A custom keepsake for Emilia

Emilia's mom contacted me asking for my opinion on which keepsake style she should get for her daughter. Her first outfit choice and that of her husband was the rainbow winter coat Emilia wore during her toddler months, but her mom was worried a coat wouldn't work for a keepsake. She really wanted the fashion keepsake with custom illustration, too, but was hesitant--she thought maybe the coat would look better as a hot air balloon, or maybe she should choose an entirely different outfit that is easier to work with.

I love when you tell me what you're thinking, because I love to remind you that I am the one dealing with the keepsake creation (yay!) and all you have to do is choose your favorite keepsake style, and your favorite outfit. The rest is on me :)

And that's exactly what I did with Emilia's mom. It was obvious that she wanted the fashion keepsake with custom illustration, and she wanted to preserve Emilia's little rainbow coat, and that's what she did.

"If I had to pick one article of our daughters clothing that stuck out in my mind the most, it was the rainbow winter coat. She wore this coat from the age of 14 months to 17 months and these were some of the most fun months of toddler life. I have several pictures of her wearing this coat, playing in the snow with the biggest smile on her face. This will always be a reminder of those moments, those memories, and those smiles."

It was the first time I worked with a coat and you know I always love a challenge. As soon as I saw that bright coat, I imagined the keepsake dress. I was so happy to finally receive it and start working on it!

Emilia's mom sent me recent photos of Emilia to get inspiration from. I created her keepsake illustration like I imagine her as a grown up. Emilia has beautiful features that I loved "refining" for the adult version of her face.

On the girl's dress, I was able to include all the colors, and I even used the soft fur of the inside of the hood to make a little glamorous cape. The little silver star zipper pull became a kind of purse and I wrapped illustrated fingers over it to make it look like she is holding it.

Confession: I always feel little nervous butterflies when I ship a keepsake with a custom illustration. It's so personal, and it's super important for me that my clients love it and think it's familiar. In Emilia's case, I was so happy that her dad said this was totally how he imagined her as an adult. I had tears in my eyes; this is the best comment I can get on these imagined illustrations! And it must be very emotional for a dad to imagine his little baby daughter as a grown up. I know from Gus's tears when he saw Laurie and Leina's illustrations I made :)

Emilia's mom loved it too. She was so kind and generous with her comments; she even sent me a screenshot of the text conversation she had with her husband when she sent him a photo of the keepsake when it arrived. Best review ever!

Here is what she said in a follow-up email:

"I received Emilia's keepsake on Saturday afternoon. I immediately opened the package and couldn't believe how amazingly beautiful the keepsake turned out! Your ability to design the keepsakes in a way that includes all of the perfect little details is extraordinary. All along I had been thinking about the little star that was a part of the coat zipper. It took me a minute to realize you had included it in the keepsake and I couldn't be happier. I cannot thank you enough for not steering me away from the fashion keepsake when I was hesitant. It is everything I envisioned and then so much more. As you can see by our text conversation, my husband is just as enamored as I am. I cannot wait to tell all of my fellow mom friends about Pokidots!"

Emilia's mom told me that she plans on hanging her keepsake in the family room for all to see. Instead of putting away her girl's toddler coat in storage, she can now enjoy its precious memories every day ❤

I have been so blessed with such wonderful clients. You guys make my work enjoyable beyond measure ❤

Have you ordered your keepsake yet? You know I can work with anything now! :) Send me an email if you're hesitant and I will be happy to help you choose! ☮