Busy Bee Is Me!

Been busy finishing up 2 more Moo Dolls these last few days, pictures to follow later this week. I have a goal to create 10 more dolls to have my stock ready to list. I'm also in the process of getting my lightbox sorted out. I figured I should probably get on the ball with it since the weather will be turning sharply cooler later this weekend and that will draw an end to my outdoor photo sessions. I just need to figure out if I need to buy a few extra desk lamps (the small variety) to help light up the inside. I'm going to see how tissue paper diffuses the lighting.So much experimenting with lighting and good photos! I should take pictures of my light box progress so you can see how I made one ^_^ I also plan on adding some gingerbread men into the Tumus store as well so keep an eye out for those as well ^_^ I haven't decided if these will be bowl fillers or ornaments. I must first make up a pattern!

Sore Hands

I'm not sure what's been going on with my right hand in the last year but it's seriously starting to feel stiff and a bit swollen. I'm only 28 so it's hard to consider that it could be arthritis. It runs in my family and my grandma said that they diagnosed her around 38 for it.Well poot. I don't want it that's for sure. My doc thinks it's just tendonitis which i could also see, but I can't really tell. All i know is that it hurts after a loooong day at the computer. (Yeah and here I am typing this up lol!) So working 8 normal hours then OT is probably aggravating the whole thing. I've been self medicating with Advil and cold/hot therapy when I can. I'm tempted to try the Willow Bark tea, but haven't been able to get over to the natural food store.Despite all of this I've forced myself to be productive and when my hand hurts too much to sew or grip a small needle, I cut things out. So today I made a new pattern, cut out more sweater hearts, and thought of another pattern I'd like to try with my more colorful felt ^_^ Trust me it will be cute.I'd like to tell myself that my "flare ups" would die down if I didn't do data entry as a full-time job, but maybe that's just a longing to sell my craft full-time and to not be sitting at a desk for hours.*Looks longingly outside the window* The trees are very very pretty today. It's finally cooled down enough to make it feel crisp and clean. Pretty soon all that color will be swept away and winter will fall soft and cold.

October?

Well that time of year is rolling in. I'm feeling festive enough already. In fact my candy corns have been doing remarkably well. I'm so glad I made them because I did them on an absolute whim, but I'm so pleased with them ^_^Everyone's starting to talk about flu shots and such around my area and the local pharmacies and drug stores have their booths set up. But frankly I'd rather use a more natural defense like Echinacea.My mom always cracks up when I tell her I've been drinking my Echinacea tea whenever the Office Ick stirs up. She's one of those people who think that all that hearbal stuff is nonsense, but if it works for me then it works.Here's some other tid bits that might perk your interest:-Natural Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been proven to have anti-inflammatory qualities to it, much like Ibuprofen. Unfortunately it has to be super fresh. Which means the bottled stuff at your local grocer probably isn't going to have enough "zing" to it to calm your aches and pains. However for those who live in Europe your chances of getting the good stuff are significantly higher!-Vitamin C can help quell allergy symptoms. Drink up me hearties! Drink up! That little orange can help with your sneezing from sinus woes to weezing from asthma. Just like EVOO, Vitamin C can pack a mean punch in the inflammatory department. You have to ingest a decent amount to see marked improvements, but along side your daily multi-vitamin an extra glass of OJ wouldn't hurt as well. I've actually tried this before and while it won't STOP the symptoms it will decrease them, especially if you're consistent with your in take of the stuff :)-Willow Bark Tea, specifically White Willow is just as effective as aspirin in the pain department without all the nasty side effects (like stomach ulcers from taking too much aspirin). It's an ancient remedy and reading on the history of aspirin itself I discovered that the main ingredient that makes aspirin so effect is VERY similiar to the pain relieving substance found in the White Willow. I've heard it tastes bitter and in order to brew it you'll have to soak it for up to 8 hours. Still if it beats the chemical why not try it? I've also read that when taken on a regular basis that it can help with migraine management, bonus!-Cilantro! I LOVE this leaf. I put it in salsa, salads, tomato soups, and sometimes in my rice with chicken. It's just so tasty! And lo and behold it's got antioxidants in it. Cilantro and Coriander are close friends. Cilantro is the leafy part and the seeds are Coriander. Weak Coriander tea can even help with colic in children.Other good foods & herbs:TomatoesArtichokesDillCinnamonSpinachSoy MilkWhole WheatPlain YogurtPeppermintSalmonThere are so many others but these are some of my favorites. Even with the cold and flu season lurking around the corner here in the States it's nice to know there are other remedies other than just a flu shot ^_^**As well ALL natural/homeopathy remedies it's wise to consult your physician before starting any of these treatments**

Things to Do, Things to Finish

I had a delightful surprise earlier this afternoon when I somehow got an Etsy frontpage! I was actually an alternate and though this is the only screen shot I can find of my first appearance I'm very happy to be getting to the front for the first time ^_^ So VERY exciting. I really don't think I could have done it without the few friends that have made treasuries that have included me in them.There i am ^_^Now I have to finish up my siamese kitties an get those photographed! We are mowing the lawn so I'll have to wait a bit. :lol: ahh domestic chores ^_^

At the end of the tunnel there is always light!

Our internet is back and so is the power to the city! HOORAY!! It's great to feel normal again! SO. What did I do in my days of no internet? Why I was sewing of course ^_^ and maybe playing a little Lego Indiana Jones as well.Note the infamous "sweater pumpkin" that I've been talking about making for a few days now :lol: it's MADE! And I made a bigger one too ^_^I also just love the way these came out ^_^

Blow The Man Down, Blow The Man Down....

Oh my goodness. I can't believe the wind we had here on Sunday. It was bonkers, beyond bonkers. I'm talking sustained 60 mph winds, with gusts between 70-80 mph :LOL: It was CRAZY! And I was home alone with my cat while my fiance was at a car race in Mid-Ohio. So while we didn't get blown away and we were FAR from the worst of the damage they were reporting on Sunday night that there were nearly 200,000 customers without power.So Sunday was an intersting evening. After the wind died down (which wasn't till 9pm) it was dark, but you could hear the chainsaws roaring to life all over the neighborhood. I actually able to get to our local grocery store which hadn't lost power and get a few necessities. It was chaos though. You'd thought the world had gone mad the way people were tearing thru the place :( It's like we depend so much on electricity any more that when it's suddenly gone people act like they can no longer survive. It's ridiculous and sad all at once.We didn't loose power at our house, but everyone on the blocks around mine did. In fact 90% of Vandalia was without power all of Sunday night and most of Monday thru the following evening. When my fiance, Chris, finally did get home. He was very tired and had lots of stories to tell. The biggest one being that Cincinnati was almost entirely without power. That meant that it was REALLY bad and that the damage was very widespread. While we didn't loose power we did loose internet/cable. I'm very grateful that we didn't loose power, but it made communication or finding out what was happening very difficult especially since most local radio stations were having issues broadcasting because the wind knocked them off the air!The next morning I couldn't believe how many trees had been downed and uprooted. On Monday I actually drug myself into work (though we couldn't do anything because the phones were down and so was the internet (which my job depends on)). So I left at 11am to go home and help Chris start burning the numerous branches and trees that had fallen. Our back door neighbor was the worst on our block. She had 3 large silver maples and all three had substaintial sections missing and laying in her yard. Fortunately none of them hit the house. So we burned and chopped and drug and rustled thru piles of wood and leaves all of Monday. That evening I made some pumpkin bread and took it around to my neighbors to give them a little boost :) Chris' mom and step dad had to come over because they are on a well pump and without electricity it doesn't work. They were able to do some laundry and get showers. My family had minor damage to their house including loosing siding on the south facing side. They are still without power it's going on 3 days for them. I called them on their cell and their fine, but I still worry about them :( Some houses in our neighborhood lost sections of shingles and entire roofs! I don't remember how many deaths happened, but it's been a REALLY rough week so far. The restoration on power to our area as well as most of southwest Ohio are spanning into the weekend. Not having the internet or cable has allowed me to stay busy sewing and creating which is a definitely plus!It COULD be worse. I know we deal with tornadoes and earthquakes here in the midwest, but a mini-hurricane seems different :lol:I have interenet access here at work so I'll be able to access Etsy, but unfortunately updates to my store won't be happening any time soon. I apologize, but helping my neighbors get their yards cleared and making sure families are provided for falls first ^_^Take care and hold tight!

What the Deuce?

I think the office ick is making it's rounds again so my relaxing three day weekend has turned into a bit of a flu-fest instead :( Going to go to the doctor tomorrow as everything just aches. Hate that feeling. I can't do anything sewing related. I managed to eek out a small sweater pumpkin that looks lovely and when I feel better I'll have pictures up for you all to see, promise :)I did manage to make 2 loaves of bread on Friday. They were wonderful. I'm going to try a different recipe later in the week after I'm better. It was very tasty ^_^Till then take care and if you're on the Gulf Coast hope you're hanging in there! My prayers are with you!!