i am so blessed to have had you all to myself.

~

and

thank you hubby

for allowing me to have yet another amazing life experience

that never would have happened without

your love

~

you are more amazing

than you'll ever know

*