OPEN HOUSE!

OPEN HOUSE OPEN HOUSE!
It's party time once again for the ladies of Mercy Cares Boutique!
The pink champagne is back! The cupcakes are frosted! The goody bags are good-ified! Come visit our new shop on October 29th! Exclamation point!

NOW I'm REALLY Back!

Well, well, well! Where have I been? Just about a day or so after my last post, I started feeling a little queasy. Then exhaustion hit me like a brick wall. And I realized...yup! This is it! On July 30th 2009, that guy up there was born. But he's not the only news I have for you, my ladies!

MERCY CARES BOUTIQUE is moving! My dream of having our lovely boutique in a house has finally come true! This means more privacy, more room, and most of all, more of the homey, comfortable, soothing feeling I have tried to provide you with, my wonderful ladies, each and every time you visit. We even have a front porch to sit on and drink pink lemonade (or champagne, I'm not picky) in the summertime.

I am so excited to be able to give my warrior women even more coziness. You so deserve it. We make the big move on April 1st. Stay tuned for pictures of your new home...

I'M BACK...

...and better than ever! We had a fabulous day of pampering here at Mercy Cares at the end of October - hope you were here and sorry if you missed it! Aside from lots of yummy snacks massages, manicures and some delicioso vino fino, we had some great big laughs and some very important brainstorming. Whew, what a day. A few of my lovelies have decided that it is imperative that we re-enact this laugh fest one Wednesday evening a month. This will offically be a newsletter session, but unofficially a mental health eve. We all need to laugh more and my ladies seem to just love each other already, so I am honored to be a fly on the wall for these uplifting crazy wednesdays. And maybe I can convince one or two of them to write a blog entry for me once in awhile, since I seem to be terrible at the upkeep *sheepish grin*. Here's a picture of the event (taken by the fabulous Erin Neilsen of the American Cancer Society) that was sent as a press release to all the local papers. Let's see if someone will print it! Also is a picture of the cake that my big sister (Happy Birthday Yvette!) and I made for this day of pampering. It was our first go at fondant icing. Not necessarily our last, but I do believe we will take a little vacation from it. Quite the workout, that fondant!

NEWSLETTER ALERT!

Okay okay, so I never posted the big blog. Sorry sorry sorry. It's just that we've been so BUSY here at our lovely little boutique! We've had so many women tell us how happy they are to have a pretty, cozy, private, feminine place to shop. For this, I feel so honored, relieved and inspired. I said it once, I'll say it again and gladly repeat myself a million times - I am so lucky to have met every woman who has walked through my door. I learn so much from all of you, so thank you!

Now, down to business. I am beginning to put together a newsletter, and I'd love for you to contribute. Please send me poems, stories, inspiring words, dreams, wishes, cartoons, pictures, blurbs, tidbits, advice, suggestions and questions! Send it right to me! I have access to medical professionals so if you have questions for them, I will get you answers. Even if they don't get published.

October is a big month for breast cancer survivors and their famillies and Mercy is going to make sure everyone hears about it! Hollandia Nursery is planning a big event for the end of September. It'll be a great kick-off to October's events. I PROMISE to keep you posted on that one (sheepish grin).

OH - the beautiful painted torsos at the top of this post are courtesy of http://www.abreastinthewest.ca/
You should definitely check out the website - you'll find some great articles - entertaining and educational.
The torsos were part of a show in Vancouver at La Cabana. Each artist, a survivor or the loved one of a survivor, lovingly crafted these masterpieces in honor of all women who have been affected by breast cancer. I wish I could've seen the show in person! Please visit the website and browse.

I hope to hear from you all soon - at least introduce yourself and say hi - if I know you are there, it will make me write more often!

Stay Tuned - Big Blog in store for Monday!

My lovely reader(s) - tomorrow is a big day here in Bethel! It's the American Cancer Society's big event - Relay For Life! This will be our first year participating in what I am told is an awe inspiring all nighter. We opened out store just 2 months ago, so we weren't able to put together an actual team, but as corporate sponsors (what a cold sounding term, no?) we have been asked to set up a table at the Survivor's Dinner. What an HONOR! I am so excited to meet some more amazing people and let them know that I am here for them.

As another west-coast boutique owner said to me after generously giving me wholesale advice, "We are all in this together." And what a comforting thought that is. I want to shout from the rooftops how much I love my life right now. Everyday that I come to this pretty little store, someone encourages me, touches me, or teaches me. I really must be the luckiest woman alive.

Monday - I'll tell you all about the relay. Please share your stories with me!

Beautiful Beautiful!

The Scarf so nice they named it twice - introducing...The BeauBeau!

This lovely woman, Susan Beausang, designed these scarves after being disappointed with the choices available for women with medical hair loss. She was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis and happens to come from a family with three generations (THREE!) of breast cancer survivors. Is she not the best woman for the job?

These scarves are truly beautiful beautiful!! Not only are there

a gigantic range of colors (prints and solids), but they come in

4 different sizes. Sizes, you ask? How can scarves be "sized"? Well, my curious reader, these scarves are already pre-tied. Yes. So you don't have to take a course to learn scarf tying. Or happen to be a French woman. Rayon, jersey, spandex (for all of you movers and shakers) and silk. Whoa now - wait a minute. Silk and a sleek shiny head - not exactly an ideal combination. See, I know how smart you all are. But Ms. Beausang is smarter. Each of her scarves, no matter the material, are lined with the softest cotton. That, in combination with the aforementioned sizing, makes for a perfectly fitted and comfortable topper that ain't goin' nowhere. Ahhhh, thank goodness there are some other geniuses on the planet so we don't have to do it ALL.

Throw away those nasty hospital gowns...

...and try "Healing Threads" !!

Tell me this is not pretty. Go on, try to convince me. Sorry, I don't believe you.

Think of it: mammography time -we all know how cold it can be waiting, half naked, for that machine to finish making your breast look "flat like a penny". This hospital gown (though to call it that is to insult it) has panels with Velcro on each side of the chest - easy access, if you will. Around back it splits open (again, the magic of Velcro) to allow your doctor or nurse to listen to your heart and lungs. The sleeves roll up and Velcro in place. On the INSIDE there are large, deep pockets to hold monitors, drainage bags - even a book. This makes it ideal for chemo treatments, mammographies, breastfeeding or even physical therapy sessions. It is made from a super-soft, almost velvety material which is moisture repellent! Liquid rolls right off! Imagine all the things that can spill from a person or on a person, and this material will just shoo it away. Truly remarkable.

It comes in several soft colors and styles. There's even a calf-length gown for the very modest. Having physical therapy involving your leg? There are breakaway pants. Do you want to show off some curves? There's a wrap style that defines the waist. They're all so pretty, you might even wear it shopping at our boutique!

Are you a LympheDIVA?

What is a LymphedIVA, you may ask? Well, according to their website :

"If you are a woman who is battling or has defeated the evil monster known as “breast cancer,” you may actually be a LympheDIVA! LympheDIVAs come in all shapes and sizes. They are beautiful, they are fashionable, and they are confident. You can’t blame them; they have more than enough to be proud of. LympheDIVAs are on the move, managing their lymphedema with comfort, style, and grace. They are concerned with their health, and they care for their bodies. If you have the attitude and consider yourself admired, glamorous, or distinguished, then consider yourself a LympheDIVA!
You may also become a LympheDIVA if you care for someone with lymphedema. LympheDIVOs (male) also exist. " Quoted directly from www.lymphedivas.com/FAQ.php

My favorite part about this company is that they have taken the "yawn factor" out of a very important, medically necessary item to encourage women to take care of their bodies, all the while looking absolutely fabulous.

If all healthcare products were this cool, we'd happily comply with doctor's orders, wouldn't we? Now if only they'd do something about those hideous hospital gowns....hmmm. Tune in in a few days for my thoughts on THAT one.

Wigs!

If you though wigs were old fashioned or too obvious, you haven't seen what Rachel Welch has done lately. She has created some of the most stylish, trendy, beautiful wigs I have ever seen. AND, most of them are not human hair but feel just like it - basically making it affordable to feel better about yourself while going through chemo.

Not only will I help you choose the best style for your face and frame, but Cidia, my favorite hair dresser will be available by appointment in the privacy of our boutique for styling. Visit her website to see some of her talents at http://www.hairartbycidia.com/

Rachel Welch's company "Hair U Wear" donates 1million dollars in wigs to the American Cancer Society

each year. Another reason to love her!

Mercy Cares Boutique Grand Opening!

Hello Everyone!

I am so proud to announce the grand opening of our post-mastectomy boutique. It is the only one of its kind in this part of CT. I make that distinction with a mixture of joy and some sadness. The sadness that women have been so neglected in this beautiful area of our state, and joy at the fact that this will no longer be true!

It is my honor to serve so many of the strongest, wisest, and most beautiful women on the planet. I am starting this blog in the hopes that they will teach me what I can do to better serve them, and to have an arena to share their thoughts, hopes, fears, and dreams. I will share mine too.

Thanks for reading. To start, please share with me your best and worst fitting experiences and teach me teach me teach me!

I look forward to meeting you all.