Update: Tricycle, Design, and a Summer Goodbye

I am closing the Curvalicious Blog because of other commitments and don’t have the time to post regularly.  The blog will still be ‘open’ – the posts are still there to read – I just won’t be posting in this blog anymore. 

Anyway, despite so many viewings – yes, I can see you Visitors! – hardly any comments are left.  Maybe I have bored you too death already?  But then, good manners are out of date now, aren’t they?

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I’ve enrolled on an Eco Building Design course, level 3.  I knew that after my health had let me down, that for sure, I wanted to learn ‘design’, as whatever the medium, I love to create.  The combination of my limited mobility and constant, sometimes extraordinarily high pain levels, forced me to give up on the Fashion Design course at the local college – and after working so hard to be accepted on it, that was really a blow.  So I turned online and found a good college, and one of their qualificating bodies I recognised from my dressmaking class, the NCFE; and chose to do a paper based, home learning course.   

Architecture and interior design has always fascinated me, so I may then go on to studying and gaining a Spatial and Furniture Design degree next year…

Of course I still love sewing, but after my level 1 Dressmaking, there was not a single level 2, progressive course to take in my area – I live right out ‘in the Wilds of Norfolk!’ and cannot afford a long commute.  (For those of you who complain about the cost of living, and the cost of petrol / gas – think about us poor buggers in the UK:  in some areas people pay £1.50 a litre!!!  Daylight robbery, but I don’t want to get on a political rant.  The sun is shining, the birds are peeping and I don’t want to get really upset.)

I am sewing (just completed a garden cushion for the tortoise summerhouse) and have a waistcoat project for my mum to start, and a couple of characters to make as a surprise for a friend.  As well as the few summer skirts that are hanging about waiting for zips and a few finishing stitches.

This spring I managed to almost single handedly clear, clean and tidy the summerhouse in the back garden: the very spot in which I will be studying.  The body is weak, but the will is strong 😉

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Healthwise, everyone is still confused, even though some pretend to know.  (But isn’t that what people do anyway as they journey through Life?!)  I do believe that the physical battering my body endured some years ago, where I thought my attacker was actually going to kill me, has a lot to do with it…the left hip was especially assaulted – no, I won’t going into details. 

Just:  I am lucky to be alive, but my abuser got away free, still denies the attack to this day; he’s a ‘Born Again Christian’ – yeah right, the type that conveniently use Christianity as a means of hiding their monster. 

And…being a natural curvalicious, with boobs that even Dolly Parton never knew could be God given, puts a terrible strain on my back.  Believe me ladies, big boobs are NOT fun.  I cannot wait for my reduction.

At least I’m getting somewhat regular physio now and have a tricycle to collect next week, so I can attempt my own rehab along with that of the NHS.  The tricycle is adorable, I was surprised to find they exist for adults 🙂   Can I Walk again?  Might it take an actual hip replacement to righten things?  I’m 38 and for 3 years and 4 months I’ve lived with chronic pain, partial hip dislocations and all the other misery that goes with it: medical professionals and governmental bodies (refused’Disability’) not taking me seriously, exclusions from trips and going out with my family (I missed so much time with my parents, and now my father is no longer here), and hence: a lacking social life, fatigue, depression, further loss of confidence (things were tough BEFORE!), isolation…  My goodness, am I getting you down? 😉

But

I like to remember something really nice my dad said, and more often than not, the old bugger was highly critical of me…  “And Steff, you couldn’t wait to be born, you were too excited to start living.” 

Miss you Dad.

Mum and Fiance, thank you for your love and support.  It never goes un-noticed or un-appreciated.

And, Rita, if you’re reading this, we WILL get that interview done 😉

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There might be another blog to accompany my web site www.StephanieFaith.net but it’s early days yet.

Thanks to everyone who enjoyed reading and took a moment to write me a comment.

Have a lovely Summer.  It seems to have begun 😉

S tephanie F aith

Designer Egg Cosys

*Romantic* Egg Cosys

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180641390830

Right now, I have listed on ebay, through The Little Log Cabin shop, a set of 2 x pretty egg cosys – hand sewn, hand embroided, designed and created by me.

Romantic Egg Cosys by Stephanie Faith. UK buyers, free postage + packing. Outside the UK, please enquire.

Other colourways coming soon.  Not mass produced – each cosy is lovingly handmade.  Made from only good quality materials, including genuine vintage lace.  For sale now.

Once these are gone, they are gone.  Each set of 2 x egg cosys has a different colourway.

Have a look @ this listing now – http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180641390830

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Copyright 2011 Stephanie Faith

I’m so angry!

Nigerian Scam

Anyone gets irritated with the constant email-diarrohoea that is received from spammers and scammers  – but this latest scam really got me angry: 

Criminals masquerading as a charity – and, who are indeed even mentioning the names of reputable charities! – are claiming they’re desperate to help those poor people who are currently caught up in the horrors of what’s happening in Japan.

First, they suffered a major earthquake, followed by a tsunami, in which many thousands lost their homes and families.  Now they are facing a nuclear catastrophe from the plants that are melting and leaking as a result of the natural disasters. 

As I check the contents of this post, with one eye on an online newspaper, the media is now reporting the selfless acts of 180 people, the plant workers – known as the Fukushima Fifty because of the rotation of people in groups of fifty – who are making last ditch attempts at putting out the heat and stopping the leaks to end the danger.  This could mean suicide for them…if not death then certainly lifetime serious health complications.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367125/Families-Fukushima-Fifty-share-agonising-messages-nuclear-plant.html

Real Heroes. Workers heading towards the nuclear reactor.

I am posting this Disgusting Email here to warn others –  people who are not that internet savvy, who may believe this is legitimate – to NOT to reply, and send money to these criminals.

One of the damaged reactors, you can see its ripped walls.

 

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THIS IS WHAT THEY WROTE AND EMAILED ME TODAY –

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Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on March 11. The magnitude-9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the nation’s east coast, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. Thousands of people are dead and many more are still missing or injured.
Japan has often donated when other countries have experienced disasters, such as when Hurricane Katrina impacted the United States. Below are organizations that are working on relief and recovery in the region.

AMERICAN RED CROSS: Emergency Operation Centers are opened in the affected areas and staffed by the chapters. This disaster is on a scale larger than the Japanese Red Cross can typically manage. Donations to the American Red Cross can be allocated for the International Disaster Relief Fund, which then deploys to the region to help. Donate Here

GLOBALGIVING: Established a fund to disburse donations to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Donate Here

SAVE THE CHILDREN: Mobilizing to provide immediate humanitarian relief in the shape of emergency health care and provision of non-food items and shelter. Donate Here

SALVATION ARMY: The Salvation Army has been in Japan since 1895 and is currently providing emergency assistance to those in need. Donate here.

AMERICARES: Emergency team is on full alert, mobilizing resources and dispatching an emergency response manager to the region. Donate Here

CONVOY OF HOPE: Disaster Response team established connection with in-country partners who have been impacted by the damage and are identifying the needs and areas where Convoy of Hope may be of the greatest assistance. Donate Here

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: Putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities. Donate Here

SHELTER BOX: The first team is mobilizing to head to Japan and begin the response effort. Donate Here

Please endeavour to make your Donations Here. Thanks your contributions will be noted in our Network for Good

JAPAN RELIEF ORGANIZATION
NETWORK FOR GOOD
NIGERIAN CONSUL
************************, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

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A mother has lost her child.

“I think the death toll is going to be closer to 100,000 than 10,000.” – Ken Joseph, an associate professor at Chiba University, with the Japan Rescue Team.

“30 schoolchildren sat quietly in a classroom after their parents vanished when the tsunami swept through the coastal town of Ishinomaki.

“Across the country some 434,000 people have been made homeless and are living in shelters.”

 – The Daily Mail

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Where there is a line of  ‘*’ is where I have omitted part of this criminals’ address.  Again, do NOT reply to these people.  Please feel free to forward on this post to warn others.

 

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The latest developments http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367125/Families-Fukushima-Fifty-share-agonising-messages-nuclear-plant.html

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2011 Stephanie Faith

MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.

A picture tells a 1000 words

I couldn’t stop laughing at this photo on my beetle-friend’s web site.  He had the caption underneath it saying that men – worldwide! – are always working hard to satisfy the woman in their lives.

Here it is –

Thank you Petr 🙂

 

😀

www.Flower-Beetles.com

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2011 Stephanie Faith

Jane Russell

Jane Russell in later life, still a beautiful woman

Another iconic Hollywood Legend has passed away.

Jane Russell died on Monday (28th February 2011), she was 89.  Much remembered and loved as the Brunette in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, along with Marilyn Monroe – who naturally played the ‘Blonde’.  In fact during the making of this movie, the two stars became friends.

Never being fully appreciated at the time for her acting skills, she was a talented comedienne who was better known as the busty sex siren from her days in the The Outlaw film, in which she made her debut.

Jane Russell in The Outlaw

RIP Jane Russell.

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L i n k s
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1362040/Jane-Russell-dies-89-The-siren-2-greatest-assets-Tinseltown.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/mar/01/jane-russell-life-in-clips

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Russell

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000066/ (Jane Russell on the IMDB database)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/ (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)

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2011 Stephanie Faith