My name is Noelle. I currently live on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. It is a dream
come true to be able to call this place home. Our little tribe moved here from Nairobi, Kenya. Our time there was incredible and I carry the experiences there with me.
I am an eclectic creative. I sew, I write, I make music playlists that move my soul (yes, I consider this an art form), I cook, I make collages in my journal. My heart right now drives me to create with textiles, mostly. I sew clothing and household wares. I am drawn to rich, bright colors and patterns. Therefore, living in Nairobi with access to all that vibrant and beautiful fabric, baskets, and tapestries was a joy. There I could collect yards and yards of Kitenge fabrics (Kenya’s version of Ankara). I use them with great delight.
In the Beginning
I am the daughter of Cora, granddaughter of Vivian and Doris, and niece of Sandra, Athersteen and Patricia, creatives themselves. Their example showed me that there was no other way to exist. Of course, you would find a way to cover that couch on your own. 
Of course, I’ll figure out how to make that quilt I’m wanting for my bed. Of course, I’ll make my niece’s communion dress. That’s just how things were. Bringing to life the fancies of one’s imagination was just as automatic as breathing. I rarely went to a store to get a gown for a special occasion. The women who loved on me as a child made regular practice of using their hands and hearts to manifest their visions. I am so grateful to them for their examples.
It is their examples that gives me the motivation to create in this space. Save my Auntie Sandy, most of my folk would create just for themselves or for family. To share with a wider audience is new. Thus, I am using this blog space to be unapologetic in my expression of my own heart and soul.
My Digital Scrapbook
However, I am an introvert, and so it bears mentioning that sharing what I create has always felt fraught with dangers. In addition, being a busy mama, making time to actually sit down and create often seems impossible. There’s also the judgment on how much I actually produce and the quality of what I produce to tackle. In this
space, FINALLY, I am choosing to unburden myself with those particular worries. I am nurturing my children in the same vein. I encourage them to allow their hearts and souls to speak through and in accompaniment with whatever medium they deem useful. The measure of the quality and how much is created is rarely quantified in any traditional form.
This blog will hopefully be a bit of a scrapbook, a memory book, a way to document and share our efforts to be our creative selves and love it in whatever way and how often it shows up.
