Picture Moments at the Beach

I took this dreamy calm picture with my old iPhone 4 at Myrtle beach.  It is so strange how a rickety old fence, a bit of sand and tiny yellow flowers can bring back a happy calm memory.

The reality is I probably looked really crazy walking around the beach snapping away at everything that catches my eye trying to capture the moment.

Happiness is a choice.

This photo is not the whole "picture" of what I was looking at. There was probably a big ugly garbage can right outside of frame. I choose to focus in, edit out all the distractions and see this tiny corner of happiness at the beach.

Life is a lot like this. I have had to discipline myself to just glance at the news headlines to be informed of world events. But I cannot let the negativity of the world distract me from the good and the beautiful things that happy everyday.

Thank you for reading

Live Life Like An Ocean Wave

Myrtle Beach SC  Nikon Cool Pix L120

 I have realized that to live the most peaceful life I can in stressful situations, I had to be a flexible and flowing as an ocean wave moving back and forth towards land.

It is important to evaluate the situation and decide calmly to work hard on the things I can change and to let flow around me the things I cannot change. The ocean waves do not become angry at the rocks blocking it's way on the beach. It will slowly erode the surface of the rock over a long period of time or the rock with dislodge and float away in the currents.

I have had to be honest with myself about what I direction I am taking in life, career and my art. Forcing myself to settle has never be the path to a peaceful mind and spirit. I have learned the hard way to step out on faith and follow my dreams and goals. What you fear will master you.

Ocean waves have to encounter many obstacles while flowing towards the shore. Each barrier is met with power and grace at the same time. I want to be calm, graceful, faithful and powerful against all negative situations that life throws at me. Stressing out about anything does not lead to good health or positive productivity.

I always get the biggest laugh when I watch the seagulls and sandpipers stand with their tiny bird legs in the water searching for food totally unintimidated by the crashing waves. The birds are watchful of the rhythm of the waters but they do not let the size and force of the waves stop them from reaching their goals.

Flow forward in all things.

Peace

Thank you for reading

Thomasina

Seeking Peace In Troubled Times

Myrtle Beach    May 2016

Hello Everyone!

I have missed talking to you so much. A lot has happened over the past couple of days and I wanted to say a few words of encouragement and peace to help us all get through this stressful time in the USA.

In recent days, I think I have experienced every single emotion dealing with the results of the election. Now I am at a point where my mind has cleared and I want to take positive action to move forward in life.

I did not like how the shock, horror and stress affected my mind, body and spirit. I acknowledged and faced every single emotion and started myself on the path to healing. Having gone through dark times in my life in the past, I know better than to let the darkness become a way of thinking and living.

Some days I had to push myself to put one foot in front of the other. But I was determined to keep moving. I took a lot of comfort in reaching out to family and friends. Communication was key to starting on the path towards feeling positive about life and my country. Realizing I was not the only person feeling stressed and sad was comforting and enlightening.

The world did not come to an end. The sun still came up,  people got up to go to work and time moved on never stopping. The normal day to day routines became so precious to me as a guide back to feeling unafraid.

I had to decide with all my being, I was not going to be angry and afraid everyday for the next four years and beyond. I know I will survive and thrive. My ancestors endured so much more than what is going on now and they powered forward with persistence and dignity.

To seek peace, I take the time to be extremely aware of the negative outside forces that are in a constant battle to steal my peace of mind. I do not follow or trust the news organizations as much as I did before the election. Self care is extremely important now. Eating healthy, exercise, meditation, and moving forward with my goals and dreams with positive actions.

If you are not coping well with these stressful, please ask for help. Don't suffer alone.

I have hope for America. This is a blessed and beautiful country full of amazing good people. I choose to believe in a positive path forward in life. There will be ups and downs but America is strong because this great nation is made up of strong resilient people.

Thank you for reading.

Thomasina

Find Your Peace

Myrtle Beach SC    Nikon Coolpix L120

Lately I have been appreciating the peaceful moments in my life. We can all get caught up in the stressful and hectic moments but every single day we need to take time for peace and calm.

In my peaceful moments, I find my inspiration which leads to my creativity. When I do not connect with my creativity, I instantly feel like life is more stressful and my mood darkens.

Finding your peace is also very important to your health. Take the time to stop during your day to breathe and focus your thoughts. Are your thoughts productive? Are you seeking peace in your thoughts and actions?

Life will definitely have it's stressful moments but how you react throughout the day will decide whether or not you find a way back to peace. Search for constructive, productive solutions to overcome the stress in your life. Can you prevent the stressful situation before it happens? I try to be as proactive as I can in life. Anticipate what you will need and bring those items with you will alleviate random problems that pop up during the day.

If I allow clutter to creep up and takeover in my surroundings, I feel my stress level rising until I do a "organize, clear out and put back in it's place session".

As you may know from reading my blog and my twitter the beach is a very important part of my life. I try to escape to the beach as much as I possibly can. Pictures of the beach on every wall (LOL!), road trips, creating art and writing are all ways I actively pursue my peace.

Create your peaceful environment everywhere you go. You can do this with pictures, music, creating art whatever make you happy. Be aware of stressful situations and unhappy people. Avoid them whenever you can but if you can't do not allow them to draw you into the drama. Happiness is a choice. Peace is a choice.

Be powerful and knowledgeable in a stressful situation. Do not make the situation worse. Actively seek positive solutions. After I go through a negative experience, I take the time to realize what life lessons I just learned. This is very helpful to stop the cycle of going through the same stress situations over and over.

Finding your peace and being very aware when you are not peaceful will help you have better health and quality of life.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

A New Day. A Clean Slate. Don't Waste It.

Myrtle Beach    January 2016 with a CanonPowerShot ELPH 170 IS

I love sunrise and sunset at the beach. The symphony of soothing colors playing in harmony on the brightening or fainting sky is truly awe inspiring.

Watching the sun rise over the ocean waves gives me have so much hope and enthusiasm for the fresh new day. At the end of a day at the beach, watching the sun set over the ocean horizon, I feel thankful to have lived another day of life.

Life is too precious to be wasted. Every breathe is a gift. The older I get, the faster time seems to fly by. I appreciate life so much now. Getting through the hard times in life has made me stronger and more aware how precious life is.

My goals are to have a peaceful, creative and productive life. I love encouraging people to be their best and live life to the fullest.

Watching sunrises and sunsets fill me with respect for the Creator and the creation. I hope you will have a wonderful inspiring day today. Go pursue your dreams today. Give yourself permission to live the life you always wanted.

Thank you for reading my post.

Thomasina

My First Tommy Bahama Necklace Purchase and Review

I have walked into the Tommy Bahama store in Crabtree Valley Mall for years wishing I could afford their beautiful beach themed jewelry. Usually it is very much out of my bargain budget of how much I will pay for costume jewelry. The prices can range from $50.00 and up.

In January, I was on a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC and I stopped into the Tangers Outlet that has a Tommy Bahama Outlet store. The outlet store was having a 50% off sale Wow! I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Interesting fact about the regular Tommy Bahama stores: They do NOT do markdowns.


This amazing bib style necklace is a statement piece composed of very shiny gold tone and rhinestone sprinkled sea life pendants. The pendants in the shapes of pieces of coral, shells, round shapes with the imprint of sand (?) and other random faux pearls and plastic beads.

It is a little over 18 inches long stretched out. The center pendant (the shell) is an inch long. The extender is 3 inches long with a crystal bead at the end.  Near the lobster clasp is a tiny tag with the initials TB.

This is a back view of the necklace with the clear faceted plastic bead. Side note: My necklace stand is not covered in lint. It is actually the sun reflecting off the velvet cloth on the stand. So annoying. LOL!

I really love this necklace. I will get a LOT of wear out of it. The quality of the piece is impressive. I don't think the gold tone will faint or turn. The rhinestones have a lot of sparkle and are attached very securely. The pendants have a lot of detail and dimension.

A couple of  close up views of the pendants. It is gorgeous! Definitely a standout piece in my collection.

There are only two downsides to the necklace: it is slightly heavy on the neck after wearing it for a while and the pendant do jingle jangle a bit when you move around.  While this is not very annoying, it is a lesson learned from here out to shake a necklace to hear if it will be noisy and feel how comfortable the weight will be around the neck.

I could not believe I was finally able to buy something from this expensive "resort wear and beach home lifestyle" store. This necklace was in an end of the season markdown at a Tommy Bahama outlet store. You might not find this exact piece but I have a link to the store's website at the beginning of this post.

There is no way I would pay $68.00 for a piece of costume jewelry. I was lucky to get this 50% off plus tax. Yes I think the necklace is worth the sale piece. I love the quality and the design of Tommy Bahama jewelry but I am can find similar pieces Versona.  Tommy Bahama is a bit better quality, designs and materials but the price is not what I am willing to pay.

I love it when I get jewelry bags with the purchase of jewelry. Anything that will help me keep my vast jewelry collection organized is appreciated. It was just a thin cloth drawstring bag.

Finally this is a back view of the necklace. It has a nice good quality gold tone finish.

My inner mermaid was definitely drawn to this beach themed jewelry. I am inspired to see if I could make a necklace like this from pieces I can gather from the beach and craft stores.

I have not only a beautiful statement necklace, I have a source of inspiration.


Please let me know what you think of this necklace.

thomasinawords@gmail.com

@ThomasinaWords - Twitter


 Thank you so much for reading my post.


Thomasina

Holiday Wishes and Many Blessings

Myrtle Beach South Carolina - Christmas at the beach is my idea of heaven.

 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a

Happy Amazing New Year!

 

 

 

I look forward to posting many more blogs in the upcoming year. Thank you to everyone that has ever stopped by and read my little blog.

 

 

Take Care and Have a safe happy holiday!

 

 

Love you!

 

Thomasina 

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I hope you all are having a wonderful peaceful lovely day today. I took this picture at Myrtle Beach this past Sunday. Looking at this picture brings back relaxing memories of a fun day in the sunshine.

My trip down to the beach was a last minute decision. I wasn't sure if there was going to be any problems because of the recent flooding in South Carolina. I did not see any damage in the areas I visited. My prayers and positive energy to everyone affected by the flood.

Life for my has been going very well lately.  I have been busy with work and getting my house ready for the coming cold months. Organizing and decluttering are huge projects I have going on now.

Never give up on your dreams and your goals. Last year was a very difficult time but things slowly got better.

Do the things that need to be done. First things first. Work hard everyday to move forward.

Today's post is meant to motivate and encourage you to keep on keeping on even when things are not going very well. Keep moving forward

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Mermaid Standing In The Bright Sunlight

 

These pictures are a much better view of the Mermaid statue I got a little while back from The Christmas Tree Shops in this post.

 

 

 

 

She is a beauty. I think she has a very serene peaceful smile.

 

 

 

Nice details with the shells entwined in her long hair.



 

This is a back view of the pieces. Honestly I am really not a fan of the "distressed" chipped away look. I wish it was a solid white finish.

 

 

 

 

Side view. She is about a bit over a foot tall.

 

 

 

Closeup of her tail scales. In my previous post, you can see the iridescent effect on the inside of the clam shell better in those pictures.

 

 

Back view of the clam shell on a coral reef. Tiny clam shells and even a pretty pearl in front of the base.

 

 

Close up of the base.

 

 

 

I got really lucky to walk into The Christmas Tree Shops store and find this gorgeous mermaid. None of the mermaid pieces they had displayed since have been remotely as nice as this one.

 

It was so exciting to add this to my tiny mermaid collection. Usually I never see mermaid things when I am shopping so this was a great find.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Thomasina

 

 

Dollar Tree Beach Items From Myrtle Beach

The Dollar Tree Stores are awesome for finding all kinds of inexpensive items. From home decor to frozen food this store will help you survive on a very tight budget .

This past Saturday, I went down to Myrtle Beach for a fast fun day trip getaway.

I was so happy to see find more beachy items to decorate my home. A Surf's Up sign and a gorgeous hulu dancer.

The sign is lightweight material with glitter  letters but it is not flimsy. I love the graphic design. For only a dollar, this sign is a steal compared to the crazy high prices of beach items in the beach shops down at the beach.

The hulu dancer is a hanging party decoration. Her facial features are really well done. I can be very picky about faces in art I buy. 

As I am not a fan of the cold months, I decided to be proactive and make the inside of my house as much like a relaxing warm beach retreat as I can.

When I came home, I went to my local Dollar Tree store, only hulu girl plates were available and no beach signs.

Things do tend to sell out quickly. 

Of course always check the quality of the items - some things are so cheaply made they are not worth paying a dollar for. 

When I look at the two signs paired together on my door, they make me smile, relax and think of the beach.

What is your favorite thing to buy at the Dollar Tree?

Thanks for reading!

Thomasina

Bringing The Beach Home - Beach Sign

Here is another wonderful find at my new favorite store The Christmas Tree Shops. 

This is a  lightweight printed wooden sign with happy fun words that remind me of my times at the beach.

I could not believe it said mermaids because it is so rare to find anything with that word on it. 

Not being a fan of the cold weather months, I decided to make the inside of my house a bright happy fun beach house away from the beach. 

I got a couple more signs that I will talk about on the blog. 

This sign was only $3.99. Christmas Tree Shops has really low prices on seasonal home decor. It is not just a Christmas Tree store which is what I first thought.

I will be doing a haul very soon of other items I purchased. Stay Tuned.

Thanks for reading!

Thomasina

Mermaid Standing Statue

A new mermaid statue added to my mermaid collection from the Christmas Tree Shop.  I was completely surprised to see a mermaid anything in a local store.  Usually, I only see mermaid figurines when I go to the beach.

She is a little over a foot high tall. I am so excited to find a mermaid I really like. This mermaid has a beautiful face and the statue has a lot of detail. i think it is made from a kind o resin not a ceramic material. 

The only thing i really did not like is the "distressing" of the surface of the piece. if the paint was smooth, it would be perfect. But thankfully, there is only a few places where the paint is chipped off.

The tail is so beautiful.    I am really picky about the design of my mermaid's facial features and the tails. i do prefer the  mermaid tails to have a fuller wider tail fins.

The only color on the figure is this green and pink on  the clam shell.

A view of the back of the mermaid.

Love the intricate detail of the base: tiny sea shells and pearls






I got another wonderful surprise when I got to the register and it was half off. My price was $8.99! Awesome! The prices for this type of statue in Myrtle Beach is 2 or 3 times more than the regular price of this item.


Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Sunrise At Myrtle Beach

Watching the sunrise at Myrtle Beach, SC  yesterday morning was not only an awe inspiring sight but it reminded me of how blessed I am. 

I am inspired to paint sunrises over the ocean. I actually became emotional watching that glowing orange and gold  ball of light rise out of the ocean. 

There was a time when I longed to be able to travel to the beach but I did not have the finances or transportation. As a result, I never take for granted being able to travel outside my city limits. 

Roadtrips help me clear my mind, inspire and motivate me. I definitely have a travel bug. 

Thankfully, I did not give up my dream of going to the beach again and after a lot of hard work I visit the beach more than I ever had.

During hard times and dark sad moments, it is easy to want to give up on your dreams. Do not ever give up on your heart's desire. 

You might have to change your plans or revise your strategy but stay focused on getting what you want.

Everyday do something to reach your goals. Believe it is possible. 

If you don't think you can, you are definitely right.

Thank you for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

The Beach Fixes Everything

Hello Everyone!

Spring is almost here and I am so happy. It was a very long and cold winter. Warm temps and the  bright sunshine are a very welcome change.

I saw these signs in Marshall's the other day. "The Beach Fixes Everything" is the story of my life. I have always felt relaxed, calm, zen, creative, and focused when I am at the beach. 

There is something soothing and awe inspiring about looking out across that endless span of water.

A plan for a roadtrip to the beach is in the works. I cannot wait.

When I saw these cute beach themed signs, I thought they would look great in my home office but I know I can definitely made them myself. 

A very easy DIY: 

a piece of wood or thick paper, draw with a light pencil the lettering, two paint colors or markers and presto you have this sign for free or a lot less than the $7 to $10 dollars they were priced at.

Thank you for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

Thank You So Much For Your Support!

This tiny little blog has just gone over 3700 page views! 

Thank you all so very much for stopping by and reading my posts. I am deeply honored and humbled by your support.

My blog is not fancy with all the bells and whistles of other blogs. I mostly post from my iPhone 4 because of computer issues but I don't let that stop me.

It's been fun sharing my interests and hobbies with the world. We can all learn from each other. I have met some wonderful new friends online.

My goal for my blog is to be a place of encouragement,repurpose/reuse, creativity, hope, inspiration,faith, crafts, lifestyle, beachlife, art, crafts, books, music, DIYs, jewelry, and  how to save money.

It has been a huge blessing and learning experience having this blog and I can't wait to see how it grows and changes.

Thank you!

Thomasina

Comment below or you can contact me at Thomasinawords@gmail.com

Have A Beach Day Everyday

Go after those dreams. Never give up! But don't forget to make time for those "peaceful time at the beach" moments. 

Your time is so precious. Seek balance and peace. 

Take Care and Bless You!

Thomasina

Photo: Taken by Thomasina at Myrtle Beach, SC

DIY Sea Shells and Sand Display

This is a very quick inexpensive way to bring home a tiny bit of your beach vacation.

All you need is a few shells -ones you have collected from your relaxing walk on the beach or you can buy a bag of shells.

I was browsing around in The Christmas Tree Store and I saw a small net bag full of beautiful small whole shells. Usually the shells I find on the beach are fragments. But I still love the broken shells for their special charm. 

Next you need some sand from the beach and a clear glass jar or bottle to hide your display. 

Pour in your sand. Layer in your shells and presto! Your own beach display for your desk or table top. 

I saw sand and shell displays at the beach for $6.99 and up. You can make this in under ten minutes for free or very little money. 

Thank you for reading my blog post. 

Comment below if you have ever made a beach display before. 

Ron Jon Tote Bag and Flower Pen Clearance Haul

This is a reusable bright coral color tote I got for just $1.29 at the Myrtle Beach RonJon store at Barefoot Landing. 

My favorite item I got on clearance is this pretty flower big barrel pen for only 88 cents. Of course I had to get several of this. 

Ron Jon is one of my favorite stores to browse in when shopping at the beach. I say browse because the prices at usually a lot higher than my only buy on sale for $10 or less strict budget.