JCasa *handmade

hi there.

this is gonna be a long one, but it could very well be one of the most important things i ever write.  join me?

thursday morning i woke up refreshed and content and at peace with where i am.  i woke up happy.  i am happy.  very much so, in fact.  here we are at friday already, and guess what?  still happy.

had you asked me how i was doing on monday evening, however, you would been met by a sobbing confused frightened mess.  heck, had you asked me that wednesday afternoon, you would have seen everything sinking in and a more serious mess.  but now i'm good.  very good, indeed.

you see, on wednesday i was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

it all started with a wave of dizzyness about a week ago, which i originally thought was an inner ear problem, or a reaction to the antibiotics i had just completed for a severe yellow jacket sting.  a visit to the urgent care just before halloween resulted in the opinion that the dizzyness was just the flu trying to work its way into my system, i was patted on the head as it were, told to take a few advil and rest.  i left slightly consoled, slightly confused, and quite frustrated.  i knew something wasn't right.

over the weekend, the dizzyness evolved into double vision (enter the eye patch), and monday morning i called my eye doctor and got an appointment for tuesday.  but i knew something wasn't right and that tuesday wasn't soon enough.  so i called my physician who told me to get in there immediately.  after a thorough exam, she identified the palsy in my eye, ordered several brain scans to look into the cause, and miraculously sent me to the cleveland clinic to see a few of the brightest neuro-ophthalmologists out there.  long story short, they predicted MS.  next day, MRI and CAT scans ruled out masses on my brain (yay!), but i still needed to see a neurologist.  at that point i was feeling on top of the world.  then the next day - wednesday, as in not even 2 days ago - i received an early morning phone call which had me consoling the girls about yet another change in plans as they headed to visit their nonnie while i went to the neurologist.  a few hours later i was diagnosed with Early MS.  in fact, i'm about as early on as one can be diagnosed.  and that, friends, is a very good thing.

today i begin a short-term course of IV treatments to hopefully correct the double vision, which by the way is the only symptom i have - otherwise i feel terrific.  honestly.  correcting the vision will make me feel like myself again and there is a high probability this treatment will do what it's supposed to.  i also will begin long-term treament which will hopefully slow the progression of the disease.  it may not change my lifestyle - only time will tell - and i am going to do everything in my power to see to it that we linger indefinitely in this phase.  many people with Early MS manage the disease with medication and frequent monitoring by a neurologist and such.  and then there are people who progress more deeply into the disease.  it all has to do with how your disease responds to medication.  we are hopeful and ready to play ball.  bring it.

i must confess though, the first time i heard the doctors say MS there was a moment when i didn't think they were serious, followed by my mind suddenly flashing forward to the worst possible scenario.  but now i know more about where i am, and more importantly, how fortunate i am that we caught this when and how we did.  had i gone to my eye doctor a day later, it is possible i would have gotten new corrective lenses and been fine for a while as the condition worsened in my brain.  but i listened when my body was telling me something wasn't right.  i called and called until i got a hold of my doctor.  she was very thorough with her examinations and extremely proactive in calling and calling to arrange same-day scans and exams.  all along the way i made every effort to articulate my symptoms to everyone and write down everything i could.  technicians made scheduling accommodations for me simply because i asked.  i am so thankful for them, for my doctors, for my husband and daughters, our entire family and friends.  and i will continue to learn more, continue to be vigilant about my health and proactive with my treatment.  you bet i will.  so yeah, it's been quite a week.  and i'm really really good now - ok, except for the double vision thing, but that'll hopefully be taken care of soon enough.  (and yes, i have already sewn two eye patches of the softest linen and pretty feedsack scraps, but can't seem to get the fit quite right.)

so... on thursday, i woke up knowing i have MS, and here's what we did.  it was a beautiful day in every possible way you can imagine and more.  very similar to any given thursday, in fact. except for me rockin' the eye patch, which the girls think is the coolest thing EVER, "mama, i love your pirate eye patch." - oh, how i love them.

: we made breakfast :

: mama put on makeup. on one eye, that is :

: went to swimming lessons :

: played hide & seek in the locker room :

: went to target :

: ate lunch :

: ran around the playground :

: built a fire & knit a bit :

: the hub brought home chinese, to everyone's delight :

: our favorite princesses danced to ABBA :

: and after the littles were asleep, mama packed their lunch for "fun friday" at pre-K today, including the very important single hershey kiss hidden in each bento :

it was such a beautiful day.  just like any other day.  and despite what's going on - or perhaps because of it - i enjoyed every speck of the day, breathing it in + savoring every bit.  and i will continue to do so.  and i encourage you to do the same.  enjoy your day.  your weekend.  your life.  xoxo

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p.s.  in completely unrelated sewing news - let's get back to crafting, shall we? - be sure to come back here on monday, as i am quite excited about a very special giveaway + a project i am delighted to share with you.  xoxo

a few good things

her sense of style

her sense of humor

their bond

daddy's influence on proper supergirl flying moves

other good (and great) things ::
all the neighborly love these past few weeks, my space being featured on modish, and my work featured on sewmamasew twice in the past week, and a few new + very exciting opportunities (and that's all i'll say about that).

also loving this scarf, all things tortillagirl, la fuji mama's nutella cookies, stefanie japel making t-shirt yarn, lucy and her gorgeous new design, gretelie's oh so pretty wool wristwarmers, wisecraft's brilliant removable quilt design wall, and halloween candy.  oh yes, let's share a piece with mama, please.

what's making you happy on this gorgeous first day of november?  xoxo

i love you, Fall.

crisp air.  endless skies.  blazing hues.  pumpkin goop.  hay-filled playgrounds.  corn mazes.  apple everything.  horse-drawn wagons.

togetherness.  xoxo

a knitting bag

after lugging my knitting in basically any old tote i could get my hands on whilst running out the door, or more frequently alongside all the kid stuff in my moop bag, i decided i needed + deserved a dedicated knitting bag.  so i turned to my Granny pattern because A) i know it by heart, meaning little to no thinking is involved; and B) i've made what seems like a bazillion of them over the years and have always been thrilled with the results.

there were a few slight modifications to lengthen + widen the base, plus i added an extra skein of the main color to create the generous size i was after.  then there was the improvised yardage of kureyon during the BO, woopsie.  and what do you know, in a few days i had knit + felted myself a new knitting bag.

i love that i can fit an entire project in there, along with the other necessary bits that are always anywhere except where i need them to be - i can just grab it and go.  even if going is only into the next room.  xoxo

as seen on TV

one might say i'm predictable - with cooking shows on television, that is probably a safe bet.  this trend dates back close to 20 years when i was in graduate school and lived with my folks for a year -
- in exchange for a roof over my head, i cooked them whatever the frugal gourmet or natalie dupree had demonstrated on PBS on the previous weekend.

such is the case with the food network, and most recently, ravioli caprese: i saw it, salivated, confirmed ingredients in the pantry, and made it that evening to the delight of everyone.  granted, i may not have been as stylish as the lovely giada whilst doing so, but my pictures do the recipe proud.  simple, fun to make with kids, and oh-so delicious.  especially if topped with a leftover lobster from the previous night's clambake.

and in other news, looking at all those dreamy images of my studio yesterday reminds me that i forgot to mention how awesome it was that i was approached to have my stash featured on true-up!  way cool indeed - thanks!  xoxo

tidy

i couldn't help myself, everything looked so pretty.

reframing and arranging favorite prints, photos, textiles and ceramics. and placing much needed tools at my fingertips.

a new configuration of inspiration boards in the form of ikea cutting boards + a shimandsons pinstrip.  inspired by rachel to use something non-traditional.

removing completed projects from my bulletin board, in turn creating space for what is yet to come.  me thinks cleaning out a creative space is a good thing.

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i have a few things to wrap up this month - that quilt up there tops the list - so i'll be popping in and out with photos of our days along the way. and of course, a good recipe or two. and maybe a craft project here and there. and some very cool news. wait a minute, how is that stepping back from blogging for a short while?
enjoy your days!  xoxo

*with a twist

Neighborly is a simple vest sized for a child, intended to keep them warm at their core while not overheating them during all the running about that kiddos do.  but you know that already...

this variation - Neighborly *with a twist - is complemented by cables wrapping around the wide banded boatneck collar which appear to connect to more cables coiling down the front.  the shaping on this version is narrower than the original and would work well for a boy or girl.  click here to view some notes comparing the two.

Neighborly *with a twist will fit a child 4-6 years old when knit as written using 2 skeins of Peace Fleece Worsted (details are in my Ravelry notebook - JChandmade).  that said, you could easily resize it accordingly by knitting it in a heavier/lighter weight yarn using larger/smaller needles.  and like many of you, i'd kinda like one for myself - so that's probably not too far off in the future, ahem.

the pattern is available as a free PDF - just click here to download.  and as with the original, please consider being neighborly and make one to donate to your favorite charity.  how ever you make it, i hope you and the little ones in your world enjoy Neighborly! xoxo.

happiness is...

xoxo

beyond coffeecake

it started as one of those saturdays wanting to make a special breakfast to celebrate all of us being in the same place at the same time.  i knew i was on the right track as i overheard the girls whispering something about "mama's famous pancakes."  but alas, there was not a drop of syrup in the house.
what to do what to do...

as soon as i came upon the recipe card, i knew this would be well-received - the smell of the cinnamon wafting through the house is something we can all relate to, and this "breakfast cake" (as the kiddos called it) delivered on its cinnamony promise, bringing a smile to everyone's face.  i am not sure why it has taken me an entire lifetime to bake my mom's coffeecake - i remember it well from my childhood, although chances are i was finicky about it back then.   that is not the case anymore, i can assure you of that.  best part about this recipe - chances are you have the ingredients on hand.
so what are you waiting for?

irish cinnamon coffeecake (recipe from my mom)

cream the wet ingredients:

• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter*
• 1 cup sugar or 1/2 cup splenda for baking
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup non-fat greek yogurt (my mom uses sour cream)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture

• 1 + 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt

then combine 3 Tbsp. cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup splenda for baking - set aside.  pour half of the batter into your greased pan and sprinkle half the cinnamon/sugar mix over it.  pour on the remaining batter and knife the batter a bit in the pan as you would when making a marble cake.  (mmm, marble cake sounds good too, doesn't it... oh sorry, got distracted.)  sprinkle the remaining cinnamon/sugar mix on top and bake for 45 minutes on 350, during which time everyone will be lured by the dreamy aroma into the kitchen and proceed to nag you about when it will be done.  once it cools a speck, let everybody dive in and watch it disappear.

i might make a few more subtle changes next time - add ground flax seed and bake them as muffins to serve as some form of portion control (ahem).  not for me, oh no - i only got one piece.  but those other three people around here ATE ALL OF IT - in two days.  one moment it was there, the next moment... poof!  maybe i'll do muffins next time and double the recipe to see how they freeze - all in the name of research, of course.  xoxo

*the recipe card says 1/4# which i misread as 1/4 cup, and although i have absolutely nothing against butter - believe me - it was super moist and i honestly didn't miss the extra butter.  i do think substituting greek yogurt for the sour cream helped, as well.

found

what are those blobs running toward the house?

while looking through the closet for something cozy yesterday afternoon, i came upon two rather large sweaters i knit a while back.  as in i cannot remember exactly when, but i am guessing over 15 years ago when my 20-something self embraced the whole oversized sweater + leggings thing.  now, not so much - it's a cute look, but i now recognize that on me, those sweaters have me looking more like the woman who hid a dozen children under her petticoat.

i am beyond pleased that both sweaters are in excellent condition and am thrilled to have found them.  more than likely, i had tucked them away to pass down to my own children someday far off in the future.  but i rather think they would do more good by passing them on right now to keep someone else warm this winter - and so, into the bag they go for Easter Seals pickup next week, along with the results of our toy purge this afternoon.  i quite like the idea of tucking these gems in there and a happy thrifter may come upon them and gasp.  

as for my kiddos, i am thrilled to have been witness to them scampering around the backyard in these sweaters - so very happy to have this memory in my mind's eye as well as photos for posterity.  there is plenty of mamamade knitting (and sewing) being done for them right now, and i highly doubt they'll hold this one against me in a few decades.  if mama raises them right, not only will they understand the concept of sharing good things, but they will also gasp when they come upon hidden thrifting treasures as well.  xoxo