Working to live or living to work?

The topic of my post will not be as profound as the title implies. I just noticed that I haven't posted for a few days. I actually have been working on a major presentation for Monday which I hope will break the dam that's been holding back the cash flow these past six months. Not selling consulting work, not selling dolls. The Williamsburg work is a godsend, but frankly, it won't even pay one month's mortgage.

Nevertheless, I keep plugging away, trusting in God and hoping for the best ... and making dolls whenever I have a spare moment. My wonderful Ebay group, Coffee with Tea, sponsored a challenge to make an Itty Bitty Izzy doll (a miniature Izannah Walker-inspired doll). At first, I wasn't going to participate, but then I decided to give it a try. So, last weekend, I made Izzy and her itty bitty Izzy. I even made up a story about her (sorry, no pictures yet, but maybe later today).

This weekend, Emma has dance recitals on Saturday and Sunday, so I won't get much time in the studio for dollmaking or photography. But that's okay. We went to the dress rehearsals on Thursday and Emma looked so pretty and did a very nice job in both dances! The past couple of years she looked kind of lost, so I'm relieved that she seems to be getting more focused. I studied ballet in my 20s (and was a free-lance dance critic for two newspapers) at a school that did professional training and were sticklers for proper technique. Emma's school is anything but. Drives me nuts that they're not teaching proper turnout or how to find your center. If she was serious about dance, I'd move her to another school with better teachers. But she wants to quit ballet and I made her stay in this year because she needs the discipline and the exercise.

BTW, my first attempts at serious dollmaking were Izannah Walker inspired dolls--but not 6.5 inches tall! Here are some pictures of those early gals. I still have Georgianna (black silk spencer/bonnet), but Wilhemina (lace collar) is sold.

More later,

Nina