Care Package Love

Is there any feeling in the world better than that of having someone love a gift you created solely for them?

Kim got my package in England and was ecstatic, thereby making me grin like a lunatic for hours.  I looked at all of the things that I had collected piled on her couch, and remembered that just a couple of weeks ago, they were at home in my craft room.  Now I feel as though there is a tiny part of me by her side.

(All spread out over her couch!)

Awesome.

Who else is a big fan of sending/receiving care packages?

xoxo,

Annie

Pop Culture Wednesday

Mildred Pierce:

I flipped to TCM the other night and this movie just popped on.  I had actually NEVER heard of it, which seems a shame.  I did a little research and found out that Kate Winslet and Evan Rachel Wood were doing an HBO version, so I had to stay on the channel.  This film enticed me, purely from the amazing acting of Joan Crawford.  The story is so deliciously twisted!

The In-Betweeners:

This was recommended to me by my sister and my British sister...and it's adorable.  It's so crude, and shows exactly the way teenage boys experience high school!  Too funny.

Rabbit Hole:

This is one depressing movie, but it is one of Nicole Kidman's most AMAZING performances.  I can't even imagine the hurt of losing a child, but this film captures all the feelings.  Entrancing is the only word for this film.

Wristcutters: A Love Story:

This is an adorable movie in the darkest way possible.  In this movie, the protagonists commit suicide, only to find themselves in a world just slightly worse than this one.  Throughout the movie, they realize the parts of life they were missing, teaching the audience alongside.  Really enjoyable :).

What have you liked recently?  I love to keep movies and TV around me so that I feel as though I'm not alone during the day!

xoxo,
Annie

The Best Weapons In The World

My biggest fear about this combination of illnesses?  The fact that the brain fog limits my reading/comprehension abilities.  Books on tape are excellent, but if you can't remember anything you've taken in...there is a problem.

Books have changed my life in a monumental way.  They open you up to new ideas, worlds, challenges, and possibilities.  They are a way to escape when your damaged body will take no more.  Books will inform you about your illness and ways of coping with it.  Actually, they will teach you about damn near everything.  They can be your friend when no one else is around.

I can still manage to read and write short portions, but in terms of longer accessibility...my mind just isn't there.  Currently, I'm slowly working my way through The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Rowblewski.

With all the craziness going on in the world right now...don't forget about the books :).

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What books are you lovely people enjoying these days?

xoxo,

Annie

Things That Bug Me Mondays

• That time of the month and how it amplifies pain
• Aching hands
• Bills
• The fact that the fridge does not stock itself haha
• My inability to keep my chocolate eating to a minimum!
• How simple it is to overdo it with this illness...
• That I can't magically make other people stop hurting
• Not having the drive to write much lately

(I'm trying to not do this so much anymore...)

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What are the little things picking away at you this week?  Share them here and we can all cleanse and let them go together :) *hugs*.

xoxo,

Annie

Links, Links, Links!

Some links that I've found on the Internet over the last week!

A story on living with Fibromyalgia.
http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=14298169

If you are not visiting an online support group - you really should be!
http://www.bclocalnews.com/community/118535804.html

An odd little mash-up of music for you!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/5-seconds-of-every-1-song-from-1993-2011

Things that people at this website think you should know how to do:
http://www.amazingposts.com/2011/03/50-things-everyone-should-know.html?m=1

Ways to live below your full potential...A.K.A. don't!
http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/01/24/10-surefire-ways-to-live-below-your-full-potential/

The fur..not fur coat.  So strange, but amazing!
http://i.imgur.com/5dk61.gif

Find your voice :).
http://www.positivelypresent.com/2011/01/the-find-your-voice-process.html

Ways to cope when everything just sucks.
http://unicornsforsocialism.com/2011/03/19/how-to-survive-when-everything-sucks/

Hopefully some of these were helpful or entertaining!

xoxo,
Annie

Quote of the Day - Zooey Deschanel

My goal as an actor is always to be as truthful as possible, and to find the truth in the material I am representing. So I think that it’s the same with performing music. But in a way, performing your own music, it’s easier to find the truth in it, because it’s coming from yourself. There’s no translation needed.


~ Zooey Deschanel

(Image from WeHeartIt)

xoxo,

Annie

Love Me Fridays

• Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog
• Dark chocolate truffles
• Romance films
• Spring (and sunshine!)
• Dame Elizabeth Taylor, R.I.P.
• Toni Bernhard's reassuring words
• Heating pads
• Anytime Jonathan is home!
• My new body pillow
• Poetry

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What are the little things that are bringing you some happiness this week?  Even if it was a tough week, I'm sure you can dig hard enough to find a few :).

xoxo,

Annie

Dependent on Chemicals...

I missed my morning pills on Monday, as I had thought that I had already taken them.
I didn't end up taking them until the afternoon ones came around.
It was an absolute mess.

I felt completely bleak and abysmal.  I felt like everyone would be better off if I didn't exist anymore.  Insta-depression, and in that state of depression, I can't even begin to figure out that it could be chemical.  Instead, I just see black and white.

My brain makes ZERO serotonin and I metabolize the drug incredibly fast.

It's terrifying that so much of my life equals reliance on medication.

xoxo,

Annie

Pop Culture Wednesday

It's a good thing that I manage to be extra productive some weeks, because this week I haven't managed to get through much in terms of pop culture.  It's been hard to even find time to drag myself to the computer.  Silly illness flares.  Anyway, here are my reviews of a few things on my list :).

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah:

An amazing book.  It shows how you can survive through the most brutal of circumstances and yet still have light in your heart.  I think this should be mandatory reading material.


Outsourced:

This movie touched my heart in so many ways...and made me want to learn more about Indian culture :).  This isn't very well known, but it is on Netflix --> if you have it, watch it!

Repo! The Genetic Opera:

I had no idea what to expect going into this!  So much macabre fun to be had here.  I love Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy!) and Sarah Brightman!  It ended up being both epic, fun, and sad.  I would definitely watch this again, as some of its songs were stuck in my head for awhile after watching!

Layer Cake:

Either I felt really bad when I watched this movie, or there wasn't a whole lot to it.  Daniel Craig's attractiveness was my main reason for putting it on, but I can't say I really cared for any of the characters.  It was a gritty cocaine tale that left me wanting more.

What have you seen and liked this week??

xoxo,

Annie

Favorite Albums To Listen To While Sick - Round 1

Music is such a calming aspect when you are sick.  You can put on quite instrumental, or blast a power anthem.  Either way, music allows you a chance to escape from some of the pain in your body, by channeling it into something bigger than you.  I thought I would start giving some recommendations of my favorites that get a lot of play when I'm sick at home or in the hospital.

Bachelor No. 2:

My favorite CD of ALL TIME.  I know all the words, it hits every part of my soul, and Aimee Mann is just a goddess.  Many of the songs on this album are also found on the soundtrack to the movie Magnolia (in case any of you are fans of the movie!).  I could literally listen to only this CD for the rest of my life.  The biggest praise I can give!

Back to Black:

I *SO* wish Amy Winehouse wasn't a train wreck.  This CD is full of the most beautiful melancholia that one could ever find.  Every track is golden.  Anyone with hurt in their heart will be able to relate to this music...

Abbey Road:

Who doesn't love The Beatles??  This CD slips past the rest due to the appearance of the song "Here Comes The Sun".  This is a much cheerier album than the others (although it marks the fallout of the band!).  There is nothing to not love here.

Sea Change:

Beck just being simple and emotional.  This is my most listened to album in a hospital setting.  Songs like "Guess I'm Doing Fine" and "Lost Cause" explain the common moods I fall into while I'm there.  Truly beautiful.

Cassadaga:

I love Bright Eyes.  I mean, I even have a tattoo of his lyrics on my neck.  This album tends to get mixed reviews, but it is the one that holds my heart.  The lyrics are pure brilliance, especially for those who have known depression - "all your friends and sedatives mean well, but make it worse... every reassurance just magnifies the doubt, better find yourself a place to level out".

What are your favorite CDs to listen to when you are sick?

xoxo,
Annie

Things That Bug Me Mondays

• Not being able to walk due to inflamed calves
• Attempting to feed myself when home alone = gf toast
• Burning eyes
• That horrible feeling of weight in your throat when you have gastroparesis and eat food
• The fact that I had to bear witness to that terrifying Rebecca Black song...
• I wish I could write well enough to allow for monetary payment.
• Headaches
• Cold extremities
• I miss going to parties when Jon goes...

(Images from WeHeartIt and SMBC comics)

What has been bothering you this week?  Let it out here, get it out of your system, and have a better week as a result!

Sending love to you all,

Annie

Hey There World! It's Me!

Instead of links this week, I decided to make a little video introducing myself. This is mostly because I'm too sick to come up with a whole pile of good links. Hope you like!

Minus, of course, those who are close to me in person *HUGS*

How is everyone's weekend going?

xoxo,
Annie

Quotes of the Day - Amanda Seyfried

I mean, at the end of the day, if you can’t have a Girl Scout cookie and a piece of cheese, what is life all about? People may seem perfect, but that’s because they spend thousands on trainers and diets and surgeries. If you have a negative body image, exercise, but not for your appearance. The main thing you can change is how you perceive yourself. Stop looking in the mirror and realize that you’re living for yourself, not other people.

— Amanda Seyfried

I’m very much a romantic, but I’m romantic about, not just my love life, I’m romantic about life in general and the beauty of the earth and the beauty of life, time and nature and traveling and history...

— Amanda Seyfried

(Image from WeHeartIt)

xoxo,

Annie

Love Me Fridays

• My Tumblr - fragileannie.tumblr.com - it is literally a collection of everything I think is good in the world.  Any time I need a pick me up I can just visit my own website!
• Daylight Savings for giving me more sunlight!
• Fruit smoothies
• Magazine subscriptions
• Glee
• Feist
• Compulsively writing lists
• Early morning coffee
• Sketching again :)

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What has made your week better?  I'd love to know what makes my readers happy :).

xoxo,

Annie

Advice on GF Websites?

Something I haven't talked much about is my experience with Celiac Disease.  I was diagnosed at the age of 15, back in the days when there weren't many options for gluten-free food on the market.  As the years pass, more and more people get diagnosed, and as such, specialty food has expanded dramatically (which makes me very happy!).

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, where gluten causes inflammation and flattens the villi, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients.  It causes chronic diarrhea, fatigue, dermatitis herpetiformis, and unexplained infertility, among other things...

As I have become increasingly without energy due to my not-so-good-friends Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, I have also started to slack on the healthy gluten-free meal front.  I know many of my readers also have Celiac Disease, and I was wondering if you have any good recipe websites or book recommendations?  I could stand some suggestions!

xoxo,
Annie

Pop Culture Wednesday

You know me - always trying to pass the time by finding new and interesting things to watch, listen to, and read :).

You Don't Know Jack:

This movie was spectacular, as all HBO movies are.  The story of Jack Kevorkian is so polarized.  I couldn't take my eyes off of Al Pacino, who played this revolutionary and/or murderer with immense wisdom and humanity.  As someone who knows the failures of the health care system, I vote this movie is worth a watch.  It makes for some very amazing quotes.

Post Grad:

I expected a whole lot of nothing out of this movie, as it looked like something that should have been made for television.  It was surprisingly a little better than I thought it would be!  It reminds me very much of how I felt post-college-graduation, and I was happy to see the development of wisdom throughout the evolution of Alexis Bledel's character.

Gone Baby Gone:

This book was AWESOME.  I have never before gotten so twisted up into a mystery and subsequent ending.  I was blown away.  If you don't read the book, at least read the movie.  Dennis Lehane is slowly crawling up my list of favorite authors!

Saving Face:

This easily slides into my list of favorite romance movies.  It contains unconventional love stories in the case of both mother and daughter, which truly show that love is a simple joy that one should take if it shows up in your life (despite the social opinion of the time...).

What has interested you this week?

xoxo,
Annie

My Life in Photos...

I don't know if anyone wants to catch up on my life, but if you do - here is what is going on in picture form.

If you look closely you can see the little glitter threads that I had put in my hair!

I've started to paint randomness over my old ugly coffee table and it's becoming special again!

My new framed Snoopy print which makes me laugh wayyyyy too hard.

One of my many collages - this one nature-themed.

It melts and freezes, melts and freezes...come on Spring!

Some neat fuzzy strange flowers that my friend Sarah bought for me!

A beautiful picture of the sun rising after a long night of insomnia :).

As for right now, I'm sicker than sick.  I hope you like my pictures!

xoxo,

Annie

Things That Bug Me Mondays

• Natural disasters :(
• Drunken belligerence.
• Not getting enough sleeeeeeeeeep.
• I need to start making meal plans and yet I can't seem to force myself!
• My twittering is not up to snuff this week.  
• It's hard trying to quit my Diet Coke habit.
• I need a new blog template...not really satisfied with the current setup.
• Running out of delicious gluten-free pizza.
• Knowing I'll miss my little sister when she finishes her rotation in my city!
• Pinched nerve in the neck.

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What weights are you carrying on your shoulders this week?  They can be little or they can be big, but it sure feels nice to have them out in the open.  

xoxo,

Annie

Links, Links, Links!

My brain has been just barely working, so there are a few less links than average in this pile.  Hopefully you can still enjoy though!  I will keep my eyes peeled even closer next week :).

Ways to comfort yourself (a VERY useful skill to have...).
http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2011/03/06/how-to-comfort-yourself/#comment-57080

Actor photos with random characters - really neat to see such professionals in this way!
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/actors-in-character-15-total

An odd, but interesting, view on suicidal behavior and how it could set you free to tackle things while alive...
http://i.imgur.com/5L10n.png

My poem published on another website!  If you have a poem about fighting illness, be sure to submit it to Fighting Fatigue!  Please comment if you like!
http://www.fightingfatigue.org/fbchallenge/?p=100

Some neat pictures of an overturned truck that was carrying ink...color everywhere!
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/10/visualized-overturned-ink-carrying-tractor-trailer-paints-the-t/

We are all reflecting on the tsunami and devastation that it caused...if you haven't been keeping up, here are some of the more potent images from the events...
http://ca.jezebel.com/5781000/haunting-images-from-the-tsunami-and-earthquake/gallery/?skyline=true&s=i

Hope you are all reasonably healthy this weekend!

xoxo,
Annie

Quote of the Day - Robert Downey Jr.

I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you've done.
Robert Downey, Jr.

xoxo,

Annie

Love Me Fridays

• Art journaling
• Foreign films
• Chats with my girls
• Marilyn Monroe movies
• My new car pillow
• Snacking
• Bed
• Big headphones
• My new Fight Like A Girl t-shirt

(Images from WeHeartIt - and moi)

What are the little things making you grateful this week?

xoxo,

Annie