Breathe. Just breathe. You’ve worked so hard for this. God has got you.

You know those events or milestones that happen in your life that you have just been WAITING so patiently for, that when you finally reach the day…the hour…the moment they come to fruition you are almost at a complete loss for words to describe them?

That is me. Right now. At this very moment I am staring at a blinking cursor on my laptop screen PRAYING I can do this special day in my business some justice.

So here I go. With an unadulterated breath, I am going to attempt to put this day into words.

This past Saturday, I held my very first in-person watercolor florals workshop in Charles City, Virginia at the cutest B&B, The Inn at Eagles Watch. This charming bed & breakfast is owned and operated by my sweet friend, Jennifer Jones, and if it wasn’t for us having coffee at Column 15 in Williamsburg months before, this milestone in my business probably have taken a lot longer to happen.

Would you believe me if I said that my dream for teaching a creative workshop has been 6 years in the making? Yup, it’s completely true. This dream pretty much was born the same time my creative fire was awakened at a Modern Calligraphy workshop in Huntsville, Alabama. I remember leaving that class, getting in my car, and thinking to myself that I would give anything to help women find the same joy and excitement that I was feeling in that moment. All I could think about was how I could bring women together and let them experience the benefits of creating.

Fast forward to the morning of the workshop and I arrived two and a half hours before our scheduled start time. Insane, right? People have done far crazier things when they truly care about something. And for months, planning this workshop has been like a baby to me.

Jennifer was working hard setting up food in the kitchen and my talented and lovely friend, Gari-Ann came to my rescue by lugging totes and boxes out of my car. And as I began pulling out each of the carefully curated student supplies, I quietly said to myself, “It’s happening.” Six years of dreaming. Months and months of research, planning, testing, editing, and practicing into the late hours of night have led me to this very moment. And I would be completely lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t getting a little emotional as I saw each of the student place settings being photographed by my talented friend. So much time. So much love. So much of myself was about to be poured out for ten women to see.

And when 9:45 am rolled around and my lovely students began to walk through those front doors, I could feel the nervousness and excitement begin to set in. Luckily, those jitters did not last very long. I knew I had gone over the lesson plan for what it felt like a million times before and I was teaching these women something I loved. Watercolor florals is my passion. It is my life. So now God was just using me and my passion to bring some joy to others. How could I really be nervous about that, right?

The three hours for the workshop went by so quickly that it felt as if the entire class was a bit of a blur. I wish that I could have held on tightly to every single detail and moment. But what I will share are the pockets of memories that will forever stay vivid in my mind.

Seeing my hubby, Jennifer, and Gari-Ann laughing and chatting together in the kitchen was such a sweet moment. All three of them put so much love, support, encouragement, and trust into both me and my vision. Having them all there to celebrate this day fills my heart with gratitude.

Sneaking a peek as Gari-Ann took photos of everything that happened that day. Gari-Ann drove all the way down from the DC area to be there and to have her use her talents to “capture the magic” was just the most amazing thing to witness. And the best part? Now, I can look at all her amazing photos and relive that day in all its glory.

Watching ALL my students get up and dance to Taylor Swift was a HUGE surprise. When I added this to my lesson plan months before, I remember chuckling and saying to myself, “They are gonna think I am such a weirdo.” But every single person stood up, danced, and smiled. They were all in and I couldn’t have been more elated.

The laughter and smiles that came from the center room. Because of the rainy weather the night before, we had to make the decision to move the workshop inside. The Inn didn’t have one large room that could accommodate all the ladies, so we split them into two rooms when it came time to practice our watercolor skills. The center room had one table and I made the risky decision of putting together four ladies who I knew did not know each other. But during the entire workshop, you would have never thought that they entered that day as strangers. So much laughter and joy came from that table. Honestly, all of my students that day were such a blessing. If there is anything that brings a teacher more joy, it’s seeing women have fun and learn something new together. It was pure magic.

Walking around seeing the different takes and styles of watercolor florals being painted by all the ladies. One of my rules for my watercolor classes is to NEVER compare your work to anyone else’s. There is only one person just like you in the entire world and it would only make sense that your style or work does not look the same as someone else’s. So to see the students embrace that “classroom rule” was incredibly cool to witness.

Seeing the hubby interacting with students and my friends. Most of the time the hubby is working “behind the scenes” for Dots & Dust keeping my finances straight and making sure I don’t forget a crucial part of planning workshops and events. But this time, he was out there where people could see how important he is to both me and my business. And in return, he could see what I look like when I am doing what I love the most. Now, he struggled a bit when it came time to make a sale after class, but he took it like a champ and figured it out in true entrepreneur-like style. And gosh do I love him for it.

At the end of it all, it was the most exhausting but simply AMAZING day of my entire time being a business owner.

And man oh man…I am so ready to do it ALL OVER AGAIN.

Special Thanks:

To my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ…thank you for giving me this mission to shine light and joy on a fallen world and to help others find their God-given creative gifts. When you put this dream and passion on my heart 6 years ago, I never would have thought I would be able to live it out to this extent. But you have shown me time and again how wonderful and rewarding putting my trust in your plans are. I am in awe and forever grateful for your love & grace. And I pray I will continue to lean in on your strength as we continue our journey.

To Jennifer...if it wasn’t for you having coffee with me and saying, “Just have it at my place,” I wouldn’t know what to do. You put your trust in my vision and dove in without hesitation. As a result, you gave my students the most gorgeous location to learn how to paint and were an amazing hostess.

To Gari-Ann...thank you for traveling all the way from DC to be a part of this special day. Your talent for capturing “magic” in your photos is nothing short of AH-MAZING. We were so lucky to have you!

To Sarah-Daye (Night & Daye Studio) & Sarah Wood (White Hall Flower Farm)...Thank you for your generosity & for supplying thoughtful gifts and flowers for our students. They were beautiful!

To the 10 lovely ladies who I had the honor of teaching…Thank you for humoring me with my Taylor Swift “dance session” and for reminding me how fun it is to gather women together! I pray that I was able to give you a magical morning you can look back on and smile.

To my kiddos…Thank you for believing in me and being patient on those days when I had to put in the extra hours. All the hugs, kisses, and “You are gonna be great, Mom” pep talks were everything and more. I love you times a million!

And lastly, to my wonderful hubby…YOU are my rock. I am so glad God put us together to do this thing we call “life.” Thank you for the numerous coffee dates, the extremely late nights, the brainstorming sessions, the tedious “technical tests,” the hugs when I felt I was DONE …Thank you for it all. You are just simply the best. Sine Cera.