The Path to Fitness

I have been wrestling for days now on the idea of posting a couple pictures of myself on here to document my path to fitness.  The reason I really don't want to is that this post is about progress and with progress there is always a starting point.  For me, that starting point was a very heavy rock bottom.

At rock bottom five years ago, I weighed 217 pounds according to my home scale.  That is about 100 pounds more than my normal weight of 115 to 120.

Bathroom Scale Motivational Poster

It was really hard to write that number up there.  It is going to be even more difficult for me to post the dreaded before picture than it will for me to post any of the progress pictures.  I even chose a picture of a scale instead of the one of me below as the first in this blog post because I know the first one posted is the one that shows up on my facebook feed.  But I was just talking to Steph this week about how I still don't look at myself in the mirror on most days because I still expect to see a person over 200 pounds looking back at me and I don't want to see that person through the looking glass.

I need to get over that.

So, here goes nothing.  This is my before picture at 217 pounds in April of 2007.  Yes, sitting on the couch.

I actually started writing this yesterday, but I couldn't find a picture of myself at my heaviest weight.  I didn't want any pictures of myself looking like that.  Apparently I thought dressing in all black with stripes down the sides of my legs would make me look thinner.  Or maybe I thought it would somehow hide the fact that I had a double chin even when my head was leaning back.  I'm not sure what I was thinking because this was not too long after my car accident which impaired my memory and the two years or so following the accident are spotty at best.  I do know that black was my go-to attire until I hit about 150 when I finally started dressing in colours again at the urging of a coworker.



I started doing yoga again around when my daughter was about a year old.  I'm fuzzy on the timing but I remember she was walking.  I couldn't do most of the poses and many of them still hurt my back and most hurt my shoulder.  So I did what I could without pushing too hard; but I also gave up easily.

Here I am with my oldest son at about 155 pounds.

I tried to watch what I was eating better and kept doing the yoga and walking some but I didn't really challenge myself very much.  I did lose weight, but I didn't tone hardly at all.
By January 2008, I was 143 pounds.

Then, I moved to a place across the street from a high school where they had a running track.  I remembered the days where I would run and was thin.  I bought a pair of running shoes and started trying to run.  I say trying because I was mostly gasping for breath with my hands on my knees but in between that, I was either doing a very slow jog or walking really fast.

I started to lose more weight and finally tone a little bit.  But I was also going through a rough time in my life and I ate like crap.  My weight went up and down from about 135 to 150 for another year because I wasn't burning off what I was consuming.

I bought this shirt in early 2009 and it's a little bit big on me now, but I still wear it as a reminder of how tight it was when I first got it.

Motivate Yourself - Orange T Shirts

I finally started to watch what I was eating again and by October 2009 I was within 15 pounds of my goal weight but I was still not toned at all.

And then, I started dating, stopped exercising, yo-yo dieted and gained weight again!  I was back up to 148 in February 2012 and I decided I really needed to kick it into gear and finally get this dreaded weight off of me and I decided I was going to do P90X.

Then I got an infection in my jaw.  I could hardly eat at all.  Amazingly, in just a couple of weeks, I was down 14 pounds.  Hmm...so diet really is the trick after all!!!

Once my jaw healed I started P90X.  I did almost 8 weeks, lost 3 more pounds and was down to 130.  Then I left the DVDs at a friends house.  She mailed them to me but they never arrived.  I got discouraged, depressed, moped around my house for 3 days and gained 3 pounds.  I did walk, but I did not work out.  Apparently I need both in order to keep losing the weight.

Finally, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and got back to working out because I had signed myself up for an obstacle course 5K run in July and I realized that time was running out for me to get into shape to be able to run it.

Then, last week I found out about Spartan Races and the same day I found a group on facebook for women only called Spartan Chicked.  My motivation skyrocketed with all the support of the women athletes of all sizes, shapes, ages and fitness levels.  I realized that I'm in better shape than I give myself credit for.  And the women on Spartan Chicked are too.  We are definitely our own worst critics!

I snapped a photo of myself showing my abs.  I am extremely shy about showing my abs because of extensive scarring.  I have two scars on my stomach that are each about 6 inches long.  One horizontal and one vertical. Then there are the 'baby belly' and the stretch marks.

Yes, I hear a lot of people say that I should be proud of my stretch marks, but I'm just not.  I can't seem to embrace that concept.

So, here is what I've been getting to all this time.  My progress photo at 130 pounds as of May 16th, 2012.  Five years after this weight loss struggle began.

The next time I post about weight loss, I will have reached my goal.  I'm almost there.  Working out every day, twice a day most days, running every other day and walking 5 days a week won't get me there alone.  I also need to watch what goes into my body and I need to not just work out.  I need to push myself past my own personal limits during my workouts.

Today, I did 100 crunches, 50 push ups and 25 chin ups before coming in to work.  I walked for 45 minutes at lunch.  Tonight I have a lot of errands to run, but I'll be baking banana bread for a friend, so while the loaves are in the oven, I'll have time to do something.  Maybe some squats, curls or jumping jacks.  Whatever it is, I'm headed toward a goal I've had for almost a decade.


I will get there.  
How am I so confident?
In my before picture, you see me sitting on the couch.
In my progress picture, you see me standing up.
Getting off the couch is the first step toward fitness!
I got this!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Bullies

A friend recently posted something on facebook about a child who committed suicide because he was bullied at school for being gay.  Bullying is all too common.  Many people have personal experience with it.  I am one of those people.

BULLY FREE ZONE 52" x 35" poster by malibuitalian

I have four children.  Two of my children have been bullied in three different schools by their peers. The second one became a bully in an attempt to stop the bullying being directed at my child. 

With the first one, the school did nothing, although the teacher and principal were notified of the bullying.  I had to contact the child that was bullying my child to put on my scary mom face and tell them to leave my child alone. 

Luckily, it worked.

Many other children are not so lucky.

My first child to be bullied was bullied again when moved to a new school. Weight gain and becoming very tough looking was the choice made by my child to stop the bullying at the new school.

Again, it worked. I wish those steps were not necessary. I'm now concerned about health issues related to the weight gain.

With my second child to be bullied, it took four years, two parents, multiple phone calls, emails, and meetings to get the school involved enough to finally stop the bullying. We have an official safety plan filed with the school board to keep the children that were bullying away from my child. 

My second child to be bullied entered counseling in first grade as a result of the bullying.  My child still sees a counselor to help deal with the emotional scars made by the hurtful words and actions of other children. 

My child first mentioned thoughts of suicide to me in the third grade. I still fear for my child's life when a bad day at school is mentioned. 

Will those thoughts return?  I can only hope they stay away and continue open communication with my child about my child’s feelings.

I did everything possible from my side to stop my child from being a bully as soon as I found out that it happened. My child bullying other children stopped.

If only other parents would take the measures I took to stop the bullying. 

The Bull-ying Stops Here Purple T-Shirt by Stop_Bullying

Then, my children would not be suffering.  And neither would thousands of others.

If you know of a child who is either being a bully or bullying another child, please do not idly stand by and continue to allow it.


You may have a chance at saving a life.  

Take that chance. 

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Get $10 off your next Zazzle order!

Warrior Dash 2011 in North Bend, Washington

You know how I've whined about my poor little broken foot a bit too much lately?  Yes, it even bugged me - so here's a sorry out to all of you!  Well, that whining all stemmed from my major itch to get back to training.  See, I'm competing in the Warrior Dash in North Bend, Washington in July.  

First of all, when you complete the race, you get a FREE BEER!  Now I've got your attention, eh!

Yeah, that got my attention too.  And then I told some friends about it and we were lucky enough to get signed up to compete together.  My big issue at this point is that both of these friends are a lot more athletic than I am.  

Which was why I was training!  When you read on further down, you'll see why I was training in January for an event that takes place in July.

Of course, I made t-shirts.  My friend Kassy has purchased one.  I told her this means she has to come too so her and Steph can cheer us on as we crawl (under barbed wire) toward the finish line.

Warrior Chick

Here's a few tidbits from the Warrior Dash website:

"Welcome to America’s most insane race. Warrior Dash lands in Washington for the first time in 2011 where 11 obstacles from hell await you along this 3.55 mile course. Are you a Warrior?"

"Warrior Dash is a mud-crawling, fire-leaping, extreme run from hell.  This fierce running series is held on the most challenging and rugged terrain across the globe.  Warriors conquer extreme obstacles, push their limits and celebrate with kick-ass music, beer and warrior helmets."

Obstacles for the North Bend Warrior Dash:

1) Slithering Swamp - Venture into unknown murky waters.

2) Junkyard Jam - Stampede through the scrapyard - including climbing over junked cars.

3) Hay Fever - Hustle up and over giant straw bales.

4) Warrior Wall - Conquer the wooden barricade.

5) Chaotic Crossover - Crawl across the tangled nets.

6) Arachnophobia - Tread through the tangled ropes.

7) Walk the Plank - Traverse the gully on wooden planks.

8) Tunnels of Terror - Burrow through the black tunnels.

9) Cargo Climb - Maneuver over the cargo nets.

10) Warrior Roast - Leap over the Warrior fires.

11) Muddy Mayhem - Scramble beneath the barbed wire as you near the finish!

Awesome, right!!!  Yeah, I thought so too.

RACE LENGTH:  3.55 hellish miles (race length varies depending on location)

There are 6,000 people crazy enough to sign up for this just for Saturday!

Originally it was only on Saturday, then it filled up and they decided to continue it through Sunday...which is almost full.

If you are interested in either the WA one or seeing if there is one near you, click HERE!  Registration will be closed on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 3pm CST so hurry if you want to do it!

Not only will we get to compete in something while having a total blast with my friends at the same time but we get to drink free beer, listen to live music, get an awesome fuzzy warrior helmet complete with horns, get a bad-ass warrior dash t-shirt and a medal for finishing, but there will also be awards!!!

AWARDS

The awards ceremony will take place at one hour after the last wave of the day recognizing the day's...

* Top 3 overall male and female participants.

* Top 3 males and females in each age division.

* Most ridiculous costume contest - you should see some of the crazy costumes that have taken place at the four around the world that have happened already.

* Best Warrior beard - yes, even the women are sporting beards!

And, there is only one rule for the costumes: "You're good to go, as long as your costume or running shoes do not harm other participants".  

They will even provide zip ties for you to attach your race chip to your ankle in case you have nowhere else to put it.  Hmm, I believe they are condoning you run stark naked.  I won't be showing up in that costume.  Although, I do suppose you need somewhere to pin your bib number.  Nipple rings, anyone?  Okay, yeah, I really hope I don't see that!

The suggested training schedule is as follows:

Day One: run as far as you can go.  Go home.

Day Two: do the same thing.

Day Three: find the dirtiest pond in your neighborhood and snorkel in it - in your slippers, without goggles.

Day Four: practice your climbing and crawling skills at your local jungle gym.  Ignore small children and parental glares.

Repeat - and do not shower or shave for weeks in order to obtain a true Warrior look.

As they keep saying: IT'S THE CRAZIEST FRICKEN DAY OF YOUR LIFE!

I can't wait!

See, now you know what all my whining was about.  

Until Next Time,

JessicaInSeattle

PS: Today I took off the blasted boot and wore two shoes!  Progress!

If Wishes Were Fishes

How exactly does it go? I forget, so I shall look it up.

Ah, here we are...
Links to two of my favorite renditions - both on YouTube of course:

This is the ORIGINAL and this one is a COVER. <--- click on the highlighted words.

I wish I was home again, home in my heart again,

It's been a long time since my heart talked to me;

Wastin' my precious days, wishin' my life away,

If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea.

I wish I was young again, my song still to be sung again,

The sweet tunes of my life have gone sour and off key;

Writin' my tired old rhymes, tryin' to turn back time,

If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea.

If wishes were fishes, I know where I'd be,

Casting my net in the dark rolling sea;

And if my net's empty when it comes back to shore,

I'll throw it away and go fishing no more.

I wish I could care again, reach out and share again,

Mend what's been broken and let it run free;

The older I get it seems, more wishin' takes the place of dreams,

If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea.

If wishes were fishes, I know where I'd be,

Casting my net in the dark rolling sea;

And if my net's empty when it comes back to shore,

I'll throw it away and go fishing no more.

So what is it that has me thinking about wishes? I've been thinking since last week when my kids were sick and I was caring for them, putting cool cloths on their foreheads, making them chicken soup, taking their temperatures and snuggling them into warm blankets while I read to them until they were fast asleep that I wished I had someone I could call Mom.

The person who raised me was my biological mother but she was not motherly. I didn't get chicken soup. I don't think she even knows how to make chicken soup.

Life wasn't too bad until I was about four and a half. That was when I first recall knowing that something had been happening to my mom. Something in her was breaking or jumping off a cliff or diving down the rabbit's hole. I look back now and I think I can pin point the exact day that I think I know when she started losing it or maybe I had just gained the exact right amount of understanding on that day to see her for what she really was. I am not going to tell you that story. Just know that I know it was a definite turning point and my life was never the same after that day.

I posted a long time ago in this blog about some growing up memories that are painful to recall but helpful to write down - get them out of your head and onto "paper", they say. Black Sheep And Dark Secrets can be read here for a little more insight into my twisted up psychologically draining childhood that any good therapist would have a total hay-day with. And yes, I see a therapist. She told me the other day that she thinks I might be the most resilient person she knows because of course, she knows a few my dark little secrets and that I'm not suicidal. I guess most people who have been through some of the things I've been through have a hard time coming out the other side and learning something from all the shit they've been through. I totally understand that.

I'm just one of those fairly even keel kind of people so even trauma effects me differently than most. And of course, writing helps me to deal with many things. Again, a hugely recommended tool by therapists across the nation - pen and paper or a keyboard, if you prefer; as I do. There is not a person alive today besides myself that knows everything I've been through. And I'll likely keep it that way because as they also say, some things are better left unsaid.

Back to the whole "I wish I had a mom" thing. I have heard many people talk about their moms in very endearing ways. How their moms are the one person in the world they can call when they are anywhere on the feelings spectrum. Elated that they got approved for a new loan, saddened that they fought with a friend, bored and watching sappy movies on the Hallmark Channel.

I have no idea what that is like. I have no idea what it feels like to know without a shadow of a doubt that you have someone you can always call at three o'clock in the morning when you can't sleep because you are worried about something.

I have no idea what it feels like when someone says "I want my mom." I've never wanted her. Not my mom. Sure, I've wanted A mom; I want one right now, just not mine! Oh hell to the no! If I was on my death bed, she would be the last person I would think to call.

But yes, I wish I had a mom. I wish I had a mom to tell all my little dark secrets to who would give me advice I probably don't want or really need. I wish I had a mom tell me how I need to eat healthier and exercise more and get a real haircut. I wish I had a mom to tell me how to live my life and how to raise my children even though I probably wouldn't listen to her. I wish I had a mom who would take my children to the beach and bring them back covered in sand that makes a mess all over my carpet. I wish I had a mom who would come over to my house to criticize the organization of my kitchen cupboards and put everything away from the dishwasher in the wrong place.

But wishing for something that can never be is futile. So I wish for a little while, blog about it, realize that I'm being completely unproductive by wanting something I will never have and I go to the store to buy some Oreos, milk, ice cream and Jello. That should make me feel better until it makes me feel guilty. I can deal with the guilt, so I dig in.

After a bit of the Jello, I decide that instead what I shall wish for is that when my children are grown they will call me when they can't sleep or are stressed about finals week, when they get a new job, fall in love, out of love, hate their jobs, get new jobs, find out they are going to be a parent, or that they have decided they don't want to be a parent, want advice on raising their kids, want to tell me to stop giving them advice on raising their kids, want me to give their siblings advice on raising kids, or want me to take the kids to the beach and bring them back all covered in sand and hyped up on sweets. I hope that when my kids are grown, they will know what it feels like to say "I want my mom." And then I will be there for them.

Until Next Time,

JessicaInSeattle

Tsunami Insomnia

At the near end of a very long week of not only sick kids but a sick mom too, on my side of the world it was Thursday night and I had just read a bedtime story to the aforementioned kids when a notification arrives on my phone about a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Japan.

Yes, I'm fully aware of the definition of run-on sentence. I like them sometimes.

Back to my post. I had received several text notifications of earthquakes in the same region over the past two days and since none of them had hit the news, I assumed it had been either out in the ocean enough or deep enough that it didn't cause any unusual disruption.

I go to my office and start checking my Facebook and working on my Zazzle store. A fellow Zazzler posts something about the quake. I google it to see if something is really up since the quake I was notified of was around the same magnitude of one they had a few hours earlier.

Come to find out, it wasn't a 7.1 quake, but instead an 8.9 quake. That's a big difference! A very big difference! And then I start to get notifications of aftershocks coming in. One right after another almost. This causes me to check the USGS (United States Geological Society) website where I see that there really have been a number of quakes in the past couple of hours! And these aren't little 4.0 quakes either, these are 6.8 or 7.5 or 6.4 and they are rocking the shores of Japan like crazy!

I decide to turn my television on. This isn't something I do often, so I start to search for the remote. I find it in the basket where it belongs but sans batteries. I find some batteries and begin to watch the news.

Not only are the quakes causing incredible havoc in Japan, but then a tsunami comes crashing into the shores and creates even more disaster that I have a hard time watching. After seeing this, they report that there is now a tsunami warning for the entire coast of the north American continent all the way from Alaska to northern Mexico.

Then they proceed to show us footage of what they expect our coasts to see. I totally freak out. Why? Because my two oldest children are less than a mile from the ocean and over six hours from Seattle in a little coastal town in Oregon. I, of course, am in Seattle.

Neither of them answer text messages I send them. Neither of them respond to Facebook messages I send to them. Both of them are asleep.

Finally, it is 4:30 in the morning and still no word from them although I have heard from some others on Facebook that parts of the coastal towns in Oregon are being evacuated. I go take a bath. Baths always solve harrying things for me. No idea how; just the submersion of myself in a tub of near scalding water always makes me feel better.

Just as I duck my head under the water to moisten my eyes which are overly dry from being open hours beyond their capability and my cell phone rings. I jump out of my skin, splashing water all over the floor, grab at my towel and reach for my phone which had been sitting on a little step stool by the tub.

Oh thank goodness, it is my daughter! She tells me that she was woken up by the sound of some sirens and I tell her to wake everyone else in the house up and head out to the farm. The farm is on the other side of the mountain range. I start to hear other people waking up in the house as I'm talking to her on the phone and I get off so they can go. I ask that she call me when they get there.

It is now six o'clock in the morning and I can finally sleep. I lie down and make sure my alarm is set for eight. An hour later than I usually get up, but I'm going to need the extra hour! I am so groggy when that alarm sounds, I can barely get up, but I do. My ten year old is not late for school and he's even had a small breakfast, but I did it.

Sometimes, I wonder exactly what I was thinking when I signed up to be a mother. Then, one of my kids does something I am so proud of. Or one of them will give me a little gift straight from the heart. Like beads on a string. I might get a text message from one of my older three and just smile because I know they were thinking of me. One of the things they forget to tell you when you decide to have a child is that there will be sleepless nights way beyond infancy. That worrying is something that will always be a part of you from the moment you know they exist. It is inevitable that you will worry. For years. Especially when they are an infant and they can get hurt in no many ways. But again especially when they are a teenager. You will worry when they have their first love, then their first heartbreak. When they get behind the wheel of a car for the first time and when they grow up and are ready to go on to college or get their own place.

I've got extra lines and a growing number of white hairs to prove I have worried a lot. I've been up all night long many times. And this won't be my last.

My heart goes out to the many who have lost their lives and to the loved ones who are left behind.

I'm so very grateful that what was expected to hit the coasts of the America's did not meet expectations.

If you would like to help out with the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, please check out the Zazzle page created just for that purpose.

You will find it here:

Japan Earthquake Relief Fund

Until next time,

JessicaInSeattle

VicodinDreams

Well I did it. I took my medicine like the doctor told me to. The result was that I could think of not one thing to add to any of my three existing stores on Zazzle. Oh I had design ideas rolling around in my head, but they were literally psychedelic!

I had JessicaInSeattle, Onomonopia (yes I spelled it incorrectly intentionally), and Intimate_Design to choose from. None of the three matched what was going on in my head, however.

JessicaInSeattle is sort of a more wholesome store. It is the one I raise and donate money for breast cancer research.

Onomonopia was originally opened so I could have another store with a bit of an edge to it. I had someone else helping me out with it and it morphed into a mosh-posh of intensely unorganized hemp loving, poker playing travel products. I am still not sure what to do with it.from and I just couldn't put my psychedelic designs into that store. They wouldn't have matched the decor!

Intimate_Design is where I put my original art. But it is art that I have originally created with my own hands and may have been

digitally altered but they are not digital originals. And since creating art in the real world tends to take me a bit of time, I don't have a whole lot available in that store yet.

I needed a place to put the images of my pain killer induced thoughts and dreams. And that is exactly what I did...on the suggestion of a colleague of mine (although I think she was joking at the time). And thus was born VicodinDreams. A vastly fractal-like, acid trip suggestive spin unlike any art I have ever produced.

Looking back on it now in a sober state of mind, I actually really like it! I just hope to be able to continue to produce more art like it as ibuprofen is usually the strongest pill I swallow.

I hope you enjoy it as well! And feel free to follow me by clicking here: facebook or here: Twitter or scanning the QR Code below.

See you soon!

JessicaInSeattle

All In A Name

I have a rather unique middle name. Especially for someone of my gender. And, I rather like my middle name as it matches my roots (Irish/Scot) and my enjoyment of being different than everyone else in some way. Even if it's a small way...I still get to be one in a million. Or, possibly more than that. Which is quite different from my first name wherein I am one of probably several billion.

Shaw. That's it. Nope, it's not my surname; it is my middle name. I actually went by my middle name for about two years as a teen, but only to a select group of friends. And one friend knew me by both Jessi and Shaw so she called me Shawsi, but she was the only one to ever call me that to this day. No matter how unique that one is, I don't want that nickname to make a comeback. Funny thing is I can't for the life of me recall her name now. Hmm. Now I feel just a twinge of guilt.

Anyway, I periodically check to see if my middle name has hit the charts yet and as of yet, it still has not. As a surname, sure; but not as a first name for either a girl or a boy...but especially not for a girl. As a matter of fact, several websites will tell you that Shaw has never once appeared on the list of top 1,000 names in the US.

Footloose. There has to be maaaaybe 25 people on the planet who haven't seen Footloose (purely judged by the six degrees of Kevin Bacon) and they all live in a remote village deep in the Amazon (for those of you who slept through Geography, this is the jungle not the dot com).

I'll bet you that I am the only person you know who would get this little bit of trivia correct (before the publishing of this article, anyway). The question: "What is the name of Ariel's father in Footloose?" The answer: "Shaw. Or rather, Reverend Shaw Moore if you want to get totally technical." The only character I've ever known who's first name was Shaw. Go ahead. Google it. Try to prove me wrong.

Hey, if you can, I'll be happy to hear it!

And if you are named Shaw, I'll be happy to hear that as well.

Until next time,

JessicaInSeattle

CONTEST!!!!!

I have designed an invitation to be the chosen invitation for the Zazzle holiday party that they will be having in January. The unfortunate thing is that Zazzle has decided that all their contests will now be held via a Facebook app. A lot of my friends do not want to download an app just to vote for me. Which I completely understand as I wouldn't want to download one just to vote for them on something either.

Luckily I'm in the top ten still...as the top ten get to be finalists - which will then be sent over to Zazzle for a panel of judges to view and decide on which one they like best based on the number of votes received, the design quality and the creativity. Basically, they just take the top ten and then it's a total toss up from there because it will all come down to what the panel of judges like best.

If you wouldn't mind downloading the app, you can vote for me here: Red Berries In The Snow Invitation

If for some reason that doesn't work try to copy and paste: apps.facebook.com/zazzleparty and vote for your favorite - which I really hope is the one I designed "Red Berries In The Snow".

I find it frustrating that the person who currently has the most votes in this contest only has that many votes because they must have a large list of friends willing to download the app. I do have to admit, I like their design. And I am a friend of theirs on facebook, but that doesn't mean I don't want to win the contest.

The winner of the contest will get two things:

1. 300 of the winning invitations will be ordered by Zazzle and used for their holiday party. Up to $100 in royalties will be paid out to the winner as a result of these 300 invitations.
2. A feature in the Zazzle Blog. This will be HUGE for whoever wins as it will get them noticed. And being noticed among thousands of other Zazzlers is not easy to do!

I could use the prize behind door number one but the prize behind door number two would outweigh the first one tremendously in my book!

I need more visibility!

I need more people to know about Jessica In Seattle!

I need more customers!

Why do I need this so badly? Why am I practically begging you to vote for my design? The short of it is that I'm a single mom who's trying to support her kids on the income she brings in by Zazzle alone. I got laid off six months ago and unemployment has nearly run out. I'm getting to that desperate point.

So, please head on over to facebook. Check out the Holiday Party Invitation app and give me your vote once per day until January 3, 2011 at 11:59pm pacific time. It's easier than pie!

You can also view my page on Facebook!

Thanks, and come again!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

October is breast cancer awareness month. Not sure why there is only one month to bring awareness to this devastating disease, but ranting is not what my post today is about.

Today, I write to let you know that you too can help fight to fund the cure for breast cancer. I do. Every year I make a donation to fund breast cancer research. So far I have raised over $500. No, it's not a lot, but I've been doing it for only 3 years, I'm a single mom and I was recently laid off from a job I had for 10 years so I'm thinking, hey, it's not too shabby!

If you would like to help me fund the fight for a cure and add to the $500 I've already raised, you can follow these instructions:

To place a Pink Ribbon order, go to
http://www.zazzle.com/jessicainseattle/gifts?cg=196234559202906390
and order any of the products in that category.
Thank you to all who have helped to fund the fight for a cure already!

If you would like to follow my progress, you can join my product page here (or click the link on my blog page):

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-WA/Jessica-In-Seattles-Gallery-on-Zazzle/108398079188486

I would love to have more fans and have you pass on the word that they too can help to raise fund to fight for a cure for breast cancer.

Have you done your monthly self exam or made an appointment for your next mammogram yet?

Jess

This is a big fucking deal!

On March 23, 2010, I got an email with a link to watch a clip of Joe Biden saying something into Barack Obama's ear right before Obama was to speak about the Health Care Reform he had just signed into law.

What was it VP Biden said? "This is a big fucking deal!" Yep, the VP dropped the f-bomb.

So, what was my initial reaction? I opened my eyes real wide, dropped my jaw and said to myself "I have to put that on a shirt!"

I immediately went to my gallery on Zazzle and created this:

Which can be found here:

Big Fucking Deal Tshirts from Zazzle.com

I have made more money from some of my other products on my Zazzle gallery, but none have been this successful this quickly.

My first sale was just minutes after creation. Within 24 hours, my product was number two when searching for "big fucking deal" in the search field on Zazzle and now, you can find it by searching Google.

Then I read this article saying Obama would like one:

http://www.newser.com/story/84276/obama-wants-f-bomb-t-shirt.html

Oh how it pays to capitalize on public figures!

I am officially inviting any and all political figures or celebrities of any kind to please say striking things so I can quote you on a t-shirt!

You are welcome to visit my gallery at http://www.zazzle.com/jessicainseattle*/