the time is drawing near...

Well... I am getting closer and closer to the official launch of the "beautiful epiphany shoppe"!! My merchandise orders have started to arrive, so I spent a few hours this afternoon packaging and working out logistics. This is VERY exciting. I have wanted to have my own business for a long time now, and it's wonderful to have everything finally coming together!

I was here all day again today for more contractor work on the house. Our painter, Juan, showed up this morning around 8:30 (still WAY too early for my liking, but what can I do?), and spent the better part of the day painting our living room/dining room walls--AGAIN!! Four coats later, one of the walls is semi-acceptable, but the other one is still horrible. At this point I'm not sure what can be done other than having the drywall guys come in, sand the whole thing down and start over again. All I know is I am sick of being stuck at the house all day, day after day. It's one thing to choose not to go anywhere... it's another all together to not be ABLE to go anywhere! I'm not backing down, though. I've spent too much time making sure that everything comes together the way it should have been when we closed to give in now! The saga continues...

I had a FANTASTIC weekend! It didn't start out great at all... I had to make an emergency run to the vet with Casey Friday morning when she started pooping bright red blood. What causes something like that, you ask? According to the vet, stress induced colitis (which can be fatal for dogs) from having all of the workers in and out of the house. She had to stay with them all day for observation and is on antibiotics and special food for a week. Michael picked her up on his way home from the ballpark (the Big Orange Chorus sang the National Anthem for Friday night's game). I got to go out for a Mom's Night Out!! It ended up just being me and two other moms (Jamie and Karen A.), but we had an absolute blast!! We started the night with dinner at Kan Ki Japanese Steakhouse, headed to the Comedy Zone for Gary Valentine's 10:00pm show, and finished off the night hanging out a while before calling it quits. We were all friends when we headed out Friday night, but now we're great friends!! I'm so glad to have Jamie and Karen (aka Echo!) in my life!! Saturday afternoon Michael and I headed to Pat and Donna's to celebrate Donna's 41st!! I ended up in the pool fully dressed for the whole day... best bathing suit I've ever worn!! Everything I'm usually self-conscious about was covered, and I didn't get sunburned!! It was a wild afternoon, but it's always fun to spend time with Pat & Donna, Mark & Kristin, and Jennifer & Rich. We rang in Donna's new year in style. I think it was an afternoon we'll all remember for quite some time to come. Sunday was family day... a welcome reprieve from the rest of our weekend. Michael, Collin and I just took it easy with lunch at TGIFriday's, a marathon session at Books-a-Million and a trip to Target. Days like that are special in their own way. I'm so thankful for the life, family and friends I have.

Michael left for Dallas today on business. He'll be back late Wednesday. Hopefully he has a good trip. He's not a big fan of traveling for work... but he certainly seems to enjoy himself while he's gone! I wish the walls were done. I could get a lot accomplished before he gets back. Maybe I should use the time to situate my studio!! I'd love to paint the master bath, but somehow I just don't see that happening. Collin and I are having dinner with my mom tomorrow night, so that may have to be our "big adventure" while Michael's away.

I'm still trying to decide for sure if I'm going to my high school theater teacher's retirement party in Maryland on June 10. I'll have to make that decision soon, I guess!! It would be great to see him again and relive some old times. He dubbed me "Boom Boom" the beginning of my junior year, and the nickname has stuck with me to this day among the old Paint Branch High crowd... but that's another story for another time!

I have fatbook pages going in the mail tomorrow for a charity book the Altered Art Obsession group is doing to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. After my scare with ovarian cancer last year, this project is VERY near and dear to my heart. I used a vintage nudie mirror from Peru for the original and fabricated some fake nudie mirrors for the artist books. (The pages had to include a vintage nude image!) There's red vintage looking paper... some Italian text... eyelets, metallic threads and crackle finish-OH MY! I'll post a copy of the final soon, if I can figure out how to photograph/scan the mirror!!

As for ovarian cancer (from the OCRF website):

Ovarian Cancer: The Facts

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States, and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that 20,180 women will be diagnosed with this cancer in the U.S. in 2006, and about 15,310 women will die from the disease. A woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 57; it is an insidious disease that often strikes without warning and without cause. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose.

Currently there is no effective means of early detection for the disease. As a result, ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 50% of women survive longer than five years. Today, only 25% of cases are diagnosed in the early stages, i.e., before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region. However, if ovarian cancer is detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate is greater than 90%.

Until we have an effective way to detect ovarian cancer, we urge all women to become educated about the disease so she can act independently to protect her health.

Listen to your body. Do not ignore symptoms.

Signs & Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

• Vague but persistent and unexplained gastrointestinal complaints such as gas, nausea, and indigestion
• Abdominal bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, and/or feeling of fullness
• Unexplained change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea)
• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination
• Unusual fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• New and unexplained abnormal postmenopausal vaginal bleeding

Do what you can to help yourself. Have annual gynecological check-ups and PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY! You are your own best advocate.

Ok, enough time on the soapbox... I'm off to "go horizontal", as my Italian Sister says!

Buon noche, mi amici!

Always, Christina


(Originally posted on my 360 Tuesday May 23, 2006 - 12:46am EDT)