3-D Challenge

This challenge has my name written ALL OVER IT! Yes! It does!

I have lots and lots of ideas for this but I have been busy!

First... nothing is keeping this woman down! September 19th... one day after my 51st birthday... I am declared in remission! Yes! I am! Hallelujah! Praise God Almighty! He is good to His children... even the disobedient ones... I never once doubted He would heal me... I may have been impatient lots of times... but I believed in His healing touch...

This is the face of a happy 51 YO in remission...

Horror of horrors to me ... I lost my eyebrows to the chemo... and lots of hair too but I did my research... Biotin, 5K daily, helped with the hair growth... Maybelline eyebrow pencil... draw in the eyebrows... this upsets me to no end... may as well do that with a Sharpie! :-\ Tattooing has been suggested ... but I am a WIMP! :-\ I'm thinking of going with the bangs again... but may wait a bit on that... I put on 60 of the 85 pounds I lost... because of meds and... get this... menopause! Hmph...that's what Dr. Cruz tells me... I don't think bangs look good on me when my face is so full. I've been walking in the mornings and working with my KettleWorks DVD and bell. :) I have a plan! lol ;)

Recently... I caught a terrible cold! Just in time for... a new job... Yes! I got a job! Well, kinda... it's seasonal... but I also decided I need to do something different and I just can't decide what that different is yet.

But anyway...

 

I made this little tag... I think... for the most part... I am kinda happy with it. I used Crafty Secrets and TAC stamps. The dress form is layered over large Glue Dots so it pops up off the tag. I made the feet of the dress form with wire! Thimble is made from metal paper. Stamped the thread bobbin and wrapped it with string. Slid a small strip of wire through a pearl bead and wha-la! :) I like it! I added tulle to the dress form for the skirt and trimmed the tulle with Stickles Stardust. Love this! Got the Stickles from my favorite online store, Raisin Boat. Added some beads to the top of the dress form because even a dress form should wear jewelry! ;) lol

 This is the back of the tag. I added flowers, flowers and more flowers... and to break that up a bit... a tiny butterfly trimmed in Stickles. :) What do you think? Did I ramble a bit? ;) lol

Unanswered Prayers

I sit here thinking of Garth Brooks' song by the same title and can't help but feel the same... maybe not for the same reason... but in awe of how God guides us in His plan.

I prayed God would change things for me at the office... I prayed for something quite differently and my prayers were not answered as I requested... but I was removed from the horrible work environment that weighed heavy in my life. I wouldn't leave this job that had become a living nightmare because of the fear of losing health insurance. For the longest time, I kept dreaming of doing something completely different from what I was doing. I felt my hands were tied in all of this... completely without any control over my life because of leukemia and my need for health insurance.

I did lose my job. The day I lost the job, I was surprised at how calm I was. I expected to be quite hysterical. The days since, I have felt absolutely fabulous. No headaches, no tummy troubles. My MD had told me a few months back to reduce the amount of stress in my life because it would alleviate a lot of symptoms and would be better for my heart and quality of life... and know what? He was right on the money!

I've discovered there is help out there available for me to overcome some of the obstacles I saw in my path. One of the things about the COBRA is the cost of the premium ... worst case scenario ... I would have to go to UMC and apply for financial assistance with them. Only issue I saw with that is I would have to switch doctors. Today, Dr. Cruz informs me he is relocating to San Antonio. Gonna have to switch MDs after all. I cannot receive assistance with my meds unless I have no health insurance. I am gonna pay my COBRA premium as long as I can... but the day I can no longer pay for it ... I have help waiting in the wings. :)

I went to a temp agency to sign up for an infamous call bank center job. I worked there before I found a permanent job. It was a nightmare! I was prepared to go back there in order to remain employed in some capacity. In reviewing my application, I explained to the recruiter that I was really looking for something different. I didn't want to sit behind a desk answering phones, filing, faxing, copying or dealing with the ins and outs of an office environment anymore. He had a position I might be interested in... get this... I can work 8-4, 4-12 or 12-8. Shifts run from Sunday through Wednesday and Wednesday through Saturday... at a weigh station for trucks. No phones, allowed to bring books to read and pays about $5 less per hour. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this job! I have some money left from the settlement from my "little accident" back in 2009. Jay still lives at home and agreed to do so until the house was paid off which is in about five years. Jay tells me ... he's got my back. :) I chose the 12-8 shift and I don't care if it's Sunday through Wednesday or Wednesday through Saturday. Eight o'clock will be my five o'clock... I can run errands, schedule my medical appointments, do my shopping... take Jay to work at 12:30... come home and sleep in the quiet house all evening... get up and pick him up at 9 and get ready for work. This is an older neighborhood. I haven't seen any kids playing in the neighborhood in the evenings. Even if that were to change... I am deaf in my left ear and can easily block out sounds by sleeping on my right side. :) I have dark drapes that block out light... PERFECT! Drapes are brown and my bedroom is in white but if that really starts to bother me... I am sure I can find drapes in a color to match... I like to match... I like things to match. :) Plus ... when I use to get off at 5 ... I found it difficult to walk for my health ... it almost never failed ... heat, rain, or more heat ... at eight in the morning ... the heat has not set in! :)

The amount of stress that disappeared from my shoulders has been liberating. I feel wonderful!

Today ... Dr. Cruz tells me I am in deep remission ... no leukemia cells at all! Praise God!

God may not answer all prayers ... but He answers what we need. :)

Happy Dance Time

I have some great news! I have a job starting on the first! Happy, happy dance!

I have been unhappy at the office since after the new year when they announced the realignment. When they announced the realignment, our office BARELY escaped the cut! We've been on probation and had a review every three months. We flew through the first one but did not do so good on the last one. I knew my layoff was coming I was just hoping I would survive the cut. Bits and pieces of my job kept getting passed to someone else. But I kept being told we would always need someone to answer the phones. :-\

Since the realignment, the manager who got demoted had been horrible to work with! Foul moods... yelling... some serious carrying on... It had become VERY stressful! My MD kept telling me that reducing stress would alleviate a LOT of my symptoms. I was always ... psshhhh ... but since I have not been to the office ... I feel super great a OK! :) lol Phones were horrid! Callers were always complaining about no one returning their calls and not wanting VM anymore. I cannot even begin to tell you how horrid it was! I'd been wanting to leave but felt like I had to stay for the insurance.

I had prayed for a change and although this is not really what I was expecting it came. I feel so much better about things. I have faith God has His hand in my life and all will come out OK. There's COBRA to help with medical bills and with lack of steady income, I actually qualify for a few programs to help with meds and maybe even medical bills. :)

The other thing I've always prayed for too is a companion. Sometimes it has been hard because when life got rough, I had no one to discuss these things with... there were times I lost faith and had no one to help guide me back ... I always had to do these things alone.

I've always thought alone was not too bad. It never felt lonely before. Cancer changed all that. I felt so lonely whenever I had to go to labs and I would be the only one sitting by myself. When a decision had to be made one way or the other about treatment plans, I was the only one making the decision. But I also know that it is better to be alone than to be lonely with the wrong person.

I've looked back over the past year and some new friends came and some old friends went. I may not have that one special companion I wanted but I have three male friends I can count on to help with vehicles, home repairs and for a good time. I did lose the one I hoped would be a companion, but time showed him to be the player everyone kept telling me he is... sometimes ... I insist on discovering things for myself! :-| I remember when we dated there were lots of times I felt lonely anyway ... not so good ...

I'm very happy with my life right now and have great faith all will be OK. :)

Shabby Chic ...

what is it about those two words that always makes me stop and have a look? I. Like. It. Yes! I wish I could do my home in shabby chic... I just cannot seem to get the hang of it! :( But I keep trying.  I will show you how I try ...

First I made this horrid mess...

To make this ... my interpretation of shabby chic ... it has lace, doily, butterflies, pearls, flowers, vintage photo, embossing ... is that shabby chic?

I hope it is shabby chic ... I made it for another swap and the theme is shabby chic. :-\

Can't Seem To Get it Right!

Well, now, so the Raisin Boat Challenge I wrote about yesterday turned out to be a fiasco for me. I went to submit my blog entry and the challenge had been closed! I thought I had until midnight of the 12th and I guess I didn't. I will be perfectly honest. I bawled like a big baby. But let me make an excuse. I had labs yesterday so I was already pretty emotional. The disappointment just cut to the quick! :(

With that said ... today I discover ... to my horror again ... I've missed the deadline for the Bazzill Card Swap! I did not read the guidelines correctly. I thought I read I had until September 15th to post mark my submission. It actually has to be at Bazzill by the 15th. So I worked on this cute little card till the wee hours of the morning and did get it done but the clincher ... I need 10 of them! :(

So I can't seem to get it right just about now but in all honesty ... I have leukemia! I just moved! Now ... I was laid off today! :( Ugh!

Every cloud has a silver lining ... the glass is always half full ... one door closes and another opens ... sometimes it gets hard to be cheery all the time. I would really like to be taken care of for once. But now is not the time to rant! :) I have something to show you!

This is the card I made for the Bazzill Card Swap. I have nine more all set to be made ... just need to put them together. :)

I thought it came out pretty gosh darn cute! ALL the paper is Bazzill ... card stock and printed paper ... twine is Divine Twine by Whiskers Graphic. The stamp ... of course ... Raisin Boat, Howl-ween Hounds. Too cute for words!

A close up of the 3-D on the dog image:

I stamped the image on the card stock. Cut a second image of the dog and finished with a third image of the jack-o'lantern to give it depth.

So ... if you read this post in its' entirety ... you know I have been laid off and am taking it pretty well ... considering I have cancer and still on meds. :-\ But it's a secret. I am not ready to tell everyone so keep it to yourself. :) lol

I Love Red ...

... and bling! But what girl doesn't?!? ;)

Before my little diagnosis, I wore red a lot and my signature line was *Lady In Red*. ;) Now I am *Lady in Blue, Green, Purple or Black* haha ... the disease brought on rosacea and I am ruddy faced so the red just won't do anymore. Ugh ... vanity!! :(

I have been absent much lately. I moved over the Labor Day weekend into our new home! Yay for me! I'm a first time homeowner! :)

On a sad note, we lost a powerful presence in our family. My BIL passed away September 5th. Prayers for my sister, Lilly. She's a soft, strong woman and will be OK but is filled with grief right now and we all know ... there's no cure for that but time ... and prayers.

My NIL had a baby shower on September 8th. I made her ... well ... in the process of making her a pregnancy journal. You KNOW I will be on here when I am done to share that with you! ;)

I have swaps I signed up for that are due starting on the 15th and I am beside myself! I really did not think it would take this long for me to unpack! 8-O Yes! I really had that insane thought ... but I will get these done because I meet my obligations!

On that same token, I wanted to post this card by the 12th to submit it to Raisin Boat blog for their challenge that is due today! I thought I had more time and I am finding out .... not so much! :-\ But I did get this one done ... and in time ... now to share!

The challenge involves this sketch.

I saw something like this on Pinterest with red on red with some white and bling and I had to come up with my own and here it is! :)

Red card stock from my stash, printed paper from Stampin' Up, tinsel embossing powder from Michael's and ... bling, ribbon and stamp set, Forever Love, from my favorite online store, Raisin Boat! Have I mentioned that before?  ;) lol

This is a close up of the bling. The embossing did not photograph well but that is probably because of poor lighting in my home. Easy fix for when Jay comes home. I have the light bulb but I don't dare get up on a ladder!

Also, had to show you this ribbon! I hadn't seen it before and now that I saw it ... I must have it! ;)

Traffic to my blog has died down over the past few years but I am gonna have to fix that! I think I am gonna offer some blog candy on FB and Pinterest. See if I can get some interested generated on here. :) I'm such a showoff! ;)