How much should you support them?

Bean loves to paint and do crafts.  Her teacher just raved about one of her paintings last week, posting it on her Instagram.  Bean just knows when she grows up she will be an artist - as much as anyone knows what they will do when they are 7.  

She got an idea from her older cousins about starting her own business.  They've started making painted t-shirts and jewelry.  She thought this was wonderful and of course wanted to be like her cousins so she has now decided to start her own business selling her paintings.  She has enlisted her friends at school to make drawings, too.  She came up with a website name and wants me to take her to arts and crafts fairs to set up a booth.  She thinks this is something akin to Girl Scout cookie booths and believes all you have to do is grab a folding table and set it up outside the local BBQ joint for a couple of hours and people will flock to you with money waving.  Minty chocolate wafers are one thing - elementary school art is another.

But she has really put a lot of time into this whole concept.  

The downside is while I think everything is beautiful and rivals Picasso, I know these are paintings, drawings and artwork put together by a 7 year old.  And not a 7 year old prodigy.  Just MY prodigy.  

I know, aside from family, it will be hard to find customers for this business.  I would be reluctant to believe people are going to spend money on these items.  

Am I being too - I don't know - too something?  How do I explain to her that people probably won't buy?  

How do I let her down easy?  Or should I?  I guess I don't want her to get her feelings hurt or get disappointed in her talent.  I do think she is talented but I know I'm Mom, everything she does is great by me.  

BUT AM I NOT BEING SUPPORTIVE?  

How much should I support this right now?  I've told her she needs to keep practicing and I've bought her books, we've watched videos, I signed her up for classes.  All that.  But should I allow her to find some place to sell?  I think that might be too much.  And Lord help anyone that says anything to hurt her feelings if she ever did set up somewhere.  Mama Bear will come out on anyone that makes any disparaging comment.  

I am afraid my hesitations are just that - mine - and not something that should hold her back from what she believes in.  Sometimes though, it's okay to be hesitant, right?  What if I sign her up for some booth and no one buys anything and she gets discouraged.  I think she is the type of personality that if she does not succeed the first time, she will flounder and give it all up.  It would break my heart if that happened.  

How far do you go to help your child and support their dreams?

Pinterest Projects - Lorax T-Shirt and Matching Hairbow!

This week most schools around the country will celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday.  Each day this week, Bean's class will be doing something Seuss-related.  One day, they get to dress up as their favorite Seuss character.

I thought for sure she would pick The Cat in the Hat or maybe a Truffula tree.

Thought wrong once again.  Just add it to the list.

She picked The Lorax.

Now, I honestly never remember reading The Lorax when I was a kid, and only knew about it from the movie, which I have only seen bits and pieces.

Maybe it was due to orange being her new favorite color.  (Ugh.)  Maybe she heard another child say they wanted to be The Lorax.  I don't know.

I first suggested we figure out a way to make her an orange wig.

She immediately used her un-elected but often over-used First (and only) Kid veto power and said "No way, Mommy.  I'm not wearing a wig."

You're 7.  Chill out.

No.  No wigs.

Okay, fine!

I immediately looked at The Husband and said "Hey, you got any ideas?"

I recently turned him onto Pinterest.  Yes, I brought another one over to the dark side.  Well done, me!

He said "Why don't you look on that pinning place?"

"Pinning Place".  What an amateur.

So of course, out came the phone and Pinterest got fired up.

We all searched and scrolled.  Then this lovely, super cute pin came onto the screen and Bean said "I like that!".

When you click on it, you just get a picture, no instructions.  Since I do not have permission to post another person's child on my blog, I will just direct you to the pin itself.

But basically, it's The Lorax's features cut out of felt and attached to a t-shirt.  Easy enough.

I found this pumpkin carving template of The Lorax and used it as the pattern for my felt.

Property of Today's Creative Blog

I cut out the eyebrows and mustache.

Then I broke out my Christmas present!  LOOK!  AIN'T SHE PURDY!!!!

That's professional right there!

I love her.  Like LOVE.  REAL LOVE.

Jiggly eyes and a fuzzy ball nose.

Big schnoz or little schnoz????

We went BIG.

Hot glued everything on.  You will need to put a piece of cardboard in the middle of the t-shirt or you might hot glue the front and back of the shirt together.

Not that that happened or anything.  (It totally happened.)

And of course, when you are wearing that much orange and you AREN'T a Tennessee fan, you really should live on the edge and spice it all up with a matching hairbow, right??

So there you have it.  A Lorax t-shirt and coordinating hairbow.

Seuss has never been so stylish!