Isabel Designs

Sorting the pieces

Some day’s life really does resemble a box of moving parts. When the lid is removed, the pieces look like they should come together to create the finished-product of your dreams, if only you had more time. But if you’re like most people, it’s a struggle to find enough hours in the day to study the instruction manual, let alone sort the pieces.

I love spending time with my sister. Last time we were together she happened to be working on a 500-piece puzzle. She set up a card table in the living room, emptied out the box, and sorted the pieces into nice neat piles according to colour and texture of the picture on the box. By the time I pulled a chair up to the table, she had the perimeter done, and was working on the interior. Each newly placed piece felt like a small victory, and as the evening went on, it was clear we were on a quest for complete and utter triumph. A few hours later, we high-fived and called it a night, satisfied and proud of our puzzle making skills.

I love looking for lessons and meaning in the activities I do, and certainly there’s one here for me. I think it’s this: I need to believe my many small efforts will yield the results I’m hoping for. I like to be organized. I need confidence and steadfastness. Sometimes it just seems like I’m spinning my wheels – or that I’m just moving pieces around. My hope is that at the end of the day I’ll be that much closer to realizing my dreams.

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Isabel Designs festival booth

This past weekend, Isabel Designs found herself exhibiting in Marlbank, Ontario at the Red Roof Women’s Festival. Our booth was made of things old, new, borrowed and blue. Not that we were headed to the alter, but it was the first time we took Isabel on the road, and our little store actually did contain all of these things. We had old drawers for shelves, an old screen door, and a well loved trellis for flaunting our wares. We borrowed a table from Dad and covered it with a blue tablecloth. A fancy banner, made by Noella, hanging under the canopy constituted our something new. All in all, I think we looked like seasoned experts – even if I do say so myself!

Sue and I had been – not so secretly – working on a few new products to introduce at the festival. After about an hour of selling, we realized we should have produced more pieces, so thank goodness we brought our tools and supplies with us! We even made custom jewelry and gifts on the spot for a few customers! To say that we were surprised and delighted by the reception we received over the weekend would be an understatement. 

Thank you to all our new customers for supporting our work and Ovarian Cancer Research. And thank you to the Red Roof Festival organizers for putting on such a great event! (I was also a performer at the festival and had a blast sharing the stage with so many talented women. See my facebook for photos).

As soon as I catch my breath, I’ll be updating the website with new jewelry and gifts. For now, I’ll leave you with photos of our weekend and a peak at our new products: SunDrops TM, Heart Catchers TM, and Garden Whispers TM. 

SunDrops TM

Heart Catchers TM

Garden Whispers TM

Eileen, Nancy & Chris on stage

Great crowd & amazing sunshine all weekend

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I really didn’t know anything about ovarian cancer until my mother was diagnosed back in 1998. Her symptoms snuck up on her and by the time she realized there was a problem, she was already in stage three of the disease. Ovarian cancer is typically very difficult to diagnose, and can remain silent for quite some time before causing any symptoms. My sister and I are now quite vigilant about our ‘reproductive’ health, knowing that often this type of cancer is in the genes. Regular visits with our doctor now include additional screening – just in case.

There are a few things all women can do to reduce the risk. According to the Ovarian Cancer Research organization of Canada, taking the birth control pill for five years can reduce the risk by more than 50%. Another little pill we can take that will substantially reduce the risk is vitamin D. The American Journal of Public Health stated that, “The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, combined with the discovery of increased risks of certain types of cancer in those who are deficient, suggest that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature deaths from colon, breast, ovarian and other cancers annually.” (link to article)

I’ve been taking vitamin D for a few years now, initially as a way to combat depression, but now I take it for cancer prevention too. I think we all need to be extremely proactive about our health, and this is just one little thing – that may turn out to be a big thing – that I can do for me. 

Now what I’d like you to do for ‘you’, is visit the Ovarian Cancer Research website and familiarize yourself with the information available there. There is a feature on their site that allows you to set out a postcard to family and friends to help spread the word about education and prevention of this disease. The photo below is one of their postcards.

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We are sisters – Susan and Nancy. We treasure the simple things in life. From the time we were little girls, we were encouraged to practice traditions commonly passed on from mothers to daughters. The most cherished lessons were taught by our Mother’s example. As children, our Mom used to make all our clothes. She baked cookies for our school lunches. At home every meal was an opportunity to celebrate family. We grew up understanding that hard work reaped great rewards, that being thrifty meant we had more to share, and that working with our hands and our heart is a wonderful way to breathe life into the world. Our Mother’s name was Marie Isabel. She lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2001, but the legacy she left us continues. It is in this spirit that we create for Isabel Designs.

Now we want to hear your story. This blog is intended to be a place where we can all share the legacies that our Mother’s created. If you are carrying on traditions handed down to you from your Mother or Grandmother, we’d like to hear about it. If it’s as simple as following her recipes, or having similar penmanship, tell us why it’s special to you.

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