Aids Awareness Day

Africa Poster 2., originally uploaded by alyssaduhe.

Hey Y’all! So tomorrow is December 1st, 2010 ~ World Aids Day. It is a day set aside every year to raise awareness of AIDS and it’s preventability. I wear something red or a red ribbon every year on December 1st and practically everyday of December because it is a cause that is important to me. I do not know anyone with the disease or who died form the disease, but I know plenty of people and any one of us could be one of them. Aids is a disease with no cure that is spreading everyday because of carelessness and lack of education. Many people contract the disease because of unsafe sex practices. One mistake and the rest of their life has been changed. Others contract the disease the same way but because they are uneducated about it. They think that it’s a gay disease or a black disease or a young person disease, and that they cannot get it because they are not a part of that population. The fact is that AIDS is an EVERYONE disease. The good news is that it is preventable and it is not a death sentence.




There is a notion that if one does in fact contract the disease that their lives are over. That is not the case these days. Medicine has vastly improved and many people lead normal lives with the disease while they take their medicine. The important thing is to know your status so that you can move forward the best way possible. If you are positive go to the doctor and start your medicine. Ignoring the issue does not make it go away. If you are not positive then stay that way. Don’t practice unsafe sex, don’t have multiple partners. Get tested regularly. Make good decisions.



I organized a World Aids Day event at college my senior year. It was a good experience but also a learning experience. The entire time I was setting things up I was hitting walls. The posters I made were not acceptable ~ but later approved. The brochures I made were not acceptable ~ but after a long conversation with the dean of students approved. The event is set up was deemed a waste of money ~ later approved. Many people that were close to me refused to wear the red ribbon. I was confused and realized that they were still associating AIDS with gay, black, and young. It was sad that a good cause caught so much flack ~ but the good thing is that the day went off as a success. So tomorrow let’s make it another success. Wear the ribbon and when someone asks you why you are wearing it tell them why. When people are aware of an issue they can do something about it, otherwise the cycle keeps going and there is no hope. I refuse to let that happen.
So this is my cause! What’s yours?

P.S. I found this interesting
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-01/aids-next-big-thing-gilead-pill-to-prevent-spread-update1-.html

CREATE ~ Thanksgiving

So Thanksgiving was Awesome! My parents and sister came and we had a nice relaxing holiday just enjoying each other… and some good food!

I get very excited about these big holiday get-to-gethers….. especially when I get to host. It makes me want everything to be pretty. So I got a little crafty and came up with this for my table.

I thought it turned out really great!!

The runner was some upholstery fabric that I got at a thrift store 2 years ago. I loved it and finally found a good use for it!!

The napkins are hand stamped. When I went to New York, I found some hand carved Indian stamps that I have been itching to use.


I just used some fabric ink and stamped the edges of some napkins I got from TJ Maxx



Then I ironed over them, I read somewhere that helps to seal the ink so your dinner guests don’t end up with orange ink smeared all over their faces.


The end result were these!!


The centerpiece was a candle globe from my mantelpiece with corn husk garland around it.
I just bought some corn husks for tamales from the Hispanic section at wal-mart


I riped a husk into smaller strips and then folded them over like this


Then I found some wire Christmas ornament hangers and poked one through the pieces


Then you wrap the sides around to hold it in place


Now you are supposed to make a million of these and attach them to twine and hang them but me and my sis just decided to make a centerpiece out of them. So we got out the handy hot glue gun and went to work. It was simple but really pretty I thought.


Then I just brought out my everyday dishes, place cards I made for last thanksgiving, me and Melia added some finishing touches and voila!!


So this was my Thanksgiving creation!!! What have you created lately?

The Give Thanks Y'all Tree!

At work we decided to start doing something for all of our big holidays. For Thanksgiving we came up with this neat little tree and everyday all of us in our unit take a leaf and write something that we are thankful for each day. I think it was a good way for each of us to stop and reflect on the blessings that we have each day. What are you thankful for?

Respect Vs. Shame ~ Reflect

my best friend and i were talking tonight over Applebees (spinach dip! Gotta love it!) He was catching me up on what has been going on at church ~ I haven't been in a while becuase I work every sunday. Apparently my pastor has been talking about traditionalism in our faith and the importance of being spirit led rather than tradition led. My pastor went on to say that when traditional people attack your worship you have the right tell them the truth very adamantly about what the Bible says about how you worship. This struck a cord with me and started a whole different discussion.

   Basically that did not sit well with me. I grew up in a very radical and liberal church. We had very spirit led worship and did not play by many of the rules of most churches. I firmly believe in that style of worship. What came along with that though, was a sense of haughtiness. I remember actually feeling superior to other believers because we had tapped into the power of God and other denominations with things like church programs and church membership didn't. After i went to college i was exposed to a lot more and i realized that although other people had what felt like a very rigid way of worshiping to me it was worship to them. So thats when I decided that there isn't always one right way to have church and worship God. I never wanted to go back to that place of superiority, and internalized the mantra that if it works for you then good.

  I adopted this in many different aspects of my life and I think that it has helped to be more openminded when speaking to people of other faiths and ways of thinking. My friend said that we should be able to share what we believe to help others understand what we believe and maybe change their minds about some things. When he said that all i could think was... is what I have to say really going to change what they believe. I immediately felt a pang and realized that by excepting the mantra of "if it works for you then good" that I was really giving up on sharing what I believe. I am talking spiritually but this applies on all levels. So I'm stuck. I always say who am I to say that I know better, that my way of doing is better than theirs. I firmly believe that we all have to do whats in our hearts to do and we all do it in different ways. If we did it all the same way wouldn't that be a boring world. But where is the middleground. Do i express my beliefs without expecting results? If so why express them at all? Or do I tell it all like I have all the answers? I know there is somewhere in between....  What do you do?

  I think it is very easy for our respect for others beliefs to become a sort of shame for our own. So I'm at a stand-still ~ help me out Yall!

P.S. the picture i my confused look!

Local Love ~ Great Shops Close By

The Shopping Season is vastly approaching... sorry I meant Christmas Season!! I officially started my shopping today for my sister-in-law! I can't release what i got her... but she's gonna love it! It's really easy to get caught up in the THINGS of Christmas so I'm not gonna write a post about all the possessions I have acquired ot hand out to everyone. I will say that there is nothing like giving someone something that you know that they will love. It's a good feeling!
I love to get one of a kind things for myself and for people. I usually do the thriftshop route for myself ~ there are lots of little treasures! But the other great option is Etsy! I stumbled upon this great website while surfing around the wonderful world of blogger one day!! There is a great option for you to shop local ~ so you can support the people and economy of your neck of the woods! I love it!

So i thought I would highlight some of the people around me! Here are some things I thought were neat!

First is my new friend Stampgirl45 ~ She has these awesome 50's Christmas gift Tags up for sale! I REALLY want them to attach to my gifts this year!

Next is Muchloveilly . She has a shop full of cute little posey headbands and rings! I saw them and wanted to buy my sister one instantly. What do you think?

I also saw these wonderful handmade fabric baskets offered up by TheCatsPaw ! Here is what one looks like

Batwa has an array of these cute clutches that are perfect gifts for the tweens in your life

And don't these look delicious!!! well they are for your DOGS!! don't forget them this Christmas. Wonderful gourmet treats for Fido and friends over at Muddypuppys

I am so proud to have such awesome people in my locale creating such wonderful things! Now it's your turn to check out what's close by to you look Here

Book Club Update ~ The Sophistareaders

So our book club found a name! The name I offered up was "The all inclusive not exclusive book club for social workers and no one else" ..... apparently that was a little long winded so we settled in on "The Sophistareaders". We are sophisticated and we read!

   I am a little past halway though our first selection "Three Little Words". It is a memoir of child in foster care and chronicles her journey through. I will post a full review later but for now I'll tell you what I have got so far. The book is an easy read but is definitely worth reading. It does a good job of showing what foster care can be like through the eyes of a child. Parts of it have been pretty harrowing. The majority of the social workers throughout this child's story have been careless and selfish. It really struck a cord with me because that is what I do everyday (social work with families ~ hopefully not be careless and selfish!). I know how easy it is to make my job about me and not about the families that I serve. I think we all do that in different ways.... we are stuck in our bodies and in our worlds and we often lose sight of the others in it. It takes diligence on our parts to listen to our friends, care for our loved ones, and offer a smile to strangers on the street. I think it's natural for our focus to hone in on ourselves, but we have to change that. We have to realize that we are here together for each other, and lay down the selfish ritual of assessing each situation as how it may affect us. Our decisions everyday affect those around us in every way ~ think of traffic! Slow cars, fast cars, bad drivers ~ all are on the road together and what one car does determines how the others that follow will go. It's the same with ua in our daily walks, my daily actions are steering the course of the people arounds me's day. I could just be talking to me! ~ but i hope if it applies you will take it to heart too. So I will keep reading and Y'all get ready for the full review... very soon!

Better Me Epiphany ~ I will factor others into the equation and take all the focus off of myself. I will not squander the responsibility of this shared experience of life.

The end of phone blogging!

Ok so I think I am finally going to do it.... I'm going to buy a computer!    I have been doing the majority of my blogging from my phone and i think itKs about time I buckle down and do this the right way!   I went last week and bought an Ipad. I was under the impression that it was a touchscreen computer... but it was not. It was just like using my phone but more difficult. So i took it back. Target has the best return policy!   So i think that very soon i will be the proud owner of some sort of PC! Here is hoping that the next time you hear from me it will be in a pleasant way and not with my fingers tired from all these tiny buttons!

Better Me Epiphany ~ All of Me

So me and my bestie were having a conversation about relationships. He said that it's good that you can offer someone something that no one else has been able to. I replied by saying everyone wants parts but not the whole thing. When i said that it really stuck with me and made me think about relationships. We all have roles in relationships (friendships). Some of us are the talkers, or listeners, or entertainment, and so on. Whenever that friend calls you listen,, the other you discuss the deepest of subjects, and the other you make laugh. I don't think there is anything wrong with that unless that becomes the only part of us that gets light with that person. When that happens you are always stuck listening or always saying something silly. I say thats a problem becuase no one is just one thing. We all have different facets to ourselves. Sometimes we have something to get off our chest and sometimes we have a valid point that we want to discuss. The easy answer is to go to the friend or loved one that fits into the role that best suits your needs. That may work, but it only perpetuates the cycle. I believe that a good relationship is one that celebrates all your parts and not just the part that conveniently fills someone's need. By celebrate I mean that we have the oppurtinity to be all of who we are. No one can be all things to all people. When you try you are pulled into a million different places, and have to change clothes for each new role that you are to fit into. That is not healthy and it is not authentic. Every relationship that we have is not going to be that deep though. I don't think it's possible to be that invested in so many people, but the relationships that are real ~ The ones that are filled with people that we love and spend the meat of our lives in should be. I am a talker, a listener, a laugher, a silly joke teller, a thinker and so much more. Anyone who doesn't want all of that from me doesn't deserve any of me. It is selfish to fill our lives with people who are around for convenient purposes and nothing else.

Better Me Epiphany ~ i will be all of who I am everyday that I'm living and expect nothing less from those who take all of me in

Better Me Epiphany ~ Own It

People can be our greatest blessing and our greatest curse. We spend everyday with each other and no one is an island. Sometimes we are around the greatest and most uplifting people and sometimes we are are surrounded by mountains of negativity. I believe we should always choose our influences and make every effort to surround ourselves with the best people, but sometimes that just isn't possible. We are all forced to be exposed to people that sometimes we normally wouldn't be around. They could be coworkers, church members, friends' friends.... the list goes on. These situations can be intimidating and draining and imminent. So what do we do?

I believe that our best way to combat this and enjoy a life cast with characters that we didn't pick is to own every situation that we are in. That means knowing who you are and not letting anyone or anything convince you otherwise. It doesn't require you to be abrasive or dominant. You just have to be sure. So the next time you are in a situation and there is someone there pumping you with negativity, belittling you, or being just plain rude ~ you have to make a concious decision. You have to say within yourself "I Know who I am and nothing will convince me otherwise".

So.... so what if they don't respect you

YOU RESPECT YOURSELF

So what if they tell you that you're unlovable

YOU LOVE YOURSELF

So what if they say the sun is sour and the earth is nothing but mud

YOU SEE A BLESSING IN WARMTH AND WALK ON SOLID GROUND

With this being said we don't have an excuse for the things said or done to us. Those things don't matter because we know better

Better Me Epiphany: No one else has the power to dictate who I am or how I feel. My indentity lies in what I choose.

Great Day!

Today I was off from job #1 and job #2! It was quite a momentous occasion..... because that never happens! Me and a gaggle of my coworkers decided to trek up to Charlotte and visit it's most important landmark..... IKEA! My sister came down from Winston-Salem and we spent hours walking through. It was so much fun! We got free lunch! Apparently if you buy lunch there and spend $100 in the store they deduct your lunch bill from your total. So I got a throw blanket, a rug, a giant mirror for my bathroom, napkin rings, and huge desk/craft table for $100. 07. Too excited about that!

P.S. the pic is me and my Melia(my sister) trying on silly hats in IKEA! Awesome trip! Thanks for the ride Jody!

Reflect Giveaway ~ Results

We have a winner!! well... Winners!!! I decided since there were only three people to respond that all three win!!! I am so excited about all of us taking the oppurtunity to reflect on our lives more often and get to know some loved ones a little better!

I know I had a link to some other notecards as the prize.... but I came across a local person who had some great designs... so I decided to order from her! You can check out her awesome work Here .


So the grand winners are ~


Jody Greene ~ She gets this wonderful set

Brandi Gray ~ got this set of birds on branches

And ~

Laura Rada ~ Got these cute little posies!

Congrats Yall!! I so glad you participated!! I hope you enjoy these awesome one of a kind handmade notecards. Now get to enjoying your life and telling everyone you know all about it!