Happy Valentine's day.

The party was last night, so I can finally show you the invitations I made for my friend's sister. She chose this one and asked me to make 70. All paper is Bazzil. The embossing was done with my Cuttlebug. The heart stamp is a freebie I got from a Brittish magazine about a year ago..
Here they are! About half of the invitations on my carpet. Still can't believe just how much work it was.

Apart from the invitations, I also made all the placemats, place name cards, Table numbers, serviette rings and a seating plan. I am waiting for some photo's. Hopefully I will have them soon and then I will show you.

Felt so sorry for them yesterday. We woke up to no electricity. (I live in Africa, remember!) I knew that they still had to make all the food for the party, so I went next door and told her to come over to my house to cook the food. I invested in a gas stove about ten years ago - the best thing I ever did! My poor neighbour has pneumonia and still had to make all the food all by herself, Her sister, the one that was actually doing the party for her boyfriend, went to have her hair done! I had to take my granddaughter to a party so I really could not stay to help. That left my poor husband helping out as much as he could. If it was not for my dear Constance (our domestic helper), I don't know what would have happened.

When I got home from the party, they were almost finished. DH told me later that the sister came home from the hairdresser, promptly had a panic attack and left!!!

Amazing how some people get everybody else to do their work and then end up getting panic attacks from all the pressure and hard work. I had no time to have any kind of attack, I was too busy and her poor sister, who should actually have been hospitalised, did not have time for that nonsense either.

Two Valentines cards and what I was afraid to share.

A while ago I discovered the wonderful work of Elizabeth Dulemba. I realised that they would make awesome cards and have used quite a few of her images. Just look at this cupid. Isn't he just adorable?

This card was made for my DS. He saw the image that I had coloured and found the paper in my stash. Then he asked if I thought it would make a cute card? How is a mother to say no then? The paper is left over from another project over a year ago. The hearts were cut with my Cricut Expression and the smaller dots were done with my Cuttlebug. The glittered dots are juat glue dots covered in glitter. Ribbon is from my stash and all Cardstock is Bazzil. The images were coloured with my Copics.

Now for the part where I bear my soul. I won't be offended if you stop reading now I promise. As some of you know, I have had some health issues over the last few years. I was finally diagnosed with acute Asthma about a year ago and since I have been treated for that my health has really improved.

About a month ago, actually, come to think about it, it has been longer, I started with a blocked nose while we were on holiday. I had very bad sinusitis, it eventually got so bad that I could not sleep any more, because the moment I lay down, I could literally not breathe. When I finally fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, I would snore so badly my DH could not sleep.

In the mean time the blocked nose got steadily worse, to the point where I was having difficulty breathing during the day. I knew that I should see a doctor, but I was too scared. Scared that it would be something far worse than Asthma. My mom died of lung cancer and my dad 10 months later fom Emphyzemia, so I have a very real fear of suffocating to death like they did. I know, I know, I don't smoke and I have never even tried to smoke and they were both chain smokers, but... what about all the scary stories you hear about second hand smoking?

DH has been begging me for weeks to PLEAAASE go to the dr. But stubborn me refused. Its just a cold, I am not going to the dr for a common cold.
Yesterday, as I am about to leave school to come home, my phone rings. It is DH. Where are you? he says. What does he think, where could I be? its 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I tell him. Where do you think I am?(Poor man, not easy having a conversation with a grumpy woman not feeling well.) Why? Then comes the shocker. I am waiting for you at home. At home? DH? He NEVER takes off work for anything. Why? Because my dear wife, I am taking you to the doctor. I could have killed him with my bare hands.

To make a long story short. We went and yes, it was just a cold. A cold that has been neglected. With the result that I have polips (sp?) growing in my nose that is preventing any air from getting in my lungs. The only way to effectively treat it? Cortizone!! Don't you just hate that thought? When they first started treating the Asthma, I was on large dosis of Cortizone and I picked up 15 kilos in three weeks!!! I moaned and told the docter that I really didn't want that to happen again. His comment? Do you want to be thin or do you want to breathe? I asked if it was too much to be both? He just looked at me and DH said, she wants to breathe, just give it to her. ( gotta love a man that doesn't mind a wife that looks like Humpty Dumpty as long as she breathes)

So dear friends. I will be rather huge in six months time, but the dr. assures me I will be breathing. The only way to cure it? Leave the East Rand and move to the Coast! Not possible right now, but if I should win the Lotto or Powerball, well.... then we will be there in a flash - wait.... do I have to actually buy a ticket to win?

If you made it to read right up to here, thank you for listening to my ramblings. Isn't it funny how silly our fears are when we actually write them down?

Good news is, I slept like a baby last night and woke up breathing! How cool is that?