What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, as a work of art in progress? Imagine that you are a masterpiece unfolding, every second of every day, a work of art taking form with every breath. ~ Thomas Crum

The story of my life is a work in progress, really only of interest to those who have participated in it. But for anyone who is curious, here's a little snapshot of me and my life as it exists now.

My name is Kerry Gauthier, but here online, I tend to go by the Gaelic version of my name, Ciarrai. I am a woman in my early thirties, the oldest of four daughters and many cousins in a fairly tight-knit family. I am happily married to my husband, Rob. Despite the fact that we love children and I have wanted to be a Mommy since I was five years old, we do not have any children yet, mainly because my struggles with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome has made conceiving difficult so far. However, we are working with my doctors and have every reason to hope that we will be able to start our family in the next year or so. We even have names picked out (Elizabeth Sharon, Rebecca Lynne and Katie Anne for the girls and Sean Robert, Daniel Vincent, and Brian Matthew for the boys - just in case you were wondering).

I live on Long Island, NY, just a few miles from the home where I was born and raised. I left for a year to attend Nazareth college as a Music Therapy major. Tendonitis in my wrists put an end to my music career so I changed majors and transferred back home to complete my degree at Stony Brook University. I earned a B.A. in Psychology but after several years of working in various group homes, I realized that I was not suited to a career in the mental health field. I made the switch to administrative work and I now work as an executive assistant. A modified copy of my resume can be seen here. (Please note: for privacy's sake, I have removed my contact information from this resume).

I am a very creative person and I am always in the middle of completing one (or more) craft project at any given time. Primarily I knit and design jewelry. I have been considering selling my jewelry. I have recently started taking commissions and am looking into an online store front under the name Ciarrai Designs. When I get it up and running, I will post something here but in the meanwhile, please feel free to contact me about any commission work you may have in mind.

I also dabble in needlepoint, one stroke painting and scrapbooking / rubber stamping. I enjoy photography and love taking pictures of my friends and family, which I post on my Flickr Gallery. I am hoping to learn more about these mediums and to possibly add sewing, quilting, ribbon embroidery and beaded embroidery to the list sometime soon.

Overall, I tend to be a fairly relaxed person. I choose my clothes for comfort rather than fashion and I rarely wear make-up. I love comfy, homey environments and most days I want nothing more than to relax, work on my crafts, and/or spend time with my friends and family. I enjoy movies and watch more t.v. than is healthy for me, usually while knitting. My interests include: listening to music, reading, creative writing, seeing Broadway musicals, playing board games and RPGs, indulging myself at my favorite spa, going to coffee houses and museums, attending yearly Renn Faires and Sci-Fi / Gaming Conventions and spoiling my nieces and nephews.

Someday I would like to start a cultural arts center here on Long Island, complete with a coffee house, dinner theater, art gallery and plenty of classroom, performance and studio space for local artists. The plan is to offer classes, workshops and programs in music, theater, literature and the visual arts, with a particular emphasis on traditional arts and crafts like quilting knitting, beading, etc.. I realize that I won't be able to implement this idea for many years but in the meanwhile, I enjoy making plans and learning anything and everything I may need to know.

In terms of my personal philosophies, I am a Born Again Christian and a fairly liberal Democrat, both tempered by a sense of humor and a healthy dose of common sense.