I came across this cute idea for stamping an envelope on Creature Comforts blog. Easy, cheap, and adorable (albeit probably a tad messy). Sign me up.
Head over to Kokoon’s Pop Up Shop that is going on through the end of July. It just opened up yesterday, so there are a lot of great things to find that are all on sale!! This is Kokoon’s first ever online sale (you can usually only purchase Kokoon’s collection through sales reps) so don’t miss out.
And to sweeten the deal, Kokoon will be donating 20% of your purchase to La Maison Boheme’s sweet son’s fund Help Charlie Heal. So go go!
I generally keep my blog pretty light hearted and upbeat, but today I have a pretty big request of you all. One of my oldest and dearest friends needs some prayers in a major way. It’s the most heart wrenching story, one that I’ll spare you most of the details, of a young woman with cancer.
My story with Amanda begins when we were kids. We grew up together in the same small town and were close friends all throughout school. Many, many memories. Countless really. We both went to college at Indiana University and were roomies for 3 of those 4 years. After college graduation Amanda married and started a family in Indiana. Even though I moved to Charleston she and I have remained close in that sacred “we’ll be friends forever” sort of way that only really good friends can have.
In April of 2011 Amanda, along with her husband Aaron and their two daugthers Ava and Ella, welcomed baby Nolan to the world. The pregnancy had been one that was extremely difficult and painful due to a fibroid and a lymph node the size of a canteloupe and a grapefruit. In May, about one month after Nolan’s birth, we learned that Amanda has cancer. After numerous tests and surgeries and a recent trip to MD Anderson in Houston, the cancer has been determined to be UTROSCT. UTROSCT is an extremely rare form of cancer which stands for Uterine Tumor Resembling Ovarian Sex Chord Tumor. Googling will pull up very little. Sadly, it has already spread to her sacrum, breast, rib and skull. To make this whole situation even more cruel, Amanda is experiencing unbearable pain. But you wouldn’t know, I’ve not once heard her complain about it. She began carboplatin/taxol chemo treatment yesterday, but it is a very hard road ahead, one that is in God’s hands.
Because this cancer is so incredibly rare, they’re pretty much throwing darts at a treatment. If you happen to have any information on UTROSCT (maybe you or someone you know has it) please contact me. Likewise, if you know or happen to be an OB oncologist, please get in touch with me. Any information would be helpful at this point. You can visit Amanda’s Caring Bridge page to learn more about her condition.
I humbly ask that you please take time out of your day to say a prayer for my friend Amanda, her family, her doctors, and for her strength. I assure you that this amazing woman and her beautiful family are worth every second of your time. And if you feel the need to do more, please share this post. You never know who might see it and how it could help.
Because I love you all so much, I simply cannot resist sharing Marysia’s 2012 swimwear collection. I’m palpitating over it all. And not just because she’s my friend, but because it’s seriously that good. Aaaand there just might be a certain special suit in here that I’m super excited to debut :)
Some bikini bliss. That black suit must be mine! Like this season’s collection, the bottoms fold down.
Aren’t those red suits so fun? And I adore the blue and black together.
And these cover-ups are wardrobe staples. Especially adore the bottom side tie dress.
And for the kids, Marysia’s 2012 Bumby collection is rocking too. How cute is Marysia’s daughter Elle?
Here in the US everyone is celebrating America’s birthday. Our weekend has consisited of the pool, beach, farmer’s market, shopping, bike riding, watching sunsets, fireworks, and A LOT of eating. Tonight we’re grilling bacon wrapped scallops, burgers, & corn on the cob. And I’ll be making this Strawberry Pie for dessert. I’ve made it before, and can 100% tell you, it’s wonderful.
A couple of weeks ago I got together with Courtney from A Thoughtful Place. You know, the cute girl behind the blog that has a million fun and crafty ideas. In blog world we totally hit it off and even email frequently. I’m happy to say that I adore her in the “real world” too!
Courtney was in Charleston for a long weekend with some girlfriends, so we couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet eachother. The plan was to catch up at a restaurant/bar that she and her friends had just finished eating lunch. The problem was that this particular area, (Isle of Palms) can be quite touristy and busy during the summer and I couldn’t find a parking spot. So she ended up just jumping in my car and we went a mile down the road to the beach house she’d rented with her friends. We of course had to joke that she’s brave for jumping in the car of a stranger ;)
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