Good morning sunshine! It is the first day of spring and the sun is shining brightly as I sit on the balcony sipping a freshly brewed lemon myrtle tea. The ocean is back to it's glorious turquoise blue blending perfectly with the horizon. As I look down below me bees are buzzing and birds are singing sweet melodies. The sound of the waves crashing to the shore lull me into a meditation as the sun warms my skin. Days like this truly are bliss. Days like this make me grateful to be alive. Alive.....Do we ever think about being alive, I mean REALLY being alive. The kind of alive where we wake up ready to bounce into the day, the kind of alive where our eyes sparkle and our skin shines with happiness radiating from deep within. I do. Every single day I wake up feeling grateful for life. For being blessed with my journey. Even more so this morning.

Yesterday, after 8 days of surf too big to even go near, the ocean beckoned me. The sun was out for the first time in almost 2 weeks and the swell had subsided. Getting up early I packed a picnic lunch and headed off  in the car with my partner up the coast to meet a friend for a day of surfing and sunshine. We paddled out all together and surfed for a few hours. I came in while they continued to surf to grab a coffee and a sunbake. I decided after they came in to hit the water again. The swell was building ever so slightly bringing with it fun looking 3 ft peelers. As I paddled out I thought about just how blessed I am to be a mermaid. After catching a few fun peelers I decided to paddle across further to where I could see bigger and faster waves. Before I knew it there was a freak set rolling towards me and I was in the impact zone. The first few waves I eskimo rolled my board but the force of the white water on my 56 kilo frame with a 9'1 board was too much and my board was ripped out of my arms. I had no choice but to dive under each wave. The second last wave in the set was a cracker and I must have breathed in deeply too late because as I dove under I felt water in my mouth. I stayed under for as long as I could so the wave could pass over me and as I surfaced I breathed in but water went in and I coughed it out just in time to duck under the last wave of the set (and the biggest) where I was struggling to hold my breath. As I popped up to the surface I grabbed my board, jumped on and tried to get breath which was proving difficult because of the water in my stomach and lungs. I coughed and coughed until I could feel the water expelling itself and then I paddled as fast as I could toward the shore catching a wave to get me in. I had so much adrenaline pumping through my body that I jumped up on the wave which was peeling perfectly and nose rode most of the way in before collapsing on the sand crying with a mixture of feelings - relief, happiness and shock.

I am truly not someone who takes life for granted. I believe that we must do what makes us and others happy. I believe we must follow our heart on the path to a our truth. But even more so this morning after my brush with fate yesterday afternoon I woke up and reveled in the feel of my partners arms holding me as he slept soundly, the colours in the sky as the sun rose over the ocean, the feel of the warm doona on my skin and the sound of my mothers voice when I spoke to her on the telephone. It truly is the simple things in life that bless us in every moment.

Getting creative on rainy winter days..... The end result of a day spent inside with a sewing machine & some fabric.

It's been raining for a week now. I wake up to grey skies again. As I sit up in bed and look out over the ocean, the sun rise casts an orange glow dimly on the horizon behind the bands of clouds passing by. The sea is a whirly mess from an overnight north easterly blow. There is definitely nothing out there to entice me to enter the sea this morning. I decide to bury myself further into the doona, encapsulating the warmth around my body. As I drift off into my thoughts of summer sunshine and point break waves I wonder what I am going to do today. Day 4 of no surf and day 8 of rain. 

What do other surfers do when it rains incessantly for days on end? I guess they go to their 9-5 job, come home, cook dinner, watch tv and go to bed, ready to do the same all over again the next day. 

Me? I'm different to that. The ocean is my life. 

I live, breathe and, if I could, I would drink the ocean. The sea is my lifeline. Her salty breath kisses my skin everytime I enter the water or stand by the edge. The ocean dictates what I am going to do day to day. The first thing I do when I wake up every morning wherever I am is either look out at the ocean, walk by the ocean, sit by the ocean, swim in the ocean, surf in the ocean or look at pictures of the ocean.

Ocean ocean ocean ocean.

But today it is a little bit different. I want to do something creative centered around the ocean.

The rain starts pelting heavily against the window pane and I decide to jump up out of bed and greet the day with my morning coffee. The weather forecast online predicts rain all week. And from what it looks like outside I agree with that statement. As I walk back to the kitchen for more coffee it stares me in the face. 

My new sewing machine! 

On a whim 2 days ago I decided to purchase this little baby. Until earlier this year I'd never sewn anything in my life. When my new 9'6 traditional log arrived back in February I decided I needed a board cover. Sure I had a padded travel cover in the garage at my parents place gathering dust, but I wanted something special for this board, something that represented to me the same thing that my board represented - Elegance, style, grace and a little bit of fun, as well of course as being functional and protecting the board from the summer sun. So, with an idea planted firmly in my heart and mind, I borrowed my auntys sewing machine, brought a bunch of fabric and spent an evening designing, creating and completing my very own fabric board cover. I was so stoked with the result that I promised myself I would buy my own sewing machine and get creating so I could make board covers for other people to enjoy and turn a passion into a little hobby.

Fast forward 6 months of sunshine, travel, friends and waves and you guessed it – I hadn't purchased the sewing machine nor created any more board bags. So on a rainy winters morning with no surf on the horizon and more clouds draping the sky, I headed into the shops on a mission. I found the perfect little sewing machine. Next mission – fabrics. I have decided to source most of my fabrics from op-shops. I am a greenie at heart and believe that up-cycling and recycling is definitely the way of the future. Not only can I source funky and unique prints but I can also be rest assured knowing that I am not contributing to more landfill. Sourcing fabrics like this also ensures that my products are individual and interesting. I am going to be creating and sewing from wherever I am on the road or housesitting, so you never know – your board bag could be created overlooking the ocean or in a funky little apartment in the middle of the city. The beauty of this lifestyle on the road as a sea gypsy is going to add warmth and heart to each item I create and sew. I can create a warm little home for your 9'6 log, your 5'9 fish, your 5'2 shortboard, your bodyboard and even your SUP. I will collaborate with you on colours, style and design and make sure you are stoked with the end result. 

I have a Facebook site up and running where you can see all my creations at www.facebook.com/seaandsew or you can email me at eeeles@hotmail.com

I am so looking forward to meeting inspiring and beautiful people and getting my creativeness on for this new and creative branch of my sea journey.

Mahalo!