Is there no break?

Image by Upstate Options Magazine via Flickr

I woke up this morning to the news as I do each morning.  My daily dose of stark reality mixed with the sad frustration of having to leave my comfy bed and start the day.  Today however the news was just a bit more dreary.  It seems that my small guilty pleasure has now found a way to be deadly.  Really?  Can’t I just have one little thing that makes me feel really good about myself?

Apparently the UV lights that my nail place uses to set my gel nails is just like planting myself under a tanning bed.  And yes, really.. I sorta already thought about that as I was sticking my hands under the magic blue light.  But part of me just wanted to think that maybe it wasn’t true.  However, after getting up and making my way to the wonderful world of the Internet, I found the studies that were spoken of over the radio.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/SkinCare/uv-nail-dryers-skin-cancer-risk/story?id=14603063

So why gel nails?  Well, having Lyme disease and Fibromyalgia, my nails get very ridged.  Their ugly deep groves just make me want to hide my hands.  To keep them smooth, I have to sand them down and fight with nail polish to stay on. But after a recent pampering trip to the salon, they suggested the use of gel nails and promised weeks of beautiful hands.  And I was in love after I went home with the most beautiful hot pink nails I have ever seen.  Even after 3 weeks, I had nails that other women were drooling over without a nick or scratch.  And even more impressive, I didn’t see the grooves in my nails.  At last I had a guilty pleasure that I showed off all the time.

But, in order to get the gel nails to set you must have your hands under the UV light repeatedly through the whole manicure.. which is actually about an hour.  Hmm.. not good.

So I guess my next visit will be to have my gel nails removed and ask them nicely to put something over my nails to help the ridges.  But I’ll be fan drying, I am not taking one more risk.

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• American Classics GELOUS Advanced Nail Gel Coat (leahhg.wordpress.com)
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• Nail Inspiration (leahhg.wordpress.com)

Soup in a coffee mug? Oh my!

roasted tomato soup with broiled cheddar | smitten kitchen.

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There are sometimes when you just have to stop and drool. This happened to me today when I was playing around on the new site pinterest, which.. I love cause it’s so much fun and wastes so much time.  But I stumbled on these mugs of tomato soup which made me want to lick my computer.  So then, I had to find out what it was and if you could actually cook in a coffee mug.

And by golly, you can! So here you are, check out this amazing recipe.  And yes, before you say it.. I am a vegetarian and will swap out for vegetable broth.  You can even make it vegan with some really good vegan cheeses that are out there now.

Bring on the cold weather, I want soup!

Smitten Kitchen.. I think I love you.

Just how it is.

Image via Wikipedia

The weather has turned cold and rainy, days of sun and warmth are slowing down.  I know the cold weather is coming, I can feel it in my aches and pains. It’s going to be a long winter.  Thankfully I know to be prepared.

Yesterday I found my heating pad and took some time with my feet up after my physical therapy appointment. I have to say, my chiropractor has actually helped me keep my Lyme symptoms down.  Whenever I am feeling tight or aches start to get me down, she’s been so great at being able to soothe the pain and move fluid around so that the inflammation places in my joins and muscles settle down.

But the cold doesn’t help.  As much as I’d like to get out and walk more.  I know that soon after the swelling and pain will settle in and plan to stay for a while. A lot of Chronic Lyme disease patients have issues with temperature.  Sometimes the Lyme doesn’t react well to the extreme heat.  As I know, when I do heat therapy I see an almost instant reaction.  I feel sick, worn out, and the Lyme has a odd reaction.  The same thing happens with extreme cold.  My body just aches and I lose circulation to exposed fingers and my toes just turn blue.

However, I am ready.  I have my every day gloves all ready, my heating pad is working nicely, and I am stocked up with my coffee.  I’ll also go get a massage with heat and hopefully get the pain to move a bit.

So bring it on, I am ready!

Related articles

• Q & A about Lyme (barefairy.wordpress.com)
• Rage against and fighting Lyme (barefairy.wordpress.com)
• What You Need to Know About Lyme Disease (fitsugar.com)
• Request A Test Announces New Lyme Disease Testing Services (prweb.com)
• Antibodies linked to long-term Lyme symptoms (nature.com)
• Heat or Cold for Chronic Muscle Pain? (everydayhealth.com)
• Cold Weather Tip: Warm up Indoors (fitsugar.com)

Morning Tempest Studios.. wait, that’s me!

So a few months ago I began selling craft items on Etsy.com.  After some nudging by family and friends to get out there and sell some of the cute baby things I love to make for other people I set up shop. Morning Tempest Studios opened up in March 2011 and I have been so surprised at the progress it’s made. I love the way I feel when I am able to look at my shop and know.. hey, I did this!

Working from home is hard.  And honestly, it’s a lot more work than I thought it would be to have a webshop.  I do embroidery, making baby bibs, aprons, and now T-shirts.  I have this amazing place, Urban Threads, that has incredible artists who create embroidery designs that I then take and sew onto different items.  I LOVE it!  I never get tired of looking for new designs and sewing them for people.

One of the best things I have found that makes me so happy is getting to meet new people through my shop.  I’ve loved to hear their stories of why they are purchasing baby bibs or aprons. From a bride who purchased a monkey bib for her Man of Honor to the lovely women who have purchased Zombie Baby bibs for a zombie survival baby shower gift for a co-worker, each customer has a story that I love to hear.

Starting my webshop has been really a great distraction. No time to dwell on the boys moving into their adult lives, or the odd natural disasters that have given us everything from East coast Earthquakes to hurricanes that have flooded our area.  I’ve been so busy adding new items to my shop, blogging for my shop on Blog.MorningTempestStudios.com, working with Twitter and Facebook to gather new customers, and learning how to be a more successful business owner.  I haven’t had a lot of time to pine away for lost boys.  This new project in my life has given me a self-esteem boost that I never imagined would happen. I love it, and I love the life I am making for myself each day.