It's all about me!

Most, if not all of you, will remember the "No Make-Up Selfie" craze that swept social media last year. I duly took part on my personal FB page. I remember loving the unity between women as they complimented each other, understanding that a photo without make-up was a hard thing for many to do. There was sense of unity & it was lovely to see women supporting other women, not to mention the fantastic comments from lots of men. I also remember being surprised by the criticism about the craze. Cancer charities saw a rise in donations & it definitely raised awareness, which can only be good in my book!

It raised my awareness & prompted me to check myself as I'd not done so for a while. I then wished I hadn't, which was a stupid thing to think but better than the thoughts that raced through my head when I found a lump. I went to see my GP who talked about breast mice & dismissed any concerns around cancer or simple links to hormones & the migraines I'd experienced.  The GP went through the tick list for identifying cancer from a lump & mine didn't tick any of the boxes. I did what all internet savvy peeps do & googled breast mice as soon as I got home. Everything the GP had said tied in with what I read. I still felt a sense of disatisfaction with the GP's approach, but I breathed a sigh of relief & carried on as normal.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago. The lump seemed to be more uncomfortable on an increasingly regular basis. I was still convinced it was linked to hormones, although the migraines have become less frequent. It was really disconcerting to have a lump in my breast that I seemed to be increasingly aware of. I went back to the GP. The infamous breast mice were discussed ago. The difference was, this practitioner decided to take a "peace of mind" approach & referred me for tests.

6 weeks, 2 mammograms, 2 ultra sounds, 3 fine needle biopsies & a mammotome later I have a diagnosis of DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), described as pre-cancer cells, in the lump & another area. The spread of these cells means I am having a mastectomy & reconstruction in September. The after treatment will be decided after the removed breast tissue has been tested.

So, I have met my surgeon & have avoided the temptation to request 2 new Double D numbers! I know what to expect in September. As long as I have a plan I am fine. I will be busily preparing endless lists & filling in calendars in preparation for the family members who will be stepping in to cover my Mommy duties. My "Northern Bird" sister in law is intending to come round to devise a spreadsheet. The title of this blog entry stems from the numerous conversations we've had since all this started. She gets I don't want a fuss but is concerned for me at the same time. She expresses this through taking the pee out of me!! Her approach is perfect!

Obviously a mastectomy is a big thing to have, it took me a while to learn how to spell it properly. It's a big thing to have, both psychologically & physically. However, I am grateful it has been diagnosed now rather than further down the line when it could have been a lot more than pre-cancer cells. I only have a tiny idea of how someone would feel if being given a  true diagnosis of cancer. Whilst this is still a possibility, it should only be a small one. What will be will be.

The reason I am writing this is a) to save myself needing to send numerous texts to let people know or ruin completely pleasant conversations and b) to raise awareness. It was the someone starting a trend to raise awareness that has brought me on this path. I also want to say to people not to be afraid to question the professionals. I questioned mine, but I should have done it a lot sooner.  If I had not gone back to the doctors for a further explanation......well you can imagine the what ifs & maybes. I want my story to be a reminder to others both male & female to check all your lumps! If you have something suspicious, make sure you are thoroughly checked & examined. It's better to make a nuisance of yourself & be safe, rather than sorry.

In the meantime, I have a good few weeks to fit in work, holiday & fun with my boys. After the op I will have plenty of recovery time.  I will need to ensure I relax, which isn't my strongest assett. Guess what I'll be doing, other than hospital trips, sleeping etc, to fill my time......

                                                         

...............................CRAFTING!! Yay!

So, nothing more to see here. What are you waiting for? Off you go...go check yourself right now!!

Rainy Days!!

I am a lucky lady in that my day job means I have school hols to spend with my young men. Over the last year though it seems that 4 words go together: school ~ holidays ~ rainy ~ days!

I think many of us find trying to entertain young ones at indoor venues can soon add up to some expensive days. We've had a 'chilling' out day today > lego, puzzles, screen time, homework (cue face pulling / moaning) & more. The bit the boys have enjoyed the most though was making their own pizzas!

Our ingredients today were:

tomato sauce on the (large) bread roll bases
chopped sausage & ham
cheddar & red leicester cheese

The end result were actually very tasty. The big boy, who is a pizza conoisseur, said it was the best pizza he'd had in a long while...result!

 

 

 

What do you love to cook, either on your own or with others?



It's a hard life!!

I think my poor toddler is feeling the strain!!  We've had some busy weekends plus he's had extra hours at nursery due to me being on a course.

Tonight we've gone for comfort: a cup of hot chocolate with whippy cream, followed by a snuggle in my bed watching a DVD. He's gone to bed comletely calm & relaxed after reading "Don't forget the bacon" (again!!)

What do you do to relax your children or yourself? For me it's coffee and chocolate..everytime!!!




***Don't forget to keep an eye on the google site for new products >>>here. Contact me to order.

What makes your day special?

So, Sunday 10th March  2013 is Mothering Sunday.  By rights, Sundays are meant to be a day of rest.  That means Mothering Sunday should make  a Sunday even more restful, right?

Ha haa!! < yep, that's me laughing ironically. My day? Taking big boy to football, making card & jewellery orders/stock, cooking dinner, washing up, washing clothes (3 loads), bedtime, sewing cubs badges & more work.  Actually, I shouldn't complain, because today was a day when someone else was around for part of the day to entertain the young people, so it was a more restful than usual day!

Did all these 'jobs' make my Mother's Day any less special?  No. My children still brought me as much pleasure today with their hugs & kisses as they do any day. Their hand made cards will take pride of place on our picture wall & will make me smile for many days to come.  We sat together and enjoyed our meal with a "not just any chocolate fudge cake, but an M&S chocolate fudge cake" for desert.

With my beautiful little people, every day is my Mother's Day.

What was special about this day for you?

Share your craftiness!

I'm just sneaking in a post before the end of the 2nd month of the New Year! Can you believe that? Where's the time gone???

Family issues have meant many things have had to take a back seat over the last week or so, but as all parents know, when you have children, the show must go on!! I've been turning my creative craftiness to little jobs around the home. An unused pair of curtains have been trimmed and now fit the big boy's windows beautifully.  The toddler has a new set of laminated alphabet flash cards & fun dinosaur number cards.  All the resources were found online. 

Anyone that knows me, will tell you I am no Nigella in the kitchen (or anywhere else in fact!) but kids love to cook.  As a parent of 2, who works part time alongside my craft business, life is lived within the realms of a budget.  This means 'leftovers' are always turned into scrummy meals.  My big boy took charge of our latest offering. His ingredients were smoked salmon, sausage, peas, pasta & creme fraiche.  The end result was delish!!

 

Do you use leftovers or are you a chucker-awayer?  Do your littlies have any home made gifts or resources? I'd love to hear all about them....

We're not mentioning the 'S' word

Well, we all know what the weather's doing in a lot of the UK, so we are NOT going to talk about it here!

Having a love of all things crafty means I gain great pleasure from looking at what others can do. Some people are just so talented and creative.

The pony beads I've been selling are so popular. I've sold them at craft events as part of a bracelet making set but not much else.  I was curious to know what people are using them for, so have been asking buyers for feedback.  People have been so willing to engage and one lovely lady reminded me of things I've seen done in the past but had forgotten about.  Some people's fingers are deft enough for them to create all manner of fabbie things with pony beads. A quick google throws up a raft of blogs and tutorials.  This is just one of them: A Creative Blonde I will obviously have to have a go at making one. If you try it, let me know how you get on!!

Are any of you pony bead users? I'd love to hear what you get up to with them!!

 

Price matters!

I've been asked to create a range of cards for another business.  I have had to provide descriptions, postage and pricing with room for commission to be added.

The whole exercise has confirmed that I am not pricing my cards correctly. At times I think I just cover material costs which doesn't exactly bode well for someone with their own business!! It would be impossible to charge for time at an hourly rate, but a profit still needs to be made as well as costs covered.

I think that the price I attach to my cards needs to go a little way to reflect the time I've put in and the fact I am offering a unique product. Are you a crafter who has had the same issues? Or are you a customer - do you think hand made goods are priced fairly?

In other news, I am continuing to extend my business and have begun to dip my toes into the world of craft supplies. This has always been an aim. I love beautiful, papers, ribbons, buttons etc and have so much admiration for lots of clever crafters out there. As with everything in my life it's all about the little steps. I've already added a small range of ribbons to Sharkey Tees Gift Shop & Craft Supplies and there are now also barrel shaped pony beads. My toddler loves all the colours and has had to have his bag of them to play with!! Yet again my profit margin is narrowing ha ha!!