So I am in need of a custom illustration/painting/drawing/sketch and am putting the feelers out into the blogosphere and to the twitterati in the hopes of finding someone to help me!  I shall outlay all the deets here, and if you or someone you know may be interested then please do let me know:

Ok, so the image I have in mind is of ‘flour’ with a ‘flower’.  I realise that this makes no sense whatsoever, so let give you some background!   A dear friend of mine and I used to love a particular film whereby the guy woos the girl, who happens to be a baker, by giving her ‘flours’.  We both thought this to be so romantic and always said how we wanted a guy who’d bring us ‘flours’.  Well she has just gotten engaged, and I thought what better way to celebrate than by having a picture made for her that reminds her that her life will now always be full of ‘flours’.

The particulars that I have in mind are as follows:

* I want it to be quite small in size – I’m not set on a particular dimension, but  I want to keep it cute (maybe around 6″ x 8″ or a little larger)

* enough of a border for me to be able to mount and frame it myself

* the ‘flour’ element could be a vintage bag of flour, or flour sack or planter, as long as it’s retro in style

* the’ flower’ element could be laying next to the flour, perhaps across a vintage dresser top, and would preferably be a rose

* vintage, retro and romantic are the look I want to emulate with the piece in both style and composition

I shall attach an inspiration image or two that I have come across to better illustrate than my ramblings ever can!  I am open to all suggestions including layout/medium etc, as clearly I’m no artist and as long as it clearly includes both ‘flour’ and ‘flower’, then I’m sure it will be wonderful.  Here though, is the kicker – the sordid topic of coin.  It’s January, the world and it’s sister is broke and I have a million-and-one things to fund in the coming months.  My friend is getting married in the Spring and I do really want to give her something special, but my budget is limited.  I am again, open to all suggestions on a fee and am also willing to trade like for like (you make me something pretty, I’ll make something pretty for you!) and/or promote you and yours ad infinitum via my blog, Etsy, Twitter etc, etc – you get the point

So, if you think this little project may be something that you’d be interested in undertaking or you know someone who might, then please contact me in any of the following ways:

E-Mail – wonderlandboutique@yahoo.co.uk

Etsy Convo – www.wonderlandboutique.etsy.com

Twitter – twitter.com/wonderboutique

Blog – www.wonderlandboutique.wordpress.com

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

I can’t believe I’m at Day 80 already!  Though if truth be told, it feels like much longer – I am starting to wane slightly, I want my body back

IN THE BAD CORNER:

* I have had a breakout   It is so disheartening.  After my last monthly check-up with my dermatologist, I was told that most people don’t see much change in the first two months (I did) and it’s the last two that provide all the results.  Well, I’m now only a few days away from my next check-up and I feel as if I’m going backwards.  I am hoping that it is to do with the horrorshow that was my diet and routine over Christmas and New Year that has caused it – I literally didn’t leave the house so was cocooned in central heating, and ate EVERYTHING in sight – though I know better than that, diet and environment has little impact, negative or otherwise, on acne.  The breakout happened over New Year and has plagued me all this past week.  It is nothing compared to past facial explosions but still, after seeing such improvement it has been difficult to deal with.  It has been centered all around my lips, so perhaps the constant application of lip balms is the culprit?  I already at the maximum dosage for my weight, so we shall see what my dermatologist has to say about this mini set-back next week

* I have developed more eczema patches – on my lower back, arms and wrist.  It’s a nuisance, and one I’m very self-conscious about but they come and go so am dealing with it, much better than I’m handling the breakout anyway!

* My lips are an absolute nightmare.  I had a million-and-one lip balms for Christmas (thank you Body Shop!) and although they work wonders through the day, my mouth is continuing to crack and peel.  Don’t I sound gorgeous!  In particular, the corners of my mouth have split which is really quite painful, god help you if you make me laugh because I will really know about it!  This never heals because, well, my mouth is constantly on the go and so it never quite gets the chance to do so.  Must not smile, laugh or eat anything salty – owwwww!

IN THE GOOD CORNER:

* I should, in theory anyway, after next weeks check-up have only one month left to go.  I cannot see this happening now after this mini breakout, so I may have a further two months to add to my initial four month course.  I am getting ahead of myself however so let’s just see how things go.  Must try to stay positive.

* My yogalates is still a lifeline for my muscle and joint aches.  I did not do it at all over Christmas though, this is my rule as I work-out so regularly throughout the year that at Christmas I give in and I eat what I want (which will be EVERYTHING) and push my work-out dvds to the bottom of the pile.  I have started up again this week though and love it.  I have missed it.  I had the new Davina dvd for Christmas and as always with a new dvd I do the whole thing in one go on my first try, which makes for a two-hour work-out.  Although I naturally ached, I think the yogalates has really helped my body as I coped remarkably well with doing my first cardio exercise in over two months.  So, my aim now is to do yogalates 3-4 times a week and a combination of routines from the Davina dvd once a week until my meds are finished.  Then, once my muscles and joints are back to normal, I will reverse that so I am doing cardio and weights as my regular regime with yogalates thrown in as an extra   Roll on for that reverse – anything to shift the Christmas poundage!

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

No words are needed as Neil Gaiman has supplied them all for me – Happy New Year to you and yours:

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

I just want to take a moment to wish all of Wonderland Boutique’s customers, readers and friends a Merry Christmas and a wonder-filled New Year.

With thanks, love and best wishes,

Amy at wonderland Boutique x.

It has been forever since I posted a Wonderland Loves….post, and I actually have several wonderful discoveries and artisans that I wish to share with you, so expect a few postings in the days to come!  It will come to no surprise to regular readers that I am taking some rather beastly medication at the moment, and to those in the know you will be aware of the impact that said meds are having on my skin.  One specific area of concern was that of my hands, which were red, sore, dry, itchy and generally bashed about as a result.  So, having found little relief with regular handcreams and moisturisers I took to researching the handmade delights of Etsy, and with that I stumbled upon the wonder that is Ambrebotanicals.

Ambrebotanicals is home to the most wonderful selection of 100% natural skin care products.  Established by the lovely Mira, it’s here that you’ll find all manner of lotions, cleansers, salves, toners and balms that are each created with the utmost care and expertise.  Each product is freshly blended from certified organic supplies, meaning that each batch is custom-made for you to suit your needs.  Ambrebotanicals skin care contain only the purest of ingredients, including essential oils, butters, clays, botanicals, vegetable oils, fruit and herbal extracts – all with the intention of creating affordable organic skin care:

COCOA & ALMOND RICH CLEANSING CREAM

SILKY HANDS SOAP & BALM DUO

HYDRATING DAY FACE OIL

SUNFLOWER & SHEA BUTTER LIP BALM

I can personally vouch for the little pot of joy that is the Silky Hands Nourishing Balm, it has done for my hands what no other creams that I tried could manage – and that is to soothe them, restore them and make for very happy hands indeed.  Now to try the lip balm to see if it can salvage my dry lips!  So if you’re looking for a range of natural, pure and organic skin care then I wholeheartedly suggest that you look no further than Ambrebotanicals.

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

Just a little progress report on day 55 of my isotretinoin journey:

IN THE BAD CORNER:

* As always, the dry cracking lips are at the forefront of my mind.  They are becomming slightly more bearable in that it’s now Winter, so most people are suffering along with me!  I have good things to say about the Fushi Organic Hydrating Lip Balm in that it is full of lovely nourishing oils which work wonders, though as with all products I have so far tried, it doesn’t last very long.  I rotate throughout the day between this, Carmex cherry and good ol’ Vaseline lip therapy so am sort of keeping on top of it.  As usualy though - suggestions for lip balms or moisturisers that keep cracking, peeling and general soreness-from-hell at bay, would be ace.

* I have developed an eczema rash on my hands.  Delightful.  This could be worsened by the cold weather and my propensity for skin issues anyway, but as the Iso basically dries out your entire body (egads!) then I simply must not forget to moisturise.  My sworn-by hand cream Handy Gurugu by Lush is a wonder at night but too bulky to carry around with me in the day, so I have found the most magnificent little gem of a hand salve – more about that later!

* The scabbing and scarring from the initial outbreak can at times be difficult to cover with make-up, mainly because my skin is just so dry.  Using a primer under my blessed MAC helps, if only I could remember to use it every time I apply!

IN THE GOOD CORNER:

* My spots are almost non-existent   I cannot tell you how happy this is making me.  My lip and chin area still has scarring and redness and slight scabbing (again, how delightful!) but I am down to the odd spot appearing every few days at most.  This is unheard of since my early twenties.  I am still finding it hard not to pick nor mess with those that do appear as I find their presence just rude now, but fingers crossed that the home stretch is in sight.

* I have my routine down pat now, using Simple Day and Night creams, a combination of lip care products and an aloe-based body moisturiser.  I wash my hair daily anyway so my hair and scalp are fine.  On the hair front, my haircut was a revelation as my hairdresser (and good friend) assured me that my hair nor fringe was thinning!  All I needed was a damn good cut and colour and thankfully my hair looks and feels how it always has.

* I am loving my yogalates.  I try to fit it in daily if I can which, as it’s one and a half hours long can sometimes be a bit of an ask.  Without it though, I really notice the aches and pains in my knees and muscle stiffness.  So if I can, I power through as I know it’ll be worth it and improve my day no end.

So there we have it, things are progressing nicely and I am coping well.  Just to prove the awesome coverage of MAC and the lack of my thinning hair – here is (as always when a camera is pointed in my direction) a slightly gormless pic of me at the recent Dandelion Clock Vintage and Handmade Fair in Llanelli, just a few weeks ago.  It was a lovely day - attendance hampered by a rather important Welsh rugby match, but time spent with friends listening to live music in a beautiful setting – what more can you ask?

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

Wonderland Boutique at the Dandelion Clock Vintage & Handmade Fair, December 2011

]]> http://wonderlandboutique.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/skin-story-day-55/feed/ 0 wonderlandboutique 1 http://wonderlandboutique.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/the-final-countdown/ http://wonderlandboutique.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/the-final-countdown/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:04:55 +0000 Wonderland Boutique http://wonderlandboutique.wordpress.com/?p=880 ]]> Hey,

Just a quick post to let you all know that my Etsy store is now on hiatus for the next few weeks, as I finalise my preparations for the following vintage and handmade fairs:

*On December 3rd, this very Saturday in fact, you can find Wonderland Boutique (as well as many other, fabulous people) trading at the Dandelion Clock fair in Llanelli.

* Then, on December 10th I shall be part of the Christmas Craft Market at the Washington Gallery in Penarth.

If you are in the area, then do stop by and say hello and of course peruse all the wonderful wares that are sure to be available at both events.  If you had your eye on something that was listed for sale over at Wonderland Boutique then please feel free to check out the ‘contact me’ page on this blog for how to get in touch and I will be more than happy to arrange for you to have your own little piece of Wonderland even whilst I’m away enjoying all the fun of the fairs!

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

P.S. – Mini ‘Skin Story’ update: I had  a damn good hair cut today, and my hairdresser (and friend, so I know she’s telling the truth) assures me that my hair is not thinning.  Rather overjoyed at that fact and even more so by the fact that my hair is a lighter shade of brown now, quite caramelly and I am channelling Dawn Porter’s shorter style.  Happy Amy.

A little round-up of the latest news such as it is, with my treatment hitting day 40:

IN THE BAD CORNER:

* First things first, the lip issue!  Guess what – they’re dry!  Joking apart, I am becomming the Queen of all lip balms, so am going to try something new as I am going through Carmex like it’s going out of business.  After much research I’m opting to try either Fushi Organic Hydrating Lip Balm, or L’Occitane 100% Pure Mini Shea Butter as they both seemed to offer the most bang for my buck (and by bang, I mean oils and moisturising goodness.)  I shall report back on effectiveness….though again, any suggestions for lip treats for EXTREMELY dry puckers would be so welcome.

* Knees are still aching and sore, have to stretch them right out when I sit for longer periods of time so am constantly shifting.  Makes me oh so glad that I have finished my sewing for my upcoming craft fairs as the thought of sitting at a sewing machine for days on end would truly not be fun of any kind right now.  I also still have the bizarre mid-afternoon hot cheek development!  I am yet to try and take my meds later in the day to see if that will help, but I shall try it this week as I have craft fairs to trade at and don’t want any potential customers thinking I just look embarrassed all the time!

* I simply must not forget to moisturise.  I am doing great with my face and body but only on Friday night did I forget to apply my sworn-by hand cream Handy Gurugu by Lush and by mid-morning on Saturday, I had developed a rash.  It is shifting now thank goodness, but it’s all about routine, routine, routine.

* I am finding it difficult not to pick.  As the number of spots has reduced dramatically, any that do appear I find myself getting really angry at.  I’m all ” you know you’re under there, I know you’re under there, let’s just get it over with and stop ruining my face!”  Yes, I am indeed going crazy.  Only thing is, picking is a nightmare as my skin is so thin it now scars much easier and then there is blood…too gross so shall stop now

* Fringe is still thin, and also at my temples too but have a haircut booked for tomorrow so hopefully that will boost me a little.

* When they upped my dose I was told that this (60mg a day) would be the maximum for me, so if this is as bad as it gets then I think I shall handle it

IN THE GOOD CORNER:

* My spots are going!  Or at least, they are vastly reduced in number.  Today I haven’t gotten any new ones and those that appeared during the dreaded initial breakout of doom, have dried out and are disappearing into (hopefully) minimal scars.  My face is no longer as red as a baboon’s bum, and dryness has overtaken spottiness and I could not be happier about that.  I feel and hope, that I’ve turned a corner.

* My skin is coverable – as I discoverd when I applied make-up for the first time in about 6 weeks, this past Saturday.  I was out all day and my skin felt fine, and looked fine too.  By the evening you could see a little of the dryness/flaking on my chin and my lips were a bit of a nightmare what with the constant application of balms – but to be honest, you had to be me to notice.  I give all kudos to this for the ever-heavenly and incredible MAC.  Rather odd plus about the lips, is that they’re so thin that all the blood is near the surface so it looks as if I have a natural lip tint and in a really lovely shade I might add - score!

* I have tried yoga, well yogalates to be exact and I can’t recommend it highly enough.  Oddly, for someone so unco-ordinated as me, I found I had great balance and managed to do every movement and position therein.  It had 3 sections (upper body, lower body and total body) and I do them all back-to-back for one and a half hours and I feel so relaxed and energised and just wonderful   It is helping with the aches and stiffness and I think with daily yogalates and an industrial vat of lip balm and meticulous moisturising, I should get through this ok

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

A few new developments to report with my Iso treatment, so here we go:

IN THE BAD CORNER:

* My lips are still ridiculously dry but it has become the norm so I will likely not post about this issue again – it will be more blog-worthy when they aren’t dry as a very dry thing!  I think I shall throw a party or a national day of celebration when lipstick can be worn again – oh vintage red lips, how I miss you!

* Aching knees are also becoming the norm.  When out and about I usually take the stairs rather than lifts and escalators but am noticing how tired this now makes me.  Gah.  I have my yoga dvd all ordered though so when I have given that a go, I shall report back with any improvements to my rather decrepid self!

* My chin is still red and a humongous cyst spot has appeared, but aside from that and a few of its friends visiting my forehead and around my lips, it’s looking quite promising actually

* Fringe is still thin, but shall report once I’ve had a bloody good cut early next week to see if this helps at all.

IN THE GOOD CORNER:

* My skin is still nice and dry (which is a good thing!) but not drying out to the point of flaking or any other nastiness.  I think this is due to my being meticulous with moisturising both my face and my body (the drug dries out your whole being apparently!) on a daily basis, so I have hopefully staved off the worse of the dreaded dryness.

* This is a weird one, and so far the only new side-effect I seem to have developed since my dose was raised.  I have really hot cheeks!  It is mighty odd I can tell you – I don’t feel hot, but my face looks virtually aflame!  It only makes its appearance fleetingly in the late afternoons, which since I take my meds first thing, must be timing-related.  Maybe I shall move taking my tablets to the evening so that I am all hot of cheek whilst I’m asleep

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.

So I had my first monthly check-in since being prescribed Isotretinoin.  All was fine, apparently my skin and my side-effects are as they should be for being one month into treatment, which was a relief to hear I can tell you!  They raised my dose slightly from 40mg a day to 60mg, which is also normal as they like to start you off on a base level and then raise it once it’s been established that you and your body are coping well with the drug.  So this is day one of the higher dose, I can expect the side-effects to maybe increase which I am extremely nervous about as they’ve been doing that regardless (see below) but on the plus side, the effects of the drug should improve also.  Wish me luck….

IN THE BAD CORNER:

* My lips are still ridiculously dry but I am becoming quite used to this now, so it’s not difficult to handle, just annoying.  I long for the days of being able to wear lipstick again and not just lip balm!

* Aching and stiffness has increased, my knees really showing it as well as my hip (which was testy to start with) and also my lower back – this could have been aggravated by picking up my rather hefty little nephew with a poor posture though!  So Alfie my love, I am blaming you on this one   I was advised yesterday to cut back on the exercise routine as it is, so am going to pursue yoga and choose an appropriate dvd of it today and see if lots of stretching and toning may ease these symptoms somewhat.  I shall also have to really watch what I eat, especially as I rather foolishly see exercise as giving me carte blanche to eat what I want as long as I’m doing it.  With cardio out of the equation, or at least pared back a lot, I can no longer have that attitude.

* My chin is red and sore, but the dreaded initial breakout appears to be waning and is drying out quickly.

* Really upset about this one, but my hair seems to be thinning.  As always, it’s difficult to differentiate between Iso side-effects from normal body issues, especially here as I dye my hair and straighten it so it’s condition is abused to start with.  I have a side-swept fringe (I know, how every emo of me!) and I have noticed over the last week that whenever I style it, it is parting and separating which is just horrible.  It could be because I am overdue for a cut, but I notice that the rest of my hair seems flatter and has less body.  I have always had the thickest of hair and once it’s styled it really gives me a boost, so to loose that and also have my face in the state it is, is quite soul-destroying at the moment.  I’m booked for a cut in a little over a week and I hope my hairdresser can work her magic to at least give the impression that it’s not thinning, because this is the one side-effect I was desperate not to develop.

IN THE GOOD CORNER:

* My skin is continuing to dry, so I’m hoping that the breakout is in it’s dying phase.

* I am one month in, so fingers crossed only three left to go.

Amy at Wonderland Boutique x.