PK's Parlor

Thursday, January 11, 2018

My Magical Mom: A Tribute to Kathy R. Smith

Once upon a time, there lived a girl who believed in magic, pixie dust and fairy godmothers. Her name was Kathy and her golden hair was as bright as the brightest star. She saw the best qualities in others and was quick to say, “You’ve got a friend in me.”

As a child, when she wasn’t feeling well, a woman with rosy cheeks “popped” into her life and showed her that a “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” She also taught her, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun." And so began Kathy’s lifelong quest to help others see the fun and wonder in all aspects of life.

Adopting the mantra of Hakuna matata, she embraced its meaning of “no worries for the rest of your days.” After all, worrying is for adults. And no matter how old Kathy grew, she always remained a kid at heart. With Disneyland in your own backyard, how could you not be forever young? Especially with a cute mouse running the whole show.

As she grew up and had a family of her own, Kathy taught her little Mouseketeers all about “the bare necessities of life”, which included “whistling while you work”, “letting your conscience be your guide”, and most importantly, to “have courage and be kind.”

Kathy’s kindness was legendary. She loved celebrating the big milestones in people’s lives, as well as the small and insignificant. To her, “love was an open door” and once you walked through her door, you were a friend for life. I guess that’s why she never acquired a taste for seafood. “Fish are friends, not food.”

In her later years, Kathy’s courage was also legendary. Some would even say out of this world or “to infinity and beyond.” When faced with her hardest task to date, she continued to “think happy thoughts.” You see a forgetful blue fish taught her an important lesson. “When life gets you down, you know what you got to do? Just keep swimming.”

And boy did Kathy “swim, swim, swim.”

So perhaps that is what this life is all about. Learning to swim against the current. Learning to swim when we’re scared and tired. And learning that sometimes the path placed before us is not the easiest one.

Perhaps Kathy had it figured out all along ...

“All it takes is faith, trust and a little pixie dust.” And a fabulous set of Mickey Mouse ears. :-)

Dedicated to my magical mom, Kathleen Rae Smith (1955-2017). ❤️

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Sweet Peaches

Move over apple pie. Your reign is over. There's a new American obsession. Well, at least in the Smith/Hendrix family. Suddenly, we've all acquired a taste for sweet peaches.

Meet Helena Grace Hendrix (aka Peaches)

Photo courtesy of Laurie Ruth Photography

Born to my sister Holly on February 9, 2015, this little cutie has captured our hearts since day one. Auntie PK met her for the first time on Valentine's Day, and it was love at first sight!

It's hard to believe Ms. Sassy Pants is almost 6 months old. She most definitely has her mother's strong will and temperament, but she looks more like her Daddy every day.

And she definitely has "Gampa" (my dad) wrapped around her little finger. After seeing this video, I told my sister, "It's like he's never been around a baby girl before!" #dadto3

Like I said, this little human has learned to maximize her appeal. My dad is constantly bringing back cute clothes and accessories from his travels, like this kimono and cupcake hat! (Who is this man?)

I must confess, even I have fell victim to her charm. I now find myself scouring the baby aisles at Target and Old Navy in search of darling outfits, matching shoes and even bibs (she's a spitter-upper!). These are my favorite outfits to date...

Peaches has two aunts and we gladly share the title of "BFF".

Are you kidding me with this cuteness?

We like big bellies and we can not lie!

Every day, Peaches shows more and more personality and the grown ups and canines are eating it up.

Charlie is already her biggest fan and protector.

She's got the monthly onesie photo shoot down! P.S. Thanks to Megan Hoeppner for creating 12 of the cutest onesies that perfectly match her nursery. Click HERE to order your own custom set for an expectant mother!

Peaches definitely doesn't miss a bottle, as evident by her chubby cheeks - a Smith trait for sure. She's already wearing 9-month clothing and will soon be transitioning into solid foods. Maybe even pureed peaches!

Did someone say pureed peaches? Yum!

"I make chunky thighs look good!

I spent the Fourth of July with this little firecracker, and my sisters and I had fun setting up a patriotic-themed photo shoot. Apparently I make the most goofy faces and was rewarded with...

The "God Bless America" sign is from my Paper Crafts days. Thanks to Laura O'Donnell for designing such a fun keepsake!

There's nothing better than a baby's laugh. Keep working your Southern charm, Peaches!

Love,
Auntie PK (Your BFF)

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Paper Crafts Magazine Swan Song Blog Hop

Welcome to your next stop along the Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine Swan Song Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Miriam Prantner.

You'd think I would have gotten used to these goodbyes by now. I said goodbye to our Moxie Fab Cath last November and bid farewell to my job at Paper Crafts last August. It's been quite the whirlwind of emotions. And even though I haven't been a part of the magazine for over a year, I still feel very attached to the editors, designers, readers and even the pages of the magazine itself. You spend 7 years at one place and it's bound to leave a lasting impression. And it has.

I have so many stories to tell and pictures to share, but there's no way I could do them all justice here. So I'll share some highlights. I know readers always love seeing what went on behind-the-scenes. Despite popular belief, we did NOT paper craft every day! We were busy publishing magazines each month, writing blog posts (between Paper Crafts Connection and Moxie Fab World), concepting features and columns for future magazines, filming videos and the list goes on and on. But we still managed to sneak a little fun into each day.

Birthdays were a big deal around the office. Former art director Stace Hasegawa created these Coca-Cola-themed signs for my cubicle.

We loved celebrating holidays, especially the ones where we could dress up!

National Pink Day is a real holiday!

CHA was our favorite event to mingle with our designer friends & readers.

Celebrating Paper Crafts' 5th birthday in 2009.

I always loved walking the CHA floor with my girl, Megan Hoeppner!

Our annual ed board meeting brought the beloved Go-to Gals to Utah.

Love these "gals" and their crazy talent!

"Parties on the Porch" were always a special treat. These ladies and Matt are the real deal. I wish them nothing but luck as they begin a new adventure in their creative lives.

As you can see, we had a lot of fun. Probably more fun than any job should allow. But when you're working in an industry with so many creative people, it comes with the territory. While I'm sad the magazine is ceasing publication, I'm so pleased it had such a great run and impacted so many people. And I'm happy I got to be a part of all the creativity, all that pride and all that love. I still have every one of my Paper Crafts issues. They take up 12 magazine organizers. No lie! They're all my little babies. I'm proud of them and the work they represent. Yours, mine and ours, collectively.

As we officially say goodbye to our dear magazine, I'm reminded of something I posted over on the Paper Crafts Connection blog a few years ago. It was titled Changing it Up as I was transitioning my duties. At the time it gave me comfort writing it, as I hope it does for you now.

"Something this creative industry thrives on is change. Companies come and go, products reinvent themselves and trends burst on the scene and then take their final bow. And while it’s often inconvenient and frustrating at the time, change usually brings out the best in us. We adapt, we grow and we often surprise ourselves with the results."

I have no doubt that creativity will continue to inspire and bring us together, one way or the other. It may not be in the same format, but it will always be there, surprising us all.

One of my favorite cards published in Paper Crafts. I've always been partial to puffy hearts! ;-)

Thanks for the memories, Paper Crafts!

Your next stop on the blog hop will be Yana Smakula. Enjoy!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The Monarch Story

Image courtesy of EDF.org

I recently came across this inspiring story. I love its message of perseverance and strength. :)

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it could not go further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that at any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: the restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.

PK

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

It always a spectacular thing when spring finally arrives, especially after a long, cold winter. Having grown up in Texas, where there's only two distinct seasons — hot and hotter — winter in Utah is something I'll never get use to. Like ever. Luckily, glorious spring never disappoints.

A couple of weekends ago, I attended to the annual Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point Gardens. 250,000 tulips across 55 acres in quite the sight to be seen. Here's some of my favorite blooms from the festival, along with some of my favorite quotes on flowers...