Hello all who still happen upon this blog. Things have been pretty crazy over here..in short, we did get the house and are very happy with it, though we are in the midst of giving it some needed updates before we can start sleeping there. It's alright because even if it were move-in ready, we'd both be mostly at my parents' still. The only down side to getting a house, a new place to live, and then have to do little renovations that force you to imagine how it will be, is that there is nothing solid for me to envision going back to when this is all over. It's difficult to imagine it all when you've not lived there before this sickness. Before, I could try to envision going back to our apartment in the city, that was familiar..though admittedly, it actually was still difficult to imagine..so who knows. But I like to be able to have a vision, otherwise I become worried that it will not happen.
The holidays have are proving to be a nice distraction to everything. Still no new kidney inside of me. I go to dialysis and in the waiting room I wonder how I can do this so often. I am so lucky though, because according to the days I usually go, their holiday schedule works out that I do not have to come on Christmas or New Year's eve. That is a huge massive deal to me. I will have my weekend for that week as the eve's and days of Christmas and New Year's.

Did you see Anabela's wedding on the Etsy blog? You may have spotted a Glittering Fringe Banner that I made for her and Geoff! I am still sad I couldn't be there for their day, but she's told me it was lovely and reading things like this Etsy piece is very nice. I am so happy for those two.

I should have stopped in sooner to remind you that my mom still has her shop, Oh Merci, open and is shipping until the end of Sunday December 16th. You can also contact her for rush orders. I decided to whip up a little gift guide including some special items that will be lovely for your Holidays...

So that is that. I am hoping to pop in again this week with another tiny surprise. I've been meaning for a month or so now to share something with you all. I hope your having a wonderful December! xoxo

Hi Hi

hey friends. I've been wanting to touch base for a while.. Life is okay. I have been doing the 4 hour dialysis sessions 3 days a week since I first got sick in February, and I guess I've gotten used to them as much as possible. The 3 days add up to 12 hours and that's pretty much a day of your life gone every week, sometimes more since you're pretty wiped out afterward. It's rare that I do anything more than have dinner, watch television, and go to bed after a treatment. So far I've been able to put off the perminent access that would be in my arm..right now I still have the access in my chest. It's all so weird. Before this year I was not very familiar with dialysis..now I keep meeting strangers that have had it or know someone who has it..I've even met a dog on dialysis! I met someone at a garage sale who had a transplant recently, she too had a sudden disease attack her...I met someone at a vintage store who had to have dialysis..it's nice to know I'm not alone, ha. At my center, I am currently the youngest patient by far, so it feels kinda nice to run into strangers who have been closer to my age, and even interests.
I have had some good news. My heart is back to normal! This is great because I was really stressed out about that. In the hospital I had cardiologists jump the gun and tell me that I'd very possibly need a defibrillator put in. It terrified me. But the heart is a muscle! And it bounced back! This also was a key factor to being able to receive a kidney transplant.....which I will be receiving! My mom and dad are both matches, James and I have the same blood type, and my brother would be a good match too...but my mom is the lucky one, haha. She is related to me, and it's very likely that I will need another transplant someday, in which case hopefully my brother will be able to donate. So she has just begun the process to further test to make sure she can give it up. I am hoping that the surgery can be done before the holidays, but we really don't know at this point.

I haven't yet been able to start up Nice again. It's weird how I don't have much free time, yet I don't feel like I'm accomplishing much. I guess between taking care of myself, hospital visits, boyfriend time, packing, relaxing, haha, it's hard to know that I can commit to making and sending out packages in time. I was so, so busy before I got sick, and I know I could not handle that volume currently. I am hoping to have a soft launch soon, but life has to settle down a bit more before that. Did you notice I mentioned packing? James and I have put an offer in on a small fixer-upper out here! Can you believe it? Life has changed so much. If everything goes well, we will close on it at the end of this month. Our apartment lease in Chicago is up the same day, so things could get really nuts. A year ago- even half a year ago, I never would have thought I would be heading to live in the suburbs.  James was the first one to bring up the idea and he was okay with it right away. It took me some time to get use to the idea..we both ended up bringing up talks about whether this is a good idea or not. But it's not the end all be all. Owning a house doesn't mean you have to stay there forever. He and I have always been on the same page with changes, and thinking about our life together, I just feel so happy inside.
The town we've chosen is about 30 minutes away from where my parents are. It's along a river and it's a town with possibilities, we think. It's a town that doesn't feel like you're in the suburbs, really. There are places to walk and bike to. The house is adorable and we know we will be happy there. We both feel a bit tired out by the city..I know I personally am valuing family time a lot more than usual, and especially time with James. It has been so hard for us to live apart during all of this. It's also been hard on James to do so much driving- from work, to the apartment, to my house and back. After the transplant I will need some care, so it will be good to be close to my family. I will have to frequent the hospital downtown for check-ups, so I will always have my mom to go with me which is so nice to know. I don't know yet if I will be able to have children due to the chemotherapy, but I know if all is well, just having a kidney transplant would make it a high risk pregnancy. It's a lot to take in, but I know that I've always had adoption in the back of my brain. It's something I haven't begun to look into, but maybe it will be an option for us at some point. Who knows what the future holds! Right now I am excited for James and I to make a home of our own.

Have any of you made a move from an urban area to a not so urban area? I'd love to hear your story.

I have been using Pinterest (join me!) a lot to sort of keep up on things and be inspired. I've been shying away from blogs and such because they seem to overstimulate me! It's hard to read about what other people are doing- it makes me happy, but it also just makes me like, over-excited? I want to get back in it all, but I'm not there yet, so I end up feeling a bit frustrated. But Pinterest has been good because it's a small dose of what's going on in the world..and I just love seeing all of my pins together! haha

So yeah, Nice will come back. Perhaps even under a different name! Who knows. I still have tons of ideas constantly swimming around my brain, so I am so excited to get making things again. I will let you know a little secret, I have been able to fill small orders, providing the timeline is doable for me, so if you're interested in something, please don't hesitate to contact me (email or etsy). It keeps me super motivated!

And thank you all again SO, SO MUCH for all of your well wishes, stories, and comments. At times I have felt very left out and just alone..your messages have helped me a great deal. <3 br="br" nbsp="nbsp">

Nice to be Back

Hello!
It's been so long! This feels like it has been the busiest and quickest summer ever! I have a lot to share with you, but I am still catching up...the shop has kept me on my toes more than usual these last few months and I am so happy about that..although it has been tricky! I am using a lot of exclamation points! I want to share some photos of our trip to the California Renegades, and just get back on track with blogging a bit, but first I have to prepare for the Chicago Renegade which is A WEEK FROM TODAY. So crazy. I am having a hard time believing it is already September.

In the meantime, I've been wanting to share with you a light shade that my Mom has made. She's worked so hard on this piece and I think it's so dreamy. It's just begging to be hung over white floors and a comfy sofa chair.



It's available now in her shop, Oh Merci.

I've added a few new Hooray banners to the shop! These banners will be unlisted when it's time to take them to the Renegade show, so it's first pickins' for you right now!

This may be old news to you if you follow the Facebook page for Nice. It's easy for me to get out information that way when time is tight, so I encourage you to meet up with me there. Please feel free to post photos of the items you've purchased or any photos you've taken of Nice at fairs, etc. I'd love to see!

Talk to you soon!

My Mom Has Updated Her Shop

Today I'm excited to share with you my mom's holiday collection for Oh Merci! Isn't her work so lovely?? I didn't get one of her wreaths last year, so I really hope I can this year! I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite though..once again! Have a look at all of the pretty pieces right here.

The Vintage Bazaar, #2

 

Sunday was The Vintage Bazaar! Thanks to all who made it out, and an extra huge thanks to my booth partner of the day, my mom, Mary.  I couldn't have done it without her and it was really nice to do this show with her. She loves vintage just as much as I do.

I'm still learning a lot, as this was my second time selling vintage in person.. next time I may have to suck it up and cut down on the amount of housewares that I bring...I am SUCH a sucker for vintage housewares, especially dishes, but they don't seem to sell quick enough for me to warrant the space and time it takes to pack them, etc.. We'll see.. It's really difficult for me to leave anything at home! My heart keeps suggesting, 'But what if today is the day for the gorgeous set of vintage glassware to meet the one??' Because things like that DO happen, haha! For example, I sold an absolutely beautiful vintage embroidered dress to a woman that was made to own that piece. It was a wonderful feeling..She tried it on over her clothing and even people who were walking by stopped to gawk at how lovely it was on her. One gentleman even came back a bit later to make sure that she had purchased it! She definitely was the one for that dress.

It was a great show and seriously, an amazing selection of vintage. It is kind of masochistic of me to vend at this event rather than shop... So many great vendors- check out the list, most of them also sell online!

I am still very tired from the weekend....and it's countdown time 'til Renegade on Sept. 11 and 12!!

Needed a Little Christmas..

Finally was able to put out some decorations the other night.. I left my garland lights at my parents' for now since they looked so pretty over the doorway...gonna steal them back after the holidays, but in the meantime, James and I needed something of our own. It was a very random decorating session, hahah. Very haphazard, but it works. Feelin' cozy under the lights.

Ohp! There's Constable. haha, He followed me around the entire time, trying very hard to get in each shot.

The little house my Mom made for me 3 or 4 years ago now.

I found this little girl and boy last year and have since been teasing James that they are he and I.

Garland Lights Tutorial

The other night my Mom and I made a bit of time to do some holiday projects together. We've both been really busy this year and we were so happy to relax and make some things for ourselves, haha. 

I am a huge fan of Christmas lights. My current favorite are just from Ikea. They are LED so they don't get hot..and they seem to have a more simple and modern feel to them vs. the ones you find at the regular local store (right? or am I buying into Ikea's design aesthetic? haha). I also love them because they are not bright blueish-white, but a nice subtle whitish-yellow. We also used regular old Christmas lights, but please, please practice caution no matter what lights you use...and just to be safe, don't leave them on while you're not at home.

Needed: silver pipe cleaners, tulle (I used light pink) cut into small pieces, about 3x4 inches each, felt (I used grey), glitter glue (easy and no mess, I used silver), scissors

It's quite simple! Take a single pipe cleaner, wrap one creating a circle about an inch round, secure it in place by wrapping one end over the other once or twice so it won't come undone. Place 1 or two fingers into the circle and wrap the end around your fingers, creating smaller and smaller circles, like a cyclone shape.

Take two pieces of the tulle scraps (or as many as you'd like) and sort of scrunch them around a single light, secure them to the strand by inserting the light into the middle of the pipe cleaner "cyclone". Use the tail end to wrap around the tulle and the light strand, securing it in place.

I also cut out scalloped circles, or flowers,  from grey felt, and embellished them with glitter on both sides. Cut an x in the middle of the flower to insert it onto the bulb. Due to the design of my light strand, I needed to keep the flower in place, so I wrapped a quarter of a single pipe cleaner around the "stem" of the bulb.  I also did this to random lights just for subtle touch of sparkle.

For the second style you'll need: Gold pipe cleaners, felt (I used white), glitter glue (I used iridescent, silver, and pink), cupcake liners (I am addicted to Amanda's cupcake liners at Bake it Pretty!), scissors.

I placed everything randomly on this strand, I didn't want it to look theme-y, if that makes sense. I made more "cyclones" in gold pipe cleaners, but without tulle this time. I also cut out star-like shapes from the felt and used glitter on both sides, again cutting and x in the middle, sliding it on and securing it with a quarter of 1 gold pipe cleaner. I was very excited to use my cupcake liners, I just cut them like my felt designs and secured them as well.

Totally easy and so cute! My mom and I are really excited about the pipe cleaner "cyclones" (or bells as we were calling them at the time). I haven't seen this done before, but it seemed like such a natural thing, haha.

If you decide to make your own I'd LOVE to see! The possibilities are endless.. A couple years ago my mom wrapped our lights in tinsel- they are beautiful! I am anxious to get makin' even more styles..cos you know I keep these around all year, right? haha I really enjoy them- I hope you will as well!

Thanks for the well wishes in my last post! I think I'll be feeling better by tomorrow. I can't wait to be cough free! At the moment I am headache free and that feels pretty, pretty good. Still taking it easy tonight though.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you my mom's shop update! She's done it again and added many pretty pieces to her shop. My favorite wreath currently is the last one shown above. I love it! I can hardly ever resist glitter, especially during the holidays. I hope I can get my hands on one!

How exciting! It was a lot of fun to answer those questions, I really hope you enjoy it. Marichelle is the author of Heart Handmade and has created such a sweet and personable site that connects handmade lovers from all over.

In other news, I am currently working on a collaboration project of sorts with my very own Mom. I hope we can get it all together very soon and show you in the early springtime. :)

The other week was my Mom's birthday. I really enjoy picking out gifts for my mom. This year I got her a sentimental present..She showed me a little vintage doll that was for sale on a website. She said it was very similar to a doll that my Grandpa brought home for her and one of my Aunts when they were sick with the flu. It was a very special treat as they were a large family of 8 and gifts were reserved for birthdays and Christmas. I don't have a photo of the doll..maybe later.

The other gift was a surprise ball! haha This was a ton of fun to make and gather all of the goodies to go inside. I used a gumball prize container as the center, and just wrapped pieces of crepe paper around and around, hiding little treasures along the way.

I got a lot of the treasures from Amanda's awesome shop, Bake it Pretty, as well as on Etsy through Epoch Beads, Mousy Brown, and Caramelos. The beautiful blue vase (it was even difficult for me to give it away to my own Mom, haha) I got from a local antique store.

We had Oberweis for dessert. Do any of you Illinois people love Oberweis as well? I don't dig the politics but I can't deny my love of their ice cream. I've tried. You can see that I snuck some candy flowers from Bake it Pretty into my Mom's mint chocolate chip ice cream.

My Mom really brings out my girly side..though I wonder if I've really shown you all my not completely girly side? haha Believe me, I got it.

need a little xmas..

I only took out the basics, a few favorites from my Christmas stash this year.. There's still time, so a few more things might come out- and a girl I work with gave me this totally great vintage garland today, so that will have to be hung, but I've got to say I'm enjoying having just a few things to grab your attention and warm things up a bit. We'll see, I might have a few other detials to photograph and share.

My Mom of course made the little house. She gave it to me a while back..I think this will be its third Christmas. She actually made a few more like it and she has them available in her shop right now.

Oh and fact..here is a photo of our rascal cat Constable, the first year we had the house..

No villages were damaged.

My Mom has outdone herself this year!! She just introduced her Winter Wonderland homes! I always love her holiday houses but this year's seem to take the cake! There's so much detail and cuteness. They are beautiful. I can't pick my favorite home...

She's taking limited orders now, so head over to her blog to find out more info. These are wonderful treasures that you'll have for Holidays to come..I hope she has time to make me one! I'll probably end up keeping it out all year long!