New Halloween prints added to my shop!

Just a quick note to let you know that for the season I'll be adding Halloween prints to my shop. After that they'll be gone! If you couldn't grab the original, here's you chance to have the print!

Here's a sneak pick of what you'll find:








Enjoy!

15 pounds lighter!!!! Hip hip hurray!!!!

So I have my first appointment with my dietitian today. She measured and weighed me and conclude that... taraaaan! I've lost 15 pounds already!!!! I'm going on a soft diet now for a month and she hopes I'll be loosing weight not as fast but steady and sure. I'm so happy!!! My clothes already fit looser and I feel better :) And I'm so happy because I'm finally be able to chew something!!!! I'm going to start with exercise now that I'm going to eat. I love pilates with the ball... any good video you can recommend me?

I'm so excited!!!!

Sold, thanks!

Sold, thanks!

sold, thanks!

I'm also working hard in my art... I made 3 new dolls!! A witch, a collector and (of course) a Frida! It's hard to pick a favorite... but I think that witch is just beautiful!

If you want them just click on the photos and they'll take you directly to the shop.

Now I'm going to the store... I need to find a ball and buy groceries. Happy weekend!

Talk Like A Pirate and pillage my Etsy Shop!... But don't burn anything!

Ahoy Mates! Come and plunder me Etsy store! A new jewelry treaaye will be listed over t' weekend for you t' pillage at you heart's content. :)

To celebrate the international "Talk like a pirate" day, we will list a jewelry treasure over the weekend for you to pillage and plunder on original pieces worthy of a pirate's booty!... And don' forget to check out talking like a pirate too! ;-)

Many trips to the bathroom later and 8 pounds thinner... I'm back!

Did you miss me? I'm back!!! I'm not totally recovered yet but I'm tired of doing nothing... it's just not me... I miss working!!! And my blog and all my online friends!

So here I am... still with cramps and feeling dizzy but I'm managing... at least I can smell things without making me sick and I have cravings already so that must mean that I'm already better.

So I'm thinking I'll make some room for my weight loss efforts in one side of my blog, just to keep me motivated and accountable and to keep you informed. I know many people are interested on how this balloon thing works. I hope my journey helps others too!!!

And please, if somebody is waiting for me to answer an email be patience. I'm still recovering and I can't work as fast as before :) The Etsy and Ebay sites go back to normal now!

high as a kite... now eating slugs

Hello Everyone.... This is Mr. Danita reporting Live from Danita's bedroom. She underwent the balloon insertion this morning and everything went very well. When I picked her up from the doctor's office the anesthesia had not worn off completely, so she was in a very groovy mod... High as a kite would be a good way to describe it.

Now that nausea has settled in, if she were a vegetable, she would be a very healthy green, but otherwise she's fine.... She sends her thanks for all of you who sent messages wishing her luck. THANKS!!!! It really means a lot for us.

In another news, I'm very proud to announce the winner of this giveaway... Drum roll please....

ADRIANA WHITNEY!!!!

Congratulations!!!!!... Sorry, no video this time... You're going to have to trust me on this one. We promise we'll make it up on our next giveaway.

What's on your desk today? Plus balloon update!

So I went to the doctor and schedule the collocation of the balloon for next Monday. If you don't hear much from me next week is because I'll be throwing up in the bathroom or feeling miserable in my bed.... It's expected to have vomits and nausea for about a week after the balloon is placed because it's the way the body copes with the strange thing inside... After that I'll feel better and be more in touch :)

For the ones who asked more about the procedure, you can find out more here. They explain it better than I could :P

I'll be 15 days in a liquid diet following by 15 days of purees (yikes)... and after that I'll start eating solids in small quantities. So If I'm cranky you know why :P I'll be posting more info soon!

Now for the fun part... New art and goodies!

For the ones who asked for more Pretty Girl brooches, now they're available!
New Halloween paintings coming too!

Very fun charms! (Including some Frida Kahlo's, bunnies, mermaids and Halloween)
A New Paper Doll... Great For Halloween!


Handmade Collage Art Jewelry Boxes!


And more jewelry on the works too!

Stay tuned, I'll be adding new items during the day today and tomorrow =) And thanks a million for the wonderful response to the giveaway! Keep signing up for a chance to win!!!!

Thanks a lot... with a giveaway!

Thank you so, so much for all your kind words of encouragement, your advice and your prayers. I'm so excited!!! I have my appointment with the doctor today and as a token of appreciation for your kindness... I'm having a giveaway! And since I'm so into Halloween lately... here's the prize:


Cute eh? Your own Halloween brooch to wear this season ;)

To participate, just leave a comment on this post telling me which is your favorite Halloween costume and you're in!

I'll let you know who the winner is next Monday Night... you'll have a full weekend to tell everyone you know to sign up!

Intragastric Balloon anyone?

Fall is coming very soon. I'm starting to see yellow leaves and the weather is getting cooler. That means winter is not so far and another year will pass. That also means that this is my 30th year as an overweight person. I've been living all my life with extra pounds and I'm tired of it! Tired, depressed, sick... you name it, I am. I think it's time to change my leaves as the trees do and welcome next spring as a renewed, better me.


I've tried all the diets and pills and exercise that you can imagine. And I always got back to my original weight plus some more as an extra. So I considered a bypass for a while. I'm sure that everyone has heard about the wonders of the gastric bypass. How people has lost huge amounts of weight with it and keep it off for years. But I'm sure you also have heard of the downsides and the scary stories. So I'm not very convinced by it, yet. I'm thinking about other methods. Have you heard of the Intragastric balloon? It's a balloon filled with saline that you have in your stomach for 6 months and helps you with weight lost because mainly, you always feel full. Besides you follow a one year treatment with a doctor, a dietist and a psycologist to help you learn how to eat right, exercise and the most important thing for me, to solve the internal issues that get me to overeat. I eat when I'm anxious, depressed, tired, bored, angry.... no wonder why I can't lose weight. So I'm thinking that this may be the answer to my prayers. It's not an easy solution. It's not a fade diet. It's a lifestyle change and by posting it here I'm compromising myself to make it work.

I have a daughter I want to see grow up. I have a husband I want to grow old with. And I have the power to change to achieve that.... I'll making an appoiment soon. Wish me strenght!

Giving a huge elephant a bath

(Click on the image for a wallpaper sized image)

Remember I told you in other post that I was going to give an elephant a bath? Well, I finally did!!!! A Behind of the scenes tour of the Elephant exhibit of the El Paso Zoo and a chance to bathe one of the Elephants was a surprise anniversary present, and when it truly happened, It was one of the best experiences I've had. Her name is Savannah and I wish I was able to be closer to her.... You know, Elephants are my favorite animals and I had never, ever being so close to one before. Her eyes are so human-like, you know there's a lot going on behind their kind look, It's astonishing. And those feet!!!! Huge and round! I just wanted to hug her... but of course I wasn't allowed :( They have very strict security measures in order to protect both ourselves and the elephant from each other.

Anyway, it was all in all a great experience. Being able to hose her down, then brush her side and touch her skin was a dream come true for me... they even let me feed her a huge watermelon piece! The zoo keepers are wonderful people and they showed us a lot of stuff that happens backstage ;)... I did not know taking care of an elephant required so many things! (And I thought just giving my daughter a bath was hard!)

Even my daughter was allowed to go with us! You should have seen her face... just beaming from being able to see such a powerful being next to her. it was pure magic...

All I can say is that It was all great, it's going to leave memories to treasure forever, and that's why I did this entry in my art journal... Much better than pictures you know? That way I can remember everything the way I want to... memories for me are just 10000 times better than pictures. Looking at them always bring me the feelings I had, not just the images.

If I wasn't an artist I'd like to be a zookeeper. Maybe I can show Savannah to paint :)