2010 August

Around My Neck

August 31, 2010 By Heather 24 Comments

I wear a certain necklace around my neck each day.

Recently I have been wearing two necklaces thanks to her, but that is a story for another day

“Is it Lisa Leonard?” I get asked.

Nope.

“Oh right, its The Vintage Pearl” they always reply.

Wrong again.

My necklace, one that I put around my neck each day, even on days in which it feels like a weight due to my fibromyalgia was lovingly made by my friend Melissa of Cascade Custom Crafts.

She blames me for getting her into all of this.

I admit to only getting her started in scrapbooking.

If you have never seen my necklace, I would like to introduce you to her.

Why yes I said her, the only guy coming this close to my girls on a regular basis is my husband.

I know that your first thought is “Wow that is a beautiful necklace!” with a close second being “Why is it laying among those business cards?” with a possible third thought being “Hey look there’s my business card!”

Well friends, today I am happy to tell you that you can win a $25 credit to Melissa’s shop by participating in a little contest.

I swear it’s not hard and it should be fun.

See this photo?

These are the business cards that I collected from BlogHer, less one because my husband needed to write down a number and for whatever reason I let him use a business card out of my purse to do so, ~~you know so he wouldn’t write on his hand again~~ because I am so nice and gracious like that.

All you have to do is guess how many business cards are in that pile and you can win yourself a necklace of your very own.

Note my necklace isn’t pictured because I designed it myself and truth be told that isn’t the ‘bling’ it came with I just recently switched it out because I spilled ice cream on my necklace…you know while it was around my neck. True Story

Let me give you two hints.

1. I didn’t really ask for anyone’s business card unless I was talking to them for a good while.

2. For me going to a conference with 2,399 of my closest friends I was seriously disappointed when I counted how many cards I actually got. It is sad and pathetic and I probably shouldn’t be allowed to exchange business cards at another conference ever.

Now for the details

~This contest ends on Friday September 3, 2010 at 5 p.m. EST.
~You may only enter once.
~In the event that two people pick the correct amount, I will randomly draw a name.
~But people this is an open comment form so try to check what others have guessed before you put your guess in.
~If no one picks the correct amount it will go to the person that was closest & if there are more than one of those that are equally far away from the unsaid number of cards I will randomly draw a name.
~The winner will have until Monday September 6, 2010 to contact me if not I will randomly draw a winner on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. So make sure your email is connected to your blogger account or you leave me a valid email in your comment.

FTC disclosure The original necklace was purchased by me (well techinally the husband as it was my mother’s day gift). I was not compensated in any way and the opinions expressed are solely my own except for the ones that I shared that others shared with me and I am pretty sure they weren’t paid for their opinions as well but I can’t be sure because people are tricky like that. Also I didn’t steal any of the business cards, not that I would steal business cards and if I did steal them I would probably steal way more of them so that the number would be higher, because FTC the number is sad and low

Filed Under: giveaways, helping out some friends, I am a bad business card getter, things that I love

Seven and Three

August 29, 2010 By Heather 7 Comments

Giggles is learning how to drive.

The Husband and I had an understanding and that understanding was that he was teaching the girls how to drive.

He took her out once or so.

Its not his fault due to his crazy work schedule, but due to his crazy schedule I started to feel bad that she wasn’t driving.

Because is all honesty if we waited for him to be able to take her out to get her required driving time in she may be able to get her licence by the time she graduated high school.

At first we drove the car that she will be driving once she gets her licence.

The car is small and the backseat is cramped.

The Chicken is so long and her knees uncomfortably hit the back of the seats.

The Chicken’s doubts and fears were right in my ear, as well as her sister’s.

You know the one learning to drive

It started as a one time thing, her driving my van.

Then she started driving it more and more.

I admit when she first started driving it I had to take my motion sickness medication because she seemed to be all over the road.

She scared me when she would turn to quickly, or when she would accelerate my V6 too fast.

I have since stopped taking my medication when she drives and I find myself having to correct her less and less.

She has confidence behind the wheel, but not too much.

She constantly amazes me at the things she can do.

I can’t believe that my baby is driving on the road, in my van, without much direction.

But no matter how many times I tell her that her hands need to be at Ten and Two they always end up at Seven and Three.

Photo taken with the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone while she was driving down the road

Filed Under: Giggles, giggles is growing up right before my eyes, learning to drive

Giving a Face to Fibromyalgia

August 27, 2010 By Heather 8 Comments

My name is Heather.

I am in constant pain.

The days in which I have been in pain far outweigh the ability of my brain to remember those days that I have not been in pain.

For years I would wonder if I was slowly losing my mind to the pain.

This is me.

Most days anyways.

I won’t let the fibromyalgia define me.

I can’t let it win.

In some ways I think I have become a better person since the pain has started.

I smile more. I talk to strangers.

I want my interactions with people to be positive, something that would be a bright point in their day.

But there are days like today when its even a struggle for me to smile because the pain runs deep.

The days where I have to grit my teeth and push through the pain. No matter how deep the pain burns.

I hate these days.

I hate that I can’t remember what it feels like to be completely pain free.

I hate knowing that one day my pain free days will be outnumbered by the pain filled ones.

I hate that there is no cure and that so many doctors don’t recognize it as a problem.

Even though its “all in my head” I can’t change that I have it no more than an asthmatic chooses to have asthma attacks.

I admit that when I am in severe pain and someone mentions to me that they have a ‘touch of fibromyalgia’ it takes all that I have to not laugh in their face and mock their so called pain.

I don’t like the person I become when I am in this much pain.

She can be bitter and angry and short with her children.

She lets the pain consume her and she sometimes stops the fight, letting the pain take over.

She isn’t me.

So I fight and I get frustrated and people think I am angry.

All because I am waging this internal war with myself over something I can never control.

But still I fight, because she is worth fighting for.

Top photo credit my good friend Dawn
Bottom Photo my good friend Mishelle Lane

Filed Under: fibromyalgia, this doesn't define me, this is me pain and all

Flashback Friday-The Geauga Lake Edition plus a deal for YOU!

August 27, 2010 By Heather Leave a Comment

Growing up my parents had businesses. Lots of businesses. Specifically businesses that worked well without snow.

So growing up in Ohio with my parents and their seasonal businesses, well, the money flowed a lot easier in the summertime when the work flowed as well. And in the wintertime things like hating the gas company became a bit standard.

But the summertime was pure bliss and sadly I don’t remember much of it.

I remember always going to Sea World when it was in Aurora, Ohio and also to Geauga Lake, which was right next to Sea World.

Dad said he always liked going because it made us kids happy, kept us out of his ~~thinning~~ hair, and they served beer. What more could a guy ask for.

I remember the drive was long but we would stay at either of the parks well beyond dusk and would get home sometime around midnight sometimes asleep or sometimes still high off of our cotton candy buzzes.

The last time I was at Geuaga Lake, well….I honestly couldn’t tell you.

The last time I was at Sea World was when I was about seven months pregnant with Giggles. My mom would decide every now and again that we needed to go and off we went. I remember getting the little cups full of fish to feed to the dolphins and how once I lost a watch feeding the said dolphins. (Although I didn’t lose the watch on my very pregnant trip there)

I always thought that I would be able to go back there someday with my family and enjoy the same sights and smells as I did in my youth. But, alas that wasn’t part of the plan.

Sea World closed, as did Geauga Lake. It seemed like they re-opened a time or two but before I could get the girls there it seemed like they were closed again. In 2008 Geauga Lake’s Wildwater Kingdom opened soley as a waterpark.

Imagine my surprise when I was contacted by Geauga Lake’s Wildwater Kingdom asking if I would like to bring my family to the park to enjoy a day seeing what they had to offer.

We jumped on it! I was so excited to take my girls to Geauga Lake to see what they had to offer.

We went this past Sunday and coincendally my best friend and her family were going that day as well.

The boys (her husband and mine) were excited to tackle the water park together.

We arrived shortly after the park had opened and made our way to the gate. It was a bit cool that day with light sprinkles here and there, but since the sun kept peeking out, we decided to brave it and enjoy ourselves.

The first thing I noticed was how friendly each staff person was that we encountered. They were all smiling and helpful. The lifeguards were amazing. I could probably go on and on about how diligent they were and how they took their job so seriously. (I later found out that the training that the Lifeguards receive is the highest standard of care in the industry)

Here we are in the Kiddie Area of the Park enjoying a big of a swim.

Another amazing thing is that the water always seemed like the perfect tempature. I seriously was not cold until I stopped riding on the slides.

The food seemed reasonably priced and was quite tasty, well the stuff that we tried.

I do have to say that my girls did become a bit bored after the day went on because while the attractions are great, there aren’t that many of them. But the kiddie part of the Park was AMAZING!! My best friend said she could hang out there all day with the kids and enjoy it (and she pretty much did!)

She enjoyed it so much that she is thinking of getting a season pass for her family next year.

I could see coming back, especially with their Platinum Passes as they are good at any Cedar Fair Park.

The one depressing thing was that you could see the old Geauga Lake. Now I know that it isn’t any fault of the new Wildwater Kingdom but it was depressing for me to look across the lake to see some of the old rides and other things basically overgrown and wasting away. But like I said, that is just me.

All in all I think that it was great fun to go and if you have younger ones that would enjoy their Kiddie Park then its a wonderful place to go.

For those of you who are local you only have 5 more days before the park closes (this weekend and next) so if you decide to go please take advantage of the coupon below to get $5 off your admission to the park.

Disclosure: I was contacted by Geauga Lake’s Wildwater Kindgom and given tickets for my family as well as $40 in Beagle Bucks to enjoy the concessions. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and that of my family (and my best friend who was not compensated and had to buy her tickets on her own!)

Filed Under: flashback friday, funtimes with my family, I had to finally go out and buy a swimsuit.

Fifteen years

August 22, 2010 By Heather 6 Comments

Fifteen years ago our graduation was nearly rained out, the same thing happened to our reunion.

It seems like I have lived a lifetime or two since high school.

Seeing all of those faces, most of whom I couldn’t place at first was a different experience for me.

Sure I knew some of them through the wonders of Facebook, but how much can you really know a person from facebook?

People put out the information that they want you to know. (some too much, but that is to be expected)

Some of the photos that are used may be years old or taken from unique angles to get just the “right” look.

Some people haven’t changed a bit.

Some people have changed a lot.

It was like the ultimate people watching experience.

And because I am 70 or something I wished it was a bit quieter and had more lights turned on.

I know that I am not the same girl that I used to be, although I felt myself at times wanting to shut down.

A couple of people asked if I had kids, which is funny since I was crazy pregnant at the beginning of senior year.

You could see people wondering what to say. A couple people asked how that was possible because we were only at our 15 year reunion.

At one point in the night my best friend told someone jokingly it was because I was a whore in high school. Ahhh, drunk bestie how I love you so

I admit I was shocked because while I have jokingly said that about myself to hear those words come from another mouth to someone else’s ears. Well I was a bit embarrassed.

But really it doesn’t matter. Most of these folks I won’t see for another 5 years.

And those who I do see, they get me. They are my people.

My drunk bestie who doesn’t remember posing like that, our short friend and me

And I love them.

And yes I am totally looking forward to my twenty year, you know when my one daughter will be graduating and the other in college

Filed Under: 15 year class reunions, a day in my life, fun times

I will always look forward to BlogHer.

August 16, 2010 By Heather 10 Comments

I am not the same girl I was last year going to BlogHer.

Going to a conference over your anniversary changes you.

Because the greatest gift my husband could have ever given me on our 15 year anniversary was confidence.

He didn’t intentionally give it to me, it just happened as a result of me not wanting to let him down.

I never introduced myself as Domestic Extraordinaire, well not at first.

Hopefully I greeted you with a smile and if I gave you a compliment, it was geniune.

I was excited when people knew who I was, because when you are in a city that is the size of New York City and you are attending a conference with 2,399 other attendees….well, I think you get the idea.

My travel companion and I saw each other during the conference some, but we knew we would have 14 nearly 20 hours to catch up on the way home. (Again thank you Amtrak!!) So we didn’t sweat it.

I had the most amazing roommate anyone could ask for. We got to spend some quality time together on Sunday morning before we checked out of the hotel and it was amazing.

I took my Canon to the Nikon party & caused a “situation” in which I was issued a Nikon for a few minutes. (Nikon I was totally serious if you want me to give you a trial run against my Canon)

I met.

I ate.

I drank lots of water.

I walked.

I saw.

I may had my picture taken with a “celebrity” or three.

I stood among so many strong and powerful women.

I am proud to call many of you that I hugged friend.

Words can not express how amazing you each are. (She said it so perfectly.)

So thank you for meeting me. For hugging me. For letting me be me.

For understanding me. For not making me explain why I love blogging.

You know me. I know you.

And this my friends, is why I will always look forward to BlogHer.

Filed Under: blogher, on loving bloggers, on visiting NYC, thoughts from my brain

The Universe Hates Me or Rather Hates that I am Online

August 14, 2010 By Heather 1 Comment

So, the plan was that after I decompressed from going to BlogHer & my horrible train ride home (Hello Amtrak you still haven’t connected with me on Twitter yet) that I would do a BlogHer re-cap.

I am here to say that The Universe has other plans about me ever doing a BlogHer re-cap.

Remember last year when we came home only to play Amish.

This year wasn’t so dramatic.

Well, the nearly 20 hour train ride home in a meat locker almost did me in, but I survived.

This year my modem decided to crash on me. But not in a way in which the phone company could tell for sure it was dead until we spent several hours on the phone going over everything because my modem assured them from their end that it was working.

Thankfully we didn’t have to do all the simple things that we normally would have to do. I think part of it had to do with the fact that she was a fellow Mac user who also loves Safari and doesn’t like Firefox just because it isn’t Safari.

She was a kindred spirit indeed.

So, long story short I am at a coffee shop getting my contract work done, updating my photography site, and saying hello to all of you lovelies out there.

While you are here please look at the photos that I took in Times Square on Friday night, they were inspired by Beth’s photo challenge at You Capture “Everyday Things” (not for me but those that are always in NYC-I am still in awe!!)

I promise I will be back soon!!

with the exception of the black and white shot these are all shot in manual straight out of the camera

Filed Under: BlogHer2010, reflecting on my trip to NYC, the universe hates me

My body may be in Ohio but I think my brain is somewhere between here and New York City

August 11, 2010 By Heather 5 Comments

I am home.

Sort of.

But not really.

My brain is still somewhere between here and New York City.

I am pretty sure that part of it is still in Buffalo, NY. (But more on the Amtrak train incident another day)

I am so thankful to be with my family.

To have my husband’s arms wrapped firmly around me each night and then in the morning have him whisper into my ear that this is the best part of his day.

But I miss my friends.

I miss the freedom of New York City.

The Lights. The Sounds. The Street Meat.

I need to decompress my thoughts and feelings.

I want what I have to say mean something.

I want to reflect on the positives (not that there were many negatives)

I think I just need another day.

So until then, feel free to enjoy as I crossed something off of my list.

Seeing Radio City Music Hall all lit up.

Filed Under: a day in my life, blogging friends, blogher, reflecting on my trip to NYC

The Big Apple

August 5, 2010 By Heather 7 Comments

All of my life I have wanted to go to New York City.

Some people have life goals, things they want to accomplish.

My ‘Life’ list has destinations on it. Sure I have things I want to accomplish, but most if those things have something to do with some far off destination.

I wasn’t sure if I would be going to BlogHer this year.

The expense. The time away. The whole ‘going out of your comfort zone and making yourself sound legit’ business.

Then they announced the location and I was sold.

I can’t believe it, I am here in The Big Apple, The City that never Sleeps (seriously never sleeps) all because of this space and you reading it. Making me all legit and stuff.

Are you going to be here? If so, I would live to meet you.

Some places I will be are (in no particular order) The People’s Party, The Social Fiesta, CheeseburgHer, Sparklecorn, Blogalicious, The Aiming Low EzPz Party, and The Serenity
Suite.

If you haven’t heard what the Serenity Suite is you can click on the button in my sidebar there and it will tell you all about it (I hope because I am typing this out on my phone because time escaped me before leaving my family for nearly a week.)

Simply put, it’s a quiet place you can come to relax and enjoy some quiet conversation and eat cupcakes. If you would like to eat some cupcakes with me…..errrr, I mean enjoy the suite please come to Room 4307. I will be there on Friday from 10-10:30 am and from 8-9 pm. Saturday I will be there from 10-10:30 am and from 3-3:30 pm.

I am sure that I will be stopping in some other times as well because I can not resist the lure of free cupcakes.

And if you aren’t in NYC, no worries you can live vicariously through me and my photos.