it's almost here!!

wow, I can't hardly believe the 3-Day is just two days (really only 1 1/2) away!! Right now, I'm at the stage where I need to pack and make sure I have everything I need- I have my second pair of shoes, I have plenty of pairs of socks, I have athletic tape for my feet, I need to make sure I have new batteries in the camera... I know I'll forget something, but that's really not important at this point. What is important is that I just reached my $2300 minimum yesterday, so I can participate!

Since this is a big cause, Komen makes sure that you commit big when you sign up for this; that's why there's a (high) minimum amount you have to raise... When I signed up in January, I really had no idea whether I'd be able to actually raise it, but throughout the course of the year, I have been continually amazed at people's generosity. Even after getting the minimum, I've been getting last minute donations-- the first time, I said "thanks, but I've got the money; I don't need any more." My donor's reply (very wise) was, "it's not for you, it's for breast cancer."

One of the most recent 3-Days raised over 7 million dollars (!!!) for the fight to end breast cancer-- I can't wait to see the sea of pink at the opening ceremonies, the cheering people along the way, and to experience the emotion of the closing ceremonies when I've actually finished! (I'm sure I can't wait to see the comfy couch, our bed, and my feather pillows at the end of it, either-- lol!)

so, if you've been thinking about donating, if you know someone who had breast cancer, if you've lost a loved one to this disease, or if you know at least 8 women- because one in eight women will be diagnosed (that number is horrible!! we can put men in space, and spend countless millions of dollars on who-knows-what, but we still have to fight this disease) then please think about donating to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Over 75 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to programs, research, and education. You can donate to me here: http://www.the3day.org/goto/jennifer.ahlstrom

donate to one of my teammates who still hasn't raised the minimum by clicking here :

3-Day TaTa sisterhood page

and be sure to check out this page: Research and Grants to see how they use the money.

And wish me (and my feet) luck!!

some crafting has been going on...

I just haven't had much "crafting mojo" lately, but I have done a couple things. (I've got a lot of things half-finished; it's completing them that's the issue, as usual, but more so lately.)

I got out my collection of cigar bands again, and decoupaged them onto a glass saucer I scored at the thrift store. The saucer is only 6 inches across, but it still took a fair number of cigar bands to fill in. I stuck with a more limited number of cigar brands, to make a fairly symmetrical design with a somewhat more subdued color palette.

I started by printing out a clip art image from my computer for the center design, but our printer ink isn't water-resistant, so I had to change my idea. I like what I ended up with, though: two Indian Tabac cigar bands that I trimmed to fit the center part of the plate. These plates take a while to decorate, and are actually quite messy to do (I get gel medium all over everything while I'm working on them!), but I really like the way they turn out when they're done. This plate is for sale in my Etsy shop, so if you know a cigar aficionado who needs someplace to put paperclips on their desk, or something to corral their loose change on their dresser, this is a perfect gift for them!! (another reason to check out my Etsy shop: the site recently changed the formatting for individual shops, so it's been redesigned a bit to make the format wider, with larger pictures... the design isn't quite final yet, but I think it shows off the items nicely! And of course, all sales right now will go towards my 3-Day for the Cure fundraising for breast cancer!!)

These tags are part of a huge pile of manila shipping tags that I hand-dyed over the last couple weeks... I have a somewhat limited choice of inks to use, but these were made by mixing butterscotch yellow and a barn red, to come up with a nice fall-ish orange color. I stamped them with Pumpkin StazOn ink, then added a couple touches of vintage dictionary paper.

I love the glowing orange color; it reminds me of autumn. (Which isn't here in AZ yet, unfortunately- it's been hot and humid, with very infrequent monsoon storms. The storms don't even clear out the humidity.) These tags are also for sale in my Etsy shop- check them out, along with others, in the Tag and Bookmark section of my shop. Look for more crafting soon. if I can remember to post the pictures, that is... :D

it is so worth it!!

Last Friday was our team fundraising event "Pink & Black for the Ta-Ta's." It was a frantic couple weeks, trying to get everything ready, and I was really frazzled leading up to it. The night before, I got totally overwhelmed from all the running around and staying up late to get things done. Tom gave me a hug and said "just remember, you're doing this for all the people who can't." I said (okay, I sorta whined), "that's great advice-- where did you come up with it?" He replied, "YOU wrote it- I got it from your 3-Day blog!!" (awww, both for that comment, and for the fact that he does read my blogs.)

Friday's fundraiser was a great opportunity to see this sentiment in person- the Pink Heals tour was there with their pink fire trucks (BTW, firemen who wear pink are hot!! lol!), we raised money for our walking team, celebrated with survivors, and honored those who have lost their fight with breast cancer. It was a very moving experience, and it was great to be a part of it. (for more information about the Pink Heals organization and the work they do via the Pink Ribbon Tour, you can click here.)

This woman (I'm sorry I don't know her name) lost her daughter to breast cancer in March. She actually found her daughter's name on the fire truck and got to sign hers next to it.

This truck is absolutely covered in names and tributes, which is kinda scary, when you think about it. We (as a species) have the intellectual ability to send people to the moon, invent all sorts of technology to make our lives "easier," and we spend billions of dollars on space exploration, the military, etc. yet we still haven't found a cure for this disease, or so many others out there. I'm glad to do my part.

(Plus, I was on my feet running around ALL DAY long, so I'm counting it as training!!) :D

(all photos were borrowed from the Pink Heals facebook page, which can be found here, for those of you who are on Facebook.)

3-Day Thursday

I've decided to do regular posts to track my personal Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure challenge; 3-Day Thursdays. Not sure if it will be weekly or less often; we'll see. Now, where to start?? Nov 12-14 seems like a long way off, but I know the time will fly! So far, I've raised approximately $700 toward my personal goal of $3500, which is a great start, but I'm still a bit leery of the fund-raising thing. I guess I find it difficult to approach people asking for money, but I'll have to get over it, won't I? I've gotten some good fundraising tips online at the 3-Day.org website , which I'll be testing out over the next few months. One thing I've decided is to save aluminum cans and cash them in. We already save our soda cans, but from now on the money will go to the 3-Day (rather than to buy more soda). I've asked the women in my art group to do the same, and will collect them periodically. I need to focus on my physical training as well as the fund-raising. I walk sometimes, and go to the gym sporadically, but walking 60 miles will definitely take some focused training. I'm going to use this challenge to develop some healthy exercise and eating habits, hopefully! The 3-Day.org website has some great information on training, and a suggested training plan. Next week I'm going to attend a "get-started" meeting that the Komen organization sponsors, and hopefully get some more training info then, as well. I also have tips for buying shoes, and have planned some walking routes around our neighborhood. Our subdivision is built around a large loop road, which I have found out is about 3.8 miles around, so that's a great route to start with!

I signed up for this event on my own, but I'd like to know some fellow walkers since I'll be spending 3 days with them! The 3-Day is basically a big hike and campout, just through urban areas. They have a huge support system of volunteers that help carry the gear from the start to the camping areas, help set up the meal tents, shower facilities, pit stops along the walking route, etc. This event is sooo much more huge than I ever thought it was before! Anyway, I found a team of walkers in the area (meaning south/east Phoenix suburbs) to join, and will be meeting them next Friday... I am now a proud member of the Ta-Ta Sisterhood! ("save the ta-tas" is another popular slogan related to breast cancer research...) You can visit the team blog here, and check out links to the individual team members. The team will be a great place for fund-raising and training support, and hopefully I'll come out of it with some new friends, too!

So, I've covered my own fund-raising and training efforts to date... now, a public service announcement of sorts about breast cancer, Susan G. Komen, and the 3-Day. The incidence of an invasive breast cancer diagnosis in women is a little less than one in eight. (a sobering thought... think about all the women you know-- I'm sure you know more than eight!) And, the incidence of breast cancer in men is about one percent-- yes, men can get it too! Since 1982, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has invested $1.5 billion in breast cancer research and community programs and promises to invest another $1 billion by 2017. Of every dollar spent, 84 cents goes toward their mission (research, education, screening and treatment); the other 16 cents goes toward administrative and fundraising costs. In 2009, the 3-Day for the Cure series took place in 15 cities nationwide and raised more than $91 million. (!!! wow!!!) So, I will be in good company, doing what I can to help eradicate a disease than can be devastating to a person's physical and mental health and well-being, not to mention a huge financial toll. If you would like more information, you can check out the Komen website, or the 3-Day for the Cure website. Please consider donating (my personal page is here)-- any amount will help-- but if your financial situation is such that you don't feel you can donate now, I'll be back soon with other ways you can help any 3-Day participant. (and thanks to my sister Jackie; I snagged the photos for this post off her Flickr site.)