I feel like October has absolutely flown by, and somehow we're already heading into Halloween week. I'm not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are, and I have one very excited kiddo in my house. Caedon is going to be Darth Vader for Halloween this year, and let me tell you, the anticipation is REAL.
His costume came with a lightsaber, which he has been asking to play with every single day for approximately two weeks. And every single day, we've had to explain that the lightsaber needs to survive until Halloween before he can officially have it. Because, let's be honest, if we handed it over now, there's a pretty good chance Darth Vader would be heading out trick-or-treating without his most important accessory. So we're holding strong. Barely. Ha.
His school is having a Halloween celebration on Friday, and since the kids aren't allowed to dress as commercial characters, they were given a few different costume themes to choose from. Caedon chose to dress as what he wants to be when he grows up. And if you know him, you probably won't be surprised to hear that he wants to be a Blue Angels pilot.
So he has the full fighter pilot costume, complete with aviator sunglasses, and I genuinely cannot handle how adorable he looks in it.
He actually got to give the costume a test run this past Sunday at his last baseball game of the season. The team encouraged everyone to dress up and incorporated some fun Halloween festivities into the day.
So yes, we had a Blue Angels pilot playing baseball. And he was living it up.
Honestly, these are the moments I wish I could bottle up forever.
A Little Art Studio Update
On the art front, I've been spending a lot of time finishing up the last piece in my coastal collection!
This final piece features coral, fish, and a sea anemone, and it's been such a fun challenge. It's still very much my style, but there's something slightly different about this one, which has made the process especially interesting.
I spent the better part of an entire art day last week working on the sea anemone alone. There are SO many little details, and while it's definitely been time-consuming, I've really enjoyed watching everything come together.
Wednesday is my designated art day this week, and I'm planning to put the finishing touches on the piece.
I'm so excited to see the entire coastal collection completed! And once that's finished, I'm going to start experimenting with the wallpaper design.
I've had people ask me about turning my artwork into wallpaper patterns for years, and it's one of those ideas that's always lived in the back of my mind. But I've never actually taken the leap…. Excited to get this in the works!
Paper Airplanes & the Little Things
Outside of the studio, we've been soaking up all the little things that make this time of year so wonderful. Caedon and I make art together pretty much every single day, and lately, we've developed a new obsession: Paper airplanes. He’s always loved planes, but flying to and from Italy has brought his love to an almost obsession level (seriously, he did NOT want to get off the plane after 10 hours and he keeps asking when we can fly again!).
So our paper airplanes are NEXT LEVEL stuff. We start with coloring sheets, decorate them however we want, fold them into airplanes, and then see how far we can launch them across the house.
I have to say, it's ridiculously fun.
We've also been taking lots of neighborhood walks with our dog, spending time with friends and family, and keeping practically every window and door in our house open because the weather has been absolutely GLORIOUS. This is my favorite kind of weather.
I was telling my husband, Drew, earlier today that I'm especially excited for all the leaves to start falling…because we get to make MASSIVE leaf piles in the yard. And between Caedon and our dog, those piles don't stand a chance. They absolutely destroy them. And I love every second of it.
A Little Bit of Real Life, Too
And I know I've talked about the challenges of owning a small business before, so part of me hesitates to bring it up again. Because I never want this space to feel like one long conversation about how hard entrepreneurship is. But the truth is, it IS hard. Really, really freaking hard sometimes.
There's a reason building a successful small business isn't easy. There's a reason so many don't make it.
And while I absolutely refuse to let mine become one of them, that determination doesn't magically make the hard days disappear.
Some days, I'm excited and inspired and can't wait to see what's next.
Other days, I'm exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering how I'm going to fit everything into the hours I have. And sometimes, both of those things are true on the exact same day. I think that's just part of this season of life.
I'm incredibly grateful that I get to create art, build something of my own, and pursue ideas that genuinely excite me. I'm also learning that it's okay to acknowledge when things feel heavy. Because they do sometimes. And I don't think pretending otherwise does anyone any favors.
But here's what I keep coming back to. Even in the middle of the stressful days, there is so much goodness happening all around me.
There's a little boy counting down the days until he can finally play with his Darth Vader lightsaber. There's a coastal painting waiting for its finishing touches. There's a new creative idea I'm excited to explore. There are paper airplanes flying through my living room, things I’ve baked in the kitchen, and future leaf piles in the backyard.
And when I really stop and think about it, those are the things that make this whole crazy, beautiful life so special.
So yes, I'm tired. And yes, running a business is hard. But I'm also really happy. Really grateful. And really excited about what's ahead.
For now, I'm going to keep creating, keep showing up, keep enjoying these little moments.
I hope you're finding a little bit of that joy in your own world this week, too.
Happy Halloween!
