CH-CH-CH-CHanges

I might working on a new blog....Which I hope to have up and running shortly! I needed the change! 

STAY TUNED!

Remembering hope...

   I did something I said I would never do again. I got another tattoo. It so wasn't planned.  I want to tell you the story behind my piece of artwork and why it means so much to me. In April of 2013, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. I always had bouts of sadness since single digits of age that I did not understand. It got worse as a teen. I learned to hide behind a mask of I'm fine. October 2012 began a spiral of despair. I sought help in April after spending months crying , in bed, ignoring everyone and everything.

    

       One thing I do remember is my youngest daughter coming home one day and telling me about the semi- colon project in about November. I was so touched. You can read more about the movement  and story here. I toyed with the idea of a tattoo of the semi-colon but I wanted it to mean so much more so I never gave it a lot of thought. Fast forward to last week....I am sitting in my kitchen working on a puzzle with my friend Erin and her daughter when I came across this article about one of our favorite actors.  Yes I was being that awful friend checking facebook. 

{PAUSE} This is going to sound very fan girlish, but I halfheartedly keep up with the actors from Supernatural because they are generous, charitable human beings using their fame for good. And the TV show is AMAZING! {UNPAUSE}

That article can be seen here and here. After reading those, putting on a suck it up you cant cry in front of people face I handed my phone to Erin, who got misty eyed and I said Don't if you start , I'll start and I won't be able to stop.  Lucky for me she was a trooper. I knew right then though that is what I wanted paired with my semi-colon. I drew this up the next day...

   The flat line in the beginning is representing the months I lost, the blip representing the help I received and I wanted the wording to look like a heartbeat ending in the famous semi-colon. I have had mostly positive feedback about it from random strangers who know what the semi colon represents and was called an inspiration. I don't see it that way. This is my visual hope to not let this illness win the war, because even as I write this I am having a down day. It sucks and it affects everyone in family on these days. But we troop on and we #Alwayskeepfighting.

Pocket Letter MANIA!!!

     What's up fellow humans? I want to thank my dear friend Bridgett (lol everything starts with that sentence on my blog.) for introducing me to this new fandangled craze, called pocket letters. Have you seen/heard of these? If not, I recommend you search the internet high and low because they are EVERYWHERE! They are the brain child of Janette Lane. Click here to learn more. For those who do not know, the basic concept is you take a baseball card sleeve ,put some pretty decorated pictures (ATCs for you art people) in there, fill each pocket with a few goodies (one being a letter), and send it away. It is designed to fit in a normal legal size envelope to save shipping costs. We all know I don't do normal, so lets show you some I have done.

      I reality I have done 4 already before these. I just didn't take pictures of them silly me. This is number 3 in the series I have made for Bridgett. We pick a theme for each one. First was just trial. We both feel that didn't go so hot. 2nd was beach , for it is a favorite of hers. 3rd one is my favorite thing STAR WARRRRRRSSSS! (Don't cringe Jeanne...)

 

 I used the multitude of Star Wars related things I have in my stash. And I can be honest I shed a tear, or 10, when I cut the paper. I am ok now it was the first step that was the hardest.

   This next one I made for a YouTuber that Jeanne turned me on to. Her name is Sarah Wooley, her channel is Something Different and she is funny as all get out. I just had to send her one. 

This one was made to represent everything about me. I wanted her to get to know me on a personal level so on the back of every pocket is something about me. When she removes her goodies there is still something pretty to keep!

Last but not least, we have one for Jeanne. Her favorite color is yellow and so I tried to make it pockets full of sunshine. If that is now stuck in your head sorry not sorry.

Now that you have seen what pocket letters are would you be interested in trading any with me? If you are interested hit the contact me button or the purple email button on the upper left and send me an email telling me you would like to with your address and I will get started. I  can honestly say I am hooked.