my forever muse

to my sweet Nova girl,

you were so much more than just my dog. you were my best friend, my adventure buddy, my ride or die, the heartbeat at my feet, and my constant through all the good times, the bad times, and every wild adventure in between. you were there through my 20s and into my 30s, growing up right alongside me, loving me through every version of myself, and somehow always knowing exactly when i needed you most.

you were the little soul who inspired me to start XO alicia jo all those years ago with custom pet portraits. you were right there beside me through every new creative adventure, every wild idea, every dream i chased and every dream i tucked away for another day. my very first muse, my biggest inspiration, and the reason i came to truly understand what unconditional love feels like and just how much love can exist between a girl and her dog.

i keep thinking back to those first days when i laid those old quilts out on the floor, trying to figure out how to turn them into something beautiful. and there you were, right beside me, just like you’d always been. i never imagined those would be some of our last days together. that when the day finally came for me to chase this lifelong dream with my whole entire heart and soul, you wouldn’t be here to see it.

oh, what i wouldn’t give to have you curled up beside my sewing machine, following me from room to room, or watching me turn another crazy idea into something real. but somehow, even now, i still feel you here. you’re woven into every little piece of this dream, and knowing you, probably quite literally with a few of your little hairs sewn into these jackets and all.

i wish more than anything that you could be here for this next chapter, but maybe the most beautiful part of it all is knowing that you were here for the beginning. you were there when it was nothing more than an idea, a little spark, and a girl who just wanted to create beautiful things.

and somehow, even though i have to keep going without you physically beside me, you’re still giving me the courage to do exactly that.

so this little corner of XO alicia jo will always belong to you, my girl. a reminder of where it all began, of all the beautiful years we had together, and of a love that doesn’t end just because we have to say goodbye.

forever my muse. forever my girl. forever the heartbeat at my feet.

love, momma