Stuff I Love: Lush Handmade Cosmetics

A couple of weeks ago, as everyone has surely read, I had to put down one of my kitties. To make myself feel better, because Mike had duty that weekend, I went to Lush at the Macy's on Highway 100 here in Milwaukee, and treated myself to some great bath bombs - sadly, it's been right around two weeks and they're almost gone already - but nonetheless, I picked up some great stuff.

From left to right, in 3 rows:

• Twilight, Sakura, Big Blue, Dragon's Egg bath bombs
• Yuzu & Cocoa bubbleroon, Phoenix Rising, Space Girl, Mrs. Whippy bath bombs
• The Comforter and Sunny Side bubble bars
• Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask

These are some of my favorite things to use in order to do something nice for myself. We all have stressful day-to-day lives, and sometimes, taking time out for yourself is a great way to feel better. You can learn more about Lush products on their web site at lushusa.com!

April recap!

Where does the time go, seriously? Before I get all ramped up on some new ideas for May, here's a recap of what I put out into the blogosphere for April!

Book Club Mondays:
The Hunger Games
Socialpunk
Catching Fire

How-To Tuesdays:
Decoupaging Furniture
Concert Ticket Wall Art

Shows I Saw:
Henry Rollins

Other fun posts of note:
Moving Out, Moving On...
My Cancer Story
Block Melanoma!
Get Out and Bike!
Six Things I've Learned in My Six-Month Relationship... So Far
On losing my best friend.
Socialpunk Blog Tour Stop
The ABC's of Me!
A thrifting adventure!

If you missed anything, feel free to check out the posts, and don't forget to follow and check us out in May! I have a lot of great things planned!

Book Club Mondays: Catching Fire

After reading through two of the three Hunger Games books, I can now definitely understand why they're such a big deal and why so many people have fallen in love with them! The way Suzanne Collins writes is almost addictive; you can't put down one of the books when you start reading them. 

Catching Fire is the continuing story of Katniss Everdeen, shared winner of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, as she gets used to life in the Victor's Village, and as the only surviving female from District 12 in the history of the Games. Considering she didn't come from much, the life change into a place where she didn't have to worry about much was definitely confusing for her - though she got used to it as easily as she could. It seemed as if life was getting back to normal, until President Snow decides that they need to do something 'special' for the 75th annual Games, and calls for a 'Quarter Quell', in which former winners are called back into the arena for a second go-around. At this point, Katniss doesn't seem to care about much but keeping Peeta alive, and the adventure she goes through in this book almost encapsulates the drama of the first book. 

Suzanne Collins is definitely a wonderful writer, gifted with the ability to open up an entire world with her words and ignite a fan base for her writing that's barely been seen before. Since YA fiction seems to be heating up, it's a good time to be a Hunger Games fan!

Have you read it? What do you think?

'Like' An Epic Liz on Facebook!

Big things are happening at An Epic Liz, and by that I mean I'm nearing my 3,000th page view, and most of this week I have seen over 100 visitors a day! For all of that, and for my 12 followers, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to check out my little corner of the internet and read about my life.

Because of this, I decided to start up a little ol' Facebook page (mostly to save my friends who aren't interested in my blog the headache of seeing my posts all the time)! You can find that at...

http://www.facebook.com/anepicliz!

As always, if you aren't yet a follower, please feel free to click that little 'Follow' button for either Google Reader or Bloglovin!

I'll be back tomorrow with more fun posts for the weekend! 

A thrifting adventure!

Last week, I went on a little thrifting adventure after work, and wanted to share! Milwaukee is a wealth of little shops here and there, some quality, some not so much. Then, you have the big-box thrift stores like Goodwill, where sometimes you’ll score on clothes, but not much else. When I thrift, I am usually looking for something to add to my religious art collection, craft supplies like embroidery hoops, or keeping an open mind (and open eyes!) for other fun, unexpected finds. I wanted to write this post and share a couple of my favorite thrift shops with you guys – as well as last week’s buys!

Likely my favorite shop in Milwaukee (at least the one I go to the most), is located in Hales Corners, a suburb, but is just a short drive down Highway 100. It is a Bethesda Thrift Shop, and there are twelve in Wisconsin, but this is the only one in the Milwaukee area. I love it for a couple of simple reasons: I always find something great, the items are always priced well, and the store is absolutely immaculate! There is nothing better than that when you’re out thrifting. I found a couple of great wall hangings featuring handpainted style kitties! So kitschy, but I couldn’t turn them down. I also found an old spice rack that I plan to repurpose for an upcoming How-To Tuesday!

A second favorite is also located on Highway 100! While it doesn’t donate to a particular cause and is for all intensive purposes a for-profit thrift shop, there’s something a little bit different about it…

There are Barbie dolls everywhere! On the walls, lining shelves, everywhere. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, they’re just there. 

I don’t typically have great luck here, but still like going in to poke around all the same. On last week’s trip, I found this adorable Enesco cookie jar with squirrels on it from the 1970’s! It was in great shape – best part about the buy was I couldn’t find the price (they typically write on the items with a grease pencil), so the store’s manager priced it at $6.50, and we eventually found the price, and it was initially marked $10! Such a cute, great find. 

If you are in the Milwaukee area and looking to check out a couple of different thrift shops, these are definitely a couple to look for!

Have you gone thrifting lately? What have you found?

The ABC's of Me!

A couple of weeks ago, I was perusing the lovely Allison's Crafted Love, got inspired, and saw a post I definitely had to try! Check it out - the ABC's of me!

Age: 26
Bed Size: Queen
Chores that you hate: Scrubbing carpet stains!
Dogs: Don't own any, but don't mind them.
Essential start to your day: Diet Pepsi.
Favorite color: Red or purple.
Gold or silver: Silver or white gold.
Height: 5'6" on a good day.
Instruments you play: Currently, none. But I have played saxophone, clarinet, and made a sad attempt at guitar when I was 15.
Job title: Inventory Control Assistant III, or 'parts department'.
Kids: Don't have any that aren't feline.
Live: In Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Mother's name: Linda.
Nicknames: None that I can repeat and not seem like a heathen!
Overnight hospital stays: None, surprisingly!
Pet peeves: Lots of questions in a row, people that drive 5 miles under the speed limit, and the list goes on.
Quote from a movie or TV show: Off the top of my head, "If you ain't first, you're last" from Talladega Nights.
Righty or lefty: Righty.
Siblings: No full-blood siblings, but I have a half sister who is 14 years older than me.
Time you wake up: My alarm goes off at 6 AM 5 days a week, but I don't usually get out of bed before 6:30.
Underwear: I wear it, yes.
Veggie you hate: I don't know that I really hate any veggies in particular. I'm not a big fan of slimy foods - maybe beets? Yeah, beets sounds good.
What makes you run late: Typically, crappy traffic or inclement weather.
X-rays you've had: Countless X-rays on ankles and wrists as a kid, and one CAT scan after hitting my head at work a few years ago.
Yummy food you make: Simple birthday cakes with all kinds of crazy colors.
Zoo animal: Giraffe! I always make the joke that giraffes are my power animal, and I have a huge one tattooed on my calf!

How-to Tuesday: Concert Ticket Wall Art!

It is absolutely no secret that one of my favorite things to craft with is Mod Podge. It's so simple and quick to make pretty much anything awesome out of this awesome brush glue. As a kid, I started saving my movie tickets. That led to saving my concert tickets. Fast forward to a little earlier this year: I was sick of taping my concert tickets to every refrigerator I've ever had, so I wanted to do something else with them. I remembered that I had a canvas and some Mod Podge and voila!

You will need:

• A pile of old tickets (it doesn't need to be concert tickets)
• Mod Podge, either Matte or Gloss original, and the purple-labeled Hard Coat
• An old brush or sponge applicator
• Canvas to fit as many tickets as you have

It's all pretty simple! Here's your steps!

1. Grab your tickets, canvas, brush (or sponge) and Mod Podge. 
2. Organize your tickets however you deem fit on your canvas (I did one large rectangle, then a smaller one, and a smaller one yet, etc.)
3. Use your original Mod Podge (with either the yellow or orange label) and lay down some glue on both the canvas and the ticket. I would do one rectangle at a time. 
4. Once your entire canvas is covered, I'd do a layer of the Hard Coat just to make sure none of the edges come unglued.
5. Hang up and enjoy!

One tip I will give you on this is not to use a hair dryer to try and get the glue to dry faster. I did it (as you can tell from the random black splotch), and it changed the color of the heat-sensitive paper. 

And there you have it! Another fun way to use Mod Podge. Let me know what you did with yours in the comments, check back next week for another How-To Tuesday, and don't forget to follow if you're enjoying what you're reading!

Socialpunk Blog Tour: Interview with Monica Leonelle!

As promised, here is the interview I did with Monica Leonelle, the author of Socialpunk, which we reviewed yesterday as part of our Book Club Monday. Monica contacted me about being a part of her blog tour in advance of the release of Socialpunk, and I definitely could not say no! Instead of me blah-blah-blahing, here we go!

Where did you adopt the idea for the Socialpunk trilogy?
Socialpunk is very reflective of today's social media-driven world in terms of artists, curators, and influencers. It's definitely a physical reincarnation of the digital media world. I love the social media concepts embedded in the book and was inspired to write a cyberpunk novel.

What was your first published work?
A book called Social Pollination, about digital media and strategy. It was published in English and French.

What inspires you in both writing and life?
I wouldn't say any one thing helps me stay inspired, because that doesn't create anything new. You create new things by combining inspirations from all sorts of different sources and then adding your own touch or twist. But if you want to be inspired, you should expose yourself to all sorts of media - books, television, movies, radio, art museums, you name it. If you are writing one book you should consume at least ten books, ten movies, ten TV shows, ten songs, etc. to prepare. It doesn't matter if they are related or not - in fact, the more diverse, the better. And how much fun is it that I just told you to watch TV in order to do work? You're welcome for that.

What made you want to get into writing, and more specifically the marketing angle of what you do?
I feel like I mostly write because I can't help it. I love to write and that's how I express myself, day in and day out. I can never understand how people want to be writers or authors when they don't write. I always think, "Then why aren't you writing every day?" I organically average at least 2,000 words a day writing. When I'm finishing up a manuscript, I average closer to 5,000 words a day.

The marketing angle comes from my work background and education. After spending years as a Marketing Director at various start-ups, I now consult writers on getting word-of-mouth marketing for their books. I've helped improve the writing of an Inc. 50 CEO, a late-night TV show host, and several A-list bloggers. I also specialize in independent book marketing via blogger outreach. You can learn more about me at proseonfire.com.

Looking at your career up to this point, is there anything you would change, or anything you would do differently given the opportunity?
Not really, I don't have any regrets. I would maybe have started writing fiction sooner. I only have two books published and another one in the cooker... I'd love to have a huge backlist by now. The people with the most success seem to have that. Maybe in five years or so!

What's next for you, both writing and career-wise?
More fiction and more non-fiction writing. I would go crazy if I just did one or the other. I like that my marketing business is all about strategy, and that I'm able to provide a ton of value to would-be writers. For example, I have free e-mail consultations that are killer - they are getting really popular, actually. One allows you to ask three questions about writing, publishing, and/or marketing a book. I send back detailed answers. The other is for writers with a manuscript - they can upload their first 1,000 words and receive detailed feedback on how to make their book more hooking.

Novel writing is what I do for fun, but it also ties into my business nicely, I suppose. I am working on a better balance between the two at the moment, and considering doing more serialized fiction so I can get my fiction out and into the world faster. I spend a lot more of my time on my writing consults and editing services, at this time.

Book Club Mondays: Socialpunk

Tonight's Book Club Monday is pretty special for a couple of reasons! One, we're helping out Monica Leonelle, the book's author, by hosting this review as well as an interview which will post tomorrow - don't forget to check it out!

Socialpunk is not typically the kind of book I would go for. Not to say that the writing isn't good, it is, but I just really can't get into most sci-fi/futuristic books (I'm more of a fan of memoirs and new books by authors I already like). While the book starts out strong, I felt that parts of the book were rushed in an effort to finish the manuscript, and editing was a little lax. If you are the type of person who can get through those types of things, then by all means, check out this book.

The book starts out in a future Chicago ('The Dome'), in 2052, where Ima (also referred to as E and Cinder in the book) lives with her parents and friend Dash. They set off to see Girl Talk play a show at the Congress Theater, and all goes well, that is until someone blows up the Congress and Ima is rescued by a strange man named Vaughn. She isn't into the idea of being rescued, though, since she didn't leave with Dash. She spends the entire book trying to find him. In this, she is led through an array of emotions, missions, and challenges.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of sci-fi/futuristic/Dystopian novels, it would definitely be for you. Be sure to check out the blog again tomorrow for an interview with Monica Leonelle!

On losing my best friend.

happier times.

Let me start by saying, I don't like writing negative, sad posts. I want my blog to be a fun place to check out new music and books, learn something, and read about my silly little life. As I'm sure you know, life isn't always rainbows and sunshine.

Two days ago, I had to put down TK, one of my kitties.

She had been in failing health for about a month, stemming from some extreme weight loss that I had initially attributed to stress from our recent move. I brought her to the vet, where I was given a bit of a shock - that she was in pretty late-stage kidney failure. They told me I could put her down, or give her subcutaneous (under skin) fluids and special food and see how she did. Well, for awhile she did okay. She was back to not eating again the last few days of her life, and she was very lethargic, and I was force feeding her just to get her to eat. She stopped using the litter box, and I found blood in her mouth on Wednesday night, and Mike told me that it had taken him about ten minutes after getting home for him to find her, which wasn't normal for her. I knew that there was nothing else I could do. Her quality of life was gone, and I truly felt that when I looked in her eyes that she was giving up. I couldn't blame her. For a small-statured, five pound kitty, she had a lot of fight in her.

The decision to do what I did was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make in my life. If you have ever done it, you know exactly what I mean. Through tears, I called my parents and asked what they would do, and I decided to bring her to the emergency vet, knowing that I more than likely would not be bringing her home. My mother gave me some advice - "you have to love her enough to do it".

Love between an owner and pet is unconditional. No matter what happens, as an owner, you fall in love with these little creatures so hard that it's impossible to imagine your life without them. And when I imagined my life without TK, I was overcome with sadness. I also realized, though, that it was not a time to be selfish. I needed to do what was best for her.

Through tears that I never thought would end, I said goodbye to my little girl late on Wednesday night. The staff at the clinic were wonderful, and gave me as much time as I needed with her, to tell her how much I loved her and how I knew that she was in pain. I told her that I did not want her to hurt anymore, and, through tears (much as I am while recounting this story), that I would always love her. As the vet came in, I held her to my chest like she fell asleep every night, and before I knew it, she was done suffering. I held her for a few more minutes, sobbing into her fur and knowing that it would be the last time I would ever touch her.

I wanted to memorize the way her fur felt beneath my fingers, the way her meow sounded in comparison to other cats I've known. More than anything, I wanted to remember how she was when she was healthy, before the illness took over. Following me around, chatting about her day, and always making sure I was okay. I never had to say anything to her when I had a bad day, she just knew. The way she would crawl onto my chest and headbutt my face was something I'll likely never find again, and something I will miss most of all.

While the tears still flow here and there, I know, and sleep easily, knowing that her pain is over, and she's in a happier place. She was a happy kitty, and she would want me to be happy, as well. Those are the thoughts that get me through. She will always be my little meow-meow.

Six Things I've Learned in My Six-Month Relationship... So Far

My anniversary flowers!

It seems a little bit silly to be writing a post about the fact that my relationship has lasted as long as it has. In certain ways, it shouldn't really matter - if it isn't a year, or two, or six, it doesn't necessarily feel like a huge achievement. But it is definitely one of those milestone things... especially for a girl like me, who usually has a relationship timeline of around three or four months.

Things always happened and former relationships imploded on themselves in a matter of months. Once you start getting to know somebody, you naturally want to get more involve, and if the other person is not at the same place, you wind up at a standstill, and nothing good can come of it. You pick up, dust yourself off, and try again. Trial and error.

From day one, Mike has been incredibly patient. The week we started talking and decided to get into this whirlwind of a relationship was the week I found out about my melanoma... so needless to say, and not to take a page out of Fight Club, but he met me at a very strange time in my life... a la Marla Singer. He has taught me a lot of things, including that it really doesn't matter how much makeup I wear or how bad my breath smells in the morning.. he loves me the same either way. He has taught me that it is okay to just be me, unscripted and unrestrained... and he is okay with that. I love being able to love that way.

So, what I've learned, numbered for your convenience:

1. Love unconditionally. There are definitely some days when I want to punch a hole in Mike's face. I'm pretty sure that happens in every relationship. I just do the best that I can every day to show him how much I care. 
2. The past is the past. For the longest time, I felt myself being compared to all of his exes thanks to constant conversations about them. It made me feel bad about myself. Eventually, I realized that those issues aren't mine, and isn't my concern. 
3. Never go to bed angry. Getting back to my first point - getting in an argument is bad enough, but if you don't agree to disagree before going to bed, don't think for a second that it won't continue to haunt you. You won't sleep well, and the bad feelings will continue. It's better to apologize and get on with your life. 
4. Don't lose yourself in the relationship. I still fight with this one to this day. I am still learning how to be Liz, and do all of the things I loved to do before meeting Mike, like knitting, writing, and my other hobbies. 
5. Be best friends. If I don't hear from Mike throughout the day, it doesn't feel like it's going to be a good day. Each and every day, I hear from him several times, mostly to ask how my day is going. To ask what I want for dinner or tell me how he did on a test in school. It just makes me feel loved. 
6. Be patient. Everything else is tied to this one, for sure. Learning to love, and forget about the past, and stay together with an open mind is difficult. Every day, it gets easier and easier. 

Love is hard work. It's up to us to make the best of it. 

Book Club Mondays: The Hunger Games

Okay, I did it. I kept hearing about it, and hearing about it, and hearing about it, and I finally decided to see what all the fuss with The Hunger Games was about, since hearing all about the movie's upcoming release. I was absolutely not disappointed.

I was enticed by the promise of a story, that, for once, featured a strong woman. No sparkly vampires or emotional abuse in teenage relationships, just the story of a young girl forced to make difficult decisions by the world around her.

Katniss Everdeen is a talented hunter and archer, and is forced into competing in the yearly Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death between two tributes (one boy, one girl) from each district in futuristic Panem, with Katniss coming from District 12 (of 12 total districts). When the name of Katniss' younger sister, Primrose, is pulled at The Reaping, it does not take long for Katniss to volunteer herself as tribute so her sister does not need to feel the carnage that is The Games. Along with baker's son Peeta Mellark, the two go into the arena for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The cast of characters surrounding them (eccentric emcee Effie Trinket, mentor Haymitch Abernathy and stylist Cinna, to name a few) bring a certain humanity to the story that I'm not certain would have been there without them.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me just say that if you've been thinking whatsoever about checking out either the books or the film - definitely do it. The Hunger Games is definitely worth your time - I started Catching Fire as soon as I could after finishing it!

Show I Saw: Henry Rollins

Photo courtesy of the Pabst Theater

Henry Rollins has always inspired the hell out of me. Listening to Black Flag during my awkward teenage years, and as an adult listening to his spoken word, I've wanted to check out a live show, but never made it happen. A couple of weeks ago, I finally got to. 

It was very much a Henry Rollins show. He went on about everything from current events to his experiences as a globetrotter, and produced some of the most entertaining stories I have heard in a long time. Of course there were the expected wise cracks about political candidates, but what really got me were the stories. Henry Rollins has such a way with words, and with conveying his experiences productively, that it really makes me jealous, sometimes. Experience is good for that.

I think that the best part of the show, for me, was looking at my phone after it was over and realizing that it had gone on for three hours. Three hours of sitting in a room watching someone speak, and I hadn't even realized that much time had passed. It was so much fun that I nearly forgot to worry about what time it was. 

Making a long story short - if you get the opportunity to see a Henry Rollins spoken word show, take it. You will not be disappointed.

Get out and bike!

A couple of great friends of mine, Tiffany and Brian, got me on a bicycle for the first time in years this past September. They are very avid cyclists, and have gotten in great shape because of it. Personally, I've never been one for working out, but as a kid, I biked absolutely everywhere. 

Putting some thought into it, and thinking about the junky old bike that my mom got me after my mountain bike was stolen from my old apartment building, I got on it one afternoon about a month ago, and just rode and rode - before I knew it, I had made it seven whole miles on the thing. In all of its' weight, with all of its' squeaks - it had brought me seven miles. The next day, I got right back on - and went twelve miles. I was hooked. 

One great thing about biking that I never knew before I hopped on one was just how much I could learn about the city I have been living in for the last (almost) five years. I have found countless paths, like the one above that ended abruptly and ran parallel to railroad tracks, and have really come to see the beauty behind a rough(ish) city.

After three or four rides on the old Roadmaster bike, I decided to start doing some research and looking into new bikes at local bike shops. I scored huge! The bike I picked up is a 2011 SE Bikes Draft Lite. Since I got it home, I've been on it at very least every other day since I picked it up. Since Milwaukee's streets are paved with broken glass, I had an issue with a recurring flat rear tire that I actually just fixed over this past weekend with a Continental Gatorskin tire. Before I get too off topic, let me just make a long story short by saying that I love my bike. I love having the freedom to get on and ride, and forget about anything that's going on at home, at work, or anywhere - it's just me and the road beneath me, and that's wonderful to me. I've had a blast putting accessories on the bike, from the new rear tire to the Planet Bike rack and fenders, and even to the new saddle that was sent to me by Tiffany and her husband Brian! 

All that I'm trying to say is that I was wrong. I've discovered riding a bike, and not only have I fallen in love with something to do that's also good for me, but I have opened up an entirely new side of Milwaukee for myself. One of my new favorite things to do is to get up early on a Saturday morning, get on my bike without a specific destination, and just go. It's beautiful. 

Block Melanoma!

On the heels of finally telling the story of my own struggle with Melanoma, I've signed up to do the 3K walk portion of the Ann's Hope Foundation Block Melanoma Run/Walk on May 30, 2012. The event will take place at the Milwaukee Zoo. In my decision to do so, I've donated, and several of my friends and family have, as well. If you've got a few bucks to donate to a great cause, please don't hesitate to do so at my donation page, located here!

If you have any questions, or if for some reason the link isn't working, please shoot me an e-mail at grenadesallday@gmail.com, and I will be happy to help you out.

My cancer story.

Six months ago this week, something happened to me. Something that I've been working to rationalize but haven't wanted to talk about, but that needs to be discussed so awareness is raised.

On October 10, 2011, I went to the dermatologist where I was informed that I had a cancerous melanoma on the back of my left calf. A few weeks before that, at Milwaukee's yearly tattoo convention, I looked down at the back of my leg, where I have a tattoo of an owl, and noticed a spot in one of the owl's eyes that didn't look right. The skin looked shiny, and the edges of the area weren't even whatsoever. It was a spot I knew hadn't always been there, so I checked out a photo from when the tattoo was fresh, and of course, the spot was not there in the photo.

(On the left is a photo of the fresh tattoo, and on the right is an awkward photo of the spot I found - the only photo that exists). 

Growing up, my mother took me to the dermatologist several times to have moles removed, so I figured this was going to be no big deal. I made an appointment with a local dermatologist (after calling about four), went in for a biopsy, and waited to get my results. The doctor said that it didn't look good to him, but I tried not to think about it and tried to have a positive attitude about the whole thing. Went to work each day and didn't think much about it, to be honest.

On the afternoon of October 10th, I ran to a thrift store after work to buy a stupid Rod Stewart t-shirt I'd seen there that past weekend. My phone rang, and it was the dermatologists' office. They told me I needed to get to the office immediately, but couldn't tell me why. Until I pressured the nurse to tell me what she was calling me to tell me, which was my worst fear - that the biopsy had come back positive for melanoma.

Let me tell you one thing: nobody wants to get a phone call finding out that they have cancer, and I absolutely would not wish that feeling upon my worst enemy. I was diagnosed with a Stage I Melanoma, which meant that the melanoma itself was less than two inches thick. Thankfully, due to that, I would not need radiation or other cancer treatment, just surgery.

(Left is the faxed report of the dermatology findings of UCSF, and to the right is one of the in-shock e-mails I sent to one of my bosses)


I made the normal phone calls - to my dad and my bosses, and I honestly believe that I was in shock when the calls were made. I tried to act like it was no big deal and like it didn't bother me, until I broke down on the phone with my father about how terrified I was to recover alone. It was decided then that I would stay at their house in Green Bay to recover, just to make it easy on everyone.

Going into the office, I found out just what the surgery would take, and it was somewhat simple - they would need to excise an inch of skin around the spot itself, including the spot, in order to verify they got all of it. This wouldn't be a huge deal, spare the fact that I would lose a huge piece of the tattoo I had on my leg. At first, it sucked to realize that I had spent money on a piece I wouldn't get to enjoy at its' fullest forever, but at the same time I knew that it would serve as a reminder of what could have happened if I would not have been as observant as I was. The fact that I looked down at my leg that day and realized that something wasn't right is something I still don't know reasons behind, but that I am very thankful for. In the photo to the right, you can see the spot (in the eyeball), and the inch margin around where it needed to be removed, as well as the football shape so they could put my leg back together. Thinking about that kind of surgery was honestly terrifying. I had no idea what would happen, and I knew I had to try and spin it the best way I knew how - so that's precisely what I did.

The guys at work were helpful in keeping my spirits high when I was at my lowest. I got so many texted jokes and little notes left in my office, that it made me feel special, and like they cared. Lord knew I needed it.

Surgery day came and went, and all I had to do was take care of my incision and all of the crazy bruises that went with it. Being babied by my parents at 25 years of age felt a little bit ridiculous, but I knew they meant the best. I was only out of work for around a week (I don't know that I could have taken anymore), and since then, I've been given a clean bill of health.

For two years after being diagnosed with melanoma, I will have to go to the dermatologist every three months to have a full body skin scan, and after the first two years it would go to six months, and then a year. Once you've had one melanoma, your chances of getting more increase exponentially. In my first appointment post-operation, I had a second spot looked at, that - thankfully - showed no abnormalities.



All I have to show for my experience is a dent in my leg, a scar, and a story. A story that I hope will help others to not have to endure the same things I did. What I can tell you is very simple:

• Even if you have tattoos, check your skin for any differences. Moles and melanomas can pop up out of nowhere, and just because you have a tattoo doesn't mean you're exempt whatsoever. I sure wasn't. 
• If you see a spot that worries you, GO TO A DOCTOR. Don't wait and sweep it under the rug. Early detection is the best way to get the best results. 
• Don't keep the news to yourself if it is something negative. Talk to friends and family, and make sure everyone understands where you're at and what's at stake. It's important for people to have your back, especially in the worst situations. 

One thing that many people ask me is, "Liz, what are you going to do with the tattoo?" And you know, I've thought about getting it covered up, or seeing if it could be salvaged - but at the same time, having that constant reminder of what could have been, and how lucky I am, are more valuable to me than that perfect tattoo. 

The newest developments!

First of all, let me apologize for my silence minus a couple of Book Club Mondays! I have had a whole lot going on, and not a lot of time (or will) to write about those things. Let's make it really easy on you:

• First! I bought a domain name for the blog! You can reach the blog at the old address (http://anepicliz.blogspot.com), or you can try out the new address, which is simply http://www.anepicliz.com!
• A lot of cool stuff is coming. I'm going to pick back up with How To Tuesdays and some of my other weekly stuff, as well as doing special posts and even starting some new weekly posts.
• I'm going to start reviewing music as well as books (since it is what I've been doing seemingly forever), and even doing posts about bands that have been long broken up that I never want to fade from memory.

I'm sure there's more, but a girl does have to have her secrets, doesn't she?

How-to Tuesday: Decoupaging Furniture!

As a pastime, and as far back as I can really remember, I've been using Mod Podge to craft all sorts of things! Little storage boxes, formed rabbits, all kinds of stuff. It was tissue paper and creepy animal forms when I was a kid, but it's a skill I've maintained through adulthood. One of my favorite things to decoupage is furniture. And it's very easy to do! So, let's get goin'!

You will need: 

• Comic books or other paper to glue onto the furniture. I go through the $0.25 bins at comic shops and usually come up with some good stuff.
• Mod Podge! There are all different kinds of it on the market, but I typically use just the plain Matte in the yellow bottle. The Gloss comes in an orange one. For these types of projects, you want to have regular Mod Podge, as well as Hard Coat Mod Podge. That ensures your project will stay awesome for years to come.
• An old paint brush or sponge to apply the glue with. I say an old one because I wouldn't personally go out and buy a new paint brush just for this purpose - it's glue, after all!
• (Obviously) a piece of furniture to apply paper to. This table I actually found next to the dumpster at my apartment and had painted! You never know where you'll find a great piece, so you might as well just swallow your pride and dumpster dive once and awhile.

As I did before, I'll give you the steps and show photos of my progress as I went through them.

1. First things first: tear the pages from the comics and rip the pages into pieces. You'll want jagged edges since it adds to the collaged look. If you really want to, you can cut the edges, but I've personally never done it. 
2. Brush some glue onto a flat area of the table or whatever you're working on. Lay down a few pieces of your ripped paper, and Mod Podge over all of them. 
3. Continue until you have the largest, flattest portion of your table finished.
4. On the sides, you're going to want to do the pieces one by one, especially for routed areas and parts that aren't 100% flat. It would be smart to use your fingers to press the pieces down. Also, make sure to glue under any lipped areas of your furniture for a more complete look. 
5. Once you have covered all you want to, put an entire layer of Mod Podge all over the entire thing. 
6. Let the full covering of Mod Podge dry, and then use Hard Coat Mod Podge just like you did in the previous step. 

And you're done! Make sure to let the glue dry before you put your table into use, but once it's dry you can use it for anything (I made a computer table). Following this, you can clean your table's surface with household spray cleaner. Onto the photos!

Moving out, moving on...

Last time I ever closed this door.

How things can change in the space of just a few months is absolutely ridiculous, when you think about it. 

After a shitty roommate situation, I finally moved into my own place (not shared with anybody, really mine) in about September of 2010. It was a little one bedroom apartment in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, and I loved finally having my own space and having the freedom to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. When fallouts with friends happen, they often leave scars, and this one definitely did. 

The moral of this story is, though, that the apartment was the first thing that was really mine. My bachelorette pad, if you will. 

I started dating Mike in October, and he moved in in December. That left one cramped one bedroom apartment to house two adults and two cats. Not that I'd go back and change anything, because I definitely wouldn't. I just knew that it was time to grow up and get out. I'd been looking around for places here and there, and found one through work that we fell in love with. In the middle of February, we moved in, and having the additional space is definitely nice. An entire bedroom to house our hobbies (and of course, the fallout junk from everywhere else)! A living room big enough for two couches! Air conditioning! A dishwasher! The amenities are ridiculous in comparison to my old apartment, that was really only big enough for one person, with its' tiny kitchen and bathroom, and just enough character to get by.

I loved that place. I created so many things there, taught myself a lot of new things craft wise, spray painted in the bathroom, finally got cable for the first time in over a year, burned remnants of a past relationship in the bathroom sink... and you get it. Living in that apartment is not anything I'll ever forget, but I'm glad that I'm getting to experience life as I am right now. Uncharted territory is always scary, but you have to look back to be able to look ahead, don't you?