Dear Reader:

Many of you read the popular blog post last year…“The Legend of the Pawley’s Island Shell.” It was my most read post of 2017. It was actually a summation of the Ya Ya’s annual winter retreat at Pawley’s but the legend of the famous local sea shell really caught readers’ attention and imagination. *(Posted on January 24, 2017)

The Legend of the Pawley’s Island Shell | Chapel of Hope Stories

Even though I didn’t find a Pawley’s Island sea shell on the beach, last year,  I was given a small Pawleys Island sea shell at Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry Shop as a token of friendship to a customer (me) interested in the story behind the “jeweled” sea shells and the process of the transition.

And yes…2017 was very good to me…I think the little shell did “Bless my presence.”  One…I am still here…and two…changes transpired that turned out to be good in the big picture and taught me (once again) the important lesson of keeping an open mind to all changes that beset us during our lifetime. So thanks…Little special Pawleys Island sea shell, and Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry shop! 

(*One of the first owners at Skip and Scotty’s beach house last Tuesday night (we visited for Happy Hour) had a mounted display box filled with original Pawleys Island sea shells they had collected. I took this as a sign that the story would continue because Mr. Whitmire, the owner and talented designer, would be at the shop when I went later in the week. My hunch proved correct!)

Last Thursday arrived and this time Mr. John Henry Whitmire, the owner and “magical transformer” of shells into silver and gold, was hard at it in his work space. His graciousness and friendliness, as well as, the welcoming aura of his shop and employees, made me feel right at home.

I think the tale of Rumpelstiltskin is definitely a metaphor for the life of John Henry Whitmire…he, too, can transform (not straw) but Pawley’s unique sea shells into gold…and silver. And he can do it being a “prince” of a fella to boot!

Mr. Whitmire showed me the prettiest little small pierced earrings in silver he had just finished making. So intricately elegant! He then took me down memory lane to the epiphany experience he had watching the waves come in one day at sunset.

The glorious lights of the waning sun hit the sea shells perfectly (as they washed ashore) turning them into hues of sparkling gold and silver…a natural treasure trove of beauty beyond the imagination.

A thought ran through his mind…‘What if I could turn sea shells into gold and silver jewelry …If I could create a beautiful token of Pawley’s for residents and tourists alike, to take home to remember this wonderful slice of heaven?’ (He had discovered there was one sea shell Pawley’s residents claimed as their own and Whitmire knew this was the shell that would be the axle for his wheel of dreams.)

His second good fortune was to take a class at USC on metal design…the seed was now planted… perhaps there really was a way to turn shells into gold and silver!

Mr. Whitmire’s major in Creative Writing (with an emphasis on Metal Works and Design) from USC definitely helped him transfer his own dreams to the design skills necessary to morph imagination into reality. (I remember last year his assistant showed me the created casing that the small sea shells were placed in to start the 34 hour transition period required to make these exquisite works of art.)

These bracelets are some of Mr. Whitmire’s latest designs he shared with me…aren’t they gorgeous? What a keepsake for years to come of the wonderful memories at Pawley’s Island!

So until tomorrow…Let us always follow our dreams…because they will come true if we never give up and always follow the light!

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Here is a new (sample) business card given out at the shop….information and origins.

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*And speaking of art…Anne repainted my fading grandchildren’s tree markers while I was at Pawley’s…they look just like the day I first received them! Thank you so much Anne!!!! The Japanese Maples are so happy to have their name plates placed by them again…and the grandchildren will be so happy!

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*A Belated Happy Happy Birthday to our girl Honey…her birthday was Monday March 5. Her father nicknamed her Honey because of the color of her hair…but she is a “honey” in so many ways…she is sweet, always ‘busy as a bee’ helping other people with a wonderful golden aura around her. She has got a “honey” of a husband who shares her love of pets and crafts. She is rich in so many ways…the best kind of ways. Happy Birthday friend!!!