Inspired by the novel, Three Skeins of Caledonia Blue, Tona Bell invited the book’s author, Elizabeth Duvivier, to co-host a maker’s weekend of JOY, PLAY, and TRANSFORMATION. The Sisters Retreat is grounded in the book's themes of friendship, sisterhood and the power of creativity to help us through the dark times of our lives.
Another fun layer of this collaboration, is that in the book the two best friends live next door to each other in 1900 New England Victorians, and this beautiful workshop will be hosted in the side-by-side 1917 craftsman bungalows that are called “the sisters”— the home of The Paper Seahorse studios which has been welcoming creative seekers from around the world for ten years.
The lush tropical setting of this historic Tampa neighborhood will add to our inspiration. We will convene in bright sunlit rooms, on wide porches, and in the shaded gardens of the two sister bungalows that are protected by the graceful arms of live oak trees.
Have you ever sent a wish up to the sky for everything to stop so you could pause, regroup, clear the slate, get a rest—a deep reset—and start again?
Did the past year feel like one endless cycle of overwhelm?
We feel you. Our current world is designed to attract and capture our attention, energy, and spirit in ways that don’t always serve us. You are not alone. But we have a lovely antidote: a dreamy weekend lined up with all the best elements in place for you to reconnect with your inner calm and reignite your creative spark.
Creativity can help us to break free from and provide fresh perspective on the heavy situations in our lives. This gathering is designed to help us reignite our creative imagination and recalibrate our energies so that whatever transitions we are moving through will be wrapped in calm, joy and ease.
The Sisters Retreat is a lovely opportunity to step away from the busy world and drop into the rich inner world that holds all the answers to what we need most. In addition to wonderful workshops, there will be healing food, opportunities for meditation and yoga, photo walks as well as plenty of time to sit, knit, sketch, or simply be.
Join us for this beautiful gathering. Our intention is that you will leave this weekend feeling buoyant and vibrant and ready to carry all that goodness into your daily life.
WORKSHOPS:
Finding Flow
An experiential journey from the head to the heart to the hands. Through a series of engaging, unexpected hands-on activities you will learn how to break the cycle that limits exploration and shift your state of mind to one of creative flow. This workshop is more doing than talking, more feeling than analyzing and will help you connect to your natural playful, curious self. A variety of creative immersive activities will develop your confidence and ignite your innate ability to return to a peaceful, calm, creative center.
Creating Your Own Myth
This workshop is about connecting to our Hridaya, our spiritual heart – the heart within our heart. From there, we will explore the myth we have been living/telling ourselves (and the world) that no longer feels true for us. Through a series of intuitive prompts —mixed media play + journaling—we will reclaim the story that is genuinely ours. This will enable us to clarify and define the life we want to live and bring it into being.
Making mandalas is a magical practice. In particular, mandalas enliven wholeness, unity, connection and harmony. On Sunday we will bring closure to the weekend by creating a group mandala. After inner excavation, it is incredibly healing to come together and remember all the ways we are not alone, but sisters on this journey.
Step away from the demands and challenges of every day. Invite your soul sister along. Join us as we start the new year fresh and bring our sweet selves into our best alignment for the days and months ahead!