Infertility Awareness Week

It's Infertility Awareness Week again! Resolve has a great Infertilty Awareness Week line up. Although I would love to participate in the conferences, support groups and 5k walks, none of those events are happening in Oklahoma. (sad face) But, I have read all the articles and watched the videos. To do my part in spreading advocacy, I will once again write about my infertility journey.

The theme for this year's awareness week is to start the discussion. Infertility remains such a taboo topic. There are tons of women out there who feel embarrassed and ashamed when they're asked when they'll finally start a family and have kids. But why? Infertility affects at least one in eight women of childbearing age. It's a normal thing.
       I, for one, am not ashamed. If you're unlucky enough to ask me when I plan on having kids, I won't dance around the topic. I will tell you that I have severe endometriosis and it has damaged my reproductive organs so I am now infertile. You will either 1. feel horribly uncomfortable and walk away or 2. continue talking to me ...
      We can talk about how you read in a magazine that Chrissy Teigen had an IVF.
      We can talk about your friend or cousin or coworker who also struggled with getting pregnant.
      I can explain what endometriosis is and you can say that you read Lena Dunham's tweets.
      You can empathize.
      You can learn.
      You can realize that infertility is a real thing and now you know someone who has this issue with their health.
      It's no longer a foreign & strange disease.  

I want this on a t-shirt but I can't find it online or on Etsy. Anyone know a screen printer who can put this on a shirt for me?

Besides just blogging about infertility and endometriosis, I want to actually do something for Infertility Awareness Week this year.
       I have a craft show this weekend. I will be at The Handmade Show at The Crown Center on Saturday April 30th. I need to sell ten pillows per show in order to make back my costs and labor. Any more pillows that I sell, it's just profit. At my show this weekend, I will double any profit and donate an equal amount to Resolve and The Endometriosis Foundation. So, hypothetically, if I sell fifteen pillows, I get $50 profit... I will donate $50 to Resolve and $50 to The Endometriosis Foundation. Please, please, please come out to The Crown Center to support not only RagsReborn but also help me donate some money to a good cause.

Did you know that March was Endometriosis Awareness Month? Nah, probably not. Don't feel bad because I didn't either, and I have the damn disease! Padma Lakshmi, created the Endometriosis Foundation of America (http://www.endofound.org/).

I have suffered with endometriosis since my first period back in high school. Everyone who is diagnosed experiences it differently, but for me, endometriosis causes debilitating pain during my menstrual cycle. My flow is also extremely heavy and longer than the 3-5 days average. Gross, I know. Here's a pretty good article about the disease: http://www.refinery29.com/endometriosis-symptoms-surgery-period-pain. Luckily for me, both my primary care physician and OB-GYN recognized the symptoms and I wasn't treated like the poor woman who authored the article.

So, "what is this odd disease?" you ask. Tissue that is supposed to grow within the uterus grows outside of it and pretty much anywhere else it feels like growing. I have growth all along my Fallopian tubes (which are completely damaged and that is the primary reason why I cannot get pregnant) and my left ovary is literally covered in the stuff. I've had surgery to remove some of the tissue but there is no cure. It will continue to grow and grow. The only thing I can do is to just manage the pain. Don't tell anyone but I am probably addicted to Motrin and Naproxen.

It's taken me thirty years, but I've finally "found myself." If I had to make a family crest, here it is:

I am a PROUD rescue pet parent.

I have endometriosis and am UNASHAMED.

I am a HARDWORKING small business owner.

My three passions in life are pet rescue & adoption, infertility & endometriosis awareness and acceptance and RagsReborn Gifts.

Thanks so much for reading this blog. Thank you for listening to me rant about a health issue that is often overlooked. And, please, please, please come out to The Crown Center to support not only RagsReborn but also help me donate some money to a good cause.

Erica's first costume wedding

The happy groom & bride dressed as Pokemon trainers.

Last month, my friend Jessa married the love of her life and became a Mrs. (insert mushy "awwww" sighing here) She and her husband, Mason, are geeks and proud of it. LOL

For their wedding, they had a Pokemon themed costume party. It was just like the cosplay weddings you see on TV... everyone (well, not me because I went straight from work) was in costume, the decorations & cake were themed, and even the ceremony was staged as a "Pokemon battle." I don't know anything about Pokemon and have never attended a themed or costume wedding so I was in for a treat!

Have you ever seen a Ninja Turtle dancing with the Mad Hatter?

So many costumes!!

One would think that I wouldn't really enjoy myself since I'm not fanatical about video games or anime, but I had a great time :)  I got to see some old friends & meet new ones and I learned a thing or two about geekdom! I've learned that in social situations, if you ask questions, everyone will want to fill you in and that's the best way to make friends. Even though I couldn't really appreciate the intricacy of the Pokemon theme, I was very impressed by the table settings & decor and the bride's & groom's cakes were gorgeous. 

Bride's cake was from Pokemon and groom's cake was from Megaman.

I missed the entire wedding ceremony since it started in the mid-afternoon and I was still at work. I arrived just in time for the reception, though. I learned from other attendees that the ceremony was a staged Pokemon battle. I then learned that a Pokemon battle is where two trainers take their Pokemon out to fight. The ceremony went like this: the bridesmaids were Jessa's Pokemon and the groomsmen were Mason's Pokemon. They walked down the aisle and "fought." When it was over, the officiant announced that Jessa's and Mason's Pokemon teams would actually be better if they joined and worked together. So, it became official that the two of them would join and be together forever and ever. This is what I was told... I'm still waiting to see the video recorded ceremony.

Sadly, I also missed the first dance and maid of honor's & best man's speeches, but I arrived just in time for the cake cutting. For food, there was a taco bar ... aka heaven. It was probably the best tacos ever! They were home cooked by the wedding party. There was shredded pork, beef and turkey, flour and corn tortillas and all of the fixings. Instead of dancing and mingling, I was the fat girl who sat alone at the table and ate... and ate... and ate! 

This was when I went back for seconds. I already had 2 tacos before this but I forgot to take a picture and I thought, "For the blog's sake, I better go get more."

After dinner was taken care of, it was time for the bouquet toss! All the girls lined up on the dance floor as Beyonce's "Single Ladies" played in the background. Jessa pretended to throw the bouquet a few times and then she just spun around and handed the bouquet to one of her friends. What?? Her surprised friend stood there momentarily and wondered why a bouquet was just handed to her. Then her boyfriend tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and he was down on one knee. OMG! Waves of awww's and sighs filled the room.  A wedding and proposal in the same night!

Red velvet cake pop.

The rest of the night consisted of chatting, dancing (which I did not participate in because I was pooped from work and I'm a killjoy), drinking and karaoke. I was able to catch up with two friends that I hadn't seen in literally a decade--one was married to the bride's sister and the other was also part of the family... small world. I stayed to watch a few karaoke performances and then left for the evening. I am so happy for Jessa & Mason. What a fun and unique evening!

My friend, Courtney with her husband, Alex, and their adorable Ruthie.

Oh and because I always have to brag about RagsReborn, here are the customized pillows I made as their wedding gift.

This was actually Jessa's bachelorette gift.

Pokeball pillows with the bride & groom's favorite colors.

Happy wedding day!!

It's the Year of the Monkey...Dallas road trip! (pt.2)

February 14, 2016: it was Valentine's Day and I wanted to go to the Farmers Market. Our conversation the night before-

       Me: "I thought you liked vegetables."

       Wes: "I do but I don't care about them in their natural habitat."

Hahahahahaha! Luckily for Wes, there was more than just vegetables at the Dallas Farmers Market. The market had an indoor shed (or maybe they called it the barn) that was mostly restaurants. I think if it wasn't early on a Sunday morning, there would be some craft vendors there, too. Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking because I love craft vendors. 

There was also a really neat community garden. If I lived in downtown Dallas, I would totally be a part of this. I don't actually know how you become a part of this. *sad face* The garden had various herbs and leafy greens growing in troughs. I suspect that by springtime, all the gardeners have a pretty bountiful harvest. This is perfect for healthy eating while apartment living since you don't really have a yard to grow your own organic veggies. 

The market had a lot of farmers selling fresh eggs (which I wanted but there is no way they would have survived the day so I passed), soaps, dog treats (I bought some cheddar apple treats and Sadie & Athena loved them), honey and a lot of food vendors--baked goods & coffee, Cajun food, grilled corn on the cob, Mexican food, seafood, etc. 

       We bought some flavored honey sticks (pictured above). They are little straws filled with honey that you can dissolve into your tea. We got an orange, cinnamon, mint and natural honey stick. The farmer selling them looked a lot like my old neighbor, Dustin. We wanted to have lunch at the market but we gorged ourselves at breakfast in the hotel so we needed to kill some time. I wanted to explore Downtown Dallas but since it was early on a Sunday morning nothing was open. My mom had asked us to get her some Chinese New Year cards on our trip but the festival didn't have any so we made a trip to one of the Chinese grocery stores. 

We missed the dragon dance at the finale the night before but we saw our fill at the Hong Kong Marketplace! We arrived just as the dancers were finishing up their performance in the parking lot. We followed them into the grocery store, up and down all the aisles and then next door to the shopping center. I think the performers at this school were better than the ones that performed at the festival. They also needed ample space to perform but they didn't ask... they just barreled through the crowd. If you didn't move, you were getting a kung fu kick in the face! 

We searched all throughout the store and the shopping center but there were no greeting cards. I always want to get groceries but I never think they'll make it home during the drive so I have to pass. One of these days, we're going to stay a week and I'm going to shop my little heart out and cook us a feast! 

Aisle 3: flour, seasonings, dragon dancers.

After an hour or so at the grocery store, we headed back to the farmers market for lunch. Wes got tamales and I got a grilled corn on the cob. Both were delicious. I wanted to visit the Fabric District (yes, this does exist and there is a fabric warehouse!) but all the shops were closed on Sunday. I think we had our fill of adventures for the weekend anyway so we headed home. Driving around Dallas is crazy & stressful but we made it! I only almost got in an accident once! (and it wasn't really my fault; I was trying to merge onto the highway and this asshole wouldn't let me merge.)
       It was a fun Chinese New Year + Valentine's experience. I'm glad Wes and I share the same interests (and ideas on how to celebrate holidays!) and that we travel well together. More adventures to come!!!

It's the Year of the Monkey...Dallas road trip! (pt.1)

This artist does the trippiest collages. I normally don't like stuff like this but I loved his art.

It's the middle of spring and craft shows are in full swing. RagsReborn is doing well; if you want updates on shows & new pillows, please check on my Instagram and Facebook pages. I've already blogged plenty about craft shows but I haven't posted a travel blog in a while.
       Today is my father's birthday so I'm feeling a little nostalgic. Growing up, we were very Chinese (to the point where when I was at home, I only spoke Cantonese & ate Chinese cuisine and I've been listening to Canto Pop since before I can remember). I learned a lot about my culture & heritage and I'm pretty darn proud to be Chinese. That being said, I thought tonight would be a good time to post about Wes & my Chinese New Year trip earlier this year.

On Valentine's weekend, we drove to Dallas for the Crow Collection's Chinese New Year Festival (#crowcny). Wes was born in the Year of the Monkey so I wanted to do something special for the Lunar New Year this year. I came across this event online that boasted live performances each hour (which ended up being my favorite part of the entire weekend), numerous food trucks and shopping. I was sold!

The event was hosted by the Crow Collection of Asian Art. When we arrived, we walked through the museum first before venturing outside for the activities. Museum entry was free that day so it was super crowded. Surprisingly, we were still able to walk through the entire place and see all the exhibits. The museum had a nice array of art media from various Asian countries. I think my favorite was the jade and ivory sculptures. 

The Seven Lucky Gods.  

A beautiful gold and turquoise piece.  

We spent the rest of the day outdoors (thank goodness the weather was nice!). There were live performances all day long on the main stage. We first saw a Chen Style Tai Chi demonstration by Master Shang Wei Kui. He is pretty well known and Wes has actually heard of him before. My mom used to practice Tai Chi but nothing like this guy!

We also saw the Chinese Yo-Yo Club (not pictured), an opera singer, the Jasmine Chinese Dance Troupe and a fashion show put on by the Chinese Cultural Center and some students at UT Dallas. 

       The students were all really shy so they awkwardly walked out on stage in their unfamiliar costumes, sort of smiled and posed momentarily at the center of the stage and then rushed off as quickly as possible. The last student to come on stage was dressed in a bright yellow costume and he ate up the attention. He strolled onto the stage, posed, invited the audience to applaud, smiled, bowed and asked for more applause. What a ham! I think he saved the show for the rest of the students.

The Jasmine Dance Troupe performed various traditional dances from different Asian countries. They did a few Chinese dances, a Mongolian dance and Korean dance. I'm sure there were more but that's all I can remember at the moment. They had a few guest dancers but most of the dances were performed by the same women. They were such good sports rushing on and off stage in their various costumes with little time in between each dance. I enjoyed all of the dances and the dresses were beautiful! 

The dance troupe was my second favorite performance of the day. My absolute favorite was the Hau Yun Chinese Orchestra. Sadly, we missed the beginning of the performance. The orchestra used string instruments, as you would expect, but they also had a member who played the erhu (Chinese violin) and one who played the dizi (bamboo flute). They palyed a few musical pieces and then performed some with singer Sophia Liu. I didn't think I would enjoy the traditional folk songs (because I usually don't) but Sophia is an amazingly talented singer and I enjoyed her voice immensely. 

Besides the performances, there were a few tents with shopping (the shopping was actually pretty disappointing and we didn't get any souvenirs) and food trucks. Oh boy, were there food trucks! There were probably 10 trucks parked out there. I wanted to eat from all of them! LOL I knew I wanted a boba drink from Bobaddiction. For food, I was torn between a sushi truck and a banh mi truck. I decided on banh mi and got the lemongrass chicken.  I usually get banh mi with Vietnamese cold cuts or barbecue pork but never lemongrass chicken. OMG, it was so good! ...probably the best Vietnamese sandwich I have ever had.

After a full day, it was time for the grand finale. I didn't get to see any of the finale (because being short is a pain, ugh) but there was supposedly a martial arts demonstration, lion dance, dragon dance and fireworks. The entire event was MC'd by a young museum worker. She worked all day, did a great job and barely got any intermission time to rest. Bless her heart. 

       There were thousands of people gathered by the time the finale rolled around. A lot of the crowd was pressed up against the stage. In order for the J.K. Wong Kung Fu Tai Chi Academy to put on their finale performances, there needed to be at least 10-12 feet of space between the stage and the crowd. The MC did her best but the crowd would not move. She first asked politely, no one moved. She then asked a little more sternly, still no one budged. Then she threatened that there would be no finale unless people made space, still no one heeded her warning. She finally begged and pleaded for the crowd to please just move a tiny smidgen. After much grovelling, the crowd finally moved the minimum amount necessary. 

       The performance finally started but as soon as it did, the crowded made their way back toward the stage. Every few minutes, the show had to stop and the MC pleaded again for everyone to leave space for the performers. There was absolutely no respect for the MC or the performers. Everyone rushed toward the performers to capture the best video to post on social media. I almost expected for the MC, who was probably at her wit's end, to cancel the rest of the show. And, parents were losing their children left and right. The finale was interrupted several times by announcements of lost children. Normally, the size of the crowd and children are blamed for these occurrences. But the MC (who quickly gained my sympathy) flat out blamed the parents for their bad parenting. Right on! She announced, "We have another lost child. Parents, parents, please keep a hold of your children!" 

       There were so many people in attendance that hardly anyone could actually view the performances. I stood next to another woman my height. As people walked out of the crowd, we had a silent agreement to keep a space in front free for us so we could sort of see the stage. Either one of us could move forward to take the empty space but we kept it open so we could squint and peak in between other people's shoulders. It worked pretty well until a very tall guy and his girlfriend stepped directly in front of us. Wes said the martial arts demonstration was very sloppy (probably because the performers couldn't concentrate due to all the interruptions) and probably wasn't worth watching anyway. We skipped out on the fireworks finale and just left early.

Next on the agenda was dinner with my Uncle Hoa. I've tried to meet up with him on several other Dallas trips but he's always been busy. I told him weeks before that we'd be in town and he & his girlfriend (who ended up not feeling well last minute so Jenny wasn't there after all) would be free so dinner plans were made! 

       We met up at Jin Korean Barbecue. I don't like Korean food in general but I am starting to warm up to their barbecue. My uncle got a Korean beer so I followed suit. It wasn't very good by itself but it paired really well with the meat. We got the usual fare and it was all really good. The best was this thinly sliced pork belly. It was basically uncured bacon. I probably ate an entire plate! After dinner and catching up, we rolled our fat bellies out of  the restaurant and headed to the hotel. Day two details to come next week!