A Little Wave From My Side of the Fence

Oh my goodness, where do I even begin?

If you've been wondering where I've wandered off to — pull up a chair, friend, because we have some catching up to do. Life, as it has a way of doing, got wonderfully, beautifully, exhaustingly full.

First things first — I went back to work full time. Yes, this girl dove headfirst back into the world of numbers, spreadsheets, and all the things that keep the lights on. It's been a season of long days and busy minds, and while I'm grateful for the work, I'll confess — my craft table has been looking at me with the saddest little eyes.

Add to that a husband who has been traveling the globe for work — we're talking time zones, passport stamps, and middle-of-the-night "just landed safely" texts from places I can barely point to on a map. It's a big world out there, and his job takes him to all corners of it. We are proud of the work he does, and we've learned to cherish the homecomings even more because of the time apart.

And then there are my two greatest projects — Pumpkin and Spice. Watching your kids step into adulthood is something, isn't it? One part pride, one part "wait, you need to know how to do WHAT?!" I've been in the thick of it — mentoring, cheering, problem-solving, and occasionally delivering a gentle reality check with a side hug. Adulting is hard, and they're both doing the work. My mama heart is full.

But here's the sweetest plot twist of this whole season — somewhere in the middle of all of it, I fell in love with sourdough. 🍞 Bagels, specifically. There is something almost meditative about the process — the feeding of the starter, the shaping, the wait. It turns out, when you can't get to your craft table, your hands still need to make things. And those bagels? They are good, friends. I'm just saying.

Now, I find myself at a crossroads — a hopeful one. I'm dreaming about stepping away from the numbers job and picking up my paper and scissors again in a real way. About reconnecting with this community that has meant so much to me over the years. About playing, creating, and sharing again.

I'm not quite there yet — but I'm closer than I've been in a long time.

So consider this my little wave across the fence. I'm still here. I've missed you. And I have a feeling there's something good just around the corner.

PumpkinSpice Hugs to each of you 🧡

Tails of Ziggy Tuesday - Episode 1

Hello Friends,

Pumpkin Spice would like to introduce a new series.

Tails of Ziggy, stories and thought about our fur family member.

This is Mr. Ziggy.

I am sure you are wondering why a 'paper crafting' blog would start a series about a cat. I don't have a logical answer, I just feel this little fellow is one of the most entertaining critters i have ever had the pleasure to have as a family member.

The backstory: From as far back as I can remember I had a cat in my life. When I met my hubs I had to find a great new home for my buddy of 10 years. See he is extremely allergic to animals and his allergy symptoms turn into respiratory issues. No fun and simply put - SCARY. We went 10 years fur baby free... then sweet little Pumpkin asked for a kitten. Well, Pumpkin has her daddy in the palm of her hand so it was just a matter of time. He was able to push out the inevitable 3 years, then it was time for Mom (me) to start doing some research. 

Ziggy is a Siberian, also know as a Norwegian Forest Cat, and many people believe that the Siberian is hypoallergenic. We were thrilled!!! Did the fur test, meet the mama cat for an hour, not allergic reaction. SOLD!!!

We meet Mr. Ziggy at 8 weeks and were smitten... he gravitated toward us right away.

Four weeks later, Ziggy came home to us.


He crawled right into Pumpkins lap the first day home with us.  She was so excited.

So onto some of the goofy stories.

Shortly after Mr. Zigler, Ziggy for short, adopted us - he felt that I was in need of his assistance.

Yep, he sits on my desk, crawls in front of the monitor, drinks out of the desk fountain, and if I am not paying enough attention - walks across my keyboard and perches on my shoulder and rubs his wet nose all over my check until I stop what I am doing and give him my undivided attention.

                                                                                              

Even when I move my work to the table, he finds a way to 'assist'.

Me trying to work one handed. 

It is a great possibility that he will get to be 20 pounds or more... so I need to start working out my arms to carry him around.












He is a great supervisor.  To the left he is supervising the contractors outside.

Who knew!!! Cats are typically so independent and go take naps in quiet places away from people... not this one.

Plus he SNORES and talks back!!!

Hope you enjoyed the first Tails of Ziggy episode.

Do you have a fun story about your fur family member? I would love to hear it.

Post your story in comments or link to your story on your blog.

No blog? I would love to read your story in an email.


Opps...Pictures Should show now.