St. Patty's Day News

Happy St. Patty's Day! I had planned to do some fun things for the holiday--a fruit rainbow for breakfast, some chocolate gold coins left by a leprechaun for a treat after school--but as things turned out, I was barely functioning this morning.

I have been knocked OUT by strep, you guys.

It started with noticing that my throat was sore when I was getting ready for bed Thursday night. I thought maybe I was getting a cold, or allergies even, what with the warmer weather, so I shrugged it off.

It still hurt Friday morning, but I had to teach and then we were doing phone interviews in the afternoon for a new hire in our department, so I couldn't miss work. I didn't feel bad except for my throat--no headache or anything, and I wasn't especially tired (I mean, no more than usual, considering Coco is teething and has been up pretty frequently at night this week--but Thursday night she actually slept better than she had all week!).

My days at work are pretty nonstop--e-mail, pumping, meeting with students, class, lunch, class, pumping, and then phone interviews all afternoon. Those went until 5:30, so it was six o'clock by the time I was driving home. It was gray and raining and as I got in my car and exhaled for what felt like the first time all day, I realized how bad I actually felt.

I got home and immediately collapsed on the couch. Still, it's kind of normal for me to feel pretty drained by the end of the week. It was only when David said dinner was ready and I didn't want any of it that I knew something was really off.

I'd invited some co-workers over for a little mid-term potluck on Pi Day (#nerdalert) but when I woke up Saturday, achy and chilled, I knew that I was going to have to cancel. So instead of prepping for a potluck, I dragged myself to Urgent Care, got a throat swab, and it came back "really positive" according to the paramedic who looked at my tonsils. They sent me home with a prescription and then I went to bed.

For three days.

Last night I finally felt up to going downstairs and I sat out on the patio for a little bit to enjoy the weather. I was in bed by 9 and on my own this morning since David had an early meeting. I took both the girls to school today so I could have a little more time to rest and recover.

While I was busy doing my invalid thing yesterday, David came upstairs with a package that had come in the mail from my Crafty Cousin Amanda. You guys may remember her from the waxed paper capiz shell chandelier project or from her invaluable assistance with turkey art or maybe from one of these adorable dresses:

February 2014

February 2014

January 2015

Crafty Cousin Amanda also helped me reupholster a bench and sew pillow covers, and she's given me advice on virtually every crafty project I've tackled on my own. 

She really helped me do so much with Zuzu's nursery (she sewed the crib bumper as well as the chandelier) and so it's partly thanks to her that the nursery got featured yesterday on the Good Housekeeping website in a round-up of themed kids rooms!

Isn't that awesome? I admit--I was really excited when Good Housekeeping contacted me, and it made me realize that I need to get moving on finishing and revealing Zuzu's big girl room, and adjusting some wall art and details in the nursery to make it officially Coco's room.

Anyway, Crafty Cousin Amanda sent an awesome item to us this week. I know it's obnoxious of me, but I can't reveal exactly what she sent (yet) because it's a surprise for something later in the month (I'll post about it later, I promise).

But I CAN tell you that she has officially gotten her Etsy shop up and running! She's doing a lot of paper goods, but has some other things available, too (and her prices are ridiculously good--like I'm telling her she needs to raise them). 

She's already been doing well with orders and while she's not quite ready to quit her day job (yet, I like to say), she is always thinking about expanding what she adds to her shop. It totally makes me wish yet again that we lived closer so that I could bug her give her unsolicited advice request more things help her out.

Anyway, the best part about her Etsy shop? It's actually called... (wait for it...) ...  My Crafty Cousin Amanda. Isn't that awesome and hilarious? She said she had a hard time coming up with a name and then it just came to her in a flash of inspiration. 

I think I should convince her to do a little give away on my blog. That my friend Brandy will probably win because she wins all the free things. (Some people are just lucky like that, right?)

Anyway, considering I basically dropped off the face of the earth for three days with strep throat, that's literally all that is going on in my life right now. (Well, that and the Netflix binging I've been doing--more on that later.)

P.S. What I was writing about around this time...

six years ago

four years ago (my pet peeve remains the same!)

two years ago