8/26/15

Some Crafting and a Little Health Update

Hey everyone!  I just have to say, I have the BEST bloggy friends ever!  If any of you ever wanted to be a cheerleader, then I proclaim you have reached that goal.  I am so very humbled and grateful for the outpouring of love & prayers you've bestowed on me and The Man.  Because I get so many sweet emails asking for updates, I thought I'd give you a little progress report before sharing my crafty projects.  I am doing very well and feel quite good.  I only had one really bad night and the next day, but nothing I couldn't handle.  There has been no nausea, thank goodness, but extreme exhaustion.  There is a big learning curve to this whole "chemo-infused" body-thing.  I think the most difficult thing for me to learn is to listen to my body.  As women, mothers, grandmothers, we are used to pushing through fatigue because there are others who need us.  It's a hard lesson to learn when you are having chemo, but you have to become a bit selfish.....you simply must take care of yourself first or you will be of no use to anyone else.  I cannot imagine going through this if I had young children at home, so bless your heart if you are in that situation.  Ask for help!  Chemo-fatigue is not like any other I've ever experienced.  Your body just won't let you push through it; it simply stops you.....you can heed the subtle warning signs or you might just find yourself flat out on the floor.  No, that hasn't happened, but I came pretty close yesterday at the gym.  I know the importance of getting exercise to combat the fatigue, so I decided to go with The Man to see how I would do.  I pushed myself through an extra ten minutes on the treadmill and barely made it off & to a chair on my own power.  Now I know what that feels like and won't do that again!  I also realize that chemo-fatigue messes with my brain and would impair my ability to drive......DON'T DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY EQUIPMENT!  So does this mean I won't go back to the gym?  NO!  I will trust my body to signal when it has had enough.  Just a side note, I think I've mentioned before how peanut butter has become my BFF (best favorite food).  Well, that seems to apply to most any food that contains my BFF......I reached "Nutter-Butter Nirvana" when The Man brought that wicked little cookie into our home a few days ago!  I am already hooked, but save yourselves and stay away from this evil little morsel!

Okay, if you are still with me, I'd love to share a couple of small crafting projects I did last month.

The things I created are right here on these two bookshelves in my sitting room.

These orbs are kind of trendy right now, but can be expensive unless you make them yourselves.

Can you see what they are made from?

Yep, those are embroidery hoops!  Super easy to make, & they are all over Pinterest.  I'm already thinking how I will use them in my Fall decor!

The tutorial I used is HERE.  

I used two different sizes of hoops that I already had, stained them with some dark wax (already had) & touched here and there with some Antique Gold Rub'nBuff (already had).  This project cost me nothing except a bit of time, and we all love FREE, right?  Wouldn't some of the very small hoops make adorable Christmas tree ornies?  Yes, my mind is racing!

I found two of these mixed media type easels at Michael's back in July on sale -- this one and one slightly smaller.  One was $5 and the other $7.

I really like the antique-look stands.

This is the smaller one and is the one you saw next to one of the orbs on the bookshelves.  I've been wanting to do some mixed-media for awhile and had so much fun putting this together.

I have a lot of framed photos scattered all over our home, and decided to bring some of those  together into this little display piece.  With mixed-media, you have to open your mind to pulling lots of different elements together -- textures, ephemera & maybe even the kitchen sink!  You really cannot mess up!

I wanted this book to be mainly about The Man and I and our grandchildren, but I also included a photo or two of our kiddos since they are the reason we have the Grands!

I didn't put the pages in any kind of order & pulled most of the page decorations from my scrap paper drawer.

Some photos are in page protectors, but I added in quite a few additional photos as well.  Some of my Project Life 4x6 cards were the perfect backdrop for some smaller photos.

Most of the paper I used came from a Recollections scrapbook paper pad called Vintage Country.  The pad has actual burlap pages (I used that for my front cover) & paper that looked like burlap (as in the page above).  This paper pad would be fun to have for lots of crafty projects, not just scrapbooking.

I'm so pleased with both of these projects and see them being a mainstay of my decor for quite awhile.  They may or may not move from this location.....just sayin'!

Thank you so much for stopping by.   I always love hearing from you!

FYI:  I did much better at the gym this morning! 
I often party with these lovely bloggers:

Monday
Julie at Julie's Lifestyle for Cooking & Crafting With J & J
Cindy at Dwellings--The Heart of Your Home for Amaze Me Monday
Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Mondays

Tuesday
Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Inspire Me Tuesday

Wednesday
Suzy at Worthing Court for The Scoop
Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Thursday
Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home
Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Friday
Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Anything Blue Friday



21 comments:

  1. Oh I'm so sorry about your situation with your health and I'm sending hugs and prayers your way. It is amazing the crafting you have done and I love those orbs. Do take care of yourself.
    Hugs, Julie xo

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  2. Hi Carol! I'm so sorry you're having to go through this and hopefully that will be your worse fatigue! Glad you were not by yourself too. But...look at you doing some crafting and I love that little orb! How smart you are! Take care of yourself and you're always a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  3. Carol, thanks for the update on your health...so glad to hear you are feeling well and are doing fine with your treatment! You seems to have a very upbeat attitude and that is wonderful! Your crafts are darling...I remember those old wooden embroidery hoops well! And the mini-scrapbook pages are so cute in the little holders. Take care and will continue to remember you in my prayers :)

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  4. You know I love hearing your updates, and wow, the gym -- you amaze me! Love the orbs, and I've wanted to make one or two, but I know my little guy would probably end up playing with them. :)

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  5. So glad that you're not feeling awful.. Definitely listen to your body. Way to go at the gym!!!! That orb is so clever! Again, not something I would've ever thought about!

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  6. Stay strong. Exercise is good with limits. Watch diet, try to stay away from sugars. Prayers.

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  7. Hello Carol! SO glad to hear that you are faring well and still going to the gym? You, my friend, are amazing!! :) xo

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  8. I love this Carol! I am so very happy to hear you doing well and with such a positive outlook and attitude you are going to do just awesome!! XO Yes, listen to our bodies when we need to, they are never wrong.

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  9. Yes, with or without chemo, we all have to listen to our bodies! I'm glad to see your doing some decorating, which is good because of 2 reasons, 1, keeps you a little distracted, and 2, your good at it!

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  10. So glad to hear you're doing well...I applaude you to even make it to the gym!
    Love your two project ideas! The creation of your orb with hoops is brilliant, and I love the flip photo album.
    Take care of yourself,
    Mary Alice

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  11. I'm so very glad you're doing well and have such a positive attitude...it's the only way!!! I'm also glad that this bump in the road has not stopped you from enjoying your crafts. The orb is unique and I love it!

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  12. From one Carol to another... thank you for visiting my blog and learning how to keep your flowers fresh. I was very surprised to read this posting and to hear what you're going through. I will add you to my prayers! BTW, I love your orbs and I'm going to have to make some.

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  13. You are a hero! You described chemo exactly as my husband did. Power on but remember to rest when you need it. You are giving every reader a great insight.

    And I wholeheartedly wish you Godspeed.

    Much love,

    Jane x

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  14. Sorry to hear that you are going through such a difficult situation-I will pray for you!

    ~Trisha

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  15. Carol,
    This is a great update and filled with a beautiful outlook and attitude. I am so thankful that you are feeling strong and staying engaged in your life and the things that bring you joy, comfort and happiness.
    Yes, chemo brain is an overwhelming and uncontrollable side effect as well as the fatigue you are describing. When I went through chemo many years ago, they didn't warn you about these side effects and they should have. Having a realistic mindset alleviates some of the frustration.
    Blessings and prayers to you,
    Hugs,
    Jemma

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  16. Very cute crafts Carol. You certainly have a positive attitude which I'm sure will help you much in this difficult journey.
    Hugs and prayers,
    Jeannette

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  17. You are more than amazing, Carol. You put me to shame, I don't go to the gym or exercise even while I'm totally healthy! Sigh!! Love your crafting projects, the sphere's are great! Praying continually for you! Blessings, Cindy xoxo

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  18. I'm so pleased to hear you're doing so well! I've been swamped with school starting this past week, and am just now getting caught up on blogs and emails. You truly are a trooper and are handling everything beautifully! Gosh, I haven't had a Nutter Butter in years, but yep, they're SO good! You know, I honestly think that this time next year, all this will be a distant memory and you'll be in perfect health. Continuing to pray and send good vibes your way, my sweet friend! xoxo

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  19. Still saying a prayer for you every day! Don't over do it....

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  20. I am so happy to hear you are doing so well with your chemo and feeling pretty good! You are a strong lady! Love the crafty projects. I should make one of those orbs. I have lots of hoops! Take care or yourself and be careful not to overdo it. Have a lovely week....:) Hugs, Vicky

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  21. THANK YOU for taking us on this journey with you. We all pray we will never be in this position but if it happens it will be so good to have your wisdom and experience. XO

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I truly love to hear from you and try to respond to each and everyone. If you have "no reply blogger," I will respond in my comments section and then visit your blog as soon as I can.

Make this a great day!
Carol