Erica and her sewing club make windsocks.

Along with presenting my pretty bohemian windsock tutorial, this is also an excuse to show off my crocheted dress.

It's been so long since I posted anything (although I have been sewing and crocheting like crazy... just not any DIY'ing or crafting) that I don't really remember how to. Let's see... write some boring backstory, write an instructional tutorial, add some pictures. Ok, here goes - 

I am a proud and happy member of American Sewing Guild. I have been for the past three years. It's a great group. Everyone is super friendly, knowledgeable and generous. Earlier this year, our sewing club chapter president, Kim, told us that if we wanted to present/lead a DIY class for one of our meetings, we would receive $10 in "ASG Bucks". These can be used toward our annual retreat (ok, cool 😀), ASG merchandise (nah 😒) and to buy stuff at our fabric swap/garage sales (YEEESSSSS!!! 😍😃😁). We all know how much I love buying fabric and sewing notions... I NEEDED those ASG Bucks. LOL Anyway, the only rules were that the project had to be relatively simple, can be completed in under an hour and fairly cheap (since the sewing club provides all the supplies needed). One of my favorite things is finding and doing fun & easy craft projects. I knew I had to sign up to lead a meeting even though I have never taught anything in my entire life and I have zero patience for humans. The meeting was last week and it went surprisingly well (beginner's luck, maybe). We made windsocks using embroidery hoops, fabric strips and ribbon. Everyone finished their project and had a lovely time. Here are the instructions.

DIY Windsock:

Kim bought the embroidery hoops and fabric with our ASG dues but all the ribbon came from the garage sale!! All.of.it. Now you see how amazing our garage sales are and why I need those ASG Bucks. LOL

Supplies needed: embroidery hoop (any size will do), 3 pieces of equal length string, 2-inch wide fabric strips (the length can be cut to your preference), scissors (Kim suggested using scrapbooking scissors or pinking shears to cut designs into the fabric strips), ribbon, lace, other decorative material, glue (optional)

1. Open the embroidery hoop and set the outside piece (the piece with the screw and fastener) aside. 

2. Tie the three pieces of string to the inside of the embroidery hoop to form a triangle. Gather the pieces of string together and tie them into a knotted loop at the top. This will be for hanging up the finished windsock.

3. Drape the fabric strips around the inside of the embroidery hoop. This is easier to do if the hoop is hanging from somthing (or a friend is holding it for you). If you're worried about the fabric strips moving out of place, put a dab of glue on it to stick it to the embroidery hoop.

4. Add ribbon, lace or any other decorative material over the fabric strips. Go crazy with color, patterns and texture! Kim suggest stringing beads or bells to the end of the pieces.

5. Once everything is draped in place, put the outside of the embroidery hoop back on (again, easier to do if you have a friend holding it for you). This will hold all of the fabric strips, ribbon, lace, etc. in place. Fastener it on tightly.

And we're done!! Hang it outside (or inside) and enjoy!! So pretty, right? 

 

Erica & friends make bowls out of buttons.

**EDIT** - In this weird time of covid-19, we did not meet in person to complete this project. The project was started in February before the quarantine began. We got to the part where we glued buttons all over the balloon and Courtney worked on the project some (since we left everything at her house and she's super generous with her time) and sent me pictures for this blog post. I picked up the semi-finished project from her porch--contactless!--and finished up the rest at home.  

I’m so excited because I haven't posted a DIY tutorial (or any sort of blog, really) in ages and I’m finally getting to now! I'm part of a semi-regular craft night with three other women (Courtney--one of my really good friends and mother & wife extraordinaire, Jessa--who is always so generous in providing our art supplies, and Rachelle--owner of the wildly successful international yarn brand, Moon Drake). Our last project was to make a bowl from glue and buttons. They turned out really nice. 😄 Mine is currently in my sewing room. Just a warning: this project takes forever to complete due to having to wait for layer upon layers of glue to dry, so don’t start it if you’re short on time. LOL

The ladies crafting in Courtney's kitchen.

DIY Button Bowl:
SUPPLIES – buttons, balloon, Sharpee (or another brand) marker, paint brush, glue (we used Elmer’s), mod podge, plastic cup, water resistant coating. 

1.   Inflate balloon; the top of the balloon will be the size of the bowl.

2.   Set the balloon on top of a plastic cup for balance. It will remain here for the duration of this project. So use a cup you won’t be needing for the foreseeable future. LOL

3.   Use a permanent marker to outline the size/shape of the bowl onto the balloon.

4.   Brush Elmer’s glue onto the bowl portion of the balloon. 

      We used three coats of clue and left the balloon alone to dry over night. I think each layer took 1 – 2 hours to dry but I wasn’t really timing it. While we were waiting for the glue to dry, Courtney and I ate dinner 🍲😋🥘and painted our fingernails. 💅

5.   Using Elmer’s glue, adhere buttons over the dried glue. 
     *Glue the buttons above the Sharpee line. 
     *Glue a large button in the top center so the bowl will balance once its taken off the balloon. 
The buttons should be spaced pretty close together but don’t worry if there is empty space in between. The mod podge will fill all of that in. We left our balloons alone and let them dry over night. 
While not necessary, Jessa & I covered our balloons with plastic wrap so the buttons wouldn’t get disturbed.

6.   Brush mod podge over the buttons and let dry over night.

7.   Take the balloon off the cup and pop it (cut the knot from the bottom of the balloon and carefully let the air out). Slowly peel the balloon off the button bowl. This is when I picked up my semi-finished bowl from Courtney's porch. I decided last minute to paint the inside of the bowl red to match the buttons.

8.   Brush water resistant coating onto the inside and outside of the bowl. Let dry.

And we’re finally done!! The project itself is pretty easy. It just took forever to dry. I’m curious to make other bowls from different small objects…like beads or confetti or jewelry/charms. So many things to experiment with!! Another quarantine project!!

March is endometriosis awareness month

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.  I was struggling with what to blog about when I came across the Endometriosis Awareness Month Challenge 2020 on one of the Facebook groups I follow (Endometriosis & Me). I’m really not a fan of all of the silly “challenges” that keep popping up on social media. Most of them are dumb and not challenging, but I think this one actually is a true challenge. It’s hard living with an embarrassing and invisible disease. Unlike many other ailments, no one wants to talk about your raging period and terrible cramps. Gross, right? But, I will talk about it. The stigma surrounding menstruation needs to end. 

Instead of posting once per day as the challenge suggests, I will answer all the questions now—with only few sentences each because no one wants to spend the rest of their evening reading this blog. LOL So, here goes…

1.       My diagnosis… I’ve never bothered to ask which stage of endometriosis I have. All I know is that it’s pretty severe and it’s caused my infertility.

2.       Endometriosis means… that my daily life is constantly interrupted by my period and all its side effects (which can happen at any time, not just during that “time of the month”).

3.       Surgeries... one laparoscopy to remove the cysts. I have pictures if you want to see!

4.       What helps me… coffee.

5.       My symptoms are… heavy flow, debilitating cramps, really bad headaches, nausea, depression & anxiety, bloating, and constipation.

6.       My symptoms began… pretty much as soon as I started having periods.

7.       Medications I’ve been on… I’ve been offered Orilissa but decided against it after researching the medication and its side effects. I am currently taking Hydrocodone/acetaminophen for pain. Yes, I am aware of the opioid epidemic. No, I’m not an addict.

8.       Treatments I’ve had… just the one surgery. I haven’t been offered or considered “alternative” medicine/treatments.

9.       What I knew about endometriosis before diagnosis… nothing. It wasn’t treated as a “real” disease until a few years ago.

10.   Endometriosis makes me wish… I was postmenopausal.

11.   Distractions from the pain… when I take an FMLA day off work, I usually lay on the couch with my dogs and read or watch television (one of the rare times that I actually watch TV!).

12.   My first symptoms… having to go home from school because my cramps were so damn painful (I could barely walk down the hallway without doubling over in pain and concentrating on my lessons was completely out of the question)

13.   People that help me… I haven’t really asked for help (as in physical aid) so I’m not sure.  

14.   My pain level… funny story… after my first ultrasound (to get a view of just how bad it was in my uterus, NOT for pregnancy), my OB-GYN said, “Girl, you have the highest pain tolerance of anyone I’ve ever seen. Any other girl would have come to me for treatment years ago. How did you even handle this?” Yeah, I’m a badass.

15.   Things that make me happy when I struggle…knowing that I’m approved for intermittent FMLA so I can stay home from work and take it easy.

16.   Endometriosis sufferers who inspire me… Padma Lakshmi. Brandy Higgins Lytle (owner and founder at No so Mommy… blog and online community).

17.   Something that comforts me…that endometriosis is, for the most part, a recognized disease now. I have resources and a community to turn to if/when I need support.

18.   My scars…one on my belly button from the laparoscopy (it’s pretty gnarly).

19.   Other illnesses I suffer with…nothing else that’s been officially diagnosed

20.   Why I raise awareness…women shouldn’t be embarrassed by their periods… a natural biological function.  If you can talk about your weird rash, that one time your got food poisoning and the contents of your newborn’s diaper, you can talk about menstruation.  

21.   Support groups… I’m not a part of any actual support groups but I do follow a few hashtags and groups on social media. Not so Mommy, Hilariously Infertile, EndoMEtriosis, etc.

22.   Time until diagnosis… I was diagnosed in 2015. I don’t remember when I started having periods so I can’t do the math but I assume it was probably a decade or so.

23.   Physical transformation…weight gain; endo belly is real, guys. I am constantly bloated and uncomfortable.

24.   Living with invisible illness…isn’t great but is manageable. Once I acknowledged that I had a legitimate  illness and started seeking help, it became much better. It all starts with stepping out of your comfort zone, asking questions and not being afraid of being judged.

25.   Daily impact…I know it’s a long way to scroll back up but refer back to #2 & #5.

26.   Positives of the disease…my OB-GYN and employer actually believed me when I talked to them about having endometriosis. I’ve heard that is very rare so I must be one of the lucky ones.

27.   Endometriosis in 5 words… absolutely DREADING everything about my period!! (Okay so that’s 6 words, my bad)

28.   My achievements despite endometriosis… RagsReborn Gifts!!! Being able to run a small business despite the pain and anxiety (let me tell you, participating at a craft show while on my period is no small feat)

29.   An endometriosis myth…Getting pregnant will cure endometriosis. Well, that’s cool but did you know that endometriosis causes infertility so how do you expect me to get pregnant? Ugh.

30.   Worst medical experience…my former OB-GYN (Dr. Robin Mikel) accused me of opioid abuse when I explained my pain level and asked for her to prescribe a higher dosage of ibuprofen. She didn’t even stop to think that I might have endometriosis or any sort of disease at all. She just saw a young girl (I was in my early twenties) and assumed I was a recreational user.

31.   Best medical experience …after my uncomfortable appointment with Dr. Mikel, I immediately tracked down my pervious OB-GYN, Dr. Shelia Newcomb (she left Integris Women’s Health to go to a private practice and Dr. Mikal was her replacement.) That is when I got my diagnosis and treatment options.

Wes & Erica go to Tampa, FL, part 3

Well, actually this post will be about sightseeing in St. Petersburg, Florida (sightseeing in Tampa was last week's blog post, here and here) ...and mainly pictures from the Dalí Museum. Earlier this year, I heard an advert on the radio about St. Petersburg & Clearwater. One of the main attractions was the Salvador Dalí museum and I was determined to go. I fell in love with Dalí's art when I studied abroad in Spain many moons ago. My friends and I went to his museum in Figueres and it captivated my imagination. The Dalí Museum did not disappoint. We ended up doing a couple of other things while we were in St. Petersburg.

We decided to go to the museum on a Sunday to experience the "Mimosas and Masterpieces" brunch. Its supposed to be an artisanal brunch using local ingredients that are currently in season. Sadly, it wasn't even half as great as I thought it would be. First of all, the waitress couldn't explain the specials to us, which was crazy because there is no brunch menu... all that we had to choose from was what the chef decided to whip up that morning and she had no idea what it was. 😒 Secondly, the service was extremely slow. And thirdly, our food was just meh. Brunch was: a grilled cheese sandwich that was soaked in olive oil and used a Spanish cheese (Manchego, maybe) that wasn't melted all the way, an average mimosa and the only thing that was super tasty - a artichoke bisque with a walnut pesto swirl.

After brunch we explored the museum. We started outside in the garden, which had a few sculptures, then wandered around the ginormous gift shop. There were two special exhibits at the museum: a virtual reality tour of a few of Dalí's paintings (we put on virtual reality headsets and followed these dots to "go into" Dalí's paintings; it was super cool but we had to take off our glasses so I couldn't see the dots very well and I suck at video games anyway so I would have had a hard time following the dots with or without my glasses. I think Wes had a much better time at it than I did) and the Midnight in Paris exhibit, which was a collection of artwork from Dalí's contemporaries in the Surrealist movement. Wes really enjoyed Midnight in Paris but I instantly learned that I'm not a fan of surrealism... I apparently just like Dalí's art and no one else's. LOL

The main galleries were absolutely memorizing. I felt like I stood and gazed at each work for an hour but we actually went through it all at a remarkably quick pace. We were only in the main galleries for about two hours and I expected the museum to take the entire day. There was a ton of Dalí's work, many smaller paintings and drawings and eight masterworks. The masterworks were huge wall-sized paintings (his famous ones: Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus among others). My favorite piece is Sentimental Colloquy.

After the museum, we walked around St. Petersburg, did a little souvenir shopping (and A LOT of window shopping, it was Sunday so a bunch of the cute boutiques were closed) and sat at the marina at Demens Landing Park, which was the closest we could get to the ocean because we were not dressed for the beach. We ended up at the Sundial mall for lunch. There were a few upscale shops at Sundial but I wasn't feeling posh enough to go in them. We had lunch at Locale Market. Wes got a burger and I got tacos. Lunch was much much yummier than brunch was.

Our evening activity was Enchant Christmas at Tropicana Field. When I was researching activities to do, this came up as a "Christmas market" so I was thinking it was a local craft show. Oh no, it is so much more. There was a craft show (which was actually quite disappointing; no unique vendors. I think I've become a craft show snob because I've done so many myself) and food court (think gross concession stand food) but the main attraction was the light maze. I'm not a "get in the Christmas spirit" kind of person, but even I was impressed by the light maze. It was really rad and completely  made up for the lackluster craft show and food. The maze took up the entirety of the stadium and featured HUGE lighted snowflakes, Christmas trees and reindeer. All beautiful,colorful and full of holiday cheer. Wes noted that they used non-traditional Christmas colors so there wasn't an onslaught of red and green, which he appreciated. The premise was that all of Santa's reindeer got loose and we had to walk around the maze to find them. About every five minutes or so "snow" fell inside the maze. It was extremely busy so everyone just bumbled around instead of following a path to the reindeer. But it wasn't really a maze (more like a huge open space with some guidelines as to where to go) so it was okay to wander wherever. We walked around quite a bit and found all nine reindeer.

St. Petersburg makes for a good day trip but I wouldn't suggest planning for more than a day as there aren't very many tourist attractions. Its mostly shopping and dining. We spent two days in Tampa but we probably could have done everything in one day. I used to over plan for our trips and we were more exhausted than relaxed after a vacation. I've dialed it back and I only book one tourist attraction per day. It was nice to have the downtime but I sort of feel like we spent more time in the hotel than we did out and about, which was a tad bit boring. I need to find the medium between "aggressively sightseeing" and "lazy tourist". All in all, I think we had a nice time in Florida. We both really enjoyed the food (I've never had Cuban food until visiting). I'm sure the weather was supposed to be nice but I thought it was way too hot, especially for December! One last thing to note is that the Ubers were exceptionally clean, like I don't think I've ever ridden in vehicles as clean as the ones we got. So that's it for birthday #35, looking forward to 2020!