The End of an Era, A Mom’s Perspective…

It’s one of those times in my family’s lives where the end of an era is clearly being defined.  It’s a change in the landscape of our family, a different kind of normal.  I suppose it all began last year when my daughter moved to Texas in pursuit of a teaching job, taking with her only what she could fit in her car- and her little puppy dog, Emmi.  While it was sad to see her go so far away, we all knew that it was for the best.  She moved into her grandma’s guest room.  I loved knowing she was there; it gave me peace of mind.  We are thankful to my mom for sharing her guestroom with Melissa, for an unlimited amount of time.  It was nice for the two of them to have that time together!  Melissa was there for about nine months when she was hired as a 4^th grade teacher at a wonderful elementary school.  Now she is coming back here, to get the rest of her things because she is moving into her own apartment, closer to where she works… hence the end of an era. 

When she went to Texas, we kept her bedroom just as she had left it.  I moved bits and pieces of my studio into her room, so I would have a place to work on my clay creations.  While it’s been quite crowded in there, I loved having my daughter all around me… now the room can be 100% dedicated to my studio, which will be nice for me.  (Of course, there will be a guest bed in the room, for when she visits.)   But, somehow it all feels very bitter-sweet.  I am so very proud of all that my daughter has, and is accomplishing in her life.  She has grown up to be an amazing and beautiful young woman - inside and out!  But I must say… this feels so much different than when she went away to college.  We still had all her things at our house and her bedroom was waiting there for her when she frequently came home for weekend visits.  Time can be a blur, and it feels like she went from pigtails and lolly pops to her college graduation day in the blink of an eye.  Now college graduation is more than a year behind her and she is teaching… something she had dreamed of doing for as long as I can remember.  Like I had said in a past blog post:  Walking into her classroom and seeing her teach was such a surreal moment for me.  Seemed I was a volunteer mom, and she was a kindergarten student only moments ago – now she was standing before me – a teacher with a classroom of her own!  I just don’t know how she got to be all grown up already.  The time passed, and it passed very quickly… and definitely without my permission!  She had already moved beyond her childhood days, for quite some time, but now she is moving on… into a life of her own.  She will take with her all the memories of her childhood - and she will leave with us, in our hearts and in our minds, those memories as well.  It will be a new beginning for her… one that I hope is filled with much success and many, many happy moments!  New memories will be made in her life - for her, and for our family.  We will cherish every one!  It’s exciting for her to begin this new journey in her life.  As her mom, it’s exciting to see where this journey will take her.  May the child that lives within her soul keep dancing, and light up her grown-up world… May all her dreams come true. 

Fun Halloween Birthday Cake Topper!

I just finished creating the cutest little witch cake topper and it's put me right in the mood for Halloween!  It was a custom order.  My customer contacted me a few days ago wanting a cake topper for her daughter's first birthday, which is on Halloween.  Unfortunately the first topper she was going to purchase fell through and she was a bit stressed about the time frame that it had left her to find a replacement... I feel so lucky, and honored, that she stumbled upon my Etsy Shop and liked what she saw there.  She described to me what she wanted for the cake topper, and even emailed pictures of her darling daughter, Sophia - and the costume that she will be wearing for her birthday party and Halloween.  She said she wanted a black cat, and Sophia's initial, "S" - I got to work on it right away and finished it today.  I emailed my customer a picture and am happy to report...

What a Difference the Sunshine Makes!

What a difference the sunshine makes... for me anyway!  Our weekend weather was a bit chilly, but absolutely beautiful!  We had some rainy and gloomy days last week... but by Friday the sun was beginning to shine, and that certainly was a very welcome change.  We went to our niece's horse show on Saturday morning, very early - driving there as the sun was rising.  We enjoyed the scenery... the mist over the river, the pinks and yellows of the sunrise.  We kept stopping so that I could take pictures, wanting to capture the beauty of the morning.  Once the sun was out, we couldn't help but notice the vivid bright colors of the changing trees, and how amazing they looked against the backdrop of the beautiful deep blue sky.  It made our drive to the horse show a complete pleasure!  We arrived at the horse show all bundled up for the cold morning, and headed directly to the hot chocolate!  It was the state finals and about 400 horses were competing.  Our niece's horse is young and quite spunky.  He had moments where he was not...

Useless Information...

We have so much useless information stored in our heads, and where does some of it come from?!  For example, every once in a while my son loves to quiz me on football teams, naming the city and wanting me to give him the teams' name.  Then he will switch, and give me the team, wanting the city they play for.  Invariably, every time, I have the correct answer.  Or he will name quarterbacks and ask me which team they play for.  This, I know as well. He tries so hard to stump me - and he rarely ever seems to be able to.  Now, this may not seem unusual to some, but the thing is... I am not even a football fan - not at all!  Why do I know this stuff?  I can't answer that... but it's all in there, among all kinds of other useless information taking up space in my brain.  I can't remember where I put my car keys, but I know that the Panthers play for Carolina.  I can't remember if I unplugged my blow dryer, but the Ravens play for Baltimore. Did I close the garage door? I can't remember, but I know that the Falcons play for Atlanta. Now, I can understand knowing the Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers, the Arizona Cardinals or the Detroit Lions because I've lived in those places. But all the others... I just don't know how I've memorized them, without knowing that I did!  I don't always remember if I've told someone something already but...

Lovin' The Weekend...

I spent some very productive and creative time in my studio this weekend, putting the finishing touches on these two adorable cake toppers.  My horse has always been a very popular item, so I thought I'd incorporate a little cowgirl with the horse, to create a birthday cake topper.  I also made a horse wedding cake topper.

Of course, I didn't start out with cake toppers in mind, I wanted to make something "Halloweenish" since the holiday is fast approaching.  Turned out my Halloween idea was looking more like a scary string puppet or ventriloquist dummy - rather than the idea I had in mind.  Although "scary" is the theme of Halloween, I am not too crazy about string puppets or those ventriloquist dummies!  Actually, for as long as I can remember, I've been quite terrified of anything that remotely resembles either one.  I am pretty certain this fear began when I was very young, probably 5 or 6 years old or so.  My dad gave me a ventriloquist puppet for my birthday.  It was big, probably bigger than me at the time... you know, like the ones that sit on your lap, with those big eyes that move, the mouth that opens real big, and all those teeth...  My mom told me that the minute my dad saw how scared his little girl seemed to be, he boxed it right back up and returned it!  I must have received a different birthday gift - I don't remember, but I certainly remember that puppet!  Funny how things like that from our childhood days stay with us, somewhere in the back of our minds - just living there unnoticed - until something we see brings the memory to the forefront of our mind.  That's what happened to me when I sculpted that block of clay!  Yes, these cake toppers are much cuter!  Now for some time outside... the weather is absolutely gorgeous today and a nice long walk sounds wonderful

It's Cold... Already!

My Niece's Horse

You know it's going to be a freezing cold winter when, on October 3rd, you have to wear two pairs of pants, a sweater, a scarf, a winter coat with a hood, and fur lined boots to go to a horse show!!  Of course, I have spent most of my life in much warmer climates... Arizona, California, and Texas - But many of the people at the horse show today, were just as cold as me... I think!  It was my niece's horse show.  Her team made it to the Regionals, which was held all weekend, and they did great!!  So great that they made it to State!  But up in the stands... we were just a tad bit cold!  Wearing our winter garb and wrapped in blankets, we cheered them on, as I wondered how they could stand the cold in their beautiful (but not so warm) riding outfits.  Feels cold enough, to me, for there to be snow on the ground.  I looked, but there was no snow - felt as though my eyes were deceiving me!!  What happened to the fall?  You know... the time of year when there is a chill in the air - with just a hint of winter on it's way?  Anyway, I was happy to be there, and to see her perform in the Regionals. Then I was happy to get into the car and turn on the heater!  I congratulate my niece and her team!  Way to go!!!