Beware of goat dung...

Since my last post...oh, um...a YEAR ago, much has happened and much has stayed the same. My two boys are getting ready for another birthday and, yes, I've done something right because they are about to turn two! (Crosses fingers that I've not jinxed anything) BUT. We went to the Los Angeles County Fair a few weeks ago. Now, I can't say for certain that the petting zoo is the culprit here but absolutely be sure to thoroughly wash your and your child's hands after petting the creatures. One of my kiddos has a strain of E.coli and we think it may have come from the undeniable excitement he has in new situations. This is the little lad with the slightly still turned-in foot so when he tires himself he tends to fall down. I never considered that him running in bat-shit circles and falling hands first into goat crap might cause an issue. While we can't pinpoint the exact when and how this came about, hopefully things are improving in the household and we can all move on to greener pastures...without the shit fertilizer.

Tipping the Velvet

I'm going back...to the velvet...underground....

I'm loving Victorian dress. For both men and women. As in both for me. I think I am going to bring a little steampunk vintage Victorian back into my every day life. Trousers, vest, granny boots, a pocket watch with a lovely ladies frock coat...perhaps tapestry coat.

I'm going to merge both sexes into one.

Yes!

The perils of raising twins....and boys.

I have come to the conclusion that I suck at writing. I really do. So, this isn't really some fancy-pants article contrived of grandiose articulation and deep-provoking thoughts from a wise soul. Hardly. This is the day to day horrors and joys of trying to raise twin boys without maiming them emotionally. I do want them to come home for Christmas periodically. (As I type this, one of them is growling like a black bear and the other is banging his head on the cabinet.) Yeah, I have the midas touch.

So, they came home from the hospital 14 months ago. (Where the hell did the time go??) I carried them to term and they were carved out of me weighing 6.5 pounds each. Big fuckers! They were the sweetest little beings to me. Hardly a cry nor a peep from either - only when they were hungry. My role, at this stage, is to be a giant boob. It was non-stop boobapalooza in this household. Trying to nurse two is quite a feat. I had one of those ginormous twin boppies and positioned each to where they could sleep, I could watch TV, and then stick a tit in their mouth when hunger woke them from their precious baby slumber. This was the first three months. I sat on my fat ass, ate as much as what I imagine Chewbacca could eat, and grew fat. I weigh more now than I did when I was pregnant. (But that is another blog.)
Now, when they arrived on this planet of ours, one had club foot and the other torticollis, which is basically a bent neck. Have any of you undergone holy hell with quad panels and lab results?? We were given initially a 1 in 20 chance of a Down's child. No matter what, I chose to accept whatever may be, so while scary, I made myself as prepared as could be. I went in for the 3D ultrasound scan. Two soft markers on Baby A. While the doctor informed me that one soft marker is fine, two *could* signify a problem. There were no hard markers but still, this bumped the chance for Down's to 1-17. If I ever were to get pregnant again, to hell with the tests. They cause nothing but stress and worry. Simply and absolutely NOT worth any of it.

So, back to the one with club foot. We had him in a cast at 8 days old. Bless his tiny little clunker self. The other one had a burp cloth wrapped around his neck. I was horrified to take either anywhere. The tackiness of other parents is upsetting. Once, in Babies R Us, a man asked me if I dropped Xander, implying I broke his leg. Where do people feel they have the right to ask these kinds of things to complete strangers? I did, however, want to take Xander's casted leg and smash that man in the face.

(Really, I'm a good person, mostly.)

Looking for potential markets for bridal circlets

I'm interested in branching out. Finally. I've been a one person show for over a decade now, but realize that word of mouth only goes so far.
So, I'm seeking potential markets in which my bridal circlets and headpieces would be a solid hit.
It's one of those times where it takes money to make money...the cost of advertisement can be sky-high and not a guarantee that the product will move. I've done this with several niche bridal magazines only to find lots of "ooohs" and "aaaahs" but no solid gains.
Perhaps pounding the pavement to bridal boutiques is the best option. Any of you out there in a similar position find positive resources for your growing business?

Quote of the Day

"The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary."
- May B. Smith

Bored Outside with a Ghastly Creamy Center

This would describe the awkward thoughts that go through my head per a daily basis. I often wish I could release a blood-curdling scream but socialized behavior has "taught" (I say loosely) to control the id/ego/superego in one tightly wrapped package.

I want to be on The Guild. I heart Felicia Day and what she's done for herself. I want to be so extremely nerdy/geeky that I bring a sense of humility to the likes of Wil Wheaton. Unfortunately, I'm lacking enough geek cred to not fit in and too much geek cred to fit in with the settled, boring folk.

A land of betweens. Someone...please....help me! Send me Warcraft and X-Box and let me shrivel away to nothing, in my bedroom, gaming myself in 9 hour chunks. See, that, a happy life is I!

Bridal Headpiece - She looks mystical!

Recently, I had made this for a customer and she had sent me this image from her bridal photographer. I thought it resonated well with her dark hair and fair skin.

Any insights?

Peridot and what it represents

Peridot Gemstone meaning

A tiny island known as Zabargard (owned by Egypt) is documented as the first source of peridot, dating back as far as four thousand years. Early Crusaders who visited St. John's Island (now called Zabargard) introduced this gem to Europe upon return from battle.

Peridot is mentioned in many ancient references as chrysolite. It is mentioned throughout the Bible, and early Christians considered it sacred. Today still, Catholic Bishops traditionally wear a ring of peridot and amethyst as a symbol of purity and morality. (Morality...chuckle...)

The peridot was believed to be a stone of springtime by ancients who considered it a gift from Mother Nature. Napoleon once made a gift of peridot to Josephine as a symbol of undying love and admiration. In ancient times, it was said that a dream about peridot foretold impending danger.
Healing qualities of peridot

Peridot is a stone of lightness and beauty. Only spiritual or clear-minded persons should use peridot. The person with too many earthly problems will not be able to understand the beauty of the Peridot. The very spiritual can wear peridot in a necklace with the stone at the base of the throat to feel its soothing effect. Used in a necklace, peridot is a protector against negative emotions.

Peridot has been known to have healing effect on the gall bladder and liver.
Sources of peridot

Peridot is a gem variety from the olivine mineral group. The bottle green color is called peridot. Yellowish green is chrysolite. Olive green is olivine. Sources of peridot include: St. John's Island (Egypt), United States (Arizona and Hawaii), Myanmar, Burma, Australia, Norway, South Africa and Brazil.