a new pincushion

I finished creating a new milk chocolate with white chocolate swirl truffle today for allyegator. (She requested one similar to my avatar.) It's been a month or so since I created a new chocolate pincushion. I really enjoyed sitting down with my needle and thread to create it. Thanks allyegator! :)

I have three finished chocolate tops that are waiting to be made into magnets or bookmarks. I have to decide.... hmmm... maybe I'll do both! A chocolate bookmark and a pair of chocolate magnets. I'll have to look at them again and figure it out. I'm kind of dragging today so I suspect that they'll stay in their current state a little longer. I've been having more good days than bad, but those bad days sometimes just seem to creep up on you. I definitely feel the pressure from it this morning. My next doctor's appointment is on Friday, it will be nice to hear about the results from the test I had last week. In the meantime, today is one of those days that I think I'll need to take it a little easier.

chocolates & radioactive scrambled eggs

I made these cute little chocolate candy tags for barneybetty today! It had been a little while since I had put together my little chocolates and I had fun cutting and pasting them into yummy candies. Thank you barneybetty for the order! :)

This morning I went to the hospital for the gastric emptying study. They had me eat some radioactive scrambled eggs (not yummy) so they could watch my digestion (or not). I had to lay still for an hour and a half in a confined space while the machine did it's job. I'm hoping that somehow I've gained some super hero trait through the radioactive eggs... at least maybe I could glow in the dark! :) I'll keep you posted! I'll get the results from this test next Friday when I see my gastroenterologist.

Hmmmm.... super hero traits... what would you choose as yours?

treasury, blossom, volleyball, & olympics

I am so happy to have been featured in another Etsy Treasury today! Thank you so much storybeader for adding my Sushi - California Roll to this great collection... This treasury is available for viewing until 11:00 pm Saturday night... so check it out and look at all the beautiful items made by my fellow EtsyBloggers! :)

I worked on two of the new Blossom Card patterns today. I completed one that will be a birthday card for one of my friends. I love the pattern combination. I can't wait to get photos taken and the new patterns listed!

I was supposed to play in a Women's Volleyball Tournament tomorrow. I called last Sunday and let them know I wouldn't be able to play.... that S.U.C.K.S... I just knew that I didn't want to let the team down if I wasn't feeling well. I'm glad to hear they have enough players and I know they'll probably win the tournament. It's a bunch of women that I really LOVE playing with AND we won last year. I think I did the right thing though as my stomach is still giving me a very uncomfortable time and I really didn't want the pressure of trying to pretend that I was feeling well and that everything was OK. This way I can look forward to putting in a few games on Sunday with no worry of letting anyone down, plus knowing that if I end up not feeling well I can just take a break or head home. It's depressing.

I am SUPER excited about the Olympics starting today! I LOVE watching, it doesn't matter which sport is on, I will be glued to the television as much as possible over the next couple of weeks! I'm such a geek... I always wished I could be an Olympian.... (da, da, ta-da, da, ta-da, da, ta-da) Can't you hear that music... and wow... to hear the National Anthem play when one of our athletes takes the gold... it's the best! :)

in progress & volleyball recap

In progress... Those two words can really mean a lot! I have many projects "in progress", dinner is "in progress", my life is "in progress... see what I mean! :) It could make you crazy!

Today I worked on two items that are on my project list for this week. The embroidered clippie is on the left. The flowers are looking so cute... that's what made me think to take photos of it "in progress!" I have a few more flowers to add to this one before I start the next one.

The project on the right is "in progress" as well. I thought that it was pretty cool how the chocolates were looking three dimensional as they sat there on my desk. I actually cut them out (see all those tiny zig zag cuts!) of one of my chocolate truffle pincushion photos. I thought they would make super cute little chocolate bookmarks. I've made some chocolate bookmarks out of felt and I love how they look but I got a little bug in my head when I saw some cute little photo magnet bookmarks at the bookstore. I had to come up with my own! :) The next thing I'll do is make a base with my logo on it and then they'll be almost finished. I haven't decided yet whether I'll offer them in my shop or whether they'll be a cool little "extra" with a purchase. It did take me an awful long time to cut them out... (I know, I'm anal retentive and it had to be perfect... but look at them... I think it was worth it!)

Let's see... It's Wednesday! That means it's time for the Volleyball League update! (Hope you were able to find my blog Brian and Laurel!) All right... all I can say is that it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING team play tonight! Special mentions must be made though! First of all... OH MY GOSH! Brian was ON FIRE!!!!! Blocking like c-r-a-z-y AND hitting like it was nobody's business... I'd be waiting by the phone Brian, because I think that you might get a call about making a trip to China to play for the USA... Yes... it was THAT good! :) Another special mention... this is to.... (drum roll) ART!!! (You know it Art!) All I have to say is, JUMP serve! Your serve gave us a great start in the first game AND it brought us from behind and finished the game for us in the second game. Plus, I could talk about your defense, hitting, etc., etc. You know... you just might want to wait by the phone too! :) Now not to leave anybody out... I know how y'all like to see your names here... Brent! OK! WOW! Great cover, digs, and step-in setting! (Sorry I didn't get you many sets tonight... I don't know what was up with me!) Garrett! CONSISTENCY! You always know that you can count on Garrett in a clutch play! He did everything well! :) Dale! Talk about some smart shots and great hits! Even when I didn't get you an optimum set you made a play out of it! Some terrific defense too! ...And last but not least JULIE! She was all about hustle! Diving after those balls! Covering the blocks! She was everywhere! ..and the hands... like BUTTER! Team great job tonight! Super fun... I always love it when we play against Jared's team... and once again they gave us a run for our money! (We won two out of three.) Great competition!

I'm up late tonight. I had to eat a big meal at midnight. I had some ribs, chicken, half a sausage, mashed potatoes, and the rest of the fixings. (I was instructed to eat lots of protein.) It felt very odd to eat that late and it was really difficult for me. Now... I have to stay up a little longer, I'm hoping to avoid being sick. Why did I do this, you ask? Tomorrow morning is my EGD. We're trying to find out what's going on with my stomach. Hence, the big meal at midnight. The doctor wants to see if my food is digesting properly along with some other fun and not so exciting things. I just want to start feeling better. The medication the doctor put me on for the past few weeks has made a HUGE difference. The nausea has stopped and I have made it through the night without having to get up and be sick. I only have had one small episode since I began this acid reducing medication. I am so happy to not feel seasick anymore.

I've been feeling a little anxious and nervous about the procedure for the last couple of days. I don't think I'm as nervous about the anesthesia and actual procedure as I am hoping that they are able to pinpoint the issue. I had so many tests done a couple of years ago and it was frustrating when nothing could be determined exactly. It made me feel like I was making it all up or being a hypochondriac or something. That's one of the reasons I went so long without following up about it again. I also tried to pretend I had it under control by never eating late, going to a bland diet immediately upon feeling the discomfort begin, and ignoring it the best I could. It finally got to the point where my dear husband had to tell me... enough is enough. And he was right. I was really starting to become a little depressed to be feeling like that more and more often. Keep your fingers crossed for me... maybe this time they'll have an answer.

I guess you could say that my health is also "in progress"...

brownie cards

Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm.... here's a photo of the peanut butter with fudge brownies I made Norm for his birthday last month. They were delicious AND pretty! I had printed out a couple of the photos to make a set of cards with and I finally listed them today. As I was putting them together, however, I realized I had made an error on the final size... I still put them together (a big step for me!) and they look really nice, but not perfectly matted. I listed them at a REDUCED price because of this little mistake. (Oh my gosh... as I'm writing this I'm looking at the photo and I'm getting a MAJOR sweet tooth... look away...)

You know... I have my bakery etsy site all set to go. I reserved the name back in August! I just haven't had the courage to list anything there yet. Another problem is that I procrastinate (surprise!). I know I have a tendency to "over think" each step and this can really get in the way of progress! I think my major hang up has been figuring out the best way to package the cookies so that they arrive in great condition. I think I'm going to have to do some trial runs so that I can overcome this worry. Hmmmm, I might have to see if I can find some volunteers who are willing to pay for shipping and a nominal "material" cost. That way I could do some initial orders at my other shop, test out the shipping, AND get feedback! I'm going to have to come back to this idea another day... My brain is too tired to think this out completely right now!

Hey! I felt good again today!!! AND I was able to play volleyball tonight! YEAH! I had a great time although I did feel like I was a half step behind all night. Sorry team! Did I mention how much I love my current team?! So much fun AND great personalities! Even when we lose (which we did twice tonight - at least we won one) we have a good time and no one gets crazy. I'm going to miss playing on Wednesday's for a couple weeks. My team has a bye next week and then the following week we'll be on vacation! It's just around the corner. Summer is REALLY almost here... ahhhh...

ps... got a call from the surgery center... EGD is scheduled for July 10th.

banner & avatar

Ahhhh... I felt MUCH better today. I still had some mild nausea, but nothing compared to the last couple of days! I started on the medication the doctor gave me to reduce the acid in my stomach so this may be what helped as well.

I've been working on Gigi's banner and avatar today. I've really enjoyed the challenge of coming up with a design that represents her shop. I'm looking forward to finishing it up in the next day or so once I make any adjustments or changes she'd like. It was fun to see the elements come together. I love how you start working on one part and soon you're working on the next section and then before long you realize you have a cohesive design! That's the best! That trial and error thing really works! :) I am definitely NOT an expert with photoshop yet... but I'm really enjoying learning a little more each time I work on a new project. It's a whole new art dimension for me! :)

Cami's last regular ballet class was today. The class was dress rehearsal for their BIG performance on Saturday. (Her other ballet class performance is on Sunday... busy ballet weekend!) I took some photos of her all dressed up in her costume. Doesn't she look so cute!?! I'll have to take pictures of her in her costume for the other performance. It's a totally different style. (She prefers this one because she thinks the other one is too "little girlish.") I also finalized her summer dance classes. She wanted to take 2 ballet classes and 1 jazz class... so she'll have 3 dance classes a week for a six week period during the summer. She sure does love her dance! Of course... we'll also make sure she has some good volleyball during the summer ! ;)

Leila is in the midst of finals this week. Poor thing... I sent her a goody box last week to help her through the all-nighter's. She'll come home Sunday for Father's Day and then head back after Cami's performance that night. She'll be back for her birthday next Wednesday.... SHE'S TURNING 21!!!! WOW! (my goodness... I guess this means I'm getting older.)

frustrated and discouraged

I'm skipping volleyball tonight. That's BAD!!!! Volleyball is one of those things that I hate to miss... Norm even teases me that he'll have to plan his funeral around my volleyball schedule! (I think he's joking!?!) I'm not going because my stomach is acting up again. I've been nauseous all day long (yesterday too). I slept a few hours this afternoon hoping I would feel better and want to go play, however, I kept waking up because of the discomfort. I realized I should cancel tonight so that I can rest up to feel better enough to play on Wednesday. That's what I'm shooting for... Volleyball on Wednesday!

I did have my appointment this morning with the gastroenterologist. I didn't care much for her, no bedside manner at all. Norm reminded me that I'm not there for someone to hold my hand (although I wish she would wave a magic wand or something). She gave me some medicine to begin taking tomorrow to help reduce the acid in my stomach. I'll take that for the next three weeks to see if it begins to help at all. She is also scheduling me for an EGD (Esophagastroduodenoscopy). That will happen within the next few weeks. (I'm waiting to hear what the exact date will be.) I'm frustrated and discouraged. I hope that we'll be able to pinpoint the problem soon...

so much better

My stomach was much better today. No nausea... YEAH! Since I was feeling so much better today I didn't call the doctor to be put on a waiting list. I can always call if things change. It felt great to get some things done today that have been put on the back burner the last few days. I ran to the grocery store, did some organizing, got the MINI washed, changed the linens in the guest room (my sister, her daughter, Kavyn, and Kavyn's friend arrive tomorrow), took photos of the new Blossom Clippy and LISTED it, took Cami to volleyball practice, cleaned the bathrooms, dusted, finished reading the book I have to discuss in Cami's class tomorrow, AND now I'm blogging all the exciting details! (Hope I didn't put anyone to sleep...)

I am very excited about how these little Blossom Clippys are turning out. I love how the flower is NOT flat. I actually shaped it like a little flower with the "petals" rising up from the center of the bloom. I tried to show this shaping in this photo... it doesn't quite do it justice. I cut out lots of various sizes and colors, they are sitting in a pile waiting for me to begin transforming them. I'll add another color combination soon. (Project list for next week!)

Let's see... as I wasn't feeling well yesterday I didn't give the Wednesday volleyball update. I'm sure I have some "players" anxiously awaiting to see their name in this recap, so here goes!

Our team won 2 out of 3 last night! Hooray! We played a VERY good team and I have to give a shout out to JARED who is an AMAZING player (so fun to watch) and is definitely the catalyst on that team to keep them excited and fired up! What a great team player!

Our team recap:
1. ART - MVP for the night! Great serves, hits, digs (DEFENSE!), etc., etc. :)
2. DALE - So glad he's back! (He's been fighting a sore knee.) It made such a difference to have his great defense and smart play. He's not allowed to miss any more games!
3. JULIE - My gosh... she had some UNBELIEVABLE hustle to get some difficult balls... to top it off she was doing all this WITH an injury! (Dale... not everyone rests when they're hurt... I'm just sayin' :) ....) Julie also gets the "team spirit" award for the night. She's so great at keeping all of us on track and focused. That's a pretty difficult job! :)
4. BRENT - Very solid passing, serving, and setting!
5. BRIAN - Hit some great 2's! Super nice passing and defense too!
6. TOM - SUPER substitute for the night! Great all around play! (Garrett, where were you?)

No wonder we won two out of three last night! All three games were very competitive and it was a very satisfying match. Great job team! :)

Time for me to shut down... my visitors should arrive before lunch and we have a full day planned!

purse listed

I listed the purse today! I finally decided to stop procrastinating (at least on one thing!)... I had hoped to accomplish more than I did today. I had an order from last night to package up, and I can't believe how long it took me to get it ready. I am definitely not feeling well... I can't concentrate and I feel VERY nauseous.

Tomorrow I will call the new doctor to see if they will put me on a list to come in earlier if they have a cancellation...

f r u s t r a t i o n

I've been having trouble with my stomach again... I had another episode (this means vomiting... I know, YUCK!) in the middle of the night Sunday and I've been feeling kind of nauseous with my upper abdomen area kind of tender ever since. It's time to actually follow up and get to a specialist. I thought I was keeping it "under control" but the reality is I'm not. I've had a couple episodes in the past two weeks and it worries me.

A year and a half ago I had multiple tests done and it was very frustrating to not have specific answers... the only thing we knew for sure was that my lipase levels were high for a few days so my doctor thought that my pancreas must be involved somehow, possibly pancreatitis. So I was put on a "bland diet" for a couple of weeks and then my levels evened out and I began to feel better. Every time I see this doctor (general practitioner) he has me do lots of blood work but I don't see how this has helped as I'm not always feeling the discomfort when I see him so then the blood work results are in the normal range. I'm tired of paying more than $500 to have blood work that isn't really telling us what's going on. I'm not going to mess around with my family doctor on this anymore. I became so discouraged because I had an ultrasound and other tests done, and there were no real findings... he made me feel like I was dreaming it up. Very depressing.

So... today I decided it was just time to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist. I have an appointment scheduled for June 9th. I feel a little better that I've taken some action toward trying to figure out why this keeps recurring. I guess the thing that I'm afraid of is that I'll go through a battery of new tests and still not know what's going on. Not to mention the cost... (sigh) I feel like crying.

OK... I have to think of something good now... Let's see... I worked on a couple of projects today! :) I cut out a new Blossom Card using some of the Amy Butler paper I bought over the weekend. I also made a new Blossom Clippy that should be ready for it's photo shoot and possible listing tomorrow.

I am ending the night on a good note... Paisley Skulls Blossom Card sold! I'll get it ready to mail to it's new home tomorrow in Glenside, PA! I love the message they are requesting... "hello sunshine"... It will be the perfect thing for me to start my day off with tomorrow... for now, goodnight moon.