New Jewelry Piece Coming Soon!

When you are a designer, or like me, an "Up and STILL trying to come" designer, ideas seem to block themselves out of your head sometimes! For example, get a blank piece of paper to draw on and a pencil... what are you going to draw and make it look wonderful? Any ideas. Now do that 30 times... there's when the mental block comes in!

Fortunately, I have a pretty cool new item that I will be creating as soon as we get this stinkin house moved out of and cleaned... which will be today and tomorrow. I will be making... dum dut da dum...... Painted Pendants. Not just any painted pendants. Pendants the size of scrabble tiles, with teeny tiny watercolor paintings that will be miniature yet EXPRESSIVE! Sometimes we all want to expressive our inner passions, but the retail world seems to be constricted in a box. A box that I, for one, do not live in nor do I ever want to. Why have constrictions on your passions? (and yes, you can have more than one passion. I'm proof of that!)

To make tiny watercolor pendants, you have to paint a miniature painting on watercolor paper, seal that for protection, decoupage it onto a blank bezel, and cover it with a hardening glaze. Then, glue a bezel on the back, attach it to a chain, and VIOLA! Then, you have a beautiful painted pendant necklace that expresses you! Here is an example (I did NOT make this one!)

Those were painted by some pretty talented artists, because you can imagine how challenging it is to paint on something smaller than a quarter and make it look like anything other than a blob of paint!

For Christmas, I received FOUR amazing art kits, and I love them all. In one of the sets, I received a full set of watercolor paints and pencils, which I've grown to love! It's hard to manipulate the water to create exactly what I want, but the challenge is the fun part!

I painted one pendant myself. Here's how it turned out... but it was with acrylic paint.

That's like my third one... but we will leave out the other two that I "practiced on" before I got a set of tiny model car paint brushes. Blob of paint... that would definitely describe them!

I've been searching for ideas to paint on the new items, and here's what I have so far:

1. Monogram/Initials

2. Baby Bump/ Pregnant Mommy

3. Chef/ Cupcake pan

4. Snake dangling from a tree

5.Anything Awareness

6. Medical Alert

7. Flowers with falling petals (like my big painting)

8. Polka dots

9. RIP/ Memory

10. Just Married

11. Bride/Bridal Party

12. Cake on a cake stand

13. Rainbow

14. Colors for Christ

15. High Heel Shoe

16. Chair on beach

17. I'm a Christian

18. I'm a Child of God

19. Mom/Grandmother/Sister

20. Pink Browning Symbol

21. Chinese Symbols

22. Foreign Language Sayings

23. Animal Print

24. Mustard Seed

25. Whimsical Theme

26. Damask Print

27. Camera

28. Occupations

29.  True Love Waits

30. I'll Wait For You

31. Military

See, I need more ideas! And I'm not talking about writing those words... those are merely theme ideas. I want to paint symbols and pictures of something that represents those things. I really need more suggestions, and more than that, I need you to buy one! Remember, ALL of the profits go toward my "Race to Erase MS" Fundraiser that I'm holding right now, so you will be helping out a great cause! Each necklace will be $20 (the supplies are kind of expensive... and I actually want to be able to raise money for MS). For more information or to submit ideas of a necklace you would like to see (NO obligation to buy, Ideas welcome!), either comment at the end of this entry or go to my facebook account and comment by clicking on the link below. 

https://www.facebook.com/makeupandmudboutique

I LOVE to paint, but my house is being overrun with paintings! So, I'm going to start doing mini's! Here is my most recent painting!  

NEW SYMPTOMS!

I'm being a whiny-baby in this entry... and we're going to go through to together with pictures and videos that acknowledge and represent that... Here we go:

Crybaby Video

You know you love watching Steve Urkle still, and MAN, can he dance or what?

So, want to know what my latest MS symptoms is? The MS HUG. Also known as the Girdle-Band Sensation. And... it stinks.

Yes, that's the little boy peeing... the same little boy that used to grace the back or 4x4's all over town. Just when you thought he was gone, I brought him back! Little Whizzer.

You know the "F*rget You" by Cee Lo Green? (And yes, I know there's another version but I'm NOT posting that on my blog, just in case the preacher reads it or something. Use your imagination if you must.)

Anyhoo... That song reminds me in a strange way about how I feel about Multiple Sclerosis. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to be like, "Forget you, MS!" and I think I actually said it out loud a few times. So, here you go with that, too!

Forget You Video!!

Another thing that's really creating a damper on packing and moving is that my sleep medication isn't strong enough! I have another medicine I could take, Nuvigil, but my insurance has delightfully declined to back me up (or cover it, if you have no idea what I'm talking about). I want to call them and be like, "Listen, just because my tests aren't turning out just perfect according to your stupid little list, I NEED to stay awake!" In other words, "FORGET" your stupid list!

When about 6 p.m. hits, you can hang it up on me being in the "Normal Functioning Department." That's about the time that my second dose of the day wears off, and I start to go downhill. All I know is, I am so incredibly sleepy, even right now. I go back to the doctor in March (yes, I have to last until then), and hopefully he can switch me to Adderall on a higher dose... although I have to learn how to control the "edgy" feeling it will give me. It's worth it if I will actually stay awake!

Enough whining... I need to go pack. Sleepy packing... this will be interesting!

Race to ERASE MS Event FUNDRAISER

Hello Everyone! I am trying to raise $1000 to attend the Race to Erase MS Event in May of this year.  Each ticket is a minimum of $1000, and it is submitted in the form of a donation to help fund research to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis, which most of you know that I have.  This is a "Once In a LIFETIME Opportunity," and I really an trying so hard to collect the money for two reasons:

1.  I have MS, and I personally REALLY need someone to find a cure, so why not try to help them fund it?!
2.  I think it would be awesome to spend an evening eating dinner and mingling with celebrities who are also there to support Multiple Sclerosis.

I usually don't use this word, but I will now... Having Multiple Sclerosis Sucks BIG time. Meeting the stars would actually bring me a small positive in this awful situation!

The link to the website with information for you (to make sure this is LEGIT) is below.

Race to Erase MS Website Link

Some of the stars who have attended the gala in the past are below... (But SO many more actually go!)

So, $1000... That's quite a chunk of change, huh? I just know we can raise this money! To help, ALL of my jewelry profits are going toward this effort, so please go "LIKE"  and "SHARE" my facebook shop so you can check out all of my jewelry and albums. Please pass this on to friends! And if you buy ANY jewelry from now until the end of January, I will throw in a free pair of surprise earrings, so YAY!  

To put it into prospective: If I sell 100 pairs of earrings at "around" $10 each, that will be $1000! Come on guys... 100 pairs can fly off the shelf ( I'm trying to be OPTIMISTIC... can you tell?)

The more people who "like" my shop, the more people who have the opportunity to support my efforts, so please share it for me! And Share this blog entry as well, so they will know what they're looking into, please! 

The link to my shop is:

Make Up and Mud Facebook Shop

All you have to do is comment on the item you would like to buy, and I will respond to you! Please help me in this effort to raise this money, and know that you will he helping SO many people! Please message me if you have any questions! And remember... pass pass pass this on! 

The Real TRUTH About How I Feel

You want the truth about how I really feel about this awful disease? Well here is the honest truth:

One thing I struggle with is accepting this fate: Multiple Sclerosis. For the most part, it appears to be going well, but I have nights, like last night that come out of no where where I fall apart. I lost everything in less than a year, my job, my friends, my Multiple sclerosis mentor and dear friend that died unexpectedly, my future, and all of my plans... they were all taken within a year. So, without even realizing it, I pushed away everything that I REALLY wanted, because it was like I unconsciously thought that if I didn't really want it anymore, then it wouldn't be taken from me, but if I wanted it, like I wanted my job, then it would be taken. 

But you don't have these thought processes and realize it, until that night when you put two and two together, OR when your husband does. He's right... When Bonnie died, it absolutely killed me, because she was not only one of my best friends, but she was the only person I confided in, because she had MS. If I told her about something that happened or something I felt, she had been through it too. So we formed a bond that couldn't be shaken... unless one of us died. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her, and I can still cry at the drop of a hat. They say over time that it gets easier, but it hasn't yet. I can't even really think about her without falling apart.

Things with Scott and I are good, but I've selfishly kept him at an arms length away. It's like dying... for almost a year, I've been ok with it. If I were to have not woke up the next morning, I've told myself over and over that I would be ok with it, almost to convince myself. But the truth is, I WANT to be ok. I want to beat this. But what if I really try to fight it as hard as I can and then I find out that there's nothing that I can do and it's going to kill me? Something is a lot easier to take if you convince yourself that it's what you wanted in the first place. It's confusing, but you may understand. 

The worst symptom about this is my inability to manage my moods and my emotions. My doctor said that it is an effect of my lesions, but the depression has been awful over the past year. And I never hid it from my family or Scott or my best friends... I was taking an anti-depressant that I had a really bad reaction to that almost made me hallucinate, and I took it for months. I would cry all day every day and just almost watch myself from somewhere else. It was the worst thing I have ever been through in my life. I was diagnosed as being bipolar, but I wouldn't accept it, so I ignored the doctor and quit the meds cold turkey. After the effects wore off, I allowed my body to go back to normal for a few weeks. I wasn't bipolar anymore... it was the other meds! So, I started a different anti-depressant, and it works pretty well for the most part! If I had accepted the bipolar meds and taken them, I would be on another medicine that I don't need, and my doctor agreed. It's just trial and error. 

I think that once I accept this fate, then I will work on rebuilding. But I can't accept it overnight, or even in one year. I'm still in denial about it, and I hate it everyday and I want to go back in time. I used to be so responsible  in control, and I feel like I lost my entire identity and now I'm trying to find the other me. And I don't want to. As soon as I'm able to get out of this funk and start rebuilding my life, I will start my new chapter. Until then... it's day by day.

BEST book ever!

Izzy's Fashion Drawings

I have to say that when I was leafing through Izzy's Fashion Notebook, I was very impressed with some of her creations! She said she wants to be a designer when she grows up... I have to say that she definitely is well on her way!

Morning Rambles...

I'm currently uploading pictures to the Facebook Yardsale page right now, and if you have done this before, you know each upload takes an abnormally long time! So, I'll ramble to you for a bit! Some of the things I'm uploading are:

Let me know if you are interested!!

Make Up and Mud Gift Basket NEWS!

First of all, this may be a little short and sweet, because I have a very full schedule today... (Even if it does consist mostly of  "At-Home" activities.

I've been a little spastic lately, because we've been trying to pack up our house so that we can move out by the end of the month. Packing is one of the most horrible tasks... but I've already complained enough to you about that lately.

Due to being crazy busy, I haven't had a lot of time to devote to Make Up and Mud Online Boutique. My Facebook updates have slackened and my pins on Pinterest are getting a little dated. *sigh*... What in the world did we do before Facebook and Pinterest? We played outside!

Moving on...

I have three gift baskets that I out together that will be perfect for anyone who is moving into their first apartment or house, maybe right out of high school or college. Due to the BRIGHT colors in each basket, I think they would be better suited for a girl (but who am I to say?) These baskets are filled to the brim with bright, cheery colorful kitchen items, such as measuring spoons, "to-go"container, regular and mini rubber spatulas, toothpick holders, ice scream scoop, potato peeler, a few colorful plastic cups, hard "durable" plastic cup, water bottle (maybe for class?)... the options are endless.

This is the smaller version of one, without all of the cups and extras!

And to top it off, the "basket" isn't like one that that big bunny drops on your doorstep... No, this basket is a rubbery container, definitely suitable to get wet, and would be a perfect bathroom organizer. So, you don't have to stow it away at the top of the closet, because you can find uses for it all year long! Clutter Control... YES!

I'll wrap each gift basket up and tie it at the top with ribbon and add a poofy tulle bow to make it absolutely adorable! This would be a wonderful Graduation Gift, and Graduation time is right around the corner. (It would also be a great Easter Bunny "basket" for that hard to buy for your high school age daughter!) I've put a LOT of items and a LOT of time into each basket, and I really hope you enjoy them!

I only have three left (I started with four), so if you would like to order yours today, just let me know! The link to my Facebook shop is:

https://www.facebook.com/makeupandmudboutique

I hope to hear from you soon!

Multiple Sclerosis Update (With VIDEO)

I wanted to catch everyone up on how things have been going in my life, but I couldn't narrow it down to one video... This time, I made it into three. Thanks for watching!

Update Video #1

Update Video #2

Update Video #3

Moving Mayhem & Clutter Chaos

As I've written in past posts, we are moving about an hour and a half to two hours away from where we live now. We will be out of our current house by January 31, so we're steadily packing boxes, driving furniture to the new place, unpacking and organizing there, and starting back over at our current house. And each time we come back to our house we're currently living in, I would be willing to swear that somehow our stuff still to pack somehow grew while we were gone. And by stuff, yes, I mean junk. Clutter. Stuff I should-a thrown out a few years ago.

I'm a good packer. I'm an efficient packer, careful to wrap breakable items and label the boxes according to items inside and rooms it should go in. I'm organized with that.

What I'm not organized with is all of the junk I have managed to accumulate over the past few years since I moved out of my parents house. I even found a box that I never unpacked from when we moved to where I live now! I had just stuck it in the top of a spare closet. When I found it, there I went, distracted down memory lane of old Wal-Mart Receipts and half full Sticky Note tablets. If I haven't needed anything out of that box in all of this time, don't you think the obvious thing to do would be to chunk it right away without going through the contents? Yes. Was I able to do that? No.

I am a packrat, not a hoarder, but a keeper of tiny things that cost me more money and time to keep them unorganized than it would be to throw them out and buy it again if I needed it. What kind of items am I talking about?

Hm... here's one: Bobby Pins. I'm going through a box, and there's a lone bobby pin in the bottom of the box.

Now there are 48 brand new ones under the bathroom counter, but instead of tossing it in the trash, I'm the person who wastes 5 minutes to pick up the bobby pin and carry it to the bathroom, find the others that I already have, put the found one in with them, and then I'm SUPPOSED to go back to going through the original box right?

Well, there's my other problem....

As I'm placing the lonely found bobby pin in with the others, because I just couldn't throw out a $0.01 BOBBY PIN ( Gasp!), I notice an ink pen in the bottom of the hair bin. Which I just HAVE to take to put in the box with all of the other pens. And there I notice one single sock. And it goes on and on and on.  Now remember that ALL of this time, I have neither packed one single box nor have I finished cleaning out the original box I was going through.

By this time, I have a half empty box I didn't finish going through, the hair supply box pulled out from underneath the bathroom cabinet (still sitting in the floor), and the box of ink pens and pencils out on the table. Let me do this for a few days, and you can imagine how far I'm getting with this packing ordeal. And it ALL could be avoided if I would just think long and hard enough to THROW THE BOBBY PIN AWAY IN THE FIRST PLACE!

What items are my main issues?

Panties... I don't want to get rid of any, even though I probably couldn't even fit my butt in them anymore... they're cute! But, I reluctantly have purged the stash...

Markers, Pens, Pencils, Crayons... Art supplies, you name it! We have SO many pens and pencils, I don't know what to do with them all!

Junk... Just JUNK (PERFECT picture I found in the internet)... a marker, a screwdriver, a million rubber bands, old gift cards, tiny paper to open... just random junk. I have a LOT.

I'm a note-taker, a list maker, a writer-downer of just whatever comes to mind.  And there you have it.  And now what I have is a million sheets of paper with random things on them that I've written since I've been home from work, and I've had time to actually find and jot down whatever I find that I may want to remember in the future.

And you know what my main "Inhibitor of Packing" is? BOREDOM. I can't watch T.V. because I have to focus on what I'm doing, so tv and the internet are out of the question if I'm actually going to be productive. The radio gets annoying after an hour or so, and I can't talk on the phone, hold it to my ear, and pack boxes... It's just a boring process that wasn't meant to be fun. And it's not. Fun.