Babycakes Merry Whatever Blog GRAND OPENING!

**TODAY** is the GRAND OPENING FOR BABYCAKES MERRY WHATEVER BLOG!!! Support local and small artisans of color, beginning TODAY!...Monthly features of wonderful designs and artistry will be featured on a monthly basis. You will be able to view and purchase unique hand crafted designs all throughout the year for that special occasion and someone in your life. You also get to meet the designers and support their local handmade efforts in their communities. Stop by daily - you never know what jewel you will find there!

Some Things Hurt Too Much To Blog

The world, at least my world, is on fire with the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Bloggers, Twitter, Facebook .. from the very vocal to the very quiet, this has affected almost everyone I know.

For me, I just can't put into words how deep this cuts ... how much it hurts ... because somewhere deep down inside - I DO NOT WANT TO BELIEVE people are just this heartless ... this prejudice ... this FEARFUL of boys that look like my son.

How do I prepare my son for this world where at any given moment he could be taken from me? How do I tell him that while we are luckier to be in THIS time, and not the times of my parents and Grandparents ... that we still aren't safe?

I don't preach the evils of prejudice - because too many times I've seen prejudice from my own race. I tell my son that we as a people can be just as hateful, just as intolerant ... as ignorant ... and I feel like I am not arming him with confidence - but with fear.

Many horrible things have happened to me in my life - and I was never physically or emotionally hurt by anyone other than people of my own race....and I feel like it's par for the course, that I can handle THAT.

What I can't handle is the unknown .. that on a rainy day one evening when my son is cold and wet, and he raises the hood of his jacket on his way home ... that in someone's eyes he turns from a kid on the street to a menace to society. It's THAT which makes my blood run cold, because there is no way to prepare for your life to end ... to say goodbye to your child...your only child.

I am not naive, I don't believe we are a post-racial society where there is no prejudice. I think as long as we can SEE differences - there will always be those that judge. That's the reality I teach my son, and I pray that he makes it...that not one other parent - regardless of their race - will lose their child to ignorance.

Today, I just feel we've lost our humanity.

Frustration Brings Beauty ...

...to me.

For some reason what was in my head would not translate to this latest piece. I was SO FRUSTRATED!!!...I just started wiping my brushes off, onto the piece...and when I went to clean my water - I came back and fell in love.

So far ... FINALLY...so good ...

Another Piece in Progress For Merry Whatever Group

Think Pink ... think Spring ... I always have trouble with pastels, but I'm giving it a go with my second piece for the Merry Whatever group.

Babycakes Merry Whatever Team

I'm so excited I've been invited to join a team of fellow artists on the Babycakes Merry Whatever blog. I have been busy working on some new pieces, which will be featured beginning April 1st. Each month will be something new and different from all 10 artists ... so stay tuned!

To give you an idea of the types of things I'll be offering ... here's a sneak peek at one of my pieces - it's still in progress - but I'm already attached to it! It will be hard to put it up on Etsy for sale! :)

It's SNEAK PEEK TIME!!!

The Toletown Ezine this month has lots of great projects!...and also features a project that I did especially for all those tags that everyone loves to make, trade and display.

See the project with the words LOVE?? ... it's my project for the month.

If you want to see all the projects, go to Toletown and purchase this months issue - it's PACKED with projects at a great price.