Since my last post was so depressing, time for something a little bit lighter! I've missed the Oscars for the past few years for one reason or another but I managed to tune in tonight for a little while...at least long enough to see some of the fashions and jewelry, etc. Is it just me, or was it kind of blah? Lots of strapless, sweetheart necklines and lots of column dresses w/ mermaid tails or trains. Lots of black but the "in" color seemed to be that deep teal or midnight blue that first showed up at the Golden Globes on Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman (neither of whom did I see at the Oscars tonight). Good thing I recently bought that deep teal strand of apatite ovals ;-)
If I had to pick a best dressed...I'd say Cate Blanchett. I don't think a lot of people could pull off that pale yellow, but she looked radiant in it and I loved the unusual broach she was wearing and the unexpected pairing of the deep maroon sash and bag with the pale yellow. Never would have thought of putting those colors together, but I liked it.
Some almost rans:
Hilary Swank's dress was the most perfect fit I've ever seen on a dress and she has a truly stunning figure. I loved the back of the dress, but I wasn't as crazy about the front. I thought the neckline was up a little too high and also...hmmm, how to put this politely...I think she was a bit cold if you know what I mean. Hilary, honey, they make these nifty shield thingies nowadays that work wonders (or you can always go w/ my mother's secret weapon...bandaids...trust me...they work wonders!) Also thought she could've gone with slightly bigger earrings since the front of the dress was so covered up and severe.
Virginia Madsen's dress was just stunning and her hair and makeup looked great. Now, as much as I love the big earrings...I wish hers had been just a TAD smaller. I thought they kind of overpowered her face and got tangled in her hair.
Renee Zellwegger...beautiful ruby-colored dress and kudos for being able to walk in that Morticia Adams-like mermaid tail. I have NO idea how she managed to do that, not fall, and also not look totally ridiculous with those little mincing steps. I'm not crazy about the dark hair on her, though and Renee, seriously EAT SOMETHING occasionally okay? Sheesh! Your collarbones could slice bagels!
Beyonce...loved the neckline and fit of the dress and the earrings were to die for. If you have to go with basic black, this was the way to do it.
For jewelry, I loved the pearl lariat that Laura Linney was wearing (but I hated the color of her dress...looked like drab prison gray) and Annette Benning had on an interesting necklace also that from a distance looked like some netted beadweaving w/ peacock pearls, but I'm sure it was something more spectacular than that. And BTW...what is UP w/ Warren Beatty? The way he behaved while Annette was giving interviews was totally weird...he was either drunk or he's got some early dementia going on (and I don't mean that to be funny...I was seriously worried about him).
The worst things I saw...Scarlett Johanssens's hair looked like it was done by Courtney Love...blech! And WHY can't Gwyneth Paltrow EVER get a dress that fits her on top? Either they're way too big (like her pink dress from the year she won the Oscar) or see thru (like the disastrous Goth/chicken cutlet year) or they're way too tight and all smashed looking like this year. I don't get it. Oh and Star Jones REALLY REALLY needs to have her cameraman shoot from a different angle! They were shooting over her shoulder all night so every time she moved it was a straight shot down the front of her dress. Soooo not attractive. And someone just make Kathy Griffin go away. Not funny and didn't add ANYTHING to the broadcast. I've got to remember to always watch this stuff on mute so I can just see the fashion and ignore the inane blathering from the commentators.
On the medical front...we're all still stick and to make matters worse, Ryan came down with an ear infection yesterday and was up most of the night screaming. Dean ended up driving around in the car with him in the middle of the night trying to get him to fall asleep. They made it all the way up to Long Beach before he finally calmed down!!
We got him in to the urgent care today and they confirmed the ear infection (duh) so we got to go back to Sav-On again GRRR! Oh and just for the cherry on top of our weekend...we're stuck in some kind of insurance limbo hell since Dean left the company in January and we switched all the coverage over to my name but apparently the big insurance bureaucracy wheels haven't turned quickly enough so we're having to pay cash for all these visits and medication until it gets straightened out and we can get reimbursed.
Okay, time to go and crawl back into my maximum strength Sudafed nightime sinus pill haze. Wheeeee!
KJ
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Hell...thy name is Sav-On Drugs
Well, it's been a fun (not) week at our house. I would say that Ryan is sick again but A. that's redundant and B. it's really that he's STILL sick.
We had about 5 good days after the last round of antibiotic and then the cough came back. This time it brought runny nose and fever and a severe case of "cranky, whining kid" along with it. Soooo...back to the doctor we went on Wednesday which of course caused me MORE missed time at work. They're really starting to love me there, sigh.
This time doctor said the pneumonia is gone (good news) but that now Ryan has something called "reactive airway" meaning that his airway is irritated and somewhat constricted from all the illness and coughing, etc. Well, duh...*I* could've diagnosed THAT (and not charged $100 an hour to do it, either). So, she prescribes an albuterol inhaler for him which means I've got to go to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled.
I had initially planned to go there right from the doctor's office, but Ryan was just absolutely losing it by then. He was mostly good during the examination, but towards the end he just had a meltdown. I suppose I can't really blame him - he was tired and feeling crappy and just wanted to go home and I know I felt the same way. I had no energy at all and was starting to suspect that his germs were about to take me out as well.
So I decided to head home and give Ryan a break and see if DH could get home a little early to watch him while I went out to the pharmacy. I think he heard the desperation in my voice when I called him at work so he agreed to skate out a bit early (his new job is 45 minutes away from home) to beat the traffic.
He finally gets home at 5:30 by which time Ryan and I are both just climbing the walls. I can't get him to rest but he feels too crappy to do anything else...even treats such as stickers, etc. are making him cry (and I was wanting to cry, too, by this point). So DH takes over and I head out to the pharmacy. Drop off the prescription and they tell me 20 minutes. Great. I'll go run by the bookstore and treat myself to something to help me feel better.
I do that and go back to the pharmacy...order still not ready...come back in another 20 minutes. Okayyyyyyyy.......fine. Call DH and ask if he wants me to pick up dinner since I'm out and have more time to kill. He agrees so I go grab some Chinese, put it in the car and head back to Sav-On.
I stand in line there for another 15 minutes (all the while surrounded by a crowd of coughing, sneezing, wheezing, germ-spreaders) only to get up to the counter and be told that they DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT SIZE INHALER MASK FOR RYAN'S PRESCRIPTION! They will have to order it and it won't be in until the next day. Okay now I just waited AN HOUR for you to tell me that??? I THINK I left the store without strangling anyone, but I'm not sure as it's all a big blur. I remember flashing lights and a buzzing sound and someone yelling (maybe me?) but that's all. I just know I suddenly found myself out in the parking lot with a strong desire to bang my head against a wall. ARRRGGHHH!
And what makes it all worse is that the doctor's office offered to sell me a mask for $20 while I was there, but I (stupidly as it turns out) declined because I wanted to get it at the pharmacy so it would be covered by the insurance. So really, I did this to myself...double ARRRGGGHHHH!
Meanwhile, DH is calling me on the cell wondering what's taking so long and I finally arrive home with cold Chinese food for dinner and no inhaler for our son.
We finally got the darn thing last night and started him on it but so far it just seems to make him cough more. I guess the results take a few more days. He has to get dosed 3 times a day so I have to remember every day to pack it up and send it to daycare with him. At least he seems to be pretty good about letting us dose him with it. Bribing with Thomas the Train stickers seems to help, too ;-)
To top it all off, by the time I got home last night, I had a sore throat and was shaking with fever. I had such a bad chill that I had to put a heating pad in the bed w/ me last night. But this explains why I've been feeling so rundown all week and like I just couldn't get going on anything. I've done no work at all getting ready for the show (and precious little else around the house, either). The only bright spots have been all the packages of supplies for the show arriving, but I've been feeling too crappy to properly enjoy opening them or doing anything with them. They're all sitting forlornly on my work area still in their packages.
I dragged myself to the office today, but I'm not sure how long I'm gonna last although I know it's not going to go over very well if I go home sick..again.
I've seriously got to look into bubble suits for Ryan and I. Obviously our immune systems are just NOT up to all the viruses out there. I really think this "constant illness" thing is really the toughest thing about being a mom.
Well, now that I've written such a happy, uplifting message for everyone to read...LOL! Sorry about that, but sometimes ya just gotta vent. I'm sure we'll all be better in 7-10 days but if not, I'm starting to consider more radical solutions like pulling Ryan out of daycare for 2-4 weeks until he's REALLY 100% well. No idea how I'll pull that off, but I'm sure over the next few days as I lay in bed wanting to die cuz I feel so cruddy, I'll have plenty of time to think about it.
Take care all and STAY WELL!
KJ
http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
We had about 5 good days after the last round of antibiotic and then the cough came back. This time it brought runny nose and fever and a severe case of "cranky, whining kid" along with it. Soooo...back to the doctor we went on Wednesday which of course caused me MORE missed time at work. They're really starting to love me there, sigh.
This time doctor said the pneumonia is gone (good news) but that now Ryan has something called "reactive airway" meaning that his airway is irritated and somewhat constricted from all the illness and coughing, etc. Well, duh...*I* could've diagnosed THAT (and not charged $100 an hour to do it, either). So, she prescribes an albuterol inhaler for him which means I've got to go to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled.
I had initially planned to go there right from the doctor's office, but Ryan was just absolutely losing it by then. He was mostly good during the examination, but towards the end he just had a meltdown. I suppose I can't really blame him - he was tired and feeling crappy and just wanted to go home and I know I felt the same way. I had no energy at all and was starting to suspect that his germs were about to take me out as well.
So I decided to head home and give Ryan a break and see if DH could get home a little early to watch him while I went out to the pharmacy. I think he heard the desperation in my voice when I called him at work so he agreed to skate out a bit early (his new job is 45 minutes away from home) to beat the traffic.
He finally gets home at 5:30 by which time Ryan and I are both just climbing the walls. I can't get him to rest but he feels too crappy to do anything else...even treats such as stickers, etc. are making him cry (and I was wanting to cry, too, by this point). So DH takes over and I head out to the pharmacy. Drop off the prescription and they tell me 20 minutes. Great. I'll go run by the bookstore and treat myself to something to help me feel better.
I do that and go back to the pharmacy...order still not ready...come back in another 20 minutes. Okayyyyyyyy.......fine. Call DH and ask if he wants me to pick up dinner since I'm out and have more time to kill. He agrees so I go grab some Chinese, put it in the car and head back to Sav-On.
I stand in line there for another 15 minutes (all the while surrounded by a crowd of coughing, sneezing, wheezing, germ-spreaders) only to get up to the counter and be told that they DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT SIZE INHALER MASK FOR RYAN'S PRESCRIPTION! They will have to order it and it won't be in until the next day. Okay now I just waited AN HOUR for you to tell me that??? I THINK I left the store without strangling anyone, but I'm not sure as it's all a big blur. I remember flashing lights and a buzzing sound and someone yelling (maybe me?) but that's all. I just know I suddenly found myself out in the parking lot with a strong desire to bang my head against a wall. ARRRGGHHH!
And what makes it all worse is that the doctor's office offered to sell me a mask for $20 while I was there, but I (stupidly as it turns out) declined because I wanted to get it at the pharmacy so it would be covered by the insurance. So really, I did this to myself...double ARRRGGGHHHH!
Meanwhile, DH is calling me on the cell wondering what's taking so long and I finally arrive home with cold Chinese food for dinner and no inhaler for our son.
We finally got the darn thing last night and started him on it but so far it just seems to make him cough more. I guess the results take a few more days. He has to get dosed 3 times a day so I have to remember every day to pack it up and send it to daycare with him. At least he seems to be pretty good about letting us dose him with it. Bribing with Thomas the Train stickers seems to help, too ;-)
To top it all off, by the time I got home last night, I had a sore throat and was shaking with fever. I had such a bad chill that I had to put a heating pad in the bed w/ me last night. But this explains why I've been feeling so rundown all week and like I just couldn't get going on anything. I've done no work at all getting ready for the show (and precious little else around the house, either). The only bright spots have been all the packages of supplies for the show arriving, but I've been feeling too crappy to properly enjoy opening them or doing anything with them. They're all sitting forlornly on my work area still in their packages.
I dragged myself to the office today, but I'm not sure how long I'm gonna last although I know it's not going to go over very well if I go home sick..again.
I've seriously got to look into bubble suits for Ryan and I. Obviously our immune systems are just NOT up to all the viruses out there. I really think this "constant illness" thing is really the toughest thing about being a mom.
Well, now that I've written such a happy, uplifting message for everyone to read...LOL! Sorry about that, but sometimes ya just gotta vent. I'm sure we'll all be better in 7-10 days but if not, I'm starting to consider more radical solutions like pulling Ryan out of daycare for 2-4 weeks until he's REALLY 100% well. No idea how I'll pull that off, but I'm sure over the next few days as I lay in bed wanting to die cuz I feel so cruddy, I'll have plenty of time to think about it.
Take care all and STAY WELL!
KJ
http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Update on Jonathan
Here's the latest (as of late last week) on my cousin Jonathan:
"On the medical front Jon's transfer to rehab is delayed a few more days. They have had to put two new catheters into him to drain fluid that has accumulated around his heart and lungs. One is already out. The other one could come out tomorrow. Jon is eating well with a good appetite. He was able to hold a glass of water, bring it up to his mouth and drink on his own."
We hope he will be able to transfer to rehab soon. Keep up those thoughts and prayers!
KJ
"On the medical front Jon's transfer to rehab is delayed a few more days. They have had to put two new catheters into him to drain fluid that has accumulated around his heart and lungs. One is already out. The other one could come out tomorrow. Jon is eating well with a good appetite. He was able to hold a glass of water, bring it up to his mouth and drink on his own."
We hope he will be able to transfer to rehab soon. Keep up those thoughts and prayers!
KJ
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Hearts away...
I promised pics of the new things I'm working on so will post a pic shortly. I taught myself some new wirework and these wrapped hearts are my first attempt. I plan to hang them from brightly colored silk cord and embellish the pendants themselves with a single crystal dangle at the bottom.
Enjoy and hope everyone is staying dry out there...we're about to build ourselves an ark!
KJ
Enjoy and hope everyone is staying dry out there...we're about to build ourselves an ark!
KJ
Thursday, February 17, 2005
A bit of business...
Just wanted to let you all know that in addition to credit cards, Silver Parrot now accepts Paypal via the website shopping cart! Just shop the site as usual and as you proceed through the checkout process, you'll be offered the Paypal option alongside all the credit card options and you can select your preferred method at that time!
I'm glad my shopping cart company has made this option available because I think having more flexibility built in to the process for customers can only be a good thing.
Oh, and I have a vacation day tomorrow (whoopeeeeee!!!) so expect some new goodies to show up over the weekend. Most of it'll be inventory for the upcoming show, but I'll at least share pictures and MAYBE, if you're all good, you'll get chocolate milk. Oh wait, I'm channeling "mommy mode" again. What I meant to say was maybe if you're all good, I'll get around to putting some stuff for sale on the site.
And yes, I know, I'm a tease...LOL!
Take care everyone.
KJ
Silver Parrot Designs
http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
I'm glad my shopping cart company has made this option available because I think having more flexibility built in to the process for customers can only be a good thing.
Oh, and I have a vacation day tomorrow (whoopeeeeee!!!) so expect some new goodies to show up over the weekend. Most of it'll be inventory for the upcoming show, but I'll at least share pictures and MAYBE, if you're all good, you'll get chocolate milk. Oh wait, I'm channeling "mommy mode" again. What I meant to say was maybe if you're all good, I'll get around to putting some stuff for sale on the site.
And yes, I know, I'm a tease...LOL!
Take care everyone.
KJ
Silver Parrot Designs
http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
More internet fun...
Got this from one of my lists and thought it was a really fun, neat idea:
http://www.nationstates.net
And if you want to see the nation I built, "The Commonwealth of Delphinidae" then here's the link to that:
http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=delphinidae
I haven't checked out the guy's book yet, but I'm definitely intrigued. Heck, he gets kudos just for developing this cool, unique game (for those of us with too much time on our hands anyway...)
Enjoy!
KJ
http://www.nationstates.net
And if you want to see the nation I built, "The Commonwealth of Delphinidae" then here's the link to that:
http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=delphinidae
I haven't checked out the guy's book yet, but I'm definitely intrigued. Heck, he gets kudos just for developing this cool, unique game (for those of us with too much time on our hands anyway...)
Enjoy!
KJ
MSNBC - Mommy Madness
MSNBC - Mommy Madness
Wow! I was really impressed with this article and thought I should share it both for all the moms out there and for all women, really. Even if a woman doesn't have children, I still think all of us are responsible (or should be) for how the next generation turns out. After all, when we're older, they'll be the ones running the country and deciding how much (if any) Social Security, Medicare, etc. we get ;-). Although I've somewhat avoided falling into the severe scheduling trap (so far, Ryan is too young for many activities and my job doesn't require much in the way of OT) I can see the pitfalls coming in the next few years. Plus, I always tend to be on the perfectionist side anyway so this really hit home.
I especially liked this quote: "...the harsh realities of family life in a culture that has no structures in place to allow women—and men—to balance work and child-rearing." Boy, ain't THAT the truth! I found out about this firsthand during my own maternity leave (a chintzy 6 weeks paid which is TOTALLY inadequate). While the FMLA act does add some additional time, it's unpaid, which for a household like mine where both salaries are required to keep things running, isn't a whole lot of help. And what happens when, like in my situation, there are post-delivery complications (in my case requiring a total of 3 weeks in the hospital, plus surgery and recovery time)? There's no additional time for that or additional paid leave and it doesn't fall under disability because it's considered related to the pregnancy which has ALREADY used up your disability allowance for the year. So I missed out on spending a big chunk of my maternity leave with my son and that made it all the more difficult for me when I had to go back to work. Thank goodness I am lucky enough that my parents live nearby and were able to provide some care for him before it was time to take him to daycare. He was already eating some solid food (okay, baby cereal) by then so the feeding schedule wasn't as rigorous...I can't imagine having to go back to work when your child is still on a full breastfeeding schedule! I found it difficult to pump at work and I only had to do it twice a day! And don't even get me started on the (lack of) "facilities" that my company provided...what a joke!
At least I've been lucky in the daycare department. Ryan goes to a wonderful place and I have complete trust in them, but soon it will be time for pre-school and I'm dreading trying to find a place that I trust as much as I trust his daycare! So for all the women out there, whether they are moms or not, give yourself a pat on the back and try not to be so hard on yourselves!
KJ
P.S. After reading a bit further, I found a couple of related articles that I thought were also good. Here are the URL's:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6960127/site/newsweek/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6960732/site/newsweek/
Personally, I think I'm going for "slacker mom" myself ;-)
Wow! I was really impressed with this article and thought I should share it both for all the moms out there and for all women, really. Even if a woman doesn't have children, I still think all of us are responsible (or should be) for how the next generation turns out. After all, when we're older, they'll be the ones running the country and deciding how much (if any) Social Security, Medicare, etc. we get ;-). Although I've somewhat avoided falling into the severe scheduling trap (so far, Ryan is too young for many activities and my job doesn't require much in the way of OT) I can see the pitfalls coming in the next few years. Plus, I always tend to be on the perfectionist side anyway so this really hit home.
I especially liked this quote: "...the harsh realities of family life in a culture that has no structures in place to allow women—and men—to balance work and child-rearing." Boy, ain't THAT the truth! I found out about this firsthand during my own maternity leave (a chintzy 6 weeks paid which is TOTALLY inadequate). While the FMLA act does add some additional time, it's unpaid, which for a household like mine where both salaries are required to keep things running, isn't a whole lot of help. And what happens when, like in my situation, there are post-delivery complications (in my case requiring a total of 3 weeks in the hospital, plus surgery and recovery time)? There's no additional time for that or additional paid leave and it doesn't fall under disability because it's considered related to the pregnancy which has ALREADY used up your disability allowance for the year. So I missed out on spending a big chunk of my maternity leave with my son and that made it all the more difficult for me when I had to go back to work. Thank goodness I am lucky enough that my parents live nearby and were able to provide some care for him before it was time to take him to daycare. He was already eating some solid food (okay, baby cereal) by then so the feeding schedule wasn't as rigorous...I can't imagine having to go back to work when your child is still on a full breastfeeding schedule! I found it difficult to pump at work and I only had to do it twice a day! And don't even get me started on the (lack of) "facilities" that my company provided...what a joke!
At least I've been lucky in the daycare department. Ryan goes to a wonderful place and I have complete trust in them, but soon it will be time for pre-school and I'm dreading trying to find a place that I trust as much as I trust his daycare! So for all the women out there, whether they are moms or not, give yourself a pat on the back and try not to be so hard on yourselves!
KJ
P.S. After reading a bit further, I found a couple of related articles that I thought were also good. Here are the URL's:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6960127/site/newsweek/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6960732/site/newsweek/
Personally, I think I'm going for "slacker mom" myself ;-)
Monday, February 14, 2005
More miracles...
Here's the latest information I have about Jonathan:
Jon will be moving to an in-patient rehab center soon. He's got lots of work ahead. His memory is very sketchy. He can remember a few names but that's about it. His parents spend most of their time calming him down. He wakes up in a state of terror. He's totally disoriented and can't see anything but shadows. His location is being kept as confidential as possible as he is considered a witness in the criminal case that will (hopefully) extend from the incident that caused his injuries. We continue to find out more about the miracles in this case. Not only was the paramedic who saved his life a friend of his, but he was not officially called on the case. He just happened to be walking by the house where the stabbing happened at the right time! Instead of being taken to the closest hospital trauma center, there was some type of traffic re-routing going on and Jonathan was flown to one of the top trauma centers in the country (I can't disclose the name). At the time he arrived, one of the nation's best cardiac surgeons was just finishing up there and leaving for the day (he doesn't normally practice there, but had come in to work on a special case) and when he heard of Jonathan's situation, he agreed to stay and perform the repair surgery on Jonathan's heart. He told the family that Jonathan is the first patient he's aware of who has survived this type of ventricular injury! Our family is so grateful for all the prayers, good wishes and support that we've received...as you can tell from the story...they are obviously making a difference!
In other news...
We celebrated my dad's birthday over the weekend. Had dinner at a GREAT restaurant in San Juan Capistrano called The Sun Dried Tomato Cafe. Now, normally, I'm not a big tomato fan, but the cream of sun-dried tomato soup was to DIE for! Can't recommend it highly enough. As an entree, I had a filet of beef on a portabello mushroom w/ caremalized onions and a cabernet balsamic reduction sauce. Wow, was it fantastic. And don't even get me started on the incredible chocolate cake we had for dessert. In fact, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it :-) Apparently, the place has been featured on The Food Network, too. Anyway, it was awesome and you might want to check it out if you're in the area. It's right by the train station in the same building as the Ruby's
Spent most of the weekend working on stuff for the upcoming show. Oh, yeah, and I did tons of laundry, too, but no one wants to hear about that LOL! I haven't had a chance to scan anything yet, but I did a lot of turquoise and coral combos and also some coral w/ freshwater pearls and vermeil. In fact, I used up ALL my vermeil spacers and I've got to run get more. Also did some pretty faceted ocean quartz "pillows" w/ garnet and sterling silver. I wasn't sure how that color combo would work out, but I love it! Pics soon, I hope!
Take care all!
KJ
Jon will be moving to an in-patient rehab center soon. He's got lots of work ahead. His memory is very sketchy. He can remember a few names but that's about it. His parents spend most of their time calming him down. He wakes up in a state of terror. He's totally disoriented and can't see anything but shadows. His location is being kept as confidential as possible as he is considered a witness in the criminal case that will (hopefully) extend from the incident that caused his injuries. We continue to find out more about the miracles in this case. Not only was the paramedic who saved his life a friend of his, but he was not officially called on the case. He just happened to be walking by the house where the stabbing happened at the right time! Instead of being taken to the closest hospital trauma center, there was some type of traffic re-routing going on and Jonathan was flown to one of the top trauma centers in the country (I can't disclose the name). At the time he arrived, one of the nation's best cardiac surgeons was just finishing up there and leaving for the day (he doesn't normally practice there, but had come in to work on a special case) and when he heard of Jonathan's situation, he agreed to stay and perform the repair surgery on Jonathan's heart. He told the family that Jonathan is the first patient he's aware of who has survived this type of ventricular injury! Our family is so grateful for all the prayers, good wishes and support that we've received...as you can tell from the story...they are obviously making a difference!
In other news...
We celebrated my dad's birthday over the weekend. Had dinner at a GREAT restaurant in San Juan Capistrano called The Sun Dried Tomato Cafe. Now, normally, I'm not a big tomato fan, but the cream of sun-dried tomato soup was to DIE for! Can't recommend it highly enough. As an entree, I had a filet of beef on a portabello mushroom w/ caremalized onions and a cabernet balsamic reduction sauce. Wow, was it fantastic. And don't even get me started on the incredible chocolate cake we had for dessert. In fact, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it :-) Apparently, the place has been featured on The Food Network, too. Anyway, it was awesome and you might want to check it out if you're in the area. It's right by the train station in the same building as the Ruby's
Spent most of the weekend working on stuff for the upcoming show. Oh, yeah, and I did tons of laundry, too, but no one wants to hear about that LOL! I haven't had a chance to scan anything yet, but I did a lot of turquoise and coral combos and also some coral w/ freshwater pearls and vermeil. In fact, I used up ALL my vermeil spacers and I've got to run get more. Also did some pretty faceted ocean quartz "pillows" w/ garnet and sterling silver. I wasn't sure how that color combo would work out, but I love it! Pics soon, I hope!
Take care all!
KJ
Friday, February 11, 2005
"It never rains in Southern California...
...but girl, let me warn you. It pours, oh man, it pours."
Sing along everyone! Okay, cheesy 70's pop tune time. See, when I was growing up, my dad would always sing certain songs for weeks (sometimes years) on end (and never the whole song but just 1-2 lines) and this was one of 'em so whenever it rains, I get this darned song stuck in my head. Don't even ask me about the YEARS that he was stuck on "Hey, Jude" by the Beatles.
Not that this is related to anything of substance...just that it's been pouring rain here all day. Have you ever tried to keep from getting wet all while managing a purse, an umbrella, a diaper bag and a recalcitrant two-year-old (complete with toys and giant parka his grandmother bought him for Christmas so he wouldn't ever catch a chill despite the fact that we live in Southern California) all while trying to get out of a car with only 8" clearance to the next car because one of the daycare dads is a jerk who hogs all the parking space at the house? Well, I'm here to tell you that it's totally impossible to do. I arrived at work looking like a drowned rat thanks to dropping the umbrella because I had to grab for Ryan who had dashed off to jump in the nearest puddle with the result that he got delivered to daycare with soaking wet shoes, socks and pants. And of course, today would be the day that I forgot to put extra socks in his diaper bag (duh, mommy). Not that the extra clothes in the diaper bag are all that much dryer since I dropped it into the standing water on the ground at the same time I dropped the umbrella.
Fortunately I had a package of new merchandise arrive in the mail last night that I didn't have time to open so I just shoved it in my purse and forgot about it until lunchtime today. So, I got the nice surprise of opening new beads while at work in the lunchroom which cheered me up considerably. I have to say this stuff exceeded my expectations in every way: gorgeous jumbo ovals of Apatite (a peacock-blue stone w/ veins of dark brown running through it). Think Nicole Kidman's dress from the Golden Globes. Also got some 10mm rondelles of Kyanite (silvery-blue w/ brown and darker blue flashes). I can't WAIT to start playing with both of these as I already can seem them with smoky quartz and freshwater pearls...and that's just for starters. These are some of the best quality, prettiest stones I've been able to afford so far and I'm really excited about being able to incorporate higher quality materials in my work!
Oh, and I saved the best news for last. I bit the bullet and signed up to do my first ever arts and crafts show so Silver Parrot Designs will be a vendor at the Ladera Ranch Spring Festival on April 2, 2005! So far I'm pretty excited about it, but I expect the panic to kick in at any moment! This probably means there won't be much new stuff posted to the website for a while as I'll need inventory for the show, but everything that's left will get posted as soon as the show's over. I will try to post a few pictures here along the way, though, so if you see anything you just *have* to have that's not on the website, e-mail me at stamparrot@hotmail.com and we'll work something out :-)
Have a great weekend everyone and stay dry!
KJ
http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
P.S. Okay how many of you have that song stuck in your heads now? Bwaaahahahahah! ;-)
Sing along everyone! Okay, cheesy 70's pop tune time. See, when I was growing up, my dad would always sing certain songs for weeks (sometimes years) on end (and never the whole song but just 1-2 lines) and this was one of 'em so whenever it rains, I get this darned song stuck in my head. Don't even ask me about the YEARS that he was stuck on "Hey, Jude" by the Beatles.
Not that this is related to anything of substance...just that it's been pouring rain here all day. Have you ever tried to keep from getting wet all while managing a purse, an umbrella, a diaper bag and a recalcitrant two-year-old (complete with toys and giant parka his grandmother bought him for Christmas so he wouldn't ever catch a chill despite the fact that we live in Southern California) all while trying to get out of a car with only 8" clearance to the next car because one of the daycare dads is a jerk who hogs all the parking space at the house? Well, I'm here to tell you that it's totally impossible to do. I arrived at work looking like a drowned rat thanks to dropping the umbrella because I had to grab for Ryan who had dashed off to jump in the nearest puddle with the result that he got delivered to daycare with soaking wet shoes, socks and pants. And of course, today would be the day that I forgot to put extra socks in his diaper bag (duh, mommy). Not that the extra clothes in the diaper bag are all that much dryer since I dropped it into the standing water on the ground at the same time I dropped the umbrella.
Fortunately I had a package of new merchandise arrive in the mail last night that I didn't have time to open so I just shoved it in my purse and forgot about it until lunchtime today. So, I got the nice surprise of opening new beads while at work in the lunchroom which cheered me up considerably. I have to say this stuff exceeded my expectations in every way: gorgeous jumbo ovals of Apatite (a peacock-blue stone w/ veins of dark brown running through it). Think Nicole Kidman's dress from the Golden Globes. Also got some 10mm rondelles of Kyanite (silvery-blue w/ brown and darker blue flashes). I can't WAIT to start playing with both of these as I already can seem them with smoky quartz and freshwater pearls...and that's just for starters. These are some of the best quality, prettiest stones I've been able to afford so far and I'm really excited about being able to incorporate higher quality materials in my work!
Oh, and I saved the best news for last. I bit the bullet and signed up to do my first ever arts and crafts show so Silver Parrot Designs will be a vendor at the Ladera Ranch Spring Festival on April 2, 2005! So far I'm pretty excited about it, but I expect the panic to kick in at any moment! This probably means there won't be much new stuff posted to the website for a while as I'll need inventory for the show, but everything that's left will get posted as soon as the show's over. I will try to post a few pictures here along the way, though, so if you see anything you just *have* to have that's not on the website, e-mail me at stamparrot@hotmail.com and we'll work something out :-)
Have a great weekend everyone and stay dry!
KJ
http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
P.S. Okay how many of you have that song stuck in your heads now? Bwaaahahahahah! ;-)
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
New set of lampwork & Bali silver. The lime beads look funky in the scan, but they are actually a true lime color in real life and not this funny yellowish-green and the teal is a lot brighter. You'll have to take my word that the colors match LOL! Actually, I'm a little unsure about this set so I haven't put it up on the website yet. Comments anyone?
MSN Women - SlideShow
I already posted today but couldn't resist adding this link in: MSN Women - SlideShow
I admit I'm a fashion junkie...even if I don't have the figure to wear most of the clothes, I still love to look! The first two dresses with the beaded accents by Monique Lhuiller I think are particularly yummy. Oh, and they say 80's trends are back in! Yay, my teen years are coming back to haunt me LOL! But at least that should mean big earrings are still good and you know how I feel about those!
I admit I'm a fashion junkie...even if I don't have the figure to wear most of the clothes, I still love to look! The first two dresses with the beaded accents by Monique Lhuiller I think are particularly yummy. Oh, and they say 80's trends are back in! Yay, my teen years are coming back to haunt me LOL! But at least that should mean big earrings are still good and you know how I feel about those!
Miracles DO happen!
First, thank you so much to everyone who sent the wonderful messages of support for my cousin, Jonathan. I've really appreciated hearing from all of you! Here's the latest update from my uncle as of this morning:
>Jon is totally off life support. He has one IV for morphine and >antibiotics but that should come off tomorrow. We have all been >secretly worried sick that Jon would be blind from the loss of >blood to his brain. We talked to the neurologist today and he >said the he could see in one eye. He can't describe what he sees >yet because his speech center needs to recover from his time >under medications. His brain damage is general and not area >specific (except for the vision). He can not walk today or >control the movement of his arms. With extensive therapy these >functions can be restored. His memory is beginning to come >back. Tonight he could remember the names of his mom dad and >half of his siblings. He could also remember his phone number. >His speech is garbled at times but getting better. He will be out >of ICU soon if all goes well. Also, next Monday there will be a >blood drive for Jon. He required more than 30 pints of blood. >The bloodmobile will be in the Von's parking lot in Solana >Beach.
If anyone is in the San Diego or Solana Beach area and wants to go give blood, I'll post the blood drive information when I have it. If you're not in that area, please take this as a reminder of how important it is to give blood so that our supply is maintained. You never know when you or someone you love might need it!
In other news, Ryan is doing MUCH better! Although I kind of panicked after seeing how rotten he looked last Thursday when I picked him up from daycare, I'm happy to report that his doctor said his lungs were clear when he had his checkup on Friday. He's been sleeping a lot better (hooray!) and his cough isn't nearly as nasty sounding or frequent as it was. Last night we sat and watched an old, animated Disney version of "Johnny Appleseed" that I hadn't seen since I was a little child. He loved it and I was reminded of a childhood favorite! Oh, he also wiped tapioca pudding in my hair that I didn't find til it was nearly bedtime and I tried to brush my hair and couldn't figure out why the brush got stuck. Ah, the joys of mommydom ;-)
Oh, yes, how about some jewelry news? I've been invited to do my first ever arts and crafts show with my jewelry! It's thrilling and horrifying all at the same time LOL! With a full-time job, a husband, a household and a 2 year old child...well, let's just say that my free time is pretty limited so getting ready for a show in April will be a major undertaking. I haven't 100% decided to do it yet as I'm really not sure I've got the time, but I have to make a decision by the application deadline next week so I'll keep you posted. A lot depends on whether I can cajole/bribe/drag my friend Laura into being my helper. Not only does she have a lot of craft show experience from her days on the rubberstamping show circuit, but she brings the added benefit of being able to do math in her head (unlike some of us..okay, me...who are totally PATHETIC at anything to do with numbers). Plus we just generally make each other laugh and we don't get to see each other very often since she moved to that godforsaken wilderness (aka Riverside) with all those wild animals (aka 11-something Huskies...and no, I'm not kidding).
Today's teaser: I got one new bracelet/earrings set done over the weekend but haven't had a chance to get it up on the website or post a preview here, but I'll try to get that done later today. Just to whet your appetite...it's got gorgeous lampwork beads in juicy shades of teal and lime mixed w/ Czech crystal and some BIG Bali silver beads. VERY beach-y and ready for summer.
Take care all!
KJ
>Jon is totally off life support. He has one IV for morphine and >antibiotics but that should come off tomorrow. We have all been >secretly worried sick that Jon would be blind from the loss of >blood to his brain. We talked to the neurologist today and he >said the he could see in one eye. He can't describe what he sees >yet because his speech center needs to recover from his time >under medications. His brain damage is general and not area >specific (except for the vision). He can not walk today or >control the movement of his arms. With extensive therapy these >functions can be restored. His memory is beginning to come >back. Tonight he could remember the names of his mom dad and >half of his siblings. He could also remember his phone number. >His speech is garbled at times but getting better. He will be out >of ICU soon if all goes well. Also, next Monday there will be a >blood drive for Jon. He required more than 30 pints of blood. >The bloodmobile will be in the Von's parking lot in Solana >Beach.
If anyone is in the San Diego or Solana Beach area and wants to go give blood, I'll post the blood drive information when I have it. If you're not in that area, please take this as a reminder of how important it is to give blood so that our supply is maintained. You never know when you or someone you love might need it!
In other news, Ryan is doing MUCH better! Although I kind of panicked after seeing how rotten he looked last Thursday when I picked him up from daycare, I'm happy to report that his doctor said his lungs were clear when he had his checkup on Friday. He's been sleeping a lot better (hooray!) and his cough isn't nearly as nasty sounding or frequent as it was. Last night we sat and watched an old, animated Disney version of "Johnny Appleseed" that I hadn't seen since I was a little child. He loved it and I was reminded of a childhood favorite! Oh, he also wiped tapioca pudding in my hair that I didn't find til it was nearly bedtime and I tried to brush my hair and couldn't figure out why the brush got stuck. Ah, the joys of mommydom ;-)
Oh, yes, how about some jewelry news? I've been invited to do my first ever arts and crafts show with my jewelry! It's thrilling and horrifying all at the same time LOL! With a full-time job, a husband, a household and a 2 year old child...well, let's just say that my free time is pretty limited so getting ready for a show in April will be a major undertaking. I haven't 100% decided to do it yet as I'm really not sure I've got the time, but I have to make a decision by the application deadline next week so I'll keep you posted. A lot depends on whether I can cajole/bribe/drag my friend Laura into being my helper. Not only does she have a lot of craft show experience from her days on the rubberstamping show circuit, but she brings the added benefit of being able to do math in her head (unlike some of us..okay, me...who are totally PATHETIC at anything to do with numbers). Plus we just generally make each other laugh and we don't get to see each other very often since she moved to that godforsaken wilderness (aka Riverside) with all those wild animals (aka 11-something Huskies...and no, I'm not kidding).
Today's teaser: I got one new bracelet/earrings set done over the weekend but haven't had a chance to get it up on the website or post a preview here, but I'll try to get that done later today. Just to whet your appetite...it's got gorgeous lampwork beads in juicy shades of teal and lime mixed w/ Czech crystal and some BIG Bali silver beads. VERY beach-y and ready for summer.
Take care all!
KJ
Friday, February 04, 2005
In an instant...
Today I am (sadly) reminded how it only takes a single instant to completely change a life. A cousin of mine was stabbed at a party over the weekend and is now in extremely critical condition and fighting for his life. He's already "died" twice and been brought back. His name is Jonathan and he's only 23. If you're so inclined, he and his family can use all the prayers, good thoughts, etc. that they can get.
I had planned to write today about how Ryan is still dealing with pneumonia (headed back to the doctor this afternoon) and the darned Santa Ana winds are just KILLING my sinuses and a few other equally inconsequential things, but it just seems rather pointless. So I'll save that stuff and some new pictures for another day.
To those who've been reading and commenting...thanks for taking the time and please know I appreciate all your input!
Have a great weekend everyone...and don't forget to take the time to tell those you love how you feel about them. Life is unpredictable!
Take care,
KJ
I had planned to write today about how Ryan is still dealing with pneumonia (headed back to the doctor this afternoon) and the darned Santa Ana winds are just KILLING my sinuses and a few other equally inconsequential things, but it just seems rather pointless. So I'll save that stuff and some new pictures for another day.
To those who've been reading and commenting...thanks for taking the time and please know I appreciate all your input!
Have a great weekend everyone...and don't forget to take the time to tell those you love how you feel about them. Life is unpredictable!
Take care,
KJ
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Artist's Statement
I've been posting a lot of pictures lately so you can see I've been busy churning out new inventory and adding it to the Website, but I thought it might be time for an actual blog entry ;-)
There's been a lot of discussion lately on jewelry artist message board community that I belong to about "artist's statements." What are they? Should everyone have one or are they pretentious and to be avoided like the plague?
General definition is that an "artist statement" is sort of like a "mission statement" for a company or an overall guiding philosophy. Although some people look at it more as a place to post their artistic resume or more specific descriptions of what inspired particular pieces.
I haven't put one up on my site at this time because I'm not sure I have an overall guiding philosophy that I work under as I create my jewelry. I'm more of a "this appeals to me TODAY so I'll do it" person. Plus, I do think it can have the tendency to slip over into pretentiousness.
Honestly, how do you KNOW the public is interested in what's in your head, your pet causes and peeves, etc. Maybe they just liked one thing you did, thought it was cool, bought it and that's the end of it? That's one reason I like using the Blog to communicate with my clientele. Anyone who's interested can click the "Blog" link on my site and come here to read. If they're not interested, then they don't have to click.
On the other hand (can you tell yet that I'm a Gemini and therefore have to always argue both sides of any issue? LOL) I personally like it when I have some type of clue what went into a particular piece by an artist. I think it's interesting how real life events and issues can get translated through an artist's brain into their work. The way I handle that for my own customers is in the written description of each item on my site...I try to give some little tidbit of information of what I was thinking of at the time, or what the bead colors remind me of, or why I gave it the strange name, etc. Sometimes knowing a bit more about a piece can help a customer make more of an emotional connection with it.
So for now, I'll keep up with my little item descriptions (which I hope people enjoy) and save my bio for my real-life resume. And as for an "artist's statement"...I guess the closest I can come to describing my style is "Whatever floats your boat!"
Take care all!
KJ
P.S. New items up on the site today - earrings accented w/ amethyst tear drops and an unusual Thai silver pendant accented with chrysoprase and citrine...yummmy! Is summer here yet? See it all at http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
There's been a lot of discussion lately on jewelry artist message board community that I belong to about "artist's statements." What are they? Should everyone have one or are they pretentious and to be avoided like the plague?
General definition is that an "artist statement" is sort of like a "mission statement" for a company or an overall guiding philosophy. Although some people look at it more as a place to post their artistic resume or more specific descriptions of what inspired particular pieces.
I haven't put one up on my site at this time because I'm not sure I have an overall guiding philosophy that I work under as I create my jewelry. I'm more of a "this appeals to me TODAY so I'll do it" person. Plus, I do think it can have the tendency to slip over into pretentiousness.
Honestly, how do you KNOW the public is interested in what's in your head, your pet causes and peeves, etc. Maybe they just liked one thing you did, thought it was cool, bought it and that's the end of it? That's one reason I like using the Blog to communicate with my clientele. Anyone who's interested can click the "Blog" link on my site and come here to read. If they're not interested, then they don't have to click.
On the other hand (can you tell yet that I'm a Gemini and therefore have to always argue both sides of any issue? LOL) I personally like it when I have some type of clue what went into a particular piece by an artist. I think it's interesting how real life events and issues can get translated through an artist's brain into their work. The way I handle that for my own customers is in the written description of each item on my site...I try to give some little tidbit of information of what I was thinking of at the time, or what the bead colors remind me of, or why I gave it the strange name, etc. Sometimes knowing a bit more about a piece can help a customer make more of an emotional connection with it.
So for now, I'll keep up with my little item descriptions (which I hope people enjoy) and save my bio for my real-life resume. And as for an "artist's statement"...I guess the closest I can come to describing my style is "Whatever floats your boat!"
Take care all!
KJ
P.S. New items up on the site today - earrings accented w/ amethyst tear drops and an unusual Thai silver pendant accented with chrysoprase and citrine...yummmy! Is summer here yet? See it all at http://www.silverparrotdesigns.net
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