Introducing our little Alaina

Howdy all - this is a long overdue post as is normal for me nowadays. Many of you will remember requests for prayers that I sent out a few months ago for our little Alaina. And here she is in all of her adorable glory. (This picture was taen in April - but it has taken me this long to figure out how to post her picture to my blog.)

Now seriously - isn't that one of the cutest baby pictures you have ever seen???? I know I am her biased Aunt, but if you look at this picture and don't go "Awwwww" something is seriously wrong with you ;-).

Here is her update - she is currently around 7 pounds. She came home from the hospital for a couple of weeks in April - and had to go back into the hospital where she still is at this time. She is not eating very well at this point - so she has to have a feeding tube to keep her going. The docs can't quite figure out what is going with her - we do know that she has terrible acid reflux. She is doing very well otherwise with all things considered.

For all of you that send prayers, good vibes and well wishes to us - I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I believe that all of those wonderful things that you did for us helped her get to where she is. As you can see - she is a little fighter and has done well with the overwhelming odds that were stacked against her from the get-go. Please keep them coming that the doctors can figure out why she is not eating so they can fix it - so she can come home for good!!!

And the award(s) go too....

Howdy everyone!!! It is back to business as usual for me. Well - sorta. I have been working an ungodly amount of hours for Steak and Shake which has left me little time for creativity. I did manage to re-list my art deco cuff today which makes me happy. I really love this piece and I am glad that I can remake it again. I think the next time I make it, a new color scheme will be in order though.

Anyways, I am back to blogging about my business again and it is time once again for you to vote in the Etsy Beadweavers monthly challenge. For February, the theme was "Temptation" and as you will see it was an absolutely delicious theme.

And so with that being said, I think that I am long over due to award the Juleseys again!!! So - without further ado, this month's winner's are:

Best use of a racy focal piece: Erthfae for her stunning Moonlit Seductress. Skinny dipping anyone?
Best reason to become a gambler: Pushing Luck by Caraway. Seriously - I want to find an old time call girl outfit to go with this necklace.
Best reason to collect itsy, bitsy, tiny things: A Case for Temptation by Licia Beads. This box makes me want to find small sparkly things to put in it.
Best use of icky things: The Spider and the Fly by daynamiles. Personal note here: I *hate* bugs - so thus the name of the award - this necklace is absolutely fabulous.
Best focal piece: Mist on the Moor by Beagle Beads. I am absolutely jealous of this focal piece. It makes me want to be actually sucked into the bead to see where it goes.

As always, the Juleseys are simply a fun way for me to showcase some of the stupendous talent on the Etsy Bead Weaver's Team. Don't feel bad if you have not been chosen - I am not creative enough to come up with something witty for all of the gorgeous entries - hehe.

So - if you have not taken the time to vote - please visit the Etsy Bead Weavers blog before midnight March 15th to cast your vote.

Now - on to a couple of personal notes here:

I was finally able to go see my absolutely gorgeous little step-niece Alaina for the first time tonight. (Yes, I am biased - but she *is* gorgeous - don't care what you say - hehe.) She is up to a whopping 4 lbs 11 ounces now and there is talk of letting her come home soon. Her big hurdle now is getting used to the bottle. Once we can get her on regular bottle feedings, she will get to come home. I got to hold her which was very exciting for me. I was 4 lbs 13 ounces when I was born so I got to see just how tiny I was. I am trying to figure out how to upload some pictures to my blog so that everyone can see her - for some reason the pictures I were sent in an email won't save to my computer.

The other big news in my life is that I finally have a car!!!!!!! I didn't realize how much not having a car had impacted my life - but it is almost like I have a new lease on life. It is nothing fancy - and that is fine by me - I am not a fancy girl. (OK - now I have "Fancy" by Reba McIntire running through my head. Great song.) And for those of you who need details - it is a white, 2004 Hyndai Accent 2 door. Cute car that I have nicknamed Betty. It had 41,000+ on it when I got it a month ago and is still under mactufacturer warranty.

I can slowly see the haze of depression lifting from my life as I hope to be able to find a better job with benefits now that I can actually get to a job without the bus. Plus this will open a whole new avenue for my business as I am no longer limited to what shows I can do since transportation is no longer an issue. I can work on making a better display for shows which makes me happy as well. And I have more time now - which has been eaten up by work lately - but at least I can use my time for better things other than waiting on a bus...

So - what has everyone out there been up too? I am out of the loop and would love if you took the time to comment on my blog and tell me how you have been....

Alaina update #763

I posted this update to my Yahoo groups a little while ago - and decided to add it here as well so that everyone could see my update:

Hello again everyone...

Just checking in with an update on our little fighter Alaina...

She had her surgery on Friday - was originally supposed to be on Thursday but the surgeon got tied up with another case. The operation went well - and she is doing well. My Dad and stepmom went to go see her on Saturday and when they got there, she was surrounded by a whole crew of people. Dad said to Coleen (my step-mom) "Uh-oh this isn't good." Turns out she had managed to pull her respirator tube out. The docs were caught off guard as they said that they had not seen a a baby this little be this active especially after surgery. I am surprised that she had the strength to pull it out. Sooo - they have put her back on the ventilator and have restrained her a bit so that she doesn't pull that stunt again...lol.

She has gained 10 ounces this week putting her to 2 pounds, 11 ounces - not sure if this is good or bad either as she is not eating - only on IVs at this point so I am concerned that this might be fluid. I have faith that the doctors will watch for this though.

So - everything is going well for her at this point. I want you all to know that I have read each and every response that I have gotten to my posts - but time and energy have not allowed me a personal reply to them all. It is so deeply touching to me that people from all over the world are thinking about, praying for, sending good vibes, lighting candles for little Alaina. So - thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the out-pouring of love and light that you have shared with me and my family. We ALL appreciate it!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I think her Mom and Dad are going to have their hands full with her as she is already quite determined and dare I say, stubborn...lol.

Thank you once again - much love to all of you.

Stressing out...

Just giving a quick update on my preemie step-niece Alaina....

She is due to have open-heart surgery tomorrow at Nationwide Children's Hospital here in town. This is the best place for her at this time as they have some of the best specialists in the nation. That being said however, things are not looking so good for her at this point. She has fluid in her chest cavity that is moving from her heart to her lungs, the valves in her heart are not closing properly and her heart is enlarged. Due to her size (she weighs 2 pounds and 1 ounce at this time) and heart conditions, she is a poor risk for surgery at best.

So today, I will be doing a great deal of praying and talking to God and most likely, crying. If you could send prayers, good thoughts, vibes, light a candle - whatever you can - our way, well just know that it will be deeply and truly appreciated, even if I can't thank you personally.

I pray that our little angel has the strength to make it through this. She has fought to make it this far, so I have hope that she will continue to be our little fighter.

Sit back and relax...

It's been ages since I have posted and there are many reasons for that. So grab a cuppa whatever you like and perhaps a snack as this will be a lengthy post....

The holidays were hectic for me as I was working 2 jobs. I was working 40-60 hours a week which left me exhausted in and of itself. It was stressful - but I was making the money that I need.

The Friday before Thanksgiving I finally had a successful show. This was a small venue that took place at my Dad's work. He works in a hospital and they have an annual craft show for the employees and their relatives. I had a steady stream of traffic by my table all day - and I can honestly say that I will be doing this show again next year as it was worth my time and energy to do it. Would I have liked to sell more? Sure - but I did have some sales and I was pleased by the end of the day.

During this time, I also had some sales to some of my co-workers at Longhorn. So business was pretty good for me in December.

The same day as the craft show, my step-sister went into OSU as she was having problems with her pregnancy. I ended up staying at her house, dog and house-sitting for them as she was in the hospital for the next 7 weeks. I had use of her truck which was wonderful - and it great having the company of a canine again. Their dog Petey is a sweet and wonderful dog - so it was a real treat watching him.

Colette had a long stay in the hospital and finally, on Jan 3rd, our little girl, Alaina Renee, decided she wanted to come see what the fuss was about even though she was nearly 3 months early. Oddly, my other step-sister's birthday is Jan 3rd - so that was quite a birthday gift!!! Alaina weighed only 1 lb 12 ounces when she was born and was only 12 inches long, but all things considered, she is doing well. Today she actually made it to 2 lbs and 1/2ounce (hey when you are that tiny every little bit helps). She does have a hole in her heart which I guess is common for babies that are this premature. The doctors hope that it will close on it's own, but they are going to give it some time first.

So - I was working 2 jobs until this past weekend - Saturday I got a call not to come into work and that they had closed the Longhorn location that I had worked at permanently. I had heard rumors that they were closing the place 2 weeks after I began working there, so I was not really surprised. I actually got the second job at Steak and Shake because I had heard this rumor - figured it was better to have something else to fall back on if they did close unexpectedly. It's all worked out for the better though - I make better money at Steak and Shake and I like it more.

So after several months of craziness, I am now back at home and working only 1 job again. I am not quite sure what to do with myself. I am looking forward to getting back to my stitching and beading again although I did find a bit of time for myself to work on those things even with all the chaos in my life as of late. Of course, when I came back home, I had to give up use of the truck and it has been really hard getting used to riding the bus again. It eats a great deal of time out of my day. Hopefully, I will have some new pictures to post soon.

And last but not least, they have started my Dad on IV chemo. He had his first treatment on Jan 6th and so far has tolerated it well. Other than being extremely fatigued, he has not really had any side effects (knock on wood that it stays that way). If I had my choice between hair loss, nausea, vomiting, or fatigue, I would take the fatigue any day.

Ok - so that is all in my little bit of the world. I keep saying that I hope to be able to post more often, but this time I hope I can actually stick to it!

Wow - It's been a month and...

Holy cow!!! It's been over a month since I have blogged and so much has happened in that time! I want to start with first things first though and blog about the monthly challenge for the Etsy Bead Weavers Group. I normally put in plug before this time - but have been so busy that I have not had a chance to do so to this point (more on that later).

Anyways, for winning the art deco challenge with this bracelet, I was allowed to choose the theme for September's challenge. I chose the theme of "Animal Instincts" as I thought that this was a fun theme - that could go so many directions. Obviously, there is the obvious animal themed pieces - and then I thought that you could also go with whatever brings out the animal instincts in you? In other words, what's your passion? I have a peyote stitched cuff halfway designed for this challenge but knew I would not be able to get the beads for this in time - so you will just have to wait to see this finished piece.

Once again my fellow Etsy Bead Weavers did NOT disappoint. The pieces are unique, interesting and most definitely show those animal instincts coming through. And so - without further delay, it is time once again for the monthly Juleseys. (Thank you to Susan of Dream Bead Weaver Designs for suggesting the name of my awards....it gave me a wonderful chuckle.)

Best use of teeth: This stunning cuff by The Beaded Lily
Best use of feathers: This spectacular necklace by Beads and Blooms
Best clasp: This fun bracelet by Smadar's Treasure
Best fishy theme: This gorgeous purple bracelet by Enchanted Beads
And last but not least:
Best Halloween piece - that also can double for an entry into the challenge: this necklace by Spring Colors.


Here is my disclaimer on these awards - these are entirely for fun and are of my own design and choosing. If you are not chosen, I mean you no harm - just ran out of ideas...lol.


Ok - so now for some personal updates from my neck of the woods.

I have started a new job at Longhorn Restaurant. I started there on 09/25 and so far I like it although it is entirely different from anything that I have done before. I have never worked in the food industry before - and I have discovered new muscles that I never knew I had as I can hardly move by the time I get home at night. I am not used to working 8-12 hours with no breaks or lunches. However, the money is better - and for that I am grateful.

So things are going well there - and then I find out Sunday that they are closing this restaurant in December. So I will be looking at the end of this month again for another job - the one big plus for me on this was the fact that it is walking distance of my house. With no car, this was saving me a ton of time on the bus. I will put in applications again with all of the restaurants in the area and perhaps I will be lucky enough not to have to start riding the bus again.

My stepsister is doing well with her pregnancy - she had a procedure done called shrod khar (I believe this is the spelling) where they sew the cervix shut. She is at 14 weeks at this point - so if you could all keep sending those good thoughts, prayers and vibes our way, I would really appreciate it.

I've not had much time - or energy - to do any beading. I have been doing some cross-stitching here and there for Rosa's baby project - the baby is here now so I have to get moving on it!

That's about all from here! Hopefully I will be able to get some more posting done this month!

Well - It's that time again!

It is time once again to vote for the monthly challenge with the Etsy Beadweavers group! The challenge this month was "Complimentary Contradictions" and after much thought - I came up with nothing....lol. So no entry from me this month. However the choices are once again fabulous and so here are my awards for this month:

Best use of flowers: This adorable bracelet by Grandma Marilyn.
Best use of wooden rings: This wonderful bracelet by These Precious Things.
Best use of rhinestones: This fabulous cuff by Cigar Box Beads.
Best use of circles and squares: Ok - so I couldn't pick just 1 as there are 2 amazing winners for this one:
This stunning necklace by Dream Bead Weaver and this fabulous necklace by Beader Jojo.

Last but not least I am giving out an award that I never DREAMED I would be giving out....but the best use of a potholder (yes, you read that right) goes to Vanishing Pearl for her whimsical potholder.

These awards are of my own design and choosing. If I did not include you - I mean no offense - these are simply for fun and to share some of the amazing talent seen on this group.

Since I was the winner of the art deco challenge for August, I was given the honor of choosing the theme for October. I have chosen the theme of "Animal Instincts." I cannot WAIT to see what this talented group comes up with for this challenge!

Please take a few moments to go check out the entries for this month's challenge and see what we have been creating!!!