New Product Shots

I took some new product shots of my cherry blossom earrings today. Let me know what you think. Are they eye-catching or too busy?

A Fleur-De-Lis Wedding Cake Topper Unveiled

My friend Caroline is getting married soon. Real soon. And she's in that hectic period where your to-do-list seems longer than the number of days left until the wedding. Yet I can assure her that for every stressor you face as a bride, there is something else that brings you joy. Hopefully, today I brought her joy by allowing her to cross one more item off her list.

Before Christmas she asked me if I would make her wedding cake topper. Her reception will be held at Muriel's in New Orleans, and she needed a simple, yet elegant topper that would fit the setting. For months we brainstormed, sketched, and prototyped. Today my part of the creative process came to a close as I handed over a beautiful New Orleans-inspired, black and gold, fleur-de-lis wedding cake topper.

Peeling away the protective tissue paper so she could have her first look was nerve-wracking. I poured my heart and soul into making it, and I didn't want to let her down. When I saw her smile, I knew that everything was okay. There is nothing quite like creating joy. That is what the creative process is all about for me.

Now the topper will be on its way to the next step of the creative journey as it enters the loving hands of the pastry artist. And then, after the wedding, it can take its place as a treasured keepsake in Caroline and Scott's home.

I'll keep you posted with wedding photos!

Small Town Election Day

Tomorrow is Primary Election Day here in Pennsylvania and the negative campaign ads are getting a little tiring. Rather than dwelling on the negative vibes, I prefer to remember an election day that made me happy.

It was the Fall General Election, maybe a decade ago. I don’t even remember who was on the ballot. It was a non-presidential year so the turn out was pretty low. And it was my first time voting in our new town, Osceola Mills.

Osceola Mills is the quintessential small town U.S.A. Life moves pretty slow and new residents are a novelty. Everyone knew who I was just by the fact that they didn’t recognize me.

At the time, I worked for the local newspaper and my husband worked for a congressman so elections were a bigger deal for me than they are now. I had the day off because I would be working well into the night gathering results for the next day’s edition. That meant I could vote mid-morning and miss the rush of commuter voters.

Voting took place in the historic borough building. It was close to my house so I could walk there. I approached the building through a small green space. It was still early so there was a chill in the air.

A woman, wrapped in an afghan, approached me and asked if I belonged to that Robert Young on Stone Street. Although the familiarity of the question freaked me out, I politely answered, “Well, I’m married to him.” We chatted for a while then she handed me some campaign literature and I went inside.

Later that day, the sun came out full force so I decided to take my dog for a walk. I retraced my steps to the borough building and exchanged some more polite pleasantries with the long-time residents.

Walking through Osceola was like walking through Mayberry. There was something comforting about being in a town where time seemed to stand still. Everyone knew everything about you, yet they still liked you.

More than six years after we moved away move, I still have warm memories about how friendly and welcoming the community was. Sure I’ll vote tomorrow, but pulling into a crowded parking lot and fighting my way past a line of people thrusting pamphlets in my face just won’t be the same.

About the photo: This is a vintage puzzle piece charm for sale by Wooden Nickels Jewelry on Etsy.