Looking Back with Love: Penny's Recollections of ReMe Ocracoke October '14

As the month of February gives way to March, and we come one step closer to our 2nd year of ReMe Retreats on Ocracoke Island, I wanted to take a few moments to share some of my own favorite bits and pieces from our event, this past October.

First Sunset
as captured Monday, October 20, 2014

1st Group Shot
Debbie captures the group, as I capture it all

We welcomed our 2nd group of ReMe Sisters on a stunning October afternoon.  As the house filled with lovelies and their luggage, the laughter rolled in exponentially!  By the time we gathered on our sound-front beach to ogle the sunset, we were well on our way to another week of wonderments!   Tours conducted, a brief orientation, and an evening of creativity and snacks -- we were officially underway.  As early as the first night, the magic of the island was evident:  music drifted through the house along with the strains of laughter and refrains of "OH!  Me, too!"

Smiles All Around
The Class of ReMe Ocracoke, October '14
...by midweek, they look as if they've known each other for years

Our amazing guests fully embraced our class offerings, and their delight with each creation was a gift unto itself.  Painting sessions with Jodi yielded a bevy of beautiful abstracts and a colony of vibrant and whimsical lighthouses.  In their time with me, our courageous students completed two different book designs and made great strides in creating content for their new journals.  In their classes with Jean, they not only grabbed the brass rings they texturized, etched, and further embellished them, creating multiple pieces of wearable art!

Painting with Jodi
(l - r) Patti P and Victoria F, Jodi in action, Lorie G, Lynn O, Beth B. Zoe N, and Jodi

Metalwork with Jean
(clockwise from upper left) Victoria F., Kim C., and Jean - Jean's Treasures - Lynn O - Lorie G. in action - Brass Rings

Circle of Friends
Little Leather Booklaces from their class with yours truly

Journal Happy
Patti P. was one of many merry sew and sews
during my Long, Tall Book of Days class

Beyond the hands-on learning/creative aspect of our Retreats, we have dedicated time to appreciate the people and the place that make our beloved flagship events so unique.  We welcome special, local guests to evenings at the Inn with us; we are hosted by local friends and businesses for precious evenings of extended hours with wine and cheese.  From a visit to the beach to collect found objects and natural treasures for use in their classes, to outings to local landmarks (The Ocracoke Lighthouse, The Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum, and Springer's Point), our guests aren't merely at a place for the week we are together, they are of that place -- fully immersed in the stories, traditions, and rhythms of where we are.  Sound like a dream?   It's all too real!

Panoramic View
Our trip to the beach was under dramatic skies

Amy Howard
Storyteller, Artist, and Administrator, Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum

(clockwise from upper left) Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum, a view from the back yard,
The Ocracoke Lighthouse, historical quilt, and a kitchen vignette at the Museum

A Visit with Miss Della
(top to bottom) Jodi, Victoria F., Zoe N., Debbie, and Lorie G -- Happy Shoppers
Miss Della -- Queen of the Fig Cake and Purveyor of fine Fig Preserves and Syrup
Miss Della's green thumb on  display

Lovely Leslie Lanier
Bookseller Extraordinaire and Hostess with the MOSTest!

That is the very reason we say that ReMe is more than a Retreat -- It's a Remarkable, Extraordinary, Memorable Experience!  It is true for our beloved guests as much as it is true for each of us.  Throughout the times between these magical gatherings, our thoughts return again and again to the treasure trove of incredible memories that we share of the special time spent with the amazing women who have become a part of our living dream:  ReMe Retreats.

Final Sunset
as captured Friday, October 24, 2014

With immense thanks for all that was 2014, and great excitement for 2015 and beyond,

One Last Look
With 2014 in the rearview, Jean, Jodi, Theresa, Debbie, and I look forward
to all that 2015 *and beyond* holds for ReMe Retreats.
We hope to see you soon!

Jodi's Memories of ReMe October 2014

Oh gosh you guys, it was really hard to follow up Jean's post from last week--she captured the essence of ReMe so well! Her recollection  truly put tears in my eyes as I looked back and remembered each and every one of our tender moments, and there were many.

  Here's a little look back of my own with some narration via a short video blog.  (I hope you can hear it--if not, you may need headphones! :)

Just as I said in my closing,  thank you to all of our guests from 2014--you made our inaugural year so out of this world.  It was more incredible then we could have every expected.   Behind the scenes we've been working for several years to put all of our ideas into practice, so to birth this 'baby' with all of you, just warms our heart and feeds our soul more than you can imagine.

Here's to 2015, we look forward to new memories and reuniting with old friends along with making new friends.

**If you'd like to join us during our flagship ReMe retreat this October,  check out our down payment button to the left of this post.  We offer flexible monthly payment plans to suit your needs.

As always, we welcome any questions you may have at reme@remeretreats.com

Jean's Memories of ReMe Retreat - Ocracoke - October 2014

Debbie, Penny, Me, and Jodi - Hostesses on Our Private Beach During ReMe Retreat - Ocracoke - October 2014

Maybe it's the wintery weather that's descended 

on North Carolina this week...

or the ReMe Retreats' Planning Session that

Penny, Jodi, and I held last weekend...

the time I spent at Ocracoke School last month...
or the fact that it's less than three months until 

our next ReMe Retreat on Ocracoke Island!

Whatever the reasons, I'm feeling sentimental about 
the memories that we created during our 

First Annual ReMe Retreats on Ocracoke Island in 2014.  

In particular, some of those 

treasured times from October are in my heart today.  

I hope that you'll enjoy my walk down memory lane...

  

Calm Sea and Carolina Blue Sky greeted me as I boarded The Swan Quarter Ferry bound for Ocracoke.

My first EVER Welcoming Committee!  Debbie, Victoria, Lynn, and Zoe made for a  memorable arrival on Ocracoke Island.

Jodi served Jiggity Juice...our top-secret ReMe Cocktail...during our opening night festivities.

The first of many sunsets together.  On a daily basis, we reveled in this time of day on our private beach.

The laughter and conversations began almost immediately, and their sweet sounds filled The Inn throughout our time there.  As the week progressed, we grew closer to each other, 
and to the parts of ourselves that we sometimes forget in our everyday lives.

We embraced our motto of 

"Rest.  Relax.  Renew." 

as longtime friends 

reconnected, and 

new friendships were forged.

Has anyone seen The Colonel?

We gathered together in The Parlor each evening to share our stories, and for 
the festivities surrounding the ReMe Giftathon.

Did I mention that there were gifts?!?!?!  Indeed!  

In addition to the numerous surprises that we kept up our sleeves; 

Jodi, Penny, Debbie, Theresa, and I 

each created handmade gifts for our ReMe Sisters.  

These gifts allowed us to exercise our creativity, 

while also revealing a bit of our personal histories.  

In turn, each of our guests was invited to do the same, and 

they did so in ways that we could never have anticipated!  

The treasures that I received from these wonderful women 

are hard to describe.  

In fact, you might just have to experience it for yourself!

The absolutely amazing handmade ReMe Journal that Penny created for each of us!
I've been working to fill mine, and I'll share more of it in a future post.

Artsy goodness from sweet Lynn.  The contents of this beautifully wrapped package were selected with each of our
personalities and preferences in mind.  Mine hangs in my studio where I reconnect with her original artwork every day.

I'm still enjoying the gifts that Victoria gave us; her seaside themed treasures continue to make their way into my artwork.

And of course, there were Gifts From The Sea.

This collection...from Nature and Man...was gathered with dreams of finished art pieces dancing in my head.

Rumors about wild women carousing the town in this daisy themed golf cart were highly overstated.
(Or were they?!?!?!?!  I'll never tell.  What happens on Ocracoke stays on Ocracoke.) 

We gathered for classes;

Mixed Media our Mission.

The unexpected beyond that filled us to overflowing.

Metal etching was one of many techniques that we covered in my classes last year.

To say that I bring "supplies to share" would be an understatement!  After all, if one is good, more must be better.  Right?

Penny's classroom at the ready.  

Penny's love of books and all things paper is evident in everything that she does, and her enthusiasm is contagious!

Jodi's mad skills, the manner in which she captivates her students, and 
the results that they each experience never cease to amaze me.

Speaking of Jodi,  here's a peak at the samples that she brought to display in her store on The Veranda.

Amidst the creative chaos of the classroom and studio, 

our ReMe Retreat also allowed us to explore 

The Island that we love so dearly.  

Together and indivdually, 

our adventures were

LEGEN

(wait for it)

DARY!

Who doesn't 

love 

a 

well placed 

Eye Bomb 

on 

The Ferry?!?!

There's no such thing as a bad day on the beach.  Windswept beauty awaited us. 

We left nothing but our footprints, and we left with memories that will last a lifetime.

Magic happens on Ocracoke, and this seaside reunion between our two
ReMe Den Mothers, Debbie and Theresa, is evidence of that.
These ladies are the wind beneath our wings in all things ReMe.
We love them dearly, and we're forever grateful for them.

The Lovely Leslie Lanier of Books to Be Red welcomed us with open arms during our
ReMe Tradition - A Night At The Bookstore.  (We could BARELY tear Walt away from her...and the bar!)

Did I mention the food?!?!  
From morning 'til night, 
we delighted in creating 
in the kitchen.   
Coffee at the break of dawn? Check!
Fresh baked goods at breakfast? Check!
Lunch in a rocking chair for our ReMe Sisters?  
Check!
And afternoon snacks?  And drinks?  
And dinner?  And sweets?  
Check!  Check!  Check!  And Check!

Nibbly  Bits and Sips on The Veranda.  (Wine Keeper, a gift by the talented Patti.) 

The best damned vegetarian-made pot roast ever!  (If I may modestly say so myself.  lol!) 

Ta Da!  Lorie unveils Miss Della's Award Winning Fig Cake in Miss Maggie's Kitchen.

There were ReMe Surprises at every turn.  Ephemera for You!  And You! And You!
EVERYONE received Ephemera! thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of Kim.

One
Final
Sunset 

A Sunrisefor
The Road
 

We left each other with Happy Hands and Full Hearts.

And while there was noooooo easy way to say goodbye...

...our connections to this magical place and to each other
will lead us back again and again,
in our minds,
in our hearts,
and hopefully in person too.