ARGH! Vent and rant and moan right here!

[#1]

Need to get anything off your chest about ANYTHING!? Then do it right here.

[Former_Member]

Personally, I try to return the favor in any way that I can. If I don't truly love someone's products I can always add them to my circle, post a tweet or promote them some other way. Anything helps. You never know who will stumble over that. And just because it may not be my taste doesn't mean that others won't like it.

[PlainJBodyandHome]

@Katie....good luck with the doctor...praying for nothing serious!

[JudysLittleShop]

Thank you again to Jacque and Katie Joy for advice and words of encouragement about my items, pricing, photos etc. I changed my profile picture to show one of my ties and I've added a couple new pieces. I noticed that the new items I photographed on the head haven't garnered any looks....maybe using the head was a bad idea? I'll hang in and keep trying.
Sorry to read that you found a lump Katie, I hope it isn't a problem or that you found it early and they can treat it for you.
Happy that I joined this team.

[Former_Member]

Katie, darling I will be thinking of you so please let us know what the drs say. I am sure its just a hormonal shift that has caused it but I am glad you are getting it checked. Thats really scary and you can always lean on us. all the postive, fluffy, unicorn magic I have sent your way, love.

[Former_Member]

Sarah, congrats for quitting. I have heard its the hardest thing to quit so good for you for taking care of yourself. Keep it up and feel free to vent here as often as needed! My grandmother passed away due to complications of lung cancer and it was a nightmare to watch so you are DEFINITELY doing the right thing for your health and those who love you. hugs for ya

[Former_Member]

I was going to vent about being overloaded with work and neglecting my poor kid but honestly, you guys have put my pity party in perspective and I am getting my butt back to work! Thanks you guys.

[Former_Member]

bwaaahaha Sarah.... I want to be that person ;)

@Katie; fingers crossed it's nothing serious, I'll join Andi in sending fluffly unicorn magic your way.

@Andi; whinge away lovely ;) It's what we're all here for!

--

I'm just wanting to sulk about this stupid anxiety/postnatal depression thing still bloody hanging around. It's so damn annoying and frustrating! It's hard because I know bubs is doing well, (6 weeks and she's still alive.. woo!) and yet I still feel like I'm completely shit at this. I need to sleep more during the day but keep feeling like I need to get a thousand things done so I'm the "good/productive" stay at home mum.

[Former_Member]

OMG sorry ranty pants from another team...

"when you sell photographs on your etsy shop, is it necessary to print them out on a special photo printer? I mean, would it be fine to go to a Wolf Camera or a CVS and have it printed there? I'm interested in getting into selling photography, so I'd love any advice you could offer."

Seriously.... no wonder photography gets written off as too expensive when people actually think using cheap printers is the way to go :-/

We've just invested (literally last night) in a new printer for home that can do up to 8 x 10 just so we don't have to trek across town to our current photo lab. We'll leave them to do the big stuff.

[Former_Member]

Good news and bad news. I manged to get an emergency appointment yesterday, I was on hold for 30 minutes to do this though! Doctor was kind and friendly, she examined me and said yes a lump in there it is very hard on the top but smooth and lumpy round the bottom. She said my personal chances of having breast cancer is very slim. She is referring me to the hospital for a breast screening. So now I am waiting on them to contact me. But good news, my lump is drastically smaller today. Bad news I still do t know what it is. Thank you all for the unicorn magic fluff. I need it.

[Former_Member]

Kelly, chin up. It is very hard with a newborn. People don't realise how tired they are after the birth. You deserve a rest and shouldnt feel guilty about it. You're beautiful, the baby is beautiful, you will get your body back, your life will eventually turn back to some normality. Keep going! Hugs and kisses.

[Former_Member]

Katie that is EXCELLENT news even though you dont have a name for it yet. I suggest Barbara. But really, if its shrinking thats a good sign. Its probably a cyst that flared up during a hormone change. Its scary though to not know. I have fibrocystic breasts myself and so checking for lumps is like looking for a mine in a mine field. But you were smart to get it checked out.

Kelly my love, ALL moms feel that way. Its true. I have been parenting for 14 years and still feel like I am crap at it. With a newborn, it takes at least a year to feel like you have some kind of control but I know you are doing a great job. Kiddo still being alive is a good indicator. :) Sleep when you can. Forget about cleaning or your body. Give in to your emotions when you have them and know that every other mom on the planet feels crazy. Also keep in mind that 6 weeks is when you hit the wall. Lack of sleep, hormones (those b&^%$es keep popping up) are shifting again, your body is going to be soft if you are nursing, especially around your butt and the back of your thighs and arms (thats where we store milk fat, isnt that nice?) and everything you are feeling is completely normal. No one tells moms this stuff or at least not enough but you are not alone or weird or anything. There was a study that compared the sleeping patterns and resulting emotional state of new moms to that of prisoners of war undergoing sleep deprivation torture. It really does alter your brain chemistry. You are doing a GREAT job and your kid is going to be just perfect. Dont worry. It will all be ok...get some rest and have a good cry if you need to. HUGS!! ANd some unicorn magic your way too!

[Former_Member]

I think that is a great name to call my lump. Barbara. I like it. :)

[Former_Member]

Thanks guys :) I think my problem is the isolation and feeling trapped here at home. I know every mum goes thru that too, so I'm doing something about it and have signed up for my hospitals PND support group which starts back up in a few weeks.

[Former_Member]

That is the WORST Kelly and that is a great idea. Get out and meet some other trapped feeling moms. It does help. In the meantime here are three great blogs that should get you laughing while you are feeding Squish:

www.momastery.com
www.rantsfrommommyland.com
www.rageagainsttheminivan.com

[IssabellasQuilts]

@Katie We need to get Barbara on a diet and shrink her away to nothing! Hope the hospital gets back to you soon to ease your mind.

@Andi :) I know your right, I had pneumonia at the beginning of the year and that really sealed the deal for me!

@Kelly and Adam, I LOL'ed in empathy at the "6 weeks and she's still alive" I remember poking Madam while she was sleeping to make sure she was still breathing until she was about 3 month old (I also didn't get out of my PJ's and joggers for about 6 month!) :D
PND is a vile thing and I'm happy you're signed up for a support group.
I can super relate to your photography post, I've been wanting to offer my photographs in the shop as prints but I'm taking my time trying to find a good printer and it is a mare, I wouldn't dream of using my little home photo printer to run them off though!

[Former_Member]

LOL Andi... rants from mommyland is going to become a good friend to me I can see it already!

Did everyone see this wedding proposal yet?? http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/2012/05/happiest-and-best-youtube-video-eber.html

[Former_Member]

@Sarah; selling photography is hard.. tbh we're trying to come up with other ideas to stretch out the business because we need to try and make more money than we currently are to help out with baby expenses.

If you're willing to commit the time to it though... I asked my bestie who now lives in Plymouth if she knew of any good online printers in the UK and she recommended http://www.digitalab.co.uk/ :) Just remember that you can't drop ship so you'd need to order, receive then ship to your customer.. or buy a small stock first and send directly to customer.

[Former_Member]

That proposal made me cry at my desk. I was laughing and crying and clapping ! I must have looked a sight. Good thing I am on the third floor and no one comes up here. :)

[Former_Member]

amazing! And every other guy now hates him lmao!

[Former_Member]

I will admit, even I welled up lol

[Former_Member]

UGH!

So, first of all, I've been silent because my wedding is in June and I'm furiously planning. I've had to put my art business on hold, which is stressful, but I couldn't commit to giving a great service and product right now so I am not producing more art.

But, I feel the need to rant to other artists.

Backstory: When I was a teenager, I worked at a non-profit and was the assistant to the volunteer program there. There was a young girl who was creepily obsessed with me. She'd get her hair cut and dyed the same way just weeks after I did, would get piercings a month after I did (same type, placement, etc.) and even tried to date my ex boyfriends. ODD.

Honestly, while it was weird and slightly irritating, I overall didn't care. She was insecure, looking for a direction, and decided to go with my style.

I had unfriended her on FB because she posts very irritating things and I have a habit of unfriending those I don't want to follow on FB (I don't follow the whole, if you know them, you have to be their FB friend). But she just requested to be my friend again. I glanced at her FB wall and saw a status, "Well, my woodburner just broke! I guess I have to get a new one!"

...what?! I KNOW she didn't even know about pyrography until I started doing it.

Now, I don't care if you take most of my stuff. But my art is my identity and is not to be screwed with.

If she contacts me about how to run an art business or how to improve her skills as a pyrographer, I'm going to be frustrated.

This may seem unreasonable, and I am feeling better for typing this all out, but understand that she's been doing this for 7 years now and I am SICK of it. Especially trying to take over my art. That's just not ok. And it is different than "oh, I was inspired to look more into it!" - she just wants to copy. UGH.

Find your art, find your passion, but make it yours and don't steal mine!

[Former_Member]

LOL Katie, I told Adam he has a lot to live up to when he finally gets around to it ;)

@Emily... what a horrible position to be in! Just be thankful you have mad skills in it and she'll soon get bored of it and move on to the next thing!

[IssabellasQuilts]

@ Kelly and Adam I had to laugh again, I walk past digitalabs on my way to work - Super small world!

[Former_Member]

Ugh Emily. That is so annoying. I know what it iis like to have someone copy your style and personality. But never had someone who copied my work. I would find that very frustrating. Just have to keep going and do better work than her, block her from Facebook. You can do that. I don't remember how, but I did it... I think it's under privacy settings, you can type their name into a block list. I had to do that to a male friend who would not leave me alone and sent me sexual messages despite me telling him to stop. I deleted him as a friend and blocked him. Best thing ever!

[Former_Member]

Blocking ppl from fb/twitter is lovely... I've just done it recently with my bestie's soon to be ex-husband.. tho that's more for his own good than mine. What he's putting her thru is horrible.