Goodbye, Mom.

I'm sure many of you already know this, but my beautiful, amazing mama passed away very suddenly and very unexpectedly the night of October 24. Everyone who knew her, even for if just a little while knows how amazing she is. Was. Speaking about her in the past tense is something I will never get used to. My mom's cause of death (as we currently know it) was a pulmonary embolism. The pulmonary embolism was caused by blood clots on her lungs (which were originally mistaken and misdiagnosed as pneumonia) and the blood clots were caused by pancreatic cancer. We had no idea she had cancer again. She just had her quarterly checkup and scan not long ago, and nothing was found. (Since having uterine cancer almost five years ago she's had quarterly scans.) Pancreatic cancer is the same fucking awful disease that stole my Auntie Linda and my Father-in-Law, Tom. This was all found out via autopsy, which I am so grateful we chose to do. We were told by the coroner that if this didn't kill her at best she would have had another two months. Those would have been two months of a rapid decline and suffering. None of which we would have wanted for our mom. As horrific and shocking, and completely devastating as her sudden loss is, I know she was spared two terrible months, and in turn, we were spared. Her death would have been terrible at any point, even if she lived to 150. My mom was the greatest person in the world.

My family and I are all trying hard to get back to some sense of normalcy. Or at least what our new normal will people. Fact of the matter is, there is an enormous hole in each of our hearts that will never be replaced. It sucks. It hurts.

This is so raw, and I know it will be for a long, long while. We are all in a deep hole of sadness, and your prayers are appreciated.

Three Things

1. Sweet, little surprises, like when my hubby brought me home an iced coffee from the grocery store a few days ago, without even being asked ;)

2. Shark Week. I actually have mixed feelings about Shark Week now. The Discovery Channel keeps showing these fake documentaries (ahem - the big opening show to this year's SW, Shark of Darkness, in addition to the big openings of last year's SW - Megalodon: The Shark Monster Lives) were complete fakes, which they tried to pass off as real. They flashed a quick disclaimer at the end of both programs, basically stating that they were fakes, but it was a blink and you miss it type thing. Many people were duped. There is some much amazing, actual footage and facts available. I wish they'd show more of that, and that they'd stop perpetuating lies, from a species that is already in danger. (Google "shark week fakes" and you'll find tons of articles)

3. Robin Williams, may he rest in peace. I'm heartbroken, especially for his family I only wish that he's at peace.

On being the icky salesgirl // a very personal note on why I am in direct sales

So I got a bit of a bummer email a few days ago, and it really, really bothered me. I sat there, extremely upset after reading, and re-reading it over and over again. I've gotten a couple of less-than-friendly emails in the years I've been blogging and have for the most part, ignored, or emailed them back, and then deleted the original email forever so I couldn't go back and read/dwell on it anymore. I will do the same with this email, but wanted to clarify a few things, in case anyone else is thinking anything along the same lines.

From the email I received:

"So, I USED to read your blog all the time, and loved it but I just can't anymore. I'm done. Your family is beautiful, and I do enjoy reading about your girls and your parties, but after the last time you mentioned your Stella & Dot business I am completely checking out, and I wanted to give you the courtesy of letting you know why. I don't like being sold something all the time. If I want to buy something from you, I will. Direct selling is a pyramid scheme that I have zero interest in. Stop shoving it down my neck."

Ouch. That stung. THIS is the last time I mentioned Stella & Dot, in one of my "three things" posts. I truly only mention things I love for those posts, and I absolutely adore the Enlighten bracelet, and all the good it does. We make a reduced commission on those bracelets, and the commission I do make I donate back to the charity that bracelet supports, Every Mother Counts. I don't really think I need to explain that, but there ya go.

A note on direct selling: It is fact entrepreneurship. Individuals take a small part of a big business and make it their own. It is the path less taken, because frankly I think it scares some people. I think so many people have a bad taste in their mouth about it because they think you keep putting money in, in, in and never gain anything for yourself. My husband thought that and was not on board with me joining Stella & Dot. I took a leap of faith, and did it anyway. I knew I could be great at it. Even though Tony wasn't thrilled he wanted me to be happy, so I signed up. Then the paychecks started rolling in, and he was sold ;) Multilevel marketing does change lives in a positive way for many people, including myself, which is why I'm so passionate about it! I am always happy to support others who have chosen this path - we are in some small way a tribe. There are so many wonderful direct selling companies, and I'm not sure why so many people feel the need to knock them. The total dollar amount I've put into my business is $199 (the startup fee) but out of that I got $350 worth of jewelry and accessories that I picked out myself, so if I never did a darn thing with the business at least I'd have a bunch of jewelry that I wanted anyway. The $199 I put into was well worth it (I would have paid ten times more!) because the money I make with Stella & Dot has allowed me to continue to stay at home with my girls, my number one priority.

Stella & Dot is my personal main source of income. When you support my business, you're helping me pay for private preschool for Coco. You're helping me pay for Leila's golf lessons. You're helping me pay for dance for both girls. You're helping me pay for my gym membership, and so much more.

This "job" is so much more than a job. It's a passion, and it is something I truly love. It's helped me make some absolutely amazing friends, go on amazing trips, and given me some incredibly fun perks and incentives like gorgeous shoes, lots of extra spending money, exclusive bags and jewelry and more. It gives me the flexibility to make my own schedule, be my own boss, and put as much (or as little) into as I want. I work hard, and I have fun with it! My job is to hang out with awesome women, drink wine with them, make new friends, show off a product I love, and give tons of it away for free.

I don't ever want my readers to feel like I'm being an icky salesgirl, or trying to shove anything down your throat. My apologies if any part of this blog has ever come off like that. Please know that I am incredibly passionate about the company I work for. On my own blog I feel that it is a safe place to talk about it on occasion. Let me know if you have any questions at all, and I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

xo,

Heather

Three Things (Three Ways You Can Help)

This is one of the hardest posts I've ever written (actually, probably THE hardest) though I know it needs to be shared. Early this week I learned of the tragic passing of my friend Jacqui's sweet son, Ryan. I'm sure by now, many of you have heard, but for those who haven't, Ryan was hit by a truck when he ran into the street to grab his frisbee. In the blink of an eye Ryan's precious life was taken, and Dan and Jacqui's lives forever changed. My heart has been aching for this sweet family. This week's Three Things post is three ways you can help them out.

1. DONATE. Thrive Moms has set up a donation HERE. All funds raised will go to Dan and Jacqui towards funeral costs, help covering time taken off work, etc. Though no amount of money can ever replace what they've lost, I'm sure they'll take great comfort in seeing the online community come together during their tremendous time of need. There has also been a Go Fund Me account set up for them, where 100% will go straight to Dan and Jacqui.

2. Buy a Red Balloons for Ryan t-shirt. Geo Fox Apparel (a brand that Ryan could be seen in all the time) has created a limited edition shirt in remembrance of Ryan. All proceeds go to Dan and Jacqui.

3. Buy a Red Balloons for Ryan print. Again, 100% of the proceeds will go to Dan and Jacqui.

When you're on social media, please use the hashtag #redballoonsforryan and feel free to grab a picture from Jacqui's (@babyboybakery) instagram account. Their biggest fear right now is that Ryan will be forgotten. Let's all show them that we will never forget him. Even if you never had the pleasure of meeting Ryan, let's show his amazing parents that he will always be in our hearts!

Three Things....a little different this week

Hey friends - this week's "Three Things" will be a little different. On Wednesday, a friend of mine lost her six-year-old daughter to DIPG. This week's Three Things will be three things you can do to help.

1. Please watch and share THIS video. Heartbreaking, but it needs to go viral.

 

2. Read more about sweet Jennifer (JLK) and the Kranz family.

3. Help the Kranz family out.  If you are at all able to donate you can do so here. Every little bit goes directly to the Kranz family, and will help them greatly during this time of unimaginable tragedy.

Getting personal

A couple of weeks ago we found out that my mom has uterine cancer. 

TODAY she is having a full hysterectomy. Her doctor is hopeful that by removing everything he can eliminate all of the cancer, but she still may need chemo and radiation.

If you are the praying type, please pray. If not, please send my mom any good thoughts you can. Please pray that the surgery removes all the cancer. Please pray that it hasn't spread. Please pray for her doctors. Please pray for a swift recovery. 

At this point, I don't know what to do besides ask for  prayers and well-wishes. (I appreciate them more than you know!)

If you want to leave her a little note in the comments section, please feel free to. My mom reads this blog more than anyone, and I know would love reading them.

As always, thanks for all of your support and for being a Glitter and Gloss reader. xo!

**UPDATE** Unfortunately the biopsy results were not what we were hoping for. The cancer spread to her lymph nodes and the doctors are categorizing it as stage three (although apparently anything in or touching even one lymph node is automatically categorized as stage three) She will begin chemo in the next couple of weeks. If you could keep her in your thoughts and prayers that would be great!

Kiss Slavery Goodbye

Ready to hear something shocking? There more than  27 million slaves in the world today? Modern day slavery, known as human trafficking, still exists and is thriving in the world today. It's a world-wide problem, that often times people think is happening somewhere far, far away from them, but in fact it's happening right here in the US.  In the United States the most human trafficking occurs in New York, California, Texas, Florida and Georgia.

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and there's a unique way you can help...

Purchase a Radiant Cosmetics lipstick during the month of January, and Radiant will donate one on your behalf to a survivor or current trafficking victim, as part of their efforts to end modern day slavery.

What better excuse to treat yourself (or your friend, daughter, mom, co-worker, etc.) to a fabulous, new lippie? Radiant offers some crazy gorgeous shades - I recommend Charlotte for the perfect nude, Moscow for that perfect fall/winter cranberry and Madrid for the perfect red EVERY woman should own! And oh yeah - the fun neon trend we saw last spring isn't going anywhere - grab Strawberry Fields to bring you into the warmer months!

Stay up-to-date with Radiant's Facebook page to get even more facts, and to find out exactly where the donated lipsticks are going and to find out other ways you can help make a difference!

I hope that you'll consider treating yourself to a new lipstick, and while helping to kiss slavery goodbye! X O !!

Pancreatic Cancer

In the span of two short weeks I lost my Auntie Linda and my father-in-law, Tom to pancreatic cancer. Words can't even begin to describe the hole left in my heart. The sadness over a song that reminds me of one of them. Texting my aunt, out of habit to have her check for a pair of shoes at her Target.  It's indescribable.

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that 74% of people diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer will die within a year of diagnosis?  Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death, largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages. Even though so many people die of pancreatic cancer each year, The National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent an estimated $96.7 million on pancreatic cancer research in  2010. This represents just 2% of the NCI’s approximate $5 billion annual cancer research budget for that year. Ridiculous.

My aunt is gone. Tony's dad is gone. They're not coming back, and unfortunately there is nothing I can do about it. But I can do my part to help other families not experience the same tremendous losses. I sell a bracelet, called "The Linda" and 100% of the proceeds go to Pancreatic Cancer research. You can also donate directly HERE.  My cousin, Tara is doing a run in her memory. You can donate directly HERE. (Once I reach my goal of $1000 dollars donated from sales of "The Linda" and various donations, I'll then be donating proceeds to my cousin's run.)

Pancreatic Cancer is a bitch of a disease. It's hard to detect, and merciless. If you can help in any small way at all, I encourage you to!

You can read more facts about Pancreatic Cancer HERE.

Coco, the preschooler

That little peanut of mine is now officially a preschooler! She has been begging every. single. day. to "pleeeease go to school!" and last Wednesday she finally got her wish. She's only going two days a week, for two hours (if it was up to her she'd be there all day every day!) and she really loves it!  On the first morning the parents were invited to stay as long as we
wanted, but Coco kicked us out.

She was just sitting there, playing with her play-doh, looking all cute and she looked up and said "Goodbye, mommy. Goodbye, daddy. I see you later."  Tony asked if we could stay, and her reply was "NO! Dis is Coco's school. I see you later." So off we went.

....we didn't get to have a big "Back to School Eve" celebration, like we were hoping, as my Auntie Linda passed away and her service was the night before school started. Then Tony's dad passed away (both of pancreatic cancer) and plans shifted again.  We finally got to have a miniaturized version of a Back to School Eve, but Coco wasn't into it. At least she wore her crown for *one* picture!

I originally had a different quote in mind for the chalkboard, but thought it was more fitting to put what Tony's dad used to yell out the window to Tony and his brother's and sister's every morning when he dropped them off at school:

These two deaths have rocked our family. It's such a sad reminder of how short our time here really is. Tony and I are trying to enjoy every moment we have with this little family of ours, and remember to enjoy the "little things" because as it turns out, these little things are actually the most important of all.

Have a great Friday, friends!

Taking a Break

Just a quick note to let you all know that I am taking a bit of an unexpected break.

On Wednesday I lost my beloved Auntie Linda to a quick battle with cancer. I've never experienced such a loss and it really is a shock to the system.

In the midst of all this, my father-in-law has taken a turn for the worse. He's come home and now has Hospice care.

Blog posts will be minimal for a little while, and my shop is closed for now as well. I won't be returning emails as quickly as normal, but if you need anything, you can always reach me there (glitterandglossblog AT gmail DOT com)

You can still link up for Mani Monday this week over on Heather's blog! I look forward to "returning" soon, and thank you all so much, in advance for your patience.

xo,
Heather

We will never forget...

Praying for our country today.

Ch-ch-changes (Important announcement, please read!)

Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to tell you I will no longer be doing sterling silver stamped jewelry.   Angel Face Designs is a small fish in the big pond of stamped jewelry designers, and quite frankly I just can't keep up.  Over the last year the price of sterling silver has gone through the roof, and shows no signs of stopping.  I don't place huge orders when ordering my silver; therefore I don't get a huge volume discount like some of the bigger, more well-known jewelry websites.

I have less than fifty pieces of sterling available for stamping.  If there were any Angel Face Designs creations you were hoping to get, now is the time, as once my silver is gone I will not be re-ordering any for a long, long time. 

I will still continue to do rings, earrings and some more fun, new creations (make sure to keep checking in!) And of course I will continue to blog here.

I know there are SO many options out there when it comes to stamped jewelry, but two shops that I want to recommend to you are Lisa Leonard Designs and Amy Cornwell.  Their jewelry is amazing, and high quality and the women behind each company are fabulous as well. 

Thank you for being amazing customers and friends over the years! If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to email me - angelfacedesigns AT gmail DOT com

XO,
Heather

Happy Monday

Happy Monday, everyone!

Did you have a nice weekend?  I did.  Earlier last week all of the weather people were predicting a huge storm to hit the Bay Area - it was supposed to be the first time we'd had (real) snow in over 30 years.  They even talked about it on "Good Morning America."  Tony and I were headed out of town on Friday night, so we took his truck and brought chains for the drive.  No snow on Friday, but no biggie - Saturday morning we were supposed to wake up to it.  Fast forward to Saturday morning.  I woke up and ran to check outside like a five year old.  Clear as can be.  No sign of snow.  It has been fifty degrees (which is freezing for us Bay Area people) with clear skies for the last few days.  I would like an apology from all weather people.  And some snow.

Saturday was awesome.  Along with my mom, my sister-in-law and my cousin Lisa I threw a Cookies and Milk themed baby shower for my cousin Autumn.  It was a lot of work, but tons of fun! Unfortunately I forgot my camera (boo!) but did take some pictures with my mom's.  Hopefully a post on the shower will be coming soon.

Sunday I went with my mom and Leila to Disney on Ice.  It was the cutest one yet, and I highly recommend it!

My dad was supposed to go, but my Grandma fell and broke her hip.  She had surgery yesterday.  If you don't mind, please say a prayer for her - I appreciate it more than you know!

Finally, today is the final day to enter the Olive Blue giveaway.  I will announce the lucky winner tomorrow.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

It's 2011

Happy New Year, friends.  Were you wild and crazy last night?  Before kids my husband and I used to spend three or four crazy days and nights with about twenty of our closest friends in a tiny, two-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin in Lake Tahoe for New Years.  Amazingly good times.  Now we have babies and he has a grown up job.  Last night the girls and I hung out with some of our best friends for a little bash, but we were home by 8:30.  The night before Tony saw the worst accident of his career and asked me nicely not to drive home too late, especially on NYE. 

Anyways, my neighborhood started going crazy around 10:30.  Giant fireworks (not the little ones, but the huge up-in-the-sky ones) were lit off from about 10:30 - 1:30am.  All fireworks are illegal in my city.  I called the cops like three times.  I'm also officially the (young) old lady on the block, since I asked our neighbor's kid who was playing in the backyard to kindly stop blowing a fog horn in the direction of my not-really-sleeping daughter's bedrooms.  Needless to say it was a very, very long night.  Between two freaking out dogs, and two rudely-awoken, several time girlies I am tired.

It's 3:15 now, and my girls are taking the longest naps, and I'm still sitting here in my jammies and cozy bathrobe.  I think we might have a classy dinner from Taco Bell to finish up our celebrating.

So, this cranky, tired girl is wishing you and your family a very Happy, blessed 2011!!

{Heather in a better mood will return shortly}

"O" No!

So, um....yesterday while working like a dog my typewriter font "o" broke.  No bueno.  I have an email into the stamp makers to see if it's under warranty (and for the price of those bad boys it really should be!) but a handful of orders that I'd yet to do have the letter "o" in them, and requested the typewriter font.  The people's who's orders have been affected have been emailed, but I want to let everyone who might be placing an order know that if your name or quote has an "o" in it, you can choose the fancy font or block font, with no delay, but if you want the typewriter font your order may be delayed a few weeks.  Boo!

On a side note, Happy birthday to my amazing dad and Happy Labor Day!

Drama Dog

Have you met my first born, Ramon?

{looking happy after the Vet left the room}

I love this dog to pieces.  Earlier this afternoon he gave me quite a fright.  After laying on the couch, sleeping like a bum for a good three hours he cried out in pain for at least a minute straight.  It was quite possibly the worst noise I have ever heard.  He was shaking like a leaf, and you could look in his eyes and tell he was in terrible, terrible pain.  A few minutes passed and he started crying out in pain again.

I called my brother who had just gotten off of work.  He came right over to stay with the girls (thank you so much, Roo!) while Ramon and I went to the veterinarian.  One of his sides was swelling up and in my worst case scenario mind I had myself convinced he'd eaten a ponytail holder (which I've caught him stealing before) and it was twisting around his stomach....thankfully that was not the case.

After being at the vet for about an hour and a half and three sets of x-rays it turns out my poor boy has a sprained back.  No clue how he sprained his back considering he'd been sleeping most of the day, but the vet thinks it's just as simple as his back froze up during his nap, and when he tried to get up he tweaked it...badly.  My poor guy is on muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories for the next week, and no dog park for the next five (long!) weeks.  Ramon is loopy but still obviously in pain right now, and breaking my heart.  As awful as his sprained back must be I'm glad it's nothing more serious.

Sigh.  I'm exhausted after a long, emotional day.

Signing off....

Overwhelmed

Yesterday, just in my g-mail inbox I had 133 new messages.  Today (well technically yesterday since it's after midnight) I had 114.  I'm feeling popular, but overwhelmed. Just about all of those emails were etsy convos, etsy orders, local customer questions or local orders.  I'm grateful.  Very grateful.  But, wow!

So, etsy and my local customers have been keeping me busy, which would normally be awesome, but Tony's been working OT and I've been having some pregnancy-related issues that are making things HARD.  To add to that I'm in a boutique this Friday.  I made a handful of necklaces (some best sellers, some new things)  and I thought I was in pretty good shape until one of my very best and very favorite customers called. (Hi, Ellen - thanks again!)  She came by and bought more than half of my pre-made stock.  So, I stressed for a few minutes about making more to have available, but decided that I'll bring what I already have done, and just take custom orders.  If I don't sell much, oh well.  I'm sharing the booth with my good friend, so even if there isn't much selling going on there will be plenty of chatting and good times.

So, here I am answering the last of today's 114 emails and writing a blog post.  I'm realizing as I'm typing how silly it is to stress out about any of this.  There are moms across the world stressing out about the lack of clean water to give to their children, and whether or not those children will live to see another day.  So, if your heart feels open to it please donate.  If you have any questions - shoot me an email - I'd love to answer them!  {And I'm sorry if it comes at 1:00am!}

Water for Christmas

4500 children will die today alone, from not having clean water.  It's hard to imagine, but true.  "Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80%  of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war." 

For only $10 you can provide one person in Africa clean water  TEN YEARS. 

$10 is not much.  I've already donated today, and please donate too!  You can do so here.  Please spread the word by blogging about it, facebooking about it, tweeting about it and emailing about it.

Every single penny of your donation will go towards buying clean water.  Please help out this important cause.

DONATE HERE

And please consider getting some of your Christmas presents here. 

If your kids are old enough to understand please get them involved.  We've already tried to give Leila an understanding of how important it is to donate to those less fortunate than us - what a great lesson to teach our children!

Thanks for your support, and please spread the word!

Sad.

All of the recent drama between Jon and Kate Gosselin has me pretty bummed. I don't know them personally, but have enjoyed watching their show and seeing a glimpse of their lives. Marriage takes work, kids or no kids, but I cannot imagine how much harder you'd have to work at your marriage with 8 children AND a reality show.

I keep reading crazy rumors about both Jon (whom I used to love) and Kate (who can be a beast to Jon A LOT, but still seemed like she love(d) him.) No matter what happens to their marriage I hope they can keep things civil and focus on their children, NOT their TV ratings.