Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening?

All right, so it's afternoon here. I wanted to get a quick post in before the weekend arrives. Forgive me ahead of time, for I feel like I have a few things I want to say, so likely, it'll be a rambler.

First up- this weekend marks the start of my Birthday Week Giveaways! From Saturday the 24th through Friday the 30th, I will have at least 1 giveaway posted per day. Let me give you a few hints as to what to expect-

• Everything is handmade!
• The items have been donated by fellow bloggers.
• There are two contests where the winner gets to choose their own prize!
• The prizes include items like jewelry, baby items, and even a hand made purse (which I am in love with..)

So, please, stop back in on Saturday for the first of at least 7 give aways! The posts will be here on my blog, and where possible, will be in the weekly link parties. Good Luck ahead of time!

Next up- I just finished my first go-round of Physical Therapy today for my neck, which I recently found out has arthritis. Yes, I know- I'm too young for that. Apparently not. This week we worked on exercises I can do to strengthen my back muscles, so that it's easier for me to stand and sit with good posture, which will alleviate the worst of the pain, stave off a majority of the headaches, and lastly, keep the arthritis from deteriorating further.

I even spent some time on Tuesday with skin ripping tape on my back- I kid you not. They put me in the right posture, taped me up, and gave me dire warnings of skin being ripped off by the tape if I slouched. I only lasted about 3 hours in it before I was begging hubby to get it off.

All in all, though? I have almost no pain during the day in my neck or shoulders. I still have some headaches, and if I am active, I very quickly grow sore and get massive headaches. My mobility has improved greatly. I can tilt my head backwards all the way- actually, he said I was tilting it further than it normally would go in other people, but that he has a feeling my neck itself isn't aligned the way other people's are, if he saw it on an xray. Forward, I don't tilt nearly as far as I should, but at the same time, I was tilting down till my chin was touching the hollow of my neck. Physically, there's no way I could have gone further, but the numbers weren't as high as they should have been. That's why he thinks my neck isn't aligned the way it should have been, and that I was likely just born that way.

He discharged me from neck PT, and I get to go back in 2-3 times a week and work out with the exercises they gave me, so I can continue to strengthen my muscles. I have to remind myself to shove my shoulders back when I'm sitting down. Standing, I have decent posture. But sitting, I've always slumped back or bent forward because of the pain. Which, in turn, made it worse- go figure.

Anyway.. so, PT went good. They are going to start working on my knee next, but that has to wait for the doctor to send in a new script for it.

Tomorrow is yard sale day. I'm going to hit the sales big time in a town up north. Nearly every other house in the city holds a yard sale this weekend. I kid you not, I could walk block by block for 6 hours and still not have hit every single sale. LOVE IT!

And last, but not least- I sold my Alice headband from my Etsy shop today. I'm excited! I already have it shipped out. I am loving this!

So... have a great weekend, and I'll be back and posting on Saturday for the first of several giveaways!

Do You Ever Notice...?

When you want need desperately have to have a great the best a fantastic idea, none are to be had? But when you otherwise just wander around with a million projects waiting for your attention, ideas sprout like weeds?

I'm in a funk. I have several projects I need to work on- things I'm making FOR other people, not myself. Things people have requested, or shown enough interest in that I feel they MUST have one too. But, sadly, new ideas are lacking.

I've had the mother of all headaches today, settled on my entire head. I suffer from headaches all the time. I've had my head, back, and neck all examined- lots, and there is never a cause. Usually, they are at the base of my skull- thick, pounding headaches. Today, there's that, then there's the same type of one behind my eyes, and in my forehead. 

It has made my creative juices stop flowing all together. I want need desperately have to have a great the best a fantastic idea. See, I was asked to do a post on one of my FAVORITE blogs, and do you think I have ANY idea what to post?

Nope. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Later, if I can wrangle the mother of all headaches under control, I may go to GW and DT to wander the aisles and let the inspiration soak up in me. If not, I'm going to be shutting myself in bed when Nick gets home, and hiding from the light, and noise. That's not to say it's a migraine- it isn't. But, still, light and noise can aggravate any headache. Kids, also. They can REALLY aggravate a headache.

-sigh- Here's hoping that the Excederin FINALLY kicks in (it usually does, but it's taking a lot longer today), and that my Crafty Muse comes flittering on by with a great the best a fantastic idea, which should also be totally unique and original, because those are the best ideas.

Also, because I suck, and I'm a loser, I haven't even done my craft for this week. I did -A- craft, but haven't finished or posted it, which would make this the first week of the year that I have not posted a craft for my goal of  "A Craft A Week in 2010". I'll get around to it, promise.