Today was easily one of the coolest mail days i ’ve had in such a long time! I got my first three notebooks in the mail featuring MY artwork!         I am not sure i’ll ever get over the feeling of seeing it places! I just lack the confidence yet in my art to believe that I’m good enough for it all.         But I’m trying!         I’m going to be selling them soon and adding them to the shop! I just have to figure out some details!         But here’s how they look!         I’m excited to keep putting myself out there and doing more of what I love! Which is creating! I don’t want to just tell stories anymore, I want to LIVE the stories I WANT to tell! And I think that’s how my mindset has changed over the last few years.         It’s a good feeling walking in the direction of what makes my heart feel whole and happy! I d...

    Listen, go to Sams Club and get yourself some of this seasoning! You'll thank me later! It goes good on pretty much everything! It's even great in coffee!       I haven’t felt good enough to cook a meal let alone eat the meal I cooked! But today? TODAY, I felt good enough to actually cook a meal AND eat it!         I ate and still feel great! I haven’t felt like this in weeks! So I am PRAYING that it lasts!         Now that I’m starting to feel better, I think i’m going to try and start easing my way back into all the things I love. At a slow pace though because I am not looking to run myself down again!         Anyway, I am going to take the rest of the day today to relax and make a list of things that I have to get done! I’ve been neglecting a lot since i’ve been sick and I am ready to get back to feeling like myself again, doing daily routines, feeling happy, fe...

     I ’m spending today fairly unplugged! Just watching movies, attempting to eat food and doing whatever the hell I want to do for the day.  (art, sleeping in, food, potato-ing, being completely lazy...etc)        We were supposed to have a get together with my dads side of the family but we have 3 confirmed cases of the ‘Rona so we did the responsible thing and reschedule so that way we all could go in good health.         So today, is a free day off and I am running with it! I don’t get too many of them!         My advice is to unplug every once in a while, take time to just do all the things you love in one day, completely unapologetically! Because life is short and the world is mad!         Life is not guaranteed, days aren’t promised. Be present in your every single day! And don’t put off the people who matter the most to you.         Have a ...

     I *FINALLY* feel like maybe I ’m on the mend! After many weeks of feeling overly exhausted and weak, today I ate like 4 times! Which breaks my previous forcing myself to eat 1 time a day record!       Don’t worry, I’m still going to go to the doctor! I want to get the situation under control! Having to learn your body all over again is hard! When you have surgery, especially to remove an organ, your body gets rewired, while it’s learning how to function again, you have to be patient and learn right along with it. That’s the perspective i’m trying to take with myself anyway!         It’s hard to stay positive when you feel like garbage 97% of the time. But I am doing my best!         Today wasn’t too crazy, I jut stayed in and worked on some artwork. My sister asked for a custom drawing for a tattoo and so i’ve been working on getting that done for her! This will be the first tattoo i’ve drawn up fo...

     I had a second dental procedure today! And then have another two scheduled for Wednesday the 2nd. Complicated I know, but they can ’t do them all at once because my mouth needs time to heal!         So, this is my worst nightmare, come to life! But I’m alive and fairly healthy and that counts for way more than fear and anxiety!         I just have to keep telling myself that.         The last two days I’ve eaten 6 eggs. SIX EGGS! Sounds small, but, that is more than I have eaten in a whole week, so I’d like to call that a win!          Anyway, I am off to watch movies, relax and just be present in the day! Because I am grateful. I might not be in the best of health right now, but I am figuring it out day by day! And in today’s crazy and ultra weird world, that counts for so much!    XOXO 

     I ’m doing all I can to be a human right now.        I am still having issues keeping food in, which is an issue for obvious reasons.        My anxiety is at an all time high. Which isn’t helping matters, at all.         I go back into the dentist tomorrow for a procedure. I can barely keep my excitement inside. (If you caught the hint of sarcasm, you’re my kind of people.)        On a more positive note, I launched a couple of pairs of shoes the other day, which I am really excited about! Here’s what they look like and I’ll add the link if you would like to check them out on my online shop! https://shelbylin11.threadless.com/      I am slowly trying to get some more work done while I am laid up and in bed most of the day, it’s the only thing that’s giving me hope that it won’t be like this forever. I am just trying to be as positive as I can be.      ...

     I ’m alive. The cleaning and x-rays went pretty okay.      I have another appointment on Thursday to correct some issues, one of 5. I guess it’s not too bad considering it’s been 8ish years since my last deep cleaning. Don’t judge me! I freakin’ hate the dentist.         Right now, my mouth is super sore and my gums are inflamed. Which is to be expected. I am now not looking forward to Thursday at all.         But I am doing my best to stay positive. Because that’s really all I can do.         I am mentally and emotionally exhausted. This whole experience has been trying and has tested me in so many ways.         I know it sounds dumb, but when this is one of your biggest anxieties, it’s hard to put into words how stressful it’s all been.        So with that being said, I’ll be resting the rest of the night, tomorrow will be a chill d...

     It's the night before my dentist appointment....I've been literally sick to my stomach for days and days (see last post) and now this! My anxiety is through the roof.       Wanna know how I am trying to cope with it all?  Basically I am just throwing myself into work and movies. I am doing absolutely everything to keep my mind off of this. I know in the grand scheme of things, this seem little to a lot of people.        But hear me out:        My normal dentist is a MEAN bitch! She had ZERO bedside manner and she always made it seem like it was an inconvenience for you to be there, even though it was her fucking job.         So I am going to a new one tomorrow. And let me tell you that is half the anxiety right there. Plus that, I know there’s going to be teeth touching, poking, prodding and examining and I HATE that. I have the absolute worst teeth anxiety, ever!    ...

     I ate a full meal today! That ’s a plus! That means my appetite is [hopefully] coming back! I honestly don’t want to jinx anything. So mums the word!        I am still having post gallbladder issues, which is what I think is causing a lot of my issues now. You have to eat a very specific diet and if it isn’t just right or your body doesn’t react just right, it reacts in a very negative way. I’ll spare you some of the more graphic details, but use your imagination...        It’s a miserable and isolating feeling. Embarrassing and uncontrollable (to my knowledge anyway.)        I’ve been doing a whole lot of research and it sounds like Ox Bile Salts are going to help me tremendously. According to other Gall-less brothers and sisters, that’s the step I need to take.         At this point in time, my body is running my life. I have to plan when I can eat, how long I wait to eat and every...

     I ’ve been in bed for days. LITERALLY, DAYS.      This is the longest i’ve been in bed for quite some time.         In the last week i’ve watched all of the Jurassic Parks and just finished the last Harry Potter....        Now? Now I’m watching Encanto.         I have never been LESS productive in my life.         But I can’t remember when I’ve felt so drained either. Actually, that’s a lie, the last time was when I had C19. And to answer your question, no I DON’T have the vid again. I’ve tested multiple times and they’ve all come back nagative.)        I am fully vaxed and boosted also. Don’t come for me, I did my part and if you disagree, that’s cool too! I’m all about freedom to choose.         This was my right to choose and I stand by the choice I made!         Anyway, after all of my ...

     To say I am exhausted is an understatement. I feel like I haven ’t slept in days. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve slept. Not a lot and not great, but slept.          My dental anxiety is seriously creeping in on me. My appointment is Tuesday and since it’s a new dentist i’m seeing, it’s basically just an intake. So a cleaning and x-rays and then the dentist and hygienist will come up with a care plan to get me all taken care of. Which will include a few cavities. I already know this from previous dentist appointments. The only difference is, the dentist that i’ve been going to since I was a child refuses to take my insurance. This new one, takes it. So I’ll actually be able to do something about it.         Which is something I haven’t been able to do for such a long time. I’m grateful, but queasy at the same time.         I plan to have a good conversation with my new dentist a...

     If you ’ve been following me for any period of time, you know that I have been on a weight loss journey.        You also know that because of that journey I had to have an emergency cholecystectomy. (Gallbladder removal)        Ever since that day, I have been on a brand NEW journey. Everything I thought I knew about nutrition I was going to quickly find out was absolutely wrong. Not wrong for everyone, just now wrong for me.         Did you know you can STILL have gallbladder attacks, even with NO gallbladder? No? Me neither!         But anyway, now that I know that tidbit of information, a lot makes sense.        Truthfully, lately. I have been extremely SICK! I don’t know which foods will make me feel sick both physically and emotionally.         Food does some weird things to you body, just saying!        ...

Before: Old butcher block I brought back to life!  Dirty, stained and boring!  After:      I love the refreshed look that this simple, 14 dollar, renter friendly DIY gave my kitchen! All in all, it took just under 3 hours to complete! (I am not an expert and there were definitely some bumps in the road)But I am so happy with the way that it turned out!      Also note in picture one of the after, I redid an old butcher block! And that was it's result!  Happy editing!  XOXO   

     It was a fairly productive day!          Here’s my quick list of accomplishments and then I’m off to relax because it’s been a rough day!         I sanded down my old butcher block and got two coats of paint and primer on it! Then for pizzazz I added a smidge if glitter!         Then I went over to my parents house to have my dad fix my alternator in my jeep because my part finally came in! YAY no more sad jeep!          Then I visited them for awhile and when I got home, I made some supper!         I put my wax coating on my butcher block to set it and that’ll sit overnight!         Then I refinished my kitchen counters! That took just under three hours to do! Tedious, but I love how they turned out!         Now I am sitting down to watch a movie and have a snack! I’m exhausted!   ...

     I went to snag some groceries today and of course pick up some random stuff!        I’m in full reno mode! I want to do small, easy at home and cheap upgrades!        I have a dated, brown knife block that I want to be black to match the rest of my kitchen! So I am taking black paint and primer that I already have from a previous project and i’m going to sand it down and give it a good facelift! Then I am going to buy all new knives to give it the new and sleek look I am going for!         Since I currently rent, I am always looking for ways that I can do, “renter friendly facelifts” that don’t cost an arm and leg!         My counter tops, just like everything else in my apartment is from the mid 90’s so I want to give those a cheap and (fairly) easy facelift! So I bought some contact paper and I am going to say A LOT of swear words and apply that to give my counters a new look!...

Apple Crumble FILLING: Two apples, peeled 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 2 tablespoons of sugar (I used stevia) 1 tablespoon of vanilla 1-2 pads of butter      Slice the apples up and add all of the above ingredients to a skillet and cook on medium heat until the apples are soft!      Once those are soft move them into a baking pan and then make your topping!  TOPPING: 1/2 cup of oats 1 tablespoon of sugar free maple syrup 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar 1 tablespoon of butter      Mix that up well and them sprinkle it over your apples and then pop it into your preheated 350 degree oven for 15-25 minutes or until satisfied with how crispy your topping is!      Then enjoy it hot with some vanilla ice cream over the top! SO. DELICIOUS!      Thanks for baking with me! I hope if you give this simple recipe a try that you love it as much as I do!       I hope you've had a relaxing weekend and...

     A lot of you don’t know what I do: I’m a Color Street Rep. (Just for funsies!) I’m a budding illustration artist with my own artist shop. I help struggling college students at a tutor center. I make jewelry, custom tees and hoodies, custom art, etc and have my own boutique. I love working with my hands. I guide people in their weight loss goals and help them to feel confident about themselves again.      There's more, much more! A lot of people tell me that I wear too many hats. But, I wish I could wear more. I am always looking to learn more, be more, do more and have more skills.      I normally don’t write about stuff like this, but I’m crawling out of my comfort zone. Entrepreneurship is hard! Don’t let anyone ever fool you into thinking it’s easy. Because it’s not. But don’t let anyone ever scare you into thinking you can’t do it, because you absolutely can! Here's the irony of life:      “Don’t cancel your bus...

     I ’m letting Howie cook for me tonight! I’m nervous because I haven’t let him cook for me in months and months! The last time, my salad was less than subpar. It was absolute trash. How do you fuck up a salad? For real though. It’s mind boggling. For being a Hungry, Howie you’d think he’d know how to whip together some grub!         Okay, Hungry Howie(s)- I’m coming for you.        Asiago chicken salad and because i’m feeling a little froggy, I’m going to do a BBQ Hawaiian flatbread. (Reassurance in case the salad is a bust!)        All joking aside, I didn’t want to cook tonight, I just don’t have it in me! I am being brutally honest with myself. Today is not my day. I am so freakin’ tired! I got like 4 minutes of sleep, my left eye is slightly smaller than my right and I have this twitch that just wont go away.         I feel this rope dangling in front of me and the closer I g...

     I had an old favorite for dinner tonight, bare with me...it ’s a little strange.      Sugar free grape jelly, siracha and meatballs, over some plain white rice. Yep. Weird. But so freakin’ delicious!         I ordered the rest of the stuff I need to finish my organization for my kitchen and I cannot wait for it to get here! Don’t let me down amazon prime!         It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders when I declutter and organize! It sounds so strange but, it’s so relieving!         I’m at an age where I’m starting to notice different characteristic traits in me. Like feeling suffocated by unnecessary shit living in my house.         Anyway, I am in full cleaning and organizing mode! And in my spare time I am planning all the vacations, I am making a list of realistic vacations I can take this year and I am SO freakin’ excited! ...

     Let ’s talk organization. Oooh, I have goosebumps!         I absolutely love to organize, I’m just not super great at doing it. That’s because I live in a small space and trying to find the perfect set up is difficult. I’ve tried multiple different things that work for awhile but end up just irritating me in the end.         So today, I am organizing the underneath of my bathroom cabinet (it’s a hot fucking mess, it’s where anything extra bathroom or other room related gets shoved) BARF! I hate that, so today, I bought organization bins to fix that chaotic problem! Pictures to come!       Next up. Cabinet space in my kitchen is a JOKE. An absolute joke! So in an effort to save space, I have come up with a way for to get my spices out of my cabinets and hopefully into an organized and more attractive set up!        It’s all in the name of freeing up cabinet space!    ...