Fun in Florence

Don't you love to just happen upon a great, unexpected find?

I sure do and such was the case for me a few weeks ago while vacationing around coastal Oregon.  Anywhere and any day near the ocean is a day in heaven for me, but after a great lunch at Mo's Seafood down in old town (gotta love that clam chowder!), an even greater plus was my stop in at Waterlily Studio in Florence, Oregon on Highway 101.

This local bead store shares a building with a dive business, but the vibe in the bead studio is all creativity and friendliness.  The owner greeted me warmly and encouraged me to take my time exploring.

Seems she used to have a 10 x 10 booth elsewhere in town but had recently expanded into a full-size store and is growing her inventory.  Having moved to Florence, Oregon from San Diego, California in search of a slower pace of life and "better weather" (but how much better can you get than San Diego?), she also made the choice based on a family illness.

I can tell you that her store is a welcome addition to the coastal area.  Taking nothing away from Sweet Creek (another fine local bead store in Florence), I enjoyed my time exploring the wide variety of offerings.

I made a small purchase, including some ocean/sea feeling beads and some Lucite flowers.  My purchase was placed in a small fabric bag tied with a ribbon and of course, there's no sales tax in Oregon.  Next trip up to Florence, I'll definitely return to Waterlily again.