Every year I get a gift for myself for Christmas. Usually it is something I normally wouldn’t spend my money on like a tablet, new camera, or fancy new lens. This year, it is none of those things, but something special to me, and something I love. Today, I’m taking over the post from the dogs, which is also something out of the ordinary.
If you read the blog, you know I love my hounds so very much. Each of them is so special, and Emma was so very special to me as well. She inspired me to take up photography and writing, things I did as a kid, but for some reason stopped. I never played team sports because I am not a good team player. Emma was my first dog sports dog, and my first try at team sports. I earned my first dog sports title ever with her in 2015.
Competing in dog sports was not something I wanted to do. When we started our nose work class I said I would not compete, and only would have my dogs hunt for treats, not odor. After two classes, I bought nose work harnesses and wanted to know all about competition. Since then I have been addicted. Emma and I had so much fun together even though I was not a very good handler. She loved nose work so very much and I adored watching her work.
When we started to earn some titles, I began hanging the certificates on the wall of my home office along with the ribbons. There was plenty of space to last a lifetime, I thought mistakenly. In time, Bailie started earning titles, then Madison came along, and then Olivia. With five sports and a total of four dogs, the walls are filling fast. How could I make more wall space? There is one wall I kept just for me with my marathon stuff. Over the doorway, there is a big empty space, but what would I ever put there?
Some people I know aren’t real into displaying all their ribbons and stuff, but most of them have done sports with their dogs for years and years. For me it is still all new, we do five sports, and I enjoy looking at our accomplishments on my office walls. My office is my motivational center, and I love being in there all day for work because it is such a happy place. The girls also spend most of the day with me in the room. On Facebook I saw a woman selling eighty one certificate frames as she had framed all her certificates and hung them down a hallway. Since I don’t have nearly that many…yet…I know I’m not the only one who likes to display accomplishments.
I’m not sure how I found it, but there is a Facebook group about ideas for displaying dog awards and ribbons. I saw a guy who makes nice displays, but had no idea how he could help me out. One day, it dawned on me that Emma only has ten ribbons as she only did NACSW nose work. It’s not about the number or ribbons anyway, but the time we spent together as a team. The other girls have so many more ribbons I could never put them all in one frame. I decided to contact Paul at Klinefelter’s Gallery to see if he had any ideas. He does all kinds of things to hang on walls from photos to art, to shadow boxes. I highly recommend him if you are looking for something special.
He is amazing! I packaged up Emma’s nose work items and sent them to the gallery in Michigan. Paul sent me some ideas and I knew I would get something perfect for Emma’s ribbons! I’m creative, but not in that area! There was no rush for the project, but I had the finished shadow box in six weeks which with the holidays is pretty darn good. I love Emma’s shadow box! If you do nose work, you may laugh at the scorebook, but for me, that was a part of our journey, as was her collar with no jingles in her color, red. I know if Emma was here, she would love it.
This past weekend, with the help of a friend, we hung it up in the spot I had planned. It is big, but Emma was also larger than life. I can see it from my desk, even the photos are big enough I can see them too. Now I have plenty of wall space for a while! It makes me so happy to have her items altogether where I can see them anytime I look that way. Merry Christmas to me!
My GBGV Life is happy, so we’re joining Comedy Plus for Happy Tuesday!
Oh my gosh!! What an awesome idea and present. You found the right guy — that is perfect how it is placed in the frame! Wow!!! Merry Christmas to you!!! Hooray!
Thank you. I’m so happy with it and now I have all of Emma’s ribbons together along with a few other mementos.
What a fabulous tribute to Emma. So nice that you can look at it every day.
It makes it more special than having her things mixed in with all the other certificates and ribbons. Her nose work was special.
that is a wonderful idea and we love it!! you picked the best gift… BRAVO!!!!!!!
Every year something hits me that is something I really want or like and this was it for 2020. I’m thrilled with it.
That is super special and it looks fabulous, that really is a most wonderful gift to you from you!
One works hard, and a splurge at the end of the year for the holidays makes the work all worthwhile.
That is soooo awesome!
Thank you.
Beautiful, Merry Christmas to you!
Thank you. I’m so happy with it.
There are times when it is just the right time to gift oneself … and this was a perfect time and a perfect gift. Merry Christmas. WOOF!
Right on! This hit me and I decided to go for it. I work a lot with my own business, so rewards are a good reason to keep working hard.
Your Merry Christmas gift from you to you is beautiful. Paul did awesome work placing and framing beautiful Emma’s ribbons, titles, and sweet memories. Sparkle has only 1 title, but it is framed and hangs on my “dog wall” in a hallway. Sweet Emma was so very special to so many. XOXO, Betsy (Sparkle the PBGV’s mom)
She was so special to me in so many ways, but in sports, we had so much fun. I loved watching her at trials prancing around like she owned the place, wondering why other dogs even showed up. Nose work was so much fun for her and she was my first attempt at competition with a dog. We had a great time together, and she did earn some titles which are very special to me.
OMG that is FANTASTIC!!! Sooo well deserved and you certainly SHOULD display all of those! It is just fantastic and PERFECT!! Congratulations to you as well!
Thank you. Everything happens for a reason and now I know the reason. It is exactly what I needed for Emma’s ribbons and that spot on my one wall.
Oh, Joy, what a wonderful gift for yourself and tribute to Emma!! Yes, I am certain she loves looking at it from her place in Heaven! Merry Christmas to you and your girls!! 🎄🎄
Thank you. I never imagined such an idea, but it came to me and was meant to be. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
It is absolutely wonderful and so very meaningful! Merry Christmas to you!
It is super special to Mom, and we don’t mind having it either.
The best gift ever. Beautiful.
Thank you for joining the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Happy Tuesday. Scritches to the pups and my best to your mom. ♥
Thank you. Sometimes fate brings you to what you need even though you are not even really looking for something.
What an amazing gift to yourself and wonderful tribute to your Emma!
Thank you. I’m so happy with how it turned out.
Such a perfect gift!!!!
Thank you. I really love it.
Wonderful gift and tribute! Merry Christmas!
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
It’s absolutely perfect. What a wonderful way to honor that special bond you had with your girl. Hugs to you.
Thank you. Emma is all over our house, and I like it that way, but this is something we both shared and it is very special to me.
I’m impressed!!!
It came out really nice.
What a wonderful gift to yourself. Good memories.
Wonderful memories of our journey learning to work as a team doing a sport we both love.
The shadowbox looks fantastic! What a wonderful idea to show off a memorable time with Emma. (My gifts to myself are books!!) Merry Christmas Joy!!
Thank you, I love it. Everyone should gift themselves what they really want, and if it is books, then let it be books!
Nice done! And congrats on all those awards and ribbons. 🥇
Thank you. Emma and I didn’t have time to get too many, but we had fun getting what we did.
What a beautiful and perfect gift. I love that you do that for yourself, Joy! Everyone deserves to get something they truly, truly want. ♥
When you work hard, it helps make it all feel worthwhile. I really love this shadowbox.
that is just beautiful and so moving. i love it when you talk about Emma. we all miss her so much. not that we dont just love the girls, but Emma, well, she was just special and had that something that just made you laugh and love her so much. i am so glad you did this. i know the lady i used to ride horses for, has her barn lounge and office, filled with all of the ribbons, coolers and trophies. unfortunately, my late mother lost all of my trophies, ribbons and over 150 Breyers horse models which would be a nice fortune today. so twenty plus years of riding- ribbons and trophies are gone.
Thank you. Emma is still with me all the time, just wish I could hug her. I love all our ribbons and certificate in my office. It makes me so happy and reminds me of how much we do together. I still have my track ribbons from elementary school that teachers made out of construction paper in a box in the basement. I’ve always been proud of ribbons and I can’t imagine losing them as you have. Thankfully, you have the memories, but how sad to not have the trophies and horse models.