I think I can do that!

Have you ever seen something and thought, "I can do that"? This is one of those days for me. I found this wonderful website of photos of newborn babies last night and my mind started churning. I immediately asked one of my friends who's almost due and she has graciously agreed to allowing me to experiment with her baby girl. I can do this!

I guess I was incredibly blessed to have parents that were continually encouraging me to explore and create. We'd go to a craft fair or craft store, I'd see something I liked and Mama would say, "Honey, you can do that!" She'd buy me the supplies and we'd figure out how to do it. My experiments in quilling come to mind. I mean, how many Moms will invest in quilling supplies??

I also had a great example in my life. Mama knew I was interested in dolls from other countries - an extension of my love for learning about other cultures. She would take me to Mary Christopher's house to look around. Now, Mary Christopher was a character. For years, she had collected dolls from around the world. She had Italian Lenci dolls, Japanese ceremonial dolls, incredible antique German bisque dolls - pretty much the most exotic things this little WV girl had ever seen. She lived in a huge house that was built around the turn of the last century and it was PACKED with dolls in cases. They were everywhere.

Occasionally, Mary Christopher (she was never just Mary or Mrs. Christopher in my head), would allow friends to come in and look at the part of her collection that she'd decided to sell in her waning years. She'd set apart a section of her basement that was full of tables stacked with dolls from around the world. If you were really lucky, she'd allow you to buy a doll from the collection upstairs. It was wondrous.

On one of these trips, as we were walking out the door, my eye caught a peddler doll. She was on top of one of the old china cabinets used to display other dolls and she was enchanting. She looked a bit like Apple Annie with a basket full of tiny goods to sell. I begged Mama for this doll, but we didn't have anywhere near the $300 asking price. So what did Mama do? She said, "I can make it for you." And, at 45 years old, a new career was born.

Mama hadn't touched clay since she was in college, but she picked up some bits and pieces from around the house, kneaded the bits into a ball and started sculpting. And it was amazing. She eventually juried into many years of high-end art shows, became a member of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild and her dolls now have homes around the world. It was all a result of her "I can do that" attitude.

So thanks Mama for passing along that excitement trying new things and the confidence to tackle the unknown. Here's hoping you can find your "I can do that" moment. And as for those baby photos? Take a look - they're gorgeous!! http://www.kelleyryden.com/babyblog/