April 27, 2015

sister camp 2015

the one word that comes to mind to best describe sister camp would be restful.
tucked away in the ozark mountains of arkansas along the buffalo river, we lived & created for three whole days. 
sweet d’wana of mountain girl melodies asked if i would teach on the art of gift giving at camp. other than that, i knew nothing else about camp. 
when we settled into our rooms & met together on friday evening, d’wana informed us that sister camp was simply about resting. we were there to breathe, to rest our minds & ease our hearts.
y’all if i would have had the energy to ugly cry, it would not have been pretty.
oh, me? rest? 
& that is exactly what we did. the camp staff loved us & served us so well. 
sweet naomi & her momma made the most delicious food. friends, i gained four pounds. i wish i were lying; it was that good. 
everything was just beautiful… every detail perfectly executed & every corner oh so lovely.

we were invited to journal, to meditate, to nap (thank you, jesus) & to pray. there was so much free time to just be. i never get that time at home; it was truly a retreat from the rush of everyday life. 

on saturday, we made our way up the mountain to d’wana’s cabin in the woods. this is her space for creating & she invited us in to make alongside her.

we made mini quest boxes & clay pendants.

i had the privilege of sharing my thoughts on the art of thoughtful gift giving with the campers. we made lavender sea salt scrub to gift to others using ingredients easily found in one’s pantry. remember, gifts don’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. 

the sister camp staff absolutely spoiled us with swag from some amazing makers! i came home with all kinds of goodies!

this camp allowed us to rest, but it also gifted us the amazing opportunity to simply come just as we already are. 

sister camp was that soulcare i had been craving. it was an invitation to bond with my fellow sisters, from all ages & backgrounds, & a reminder that there is indeed a seat at the sisterhood table for each & every one of us. 

if you would like to join d’wana at her next sister camp, registration opens in august. i would absolutely recommend saving money to go. it’s worth every penny & so much more.
thank you, d’wana & naomi for this gift! i love you girls. xo.
love,
natalie