Creating
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The Dollhouse: Before
Growing up, our next door neighbor owned a woodshop. At all hours of the day and night, we could hear saws and drills streaming from his garage. After his passing, his wife slowly began cleaning out his woodshop, where she found a dollhouse he had started but never finished. She kindly offered to my mom, who passed it along to June. While the exterior of the house is top notch, the inside definitely needs some love. Slowly, I have been working on fixing it up. It is perhaps the largest scale DIY I’ve taken on yet. June has requested all of the walls be pink, so we’re striking a compromise.…
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Frida Kahlo Costume// Halloween 2017
I’ve been wanting to dress up as Frida Kahlo ever since my friend, Crissy, accidentally drew her eyebrows too thick for our friend Tracy’s wedding and it looked like large caterpillars had found a new home on her face. Needless to say, I was inspired. This costume was totally free. I just used some clothes I had in my closet and some seasonal fake flowers for my crown. The finishing touch was an old frame, a detail I almost didn’t do, but ended up stealing the show. Sean’s mom and Sharon came down to watch June this weekend so that he and I could go to an adult-only party. It…
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Returning Home, Adjusting and Taking Me Back
I decided to do nothing during June’s nap time. It was a bold move. I left the dishes in the sink and the toys on the floor. I laid on the couch and let the hum of the furnace persuade me into a darkened afternoon daze, the first time I have napped in weeks. Since we’ve been home, I have been trying hard to knock items off our massive to-do list. Two and a half years ago, we moved into our home. It’s time to finish painting walls, sanding floors and replacing light switches, but it is always easier said than done. It was with all these thoughts in my…
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Tomato Canning Season 2016
It’s tomato canning season again, which always keeps my hands busy and my heart happy. Canning reminds me of my dad, mom, and my grandma, who would gather when I was young to harvest their bounty. Now, in my own kitchen, I continue the tradition alone and with each pop of a lid, I sink deeper into my happy place. I always tell Sean that I wish I could can tomatoes for a living, but in reality, the beauty of canning season is its fleeting presence. It doesn’t last long, so I must savor it while I can. This year, I bought my tomatoes from a small market down the…
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Sandy Bottom Farms, Michigan
With June Bea tucked behind my back, we wandered the rows of the berry farm, collecting and plucking, tasting and hoarding. The sun, out early and hot, divided the rows of berries with its casting of shadows. “The berries are better today than they will be tomorrow,” we heard a farmer say over the telephone as we gathered our baskets, tying them around our waists. We had picked the right day to come. The grass was still wet from last night’s dew, but once we reached the blueberries, I let June down to explore nonetheless. She chased after the boys, laughing as they fed her. By the time we left…