In Love With the Desert

Here is something I never thought would happen as I'm a junkie for all things ocean and all things green and lush.... but it did: I love the desert! The colors and textures and sunshine - it's amazing. So much better in person than any photograph will ever show. I can't wait to go visit it again.

Valley of Fire in Nevada:











Western Washingon/Columbia River Valley:










Petrogylphs from two desert places we recently visited - Nevada, and the Columbia River in Washington.

Published!

The Blue Between Studio is in a book! How exciting! Page 84 - I can't wait to get my copy to see it for myself. If I remember correctly... Zoe and a pumpkin are on the porch. It's been awhile since Alex asked me for a photo.

Vegas, Baby!

My birthday gift this year (which was months ago, but we waited until school got out) was a trip to Vegas and Cirque tix. We just got back - it was a blast. We had way too much fun, all G-rated of course, except for the first day when the pool was full of drunk party-goers, and I had to fight the urge to cover my kid's eyes every two seconds. What a place. We will go back someday, for sure.

A Customer Necklace

One of my bead customers mailed me a photo of a necklace she made with one of my beads - it's fantastic, don't you think? I love all the strands to balance out the big bead - and then the surprise that she strung it horizontally - I always think of them as vertical, but that shows you what I know!



You can find this necklace for sale on MC2Works Etsy Shop.

Exciting Times!!

The Braves were undefeated this year - they just kept winning, game after game after game - and now they are the Super 9's Champions! Makes sitting out in the cold and wind and rain for the past 4 months almost worth it!

Just Some Eye Candy

Some beads I made last week.

Meet D-Ribose - my new best friend.

D-Ribose. I love this stuff. I've been taking it for a week now and my energy level has doubled. And I don't ache and my heart isn't scaring me any more. Seriously... this is good stuff. I even found the energy to paint my bedroom - something I've been wanting to do for a year.

Healthy bodies make it on their own, but chronically ill bodies, especially when you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome... which is all related to thyroid disease as many of the symptoms overlap, can use the help. At least that's what I've been reading, and what my experience trying it out has shown, so far.

I'm only posting because I think so many of my beader friends suffer from low energy and may want to look into it too. You can read all about it here: D-Ribose—A Very Powerful and Natural Body Energizer.

New Beads on Etsy

Another Finished Work

I am enjoying getting these photos from Lesley of YaYa Beads, so much! This lovely necklace was created by Dorothy Crawford, of Georgia. It features one of my most favorite Tiger beads, and I think she did a fantastic job showing it off. A great mix of Swarovski crystals, tons of copper, lots of Czech glass, and some very pretty gemstones. I love it! Thanks Lesley and Dorothy!

My New Favorite Bag

There are just some things you can't ever have enough of. Obviously, beads are at the top of that list... but also, for me, are books, shoes and... bags.

And *this* is a cool bag. My friend Kristin posted a picture of it on her facebook page, and I had to have it.

I believe this is the first of it's kind, though she says there are more coming. She has them made for her in Bali. It's an original process of smoking the pattern on to the bag - I guess it takes a lot of time. But it's worth it, because it's gorgeous. Don't you think?

Still Researching.... another health post.

This is me: I don't want no stinkin' bandaid. I want it healed up and fixed for good.

This is also me: I don't want to go gluten free.

And this is also me: Life isn't fair.

Stubborn, it's true, should have been my middle name. Just ask my mother. Or my husband. But it's not a bad thing, necessarily. It's what keeps me going and searching and learning. Right?

It's what keeps me going back to here: it's not the thyroid, it's the immune system. I know this for a fact. It's how I got out of Grave's Disease the first time around. It's how I was in remission for awhile. It's how I'm going to get out of this Hashimotos mess too. Even if it kills me.

Because that's what it feels like to think about going gluten free. Over my dead body. Same thing with coffee and dairy. I don't wanna. If that sounds like a temper tantrum, it's because it is. I don't wanna.

But if you read the book "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?" by Dr. Datis Kharrazian, you might just wanna. It's the first book I've read that really goes in depth into what is going on with the immune system. How the immune system is attacking the thyroid. What you can do about it. How it is all a big jumble of connections between blood sugar and adrenals and gut health and all the other hormones in your body. And what you can do about it. If you wanna.

Reading this book is kind of alarming. Even if you are not normally a hypochondriac, it might just get your stress hormones all in a tither. It does mine. Blood sugar! Oh no! Leaky gut! Oh no! Gluten so similar to TPO binding hormone, oh NO!

But, there is also a lot of fascinating information in there, much of it goes against the grain of traditional thyroid disease treatment. Things you may want to try. Or not. Like that gluten thing. I'm not. I did it before without going gluten free, I can do it again. Unless it starts to kill me, I guess then I might just be stubborn enough to try it.

Tales from Africa

Sarah Hickey Jewellery of Etsy included my bead in her African themed treasury. It's beautiful, and so are Sarah's earrings - you should check them out if you like big dangley earrings!