Blessed

It's Day 17 and another "band mom" day!  Here's me, Christa and her best friend Hayley, ready for the big send-off!  The Kingwood Mighty Mustang Military Marching Band had their biggest contest of the year today, and we were just a few of their dedicated fans cheering them on.  The KM4B had an amazing performance and took home the sweepstakes award, scoring a superior rating from every judge!  So proud of all the band kids, and my Bethany!

I'm her number one fan, so naturally I must wear my spirit gear, but in honor of breast cancer awareness month, I did sport a hot pink satin awareness ribbon on my KM4B hat.  It's oh so easy to get the look:  cut a piece of satin ribbon to about 9 inches in length, fold it over into an awareness ribbon shape, and safety pin it in the middle and onto your hat, shirt, purse, etc.  I, however, took an easier route and used one of our "Hot Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbons with Pin Attachment - Bag of 100" ribbons.  Packaged in bags of 100 (as the name says,) these are the best and most affordable way to pink out your office, team, family, or group of friends.  Honestly, people LOVE these ribbons!  They show up better than their smaller enamel ribbon pin counterparts, and they're cheaper.  By a lot.  The hot pink ones are by far our most popular, but if you're more of a traditionalist, the light pink ones look swell, too.  I've talked to some of you who still believe that the light pink color is the "real" color of breast cancer awareness.  And that's okay!  Hot pink or light, pin attachment or sticky tape, we've got your pink ribbons!  (By the way, our breast cancer ribbon-themed items of every kind come in a wide array of shades of pink.)

About yesterday's pic that didn't show my pink ribbon ... sorry about that!  Twas a long and late night, and as I said I didn't have time (or desire) to take multiple shots so everything was just right.  Usually I try to get the ribbon apparel in the shot, and also view of where I am and/or what I'm up to.  You know, so I don't end up taking selfies in the car or in front of the bathroom mirror.  To keep it interesting!  This takes time!  But anyhoo ... I'm not a fan of taking selfies in front of lots of people, and that's exactly what I did at yesterday's football game.  The drumline was playing on the field, right in front of the band and spectators, and I wanted to include them in the picture, so I positioned myself right smack in front.  I noticed someone looking at me as I took it, but she was smiling-- I think because it was evident that I really was enjoying myself-- hence the goofy grin.  Goofy, yet genuine.  That's me!!

Okay, still haven't covered yesterday's pink ribbon!  It's a handmade necklace that I received as a product sample years ago.  Sadly I don't even remember who made it.  For some reason it never made it as a Pink Ribbon Shop product, but I wear it still, probably partly because it's one of a kind.  Unique, different, and versatile.


Here it is

 

And check out the back!

Know what I think?  The October selfie project that I casually took on is turning into an illustration of how blessed and full my life is! So thankful for the life extension I was given just a few short months ago!!!

P.S.  I'm just noticing that I've used an awful lot of exclamation points today.  It's been a great day.

!

Band Mom proud!

Ahhh!  Almost didn't make it home in time for the daily update and picture!  Loooooong day.  It was a big win (49-17) for the Kingwood Mustangs.  Here I am with a few of the KM4B drumline after halftime.  Yes, it's a goofy-a** picture.  But I didn't have time to take and re-take (and re-take,) so it is what it is.  And yes, I am wearing not just A pink ribbon item, but multiple ones.  Will have to explain later!  I'm down to the wire here!  Fun night with the band and watching my girl play!

Halfway Through The Project, and Going Strong

It's another absolutely gorgeous day here in our neck of the woods!  Clear blue skies, sunshine ... started out cool but it's warmed up to the low 90's.  Ahh, Fall in Texas!

Today is Day 15 of my October selfie project.  Are you tired of seeing me yet??  Who knew that a commitment to daily pics and posts to social media would be so consuming!  I'm still having fun, and anyway, I'm not about to give up now.  I'm only halfway done.  Hopefully I haven't been too annoying to anyone.  I get that things can be overdone, and there are definitely people who post too much.  Right now, perhaps I am one of these people.  BUT, as I mentioned earlier, I am committed to the project, and to stop now would be just wrong.  Hey if you don't want to read or view, just don't!  Once October is over, I'll go back to my more reasonable and less frequent posts, promise.  In the meantime, you guys sure are getting a good look at the ins and outs of my life.  There's probably an internet safety issue discussion that could come of this, one that I myself would probably start with my kids if they did what I'm doing.  :)

Today's pink ribbon item of the day is on my wrist:  a cute little magnetic bracelet.

It's made of polished stainless steel, so it won't ever tarnish (yay for that) and it has pink cz stones all the way around it, on every other link, which adds some sparkle.  I love how it's less than a quarter-inch wide.  And it has a clasp like some watches -- very secure and substantially made.  Oh and also, I love how the hot pink cz's coordinate nicely with the pink stripe in the shirt I'm wearing.  If you prefer a lighter, softer color pink, you're in luck because this bracelet comes in both color options.  Here's a link:  Pink Ribbon Stainless Steel Magnetic Link Bracelet.  In case you were wondering about the "magnetic" component, let me explain further.  This info is also on the product page, but if you didn't click the hyperlink above to view the product page, you haven't read it yet.  :)  Each link in the bracelet has a magnet embedded within.  It is thought that magnets worn on the body promote good health and may be beneficial to the circulatory system.  Now, I admit that I'm a skeptic regarding this.  I'm no expert, but I don't think magnets on a bracelet are harmful.  What's that they say ... can't hurt, might help?  All I know is that it's just so darn cute.  Plus, the manufacturer donates a portion of the bracelets' proceeds to the American Cancer Society.  It's a win/win.  Or would it be a win/win/win?  Wait ... Alright, let's just say that donations to the ACS are never a bad thing.  You're welcome!

Lastly ... how YOU doin?  It's October, so I feel it's my duty, both as a blogger in the breast cancer survivor/awareness world and a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32 to remind ALL of you to have your yearly mammogram and perform your monthly breast self-exams.  ARE YOU CURRENT?  How 'bout your wife, girlfriend, best friend, mom, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, niece, grandmother???

iPhones, Football and Rambling

Another day, another fuzzy selfie.  I just don't get it.  The other day, I went to Best Buy to get my daughter a new phone since she broke hers and God knows that's an emergency situation.  While I was there, I decided to also get Danny a new iPhone, since he was eligible for an upgrade and had been "suffering" with his iPhone 4 and a really, really old iOS for a long, long time.  I was given a choice between an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6s.  I asked what the difference was, and Adam, a very, very knowledgeable dude at the mobile phone counter listed off some of the differences, but the main point I heard was that the 6s had a better camera, especially the "selfie" camera.  At that moment, a little star-shaped gleam of light shone brightly from Adam's eye and I simultaneously heard a clear but very subtle "Ding!"  And then, Adam suggested (no really, he did) that I should get the 6s instead of my husband.  He really did say it!  It just seemed SO right!  I mean, upgrading from an iPhone 4 to the 6 is HUGE, and Danny doesn't take many pictures with his phone, much less selfies, so it made all the sense in the world for ME to take the 6s and him to switch over to my 6.  So the question now is, why are my selfies still blurry??  This is really trying my patience!

Day 14 of the October selfie project and I am again at a football game, this time at David's middle school game.  We do a lot of football!  It's a pink ribbon twofer, as I have on my black Komen ribbon cap and our very own chevron ribbon tee in hot pink.  Who doesn't love them a little chevron print nowadays!?  And I'm loving the "missy fit."  It's slightly fitted, but not too tight.  It runs a little small, so if you like it and want to order it, order a size up.

Rethinking the twofer statement.  It's a pink ribbon fourfer.  Is that a word?  I have on some New Balance Lace Up for the Cure capris AND as the evening cooled off, a matching jacket.  The NB items are a little pricey, but the quality is so amazing that, I have been wearing some of the same pieces for literally, years.  They are my go-to comfort clothes, and probably part of why I think that one day, I'm going to end up on What Not to Wear.  Not that they're a bad look-- they're actually super cute and sporty-- but since I am in no way athletic (any more,) I probably shouldn't wear them as often as I do.  Or maybe, I think too much!  It's unfortunate that New Balance has been paring down their breast cancer awareness line for several seasons now, so right now there's basically only t-shirts that are new.  :(

Well, thanks for reading!  I seem to have rambled a bit tonight!  Here's the picture:



T-Shirts & Genes

Today I had a "bonus" appointment at MD Anderson.  Unrelated to my chemo/treatment, I met with a genetic counselor regarding further genetic testing they are recommending for me.  Nine years ago, when I was first diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, I had genetic testing done (BRCA-1 & BRCA-2.)  Since then, there have been more cancer-related and breast-cancer-specific genes discovered and researched.  Submitting a blood sample to test for these "new" genes is a tool to assess my daughters', mother's and sister's risk of developing a genetically-linked breast cancer .  So I decided to go ahead and do it.  It is amazing that in just 9 years, there have been discoveries significant enough to warrant further testing.  The longer I'm able to survive cancer, the more medical advancements and treatment options there will be for me!

In other news, it's Day 13 of my pink ribbon selfie project, and I'm wearing one of our Pink Ribbon Shop Original t-shirts, the Pray for a Cure tee.  We call it the T/pray for short.  It's not a new design, but this year it received an update (similar to how our Promote Breast Cancer Awareness tee did.)  What can I say, it's a year of t-shirt sentimentality, born out of necessity!  Resurrecting some old designs and updating them with some fresh colors was a simple way to "create" a few "new" products at a time when we had little or no time to dedicate to The Pink Ribbon Shop because I was very ill.

Anyhoo, here it is, selfie #13 taken in our humble little screenprinting shop.  Because we print many of our t-shirt designs right here, on-site, we are able to have virtually all sizes in stock and ready-to-ship, and also accommodate team and custom orders.  This also gives us the ability to offer more competitive pricing.

 

 

By the way, I was beginning to think that me and the selfie stick were getting to be friends.  Not so!  This one took around, oh, 10-12 tries.  And still it's fuzzy.  And I'm shiny.  Forgive me!

Day 12 is Done!

Day 12 is done!  Another long day of visiting with family, plus TWO dine-outs!  I overate, but at least there are leftovers, meaning I didn't completely pig out and clean my plate at lunch and dinner.  :)

Today's breast cancer awareness item is a throwback to many years ago:  a handmade, sterling silver "hope" awareness ribbon pendant.  A simple square pendant is stamped with the word Hope, and a ribbon-shaped charm hangs in front, overlaying the square.  It's discontinued now, but still one of my favorite pieces.  There's something about a jewelry or apparel item that is no longer available.  We can carry a particular product for years and I may or may not claim one as my own.  But then if I get word that we can no longer carry it, I suddenly have to have one!  I really hate when I'm NOT aware that we can't get it anymore, and I miss out on my opportunity.  For some reason I treasure this kind of piece more, knowing that I "scored" one.  Can you relate, ladies?

Family and Saints Football

The highlight of day 11 of this beautiful October was a get-together with family for lunch and Saints Football.  Too bad my home team couldn't pull out a win today!

In the pic you can only see the tippy top of the pink ribbon on my t-shirt.  It's a New Orleans Saints Football tee ... part of their "A Crucial Catch" breast cancer awareness promotion and fundraiser.  Thank you, NFL, for raising awareness of the importance of early breast cancer screenings, and for auctioning off your worn-on-field pink merchandise to benefit the American Cancer Society!

Lagniappe photo from today:

Our family gatherings always include lots of good food.  Today was no exception!  We enjoyed this scrumptious KING CAKE, from my favorite bakery in New Orleans, as part of our half-time "dessert" selections.  Mmmm!

Day 10 has been a SWEET day!

Winding down another long and busy day!  Day 10 of my October selfie project ... my parents have arrived for a visit.  And they brought my favorite sweets from New Orleans:  king cake, chocolate petit fours, and Krispy Kreme donuts!

 

 

Wearing a classic, but retired, Pink Ribbon Shop original t-shirt design from several years ago:  One Day a Cure Will Come.  This one has retained its position in my dresser, despite several periods of it NOT fitting.  You know you love a shirt when you can't seem to part with it, even when it no longer fits.  Glad I held onto it, because today, it fits!

It's been a long day!

It's been a long day. I'm tired & cranky. I'm sore & tender all over. My purply-pink cheeks peaked last night...sorry you guys missed it. Not really!  Having iPhone troubles, family squabbling, and stress on top of stress.  Need some rest and peace!!!

Here's today's selfie, taken late this evening at the "old" house, which we are still working on getting ready to go on the market. Can't wait to get that baby sold and out of our hair!

 



My pink ribbon for today is actually a DIY little something to jazz up your purse or bag.  I cut a piece of pink/white chevron patterned ribbon, looped it around my purse's hook, and used a glue dot to hold it into an awareness ribbon shape.  Voila!  (Note:  The ribbon was crafted much, much earlier today, when the day was new and my energy hadn't yet been zapped by life's problems)

Day 8 - Grrrr

Day 8.  I'm not too thrilled to be selfie-posting today or in the next couple of days.  Yesterday was a long day that started early and included nearly four hours at MD Anderson for chemotherapy, 2+ hours of driving, a big lunch (not complaining!!), a fair-sized grocery trip, and the usual "driving kids places."  I was really tired, and I felt like my (too) big lunch wasn't digesting properly or in a timely manner, but then I had a bad, bad night of sleep, which I attributed to the Dexamethasone (a steroid) that I receive, IV, as part of my chemotherapy pre-med package of three drugs:  Dex, the steroid; Emend, an immediate-acting anti-nausea med; and Aloxi, a long-acting anti-nausea drug.  To be honest, I'm not sure what benefit the steroid gives me.  I should probably know that, but sometimes it gets rather tiring trying to keep up with all of the details of all of the treatments that I've been on.  I am, however, acutely aware of what the steroid gives me in the way of side effects!  A restless night's sleep!  I've only noticed this on the first night after getting the infusion, and I can live with that (unlike my 2-month stint on Dex in 2014 which was an absolute nightmare!!... but I digress)  I'm telling you all of this, because I'm begrudgingly posting my Day 8 selfie.  Feeling pretty run down, and looking the same!!

 

 

 

Additionallyyyyy, if you look on my cheek where I'm pointing, you can see the start of what I call my "Carbo Glow."  The Carbo Glow is a disturbing and embarrassing side effect of the Carboplatin.  It starts with purplish-red splotches, then progresses to cover my entire cheeks in a deeper purply-red color.  My cheeks "feel" hot and they are hot to the touch as well.  I try to limit my time out in the public during this time, which only lasts 2-3 days, but if I have to go out, I will.  I'm not real strict about that ... I'm able to think to myself  "Hey this is me, if you don't like it, too bad," but in reality I'm very self conscious about it, as you can imagine.  Thankfully this side effect is short-lived.  And I know, I know.  In the big scheme of things, this is VERY, VERY MINOR.

 

Today's pink ribbon item of the day, in honor of breast cancer awareness month, is my pink silicone wrist band.  These have been around a looooong time, but they're still pretty popular.  Easy to wear for guys, girls and kids, they show up nicely on the wrist, and they're super affordable.  Even though I have collected a ton of pink ribbon goodies over the years, I'm pretty low-key in what I actually wear/use myself, so these definitely fit the bill in that sense.

 

While I'm on the subject of pink silicone wristbands, just want to mention that we carry LOTS of different styles of them on our online store.  Here's a link for reference http://www.pinkribbonshop.com/breast-cancer-bands.aspx.  Funny thing, glancing at that page to add the page hyperlink, I quickly mentally noted that my favorite breast cancer band is the wide CANCER SUCKS one.  That doesn't exactly jive with my previous statement of liking more low-key items, does it?!  Can it still be my favorite, even though I don't wear it??  How's this ... it's one of my favorite designs, and the phrase Cancer Sucks just sums up my feelings really nicely on the subject of cancer.  It's only in this context that I allow my kids to say "sucks."  They can say Cancer Sucks, but not that anything or anyone else sucks.  In front of me, that is ... I know it's an extremely common word for teens to use these days.  And I'm sure they do!  Anyhooooo ...

 

The last thing I want to mention about our pink silicone wristbands is that our LEAST expensive band is just $1.00 each.  All of the proceeds from the sale of our "Funding the Cure with the Pink Ribbon Roundup" band is donated to our Pink Ribbon Shop Fund for Breast Cancer Research at MD Anderson Cancer Center.  The entire dollar!  There is a minimum purchase of 5 of these bands though.  No one should mind, though.  Right?  Because it's for such a great cause.  Here's a link:  http://www.pinkribbonshop.com/pink-ribbon-funding-the-cure-with-the-pink-ribbon-roundup-silicone-bracelet-band.aspx.  There, you can read all about the wrist band and our Research Fund.

 

Thanks for reading, y'all!