It wasn't until long after my mother finished her Bachelor of Science in Human Behavioral Science that I dug into the history of our Mother-Daughter dynamic to realize that she is a natural born therapist. As a single mother since I was 2 years old, she always filled my schedule with private school, piano lessons, dance classes, pictures, recitals, costumes, ceramics class, book making and the total overall lifestyle to forge a full time creative for life. And as if raising a small child alone wasn't challenging enough, she made it all happen in expensive AF New York City!
Working a full time job in Manhattan while commuting to and from Queens daily just wasn't enough to create the lifestyle she envisioned for me so she used to sell lingerie and fancy costume jewelry. I still remember going with her to vend at events and organize lingerie parties at her friend's homes to make sales. I used to sneak and try on her sample lingerie, baggy as ever, over my pajamas LOL!
She was like a real live super heroine in my mind and even named her jewelry line using the first 2 initials of all 4 of my names, affectionately called TRANCASI, people thought it to be exotic as if it were French or Italian. 30 years later, exploring old boxes in our attic led me to the TRANCASI archives where so many single gems, pearls and clip on earrings surfaced. I instantly experienced a rush of emotions from joy to gratitude to sheer wonder. These were, after all, literally the gorgeous symbols of my mother's tenacious will and I wanted to honor her by repurposing them to practical use. So I sewed them all along the shoulders and collar of my yellow denim jacket with application advice from my dear friend Erika Everett of The Glitter Agency.
My Mother's Day 2019 gift consisted of using them in a styled shoot with the city she chose to raise me in as a backdrop. Although I wrote this blog after the fact, it is indeed a tribute to my honorable mother for always being the epitome of class, perseverance, creativity and unconditional love. Thank you Mommy! Happy Mother's Day every day!!!! Thank you Sobit Art Photography for the epic shoot :)
