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Even though I've spent the last few months of my life looking at boobs, before and after photos of boobs, scars on boobs, sizes of boobs, old boobs, young boobs, no boobs, new boobs... I still feel like boobs are such a taboo subject. So I'm going to get past this right now. Call them what you will; breasts, boobs, boobies, titties, tatas, milkjugs, bee stings... women have got 'em and always have had them. Men do not (with the exception of the man-boob). They do serve a purpose and I would never want to have NO boobs... they're an important part of a woman's body, her figure, her self confidence, her identity.
I'm just sick of feeling like my BOOBS DEFINE ME. Anyone else have this feeling? Like, I'm always the girl at the party with the huge knockers. I get the cat calls, the whistles, the comments. I choose my activities and my wardrobe based on my chest size. Since when did my boobs OWN me, control MY life!? I'm taking my life (and my body) back!
I've been nervous to share my story... like, maybe someone somewhere out there will recognize my story, or my pictures... and will know it's me. And you know what, I really just don't care anymore. I've kind of been a creeper on this site for a while, and it's the stories, photos, experiences and comments that helped me make the decision to TAKE BACK my life, so the least I can do is share my story so maybe someone... somewhere out there... can find in my story what I found in everyone else's - hope and courage.
A little background (without too many details): I'm 27, 5'4" and about 170 lbs. I work in the financial industry and own a house with my amazing boyfriend and share it with two ridiculous fur-babies. I like crafting, reading, yoga and treasure hunting at the local flea market.
My story:
I was always a pretty busty girl. I was the first of my friends when we were younger to "grow a set"... and that was noticed, FAST... by almost every boy in my school. I think the strapless bra I bought for my prom dress ten years ago was a C or D and I thought I was busty THEN... (what I wouldn't give to go back to THEN). I was always self conscious of my chest size. I was never really active because I just felt so damned uncomfortable in my own skin. After I graduated high school, I travelled a bit and worked abroad. I battled with weight, up and down, up and down (I am a lover of all things sweet) and my boobs just grew. And when I lost weight, it was never from there. And when I gained weight, it went there. Repeat. Repeat.
I always wore whatever bra I could find at La Senza or wherever that could even REMOTELY hold me together and looked alright under a shirt. I had side boob, I had boob spillage (over and under) - I had it all. A few years ago, my also large-chested friend convinced me to go for a PROPER bra fitting at a specialty store where I found, much to my dismay, that I was not indeed a DD or DDD or E but in fact (depending on the bra) a G or H. I didn't know the letters of the bra-alphabet went that far. But I bought a FITTED bra and it did make a WORLD of difference to my back. Because my back, for my age, is WRECKED. Chiro. Massage. Physio. Ibuprofin. Headaches, headaches. More headaches. More massage, more chiro. Oh, the joys of big boobs.
I've been considering a reduction for a long, let me tell you a LONG time. Originally my family doctor wouldn't give me the green light because I wasn't done growing. Then it was because I was (and am) considered overweight and she wanted me to try and lose 10-15 lbs and see how that affected my boobs. Well let me tell you, it didn't make them SMALLER, it just made them HOLLOWER and SAGGIER. Super attractive qualities on a young woman. Eventually, I just kind of gave up.
I am typing a lot... where did this explosion of words come from!?
Anyways, in November of 2012 I started thinking about it again. I was fed up. My doctor had finally approved me for a reduction in August and sent in the referral...but in B.C., once you're approved, the waiting list for a reduction is (on average) 4 years. I just decided one day that I didn't want to wait. So I made a list of all of the things holding me back from making this decision. Money. Fear. Scarring.
So I researched local surgeons. I called the surgeon's office and got a cost estimate for out-of-pocket (non-government funded). I went to my bank to see if they could make something work - if I could somehow finance it. If I drained EVERY SINGLE PENNY of my hard-earned savings, I could almost afford it, but I wanted to see if I could take out a loan. Bank approved the amount. I discussed what I was wanting to do with my boss - she totally supported my decision and said she would get all of the necessary paperwork lined up for my time away from work. I called the surgeon's office and booked a consult. The surgeon I chose was the result of hours of research, patient testimonials, and a recommendation from a friend of mine who'd had the same procedure completed by him.
The date of my consult was in early January 2013. I met with him, we discussed the risks, the procedure, the healing, etc. etc. He was totally professional and wonderful. We discussed what my goals were, if I am planning to start a family in the next few years, the risk of not being able to breastfeed, the risk of my breasts growing back during a pregnancy, etc. He answered all of my questions. I booked my surgery for March 4, 2013.
I had my pre-operative appt on February 19th. I met with the nurse, we reviewed medications, went over a checklist, what I need to get ready, what I should expect, etc. To be honest, I think I've been ready for this surgery for the last 8 years. I just needed to get past those things that were holding me back. Yes, I'm spending a lot of money, but you know what, it's just money. I can afford the loan I took, I can probably even pay it back quicker than it's scheduled to be paid off. I can absolutely pay it back faster than the FOUR YEARS I would have to wait to get it paid for by the Government.
My surgery is Monday morning at 7:30 A.M. All kinds of emotions are coursing through me. I'm nervous, yeah. I'm not much for pain, in fact, I may be the crankiest b!tch on the planet when I'm in pain. But I KNOW that the pain, the soreness, the swelling, the bruises, the bleeding, the oozing... all of those lovely things that come with... will be TOTALLY worth it. I'm excited. I'm excited to take back my life and my body. I'm excited to be able to buy a sports bra; to go for a hike, to run on a treadmill. I'm excited to be able to buy a bathing suit that doesn't KILL my neck... to spend a day out on the boat in the sunshine and not constantly be readjusting! I'm excited for the way my clothes are going to feel. For the weight (literally) that's going to be lifted. For the freedom.
Surgeon says I will probably go from a G/H cup to a C/D. I told him I'd rather him go on the smaller side in case they grow back a bit. I just know that anything will be better than these monsters I am carrying now.
Surgery is in less than 48 hours. Tomorrow I will spend most of the day getting ready... getting bedding/clothing/etc. organized. Cutting up snacks and making sure things I need will be accessible without reaching/lifting. Then, just (trying to) relax and wait. The wait's almost over.
Can't Wait for This Weight to Be Lifted...
Even though I've spent the last few months of my...
Even though I've spent the last few months of my life looking at boobs, before and after photos of boobs, scars on boobs, sizes of boobs, old boobs, young boobs, no boobs, new boobs... I still feel like boobs are such a taboo subject. So I'm going to get past this right now. Call them what you will; breasts, boobs, boobies, titties, tatas, milkjugs, bee stings... women have got 'em and always have had them. Men do not (with the exception of the man-boob). They do serve a purpose and I would never want to have NO boobs... they're an important part of a woman's body, her figure, her self confidence, her identity.
Okay... so it's been about 24 hours since coming...
Didn't sleep a wink Sunday night.. kept tossing and turning... thinking and rethinking... to be honest, I was thinking "this is my last night trying to sleep with big boobs"... "I wonder what that new shirt I bought will look like with smaller boobs"... silly thoughts like this.
Got up early (surgery was at 7:30) and had a shower with the spectrojel like they requested. No lotion, makeup, hairspray, etc. Put my hair in a braid to get it out of my face. Wore my loosest and most comfy PJ pants and a tank top/shirt (just until surgery) and a zip up sweater (not a tight one). Boyfriend and I drove down to the clinic. My surgery was performed at the Okanagan Health Center - there are five surgeons with offices in that building, it's the same place I went for my consultation as well as my pre-operative appointment. Half of the floor is the surgeon's offices/consult rooms/etc. and the other half is the Surgical Center. The hospital is about 2 minutes away if need be.
We arrived at the Surgical Center and were taken into a small room by an RN, the nicest nurse I'd dealt with during my experience. She instructed me to change into a gown and provided a robe to go over top (to cover any "gaps" in the back). Once I was changed, all of my things (clothes, purse, post-surgical bras, shoes, etc.) were put into a rubbermaid tub with my name on it. The nurse went through all of my forms, confirmed my name, birth date, the surgery I was having, an allergies, etc. Did some "teaching" - how to relax before the anesthesia, how I'd feel coming out of it, what to do later that day when I got home, when to take my medication, how to sleep comfortably, not to move my arms ("pretend you have flippers and your elbows are glued to your sides"), when to take off the tensor bandages, when I can shower, what to look for to identify hematoma, infection, etc. When she left, the anesthesiologist came in, reviewed the same information, asked if I had any family history of trouble with anesthesia, allergies, etc. Then the OR nurse came in - same questions. Then the surgeon came in. We discussed again what my goals were - smaller, more manageable size in general but proportionate for my body, lifted and improved shape, and some lipo around the underarm area (side boob) to improve end result as well. He literally took out a sharpie marker and a ruler and started marking. You'd think it would be uncomfortable but he really did make me feel at ease, we even talked a bit while he was making his markings. When I was all marked up, he left and the OR nurse came back in. I put on a hair net/cap and she took me to the operating room.
The operating room wasn't at all what I expected. They had said it would have big windows, floor to ceiling (where I could see out but no one could see in - it's on the 4th floor), lots of light... that I would lay back on a table and I should try and take myself to my "happy place" (Chesterman beach in Tofino, on a warm afternoon, with a salty breeze and a frisbee...) and try to relax as much as possible. The room was not like that. When they brought be in, there were two other OR nurses. I had to tell them in words what procedure I was having done and what my allergies were (penicillin and shellfish). It was awkward - like standing in front of a class as a kid doing show and tell. There were windows, but not floor to ceiling, and there was a table with all of the tools laid out... that kind of freaked me out. In my imagination, I would drift off into Tofino dreamland and once I was out, they would wheel in the lights and the sheets and the monitors and the IV and the tables of shiny tools. So I laid down on this table and they put warm blankets over me. The anesthesiologist poked my left hand to give it some freezing then placed the IV in. I've never done well with needles so I my breathing started to increase and I started to cry a bit (not my proudest moment, but I had a billion emotions coursing through me)... and that was all I remember.
When I started to come out of my anesthesia, my body felt heavy. My eyelids were heavy, my head was heavy. I tried to look around but my head just rolled to the side. There were some nurses there who asked me some questions, I can't really remember what they were. The next thing I was aware of was a burning sensation along the bottom of my breast (I imagine where the incision was). At that time I was only wrapped in the post-op dressing (gauze, etc.). When I was a little more alert, the nurses propped me up and put my post-op sports bra on (closes in the front) then wrapped two tensor bandages around my chest. They kind of just compressed everything and the pain felt more contained. They helped me up and I got to put my PJ pants and sweater back on. I got to sit in a recliner for a bit, ate some crackers and took my first pain pill. Next thing I knew they were putting me in a wheel chair and wheeling me to the elevator, down to the main floor, and helping me into the car for my boyfriend to take me home.
When I got home I was CRANKY. Everything hurt. I cried. I cried a lot. I knew there would be pain, that it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't know what KIND of pain to expect. I've never broken anything, never had stitches, never had surgery (other than wisdom teeth coming out). We made up the spare room so I had my own bed and a billion pillows. I'm not a back sleeper, so sleeping was incredibly difficult. I used pillows under my knees, on the side of my body, in the small of my back, under my arms. I'm sure it was a sight to behold.
I took a second pain pill and managed to drift off for a bit. When I came to, I really had to pee... that was difficult. Pulling up my own pants was challenging (but I managed). I felt a bit better after that. Even played a game of cribbage. Ate some of the cut up veggies and cheese I'd prepared on Sunday afternoon. Iced my sides and under my breasts for 10 minutes every hour. Practiced deep, full breathing as per instruction of my nurse.
Sleeping last night was miserable. I woke up around 2:30 hoping it was morning. Took another pain pill. Under my arms where they did the little bit of lipo hurt the most. Got up and iced. Went back to sleep for a bit, woke up and sat up a bit in bed and read for a while.
Finally got up this morning. Stood up a little too fast and got a bit of a head rush. Need to be more careful about that. Today I am just supposed to spend the day relaxing but I am supposed to get up and walk around a bit, get the blood flowing. Also supposed to stay well hydrated - tons of water. I have a water bottle basically glued to my hand. Speaking of my hand, the one that had the IV has a nasty bump and bruise on it.
One of the nurses from the office called this morning to check in. Told her other than being sore all over and not sleeping, I'm okay. Not noticing that one breast feels heavier or larger than the other (which can be signs of blood pooling inside the breast - leading to a hematoma) or that the tissue at the top of one breast feels harder than the other. She told me for the first few days, it's okay to take the pain meds, not to feel bad or weak for needing them. I think I just have a fear of over medicating.
To be honest, I haven't really had a chance to LOOK at them yet. They are wrapped beneath a million layers. The tensor bandages can come off tonight and I might get a bit better idea, but until the bra and the dressings can come off on Thursday for a shower, I don't really know. I can definitely feel they are lighter. My shoulders don't feel the pull. But my body is in a lot of pain so it's hard to wrap my head around any kind of improvement yet.
I did take some "before" pictures but I'm a little shy to show them. I feel like my boobs look worse in photos than they did in real life. I may gather the courage to post a bathing suit photo in a day or two, and then depending on what the situation is under the tensors and dressing, maybe after I have a shower.
I want to thank everyone who's commented on the wishes of a smooth surgery and relaxing, speedy recovery. I got through the scariest part and now am just focused on taking it a day at a time, relaxing and recovering the best I can.
Today is the second full day after surgery. Two...
So last night was the big night. Shower night. ...
Turns out I needed his help, so that whole fantasy is kyboshed.
I'm going be to as honest as possible with this whole experience. Keep in mind that my body is bruised and swollen and sore, I don't mean to freak anyone out.
Taking off those bandages has got to be THE most painful thing I have ever experienced in my entire life. I've never given birth, never broken a bone, never had stitches, never even twisted an ankle... so I don't know if that gives me a lot to compare it to, but it was excruciating. I understand why the dressing tape has to be so sticky, but they should invent some kind of tape that loses it's "stick-power" when you get it wet, or after 3 days. I debated ripping it off like a bandaid, FAST AND FURIOUS, to just get the pain over with, but I was actually afraid I would rip a layer of skin off. It took us about half an hour of agonizing pull-stop-breathe-breathe-pull-STOP!-pullpull-STOP! to get the bandage off. I was crying. And shaking. And dry heaving. I had to sit down. And when all was said and done and the bandages were off, what I was greeted by was not pretty. I am every colour of bruise in the book... black, blue, green, yellow, brown. I mean, I've researched and I've looked at hundreds of pictures, but nothing could have prepared me for that on my OWN body. It took a few minutes. I didn't want to look at them. My guy just sat with me and held my hand and told me that I'm beautiful and brave and how much he loves me. Then he told me I'm starting to smell and I need to take a shower (always the joker). That kind of helped me. So he helped me into the shower, helped me wash my hair, even remembered the conditioner. Helped me get out, dry off, towel dried my hair. Got rid of the nasty bloody dressing. Helped me put my sports bra back on with some dressings (no tape!) to absorb any leakage.
Now that I've had a bit of time to get past the initial viewing, I'm okay. I know the bruises will fade. My nipples are a kind of weird colour, I'm hoping they'll return to a slightly more normal colour with time but will discuss with my PS at my follow up appointment next week. They're a good size. Maybe a C cup, hard to tell until all is said and done and settled. Still proportionate to my body (meaning not TOO small). Pretty even in size so far. It's just weird. Different. I can't really describe it. I know I'll get used to them with time. Even though it's still my skin, my tissue, my nipples, they feel so alien.
I can't wait until I'm feeling a bit better and more mobile so I can try on my clothes and see what a difference they make with certain clothes. I've always bought clothes to accommodate my boobs, so I have a feeling it's going to be interesting. Gives me an excuse to go shopping :)
My best friend stopped by yesterday with a belated birthday/"new you" present. She got me some chocolate smothered pretzels, a lovely new journal, a "grow your own garden" kit and a gift card for La Vie En Rose towards my first new bra when I'm ready for that. I'm really lucky to have such a supportive group of people in my life.
On a side note, I need to ask: has anyone else experienced HARSH and painful stomach indigestion and heartburn from their antibiotics or pain meds? I'm on day 4 of 5 of my antibiotics and it just started yesterday but this pain in my chest/stomach when I eat or drink anything is ridiculous. I've lost any of the little appetite I had because eating is so painful. I'm going to see the pharmacist today and ask if it's a side effect of the drugs, but thought I would ask here if anyone else has experienced anything similar?
Beautiful, sun-shiny day here so I got my sh!t...
In other reports:
My incisions along the bottom are oozing a bit and it's kind of gross. I'm sure they would be a lot more comfortable if the band of the sports bra didn't rest ON TOP of them. I keep trying to pull it down a little but it always moves back up. Any advice?
I also still have feelings in both of my nipples. If I have this now, does that mean it's going to stick around? Any feedback?
Okay, a second update in the same day but I'm...
Has anyone experienced a hematoma or had similar sounding symptom that was just bruising? I appreciate your responses in advance. I'm going to call my surgeon's office Monday anyways but just wanted to ask here too.
So today is day 6 after surgery. Last night was a...
Yesterday I went back to Walmart and got another front closure sports bra (like the one I'm already wearing) but a band size up and it's INFINITELY more comfortable. Still gives enough support but doesn't dig into my skin and cause more irritation than I already have.
Took new photos this morning that show the red/purple colouring along the bottom incision on my right side. It's definitely the more tender side. I'm trying not to worry as I bruise pretty nastily in general (my hand is still yellow and brown from the IV and it's almost been a week) but I know I'll feel a lot better once I talk to my surgeon's office and go in for my first follow up. One more thing I noticed this morning is that my skin is kind of shiny. Kind of weird.
A lady I work with is coming by today sometime to give me a reiki session - reiki is a type of energy healing. I'll post again if there's any kind of miracle improvement :)
Went in for my first follow up appointment today. ...
My surgeon came and and had me sit up. Took an overall look at them and was very pleased with the speed of healing, incisions, etc. As for the reddish coloured bruising along the bottom incision on the right breast, he said it may have been a bit of blood pooled and dried beneath the skin but because it wasn't swollen in size or causing me a lot of pain, he didn't seem there was cause for alarm (NOT a hematoma). Said the bruising is usually worse around the incision site as that's the site that sustains the most "trauma" during the procedure. As for the "hard" feeling of my breasts, he said that will go away in time - it's the body's natural reaction to trying to preserve the area in event of trauma.
He advised that I'm still to wear my sports bra day and night for another (at least) 4 weeks, when I have my second post-op appointment. I figure once I am a little more mobile and can lift my arms over my head without difficulty that I might upgrade to a different sports bra for during the day, something more comfortable and more supportive. The sports bra I'm wearing now is fine except it rubs right along the incision line and I'd like to try and find something else that's not as irritating. I've been going for light walks to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air a bit and he said that's fine but not to start exercising any more heavily for another couple of weeks. I figure some leg exercises can't hurt if I'm not moving my upper body. I do have some super-sensitivity in my right nipple after today's visit - every little movement I make can be felt and although it's not a painful sensation, I'm definitely conscious of it (only on the right side, left is fine). As I still have feeling (pretty regular, a little hyper) in both of my nipples, I asked him if that should stick around after I heal. He said everyone is different but if I have any amount of sensation NOW, chances that I will go completely numb during/after healing are slim. He did say though that I can expect some changes and I just need to try and be patient as they settle in.
It's a week and two days since the surgery and although I have a loooong ways to go in healing and reconnecting with my "new" body, I am so SO happy that I finally did this. Worth every penny.
So yesterday I hit the three week post-op mark and...
The incisions all look pretty good. The incisions around the nipple are pretty much healed up, the only "iffy" places are where the incision around the nipple meets the vertical incision and then again where the vertical incision meets the incision along the bottom crease. There are a few dissolveable stitches poking through in places and they're itchy but other than that they aren't too uncomfortable. The skin on both breasts is kind of peeling. It sounds gross but it's just a little bit, the dead skin being sluffed off I think. Showering is fine but my nipples are super sensitive to the water (not temperature but the pressure of being hit directly) and get kind of swollen if I stay in the shower too long.
This week was supposed to be my last week off work, but after discussing with my absence management case manager through my work's benefits program, I won't be back to work until April 8th (rest of this week and one more week). I feel totally ready to go back but I guess that's the decision they made after reviewing my surgeon's notes and the medical questionnaire he completed as per their request.
I've been getting out for at least hour long walks (light walks) every day this week and the weather's been awesome so that helps. Can't wait to get back to yoga (downward dog without my boobs falling out of my sports bra... AWESOME!), get on my bike... go out on the boat... to get the green light from the surgeon to go ahead and start at the gym, etc. I'm excited to work out, to get stronger. Might go and try the stationary (reclining) bike at the gym next week... get my heart rate up a bit.
Today is... five weeks and three days since my...
I'm back to work this week on 4 hour shifts only, working up to 6 hour shifts next week, then back to full time (8 hour shifts) the week after. I'm glad they put the return to work program in place because even 4 hour shifts are hard to get used to after having 5 weeks off. I requested the morning shift (7:30 AM) so I can get used to getting up early because my full time schedule is 7:30 - 4:00 every day. Getting up at quarter to six in the morning has been tough but I'm getting back into the swing of things. Tuesday I came home from working 4 hours and had a two hour nap I was so tired. Other than that, I'm doing pretty well at work. Not lifting anything TOO heavy and making sure to ask for help if/when I need it.
Sleeping is still uncomfortable but at least I can turn from side to side or sleep on my back. Can't sleep on my stomach but that's probably best for my back anyways. Maybe I'll be a converted stomach-to-back sleeper for life after I'm all healed up! I'm sure my chiropractor would LOVE that!
Not much pain left other than sensitivity in my nipples and sometimes when I stretch weird or roll over in bed. I'm REALLY itchy at night and when that happens I just put lotion on the incisions and massage them a bit. Still wearing a sports bra 24/7 though I do wear a different one during the day than I do at night (more support during the day).
I have my second post-op appointment on Monday afternoon and I have a couple of things to address with him. There are a few places in the incision where I know there are still stitches - I'm wondering if they'll just work their way out over time or if they need to be taken out. Wondering when I can start scar treatment and what the best options are (he had said before any silicone based scar treatment - does anyone have any recommendations?). Wondering how much longer I have to wear my sports bras during the day before graduating to a different type of bra - and if I can go straight to underwire or if I have to get a wireless bra. I love my new boobs but I am sick of the flattened sports bra uni-boob... I want to show them off, damnit! Wondering when I can start exercising at the gym more vigorously... ie) classes, going swimming, etc. If chlorine is okay, hot tub/steam room.
I know I have to be patient and wait for my boobs to settle into their new shape. I know it will take time. I'm a little concerned that one is larger than the other. I know some amount of size difference is normal but one definitely (and noticeably) looks bigger to me. Also they still look kind of "boxy". Sigh. Now that they're smaller, I just want to be able to wear pretty bras and pretty nighties and buy new clothes to show them off!
Has anyone had any experience with their boobs "growing back" after a reduction? That's my HUGEST and WORST fear. That I'll have spent all this money and gone through all the pain and healing only for them to grow back. I know if I live a healthy lifestyle, eat well and exercise, I should be able to lose some weight and keep them from growing back but I'm still TERRIFIED.
Just for fun I went bra shopping on Monday and tried on a TON of bras. Depending on the bra, I'm about a 36-38 C or D. Found a couple of nice fitting and comfy bras at La Senza that were both 36 C's - posted a photo of the black one I liked.
Will update again after Monday's post-op appointment with any news! :)
7 weeks post op! (my last post said 5 weeks + 3...
I had my second post-op appointment with my surgeon today. Waited a while in the room, wrapped in my beautiful blue gown (sarcasm). He basically came in, took a look at them, said they're healing well. He said the scars are pretty red (in the scale of scar redness? I don't know...) but look good. There are still some spots along the bottom incision where the skin is "rough" - not opening or oozing but he said the skin will "smooth out" over time as the breast tissue settles and the bottoms round out a bit. There are also a few little dissolvable stitches that are working their way up and out of the skin; he said that's normal and can take up to 3 months for the stitches to completely dissolve.
I had a couple of questions for him... he gave me the green light to start wearing underwire bras - said it might be easier to "ease" into them - a few hours a day and gradually building up, as I'm not used to wearing them and they may irritate the scars a bit. He said I don't need to wear anything to sleep anymore but honestly I'll probably still wear a sports bra or fitted top for the support for a while longer. Also gave me the green light to go to the pool, so long as I don't have any rashes or little openings in the scar line, as I could get an infection. Good to start working out, doing whatever I want, just to listen to my body and not push "too hard, too fast".
The nurse took some post-op pics, which is kind of awkward. Basically, I'm standing in a narrow little room in my dress pants (from work) and dress shoes, with the blue gown tucked around my waist and she has to take 5 photos at different angles. My scars are still super red and the shape is still a little weird so I'm hoping they take some more post-op photos (as awkward as it is...) later down the road.
I booked my next appointment for July - not quite 3 months from now. Will see how things look then. DANGIT, I forgot to ask him how much he took out of each breast... I KNEW I forgot something! I'm so curious! I'll have to remember to ask him then!
Going to try and wear a regular bra to work tomorrow - will pack a sports bra as a back up, just in case it starts to get uncomfortable. Can't wait to see how my old clothes fit wearing a new bra - it's hard to tell with a sports bra because everything is kind of flattened and boxy.
Going to try going back to hot yoga this week as well... my body is feeling pretty good but the muscles in my upper chest (below my collar bones but above my boobs) are still REALLY tight... I can't do certain stretches I used to do before with ease. Will see what I can do at yoga! :)
I can't believe it's been almost TWO MONTHS since...
I feel awesome! Work is good, my back feels good, I'm happy with the way they're healing. I've been walking, hiking, exercising and I even tried a Zumba class at my gym last night! I was a little nervous about the "bouncing" around so I wore my sports bra plus a workout top with a built in bra. Nothing was really sore afterwards but my scars were INCREDIBLE ITCHY and I had a nasty heat/sweat rash... probably from wearing close to two sports bras, not enough air circulation. I'm going to try spin this week too and I'm planning on my sports bra and a cotton tank/shirt, so I'll see if that's any better.
Haven't braved the pool yet as there is one spot on the vertical incision that some stitches are still trying to work their way out and it's a little sensitive. I don't want to jump the gun, hop in the pool, and end up with an infection of some kind.
I'm sleeping in a nighty WITHOUT a bra and it's perfectly (and blissfully) wonderful, not uncomfortable at all (except when I lay at certain angles on my side). Every couple of nights I'll still sleep with a sports bra, but I figure the air and "breathing" is good for the girls!
I've been moisturizing morning and night with a gentle aloe moisturizer, and then applying a scar-reducing gel (silicone based like the surgeon recommended). The guy at the pharmacy told me all of the scar-reducing products are B.S. but I figure it can't hurt to TRY, right?
Happy with the healing but I do find they are a little different shape and size. I know it takes a year or so for them to finally and actually settle, so I'm trying not to be vain about it. Considering what I had before (one was WAY bigger but they were both HUGE), this is an immeasurable improvement anyways!
So here I am, eight weeks (or is it seven?) in and SO SOOO INCREDIBLY HAPPY and relieved that I finally had the guts to take charge of my life and do this for myself. I believe it came at the right time in my life, but for anyone reading this or contemplating a reduction, I wish I would have done it SOONER. Gotten over the fear, gotten over the doubt and just DONE IT. The scars are battle wounds, reminders to me to LOVE MY BODY, every imperfect and beautiful inch of my body, and to take care of it and to celebrate it!


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This Long Island boy calls Delmarva home. I have been here with Delmarva Broadcasting
and Cool 101.3 for almost 10 years! I grew up with the Eagles, the Police and Earth
Wind & Fire. I Love the music we play on Cool 101.3. When I'm not in the studio or at
Steve's Seaside Saloon, you can find me on anyone of Delmarva's golf courses seeking
to break 90. Thank you for listening to Cool 101.3. And check this blog for my rants,
entertaining videos and anything else I might think you will enjoy!
These are real fish found off the coast of Austrailia called "Blob Fish". They look like human heads!
Comments...from Sabrina
I don't know if they look like human heads, but they are groooosssss... do they eat people? They look like they could eat people.
2009-08-25 09:42:50from Steve
I don't believe they eat people.
2009-08-25 15:19:25from Microsoft OEM Software
4oUYW2 Thanks so much for the article.Much thanks again. Much obliged.
2012-03-07 22:09:57
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Her sovereign People
Nature knows as well
And is as fond of signifying
As if fallible --
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Poem: 1139.
Her sovereign People
Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
Year: Published/Written in 1955
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posted by Anonymous .
I just need to know if i got these right?
1.If we take out parts of our ecosystem, then other parts of it are affected.
A. True
2.All animals have the same risk of extinction.
I think 1 is false
and 2.is true
#1 is quite true. For example, remove wolves from an area, and the deer overpopulate and start starving for lack of food.
#2 is false, as far as I can tell. I doubt that cockroaches run the same risk as grizzly bears. Animals which live in changing habitat and cannot adapt run a much higher risk of extinction.
Is that an auto vulgarity filter at work? False positive! Still, it does reflect my general opinion of roaches.
I'm sorry, Steve, but our filtering software doesn't distinguish between single words and compound words. One way around it is to put spaces between letters. C O C K R O A C H E S
I would say that both 1 and 2 are true.
1: For example: remove all plants from an ecosystem. Herbivores and most insects would quickly die off, followed by carnivores and insectivores and so on until there is nothing left.
2: No organism is safe from extinction, there are just some that are a little safer than others. Roaches for example are very common but if there was a disease that only affected roaches it could completly wipe out the species. This is currently being seen in Tasmanian Devils. A great example is the passenger pigeon. Before it went extinct it was one of the most common bird species seen in the U.S. It was quickly hunted to extinction because they relied on their flocks that could contain thousands of birds. Once a flock was hunted to around the last 500 the rest of the flock could not survive and they quickly died off. t has been seen in many other animals throughout history from climate change, predation, over population, and disaster. Nothing can survive forever.


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Tuttie's first Valentine's Day is fast approaching and I have been wanting to stock up on some cute "essentials" to celebrate her first February 14th. Popping up all over my favorite shopping sites are perfect shades of pink and red, with just that tiny hint of sweetness. She might be receiving those adorably fun and festive sunglasses in her Valentine goody bag from Mommy and Daddy. You can find links to these featured items below!
sweet valentine by trixietat on Polyvore
3/4-Sleeve All Heart Mini-Stripe Top / Janie and Jack - Girl 0-12 yrs - Girls Clothes, Kids Clothes, Baby... / Old Navy Striped Heart Print Sweater Dresses For Baby / Old Navy Heart Print Jersey Dresses For Baby / Old Navy Ruffled Heart One Pieces For Baby / Gap Heart Sunglasses / Old Navy Sock 3 Packs For Baby / Gymboree.com - Girls Clothes, Kids Clothes, Children's Clothing and... / Mary Janes with Chiffon Rosette


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This set of materials on infection control on farms has been developed to complement the Industry Code of Practice. These resources include information sheets and children's activities to highlight important topics such as handwashing.
Infection on Farms Actvities
Cryptosporidium Information Sheet
E coli Information Sheet
Handwashing Information Sheet
Grime Squad Certificate
Example Risk Assessment


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haramakilove :: striped haramaki belly warmer band
Conceal it/ Layer it/ Make it your own. We created these specialty haramaki belly bands after experiencing them firsthand in Japan.. and falling in love with them. They are wonderful worn as a layering piece of even over certain outfits, keeping your belly protected and also a great maternity accessory.
Belly Band - let's you wear your pants unbuttoned - amazing! $26.00Tags: Clothes, pregnancy, belly band, estee stanleyAdded 6 Years Ago from Tummystyle
great to make your non-maternity clothes last longerTags: belly band, maternity clothes, bella bandAdded 8 Years Ago from Destinationmaternity


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Stay Frosty AntarcticaSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Wed, 08/17/2016 - 14:28
There is a constant stream of scientific studies that report on melting ice in various parts of the world. Some from mountain glaciers, some from the arctic pack ice, some from Greenland, and some from the mother-load of glacial ice, Antarctica. Antarctica, the continent that covers Earth's south pole, contains more frozen water than all other deposits of glacial ice on the planet combined. The collapse of the Antarctic ice shelves, causing oceans to rise and all sorts of climate mayhem, is a favorite theme of climate alarmists everywhere. Unfortunately for them, new reports tell a different story. It seems that the Antarctic Peninsula has actually cooled over the past two decades. Moreover, all the hoopla about this being the hottest year ever is contradicted by findings from Antarctic ice cores that during the Eemian, the last interglacial (LIG; 130,000–115,000 years ago), global climate was warmer than today and global mean sea level was 6-9 m higher. Sorry to dampen the hysteria with actual science.
640,000 Years Of Climate ChangeSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Tue, 08/02/2016 - 14:59
A new study of the Asian Monsoon record has shed light on Earth's changing climate over the past six-hundred and forty millennia. Drawn from an exhaustive and painstaking examination of the relative proportions of the oxygen isotopes 16O and 18O in stalagmites, records from Chinese caves characterize changes in both the Asian monsoon and global climate. This record supports the idea that the 100,000-year glacial/interglacial cycle is an average of discrete numbers of precession cycles. Further more, changes in insolation, the amount of energy received from the Sun, triggers deglaciations and shorter term millennial events. No evidence supporting the upstart theory that CO2 controls climate change is reported.
Of Models And Melting Ice CapsSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Sun, 05/01/2016 - 15:33
Once again climate scientists have put forth a scary prediction about melting ice caps and once again they are portraying output from computer models as a reliable prediction of things to come. The normally staid and reliable journal Nature emblazoned its cover with "Rising tide" in large black print, with the subtext "A 500-year model of Antarctica's contribution to future sea-level rise" in smaller print below. When a closer look is taken at this new model it turns out to be a house of cards, incomplete and built on top of other climate change models that are known to be faulty. As the old saying goes: garbage in, garbage out. Yet a major science journal chose this piece of computerized legerdemain as its lead article. No wonder that climate alarmists, and climate science in general, have fallen into such ill repute.
Another Little Ice Age Re-DiscoveredSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Mon, 02/15/2016 - 16:37
In the year 536 AD the sun dimmed, and the gloom lasted for more than an entire year. There were frosts and snows in the middle of summer and observers reported that winter never really ended. The sudden shift in climate lead to famine, plague and the fall of empires. What was worse, that year was only the beginning of a shift in climate that brought misery to the entire Northern Hemisphere for more than a century. Yet this well documented period of global cooling was smoothed away by climate change alarmists in works of fabricated data like the infamous "hockey stick" tree ring history. A new analysis has rediscovered this dark period in recent human history, fittingly made possible by new tree-ring measurements from the Altai mountains in Russia. The results help complete a climatological history stretching back 2,500 years. Climate history is a pesky thing, it just won't go away and can't be changed to fit some scientists pet theories.
Glacial Inception Delayed By Humans?Submitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Thu, 02/04/2016 - 14:06
Mixed in with the swirling cloud of misinformation about global warming is also a bit of blather regarding the onset of a new Ice Age. What the promoters of a new big freeze are talking about is a glacial period, since technically we are still in the midst of an ice age—the Pleistocene. A number of scientists have warned that the planet might be headed for a new period of glacial growth based on Earth's recent history. Over the past half million or so years there has been a series of short (15-20k year) warm period sandwiched between longer (70-100k year) glacial episodes. Make no mistake, global cooling is much worse than global warming, so this really matters to our descendants and the whole human race. Now, a new study in Nature says that we maybe off the hook, glacial wise. Not only that, human activity might be the reason.
Surviving The Ice Age, And Whatever Comes NextSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Mon, 08/17/2015 - 13:31
We have all heard about the Ice Age, if only in cartoon movies. A time when massive ice sheets covered the planet while mammoths and saber toothed cats roamed the frozen landscape. What is more, the cycle of interglacial-glacial-interglacial has happened over and over again during the past million or so years. During the last half a million years the cycle has repeated every 130,000 years, with the warm period we are now enjoying—the Holocene—just the latest interglacial respite from the icy conditions of the Pleistocene Ice Age. What most people don't know is that there were many areas on Earth that remained unchanged, even during the height of the last glacial period. The Sahara was hot and dry, and in the Amazon rainforests, though a bit smaller in area, looked much like they do today.
Figuring Out Ice AgesSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Mon, 07/27/2015 - 13:07
A lot has been written about melting ice caps and new mini-ice ages recently. Seems that science can't decide if we are going to drown in rising oceans or starve because summer will be a thing of the past. This leaves the layperson justifiably confused as to who to believe—the climate change alarmists who back rapid global warming or those who warn of a new glacial period. There is little certainty when it comes to science but one thing that can be counted on is our ignorance. Quite simply, scientists cannot predict with any certainty what Earth's climate will do next. If someone tries to tell you different they are lying.
The Tide Is Turning, Time For Global CoolingSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Thu, 05/28/2015 - 14:37
Climate scientists have constructed models to predict what Earth's climate will look like decades, even hundreds of years in the future. Unfortunately, many major components of Earth's climate system have not been accurately monitored for very long. This makes such predictions suspect if not laughable. A case in point are variations in ocean circulation and temperature. In the Atlantic there is a cycle for sea surface temperatures variation called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The AMO is linked with decadal scale climate fluctuations like European summer precipitation, rainfall in Europe and India, Atlantic hurricanes and variations in global temperatures. A new study in the journal Nature reports that the AMO is again transitioning to a negative phase, meaning the vaunted "pause" in global warming may be with us for decades. In fact, scientists at the University of Southampton predict that cooling in the Atlantic Ocean could cool global temperatures a half a degree Celsius.
2014 - Annus Horribilus For Climate AlarmistsSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Fri, 01/09/2015 - 12:47
As the new year begins the forces of climate alarmism find themselves in disarray. The world refuses to warm, despite contorted data manipulation aimed at squeezing out a claimed "hottest year ever" record by NOAA. One hundredth of a degree does not a warming trend create. Northern hemisphere temperatures are depressed for the second year in a row—also not a climate trend in itself but a psychological blow to the warmists trying to sell the idea that temperatures are at a record high. Moreover, there are indications that the climatologists' bane, CO2, is not ravaging tropical forests and is not being produced where the "blame the developed world first" crowd expected. In all, a good start to the new year because it is a bad start for the alarmists.
Climate Model Credibility GapSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Fri, 08/15/2014 - 14:12
Marine and terrestrial proxy records suggest that there was a peak in global warming between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, following the end of the last glacial period. Since the Holocene Thermal Maximum, Earth has undergone global cooling. The physical mechanism responsible for this global cooling has remained unknown and doesn't fit in with the current CO2 based climate models. Those climate models generate a robust global annual mean warming throughout the Holocene, mainly in response to rising CO2 levels and albedo changes due to retreating of ice sheets. In other words, the models disagree with reality, and when models disagree with nature the models have a credibility gap. A new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) says this model-data inconsistency indicates a critical reexamination of both proxy data and models is called for.
Swapping Climate Models for a Roll of the DiceSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Thu, 06/19/2014 - 14:10
One of the greatest failures of climate science has been the dismal performance of general circulation models (GCM) to accurately predict Earth's future climate. For more than three decades huge predictive models, run on the biggest supercomputers available, have labored mighty and turned out garbage. Their most obvious failure was missing the now almost eighteen year "hiatus," the pause in temperature rise that has confounded climate alarmists and serious scientists alike. So poor has been the models' performance that some climate scientists are calling for them to be torn down and built anew, this time using different principles. They want to adopt stochastic methods—so called Monte Carlo simulations based on probabilities and randomness—in place of today's physics based models.
Avoiding A Frozen EarthSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Fri, 03/21/2014 - 14:47
Forty million years ago, Earth began slipping from a "hothouse" climate to an "icehouse" climate. Currently the planet is in a brief warm interlude know as an interglacial—a period of retreating ice sheets and shrinking glaciers. As the word interglacial suggests, our current comfortable climate is not permanent, but merely a pause between frigid ice age conditions. Though climate alarmists and media talking heads continue to natter on about uncontrollable rising temperatures a more devastating climate change would be a descent into an ice age so cold and so deep that the entire globe freezes over—it has happened before. A new scientific paper reveals what researchers say is a feedback mechanism that acts as a natural thermostat and keeps Earth from cooling to the point of uninhabitability.
North Atlantic Deep Water Flow UnreliableSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 14:42
One of the scary scenarios frequently trotted out by climate change alarmists is the possible shutdown of the ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean. This would disrupt northern hemisphere climate, particularly in Europe. Indeed, one Hollywood disaster movie had frozen military helicopters falling from the skies in the UK and Manhattan buried under a tsunami of ice. We are told this could happen at any time, if the world gets too hot from all that CO2 our species is churning out. Now a shocking new paper in the journal Science implies that the standard view of a relatively stable interglacial circulation may not hold for conditions warmer/fresher than at present. Why? Because it happened before, over 100,000 years ago, without the help of man made global warming. Another catastrophic climate threat is shown to be totally natural and to have happened before our species began burning coal and driving SUVs.
The Tyranny Of Climate ChangeSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 15:44
The current interglacial warm period, the Holocene, started ∼11,500 years ago. At its start, among the dramatic changes in climate was a notable increase in rainfall, triggered by summer insolation values higher than those of today. This caused what is called the African Humid Period in North Africa—a time when the Sahara was dotted with large and small lakes, savannah grasslands, and in some regions, humid tropical forests and shrubs. The African Humid Period ended abruptly ∼5000 ybp (years before present) in many locations, such as western North Africa and northern Kenya. In other places, such as the central Sahara and the southern Arabian Peninsula, change occurred more gradually, taking several millennia. Regardless of the pace of change, those areas are tracts of arid desert today, and the animals and humans who had previously thrived in those formerly verdant regions have either moved or had to adapt to much harsher conditions. This is but one example of nature at its most capricious—the tyranny of climate change.
Problems With The PlioceneSubmitted by Doug L. Hoffman on Wed, 10/23/2013 - 13:36
Climate alarmists are constantly warning that Earth is going to warm up, driven they say by the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. To bolster their claims they point to the Pliocene, a time 4-5 million years ago, when the planet was 4-8°C hotter and CO2 levels were 400ppm or higher. This is the climate we are heading for, the global warming supporters say—but it that really true? Superficially it seems a plausible assertion, but as it turns out there is much more here than CO2 and temperature. It is not just the average temperature but the distribution of temperature at different latitudes, both over land and sea, that controls the climate. It is the temperature gradient that drives storms and affects weather patterns and it was much different during the Pliocene. Moreover, climate models do not generate a Pliocene like climate when run with higher CO2 levels, which means climate scientists are missing something important about the way Earth's climate system works.


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Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issues rent and income limits for several programs, based upon an area's area median income (AMI).
The 2016 AMI for Washington, DC, as determined by HUD, is $108,600.
HUD-approved rent and income limits are for the following programs.
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Created under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, this program provides grant funds to local and state governments to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing with a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities to assist low- and moderate-income residents. CDBG replaced several categorical grant programs, such as the Model Cities program, the Urban Renewal program, and the Housing Rehabilitation Loan and Grant program.
- HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). This provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use—often in partnership with local nonprofit groups—to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership, or to provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.
- Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Congress established the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment. Through the purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed and abandoned homes and residential properties, the program's goal is being realized.
- Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). This is a tax incentive intended to increase the availability of low-income housing. The program provides an income tax credit to owners of newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated low-income rental housing projects.
- Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF). The mission of the HPTF is to provide financial assistance to a variety of affordable housing programs and opportunities across the District of Columbia. The HPTF funds initiatives to build affordable rental housing, preserve expiring federal-assisted housing, and help provide affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income families.
Follow the link below to the current rent and income limits. The effective dates are noted next to each funding source. Until further notice, housing project sponsors currently receiving CDBG, HOME, NSP, LIHTC or HPTF funds should use these limits when they set their 2016 occupancy and rent guidelines.
Contact TTY:


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Network - Driving Entrepreneurship & Innovation
With a broad-based backbone in technology and industry, Munich Network is a techindustry driven independent but not for profit organization geared to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. We link strong global companies, established medium-sized companies and ambitious new technology ventures with research establishments, investors, financial service companies, consulting firms and entrepreneurs. This vibrant technology ecosystem illustrates a broad cross section of the dynamic German innovation and technology landscape.
In this role Munich Network is personally and directly connected with many of the most important technology centers here in Germany, in Europe and internationally. We function as a "Matchmaker," connecting technology enterprises and entrepreneurs with key contacts in industry and in the user community. These contacts include research and development organizations, investors and especially regional, national and international initiatives.
We operate in four business fields
- Networks - for building contacts and fostering the exchange of experience and ideas
- Technology & Innovation Network - for providing access to innovation, industry and capital
- Collaboration Network - for sharing technical knowledge and expert insights
- Munich Network Conferences - for examining and discussing technology perspectives, markets and trends
You can use Munich Network to access important business and technology contacts, to identify key talents and innovations, to seek investors, and to better understand technical know-how and perspectives. Come join us!


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I followed the directions given by Sue on the neck shaping for the back of the sweater, which left the final bind offs in the middle of the neck edge. I started the neck edge on the back with seven bind offs on the shoulder edge, then three bind offs on the other side on the neck edge, then seven bind offs on that shoulder edge when I turned and three on the other side etc. Now on the front side, I'm almost ready to do the shoulder shaping, and noticed that the instructions are different. The pattern says to first, on the ws, bind off 7 from shoulder toward the neck on the purl side, and then on the other side, purl across. Then Bind off 7 more on the knit side when I turn the work and knit across on the other side. This doesn't match the back. Am I reading this wrong?
On the last row of BOs it doesn't matter if you go from shoulder to neck or neck to shoulder - there won't be anymore stitches to be worked. So that was probably okay for the back.
The instructions for the front seem to have you doing the BO from shoulder to neck, and that's fine too. If there's a row difference in the front and back shoulders it's not noticeable.


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Amazon plans to open its own App store for Android smartphones, according to claims in the Wall Street Journal, following up on an earlier report by Tech Crunch.
Amazon's Android store would compete directly with Google's own Android Marketplace store, and Apple's App Store. According to leaked documents Amazon would offer the same 70 per cent revenue sharing agreement to developers as Google and Apple.
Amazon already competes with Apple's iTunes store with its Amazon MP3 download service, and its Kindle store predates Apple recent eBook offerings. Google's Android store is estimated to currently offer around 80,000 apps, while Apple's App Store contains 270,000.
Analysts are speculating on the advantages that Amazon has over rival Google, in that it already has the credit card details of millions of its customers, making for an easy purchasing experience. In addition, Amazon would likely offer an easy to use and pleasingly curated App store, with categories and recommendations, aka the Apple App store, which would differentiate it from the rather Wild West experience of the Android Marketplace.
Sales of Android phones have been surging over the past few months, and have already overtaken that of the iPhone in the US.


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Monday, October 21, 2013
All day
Audience: Student
Cost: free
One Book One Northwestern
Group: One Book One Northwestern 2016-2017
Category: Global & Civic Engagement
Are you involved with international development, hunger alleviation, global health, refugees, human rights, etc.? Grab your phone or camera and tell the story of your group, project or experience in a 1 to 5 minute video. For additional contest details and video submission information, join us online at:


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MasterChef star Ross Burden has died after losing a battle with cancer at the age of 45.
The celebrity cook, from New Zealand, passed away in Auckland City Hospital on Thursday following complications with his leukaemia treatment.
His sister, Kirsten Hughes, told the New Zealand Herald Burden contracted an infection during a bone marrow transplant. He was only one assignment away from finishing his Masters course in Maori Studies at Auckland University.
She said: "He's just a friendly, compassionate guy - nothing was too much trouble. He was my big, fantastic incredible, larger-than-life brother.
"Right up until probably a week-and-a-half ago, he was making his next lot of plans. He had the world map out."
Burden became a household name after reaching the MasterChef final in 1994 and went on to appear alongside Ainsley Harriot in Ready Steady Cook.
The self-trained chef lived in London for nearly 20 years before returning to his native New Zealand as a judge for the country's first MasterChef series in 2010.
MasterChef judge Simon Gault told the Herald: "He was great to work with. He was never a minute without a laugh or a joke - great sense of humour."
- More about:
- Cookery
- New Zealand


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I am looking at a Bersa 380 for my wife to carry. Do you have any experience with this gun and/or do you have any suggestions?
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I am looking at a Bersa 380 for my wife to carry. Do you have any experience with this gun and/or do you have any suggestions?
I've had 3 over the years-2 Duotones and 1 380cc model. They were all great guns- never had any issues- and made money on everyone I sold. The only reason I don't have one now, is I have an LCP- and I liked the grip on the 380cc better.
Gun for wife. Boy this has been hashed out many times. I was in the same place 6 months ago. What you think a good gun for her is and what she wants/shoots well are two different guns. My suggestion, go to a range that has guns for rent (most around here, one price rents every gun on the wall) and let her shoot several. I thought a revolver would be perfect for my wife. Guess what, she decided on a Glock 19 and carries it regularly, then she shot my 45 Colt Defender and now likes it even better (and shoots it better than I do). I ended up getting her a Defender in 9mm, but she still prefers the 45.
It all comes down to what SHE likes, if you force a gun on her, she won't like it or carry it.
The Bersa 380's are one of the best values out there. But, you need to let her choose. Don't fall into the stupid trap of "she needs a small gun" or limit her to a 380. Those are common, but huge mistakes. If that is what she chooses, that's one thing. But don't pigeon hole her into one or two choices. Let her do the research and shopping, keep your nose out of it as much as possible.
Agree with Sixto on this one. My wife shoots a .40 and a .45 with no issues. Her carry gun is a G26, because the 9 is what she feels most comfortable with overall and at speed. I let her handle every semi auto she could get her little hands on and/or shoot. She just kept coming back to the 26. The one she picks will be the one she sticks with the most reliably.
Every time I see this topic posted my mind goes to one of my favorite one liners....
I just got a new gun for my wife............Best trade I ever made!!!
Without a pic of your wife, and knowing which gun, it is hard to evaluate this deal.
ETA: Sorry, just read your actual post.
She wants a gun that fits her hand in a caliber she can control. She will need to handle them for herself, but will probably eliminate all the double stacks including those with interchangeable back straps. FWIW the baby GLOCK and XD, frequently recommended for the little lady, are quite snappy and very susceptible to malfunctions with slightest amount of limp-wristing.
To check fit, align the gun with the forearm and check trigger reach. For a single action she needs enough trigger finger to reach the center of the pad of the first joint. For a traditional double action or DA/SA she needs enough trigger finger to reach the outside edge of the trigger with the crease of the first joint (power crease) in order to have enough leverage to pull it. Don't cheat on a DA/SA and thumb cock the hammer for the first shot.
If you are looking at .380 ACP semi's look at something around 25 ounces and 3" + of barrel. The Bersa is good. If the budget permits, look at a Sig P238.
The Kahr K9 should be given a serious look. It's single stack 9mm with surprisingly soft recoil. Kahr will cost more than Bersa, but 9mm ammo for practice is more available and cheaper than .380.
As to the .45 1911, that is not a far fetched as one may think if she starts with mild loads and light bullets - think 185 grain SWC. The gun is heavy, grip circumference reasonably small and the trigger reach short. I had a 5'0" lady on my pistol team in the 90's who shot one with aplomb.
It's her quest so let her lead, but stay close enough she don't get hornswoggled by some fast talking salesman.
Best wishes!
I'm a woman. When looking for my first gun all the guys around me tried to get me to get the gun THEY thought would be best for me. It was annoying and extremely unhelpful. One friend of mine didn't though...and took me around and had me hold EVERYTHING, rack the slide on EVERYTHING, dry fire EVERYTHING. (There's no range that rents around here.) I finally picked out a Taurus 709 slim. It fit my hand, I could rack the slide, and the trigger pull didn't throw me off. I'm extremely happy with this gun. Will it be the last gun I buy ever ever?? No. But for my first one I'm very comfortable with it.
My suggestion is get her hands on anything and everything! I fired a Kimber .45 1911 for the first time this weekend. I thought the kick of a .45 would be way too much for me. But I LIKED shooting that gun. I wouldn't choose it for a carry gun, it's way too big to conceal, but for a fun gun it was just that. Fun! I also shot a LCP for the first time....HATED IT! Too small to hold on to and I have TINY hands. I'd carry it if it was one of my only options, but I wouldn't like to rely on it every day.
Now she was embarrassed. I gave her a full size steel 1911 .45, she proceeded to fire a group that you could cover with a tennis ball.
No longer embarrassed, she was mad. She wanted to buy a FireStar 9mm but her dad talked out of it because "girls can't handle big guns"
She wasn't experienced enough to get a proper grip on the smaller gun. She needed to have a larger platform.
Lessons learned.
1) The Bersa is a nice little gun.
2) Don't pick a gun for a woman.
Thanks everyone! I have learned a valuable lesson here; which is....Let her pick her own gun! We are going to the range this weekend (had my 9 year old nephew this weekend). It will be interesting to see which one she WANTS to fire!
Good advice above. Smaller guns are more difficult to shoot, mainly because of the shorter sight radius, but also lighter smaller guns tend to have harsher recoil.
Another thing to consider; do not try to teach your wife to shoot. Hire a professional, or urge her to enroll in a basic shooting class and do not go with her. That will remove the marital pressure to perform for you, instead of learning from a pro, and it lessens the chance of passing along any bad habits that you might not even be aware that you have. That way, the next time the two of you go shooting together, she will be excited to show you what she learned and will make it a more positive experience.


text:
ECU has over 400 enhanced classrooms. Whether you need a classroom, conference room or an auditorium, a variety of technologies can be found in any of these locations.
To find a classroom appropriate for your need, search the Google Classroom Map or the Classroom Technologies Database.
We have standardized the classroom search to include this equipment:
Emergency Support
non-Emergency Support
Call the ECU IT help desk at: 328-9866 or submit an online service request at https://ithelp.ecu.edu/ and an experienced technician will contact you as soon as possible.
Classroom Configuration
Classroom Lecture Capture
Search Database
Training Resources


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Viper 5901
I'm planning on getting an alarm for my 05 rubicon and I'm looking at the Viper 5901, which is an alarm/remote start combo. anyone have any experience putting one of these on their Jeep? I have a hard top and a soft top. not really sure if that matters.
I usually advise against alarms, but you do live in detroit = )
No but in your case, I would instead install 3 different kill switches, possibly a lo jack and make use of the Club.
Alarms dont really do much except annoy the crap out of everyone around it. Remote Start is cool and all and handy for winters, but you cant have a kill switch with it.
I think if my Jeep had a hard top it wouldnt have falsed so much, but I still in retrospect would not have shelled out the money to get an alarm for my Jeep, simply place your valuables elsewhere or buy a tuffy console. Atleast thats my strong opinion
I would go with a killswitch in the bottom of a Tuffy center console before i go with an alarm.
If you ever plan on using your soft top just say goodbye to any security. When I have my soft top on, I don't even lock my doors. If someone is going to steal something, i'd rather them just open the door and steal it, instead of slitting my window and then stealing something.
Do they make tuffy consoles for manual TJ's?
Im pretty sure ive seen them. shouldnt make much of a difference since the only thing the center tuffy console goes around is the E brake and its the same in manual or automatic
Well I'm not really trying to defend against someone breaking into my car and taking it as much as preventing people from vandalizing it. In about a month its happened twice.
As for the killswitch/console thing. I'm not really sure what a killswitch does. I would appreciate it greatly if someone could clarify this whole concept for me.
Sorry for seeming like an noob, because I am lol :doh:
Kill switch interrupts the starter circuit so they can't start the vehicle.
Theres differnt types of kill switches too, I have the one whiteyj listed, theres also a fuel pump kill switch. Its usually hidden so that people who are trying to steal your car have a hard time with it.
I dont think vandalism will be stopped with an alarm as much, in fact when I hear other cars alarms going off, I really wish I had less morals as I would vandalize the crap out of that car.
If theyre scratching up your paint, put some bedliner on it, some guy who was tired of getting paintjobs and dings in his Audi A4 did that.
Wow you guys really haven't helped him at all with his original question. I am too looking in to installing an alarm and would like some guidance on how to do so.
I have the Viper 5901 with back up battery (DEI 520t) and proximity sensor (DEI 508d). I LOVE IT!!!! Cant say enough how much peace of mind it gives me to know that if anyone gets near my Jeep I will know about it.
The back up battery is there in case someone cuts the battery cable my alarm will still go off. And the proxy sensor is like a motion detector, if someone gets close to the Jeep it beeps a few times to let them know I have an alarm, but if they reach inside then it will go off.
I HIGHLY recommend this setup, just remember if someone wants it they will get it no matter if you have an alarm or not. But the peace of mind is worth the cost.
Also everything you need to know about installing an alarm on your Jeep is on www.the12volt.com Enjoy!
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I had planned to share some photos of my home office/studio today. After all, it's almost the end of January and I resolved to work on finishing up the design of my office/studio in January. No matter how much I love design, there are times in life that it just doesn't seem important. This month has been one of those times for me. I think that since I don't have twelve space to focus on, I'm going to let the office/studio run over into February.
In the mean time, I thought it might be fun to share some fabulous furniture inspiration. One of my Pinterest boards is entitled "Furniture." It may seem a bit odd to devote an entire board to furniture. But I've always had a love for great furniture. In fact one of my design boards in college was for a furniture store that I wanted to own. In this shop I was going to sell repurposed and updated pieces. I love to find old pieces and bring them up to date. All you need is a piece with good bones. Paint or new fabric can work wonders. I am always on the hunt for something that I can fix up. Unfortunately, I've only had two side of the road finds so far.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces of inspiration:
Knight Moves
Fabulousmess via Decorista
Design Sponge
Centsational Girl
Design Sponge
You can check out more of my inspiration on my Furniture board at Pinterest. I discovered when writing this post that many of my pins are repins that don't link to original sources or are pins of new pieces no longer available in stores. Sorry about that. Now if I could just find a great source for old untouched pieces. I used to have one in my home town but they closed several years ago and I haven't found anything as good. Have you painted or reupholstered any furniture in your home?


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Answers Home
» Health & Wellness
» Skin Problems
Why is my miniature poodle scratching and licking all the time?
Its not fleas. I am just wondering if it is skin allergies or if I am using the wrong kind of doggie shampoo. What kind should I be using? I have changed her food and she is also getting a multi vitamin to help with her coat.
Asked by
Member 640733
on Jun 4th 2008
in Skin Problems
- This question is closed.
She could have a skin allergy. If her skin is dry you can use a oatmeal based shampoo or your vet can give you something. A good high quality dog food is best. www.dogfoodanalysis.com
♥ Jack ♥ answered on 6/4/08. Helpful? / 0
Take your pup to the vet for an exam and an allergy panel. This will tell you what is to blame for his itchy skin.
If you wash your dog frequently, it's possible that you're seeing dry skin caused by too frequent washing. Dogs don't really need to be bathed often.
You could try a "medicated" shampoo designed for sensitive skin. Look for something with oatmeal, aloe, and tea tree oil, as all of those help soothe dry and itchy skin.
If you want to supplement, you will want omega-3 and omega-6 fatty oils. A combination pill of fish/flax/borage oil works very well, and you can buy it at the "people" store in the nutrition aisle. Make sure to give Vitamin E whenever you give fish oils, so they can be absorbed properly.
Abby answered on 6/4/08. Helpful? / 0
actually the frequency of washing is quite helpful if you have skin allergies. We see a veterinarian dermatologist and right now he has us bathing twice weekly with his recommended shampoo and a cortisone leave in treatment once a week, and OTC antihistamine given 3 X a day. We are seeing less scratching right off the bat. This is the least invasive route. The panel they test for is just environmental allergies. he said there is a blood test for food allergies but that it is only 16-24% correct, so unrelaible the specialists don't use it.
I'd talk to my vet about it and if it's so bad she never seems to quit, I'd sure think about asking to be referred to a Vet. dermatologist. Good Luck.
♥GRACIE answered on 6/7/08. Helpful? / 0


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Chulmleigh weather map
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Forecast summary
Regional forecast for South West England
Fresher overnight, dry and bright tomorrow.
This Evening and Tonight:
It will be a dry night with variable amounts of cloud and some clear spells. Compared with recent nights it will be much fresher with more of a breeze, especially around the coasts. Minimum Temperature 13 °C.
Friday will remain dry with some sunny spells, although cloud will thicken across northern parts of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset later bringing the odd spot of drizzle by the evening. Maximum Temperature 21 °C.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
Remaining changeable with a damp start on Saturday, clearing to sunshine and showers. Drier and brighter on Sunday and early on Monday before further rain returns from the west later.
Updated at: 1606 on Thu 22 Jun 2017
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Fresher overnight with rain in the north and west.
This Evening and Tonight:
A fine evening for most with some late sunshine, however rain and strong winds will arrive in northwest Scotland, before sinking across many northern and western parts overnight. The south will stay dry and it will be fresher for all.
Generally dry and bright in the south. Meanwhile patchy rain through central and northern parts of England and Wales. Further north it will turn brighter with sunshine and blustery showers.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
Changeable and breezy with showers or longer spells of rain on Saturday. Drier and brighter for most on Sunday and at first Monday, before rain returns in the west later.
Updated at: 1605 on Thu 22 Jun 2017
Outlook for the UK over the next 6-30 days
UK Outlook for Tuesday 27 Jun 2017 to Thursday 6 Jul 2017:
Changeable weather is likely to continue at the start of this period with rain on Tuesday clearing to sunshine and showers on Wednesday. These are likely to be heaviest in the north and northeast, where it may be windy at times, with the best of any drier spells likely in the south and southwest. The rest of this period will remain unsettled with further bouts of showery rain, perhaps heavy and thundery at times, interspersed with brief drier and brighter spells, these most likely in the east. It will often be windy, especially in the north and west where there is a risk of local gales at times. Temperatures will be near normal or rather cool, especially compared to recently, although it may be warmer at times in the southeast.
Updated at: 1247 on Thu 22 Jun 2017
UK Outlook for Friday 7 Jul 2017 to Friday 21 Jul 2017:
The changeable weather is likely to continue at first, bringing further showers or longer spells of rain with only brief bright or sunny spells in between. However, drier and warmer spells are likely to become more prevalent during the second week of July and these may perhaps become more widespread as we head into the second half of the month. This will bring more in the way of sunshine and higher temperatures, with perhaps some very warm spells possible. However, an increase in temperatures also poses the threat of some thundery showers.
Updated at: 1247 on Thu 22 Jun 2017
Location Details
Location: 50.9135, -3.8682
Altitude: 140.0 m above mean sea level


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Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
Spa, saunas. The restaurant is not so good for the price. It's very expensive!!
Just about everything; the hotel is excellent, the staff could not be more friendly and helpful, the views are stunning, the food is also very good. Nothing
Wonderful Staff, Great food
Excellent view, experience, and service.
A perfect place for a romantic week-end. The wellness centre is very nice and the small outdoor jacuzzi is great, with a stunning view on the Mont-Blanc. Superb buffet breakfast, with again this fabulous view on the Mont-Blanc. Already mentioned by other customers, and I confirm it happened to us as well: there is a lack of water in the shower in the evening.
quality of the restaurant, staf, location, facilities.... etc.
The food was excellent.the views were stunning and the ski slopes were a 12 minute drive.
1)Large reception rooms with open fires and sofas. 2) Spa, outdoor hot tub and swimming pool indoors. 3) Free shuttle bus to Courmayeur. 1) No hot water in the evenings when everyone was getting ready for dinner. 2) Rooms were very small and the beds were smaller than normal and had a hard matress. 3) Menu did not cater for children or vegetarians. 4) Slightly chaotic service and no anticipation of need even when staying a week.
The location, room, spa and restaurant were all excellent. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, and the breakfast was fantastic - lots of choice of local produce! Everything was very high quality and this hotel is definitely recommended for that touch of luxury.
Comfort, wellness, restaurant
Friendly and efficient
Very friendly and helpful staff. Great location to explore the mountains
The owner/manager was very friendly and informative about the area.
The man at the front desk was great, helped me with everything I needed and was willing to go the extra mile to make sure I was happy.
The service was quite good, hotel staff is very helpful. The room is quite big and clean.It is good value for money.
The hotelier was very helpful and gave us advice on our day out to the cable car. The views from our room were spectacular and the hotel was very clean. No
Very clean and charming. Hotel staff were friendly and helpfull. No
Really enjoyed dinner and think that the idea of setting one table for its guest is very clever.Loved the wine and the atmosphere of the place and would like to come back one day.
very very good hotel. the staff were very nice and kindly, it was lovely to stay there, i will defently come back next time.
The comfort, clean and view from the room, simpathy from staff.Very good value
all good nothing bad
Beautiful location, stunning view, problems with heating system at the beginning. Hotel room was not prepared for the guests at the day I arrived
Amazing location and high quality and ambience of hotel and staff Driving up the mountain to the hotel in fog!
scenery, uniqueness of community, walking
It was a great location for visiting Val d'Aosta. The value for the cost was outstanding. The food was very good at the restaraunt.The staff were very helpful. It is a great place off the beaten path.
The views over the mountains were fabulous. The rooms were small and fairly basic but clean and with TVs and ensuites, the breakfast was good as was the evening meal. Overall good value for a family The drinks were fairly expensive with the evening meal.
The location and the view Everything was OK.
Very friendly, excellent location with outstanding views
Nothing The hotel comes out of another age ! old fashioned, poor beds, dirty carpets, needs urgent and deep renovation. Poor quality of the food and the breakfast. The only + point is the friendly staff ! Certainly no more worth than 1 star !! please check yourself. It was a real disappointment. Luckily it was only for 1 night - yerk
A very coasy hotel having panoramic views of mountains, very friendly and helpful staff. Would recommend to rent a car however public transport stops in front of the hotel.Would certainly visit again this place during winter!
Friendly and helpful staff. Excellent evening meal with of local produce / wine. Attention to detail, quality and cleanliness of accommodation.
Proximity to the Gran Paradiso valley and Aosta The room was exremely hot with no air conditioning and it was impossible to have the window open because of the adjacent very busy main road. The corridors were extremely shabby and the decor of the rooms was very untasteful in bright mustard and green. There were no windows in the dining room and the whole experience was unpleasant. It was as though we were staying in a motorway service station. It is difficult to understand why this hotel has been given a 3 star status.
Friendly helpful staff, good location, well maintained. Excllent value for money and great food. None
The room was quite big and the breakfast buffet too
Very nice hotel, helpful staff. There is not too much to do in Aosta, but the hotel provided a good alternative.
Excellent friendly staff, clean comfortable accomodation, good food both evening meal and breakfast. Prices reasonable for what we received. Garaged parking available. None
the staff were very helpful, the food was at a very reasonable cost
The family atmosphere of the hotel. The kindness of the staff who were willing to go out of their way to help us. A big TV in each room. The hotel does not have any airconditioning in the rooms. The rooms can be very warm in summer. The hotel is on a busy road and so if you open the windows the rooms will become very noisy
If you want to explore Valle d´Aosta, the location of the hotel is very good. It is easy to find and there is a parking place in front of the hotel. The receptionist was very helpful regarding to places of interest in the area and gave good succestions where to go. Clean room, nice garden. Rooms are a bit outdated. Shower corner was tiny. Breakfast very basic.
The menue was excellent, good familiar atmosphere, friendly and nice hotel, good support
The staff was very helpful. The owner opened the restaurant for me as I arrived very late and he also helped me plan my cycling route for the next day.
nothing yes. Too expensive, too far and difficult to get to (26 kms from Aosta), too cold, the room was actually not in the hotel but in a farm near by,etc...


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New Years Eve Live Music & DJ Party at Azúcar!
Azúcar Latin Restaurant & Mojito Bar
Monday, December 31, 2012 at 8:00 PM - Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 2:00 AM (PST)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
When & Where
Azucar Latin Bistro & Tequila RoX Lounge
San Jose,
Monday, December 31, 2012 at 8:00 PM - Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 2:00 AM (PST)
Add to my calendar
Azúcar Latin Restaurant & Mojito Bar
Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for attending New Years Eve 2013 at Azúcar! We appreciate your business and work hard to provide you an enjoyable dining and entertainment experience. This is our 8th Annual Event, so please look out for us yearly.
Please visit our website to download your beautiful New Years Eve Photos! Craving more info, join our E-Club to be invited to special events at discounted prices! We promise not to spam you or share your info with thrird parties. firstname.lastname@example.com
We are your one stop venue for Birthday Parties, Events, Corporate Mixers, Launch Parties, Bachelorette, Bottle Service, you name it, we DO IT!
We also provide "OFF SITE MOBILE BAR CATERING" contact us today!
Thanks again,
Team Azúcar!


text:
Follow Akron Tennis on Twitter and Facebook
EUGENE, Ore. – The Akron women's tennis team closed out a weekend trip to the Pacific Northwest and a five-match road swing with a 6-1 loss to Oregon on Saturday at Student Tennis Center.
The Ducks (5-4) won two of three doubles contests to take a 1-0 lead, then claimed victories at Nos. 1-4 and 6 singles.
The Zips (8-3) earned their lone point by way of a 6-2, 6-3 win from Ksenia Berestetska over Lana Buttner at No. 5 singles. UA's Olga Shkundina, who has battled injury the last several weeks, retired during the second set of her contest at No. 2 singles. Jasmine Minor topped Shkundina 6-4 in the first set and was ahead 1-0 when she withdrew.
"We knew today was going to be a very difficult match, especially under our current physical circumstances," Zips' head coach Brandon Padgett said. "They fought hard and played well in spots, and we hope to be healthy and ready to play when Duquesne and Butler come to town."
Akron plays host to Duquesne and Butler in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8. Those matches will begin at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET, respectively, at LaTuchie Tennis Center in nearby Stow (driving directions).
Zips Notebook: Oregon evened the all-time series record with Akron at 1-all ... the Zips downed the Ducks, who were ranked 69th nationally, 4-3 in Akron on Feb. 17, 2013 ... senior Ksenia Berestetska improved her singles mark this season to 10-1 ... the Zips dropped to 7-3 on the road this year.
Akron 6, Oregon 1
1. Nicole Long/Jasmine Minor (ORE) vs. Olga Shkundina/Shannon Newnes (UA) 6-4, DNF
2. Lina Akesson/Marlou Kluiving (ORE) def. Martina Zerbola/Karolina Maksimava (UA) 8-2
3. Lana Buttner/Sofia Hager (ORE) def. Ksenia Berestetska/Caroline Harpaintner (UA) 8-0
1. Nicole Long (ORE) def. Karolina Maksimava (UA) 6-2, 6-0
2. Jasmine Minor (ORE) def. Olga Shkundina (UA) 6-4, 1-0, ret. inj.
3. Sofia Hager (ORE) def. Shannon Newnes (UA) 6-3, 6-2
4. Marlou Kluiving (ORE) def. Martina Zerbola (UA) 6-1, 6-1
5. Ksenia Berestetska (UA) def. Lana Buttner (ORE) 6-2, 6-3
6. Allie Hueffner (ORE) def. Caroline Harpaintner (UA) 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish:
Doubles – 3, 2, DNF
Singles – 2, 4, 1, 6, 5, 3
Team records:
Akron – 8-3
Oregon – 5-4
Women's Tennis Falls at Oregon, 6-1
Follow Akron Tennis on Twitter and Facebook


text:
Search Results
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Smith, Leslie S.
Birth Year : 1908
Death Year : 1997
Smith was born in Pleasant Ridge, KY. A schoolteacher in Kentucky and West Virginia, she published short stories, poems, and her book, Around Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, A Black History (1979), which covers 1795 to 1979. For more see The Fascinating Story of Black Kentuckians, by A. A. Dunnigan.
Subjects: Authors, Education and Educators, Historians, Poets
Geographic Region: Pleasant Ridge, Lewis County, Kentucky


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EURCHF - Weekly technical Outlook
No change in EUR/CHF's mixed outlook so far and more choppy sideway trading could be seen between 1.5010 and 1.5145. But still we'd expect 1.5007 support to hold. And, break of 1.5145 resistance will argue that recent choppy fall has completed and target 1.5238 resistance next.
In the bigger picture, firstly, price actions from 1.5446 are treated as consolidation to rise from 1.4577 only and such rise is expected to resume sooner or later to test 1.5880 resistance. Secondly, the corrective structure of the fall from 1.5880 to 1.4577 indicates that it's a correction to medium term rise from 1.4315. Rise from 1.4577 is tentatively treated as resumption of rally from 1.4315. Hence we're expecting an eventual break of 1.5880 as rise from 1.4315 resumes. In other words, we're favoring the case that long term down trend from 1.6826 has completed at 1.4315 already. We'll hold on to this bullish view as long as 1.5007 support remains intact.
In the long term picture, outlook is rather mixed for the moment. On the one hand, the corrective three wave structure of the rise from 1.4391 to 1.6827 is arguing that fall from 1.6827 is resumption of long term down trend from 1.8234. The pattern of lower highs since 1.6826 gives no indication that such fall has completed yet. On the other hand, the failure to sustain below 1.4391 (01 low) and the lack of impulsive structure of fall from 1.6827 is not confirming the bearish case. Focus will be on the development of the rebound from 1.4315 for further hints.


text:
Here's the work of artist
{I'm slowly recovering after my hard drive went boom, so today I must work more on restoring as much as I can. I'll post throughout the day, but they'll be abbreviated.}
(images from ilana denis)
Here's the work of artist
{I'm slowly recovering after my hard drive went boom, so today I must work more on restoring as much as I can. I'll post throughout the day, but they'll be abbreviated.}
(images from ilana denis)
I'm recovering from waking up to a completely fried hard drive in my iMac G5 yesterday. After replacing the hard drive, along with a new O/S, and some software, I'm running around trying to get my computer back to normal today. I should have everything worked out by tomorrow. See you then!
I can't wait to give you a sneak peek and a mini review of this wonderful book next week. Amy sent along her new book, Midwest Modern (release date 10/1), and I've already read half of it and it arrived a few hours ago. Whenever I flip a page, I keep thinking about you and how you're going to love it, it's so inspirational that your head will explode with ideas. :)
If you feel like shopping for Amy stuff, her web shop is having a sale, 40% off pillows, journals, and handbags. Just enter SALE upon checkout.
Hope you are all having a a great weekend!
(image from holly becker for decor8)
So many inspiring, creative women out there! I'm constantly reminded that blogging is the only way I'd know about so many of them. It is via all this web digging that I found out about Melissa Anderson Contreras, also known as Axel Honey, an artist based in Los Angeles. Her work is so colorful, full of whimsy, and very detailed, I felt like I had to get to know her better. She received her BA in Fine Art from UCLA and made a living as a graphic designer for quite some time before pursuing her dream: painting. Yeah Melissa!
I can see her illustrating children's books, greeting cards, product packaging, she's super talented. And it's clear to me that she found her visual voice, her unique style, because her work is authentic, you can see the passion in her lines and colors. Here's a little q + a I had with her recently that I think you'll enjoy, and she exposed me to a few new links, so click around. I kept it short since it's Friday and I don't know about you, but I'm in weekend mode!
First Melissa, can you tell us what you do for a living? And where do you live?
Melissa: I'm an artist, currently not making much of a living but I have done: catalog layout, product packaging, tee-shirt graphics. I live in Fresno, as of August 1, quite a change from Los Angeles, but it is my hometown and I am near my family and more affordable real estate.
Where do you sell your work?
Melissa: Currently I have a little show up at The Kids Are Alright, a store in Echo Park (Los Angeles). I also have a piece hanging at Thinkspace Gallery (Los Angeles) and The Hive Gallery (Los Angeles). I have work for sale online at Rising Artist Series as well as a few other places. I have my art on products at My Favorite Mirror and I am on of the artists available for web design at Aeolidia Web Design.
I guess I should have asked this first, what do you sell? :)
Melissa: Paintings, mooshees and cooshees (small hand painted sculptures) and other
crafty things.
What inspires your designs?
Melissa: Everything. I love folk art, nature, good design and beauty in unexpected places.
I notice lots of American Indians and nature in your work, why?
Melissa: They embody a lot of things I embrace: rich culture, relationship with the environment, an appreciation of nature, geometric patterns, feathers. A romantic view in a world that is becoming homogenized and man made. Also, I grew up in Central California. It is probably the closest to a true American culture that I have been
exposed to.
Describe the type of client that shops with you?
Melissa: People who appreciate handmade and enjoy whimsy.
What are the store display photos all about over on your Flickr page, did you design the window? Or? I love seeing artists commissioned to do window displays!
Melissa: I created the window display for my solo show, Sickly Sweet, at Black
Market/Blu82 on Sawtelle in June. The characters are modeled after these little sculpted ornaments I make, that are about 4″ tall. I tried to make it look like one of my paintings in 3D. The people that ran the series are using it again at Atmosphere Boutique on Vermont in Los Angeles. I installed it a little differently to fit their windows better. Here is the original setup (below).
Thank you Melissa, so nice to meet you and view your work! And if you have time and would like to learn more about Melissa, click on over to im right your wrong.
(images from melissa contreras)
Annie from Curbside Treasure told me about this fun contest that Etsy had, she said that they asked etsy members to create posters featuring items found on the website. I had no clue! I missed the boat on this one… Anyway, they selected 60 winners and will use them as large posters and as hand outs at craft fairs. I loved looking at the entries, the color combinations. graphics, some of these entries really sing to me.Here are a few that I like, but feel free to browse them all here. It's really fun, so prepare to spend a lot of time clicking around. :)
Thank you Annie for telling me about this contest, it was really fun to see this!
(images from etsy)
Mary Jo wrote in to tell me about her blog, Trust Your Style (thanks Mary Jo!) and it was there that I discovered the beautiful Alabama Chanin.
I hadn't heard of this designer before, despite that her company launched in 2006, which surprises me because I'd think with a collection like hers, she would be on all the blogs. Natalie "Alabama" Chanin covers a wide area of disciplines, from limited-edition jewelry, to sustainable clothing and home accessories and furniture. She also runs her flagship store out of Florence, Alabama.
This lady is a creative dynamo! I really enjoy the natural beauty of her collection, the appliqu?d work on pillows, the embroidery, organic materials, it's not only a smart way to design, but with such beautiful results. Here are some gorgeous images to enjoy, I can picture Alabama Chanin appearing in Selvedge magazine, can't you?
Thanks Mary Jo for leading me to this talented lady!
Psst: Alabama even has a few good old-fashioned southern recipes on her site. For her chocolate pie recipe, I'd add pecans or walnuts to the recipe, as that's how we use to make ours growing up. Then you heat it, topping with vanilla ice cream. :)
(images from alabama chanin)
decor8 [dec·o·rate], noun: a design blog that makes you happy