Spring is Blooming at Bella Fiore
Sarah was born in Ohio and spent the first five years of her life there. Following her family's move from Ohio, they lived in various locations on the east coast before finally settling in New York when Sarah was in the third grade. As a young adult she came to Ocracoke, where her mother Cindy was residing, and graduated from Ocracoke School. Sarah then went off to college in Colorada and earned degrees in English and History. Following her college career, Sarah lived in Key West, Florida with Ocracoke native Cathy Scarborough, and "came home" to Ocracoke five years later.
Having spent many years in the service industry, Sarah decided it was time for a change. A friend taught her the basics of pottery making, and she continued to grow as a potter since "a lot of it is self-taught." With her ability to create unique, quality pieces, she opened her shop, and does a lot of creating in the attached studio. During the summer months Sarah spends the majority of her six-day work weeks in the shop itself due to the high amount of visitors that frequent her shop.
"I enjoy meeting people," she said, "Some people come back every year." One repeat customer "has kids who I've watched grow up."
Sarah has a variety of merchadise available in Bella Fiore Pottery. She buys products from womens' co-ops in Africa and Asia, soaps made by Ocracoke resident Kim Meacham, jewelry, and creations from four other potters.
"I try to buy only things I like. I enjoy the stuff in my shop, especially the jewelry," she said.
About two years ago, the house Sarah shares with her husband Brad caught fire. In the aftermath Sarah recalled how, "people really came together," for them. "I love the sense of community," she said, listing reasons she enjoys life on Ocracoke. "And I love New York, but I love to come home. Plus everything is accessible by bike! And the beach is right there!"
During the winter Sarah stays busy creating new works, traveling, and catching up with friends and family. She is an avid scuba diver and will, "take a hot spot over a cold one," when picking a destination. She and her husband Brad – who is a master diver – go on trips to the Cayman Islands, Carribean, and in Brad's home country, South Africa. One of her fondest memories comes from a previous trip to South Africa where she and Brad went on a unique adventure with sharks.
"After we dove with the sharks," she explained, "we had sushi and fun and drinks, all on Valentine's Day."
She also enjoys snowboarding, but, "nine times out of ten," she prefers to go to warmer climates. "And I can devour a book," she said. When she's on the island, Sarah looks forward to spending time with her friends and family, drinking red wine, and because of her education in History and English she said, "I can hold my own at dinner parties." Dressing up to celebrate Halloween and St. Patrick's Day also make Sarah very happy. "I love glitter and tiaras, and St. Patty's Day is one of my favorite holidays because I'm Irish and can embrace my heritage." She continued by repeating her favorite quote, relating it to holiday festivities: "'The trouble with trouble is it starts out as fun,'" because "It's so true on so many levels!"
To further her awesomeness and enthusiasm, she even had a sandwich named for her at one of the local establishments, Jason's Restaurent. "I made this sandwich and some women had trouble pronouncing my name, so Sarah Fiore kind of just turned into Sayrah Safari." Many years ago, some of her Ocracoke friends gave her the nickname "Wonger," and when speaking about what kind of superhero she'd be, Sarah said, "My name would be Super Wonger, and I'd be able to either fly or breath underwater."
Last November, Sarah traveled to Maryland to compete in the Rugged Maniac Obstacle Race. "I went up with 12 other fantastic women, and it involved mud, fun, and beer." During the the race participants had to run through mud, climb over obstacles, and jump over fire. Read all about their experience here.
Bella Fiore Pottery typically opens around Easter and, if there are no significant storms, remains in operation through October. Bella Fiore Pottery is located at 80 Back Road, and can be reached at 252.928.2826.
Editor’s Note: Do you know a woman who is being awesome?
Email Crystal at crystalcurrentlee@yahoo.com
