27/01/2026
True story (and one of my favorite chapters of my life). 💛
I went back to college at 40 and majored in art, because when your heart won’t stop tugging, you listen. For one of my final projects in drawing class, I created a children’s book called “The adventures of Gracie Lou”, inspired by a Navy child who moved every few years and learned how to be brave in new places.
Here’s the sweet part: my daughter, Caroline Grace, was the main character. We used to call her “Gracie Lou.” And for those who’ve seen Miss Congeniality yes, that’s the same Gracie Lou Sandra Bullock used as her beauty pageant name. 💫 It felt playful, familiar, and perfect for the story we were telling.
Plot twist: I also used the same project for my English final paper (because work smarter, not harder 😄). And the best part? I brought my then pre-teen to school with me to help present it. Standing there together she read the story, I watching it come to life was pure magic.
I loved every minute of writing and illustrating that book. And ever since, I’ve carried this quiet dream of one day turning Gracie Lou into a series for military kids stories that say you’re not alone, your feelings matter, and home can live inside you, and wherever you land.
Some ideas never leave you. They just wait patiently for the right season. 🎨✨
