Yes, THAT Melanie!

I wrote in my last post about a bunch of notable events that happened last Tuesday.  I was full of happiness and anticipation from the very start that day, because I knew that, that evening, I would be going with my mom and daughter (YAY!) to see Melanie Safka (WOW!!) at a local cafe / bar / restaurant called Lovin' Cup.  
 
I have been to Lovin' Cup several times to see my husband play in various bands, and to see other friends' bands play there, too.  The food is delicious, the coffee drinks are great, and it is a smaller venue (maximum capacity of about 225 people) so I knew that we would have a nice meal before the show, and that there would be a great view, and we would not be a mile away from the stage like we would be at a much larger auditorium or theater setting.  

But the best, most exciting thing was that I was going to be in close proximity to, and be able to be entertained by, an artist that I have LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED for literally as long as I can remember. 

We didn't have a lot of luxuries or distractions when I was growing up, but we had the great outdoors to explore, and we had music. 

My mom played Melanie's records when I was very young, and when I got to be in middle school and junior high I played them over and over, singing to every song at the top of my lungs.  I loved the sound of her voice, the music that accompanied it, and the moody, soulful lyrics which she offered to my angst-ridden heart.

This image of Melanie, from her Photograph album, immediately takes me back to a very specific place and time in my life.  Oh, she is so lovely...

The show was set to start at 8:00pm.  Mom, Ariel, and I went early (6:00pm) in order to get decent seats and to have dinner before the show. We ended up about three rows back from stage right.  Not bad!  

We ordered dinner from a delightful waiter with lots of flair on his shirt.  

We talked amongst ourselves excitedly.  

We ate (delish!). 

Then we waited.  It seemed to take FOREVER for 8 o'clock to arrive!  

I had not seen any recent photos of Melanie.  I had no idea what she looked like these days.  When she came out and walked to the stage it was a thrill to see her beauty and humor radiating from behind her wild head of (now partially streaked with gray) hair.  

Sorry about the crappy phone pictures.

A handsome young man came out with her, whom she later introduced as her son, Beau!  He sat in a chair beside her and accompanied her with various stringed instruments that looked mostly like guitars, but were somewhat medieval looking. He played at times with demonic speed, and other times with tender grace.

Beau Jarred Schekeryk

Melanie stood throughout the performance and played a Rainsong guitar that, at least from a distance, looked exactly like the Rainsong my husband has (minus a few dings).

She immediately started making connections with people in the audience, beginning the set with the song Beautiful People.  Here are a few lines that really struck me, and set the tone for the entire night:

And I'd gather everyone together for a day

And when we're gathered
I'll pass buttons out that say

Beautiful People
Then you'll never be alone
'Cause there'll always be someone
With the same button on as you
Include him in everything you do

In between songs, she made silly comments and laughed with the crowd as she looked from face to face.  I just sat and reveled in her dusky voice which had grown even more fascinating over the years. I made a conscious effort to allow myself to be fully present in this once in a lifetime experience.  I studied her mannerisms and smile, and the way she interacted with Beau.  He was was quietly sweet, supportive, and loving toward her.  Darling!

At one point she spoke about the death  in 2010 of her beloved husband and producer, Peter Schekeryk.  In so doing, she let us in, further connecting with the intimate group of people in that room.  Her emotion was raw and real.  I could feel her loss... and her healing.

Her storytelling and playfulness with the audience made the evening feel special, magical, as if she were there just to make ME happy!

She played a lot of songs that were newer and which I had never heard before, but I truly enjoyed each one.  It is rare for me to enjoy so many songs by a single artist, especially when so many were completely unfamiliar.

One of the songs, I Tried to Die Young, had me in tears for the entire song:

There where demons, I know them

And they still come by

But we’ve become friends, my demons and I

Now I’m the old girl I never thought I’d become

Does it get any better asks the little girl in my song

I’m still learning the answers so I make up things, you see

She laughs, you’re still the same and you never kill me

My mom yelled out a request for I am Not a Poet, and Melanie obliged:

Every note's an answer, every word's a sign

Every man's a dancer, following his own time

I've found a tearful language that translates what I am

And I cried out loud, but they didn't understand

I cried so hard I may never try again

No I may never try, I may never try again

*THUD*  Heart-wrenching.

Towards the end of the evening, Melanie performed a song called Smile.  She had us do some audience participation: singing along with the chorus, which was perfect for this happy, love-one-another tune:

[Said with a snarl, in a snarky French accent, referring to the time she spent in France at the beginning of her career]“I don’t trust the American smile. They smile for nothing.

I think it’s to disarm you or something.”  

[Then, in her impersonation of her own young, naive self] "No, I don’t think so. I smile because I want to make some kind of a connection.

I look at someone and I think… we’re connected”

I love people who smile...

I SWEAR she looked right at me when she said those last 2 lines!

I don't go to many concerts (ticket prices are usually too damn high for my frugal proclivities) and when I do, I don't typically want to meet the artist afterward (I am too shy and awkward).  But after all of this feeling connected to Melanie and her music, I was really, really hoping to meet her.  

Sadly, my daughter was just too exhausted to stay any longer.  At 10pm, not knowing how much longer the concert would continue, we packed it up and left our excellent seats to some  grateful folks that had been standing for the whole show so far. Fortunately, however, our friend, Matt, was the sound engineer.  My mom gave our ticket stubs to him, which he was able to get signed by Melanie, AND he surprised my mom with an autographed copy of her latest CD!  Thank you so very much, Melanie and MDG!  

A Handful of Scrumptious Firsts.

Last Tuesday was awesome.  As in: I was full of awe, all day long.  I had the house in a pretty good state, considering the amount of fur my dog has been depositing everywhere.  It was a gorgeous day, so I walked around outside for a few minutes to soak in some sun, and then headed down to my basement studio, where I completed... 

First #1:  I made my first hand crafted, Coptic stitch bound, watercolor paper art journal.  

Watercolor paper, folded and stitched into a journal.

I followed the directions that Jeanne Oliver includes as part of her "The Journey of Letting Go {creating beauty from ashes}" online art course, which I wrote a bit more about here.  

I made the stitches a little too tight, so it didn't want to stay closed all of the way.  I put a stack of big, heavy books on it, and she's right as rain now.  :)  

I used the thick backer board from the watercolor paper pad as the cover, and covered it with some cute scrap-booking paper as a base upon which I will embellish, probably with some vintage paper decoupage, a bit of acrylic paint, maybe a found object or two... But I was pretty pumped about having made a book that looks like an actual book!  

Every step in the process of making it was thrilling to me:  using my bone folder to make crisp edges on each folded piece of paper; using my new awl to create holes in the paper for stitching through; punching the holes in just the right spots of the front and back covers; waxing embroidery floss for the binding; snugging each stitch as I aligned all of the layers, adjusting as needed.  I love love love using my hands to create useful things.  SO satisfying.

First #2:  I spotted the first baby geese of the season while driving to get my daughter from school.  

I had to get this photo from Free Stock Photos because the parents of the actual cute baby geese that I saw would not let me anywhere NEAR said cute baby geese. :o/

I get so excited about the progress of Spring:  Longer days, warmer breezes, new leaves and flowers and charming, fuzzy little critters.  Eeep!

Luscious lilacs in my front yard.

First #3:  I went with my mom and daughter to my first Melanie (yes, THAT Melanie) concert!!!

Which I have decided needs it's own post, because it was so dang special!!!

So, tell me:  What have YOU been awe-struck over lately?  Are you more likely to feel awed by something that you made happen, or by something you just happened across?

Part of a displayed collection at Rochester Museum and Science Center, which is a constant source of wonder and enchantment.

Learning. (This post is super wordy. Sorry.)

I am currently taking an e-course created by Jeanne Oliver.  Jeanne is amazing and inspiring in so many ways.  She is intelligent, thoughtful, funny, artistically gifted, a lovely writer, loving, honest, open, motivated.  She is also abundantly generous, and regularly has give-aways for her classes, and products from her own line of clothes and accessories, as well as products that she uses and recommends.  I was lucky enough to win this latest course, called, "The Journey of Letting Go {Creating Beauty from Ashes}".

A badge from The Journey of Letting Go e-course by Jeanne Oliver

Each week she puts up videos in which she discusses her philosophies, thoughts, ideas, and how they apply to the course content.  Then there are videos demonstrating different techniques and materials, and projects to use them in.  SO FUN!!!

In one of the "philosophy" videos for this course, she talks at length about taking responsibility in your life and relationships, and being honest with oneself and others.  Much of what she said really struck my heart.

I have been finding many opportunities lately to practice using open honesty to remedy situations.  In fact, we had a "Thing" in our family this week, and her timely discourse on the subject of taking responsibility helped me to figure my way through it.

The skinny of the Thing is this:  The New York State Educational Department has implemented new (soon to be nation-wide) standardized testing for children in grades 3-8.  My daughter is in 7th grade.  She heard through the grapevine that some parents were choosing to opt their children out of this testing for various reasons. She was piqued, did some research, and presented her findings to her father and myself.

We initially put her off, saying, "What's the big deal?  You are smart and always do well on these tests.  Just suck it up, do your best, and get through it." Nice, huh?  (Do I smell a Parents of the Year award?  Or did I forget my deodorant???)

She didn't give in.  She insisted that we do some research for ourselves, and we would see what she was upset about.  She was morally opposed to the whole dang thing.

So I did some research.  I found a lot of compelling evidence both for and against the testing.  I also did my usual Facebook poll, as I have done in the past when I was looking for a swath of viewpoints on a particular subject.

In the end, I decided that I would send the principal of the school an "opt out" letter which was adapted from a letter that was sent to me as a template of sorts.  The original letter had been written by a parent who was very familiar with the education system, and he shared it with the intent of educating and giving the tools to other families who felt the same way.  There is a copy of the letter after the break at the end of this post.

We heard immediately from my daughter's principal.  He respectfully let us know that we could opt our daughter out if we chose to, but that she would be required to sit quietly in her chair for the duration of the testing.  No reading.  No talking.  No sleeping.  Just sitting.  Quietly.  If you know my kid, you understand how truly difficult that would be.  The tests are 1.5 hours each for ELA on three mornings this week, and then 1.25 hours each for math on three mornings of next week.  It may not sound like much each day, but it would get old for her in a hurry.

So, the Thing in our house continued.  We talked and talked and talked, and finally decided that at this time we would acquiesce, and retract our opt-out declaration.  I am a weak social anarchist.

*le sigh*

After that, we were able to settle down and get back to regular stuff.  My research on the NYS standardized testing was concluded, and I was able to continue with my usual momma/ wifely duties of grocery shopping, laundry, workouts, animal care and (YAY!) my online art lessons.

The whole time, though, in the back of my head (and sometimes the front), were nagging thoughts about how I had handled the situation from beginning to end.  I was embarrassed.  I had conflicting emotions over whether I had researched enough, given it enough thought, given it TOO MUCH thought, and why I had backed down when I was cornered. (Okay, not really cornered.  Counseled.  That is more fitting.) 

I decided that this would be another great opportunity to take responsibility, be honest, and thereby allow the situation to unfold and resolve in a peaceful, satisfying way. 

So I wrote another letter (see also after the break at the bottom of this post) to the principal of my daughter's school.  And then I wrote this blog post about it.  And I feel much better about it.

Of course I am not perfect, and a lot of people may disagree with me, but I am really trying to put myself out there, including my faults, and take comfort in knowing that I am not just a bystander.  I am reaching out, learning, making connections to other folks in the hopes of enriching each others' lives. That is so important to me.

A work-in-progress of a class project (color and additional embellishments will be added).  I was inspired, for sure.

Gun it.

It's therapy time again, folks.  Grab a soft blanket and a warm beverage.  Get comfy.  Good news:  I think we're making some progress.

Earlier today I had a brief exchange with a woman, Sarah, who has done some work with my husband in his recording studio.  She is a talented musician and writer.  I have only spoken with her briefly a couple of times in passing, but she took the time to send me a note to let me know that she can relate to a lot of what I have written about here on my blog, and that she was glad to see that she was not alone in her struggles with staying focused.  I replied to thank her for the (much needed and appreciated) encouragement, and to commiserate, saying, "Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I have great difficulty getting motivated without a hard deadline hanging over my head."

I have been like that since high school.  I was the one who waited until the night before a big exam to study.  I never wrote a paper until the day before it was due - staying up all night to crank it out in a haze of exhaustion and frustration.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have so many ideas in my brain (and in a fair number of notebooks and sketch books) for art projects, essays, articles, novels.  But there is no hard deadline.  And I am woefully out of practice.   And add more lame excuses here... 

After a series of hits to my already fragile confidence, I was feeling weak and vulnerable and hit a low point this very morning.  A rock-bottom of sorts.  I have been feeling disappointed in myself for not using this precious time that I have been given to really work on writing and creating art.  

But:

I am terrified.  Of myself.  Of failure.  Of disappointing people I care about.  Yes, still.  *sigh*

It's ridiculous.  I know.  But there it is.  I count myself as a very lucky girl.  I have so many blessings in my life, and please know that I do not take that for granted for even one fraction of a second.  But sometimes when life's challenges dig at me long and hard enough, I can still feel my old, scarred-over wounds. 

Then I marinate in self-pity for a while.  I stomp my feet, cry, curse, huff and puff, or some combination of those tantrum elements.  Aaaaand, then, somehow, I find a way to get some perspective, pick myself up, dust myself off, get back to work.  So, without getting into too many embarrassing personal details (too late??), suffice it to say that I had a tough morning.

And, as it has to happen after a visit to rock-bottom, I put on my game face and got to the business of pulling myself back up:

• I answered some long overdue emails.  
• I found homes for more of my art supplies in my new basement studio space (I need to get some pictures and post an update on this transformation!).  
• I did some research online that needed to be done.
• I watched a couple of Donna Downey's "Inspiration Wednesday" videos on YouTube.  She is always a treat!!!
• I made myself a delicious and nourishing green smoothie. Yum!

Yes, I know it looks like sludge, but it is ZOMG delicious!

I also had some help from The Universe in the form of some amazing happenings:

• Sarah's note was the start.  
• I got a glowing response, from an artist that I truly admire, to an old watercolor piece that I posted a photo of on Instagram .  
• I "happened" to see an article posted on Facebook by Tiny Buddha which, miraculously spoke to EXACTLY what I needed.  They have a knack for that.  
• My darling husband came down to my studio/ cave and we gave each other a good old-fashioned pep talk.  That ALWAYS makes me feel better.  <3 li="">

I am going to ride this wave of inspiration and renewed vigor, and see where it takes me.

What do YOU do when you are feeling down or uninspired or unfocused?  Do you have any tips or tricks to share that others might find helpful?  I'd love to hear from you all!

 

Ritual.

Here is a quick(-ish) synopsis of my inner stagnation and some enlightenment which has been unfolding for me over the last 2 weeks (Please forgive me if I am re-hashing the same topic. - This is much cheaper than a therapist.):

• I quit my full time job in June so that I would have time to take care of my family and to work on writing, and creating artsy stuff.
• My plan was to have a relaxing, fun summer, and then set to work in the fall.  I immensely enjoyed spending the summer with my daughter and husband, and even tackled a few big projects around the house when they were otherwise occupied.  We did have a great summer, but...
• ...I have been (mostly) unfocused and treading water ever since my daughter went back to school.
• Last Monday, Michael and I were (FINALLY - gah!) able to decide that: 1.) The basement would be the best place for my studio / office; 2.) We will move our bedroom back to the first floor master suite; 3.) We will move his office and the guest futon to the upstairs bedroom, which we are currently (and have been since our daughter was a baby) sleeping in.  Having made this long-debated decision, I was still feeling overwhelmed with the task at hand, not knowing where to start.
• The next morning, I saw a quote posted on Facebook by a friend: "Why not just begin? And then figure out step two and three after then first one’s behind you." (This was shared by the lovely and talented Carrie Babcock [of Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Upper Montclair®, NJ and Swingman and the Misfit-Mutts Band , just to name two of her many talents], who is a steady source of inspiration and food for thought.  She shared the quote from the Begin With Yes Facebook page, which has lots of great articles and blurbs.)
• I set my mind to getting started on the unfinished half of the basement, which is full of stuff that needs to be removed or organized in order to make it a useful space.  Much of it is useless junk.  I will sell what is sell-able, donate what is donate-able, organize the keeps, and toss the rest.  So I did some research and decided on the best course of action for getting rid of the garbage which is not re-usable.  I was taking action, making decisions, moving ahead. Yay!

Wish me luck.

•  Immediately after I made the decision to JUST. GET. STARTED!, an article on the Tiny Buddha website caught my eye and attention:  Create Better Days with Empowering Routines and Loving Rituals, by Debra Smouse.  Ms. Smouse's post could have been a page from my journal.  She expresses concerns and situations that are parallel to my own.  She parsed out the tiny, knotted bits of thought that I struggle with.  The article resonated with me so powerfully that 5 pages of notes poured out of me.  (There is a category on the Tiny Buddha website just for posts about Healthy Habits.  These posts are from many different contributing writers, which tells me that I am not alone in my frustration.  *whew* )

Here is a more detailed explanation of the thoughts rambling through my head as I was processing the events listed above:

I have said this before:  I did not LOVE my last full time job.  I took pride in doing a good job, I learned a lot about the business world, my abilities, what I was willing to do, and what I was NOT willing to do.  Upon reflection of my time there, I can also see now that I thrive on routine.  It may be obvious to some people that routine is a good thing.  However, I have struggled with that truth.  I am not a naturally organized person, but I am seeing that in the right environment and with the right motivation, I feel invincible, productive, creative, loving.

For a long time (most of my life, really), I have been flirting with vague, undeveloped thoughts about the importance of routine.  My family has been very fortunate that our daughter is in a stellar school district, and she has had some amazing, influential teachers who run organized, nurturing classrooms.  Their healthy habits have helped my daughter to thrive under their guidance.  I see the direct benefits of those healthy routines in my daughter's work habits and accomplishments.

Knowing the potential beneficial results of routine is one thing, but taking the next step is harder.  I have had chapters in my life during which I was convinced that routine and ritual were dull, stifling, strangling, deadly.  The article on the Tiny Buddha website helped me to realize that *perhaps* my aversion to ritual stems from the fact that many of the rituals I had adopted over the course of my life were destructive.

I am so thankful to have seen this article because, in addition to outlining the importance of ritual and routine, it also lists suggestions and examples of HEALTHY, nurturing, productive rituals that can be adopted into one's daily life.  This was key for me, and I'll tell you why:  While I am very mindful of and grateful for the countless blessings in my life, I just did not have the awareness of the skills needed to just freaking start on a healthy path.  Sadly, I needed a prompt to get me going on the work that needs to be done in order to get me to the place where I can actually be a useful and productive member of my family and society.  I want to be helpful.  Whenever possible.  But I have been so personally disorganized (in mind and action) that I have been wasting time and energy all over the place.  Spinning my wheels, and then kicking myself in the butt for not being more useful and productive. I realize this is a recurring theme for me.  My quest for organization is ongoing.

I repeat myself when I am distressed.
I repeat myself when I am distressed.

I am going to start incorporating some of the rituals suggested by Ms. Smouse, and see where it leads me.  Will I find some of the focus that I crave?  We shall see.  I will quit my belly-aching now.  Thank you for coming along for the ride. :)


xo,
Tamara

"Slow and steady..." says Apprehensive Turtle.

Request(s)?

Howdy, folks!  I wanted to take a minute to let you all know that I am currently working on a post regarding the helpfulness of ritual and routine. (Physician, heal thyself! :)  I have five pages of notes that were scribbled in a fit of inspiration the other day.  I am finally able to sit back down to muddle through my notes, trying to make a cohesive story out of it all. 

One thing which I wrote down that day, in my stream of consciousness, was the fact that I have notebooks full of ideas for blog posts, articles, short stories, novels, screenplays, art projects, home renovation & decorating, and "buckets list" missions.  Obviously, some of these ideas are more ambitious than others.  Blog posts are one of the less ambitious undertakings, and are also lots of fun for me, especially when I have a specific goal or topic in mind.

I thought I would try an experiment.  I would like to ask you all to let me know whether there are any particular topics that you would like to read my musings about.  I have a wide array of interests that I would love to take a closer look at.  I am tempted to list some of my areas of interest here, but I think for now that I will leave this open-ended and see what, if any, topics are suggested without leading it myself.

So, what would YOU like to read about in a future post?  All suggestions will be entertained.  ;)

Signage.

A few weeks ago I went to The Windmill in Penn Yan, NY for the first time.  My husband, daughter and I met my brother, sister in law, nephew, youngest sister, dad, and step-mom there on a cool, crisp, quintessential  fall day.

The ride from Fairport to Penn Yan seemed to take forever!  I was second-guessing the wisdom of making the trek out there with every mile that passed.  However, the company and the scenery were really beautiful, so I did my best to focus on that, and not be too whiny about the length of the drive.  (Ha.)

When we (FINALLY! GAH!) got to The Windmill, I was shocked at how much there was to see.  The Instagram opportunities were astounding (as I have illustrated beautifully, below).  There were hundreds of vendors  [Ok, I looked on the website after I wrote that, and it says "roughly 100 vendors", but it sure as snot seemed like more. Harumph.] of all types, including: food, arts & crafts, clothing, jewelry, tools, furniture, home decor, antiques, collectibles.  And some kick-a** old fashioned pierogies.  I actually can't wait to go back.  And take Instagram pictures.  And eat pierogies.  I may even Instagram the pierogies.

Windtamer.  Righteous!  Google it!

This pendant was at a jewelry vendor which lets you pick an oyster out of a tank (for $20) and you get to keep the pearl inside.  Turns out my kid is amazing at picking oysters with rare and valuable pearls.  Huh.  Go figure.

There were a LOT (not committing to a number this time - I learned THAT lesson) of vendors selling signs of various sizes and styles, for hanging in your home (or wherever you might want to hang a sign).

A helpful suggestion for sign placement, from http://www.kansastravel.org/hubblesrubble.htm.

Some of the types of signs:

• Hand-painted & unique
• Hand-painted, but mass produced
• Factory made & mass produced
• Antique / vintage
• Vintage reproduction 

My sister in law and I were in one of the vendor booths, looking at some very simple, mass produced signs that had different sayings on them: funny, goofy, sweet, inspirational.  She spotted one sign in particular which had the saying, "Snakes & snails & puppy dog tails / That's what little boys are made of".  It also had a simple silhouette of a truck on it.  Her son (my nephew) - 2 years old - LOVES all types of vehicles. She was saying to my sister and me how cute she thought that sign would be in her son's room.  I immediately said, "I can make you a sign like that!" and got all excited and stuff.  Painting wall hangings (of various types) has been high on my list of projects at which I would like to try my hand.  (<~That sentence made for some awkward English.)  (<~ So did that one.)

I have been struggling with getting started on projects: doubting myself, making excuses, putting it off, comparing myself to artists I admire, blah blah blah.  This was the perfect opportunity to force myself to make something.  I do my best work under pressure.  At least that is what I tell myself to excuse my procrastinational tendencies. 

Once I said those words to my sister in law, the pressure was on.  Yeehaw!  The project was in my head from that moment on.
I thought about how I would do it.
I bought some acrylic craft paint in the colors I wanted to use.
I found a simple silhouette of a truck and a cute font to use as a guidelines.
My husband, Michael, helped me find a scrap piece of pine which was just the right size in the basement.
One night I even dreamed about making it and presenting it to my sister in law, brother, and nephew.   

My haul from the trip to Michaels for supplies.  I could spend all day there.  It is physically painful to leave.

My man found me some wood in the basement.

I was anxious to start (and finish) it.  I kicked myself (metaphorically, of course, because, uh, yeah, I'm not that limber) at the end of every day that went by that I didn't at least start putting paint to wood.  I got hung up on the fact that I wanted to cut the board into two pieces.  Which meant I had to use the circular saw that we bought a few months ago.  Scary!!!  Of course, all I had to do was mention it to Michael, and he jumped up, grabbed the circular saw, put the blade in, handed the saw over to me.  (He was also anxious for me to get into a project, and quit belly-aching about being afraid to try and fail.)

My first attempt was crooked. Hesitation makes for wonky cuts.  :o/

Michael helped me get one piece straightened out, and I managed(-ish) the other one, following his example.  I sanded them both, smoothing the surface on the front, and also softened the corners and edges a bit.  Palm sanders: I can handle those.

And one became two (decidedly NOT square-cornered) pieces.

Now for the fun part:  Painting!  This was a bit daunting because it had been so long since I painted anything.  I wasn't sure how to go about it, but paint is much less scary than the potentially maiming saw, so I dove in.  I got into it pretty quickly, and relished the feel of the brush in my hand.  Aaaahhhh...  Heaven!

I winged it on the background color and border, stepping back occasionally to check for (relative) symmetry.

The hardest part was roughing in the lettering.  I wanted it to look evenly spaced and balanced, both horizontally and vertically.  The example I was looking at as a guideline used the other version of the saying, which says "Snips" instead of "Snakes", and in my intense concentration on the layout, I "Snip"ped when I wanted to "Snake".  Oops!

Trying to get the all of the letters to fit! 

It didn't come out perfectly, but I am really happy with the results, and SO relieved to finally have this under my belt.  I can't wait to give it to my nephew!!! 

Done!  (Hey!  Why is this photo out of focus?!?  Maybe I should actually READ one of the articles that I re-Pinned on Pinterest which tell one how to take good photos for one's blog.  But then I might feel pressured to use punctuation and grammar in "less creative" ways, too.  Oh, well.  You get the idea.)

Closer view of the bottom panel.  I love this truck.  :)

Getting this done has given me some confidence and momentum.  I have so many ideas and mediums which I have been wanting to play around with.  Crap, what should I do next?!?! 

XO,
T.