I'm BAaaaaack!! :D

So... long time no blog >.<  

... well, aside from the Freebie Friday post, which was late >.< lol

Sorry everyone. My brain just hasn't been in the 'sit and blog it' mindset lately. Too many things running through it at once, I guess. Nothing majorly bad or stressful, just... in the way, I guess

the biggest happening was that I found a lump in my breast and had to get it checked out. The last time this happened the doc felt it too and sent me in for a mammogram and ultrasound, but they couldn't find it >.< The popular consensus on it being that it was merely scar tissue form my breast reduction a few years before that. So, despite finding the lump, I wasn't overly stressed over it. The doc told me right off he felt too much movement in it for it to be cancer, since cancer lumps tend to stick in place and have no or very little movement to them.Plus I have boobs that have always felt lumpy to me, plus for the last eleven years have had the added 'texture' of the scar tissue, so self exams are difficult. This bump felt different so I decided to err on the side of caution and get it looked into. I've been up for a mammogram, got the boobs squashed all to hell and back, only to have the nurse say there didn't seem to be any difference form the last mammogram, and the technician wants an ultrasound to double check. So I headed down the hall in my little wrap top that didn't want to stay tied, REALLY thankful I got to keep my jeans on, to have that done. And I would just like to say, that it's AMAZING how that ultrasound tech can find the slightest tender spot and constantly press the hell out of it >.< lol  I haven't heard anything back yet about the results, but I expect to either here that it's just the scar tissue again, or possibly a cyst that I'll get to go have cut out .. yeah .. more abuse and scars on the poor jugs >.< lol  It's so good I'm not over vain about the parts of me that stay under wraps ... and that even with the reduction and scars, I still have some damned impressive cleavage ;)

 

See? Believe it or not, those DD's  were once bigger ;) I was a D for several years but as I let the waist line grow a bit, they kept pace >.< Actually, this photo was taken last year.., like.. January maybe, and I put on some weight since then .. lost a bit again, too ;) when this was taken, I think I could still squeeze into my D cups, as long as they were a certain brand.

So, while not overly stressful ( the only real stress involved was in not letting myself get stressed over something I had no control over anyhow lol ), my heads been full of plenty... mostly in avoidance of chores.  No seriously. Since the Messy Blog Hop I've done a few starts at cleaning that have all ended in being minor tidies. My heads just too full of things. I start with one part then my mind jumps ahead to what else needs to be done that should be done first.. and so on and so on until it's too much to do and I just stop >.< Like I have this shelving unit I got from my mom for my bedroom to help organize some of my storage clutter. It's still wrapped up in plastic, joining the clutter because every time I think of getting started... my mind goes off on a 'to do' list tangent and I get overwhelmed. Example - I need to put the shelves together, but before I do that I should make room to set them up... which means I need to move stuff out of the way... which means finding places to put it all. Plus I need to sort stuff out to put in boxes that will fit on the shelves once they're together... And since I'll be back moving stuff..I want the tv and nintendo from back there, pulled out and set up, plus the large chair back there moved into the living room to replace the one couch. However, before I can move the chair out, I have to get the couch hauled out and to the dump which means arranging for someone to come help. And for the tv & nintendo, my old computer is sitting where I want them put, but if I'm going to move the computer around, I might as well  gut it for the parts to change up my current tower, but that means making room to haul them both out and set them up.. and figure out what the hell I'm doing... OR call my brother and get him to stop in to help. Either situation that calls for help arriving, requires some house cleaning done first >.< See? My brain just makes huge endless chaotic loops out of things until I feel buried under it all >.<

However, there is light at the bottom of that heap lol I was in a similar state with my jewelry making. I wanted to make stuff and needed to make stuff, but couldn't  because A) I had too many choice beside me and B) the need to choose had me allowing myself to become distracted by the computer, and C) .. becoming distracted by the mess than needs to be sorted, getting frustrated with it all and turning to other hobbies that I could access easier.

My solution? Until I find the strength to clean again, I've been grabbing a few complimentary colored bead cases, along with one of my boxes of findings, my tools, a small tray and bead mat, tossing it all into a bag, and leaving the apartment. By getting myself away from the distractions of the 'todo' list, and narrowing my choices to what I took with me, I've found a way to bypass the blockage :)  It's not a permanent solution, since I do have to tackle cleaning and reorganizing things so that I don't feel that way in my own space, however it IS becoming a very pleasant habit that I will endeavor to continue. I really like sitting down on the porch and enjoying the nice weather and devoting a couple hours to JUST my jewelry, with nothing else getting in the way.

So I am slowly finding ways through my disorganization to get things accomplished, and finding some enjoyable new ways of doing things in the process. Btw, the reason I'm not on my porch right now, is because I face the sunrise and until late morning, you're pretty much blinded if you sit out there lol  The sun's high enough now, but I decided to get busy and BLOG first ;)

While I was avoiding blogging and cleaning chores and everything else, I did get stuff done.

I went to my parents and photographed the house my dad had bought and renovated himself, then set it up online for him to sell. Then I headed back a weekend or two ago and posted it on another site for him, plus sat on the dock on their main Koi pond and caught a bunch of fish for him. That was the reason I was 'invited' to spend the weekend... dad had someone that wanted to buy some young koi and I'm a better fisher than he is ;) He can sit out there all day and catch three or four... It took me about a combined fishing time of three hours to catch twenty two lol The last one was an accident..I swear, he just jumped on my hook. Dad had come to see how many I had caught and to make sure I hadn't caught any of his butterfly koi by mistake; when he heard how many I'd caught he was shocked and said that was enough lol While I was using the baited hook to coax the little guys up to the surface so dad could point out just what the butterfly koi looked like, number twenty two leaped for the bait and got it lol 

I seriously can not tell if my dad is proud of the fact that his little girl is so good at catching fish... or pissed  that she's batter at it than he is ;) LOL

While I was there, the super moon rose...so I took some pics.

 While I was there, the super moon rose...so I took some pics. Here it is just rising. Nothing but a ball of white light with my poor little camera lol

Here it fully risen... how did I take such a good shot with such a crappy camera? I cheated of course :D

We set up my dad's little telescope out in the field for a clear shot, then after an agonizingly long time getting the moon in frame and in focus, I set my camera to close up, zoomed in in a bit, set it over the eyepiece of the telescope and bam... instant fabulous photo :)  so proud of this picture :)  

Here's my little set up.

Like I said, you would NOT believe how hard it is to find a SUPER MOON  through that telescope >.< And to add insult to injury, I turned it around and tried to find the north star and zoomed in on it no problem... turned back to find the moon again.. took FOREVER >.< lol

What else have I been up to? Well, I've signed up for my first non-jewelry-blog related bloghop . The Skull-a-Day blog was advertizing a blog hop that I just HAD to get in on :) That's on June 4th, so I'd better get my butt moving on deciding what to make for it! ( the button is on my sidebar for anyone who wants to find out more about it :) )

I also took part in Lori Anderson's Spring Pantone Bead Swap. I haven't received my beads yet since they're winging their way here from France, but my partner sent me pictures  that I'm not gonna share with you ;) I'll wait until they arrive and take my own pics to share:D hehehe. 

Here's what I sent her.

I sent them all sorted and labeled , of course. Plus there were a few others that were added after this picture was taken; some large pale purple glass pearls, and some metal beads as well. 

I ended up having a hard time finding the colors as shown or even described, as did my partner, so we found beads as close as we could get them for the most part. After all, despite the name of the swap, a grab bag of pretty beads is a grab bag of pretty beads, regardless of colors :D

Alright, so I think I've tormented Kashmira long enough ;) She's been waiting to see what I sent out to the participants of my first design challenge.

                         

   hehehe ... yeah, I'm gonna show more than just THAT ;) I'm not THAT much of a tease!

... not often at least ;)

Alright, so here's what Rochelle, Alicia, & Shay should all be finding in their mail boxes shortly.

An assortment of  star washers, shell bits ( that were drilled), some feathery ribbon, faux suede cording, a little bottle, a butterfly on a stick, and some buttons :) 

I had other things I wanted to add in, but I decided to stop myself and save stuff for the second design challenge ;)

The rules are simple.. they have to use some of these items to create jewelry... ( the more of it they use, the happier and more impressed I'll be ;) ) They don't have to use it 'as is'; they can alter any or all of the items in any way they want. They create, they photograph and they share on June 30th.  I'd planned on having them have to use at one least one item from each baggie.. but I think I'll change that and have them use at least a third of that pile. They all received a little gift with their kits for participating, but I think I'll have a little prize or two as well. Perhaps have you all vote for your fave piece , plus have a second award for any of them that manage to use ALL of the kit?  Yeah .. kinda like those ideas :)  I'll be sending out an email to them shortly containing the link to the button I just made, plus the official rules... I'd meant to include them with the kit but I was lazy ;)

So there you go... a fairly lengthy and extensive update on my blog avoidance lol

I'll try to get back into my blogging habits ;) I do have to do a blog post to share my Star Wars fandom side ;)

~ Skye