Halnpals

VAGroomshow 2026: take the W and run 🏃‍♀️

special thanks to my boss tsebaot for coming out to support me, for your encouragement + finding teddie for me, and teddies pawrents for letting me use her! and of course my wife for showing up for me no matter how early it is lol 💕

thank you to the Virginia Groom Show, + Anne Francis and Shannon Tupes for a great critique!

long caption ramble warning ⚠️

i have big mixed feelings about my work here 🥲. i made a series of mistakes and i learned from it. from trying to translate a strip to a clip while keeping show proportions, and not fully understanding how to use products correctly.. on top of running between vans bc technical issues, meaning less time to prep... well i wasnt starting off good. already nervous, i had to do the whole groom on my knees bc the table was too short and i didnt know about bringing bed risers LOL. my groom was by no means stellar lets just say. i mean yall got eyes lol. during critique, they went over my work- i really thought i was cooked. i was already convinced i had failed before even receiving my score - i had no interest in placement (competition anxiety) but i was there to test for NCMG.

i left feeling defeated. i had no idea when / if i could try again because in this industry no one talks about the glaring paywall to hands on education. its a privilege to be able to take time off work, travel, pay for classes- not many can afford that routinely. with prices for everything skyrocketing, i (and others) are limited to local opportunities. im lucky to have this. so i was sad thinking itd take another year to try again.

but a few weeks later i found out i passed with my highest score so far (91). i know its not perfect by any means but i passed and someone more qualified thinks its good. its hard for me to post my work bc i see all the flaws in it. but im doing it anyways bc im proud that i even tried. if i took a shot for the amount of times ive been told to quit or im not good enough would put me in a grave so im pourin one out for this instead.

keep trying 💕
and bring risers lol

Bailey... so much handsome so few braincells 💕💕💕
dad calls him a 'temu' golden but he'll always be gucci to me

bestie had a massive blowout between coat change and season change it meelllted like butter thanks to fresh me up + coat mask 💕

her name cupcake and she is just a lil hampter 🥹

mr.steel ur girl (his name is steel)

cute lil ol lady piper the from back in march 😚

his name is french fry 🥹

be so fr rn... best first timer?!?!

this means so much. shoutout to everyone who told me to quit 💕 this is for you bbygirls

anyways i was so nervous i was sweating like crazy and honestly not expecting anything i was just there for my testing, i was one of two not poodles in purebreed class... the trim isnt perfect and i got super super helpful critique to nail it next time. i debated posting this because its not a perfect groom, its got finishing issues and plenty of things to nitpick but i put myself out there and made it work. thank you to and @ guzal for the judging and critique, and anyone who had a kind word to say to me that day.

Jackson the ! (8/1/24) 5f body with column legs, trimmed round head.

(5/27/24) Arkin the