Down 1/3

I've done it!  I have hit my first milestone... 20 pounds, gone!  Yes, I feel fantastic, but only 1/3 fantastic -- I've still got a long way to go, but in the meantime I am most definitely doing the ohhh I am 20 pounds lighter happy dance!

Here is the 20 pounds gone pic, and yes, I'm still missing my head!

My favorite shirts (I have like 5 of them) are getting bigger and baggier, and this is NOT a problem.  It is a reminder that I am smaller than I was.  I am down a pants size, and it is nice.  I truly think I'm down more than one size but I was soooo stuffed into my last size that I was probably two sizes larger and unwilling to admit it.

Here is the face so that you can see the weight loss there too:

This was from yesterday's photo-a-day challenge -- it was YOU, well really me... you know!

On to the follow up on the thyroid nodule.  The nuclear scan showed several "cold" areas.  A cold area is where the iodine/radioactive juices didn't take... a non-functioning part of my thyroid and/or nodule.  I don't know which, the scan was of both.  I was told that about 20% of "cold" areas actually turn out to be cancer.  So, the next step is a biopsy.  They are going to take samples of multiple areas.  I meet with the surgeon tomorrow so that's about all I can catch you up on.  I will, as always, share away once I know more.  If you are new to my blog and want to follow the thyroid/weight loss from the beginning, check out these previous posts:
4/18/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/pounds-tests-ribbons.html
4/10/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-loss-week-1.html
4/04/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-lumps-and-hormones.html

On the quilty-artsy side, I have been working.  Doing some customer stuff, and attempting to work on my JTA project which is due on Wednesday.  This block is cubism, don't worry I'll have a blog post about it - and no, I'm no where near done!  You can check out the last block (fauvism) here.

I've also been designing, erasing, redesigning, erasing, sweeping up the mess of eraser dust, and once again redesigning my next quilt.  It is already named but no where near creation yet.  It's called "Mama's Got the Blues", and will be an innovative wholecloth using the robins-egg blue tencel I purchased at Houston last year, here's a pic of the fabric:

I hope that the color comes through across the computer.  I think is is absolutely delicious and can't wait to get the design finalized to get it on there!  I've got tons of threads planned, yep, you guessed it, blues!  I might even do some couching with beautiful silk fibers.  I'm not sure yet, don't know how that will affect the "wholecloth" status - if anyone has suggestions on that one, please feel free to let me know.  Is it still a wholecloth if I couch silk ribbon/fibers down.  Either way, I can't wait!  Hopefully it will be as awesome as I have it pictured in my head. 

And, I did take out, put on my design wall, and look at my kaleidoscope quilt -- a soon to be beauty created with all of Natalie's beautiful hand-dyed fabrics.  But looking is about as far as I got.

Oh, I almost forgot.  How could I possibly forget?  My most beautiful MQX-East Faculty Award Ribbon!  Thank you again, Teri Lucas!  Read all about it here (under the QR part).

Well, that's about it, at least until after Wednesday big reveal at JTA.  Happy day quilties!

Pounds, Tests, Ribbons...

Some NQR and some QR...

Last week I lost 5 pounds, that's 13.5 total so far.  It is rough, but seeing results really helps.  I am no longer a grande muffin top, I'm more like a homemade muffin now.  Here is a photo I took for my photo-a-day challenge.  That days challenge was "how you feel" -- well, most definitely, lighter!  Sorry, but to show the weight loss I was unable to keep my head attached!  And I honestly can't get over the weight loss in my feet (really!), all my flip flops are flopping right off!

So..... last week I also went through a nuclear scan on my thyroid.  I have a 2 cm nodule on the right side of my thyroid..  The preparation for a nuclear scan was rough!  No, I didn't glow from the radioactive pill I took...  I was put on an iodine-free diet for 72 hours.  Let me tell you, there is iodine in a lot of foods, especially green vegetables.  With my no carb, no sugar diet I am eating mostly vegetables.  So for most of last week I was only eating egg whites, greek yogurt, cucumbers, and carrots -- rough!  So the scan is actually three visits over two days.  Finally on Friday my diet returned to normal -- I never thought I would be excited to add vegetables back into my diet.  I don't get the results until I see the doctor on the 23rd... I will surely keep you all informed.

Now on to the ribbons... LOVE hearing that word!
Last week was MQX-East (Machine Quilters Expo) in Providence, RI.  I was lucky enough to have "Wonderlust" accepted for the show.  I didn't place, which is fine, I am just soooooo happy to be included in such an awesome show!  I haven't yet been there in person, but it is on my list, really close to the top too!  So I sat reading the list of winners and congratulating everyone.  So many beautifully amazing quilts this year and that was just in the winner list.  I can't imagine how much fantastic beauty was hanging at the show.  See, like I said, happy to be included!

BUT, to make things even better.... Teri Lucas sent me a photo she took of my quilt - with a ribbon!  Yay, I had received a Teachers Ribbon.  Teacher Ribbons and Judges Choice are two of my most favorite ribbons.

I was beyond thrilled, until I realized I would have to wait until the show package came back (as MQX was shipping my quilt directly to MQS) to see who had awarded the ribbon.  Pffft... me wait, patiently?  In less than 4 hours it was driving me insane.  It was all I could think about, really!

Well, I managed to get through Monday, and on Tuesday, Margaret Solomon Gunn posted a picture of the back of my quilt while hanging at MQX.  This was great, I love that MQX hangs the quilts so that the really cool backs are visible.  Thanks Margaret, it is always great to see your quilt hanging at a show, but now it stirred up the wondering all over again... (hehe, and you all are probably wondering how "Wonderlust" was named.... I wonder, one of my most famous sayings).

Who... who had awarded "Wonderlust" a ribbon?  Not like knowing would change the world, just calm my mind.  So I waited, again.  Me waiting translates into me driving my entire household and half of my speed dials insane... it is not pretty.

This morning I sign on facebook and have a notification from Teri.  It tells me that I should really read her blog today.  Which, of course, I would have, but now I am super-curious.  I started reading before I even sipped my coffee.  Yippee!!!!  It was Teri, she picked my quilt as her favorite -- and she picked it from the back, OMG... !!!  You can read all about it here, on her blog.  So now my mind has calmed and I can go on with my day...

Happy Day quilty peeps!