A special Happy Birthday tribute to our illustrator

Angel did it!  A perfect cartwheel on her last birthday – can she do it again? And Little Honey is already planning how to celebrate her birthday just like Angel.

We have written about sibling mirroring several times here and there. But the truth is - I still mirror my older sister, Tara aka Angel - and this blog is no different.

A few years ago, Tara conducted interviews with my adult children and then wrote a lovely blog about their early memories of the Little Honey stories. So, of course, I’m mirroring Tara’s idea. Yet, there’s a bit of a difference in the focus as Tara’s skill set has leaned towards creative artistry of crafts, drawings, sewing, and music.  Below are interview responses from Tara’s two daughters, Carrie and Becca, who are both young mothers now.
"As a mom, now, I look back and realize just how much magic she created for us...I absolutely felt that love from her."

1. What are your earliest memories of your mom baking Christmas cookies /sewing Halloween costumes/cross stitch hangings or other crafts? 
Carrie:
This brings up all the best memories!!! I remember baking Christmas cookies with my mom (eating the dough and icing!) when I was a little girl, and I thought her cookies were THE BEST. I remember when she made matching princess costumes for Becca and me for Halloween.  I had a silver skirt and silver cape and silver tiara. I wore it with a white shirt. And Becca was all gold with a black shirt. We felt like princesses!!! She also made us matching Christmas dresses and Easter dresses and matching dresses for just about any holiday. 
 
She used to cross stitch on vacations. She would pull out her bag and sort through it to find the right colors and work on it while we played. One of my most clear memories is sitting around the cabin in New Germany and she was working on a project that now hangs in the house.
 
I always felt loved and safe and comfortable when doing projects like cooking and crafting with my mom. She was gentle and calm with us. She let us take our time and always complimented us on our effort. 

Becca:
When I talk about the projects my mom undertook in my childhood, I often say she was "Pinterest before there was Pinterest". As a mom of young children now, I look back and wonder how in the world she did it all. She must have truly felt so much joy in those projects. One of my earliest memories of those projects is falling asleep to the sound of her sewing machine. She would be working on a Halloween costume or new pillows for the family room or hemming pants that we needed for a school concert. She color coordinated our summer pool bags, beautifully wrapped each Christmas gift with personalized paper, and baked delicious cakes and cookies for every event. So much love went into all of it. Her icing is the best tasting thing in the world and will always bring me right back to my childhood.

At the time, I didn't know anything other than what my mom did for us. As a mom now, I look back and realize just how much magic she created for us. Despite not fully grasping just how much time and energy went into those things, I absolutely felt that love from her. I got to spend quality time with her and at the end of it, she would give me this incredible gift - a costume or a yummy treat or something to hang in my room. I really did feel like I had the best mom in the world.
 
2. Describe how you viewed the above at different times in your life including the present time. 
Carrie:
I still feel the same way very much! Loved, safe, and comfortable. It helps that the cooking is done in the very same kitchen!!! :D  We don't do as many crafts together anymore, but she has forever inspired me to try out new crafts and to work at getting good at them. 

Becca:
I've mentioned it a few times, but now that I'm a mom of young children, I am just blown away by how much she did for us. I don't do a lot of the things she did - I'm not a great sewer, my cross stitch projects take years to complete, and I struggle with baking, but I'm hopeful that I do other things for my children that they will remember with fondness. I think a lot of people who become parents look back and realize they didn't appreciate their own parents enough! I know it made me feel special to wear clothes she had made. One Halloween, she crafted this incredible Renaissance dress. It truly could have been a wedding gown! I remember the reaction I would get when I told people my mom had made it. I felt so proud of her!
 
3. When did you first remember your mom playing the drums and playing in the band with your dad and neighbors?  
Carrie:
When I was a teenager, my room was in the basement. My parents' band would practice in the room next to mine and I always thought it was kind of cute/funny. It didn't bother me and I wasn't embarrassed, but I didn't realize how cool it was!!!! I also remember my mom taking lessons at first and then getting good at it really fast.
 
I am always so excited to watch her play live. She looks like she's having so much fun and she's also really good at it!

Becca:
The first memories of this are, once again, a sound. She and my dad (and sometimes their bandmates!) would practice in the basement on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Even though my room was at the top of the house, I could still hear those drums in the distance. And, once again, a lot of my feelings came from the responses of others. When I told people my parents were in a band and my mom played the drums, everyone thought that was the coolest thing! I loved seeing their reactions. To me, it made sense that my mom played the drums in a band, but to everyone else it was unique and special.
 
I always loved seeing them play -it looked like they were having such a good time, and I was introduced to a lot of songs through the ones they chose to play. It was never embarrassing or annoying for me. I loved sharing it with friends and being a part of it. I wish I had gone to more shows!
 
4. Before the Little Honey stories, did you know of your mom’s talent in art and illustration?
Carrie:
She used to do drawings with us when we were kids. She was always significantly better than us, but I also kind of thought all moms were better than kids at drawing.   
 
Becca:
I did know a little bit! When we were younger, we used to play a game called "mailbox" We would each set up a mailbox in a different part of the house and leave each other notes and doodles and then come back and check them to see what had been left for us. We actually each had our own miniature version of a mailbox! …a lot of my mail was drawings since I couldn't quite read yet. My mom's drawings were incredible! I used to ask her to draw things for me all the time.
  
5. Did you know your mom wanted to major in Fashion Design in College?
Carrie:
I didn't know she wanted to be a Fashion Design major, but I did know that she made a lot of her own clothes!! She told me once about a spring break trip that she took in college. She made several halter tops for herself to wear on a trip and then one of her roommate stole one!!! That story always made me feel sad for my 19/20-year-old mom! 
 
Becca:
I didn't know this until she went to get her PhD! I was old enough then to talk about skills and interests and it's then that I found out about Fashion Design. She also apparently spent some time majoring (or minoring) in Psychology! It all checked out based on the person she was and what she loved to do. I think she could be amazing at anything she put her mind to. She's basically a more introverted Leslie Knope!
 
6. What were your impressions of your mom’s illustrations in the LH books?
Carrie:
I LOVE her illustrations because not only do I think they're amazing, but they remind me so much of drawing with my mom when I was younger. The way she draws faces and even the bodies of the children remind me of the stories we used to write at the table in the family room. We spent countless hours there. 
 
Becca:
I feel like I've been there since the beginning. As someone with ADHD, I had a lot of hobbies and lots of different interests growing up, but one thing I did consistently was take art lessons. Every Wednesday afternoon, I would walk down to the little art studio at the end of our street and spend 2 hours learning different techniques and mediums. So,when she started painting the illustrations for Little Honey, she started by asking me for advice about what materials to get and what techniques I had learned about and all things art. It was such a nice way to bond with her. I'm always so impressed when I look at the images in those books, but one of my favorite things is to see how her artwork evolved as the books continued to get written. I could tell she really loved doing it, and she did it a lot! In every book there is one page that is my favorite image, and I can't help but pause on it when I'm reading it. She put so much time and energy and love into those paintings!
 
4. Add anything else here about your lovely and multi-talented Mom!
Carrie:
She is also brilliant. Shockingly smart. She comes across as ditzy, so she is sometimes underrated, but only because she is the opposite of arrogance. She is brilliance.
 
Becca:
I love my mom so much. She has worked incredibly hard throughout her life to accomplish many, varied things. I think now she is taking some extra time to make sure she is doing more for herself, and I am so proud of her. She's a fantastic role model and she gave me an idyllic childhood. She made sure we were loved and taken care of, but also free to be our own people. I'm grateful that she showed me how to take care of a family but also how to take care of herself. I truly hope to be half the mom she is!