Beer Critter Bottle Cozy

 Blub, blub, blub.... That's my imitation of what I think is the noise an octopus makes.
And here is an octopus that cozies up to your beer bottle.
Blub, blub, blub.....

Successful Christmas Haul

Here are some pictures of the things I made for Christmas this year.

Sister Suzie's baby Cthulhu that who's pattern can be found Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins.

A Pokeball hat and Lieutenant Turtle for Johnny.

Fingerless gloves for texting for Mary.

Also Gir Amigurumi that is very exciting!

Ribbon scarf for sister Stacey.

So long 2010

Here is the image from this years Christmas card.  I only gave out about a dozen because my addresses are all still stuck in my old computer, so this is what you would have seen if I sent them out.

New great things will be happening in 2011!

Look up there!

Hey Folks! I finally own my own domain. This is just a place holder until I get more stuff up and running.  I'll post some Christmas pictures soon.

Summer in Pictures

So, I obviously have not posted that much this summer.  I thought I would share some pictures of the summer with you and when I went to edit some it appears that I have not really taken that many pictures either.  So here is a taste of what I've been up to.

I attended my first ever Doo Dah Parade on the Forth of July.

Here Joe is not pulling his weight while doing a keg stand on his and Ray's keg bike.

This is my friend Sarah who did field work this summer, which cut back on the number of midweek potlucks.

We were able to get together with her and Joe and some others to celebrate the Forth of July however.

And I did get to see my niece and nephew who are growing up so fast but love spending time together.

Cold/Flu

For the 5 days I have been dealing with one of the worst cases of cold or flu I've had in a long long time.   It started with a sore throat Monday morning and continued to escalate with the usual symptoms (runny nose, cough, headache, fever, body aches) till late last night.  Finally on the down swing of things I believe.  I'm hoping that after I recover from this I will feel well for the next little bit.

It's been about 2.5 years since I learned that I had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.  I knew then it wasn't just my imagination that illnesses that were usually no big deal for average healthy people, were way worse for me.  I had known for a long time that unlike some people I could not afford to use "sick" days as personal or fun days, that I needed to save them up because I would always need them because I would always get sick.

Does having this knowledge make spending the week in bed any easier?  No, not really.  But it does give me a little bit of comfort to know that I'm not a wimp, or that I'm not exaggerating when I can't get out of bed because of the common cold.  I just have to take these things as they come, and enjoy my healthy times.

After this past week I am really looking forward to some healthy times.

Dear Blog,

I've come to realize I've seriously been neglecting you lately and for that I am sorry.  You are a good friend for being patient and waiting for me to come around and update you.  This will happen again soon I promise.  But for now I just wanted to say hello and that things are going Ok.

The change in the weather has caused my fatigue to be almost unbearable, with the addition of the bedroom air conditioner it has improved slightly.  I am still attempting to finish up my school work for a semester that has been over for several weeks and I am determined not to fail.

In other news, looking forward to the summer.  There are family weddings planned and hopefully some visits with my wonderful niece and nephew.  They are both growing up so fast and I do not want to miss any more than I have to living so far away.

I will also be attending my 10 year high school reunion this summer, this is pretty crazy to think about.

My dear blog, I will leave you with a picture for your enjoyment until we speak again.  Here is a recently made frittata.

Yours truly,
Chrissy Joy

Mama Mimi's: Gluten Free Thursdays!

I've known about Mama Mimi's Take 'N Bake Pizza since I moved to Grandview in 2008.  It wasn't a place that received my patronage because by this time I was already living life sans gluten.  When Ryan began working at Gentile's Wine Sellers which shares a building with the Grandview Mama Mimi's location he began bringing pizza and breadsticks home for himself.  He also often came home smelling like dough and flour.  Although I've never been a huge pizza fan, I do like dough and cheese.  My brother-in-law who use to own a pizzeria makes a mean garlic white pizza, and I was beginning to miss it just a little.

A few weeks back Ryan came home from work and informed me that Mama Mimi's was going to have Gluten Free Thursdays.  They had worked hard to find the appropriate dough supplier and did research into what exactly the best gluten free practices were when it came to cross contamination.  They developed a process of using separate sauces and gloves for their gluten free options in hopes of keeping any kind of exposure to a minimum.  Keep in mind though, it is ultimately a place where they make dough, and the guarantee of no contamination just can not be made.

The dough.  Ryan had tried once to make a me a gluten free dough, and it really wasn't anything special, more of a conduit for toppings than anything else.

Mama Mimi's has found a supplier that has for the most part gotten the gluten free dough process right.  It is organic.  It is thin and chewy.  What it is lacking is the brown crispy bottom that traditional dough can achieve.  I have had the most success putting it in the oven at room temperature, the edges at least get crispy and enjoyable.

The ingredients.  Each pizza is made to order with the freshest of ingredients.  They have a large menu with a variety of toppings that you can pick yourself as well as a selection of specialty pizzas that they have designed for their establishment.  They have several different sauces including homemade tomato, as well as a pesto.  I personally have my crust brushed with an olive oil, basil, garlic base before my toppings are added.

Locations, hours, ordering.  Mama Mimi's have several different locations throughout central Ohio including: Clintonville, Powell, Arlington, Grandview, Westerville, as well as Dayton.  The hours vary by location and day.  You can find the locations, hours, and contact information on their website.  You can phone in your orders and now you can even order online from their website.

The picture above is today's pizza.  I dug into it before even thinking about taking a picture.  It had olive oil, basil, garlic base with ham, onions, mozzarella, fetta, and banana peppers.  Tasty tasty.

Ages

Yes, it's been ages since I've written last.  Funny thing: real life seems to be getting in the way of my once prolific online life.  I no longer hang on ever Tweet and blogging seems to have taken a back seat.

All of this is good news.  I like being out and about and exercising my critical thinking skills back in the classroom.  However I have missed it and have been rolling ideas over in my head about my writing plans for this summer.

I have a lot of passions and you know that already.  One of the things I'm leading towards though is starting to write reviews and information about Gluten Free dining options and product reviews in Columbus Ohio.  I think it will give me a slight focus without taking away from other interests.  And I think there are things that need to be said about this wonderful city and how it is becoming more and more GF friendly.

So for my first post, I'm going to let you all know about Mama Mimi's pizza and their Gluten Free Thursdays!

Sorry for the Absence

While I'm finishing up my first semester back in grad school I've been relatively absent from the blogosphere.  I have lots of ideas on what I will be writing about when I get back, so stayed tuned for updates.

Columbus is starting to buzz with a lot of great gluten free foods, so I will let you know about them
Ryan and I will be brewing our first batch of gluten free beer very soon.
I want to start adding product to my etsy store.
And I plan on taking more photos this summer, and hopefully doing some painting.

Right now I'm treading water and attempting to move forward academically, the outcome is sketchy at the moment, but I should know how things will look soon.

Attempting to stay sane.

From 2010

there is soap in the bathroom

Have you ever heard something said and not known what it meant at the time? Then minutes, hours, or days later you understand?
I had one of those moments today. Ryan said to me last night, after attempting to get the smell of parmesan cheese off his hands:

"There's soap in the bathroom."

I thought to myself, "of course there's soap in the bathroom, there is always soap in the bathroom."


I did not give it any more thought at the time till just a little bit ago. I was sitting on the toilet and I looked over at the sink. The soap pump had been refilled, and it hit me, "there's soap in the bathroom," isn't what Ryan actually meant, but that he had refilled the pump.


How often do we hear things and we don't get the full meaning? And how often do we try to convey ideas to others without actually saying what we mean?

Springing

From 2010

Focus

I've had a hard time with focus lately.  Since school began it seems like I am on a track that just keeps going around in a circle.  I read, I write, I go to class, I start over.  This is part of what school is about, getting the work done in order to learn.  And I've enjoyed it.  But I've been wondering about the goal of the whole process.

That other part of going to school, the preparation for the future, the refining and defining of life ambitions, goals, and skills.  That's the part I enjoy the most.  Recently though, this part has been lacking.  I suppose after 2 years of struggling with just staying alive, my goals were altered slightly than what they might have been previously.

From the time I was about 16 or so my plans were to be a full time ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.  This may have been underlying and not something I talked about; at 17 and 18 I was really into broadcast journalism and wanted to become like Katie Couric, but it was there in some form or another.  There was a defined process to this goal: college, candidacy, seminary, etc, and I was following the steps the best I could despite distractions and doubts (other people's and mine).

My focus switched from that of ordained Elder to ordained Deacon sometime in the first year of seminary.  The workings of the UMC are complicated and almost too much to explain to what this switch meant technically.  But the non-technical reason for switching was that I did not see myself as a head pastor of a church ministering to all the needs of a congregation.  I should say: although I have the skills I am not that great of a leader, I can follow but prefer not to, and really where I see myself is as an individual doing my own thing.  Really where this left me isn't of much concern, in the Spring of 07 I decided that perhaps the call I was receiving may not be to ordained ministry at all.

This was a fairly emotional time in my life, the previous fall I had struggled through school, getting several illnesses that lasted for weeks.  In the spring I was doing an internship at a local farm and education center and loving it, but struggling with school work and farm work having neither being very successful.  While removing myself from the candidacy process was mostly an emotional decision, I thought it might allow me to explore my call a little wider than what I had until that point.  I loved the church, but I also loved the work I was doing outside the church.  What I wasn't sure of was how my education was fitting in to either.

With the Fall of 2007 bringing my health challenges completely and totally to the front, this decision seemed to have been the correct one.  The struggles of that time can be seen throughout this blog, but what it meant in context of this conversation is that I was answering to no one but myself and my doctors.  There was no outside educational (after I withdrew from classes) or vocational stress, it left me to make the right decisions for my body.

This has led me to where I am today.  Back at school to finish a degree.  I had already put a lot of work into a Master of Divinity/ Master of Arts in Christian Education and wasn't ready to give that fully up.  A Master in Theological Studies degree seems versatile to my interests and utilizes the credits I have already received.  However, I am now at a point of completing a mid program review and establishing some goals for the future.

After these last two years I can no even begin to establish vocational goals for myself.  Thinking about days that I can not even get out of bed, I'm not sure how I could hold down any job, not to mention one that brings significant meaning to my life.  I would love to obtain a PhD, which would mean even more school.  However, I am not sure what my academic record may say to someone who would be evaluating my ability to complete a PhD.

In the past I have not been a serious student.  School was a means to an end and I was trying to get to that end as quickly as possible.  However, now things are drastically different.  I in school because I desire to learn, stretch my mind, and think outside of what our world tells us to think.  I am not there to learn prescribed ideals or simple definitions as I felt like I once was.  On top of the physically challenges I am having with returning to school there are some seriously intellectual ones.

I now feel much more compelled to participate and ask the tough questions.  I want to excel to the best of my abilities, and I want to become whatever I was created to become.  I feel right now I am falling back into old habits, blindly completing assignments and sitting through the classes just to say that it's done and I was there.  These struggles are compounded by the emotions I have about the future.

The future, what is it?  I have no (if I was speaking to you face to face and not on a blog I would add an expletive) clue.  I want to be something great, a catalyst for change, or at least working off of someone else's catalyst for change.  I want to be known.  My personal insecurities tell me that no of this will happen, that I can't rise much above what I am doing now.  But I'm really getting to the point of frustration with myself, I want to say "screw you" it's going to happen and I'm going to be great.  These conflicts inside of me hurt so much and occur on a daily basis.

So, what am I going to do?  Where I am going?  I don't know, it's one of those things I feel the need to focus on, but I get so frustrated when I do I feel that it further hinders the process.  My life has become on big box of paradoxes and I'm not really sure how or if I will be able to climb out.

Four Weeks

I've successfully made it through the first four weeks of the semester.  It doesn't stop though, already on to the fifth.  I was going to do some blogging, but realized I'm not in the right frame of mind.

I've been reflecting a lot about what things were life before I was as sick as I am.  Also about things surrounding career desires and future plans.  But they will have to be for another day.  Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here, trucking along.

Presenting Myself

After two years of considering myself "on medical leave" from public life, I have returned to the classroom as a student to hopefully successfully finish up my Master of Theological Studies degree.

I have ALWAYS been self conscious and insecure about how I present myself to others, and what others perceive of me.  Before you all go commenting about how WONDERFUL I am ;) I know this.  If you were to ask me to tell you honestly how I felt about myself I would give myself glowing recommendations.  I think I'm honest about my strength, weaknesses, and flaws.  But this doesn't make the anxiety about others perceptions any better.

Over the years I've gathered bits and pieces of what I can from what others would say about me on their first (second, third) impressions.  It's a bit amusing, and I'm kind of wondering if you all agree with this depiction of myself.

• in high school a boy broke up with me because I was "too bubbly" this was not his real reason, but the one he gave me. I am since glad that relationship did not last very long.
• a friend I knew through band festivals in high school once told me that he thought I was intimidating for guys because I was so confident about myself and (especially high school guys) people were not use to that.
• a college professor told me in conversation about discussions inside and outside of the classroom that sometimes I'm right on, and some times I say things that are very irrelevant.
• during recruiting for my sorority in college a sister said that when she was going through recruitment she thought I was scary.
• several people have told me that they thought that I hated them before they go to know me.

So I don't know.  Honestly, I think I'm too much to handle for some people.  I'm a people person (with insecurity issues, I know right!), I'm energetic and I tell it like it is.  I don't have a problem with being honest, and sometimes I over share.

As I'm trying to pull my life into some kind of academic, professional, future order how I present myself is going to become important to me.  Mostly I would like to form a career upon being me and assisting organizations and individuals in the things that I am passionate about.  Tell me what your perception of me is... for real, go ahead, click the comment button.  I think I'm awesome so you won't hurt my feelings. :)

NASA and Beekeepers Teaming Up!

Over the last 5 years or so I've taken a special interest in Honey Bees. It comes not only from my love of honey, but also at the realization of what amazing creatures they are. They live in an incredibly organized society and work hard to preserve themselves. Honey bees are also crucial to the pollination of our fruits, vegetables, and flowers. What if our pollinators started disappearing? What would happen to our food?

Well, some bees are disappearing and no one is quite sure why. The HoneyBeeNet program is investigating climate change to analyze what impact it might have on Colony Collapse Disorder and general bee populations. Check out the link below to read more about how NASA and beekeepers are teaming up to investigate this phenomenon.

NASA and Beekeepers Use Satellites and Scales To Monitor Climate Change Impact on Bees : TreeHugger

Proof Reading

So recently I have really noticed how much it bothers me when people are trying to make a point on the internet and they do not take the time to proof read what they write.

First of all, I think that more and more people are making off hand remarks without putting real consideration into their actual beliefs.  This has stemmed from the easy access to a public forum made available by sites like facebook and Twitter.  Not to mention that we have prominent media figures and politicians doing the same thing.

I ALWAYS think about what I'm going to say before I ever write it.  So please never take anything I say lightly.  But I have noticed that I may not take the time to proof read before I hit the send button.  With loads of academic writing coming under my feet, this will be a new goal for me. 

So I ask you my faithful reader (all 3 of you) to hold me accountable both for what I say and for my spelling and grammar when I say it.

Six Cultural Trends That Are Not Saving The Earth : TreeHugger

Check this article on Treehugger out. These are things that I would like to blog about, but it's much easier for me to just point to someone who has already said it. I take two of these fairly personally, but am also aware of the consequences and am racking my brain for solutions. Note the picture they include with the "Advent of HDTV" while I do not have an HDTV myself I do enjoy participating in the watching experiences they create. I don't think it's a coincidence that they fans are Buckeyes!
And, as a self professed "pill popper" I'm not exactly sure what to do with expired and unused medication. They sit in my drawers taking up space, but I surely don't want them to pollute the water supply, what to do, what to do. Click on the link below to read the article.

Six Cultural Trends That Are Not Saving The Earth : TreeHugger

Twitter

I started this blog post with something witty, but somehow it got erased.  So without much further ado here is a little bit of what I have to say about Twitter.

According to Wikipedia Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging website, was created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey.  I'm not exactly sure when I became aware of Twitter but it has dominated many social media conversations for awhile now.  

I'm always a little behind on the social media train anyways, not getting on facebook or MySpace till after I had graduated from college and was married.  These two things, mainly designed for college aged folks to keep in touch and learn about new and interesting things, especially music in the case of Myspace, have evolved in to much larger networks.  

After awhile I dropped Myspace, it was slow and people put a lot of junk on their profiles that I just didn't want to look at.  Facebook is simpler, and I have connected with over 600 people who I know in person or have met one way or another online.  

Then enters Twitter.  I am not the most tech savvy person, I still really don't understand RSS feeds (although as a blogger maybe I should?), or rarely ever use to send or receive text messages.  But very quickly Twitter became the fastest and most prolific way for me to send and access information.  I do not have a so called "smart phone" but the basic text messaging, which my phone was designed for allows me to send Tweets (a short message, less than 140 characters) on the go.  I can also have tweets of particular interest sent to my phone.  Occasionally I find myself wanting to access the mobile web my phone has but I do not pay for on my plan because of a tweet I receive, but I suck it up and wait till I get home.

Some people may find that attraction on have for Twitter boarding on obsessed, but it's not all bad folks, I have surely reaped some benefits from my new friend.  I have won contests for clothing and concerts, I have made connections in my city and across the country, and I've been able to keep up with business and websites I respect.  

I connect with others who have chronic conditions similar to my own.  I can read the latest thoughts of critical thinkers around the subject of the environment, or theology, or sports, or politics, or entertainment, or the economy, or fashion, or... or... or... 

There are people out there who specialize in social media and could tell you all kinds of fun facts about what Twitter and other social media websites can do for your business or organization.  But I'm not one of them.  There are also all kinds of software developers out there creating new tools for social media everyday.  That's not me either.  I take what is given to me and use it. 

So this post is really just saying "FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER" and get to know the world like I am getting to know it.

February

So, it's February.  Despite a serious kidney infection, January went fairly well.

I was able to start blogging on a more regular basis, which has really been a goal for a very long time.  I would like to start generating more content for my blog, as well as interact with other blogs and bloggers.  The focus on Living in the MidWest is wide and basically consists of the things that are of most interest to me at a particular time on a particular day.  Perhaps I would have a wider reader base if I narrowed my focus more and marketed to a particular audience, but that's just not how I roll.

I had a professor once, who after reading my blog commented that it really wasn't about "anything" which is in way true.  It's condensed stream of conscious, which should really give you a peak into my crazy, dreaming, idealistic mind.

What I wish were true and what is actual reality are sometimes very different, and it often becomes a source of anxiety for me.

Alas, I hope that it provides at the least a moment of entertainment for you, if not a helpful piece of insightful information.

My classes start on Wednesday, hopefully they will generate some good theological based postings in the near future.  My biggest anxieties revolve around the severe fatigue I deal with on a regular basis.  Never mind that I'm in a constant state of discomfort because of the pain caused by fibromyalgia (which is exhausting in itself) there are days that no matter how much I rest I can barely function enough to watch TV.  How this is going to translate into school work, reading, writing, reflecting, and attending class is yet to be seen.

I'm preparing how I'm going to approach the subject with my professors.  I've never been a good student, I've always done just enough to get by, pulling all nighters and last minute cram sessions.  For the most part it worked pretty well.  However, with my new health status, this is NOT going to work anymore, maybe it will make a me a better student.  As a life long underachiever I hope that this will positively affect my grades.

I need to be self motivated, otherwise plans that I have for future life endeavors are never going to happen.

Anyways, like I said, a stream of consciousness.

Enjoy your February and hopefully you will hear from me soon.

Blog Review: Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef

 I don't talk about other blogs much here.  I have a list on the side of the blogs that I read, and will occasionally post a link to something I've read and enjoyed.  However "Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef" deserve their own post.

 Flourless Peanut Butter cookies I made from the blog.

I first learned about Gluten-Free Girl, Shauna James Ahern, and became interested in her writing when I decided I needed to cut gluten out of my diet back in the summer of 2008, it was a daunting task, but she made it easier.  I was able to see someone was living a VERY happy and food filled life without gluten.  I read her blog posts with anticipation, wondering what new idea she was going to cook up next.

That Christmas I got her first book.  This was a combination of her life story and a cook book.  While there were not many recipes it discussed the ins and outs of eating gluten-free.  And she introduced us to her husband Danny, the Chef.

I have been reading her blog longer than most blogs I read on a regular basis, with the exception of people I know personally.  With the introduction of the Chef, there were more stories of family love and watching their Little Bean grow up to love food.  Very very soon there will be a full cookbook in the bookstores and I am SO looking forward to it.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef make me want to eat, and eat better.  I love their stories of farm stands and vegetables.  I honestly didn't eat many veggies until around 2007 and this blog has given me the courage to try more.  I still won't eat tomatoes though.

I look forward to hearing how one recipe didn't quite work and what they did to correct it.  And while a lot of their food would naturally be gluten-free they do great looking recipes for some yummy baked goods, like these graham crackers.

Besides the amazing food these two cook up I LOVE LOVE LOVE their photographs.  I've been into photography way longer than I've been into gluten-free food, and these just shine.  I honestly strive to take pictures like this someday.  So go ahead and jump over and check them out, you won't be disappointed.  If you don't believe me just check out the honors they have received over the years.

enjoy. enjoy. enjoy.

Review: Unexpected Blessings

It's been awhile since I told you I was going to read and write a review on a book I received in the mail. Between the Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and the holidays, it has really taken me this long to find an appropriate time to sit down and write. I wanted to give the book the attention it deserved, and this week when I came down with a TERRIBLE kidney infection I figured it's as good a time as any. I'm starting to feel better, but not incredibly well physically and my mind is itching for something to do. It also had me thinking a lot about the book, so here it is.

I received an e-mail from the publisher of Unexpected Blessings: Stories of Hope and Healing by Roxanne Black asking me if I would be interested in an advance copy and writing a review on my blog. I thought OF COURSE I'm interested, it's a book, and a book about something I know quite a bit about. So when I received it in the mail, I set right to reading it and it did not take me long to become thoroughly engaged.

The stories in Unexpected Blessings centered around the life, loss, healing, and hope of Roxanne Black who at 15 was diagnosed with systemic lupus. It was after this diagnosis and subsequent hospital stays that Black was driven to develop the Friend's Health Connection to help others like herself find one another and form a network of support. She recalls with great clarity the moments in her life that she sees as most important, and speaks candidly about her two kidney transplants and what the lives of the individual donors have meant to her.

In the two years since I really began to understand what living and learning with a chronic condition means I have read a lot of books that describe individual stories of great challenges and overcoming those challenges to live a new and adjusted type of life. Unexpected Blessings is that, but it is something more as well. She does not just describe her own story of illness, but also the stories of ones the she has come in contact with throughout her life and treatment. They are strong testament of the wills of people of all ages and times, dealing with chronic and life changing illnesses. Even as I read in the corner of my favorite coffee shop I found myself slightly embarrassed to be crying in public. It wasn't a all out sobbing cry, but some tears of recognition in each one of their stories.

The stories Black shared were powerful, and her life has been very inspirational. I would have like to have seen more continuity to the chapters, and a little more conclusion to the story. She tends to jump around, not unlike I do in this blog, and I felt not completely informed about the messages she was trying to share. Of course a conclusion to Black's life story will not come for some time and I look forward to hearing from her in the future.

If you see this book in the bookstore or your local library I recommend a read. Roxanne Black is a remarkable woman who tells a remarkable story.

Columbus Hope for Haiti

Hey Friends, I'm not sure how many Columbus and Central Ohio readers I have out there, but this just came across my Twitter and I wanted to share it here on my blog.

Thursday January 21 from 7a.m. to 7p.m. "Columbus Hope for Haiti" is taking place at the Ohio Historical Society and online. The City of Columbus, the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus, and local media outlets are joining forces to raise money for the earthquake stricken country of Haiti.

I am very proud of my city for stepping up and making it a city wide event. There are several ways you can help out. First, you can drop your check off for the Red Cross at the Ohio Historical Society which is located just of I-71 at Exit 111.

If you do not live in Columbus or can not make it on Thursday there are several other ways you can donate:

• Call the Red Cross at 1-800- HELP-NOW
• Text "Haiti" to 90999, this will donate $10 which wills how up on your wireless bill.
• Make a secure donation online at www.redcross.org

Please help out in any way you can!
And Thank You!

What to do with a Wedding Dress?

So, something that has been on my mind lately is what to do with my wedding dress. I love it and am so glad we were able to spend a little extra money that we planned when Mom and I set out shopping.

However, I've been married for almost 5 years and obviously have no use for a wedding dress anymore. It's sentimental, but at the same time it has been in the closet and not been looked at more than once or twice since the big day. It needs some slight repair, I popped one of the shoulder straps towards the end of the day. And it obviously needs to be cleaned, but other than that it's beautiful.

Some people are able to wear their dresses again by just changing a few details. I don't attend the kind of event that I would need such a formal dress and it's a quite overwhelming amount of fabric.

I could sell it on eBay, or take it to a consignment shop, but I'd really like to do something a little more "good" with it.

Does anyone know of any organizations that do great things with used wedding dresses? I would love to support someone who helps others out in some way or the other, or who is doing good things for the environment. Let me know below.
Thanks!

Positive-Thought Strategies to Help You Achieve Your Goals - Gaiam Life

I've read a lot of books, tips, articles, blogs, etc over the last two years in attempt to get my life back on track. Achieving my goals has seemed extremely far away. This article came across my Twitter feed today, and it's one of the best and most helpful things I've read in a really long time. It's things we all should already know, but of course, need to be reminded of from time to time. Click on the link below to take you to the site, it's good stuff.


Positive-Thought Strategies to Help You Achieve Your Goals - Gaiam Life

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