Tears, tears and more tears ...

God bless nurses

for all they do to soothe emotional patients

“Are you okay hunny? ”

— Tammy - Northwest Eye Surgeon Nurse

Apparently the surgical center does mot see “young people” like me often. Upon reflection, this particular surgery is 99% more likely in people in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. General cataract surgery is quite common, in fact, Dave discovered during his 1.5 hour wait that the US performs 2 million cataract surgeries per year. 20 million world wide. (Apparently, it also decreases the likelihood of experiencing a hip fracture by 16%. LOL) Only in these odd circumstances do severely visually impacted patients elect to undergo this life changing procedure. My FSA funds were depleted by $2,200 for the new lens in my Left eye (the surgical costs being covered by my insurance due to my decreased night vision).

I’m certain my nurse was quite surprised to see me crying when she came to check on me following surgery. To be honest, the “relaxation drugs” they gave me via IV didn’t feel like they did much. I was totally ok to get up and walk out as soon as they unhooked me. So once I was freed, I opened my eyes and immediately started looking around the room. The first thing I saw was the can light in the ceiling, then the machines, then my feet … I could hardly believe I could actually see outlines of objects. I was so emotional I started to cry. After living in a world of Monet-like images, I was suddenly seeing so clearly. She opted to give me a few minutes to myself to cry it out. My first thought “Mom, it worked! Thank you for being here!”

I lost it again when I saw Dave in the waiting room, and maybe a few more times yesterday. I’m sure it was like seeing one of those babies experiences glasses or hearing aids for the first time.

As I write, it is 6:00 AM in the morning. I’m sitting in the livingroom with the Christmas lights shining, watching the news with only a Right contact in, and catching you up on my status. I’m working on my laptop, still a bit fuzzy but doable.

It’s almost certain I will require reading glasses following my next surgery. I elected to have my distance vision the focus of my new lenses, since I have never seen the world clearly, even with prescription lenses. I will be age-appropriately in need of some readers, but this I will never regret.

I will post another blog soon describing the surgery and my experience. I have a follow up this morning and a check up with my eye doctor next week. My Right eye surgery is January 4th (with another $2,200 hit to my 2023 FSA funds. LOL) so this saga isn’t over yet.

In the meantime, I appreciate the birthday wishes yesterday!! Of course, I enjoyed the Jack Ryan Season 3, taking a couple short naps and having my little family around to keep me company. Sleep was a little difficult last night simply because I couldn’t sleep on my left side or with my face shoved into my pillow which is my normal “not doctor recommended” sleep position. But my eye does not hurt. My iPhone alarms are set for my eye drops routine and I’m going to enjoy the few weeks at home.

Happy holidays ! Be sure to be thankful for the gifts God has given you - and today I am thankful for Dr. Israelsen who has gifted me the ability to see our beautiful world.

Gabby

Big changes

It’s all about the details

I spoke earlier this year about the eye surgery I had scheduled with a reputable eye surgeon in the Seattle area. The procedure is called Phacemulsification (small incision cataract surgery) with prescription lens correction. Originally, this was scheduled in August 2022. About a month prior to surgery, my surgeon’s office called to inform me the lenses he had requested from the manufacturer would not be available until “winter”. They rescheduled my surgery for December 21st in hopes the lens would be available.

I heard from him again in November. The manufacturer indicated the lenses would not be available and they had no new deadlines to report. It could be summer 2023 or never.

Anyone who’s had severely poor eyesight understands the fear of total vision loss. We’ve been chasing perfect eyesight and spending oodles of money on correction. I’ve likely spent well over $25,000 over my lifetime on glasses, contacts, prescriptions, co-pays. I can’t imagine what would have happened had I NOT had vision insurance coverage!

Another conversation with my surgeon was necessary, as well as communication with his office and my FSA provider to figure out my next steps.

• Do I wait until the perfect lenses are released?

• If so, how long do I wait?

• How will not moving forward affect my FSA money since nearly $2,200 would be lost for 2022 and possibly $2,900 for 2023!

• Or, do I move forward with the best possible lens option and start living my better life?

In the end, I decided to move forward. I made calls to my people, talked about it with Dave and I believe this is the best solution. Because the upgraded lenses, the family and I are on the hook for close to $6,000, much of that is already wrapped up in a FSA account. $2,700 for 2022 and $2,900 for 2023. Only $500 would roll over into 2023, and with the timing now at the end of the year, we are up against a ticking clock. More importantly … I am ready to start living my best life NOW!

So many of my vision professionals agree that this surgery is life-changing! I have a difficult time even imagining what it will be like to open my eyes and see clearly, or just see! No more panicking when my glasses accidentally fall off the bedside table, or forgetting to bring extra contacts on trips, forgetting solution or contact cases or glasses, dry eyes, dirty contacts, running out of contacts, eye injuries. I have never been able to be in water or splashing water on my face without losing lenses and everyone in my life fears me driving at night (often hanging on for dear life!)

I have chosen contacts focused on distance, since that was taken from me at the age of 6 or 7. According to the surgeon, with the lenses we’ve now agreed upon, I should see distance at 20/20 and only need reading glasses for small print up close. Since I’ve been wearing readers for even watching TV ON TOP OF my current contact prescription, I’ve decided not to wait for this new life. On the plus side, given the separate surgery dates, I will be able to use FSA funds for each eye, Left eye will take the 2022 funds and the Right eye will take the 2023 funds. Additionally, the change in lens type will cost a total of $2,000 less than originally budgeted.

While I’m nervous about the surgery, the countdown is a struggle! These next 9 days are going to be the longest of my life! It started to sink in when I realized tomorrow will be the last day I will ever need to wear a contact in my Left eye. Like EVER! One week prior to surgery, I am required to stop wearing my contacts (and make up … ugh) in order to give my eyes a rest. Following that surgery, I will be allowed to wear my Right contact for a week, and then on 12/28 I will stop wearing that contact and be running around my house in a pair of glasses with the lens removed from the Left side - so yeah - I’m staying home. LOL

Wish me luck! I’m impaneling a jury this week, so these people will get me in all my glory, although I've taken sick leave for much of my 3-week recovery. I’ll try to Blog a bit more about this process since so many people have asked for updates and my process. If I’m the ginny pig, then I’m going to move forward with bravery and fully paying attention to my feelings, surgery and outcomes.

Wish me luck and stay tuned for posts for the next week!

With love … Gabby

45% off Sseko Apparel tonight!

45% off my favorite apparel pieces

Those who know me well understand I have a style all my own. Luckily, I have my “go to” styles from a few of my favorite retailers.

• JJill

• Nordstrom Point of View

• Athleta

• SSEKO DESIGNS!!

The first 3 being more likely to show up in a “Who Wore It Better” photo opportunity, SSEKO Designs never fails to provide me with individuality and easy travel pieces. Of course, it always feels so much better when I can say “This was made for me by fair trade artisans in Uganda”.

Here are a few of my favorite go to pieces:

Magic pants

I had my doubts about these pants, but they are truly magical! They look gorgeous on every body, comes in sizes 2-24, packable, breezy, slimming and comfortable. I have the KAWA print and wore them recently to Mexico over my swimsuit. I also wore them on the plane. Oh and walking around Todos Santos shopping. I started wearing them back when the weather was still bad in Seattle with my tall boots and now with my sandals and a pair of wedges.

Whatever parts your hiding, they will magically make you look beautiful!

Also worth mentioning Is the Kawa Tank also featured above. It is reversible, can be worn inside out, as a vest and is #1 in my rotation of clothes! It pairs beautifully with my linen pants from JJill, my Sseko magic pants to create a secret jumpsuit, my staple jean shorts, or any of my Athleta wide leg linen pants or joggers.

Dresses

I also bought the Kawa print in the dress and it’s such a staple piece for your closet.

• Coverup

• Dress with heels for date night

• Layered with leggings for air travel

• Boots and long sweater in the winter

• Sandals for outdoor concerts and markets

There are literally dozens of ways you can wear these dresses, including reversed! A low “V-neck” or ballet neckline paired with reversible on seam pockets. POCKETS! It also comes with a skinny fabric belt that you can wear around the waist or perhaps as a skinny tie accessory for around your neck, as a belt with your favorite pants or decorating your purse.

I recently gifted the Solstice to my friend Rita in Mexico. She LOVES Sseko and was thrilled. She’s a petite little thing, but modest. I hope she loves how beautiful it will make her feel.

Kaftan

Ah, the Kaftan. Soft, long and totally gorgeous. I feel like I’m channeling Elizabeth Taylor in these “Halston-esque” wearable works of art. I MAY have about 6 of them in my closet (well except for the one that my daughter stole from me recently!") I’ve worn these to work, to bed, when laying around the house, traveling, fancy dinners, weddings, etc. I wore one of my favorites to my niece’s wedding several years ago and I felt beautiful.

If you’re wondering “I will feel swallowed up in this big dress” you couldn’t be more wrong.

I’ve always told my girls “You should feel as beautiful covered up and confident as you would in the most gorgeous gown.” Confidence and style IS SEXY. I don’t remember anyone ever saying that Elizabeth Taylor looked old and dumpy. She shown like the starlet she was and so will you.

“Like a Girl is a compliment” Tee

This is literally the softest and quality tee I’ve ever worn. These are the only ones I have hanging in my closet (the others are all in drawers waiting to be tossed out because they’re never worn). I have had so many compliments each time I wear these. I feel like I’m supporting “women’s rights” like a Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

They’re dressy enough to pair with a pair of slacks for work, maybe under a long sweater or blazer. I throw them in my Sseko duffle for trips to Crescent Bar or overnights with Dave. They can dress up a pair of cutoff jean shorts or with your Sseko magic pants.

I sincerely hope these will make the transition to the Noonday Collection!! Grab one just in case!

sale starts 10:00 pm pst tonight. don’t miss out on the great birthday deals and celebrate the collaboration of these two beautiful companies!

Phacemulsification (small incision cataract surgery)

Phacemulsification

Small-incision cataract surgery

I was prescribed my first set of glasses when I was in 2nd grade. I couldn’t see the chalkboard from the front row of the classroom and was the first in my class to be called “4-eyes”. And I had some beauties … big, brown, plastic frames with fancy gold sides that I added fingernail flower stickers to make them look cool. (Ok, it didn’t help.) That ended any dreams I had of being a swimmer or any manner of sports actually. My glasses either had to come off or fog up because back in the day my parents couldn’t afford specialized goggles. However, my dance instructor allowed me to go onstage without them as long as I knew the dance well enough not to run into anyone. That worked until I hit 8th grade when my sister found me an eye doctor stupid enough to give a growing girl some soft contacts.

The trouble with soft contacts is they tend to worsen your prescription over time. As I grew older, my vision just kept getting worse until somewhere in my 30’s, I hit -11 and -11.5, legally blind. And even then, my distance wasn’t the best because contact manufacturers either didn’t make soft contacts that strong, or my astigmatism was too great for total correction.

In the mornings, nothing happens until I put my contacts on. I can’t read my shampoo bottles and everything is done by touch more or less. I can’t wear my glasses when I dry my hair because they are generally fogged up. Doing my make up is a joke. So, I have generally worn my contacts from 5:30am until about 9:00pm or later, depending on my evening plans. Again, not generally approved by the AOA (American Optometric Association).

To answer the question you must be wondering by now … Lasix is not an option for me. My eyesight is too poor.

My oldest sister was one of the first patients in the PNW for RK surgery, or Radial Keratotomy. This procedure was one used prior to Lasix for vision correction, pre-laser surgery. Following years of struggles, she ended up needing corneal transplants and sued her surgeon in a class-action medical malpractice suit after he skipped the country for his country home in England. (I’ll add for context that this was the same doctor who gave me contacts at the age of 13.)

At age 50, I’d given up on any dreams of vision correction because of my fear of losing my sight altogether or the exorbitant cost of a surgery not covered by my insurance. I’d flirted with the idea for the last few years, but couldn’t envision us spending well over $10,000 on surgery to improve what I would deem an “inconvenience”. My husband thought differently.

Right around my 50th birthday, he asked me to inquire with my eye doctor during my last annual eye exam (which for me was as depressing as a pelvic exam) for a referral to an eye surgeon who could perform the vision correction surgery. I instructed her to select a nationally recognized surgeon for me. Someone who she would trust. Lucky for me, he is local. She told me she was recently involved in a conference where Dr. Paul Israelsen spoke on the latest Cataract Surgery advancements and how his clinic was excelling in the field.

So I maxed out my FSA funds and made an appointment.

“Your vision is so poor that I will agree to perform your surgery.” He explained that my quality of life is strongly affected by my inability to live a full life and the beginning stages of cataracts can already be measured. After a bit of back and forth about surgical costs (the office does not often get requests for patient paid vision correction surgery) the doctor reached out and indicated because of my declining blurry night vision over the past several years, he would bill the surgical costs to my insurance company.

I had no idea my quality of life was affected - I have never known the ease of clear vision. I guess it’s like my nephew who thought everyone’s feet hurt because adults around him would say “Oh, my feet hurt.” It never occurred to him that he should tell my sister about his feet hurting so he could get orthotics.

Appointments were made. Dave and I foot the bill for the corrective lenses - at 1/2 the cost of the total procedure.

I can hardly believe this is happening.

Initial thoughts - there is NEVER a good time to do this. Between a kid graduating college, trip to Mexico, summer holidays, work, having to wear glasses for weeks at a time, 2 separate surgeries, no makeup for over a month I think! (I mean really WTH.) Maybe sometime in the fall before we leave for Europe, I might have better vision and be able to wake up and actually SEE the Cliffs of Mohr and the Isle of Skye. Maybe I won’t have to worry about spending all night at the Temple Bar because my contacts are drying out. Maybe I don’t have to carry boxes of contacts with me because you never know when one will break. Or allergies!!

I think I can be okay with all of that. Now I just need mom to give me strength and the surgeon a good night’s sleep and a steady hand.

More updates to come! (First I have to reschedule the 1st surgery because there’s no way I’m wearing my glasses on the boat during Fourth of July weekend!)

Much love,

Gabby

160 days until the Summer Solstice

160 days

June 21st is my happy place

My husband and I have owned our home for 20 years. Over the years, the home has been through a lot of redecorating, remodeling and upgrades. More recently, I asked my husband to pick up some white paint suggested by Amber Lewis, author of Made for Living, a book I purchased at Station 7 Station in Seattle’s Capital Hill shop. She is an interior designer and has an entire chapter about white paint. She writes about choosing a few options, considering your feeling for the space, light in the space, windows, lighting, room use … since I’m so busy these days I just went for it and sent the husband to Benjamin Moore for a gallon of White Dove. Here’s what she says about “White Dove”:

“The color White Dove by Dunn-Edwards is a perfect clean and bright white, ideal for mid-century-style homes …” - Amber Lewis

Most of my home is already white. Last summer we painted the walls, painted over the dark grey walls in the diningroom with pale grey, added white shiplap to many walls, lighter furniture, lighter rugs … the last hold out was our livingroom fireplace, which is now … White Dove.

Subsequently I made a few shopping trips to Crate & Barrel and the Home Goods stores. I packed my cart with white textured goods - new blanket, varied height vases of interesting texture, natural accents. I was looking to brighten up my home in any way I could. I suddenly realized I needed more light everywhere! I was drowning in dark.

Not that my home wasn’t already pretty white, but our rambler doesn’t get much natural light. It’s a 1968 build with big windows, but crazy big eaves. I was suffering from a depression that I couldn’t shake in my day. You see, I leave for work around 7am, I’m inside all day and my desk faces away from the window in my office. I leave after 4pm and it’s already dusk. By the time I arrive home, it’s past sundown and dark again. I realize Seattle isn’t the best place to reside during the winter. I can honestly say that I can’t remember a winter that has affected me this badly. Weekends are too short and we’re very busy in court these days so working from home is a non-option on most days.

I’ve been thinking about what I can do to make it through the next 160 days. Here’s what I came up with:

• Purchased Vitamin D3 - Strong sunlight triggers vitamin D production in your skin. Your liver and kidneys complete the conversion to vitamin D’s most active form, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D, also called vitamin D3. In theory, you can make all the vitamin D you need for the year with a few minutes of direct exposure to the sun a few times a week during the summer months. In reality, many people do not produce the required vitamin D, either because their skin is unable to absorb it, or they don’t spend enough time outside. Many also fail to get what they need from food and dietary supplements. According to the USDA’s 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans, most children and adults consistently come up short for vitamin D.* - www.centrum.com

• Ordered fresh flowers for my office twice per month. We don’t have the benefit of grabbing flowers from the public market during the winter, so I think this will help cheer up my office. Thoughts of summer days.

• Forcing myself to get out of my office during the lunch hour for some fresh air and sunlight. A little harder during a rainy day or with the cloud cover. I may try to purchase a daylight lamp to help boost my natural Vit D3. Here’s one I found: Daylight Lamp.

• Brightening up my home helps my mood when I return home. I enjoy combing through my new home decor books for ideas. The husband is working on completing our sunroom ceiling and as soon as it’s no longer a construction zone, we can begin enjoying the firepit and outdoor heater. Hopefully soon we’ll have a partially heated space to read a book with a cuppa hot tea.

I’ve rambled and gotten a bit off topic. I believe by speaking up about my recent depression, it will help me and help others. The family plan is to be at our place in Cabo San Lucas during the summer equinox - soaking up some much needed true Vit D3! But until then, I’ve just got to look forward to weekends and sunny days.

I’ll keep you posted!

Gabby

Best find of 2021

Best Find of 2021

In a little B&B, in a little town in Rhode Island … was a little miracle.

During our family trip to the East Coast this past summer, I really wanted to spend a few days in a typical New England town near the ocean. We ended up in Cranston, near Pawtuxet Villiage, just sound of Providence. Technically on the Pawtuxet River, host Greer had a beautiful little 2 story remodeled home. We fell in love with all the amenities, as small as they were. It was a beautiful 1-bedroom, 2nd story apartment across the street from a marina and within walking distance to a small street of shops.

This is where we were first introduced to the framed smart TV. Initially we thought it was a beautiful painting above the small fireplace, until we wondered what the remote on the coffee table was for! The screen shot to life with a variety of options! The decor and colors were calming and spa-like. Greer had apparently thought of everything, including robes in the bathroom, free standing closets to put clothes away, maps of the village, and the the cleverest little disposable towels for her guests.

When looking around for washrags, we checked in the small drawers beneath the bathroom sink. In a glass jar were these small white circle things with a little sign that read “Please use these disposable wash cloths to help me keep my white towels clean.” I couldn’t believe how ingenious these were!

I immediately jumped on Amazon and ordered some sent to our home in Washington. I loaded up my bathroom, the guest bathroom and our bathroom at Crescent Bar. Run them under a bit of warm water and you can easily take off all of your makeup. They are thick enough to rinse and reuse, and soft enough not to be harmful to your skin. Biodegradable, they are safer for the environment then washing your washrags with bleach or sending them off to the landfill or Goodwill when they become old and unusable.

I kept some in my purse and close by during the hot days of summer in Eastern Washington. A little cool water on a cloth on the neck felt like a dream.

My family has not yet made it through the 1000 that I ordered in July, but I’ve got another box In my Amazon cart ready for summer.

So, if you haven’t tried them, I would encourage you to do a little something wonderful for your skin, your laundry and your environment. You’ll thank me later!

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Looking for Inspiration in 2022

Looking for Inspiration in 2022

Reconnecting after 16 months

Who else feels like their life has been on hold since the beginning of COVID? My last blog post was in August of 2020 - a year after I started my new job and 5 months following the start of COVID. I suppose I hadn’t found very much to inspire following so much disappointment. Cancelled plans. Missing friends. Loneliness. All in the hope of avoiding COVID in our home.

COVID caught up to us in the end, and I really mean the end, as in the end of 2021. On December 14th, I started feeling like I had a cold starting. I stayed home from work since I had a jury and co-workers with suppressed immune systems. Even if it was just a cold, I didn’t want to start an epidemic right before the holidays. I received a negative COVID test that Thursday and was miserable all weekend. That following Monday I went to work, mainly to pick up my laptop to work remotely while my boss was on vacation. I wore my mask, kept my distance and sanitized everything. That afternoon I checked in with an urgent care doctor who suggested I get retested. The following morning, December 21st, my 50th birthday, I received a positive test for COVID. Since the new Omnicron strain was so infectious, the doctor said that we should assume the entire house is infected. Symptoms showed up a few days later in both my husband and my eldest daughter. Neither of whom had quite the severity of symptoms as I had. My father-in-law, who had a booster about a month ago, only had a runny nose for a day. My youngest, who contracted COVID in March 2021, was spared this time around.

I believe everyone in our family was suffering from depression and lack of excitement. Despite having taken a vacation to the East Coast in June, we still felt a sense of separation. For most of 2021, my Judge and I were working either remotely or in a virtual courtroom with little to no contact with people throughout the day. My husband, albeit relaxed retired schedule, was in isolation much of his days with only his dad or our eldest daughter for company. Likewise, my eldest daughter lost her volunteer program at the start of the pandemic and while we attempted to keep her active in the community, most programs were cancelled. My youngest was successful in keeping herself busy with full time remote school and a couple of long-term film production jobs. She was working 60-70 hours per week, doing full time remote classes and catching up with her college friends in the evenings playing Minecraft.

Our saving grace was being able to run away to our Crescent Bar vacation home whenever we could. Of course, my husband and the kids more than me, but it was nice knowing that my husband was finally getting some well-deserved relaxation. A highlight of the year was the nearly full remodel of our vacation home. New floors, painted walls, shiplap, new cabinetry, new hallway, new bedroom, and complete kitchen remodel (WITH a new dishwasher!) All of these changes I will post in a separate blog - it definitely deserves it’s own introduction.

As the last week of 2021 rolled around, I started thinking about new beginnings, as I do every time this year. Gaining inspiration from Instagram Bloggers that I follow. @lizmariegalvan started cleaning up Christmas this past Sunday, changing up her beautiful farmhouse to “winter” rather than Christmas. Being snowed in and the court having decided to close today, I took advantage of the long day by removing 80% of my Christmas decor. Leaving only the lighted trees to help ring in the new year. It’s time for a fresh start.

I spent time creating and designing a new planning system this morning, and one of the options I chose was a blogging worksheet each month. It’s time for me to start getting inspired and maybe even inspiring others. And while COVID may still be up front in the news - keeping us hidden behind masks and protecting our families - we should all find things to get a bit of pre-COVID selves back.

I would love to hear from you - so maybe tell me how you are getting organized or inspired in 2022. Maybe we should start a book club, or a ladies group. I’m game!!

How will you be inspired?

OMG seriously?!?

You must get one of these shirts!

Sseko has seriously outdone themselves with this t-shirt. 95% cotton and 5% spandex, it is soft and thick which I didn’t even think was possible! It’s a gorgeous wine color with embroidery made by hand by our artisans in India. And this time around, they made them in sizes S - XXL!

I know I talk a lot about how wonderful Sseko is and how I love everything - well this is certainly risen to #1 on my list! I have a feeling this baby is going to join me on many Adventures.

Only $44.99.

Sseko Fall Collection 2020

Travel “Beyond” with Sseko

At Sseko, we’re doing what we can to help you look Beyond the current crisis and witness women make the world a better place

I am excited to announce the launch of the Sseko Fall “Beyond” Collection launching today. at 11am PST.

Bring on darker shades, luxurious layers and all the patterned prints. The Fall 2020 'Beyond' Collection has a gorgeous array of versatile apparel pieces, stunning bags, handcrafted statement jewelry, and eye-catching footwear– You’re sure to find everything you need to complete your perfect fall wardrobe.

Because of the current climate, it is just Beyond incredible that Sseko was able to launch a collection this Fall. COVID-19 has hit the fashion industry hard and we all have seen stores closing and big, chain companies are cancelling orders. Fashion industry workers are not getting paid for work they’ve already done. The workers who are most vulnerable are now even more so.

Sseko believes in a larger mission. We believe that it’s not always about the bottom line, but by building a business together, and being true to all of the employees, we create a model that works and supports everyone. At Sseko, many of our pieces are being made by women employed by Sseko, those that are not Sseko employees are part of the Fair Trade Movement. It is because of this collective ambition and commitment, our family isn’t just surviving - we’re thriving.

Our CEOs, Ben and Liz Bohannan are launching the collection LIVE on Facebook at 5pm PST. Let them explain just how much work went into launching this Collection during COVID and how Sseko is helping to keep the women who create these beautiful products in Uganda, Ethiopia and India safe and employed during this global pandemic.

Something Sseko cannot predict is how quickly the items will sell out. Keeping our Sisters safe overseas during the pandemic means lower inventory and slower shipping. If there is something from the new collection you can’t live without, I would encourage you to click that “Purchase” button quickly!

If that “can’t live without” item is a struggle financially, you can schedule a Facebook Trunk Show with me and I’m sure your friends would love to get together on a Zoom party with a little wine and their credit cards. You could earn those big ticket wish list items quickly. Contact me for details ….

In the meantime, I will be getting ready to click my own “Purchase” button for the things I can’t live without and provide a little support to my Sseko Sisters globally.

A few things to point out:

• “Like a Girl” black tee is back with limited quantities in sizes 2-20.

• The new “Say Yes to Adventure” tee is our latest t-shirt in a beautiful wine color.

• The Kawa print is back by popular demand in gorgeous bags, clothing and accessories.

• We’re introducing the short black kaftan for those extra COVID pounds to wear for all your holiday gatherings, but also to show off those gorgeous legs! Add a little heel or sandals and your favorite bling and you’re ready for anything.

Watch my IG posts for items I purchased today …

Introducing The Fall 2020 Beyond Collection. Somewhere beyond our wildest imaginations, our darkest doubts, our insecurities, our wounds, and our naysayers. Beyond me and you, there is us. And we are better together. We can't get there by going over or under, only through.

Getting it right

Sometimes waiting is the best idea

We took down the master bathroom door when we remodeled about 4 years ago. The door actually opened in and If someone was using the toilet, or the shower, they were stuck in the bathroom. We always knew we needed a sliding door, but after seeing the pains it took to install a pocket door, we just weren’t ready to take that on. So we stalled … a long time.

We looked into the barn doors previously, but the “barn style” just didn’t match our home decor style. We also find it exciting to use recycled products in our remodeling.

About a month ago, we came upon this old door at a recycled building products store in Seattle. Our bathroom doesn’t have any windows, so I really was loving the idea of a door with a window - to bring a little light in. This door was quite a find and exactly what I’d been looking for. We splurged on the barn door kit and because my husband is the building bomb, it works like a charm!

The point of the door is to allow for some privacy right? The window film is perfect and it looks just a gorgeous stained glass window - add the pipe door handle and we’ve got a trendy, stained glass sliding door that matches our bathroom decor beautifully!

Sometimes it pays to wait and let the great ideas develop naturally.

• door from Second Used in Seattle

• barn door kit from Lowes

• film from Lowes

• wall color Light French Grey from Sherwin Williams