From the time I was a little kid, I always had a fascination for words. I used to take the dictionary or an encyclopedia to bed with me to read and peruse with the greatest of joy. Additionally I always loved little drawings, like the kind of illustrations that accompanied paper dolls. Tiny brushes and powder boxes, little slippers and bitty sun glasses. I always called them the "little things."

Then when I began making cards for friends and family, I employed the fewest and best words possible along with little bits of art to combine them into something meaningful to share from my heart. Hand picked words and little things, again bringing so much pleasure.

When my children were toddlers and older, I found that whispering to them during a noisy squabble they were having got their attention far more quickly than shouting did: they had to be quiet to hear what I was saying. In the same way, I believe that the small whispers in our lives often carry the loudest messages.

Sometimes a little ant strolling silently across the kitchen counter with a crumb of cake can be more arresting to watch than a roaring train speeding by. The way a dandelion bravely muscles its way up through the sidewalk can be more arresting than an entire garden can be.

I have been privileged to write and Illustrate for a living since 1985, and count myself among the most fortunate of people to have a job I would do for free. The blessings of my career are exceeded only by the blessings that my friends, a family I adore, three adult children and six grandchildren and my dog Ben bring me every day of my life.