Hi all, its Nikki here today! I hope everyone is having a
great Summer! It is so HOT here in MO and we’ve not hit our hottest months yet… so we took Bella for a swim! She's a good little swimmer too... especially when there are ducks to swim after!!
Had to share this one..
Gosh I feel like I haven’t blogged here is so long, time
goes by so fast, I’m still in shock we are almost half way through the year.
Where does time go!?!
I have several things I’d like to share with you…
After a lot of thought I’ve decided not to design for the
fall/winter or go to Summer CHA 2012. It’s been a rough last year in my
personal life, loosing my grandma has been so hard. I didn’t realize how hard
it would be to not have her around and I’ve not done a great job at grieving,
instead I’ve just acted like it never happened then it hits me all over again
so this is something I need to get a handle on. I also just recently found out that one of my dads has
prostate cancer, he’ll be fine just hard to have a parent go through the
process. My dad goes in for surgery today so hoping all goes well for him and
his recovery. Then there’s my poor
baby brother, Barron, who just got released from the Grossman Burn Hospital in
LA, CA. (He lives in Santa Monica.) Barron was at a beach party and they had a
fire-pit (its chilly in the evenings near the ocean) a girl tripped and fell on
Barron and he then fell backwards into the fire. He has 1st, 2nd
and 3rd degree burns on his, back, butt, back of one arm and one
leg. He’s had two surgeries and they’ve taken skin graphs off his thighs to
cover the worse burns. Luckily he lives near one of the best burn hospitals in
the USA so we do feel very lucky about that. I’m hoping to go out the Santa
Monica to take care of him for a week as he has a very long recovery ahead of
him.
(These are pictures that he upload on Facebook.)
This is him and I about a year ago...
Okay so I don’t want to sound like a “Debbie-Downer” as
everyone is going to be okay and make it through its just been one “hit” after
another and I need some time to be with my families and focus on them. Also on
myself too, I’ve put on 12 lbs, my blood pressure is too high and so is my
stress level. I just need to try and relax and breathe. I need my family and
they need me.
I do have some fun stuff coming up though, like I’m going to
have monthly project kits that I will sale here on my blog and I’m working on
selling all my product directly to the consumer too. I do plan on being at Winter CHA 2013 which I’m sure I’ll be
ready for after some nice down time. I’m keeping my design team diva’s too so they will be working
on projects all fall and winter.
I
personally started training for a 5k using the “Couch to 5k” trainer app. I’ve
never been a runner but I really like it. A lot! I start running and there is a
sense of release and letting go that I just love, so maybe in 7 weeks I’ll be
running in my first 5k! (I’m only one week down.)
I do want to share some great “press” that my company has
gotten lately…
Creating Keepsakes Magazine has one of my layouts in the
August 2012 issue from my new “Exit Here” collection:
Canadian Scrapbooker published 2 layouts created by some
creative Canadian’s in their Spring issue, they used my “School is Cool”
collection:
And Australian Scrapbook Memories wrote a nice article about
my company and interviewed me for their May 2012 issue:
Please stay tuned for some of the fun monthly project kits
and all the design team diva’s awesome projects. And I just want to thank all
of you that have been by my side during this last year and recently too. I have
the best friends and support group. I look forward to some summer days of
nothingness. Hey maybe I’ll get to
even scrapbook again!
17 comments:
Love you Nikki ...and you know I will always support you!! I am sorry to hear about your dad!! I hope his surgery goes well today! And glad to hear about your brothers recovery! Hopefully everything will work out well for him!! Awesome news about all the magazines!! Congrats on the pub!!!!
Sending prayers your way to you and your family for great health and a speedy recovery.
oh nikki, sending my thoughts and prayers to you! my father died 3 years ago- i understand how you are feeling. i am so glad that you are taking some time off and just taking care of yourself! i learned that too the hard way!! of course we will all miss you at cha this summer but i know we all understand!!! bless you and your family! take care!
Take care - life does get really hard at times and if u don't take time to rest you can't ever heal, so glad u realized that.
Congrats on all the publication - July scrapbook trends, p26 is my layout using your products also - I will be waiting anxiously for whenever u have your next DT call! Take care!
Dear Nikki -- Extra prayers for peace and healing for you (mentally) and the rest of your family (physically). Life really can knock us down sometimes. It's a real test of character to be able to recognize that you need to take some "me time" to heal and head toward that next challenge. After all, life is much like preparing for that firsr 5k ... you don't know how difficult the end line can be unless you have strengthened your heart. Having had your grandmom die when you were so very close to her knocked the wind out of you!
Be well. When you're ready for us, we'll be ready and waiting for you!
Fondly,
Ellen ♥ CardMonkey
here is a big virtual hug :-)
It takes a very strong person to step back, reflect and take time to heal. I will keep your family in my prayers and thoughts. Sending positivity and healing thoughts your way.
I look forward to the kits for sale & your loyal followers will be just that - loyal and will be there for you. God speed
Hi Nikki... many things to say... will try to do it concise!! First, sorry to hear about your brother and dad, but glad to hear they will both be ok!! So hard to watch those you love go through difficult times :(
Second, I feel your heart re: your grandma... I've lost both of mine. Take time to really celebrate her life... cry, laugh, scrapbook photos and memories!!!
Third, I soooo get the "stepping back" to refocus your life... am in the process of doing that myself so good on you for having the wisdom and strength to actually do it :)
Thanks for sharing and I hope and pray all goes well for you in all of the above :)
Blessings from your Canadian friend,
Allison Orthner
So proud of Nikki... to take some time for yourself... you have a ton of support and us DIVA will always back you up :) Take all the time you need, to breathe, and enjoy life and your family. Sending prayers and happy healthy thoughts to you and your family :)
Thinking of you!
Nikki, keeping you in my prayers. Family is important and this blog can wait. Funny, I thought of you today, before I even read the blog. I was in my craft area and pulled out a summer packet of y0urs. Guess that is Divine intervention working. Take care and hope to see you up blogging again. God Bless you all.
Well here is to a better year for you girlie!! Hope things are going better for your brother now and I will be thinking of him, your dad and your family...sending big hugs! Congrats on the pubs and I will miss you LOTS this year at CHA!
Behind you 100%, Nikki! Love ya!
I think it is fabulous that you will take this time off to spend with your family and friends. Glad your brother is healing and doing so well with his recovery.
Will be praying for your dad and continue to pray for your brother.
Congratualtions on the running races you have joined!!
Big Congrats on all the pubs!!
In my thougths and prayers!
Oh my goodness, you have been through the absolute wringer!
I'm so very sorry to read the news about your Dad and your sweet brother. Prayers going out for them and for you to get some time to re-group and get back to feeling better again.
It's so important to take care of ourselves and the easiest thing to forget to do when we're in crisis sometimes.
(((Hugs))) to you!!!
I am sending you and your family healing thoughts and I shall keep you in my prayers. Please do take care of yourself too. It is so very important. I shall look forward to your upcoming project kits and winter CHA. Good luck with the 5K.
I saw some posts on facebook about your camping trip and it dawned on me that I didn't see any of your fun designs going around the CHA photo circuit. I've been a bad blogger lately and had no idea you were taking a break. It's great that you are taking time for you and your family. I hope your dad and brother are doing well. I wanted to say how cool it is that you are doing the couch to 5k. I've been slacking in the running dept, but I trained using that app too. Makes it so easy. I'll be looking forward to your winter designs and I love seeing your fun camping pics and how you take your fur babies along.. take care and good luck on your 5k.
=)
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