Anyway, let me catch you up on what I've been up to in the studio. I have begun to make these wall-hangings I call dreamcatcher-alternatives (I haven't come up with a better name yet...any suggestions?). They are all one-of-a-kind and the only aspect they have in common is a humanely collect antler. I also began accepting request for custom orders (custom colors, elements, themes, etc) like the purple and turquoise one shown below. They have been getting a great response online and my booth at the Old City Farmer's Market.
I have also been working on our spring catalogue. I got some great photos thanks to Ashley Steeby Photography, Amanda Hopcraft of Mon Petite Chou Salon & Spa (hair, makeup/stylist), 57 Treasury (flower crown/arrangement), and stunning mom & model Morgan Malone. There are so many great photos its hard to choose. I really cannot wait to show you. Just check out some of these behind the scenes photos as a little teaser.
A few weeks after the photoshoot, my love and I took a much needed vacation to the Florida Keys. My incredibly talented boyfriend had built a false-bottom in his pickup and upholstered it in carpet, as you can see in the photos below. With the addition of some memory foam, pillows and blankets, it was as comfortable as our bed at home.
After a surprisingly short 7-hour drive, we decided to spend the first night in Key Largo at the Key Largo Kampground & Marina. When we arrived at the campground we felt it was over-crowded. It was combination campground and trailer park and at first look we were not impressed. But as we walked around all the campers and RVs, it was incredible to see some of the largest ornamental plants we had ever seen, some very creative Mcgyver-like contraptions, and a type of jelly-fish we have yet to identify.
The next day we drove to Islamorada in hopes of going scuba diving. Unfortunately there were strong winds and 4ft seas, so all the trips out were cancelled for the day. After being a little bummed out, we made a brash decision to drive the two hours to Key West. I had never been there before, wasn't sure where to go, what to do and had no real expectations. We walked down Duval St, saw some of the most amazing limited edition paintings by Arozi, ate some Mexican food, swung in some fancy hammocks, and got cut off by roosters. It was a great day of doing tourist-y things. We even bought the famous green 0 Mile marker stickers for our vehicles.
We wanted to get to our next campsite, so we left late afternoon and headed to Long Key State Park. Neither of us had stayed there before, and we were excited to check out the park. We made it towards the end of sunset and became extremely elated when we learned our campsite was only 10ft from the water! Despite the campground being full, it felt secluded because of the way the sites were set up. Giant seagrape and other native bushes provided a fantastic buffer from the road. We left the flap up so we could stare at the stars. feel the night breeze, and listen to the waves lapping on the near shore. It was straight out of a dream and was the perfect way to relax.
The next morning we went to our favorite breakfast spot at Robbie's Marina. There we were able to watch giant tarpon swimming beneath the boats, enjoy the company of more than 30 pelicans, egrets and ibis, and eat a great breakfast for a decent price (sometimes hard to find in such a tourist-driven location).
After breakfast, we were able to sign up for a charter out to snorkel Alligator Reef. What's great about this spot is that it is the only living coral reef in North America. I didn't have enough time to run and grab film for my ancient underwater camera, so I can show you any of the amazing fish (including a large school of barracuda) and other sea life. The ocean was still pretty rough and everyone on board ended up feeling seasick, but Alex and I didn't let it ruin our fun. It was a great day and ended on a great note with a light sushi dinner and a relaxing evening chasing constellations at our beautiful campsite.
The next morning we took our time waking up with the shining aura of the sun.
Before we hit the road for home, we hiked the short 1.25mi well-maintained Golden Orb trail. The diversity of environments along the way were astonishing- going from marsh, to desert-and-dune-like, to coastal. We even encountered dozens of colorful wild hermit crabs!
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| a look inside the prism |
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| Curled wild hermit crab |
As we were driving back, we stopped at the Fruit & Spice Park near Homestead, FL. It was the perfect activity to break up the drive home. Below are some photos from our visit.
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| Hanging out in a bamboo forest |
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| I want FIVE of these plants! ...I'm very serious about this. |
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| mmmmmmmm fruit |
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| banana forest <3 |
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| fruit tasting (lots I've never heard of before!) |
After the trip, I've been up to my ears in work. Taxes, invoices, random filing projects, random other projects, plus working on the spring catalogue has kept me very busy. I'm looking forward to updating the next blog post with the spring lookbook, plus my spring show schedule, so be sure to stay tuned. For more timely updates, visit the Sailor's Omen facebook page and "Like"us. You can also find us on instagram and pinterest. :)
Wishing everyone gentle seas & a warm breeze,
<3 Ashley
