Did I mention how excited I am? Have you been to a Renegade Craft Fair?
Renegade!
May 10, 2010
I am so excited that this year (more specifically, next weekend), THE Renegade Craft Fair will be making it's first appearance in Austin! I have yet to decide which day(s) I will attend, but I hope to stop by a few of these shops while I'm there:
World Lupus Day 2010
Today is World Lupus Day, a celebration of Lupus awareness and a day of remembrance for those who suffer from Lupus and those who have lost their life to Lupus.
Today, I will be remembering my mother, who battled Lupus for most of her life. She never complained about her hardships with Lupus. She never let it interfere with being a mother or wife or friend. And though having Lupus can be lonely and disheartening, she was the most hopeful, positive, and upbeat person I've ever known. She was a social butterfly that continually reached out to comfort others, and often put the needs of her friends and family before her own. I think I can safely say that she is continuing to watch over her loved ones from above. She truly was an angel here on Earth.
You can find out more information here:
Are you wearing purple* today?
*Lupus Awareness is signified by the color purple and the butterfly. May is Lupus Awareness Month.
Fancy Pots
April 20, 2010
I love plants. And gardens. And pretty much anything green and flowery. Several years ago, I attempted to sprucen up some plain terra cotta pots with some acrylic paint. They've held up pretty well because they house indoor plants, but I doubt they would have lasted as long outdoors. Then I found this lovely picture via Modish.
Aren't they gorgeous? Jena posted a great tutorial on how to prep & paint terra cotta pots so that they withstand the outdoor elements. I think I may have to put this tutorial to use this weekend, if the weather stays nice.
Here is my version of a fancy pot. I made some similar to these to hold the table assignments for our wedding reception. (If you follow me here, you've probably already seen this tutorial :) )
Materials:
Terra cotta pots, ribbon, hot glue gun
Tutorial:
Start by hot gluing one end of the ribbon to the pot (picture 1), then pull the ribbon straight down along the side of your pot, holding it on the glued edge, so it doesn’t move around (2). Make sure once more that the ribbon is straight, then place a glue line along the bottom edge of the pot (3) and press the center of the ribbon down first, then pull either side further in and press down so that the ribbon curves to the pot (4). I should also note that I left the ribbon on the spool while gluing it to the pot and only cut after the end of the ribbon was glued to the bottom of the pot.
Repeat steps 1-4 for each quadrant of the pot. I glued the first two across from each other, and likewise with the second two so that there was even spacing amongst all the strips:
Then repeat steps 1-4, gluing two ribbon strips between each quadrant strip:
Do this until your entire pot is covered. I personally like the overall look of darker ribbon because it is less see through, but that’s just me. After the pots were covered, I went back and hot glued these thinner ribbons using the same method.
I would love to plant some herbs in these tiny pots, although I'm not sure how the ribbon would hold up against moist dirt- I don't want it to get moldy. I may have to line them with something (a plastic bag? foil?) before using them as planters.
Or they would also make for some cute containers for my craft room.
Aren't they gorgeous? Jena posted a great tutorial on how to prep & paint terra cotta pots so that they withstand the outdoor elements. I think I may have to put this tutorial to use this weekend, if the weather stays nice.
Here is my version of a fancy pot. I made some similar to these to hold the table assignments for our wedding reception. (If you follow me here, you've probably already seen this tutorial :) )
Materials:
Terra cotta pots, ribbon, hot glue gun
Tutorial:
Start by hot gluing one end of the ribbon to the pot (picture 1), then pull the ribbon straight down along the side of your pot, holding it on the glued edge, so it doesn’t move around (2). Make sure once more that the ribbon is straight, then place a glue line along the bottom edge of the pot (3) and press the center of the ribbon down first, then pull either side further in and press down so that the ribbon curves to the pot (4). I should also note that I left the ribbon on the spool while gluing it to the pot and only cut after the end of the ribbon was glued to the bottom of the pot.
Repeat steps 1-4 for each quadrant of the pot. I glued the first two across from each other, and likewise with the second two so that there was even spacing amongst all the strips:
Then repeat steps 1-4, gluing two ribbon strips between each quadrant strip:
Do this until your entire pot is covered. I personally like the overall look of darker ribbon because it is less see through, but that’s just me. After the pots were covered, I went back and hot glued these thinner ribbons using the same method.
I would love to plant some herbs in these tiny pots, although I'm not sure how the ribbon would hold up against moist dirt- I don't want it to get moldy. I may have to line them with something (a plastic bag? foil?) before using them as planters.
Or they would also make for some cute containers for my craft room.
Health Care in America
March 22, 2010
I have believed for some time now, that health care in this country has been an issue overlooked. I know it's an issue that causes much controversy and distress for many people, but I also think that over time, it will be a positive change for many, many, many lives. I know a few other women who have had their share of health issues and insurance woes. By no means does my story even remotely compare, but here it is:
In 2001, I developed a strange rash on my legs that, over a period of 5 or 6 months, continually got worse and started spreading to my torso, arms, and, at one point, my face and head. Thankfully, although I was going to school at the time, my parent's insurance continued coverage on dependents through the age of 25. I had insurance, I had access to doctors both at the University and through my parent's insurance that were good, and I (well, more like my parents) was able to afford the numerous appointments that I made during this period to try to figure out what was going on. After almost 6 months, I finally got a diagnosis for both the rash (vasculitis) and an autoimmune illness (lupus, which my mom also had). Thankfully, after receiving the diagnosis, I found a really great rheumatologist and began treatment that caused the rash to go away and solved a number of other ailments that I had (which had been caused by lupus).
Over the last 9 years of living with this illness, I am so lucky to have a very mild version of if. I have had no organ involvement, and only deal with ongoing joint pain and fatigue which I have learned to live and control. Nevertheless, at the age of 25, after being hired at a small firm, I found myself in a panic because I was on the verge of being without health insurance. My parent's insurance would no longer cover me, my company, because of it's size, did not offer group insurance (although if it would have, I probably would not have qualified- simply because the pool would have been too small), and I could find NO individual insurance policy that would accept me. Even though I had little health problems, because I had received a diagnosis of a pre-exisisting condition, no one would qualify me for health insurance. It was very stressful to go through this realization, and ironically, stress is a contributing factor to how lupus affects me (stress = pain & fatigue). I wondered why someone with health issues, who is already probably suffering in more ways than one, would be forced to go through such a stressful ordeal.
Finally, after coming to the conclusion that 1) I had a pre-existing condition and 2) I could not qualify for insurance I learned that my only option was to go on COBRA insurance for 18 months and then, when that ran out, I would be able to get on Texas Risk Pool insurance (although I've heard that once you go on that, you can't get on normal health insurance again, even if it's group- this may or may not be true). Again, I was thankful that I was in a position that I could actually afford the high monthly insurance payment ($500- almost as much as my apartment rental payment). I was on COBRA for almost 12 months, at which time I moved in with my soon-to-be fiance/now husband and, luckily, I was able to get on his insurance as a domestic partner.
So many aspects of my story are really just luck. I am lucky that I was diagnosed with lupus relatively early- sometimes a diagnosis can take years. I am lucky that I have a stable, well paying job. I am lucky that my husband works at a large company with group insurance. I am lucky that my illness has been in check for the most part and I have not needed serious treatment and can continue to work. I am lucky that I have a good selection of doctors and a wonderful rheumatolgist that my insurance covers. Many people are not so lucky, and those are the ones who will hopefully benefit the most from this new plan.
In 2001, I developed a strange rash on my legs that, over a period of 5 or 6 months, continually got worse and started spreading to my torso, arms, and, at one point, my face and head. Thankfully, although I was going to school at the time, my parent's insurance continued coverage on dependents through the age of 25. I had insurance, I had access to doctors both at the University and through my parent's insurance that were good, and I (well, more like my parents) was able to afford the numerous appointments that I made during this period to try to figure out what was going on. After almost 6 months, I finally got a diagnosis for both the rash (vasculitis) and an autoimmune illness (lupus, which my mom also had). Thankfully, after receiving the diagnosis, I found a really great rheumatologist and began treatment that caused the rash to go away and solved a number of other ailments that I had (which had been caused by lupus).
Over the last 9 years of living with this illness, I am so lucky to have a very mild version of if. I have had no organ involvement, and only deal with ongoing joint pain and fatigue which I have learned to live and control. Nevertheless, at the age of 25, after being hired at a small firm, I found myself in a panic because I was on the verge of being without health insurance. My parent's insurance would no longer cover me, my company, because of it's size, did not offer group insurance (although if it would have, I probably would not have qualified- simply because the pool would have been too small), and I could find NO individual insurance policy that would accept me. Even though I had little health problems, because I had received a diagnosis of a pre-exisisting condition, no one would qualify me for health insurance. It was very stressful to go through this realization, and ironically, stress is a contributing factor to how lupus affects me (stress = pain & fatigue). I wondered why someone with health issues, who is already probably suffering in more ways than one, would be forced to go through such a stressful ordeal.
Finally, after coming to the conclusion that 1) I had a pre-existing condition and 2) I could not qualify for insurance I learned that my only option was to go on COBRA insurance for 18 months and then, when that ran out, I would be able to get on Texas Risk Pool insurance (although I've heard that once you go on that, you can't get on normal health insurance again, even if it's group- this may or may not be true). Again, I was thankful that I was in a position that I could actually afford the high monthly insurance payment ($500- almost as much as my apartment rental payment). I was on COBRA for almost 12 months, at which time I moved in with my soon-to-be fiance/now husband and, luckily, I was able to get on his insurance as a domestic partner.
So many aspects of my story are really just luck. I am lucky that I was diagnosed with lupus relatively early- sometimes a diagnosis can take years. I am lucky that I have a stable, well paying job. I am lucky that my husband works at a large company with group insurance. I am lucky that my illness has been in check for the most part and I have not needed serious treatment and can continue to work. I am lucky that I have a good selection of doctors and a wonderful rheumatolgist that my insurance covers. Many people are not so lucky, and those are the ones who will hopefully benefit the most from this new plan.
Music Wednesday
March 17, 2010
In honor of the first official day of the SXSW music festival in Austin, I thought I would share some tunes that I'm loving right now:
Happy Listening!!
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