kristinbell.org

Bring Change 2 Mind!

October 28, 2012 at 8:16 pm | Posted in 2012, Activism, Allies, Anti-anxiety meds, Anti-depressants, Anti-psychotics, awareness, Bipolar, Bring Change 2 Mind, Depression, Kristin Bell, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Mood Stabilizers, neuroscience, Psych Meds, Psychiatrist, Psychiatry, Psychiatry Denial, Psychology, Psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, stigma | Leave a comment

Hi! As you might know if you have scanned my blog, I make it a point to talk about mental health/illness, because I have schizophrenia and I believe in stomping out the stigma of mental illness. Well, I have this cute story to share! I was waiting outside of the classroom for my biology lab class to start this fall and started talking to a supernice girl who was in my class. We got to talking and to try to explain why I had been in school so long I decided to tell her that I have schizophrenia. Lo and behold she says “oh yah, my mom has bipolar and my brother has schizophrenia too!” What a small world!!! It turns out her whole family is active in the mental health field in advocating for the erasure of stigma related to mental illness and they have a website called http://bringchange2mind.org/ . I am always surprised when I talk to people about my own illness and then they also know someone or are someone with mental illness too! It is such a big thing in peoples’ lives and when we talk about it, it is surprising/amazing/wonderful that we aren’t alone in our struggles. So, I just wanted to share this little story and a link to the Bring Change 2 Mind website. It was a wonderful feeling to meet someone else at school who knows first hand about mental illness and to be able to talk openly about it! :) Three cheers for no more stigma!!! :)

Hollis Sigler (American, 1948-2001)

October 28, 2012 at 5:51 pm | Posted in 1990's, Art, art history, art journal, artist, breast cancer, cancer, death, Hollis Sigler, pain, painter, Painting, sickness | Leave a comment

Thought you all might like to know about Hollis Sigler. I’m just reading her Breast Cancer Journal right now. I’m not going to write a whole bio here, but just wanted to alert you to her work. She is best known for her images that relate to her struggle with breast cancer. Her story is very moving. Check out more about her at the Hammer Gallery and here.

Jeanne Philiberte Ledoux (French, 1767-1840)

October 28, 2012 at 12:30 am | Posted in 18th century, Art, art history, artist, Bowes Museum, female, France, French, History, Jeanne Philiberte Ledoux, Napoleon, painter, Painting, Paris, woman | Leave a comment

Self-Portrait, Jeanne Philiberte Ledoux

A lesser known contemporary of the popular Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842), Philiberte Ledoux was born in Paris in 1767 and never married. According to the Chronique Des Arts et de la Curiosité, she may have been the daughter of painter Paul-Guillaume Ledoux who died in 1781. She is known to have participated in the Salons of 1793, 1796, 1799, 1802, 1804, 1805, 1808, 1810, 1814, and 1819 in Paris. Although she did not attend an academy, she did study under French painter, Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805), who was educated at the Royal Academy in Paris.

“A Girl Leaning on Her Hand” by Jeanne Philiberte Ledoux

Philiberte Ledoux was mainly known for her paintings of women and children who were depicted in 18th century French styles. While history does not seem to remember much about her, she must have a been an artist of some repute, because she is cited as the painter of a portrait of Elénore Denuelle (born Louise Cathreine Elénore Denuelle de la Plaigne 1787-1868) who was the mistress of Emperor Napoleon I of France (1769-1821). It is alleged that Denuelle had an illegitimate child with Napoleon I. This child acted as proof that Napoleon I was not impotent and led to his divorce of Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814).

“Élénore Denuelle de la Plaigne” by Jeanne Philiberte Ledoux

Philiberte Ledoux died in the neighborhood of Belleville in Paris in 1840, but many of her paintings are extant, several of which hang in the Bowes Museum in the town of Barnard Castle in Teesdale, Durham, England. — Kristin Bell, 2012.

Sources:

Chronique Des Arts et de la Curiosité: Supplément a La Gazette Des Beaux-Arts, vol. 3 (1865): 331.

Evans, Howard V. and Charlotte B. Evans. “Women Artists in Eighteenth-Century France.” Man and Nature/ L’homme eet la nature, vol. 1 (1982): 199-207.

Fleischman, Hector. An Unknown Son of Napoleon. New York : John Lane Company, 1914.

http://louisesanfacon.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/jeanne-philibert-ledoux-1767-1840.jpg

Physics Clicker Cozy

September 22, 2012 at 1:02 pm | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, cat with glasses, Cats, clicker, College, cozy, Cute, design, design your own fabric, Education, fabric, fabric design, Kitties, Kitty, Kristin Bell, Physics, quizzes, school, school supplies, sewing, sewn, spoonflower | Leave a comment

Well, I had to buy yet another clicker for school! This one is for Physics class. So, I decided to make a clicker cozy for this one too. I got this cute fabric at spoonflower.com at this link: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/425256. I just love this cat with his glasses and sweater! :) He’s sure to help me get an A in Physics! haha! I wish! :)

Pink Piggy Pillow!

September 16, 2012 at 1:56 pm | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, creative, Cute, Decorating, fabric, Handmade, hobby, Kawaii, Kids, Kristin Bell, pig, piggy, pillow, Pillows, Pink, sewing, sewn | 1 Comment

I had this cute fabric with pigs on it, and I was just itching to use it in some way, so I decided to make a pink piggy pillow. BTW, you can find this supercute pig fabric at Hawthorne Threads. Here is the link: http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/david_walker/get_together/pig_toss_in_pink. It looks much cuter in person and is super soft and comfy too! Anyway, I started out with the pig shape face and hand-stitched the pig. I added a little bit of fluff to the feet and ears and when I sewed the pig on the pillow I added a bit of fluff between the pillow and the pig face. I also put on the back pig butt and added some fluff in that too. And what piggy could be complete without a ribbon on his tail?!? I’m including some pics of the pig in process and the pics of the finished pillow. Click to enlarge. :)

Strange Pic of the Day: I Got a Crown on My Tooth!

September 11, 2012 at 8:28 pm | Posted in 2012, cavity, crown, dental, Dental Care, dental hygienist, dental work, dentist, dentistry, filling, gold, Kristin Bell, Teeth, tooth, tooth decay | 1 Comment

Yes, this is definitely a strange picture. I just got the permanent gold crown put on my tooth today. If I ever run out of money I guess I could chip it off my tooth! lol My dentist did such a great job and even with all of the procedures, nothing hurt! How amazing is that?!? I know! It was awesome! :) The other blackish parts are where I have fillings. So sad that I had to ever get fillings. I wish my mouth was perfect, but oh well. :)

Earth Science Fabric for Spoonflower Contest

September 10, 2012 at 11:07 pm | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, earth, earth science, fabric, fabric design, geology, Handmade, Kristin Bell, plate tectonics, quilt, quilting, school, Science, sewing, sewn, spoonflower | Leave a comment

I just got my Earth Science fabric in the mail today that I made for the spoonflower.com Earth Science fabric contest. I like the way it turned out, but I don’t know what to use it for yet. I might make another pillow or try something more exciting. :) Here is a link to the fabric on spoonflower if you are interested: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1407354. You can click the pics to zoom in and enlarge.

Donkey Elephant USA Fabric

September 10, 2012 at 4:22 am | Posted in 2012, democrat, donkey, election, elephant, fabric, fabric design, Handmade, Kristin Bell, obama, red white and blue, republican, romney, sewing, sewn, spoonflower, United States, US Government, US Politics, USA | Leave a comment

I made this fabric for another contest over at spoonflower.com . For this contest, we were supposed to use the donkey and the elephant and incorporate them in a way where they were kind of getting along (much the opposite of reality unfortunately)! I wanted the middle stripes to be purple as a symbol of the combining of blue and red, but it sort of turned out more blue that I’d hoped. I also wanted the donkey and elephant to look like they were talking to each other. If you want to check out the fabric, it is available at this link: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1406600

Finished Black and White Typewriter Pillow

September 9, 2012 at 8:16 pm | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, black, Black & White, craft, Cute, design, design your own fabric, fabric, fabric design, Kristin Bell, pillow, Pillows, sewing, sewn, spoonflower, typewriter, white | Leave a comment

So, I took my typewriter fabric and made a pillow out of it. I like it a lot! It took a lot of stuffing to fill it, but it is super comfy now! :) The back has black and white polka dot fleece that is available from Joann Fabrics (http://joann.com). The front is made from the fabric I designed. If you’d like to get your own fabric with this design, just check it out at: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1399770. I messed up a bit on closing up the hole where I stuffed it, but it is okay. :) Yay! Click the pics to enlarge. :)

Stripey Black and White Typewriter Fabric

September 7, 2012 at 12:10 am | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, black, Black & White, drawings, fabric, fabric design, Handmade, Kristin Bell, sewing, sewn, spoonflower, stripes, typewriter, white | Leave a comment

I made this stripey black and white typewriter fabric for the weekly design contest at Spoonflower.com. If you want to sign up with spoonflower and vote for me, that would be great! Anyway, they have a different contest pretty much every week. This week it was using black and white with the theme of typewriters. I ordered the fat quarter of the fabric and got it in the mail today. I haven’t ironed it yet, but the pic is what the fat quarter looks like! I think I’m going to make a big pillow out of it. I love designing different fabrics and seeing them printed! It is so exciting! :) Oh, I forgot…here is a link to the fabric: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1399770

Lindsey’s Experience with Schizophrenia

September 1, 2012 at 6:24 pm | Posted in 2012, Anti-anxiety meds, Anti-depressants, Anti-psychotics, Art, artist, Haldol, Health, insanity, Kristin Bell, Lindsey Cormier, Medicine, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Psych Meds, Psychiatrist, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, Seroquel, Zyprexa | 2 Comments

Hey check out Lindsey’s vlog! Great to hear her story! :) She is also an amazing artist! Check out her art at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lindseycormier

Unchained Melody

August 29, 2012 at 11:55 pm | Posted in 2012, Kristin Bell, Music, Singing, Song, unchained melody, Video | Leave a comment

Acrobatic Squirrel

August 29, 2012 at 1:25 pm | Posted in 2012, acrobat, Animals, Backyard, Cute, funny, Kristin Bell, Nature, North America, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, squirrel, Washington | 1 Comment

I saw this squirrel dangling in our back yard and I just had to take a few pics of him! I’m so glad he stayed put while I got my camera and took photos. He’s eating bird food by the way. I love the squirrels in our back yard! They are so funny! :) You can click the pics for a larger view. :)

Genetic Testing! Yay!

August 24, 2012 at 9:30 pm | Posted in Abilify, Anti-anxiety meds, Anti-depressants, Anti-psychotics, Anxiety, benadryl, Biology, Bipolar, Body, BPD, Buspar, Depakote, Depression, dna, drugs, Effexor, genetic testing, Genetics, Haldol, Haldol DEC, Haldol Decanoate, Kristin Bell, Lithium, Mania, Manic, Manic-Depressive, MAO Inhibitors, Medicine, Mental Health, Mental Illness, metabolic pathways, metabolize, Mood Stabilizers, Navane, neuroscience, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, ocd, Paranoid Schizophrenia, Paxil, plavix, Prescription Meds, Prozac, Psych Meds, Psychiatrist, Psychiatry, Psychoactive Substances, Psychology, Psychosis, Risperdal, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, Science, Seroquel, Technology, testing, Trazadone, Trilifon, warfarin, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Zyprexa | Leave a comment

http://www.genemedrx.com/

Hey Everybody! I wanted to share with you this cool genetics testing that is available to people. I just got it done, because my nurse practitioner ordered it and Medicare pays for it. (Medicare pays for this testing, because it saves a LOT of money and can save lives!) It is really cool, because it tells you how medications will interact with your specific genetic makeup! It is extremely important if you are taking really any kind of medication. For example, had I known about my results before I took Wellbutrin years ago, it would have saved me from basically having a manic reaction to the medication. It turns out that I metabolize differently than normal on some of the metabolic pathways. This means that I will metabolize the meds on those pathways different than people without this issue. If you have Medicare, I strongly urge you to get this testing done. It could save your life from a bad genetic-medication mistake. I think many other insurance carriers might also pay for it. It also explains why I can take a lower dose of many medications and still get the desired effect from the medication. I would say that anyone who is trying to figure out their psych meds should really get this testing done too. It doesn’t just tell about psych meds though, it tells about stuff involving all other sorts of meds. Seriously, this is pretty awesome! Again, here is the link: http://www.genemedrx.com/

Nature Kitties Done 8/22/12

August 22, 2012 at 11:53 pm | Posted in 2012, Animals, Art, arts & crafts, bugs, Cat Stories, Cats, cozy, craft, Cute, Environment, fabric, Friends, green, Huge Eyes, Kawaii, Kristin Bell, Nature, plushies, sewing, sewn, Stuffed Animals | Leave a comment

I wanted to make these kitties for a friend who is a nature/environment lover. I hope it cheers him up a little when he gets it. :)

TI-89 Calculator and Batteries Cozy

August 22, 2012 at 5:06 am | Posted in calculator, Calculus, College, Cover, cozy, design, fabric, Kawaii, Kristin Bell, Mars, martian-naut, math, Mathematics, Nerd, Physics, school, school supplies, sewing, sewn, TI-89, University | 2 Comments

Well, since I was making storage pocket things, I decided to make a calculator cozy for my TI-89. I also needed a place to hold extra batteries, because I’d rather not be in the middle of a test and have my calculator die with no back up batteries available. Yes! This does happen! ~~I’m still debating about adding the extra ribbons on top to secure the calculator, but I don’t know if it really needs it, because it fits pretty snug~~. I made this out of the Mars Martian fabric that I created. :) UPDATE: I decided to add the bows for closure. :)

iClicker Fabric Cozy

August 22, 2012 at 2:22 am | Posted in Biology, College, Cover, cozy, craft, Cute, device, fabric, Handmade, iClicker, Kawaii, Kristin Bell, testing, University | Leave a comment

So, for my Biology class that starts Fall term we have to use these iClicker devices (I’m assuming for taking quizzes or something). I bought a Hello Kitty tin to put it in, but I didn’t want it clunking around in there, so I made this iClicker fabric cozy for it out of a swatch of fabric that I had. The inside is lined with fleece so it is a bit heavier weight than just cotton fabric. :) Neat! Now I can be all kawaii in bio class! :) hehe UPDATE: I decided to put on some ribbons that when tied keep the clicker from falling out! :)

Hot Off the Presses: Blue Frog Kitties!

August 19, 2012 at 11:32 pm | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, blue, Cat Break, Cat Stories, Cats, cuddle, Cute, design, dolls, fabric, Frog, green, Handmade, Happy, Kawaii, Kitties, Kitty, Kristin Bell, pillow, plushies, sewing, sewn, Stuffed Animals | Leave a comment

Blue Frog Kitties Front

Blue Frog Kitties Back

I just finished my blue frog kitty project for my friend who likes blue and frogs. I hope she likes this! :) I used the frog fabric on the back of both the big kitty and the baby kitty this time. :) Click any of the pics to enlarge. :)

Current Kitty Project 8/19/12

August 19, 2012 at 12:29 am | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, blue, craft, cuddle, Cute, Frog, Kitties, Kitty, Kristin Bell, plushies, sewing, sewn, Stuffed Animals | Leave a comment

Frog Kitty in Process

This is my current kitty project that I’m working on tonight. It is for a friend who likes blue and frogs. Amazingly enough I was able to find fabric with blue frogs on it!!! Yippee! I hope she likes it! :)

August’s New Kitties!

August 18, 2012 at 11:23 pm | Posted in 2012, Art, arts & crafts, Cat Break, Cats, Colorful, craft, Cute, dental, dental hygienist, dentist, design, dolls, fairy, fairy cat, Fun, Goofy, green, Handmade, Happy, Kawaii, Kitties, Kitty, Kristin Bell, Panda, panda bear, plushies, sewing, sewn, sneakers, spoonflower, Stuffed Animals, Teeth, Toy | Leave a comment

The Teeth Kitty

Front of the Cat Fairy Kitty

Back of the Cat Fairy Kitty

Panda Kitty

Funky Shoe Kitty

I’m pretty sure the people I have made these kitties for don’t read my blog, so I’m going to post the pics of new kitties I have made! The first one I just finished today for a wonderful young woman who just completed dental hygienist school. I’ve known her since she was born actually! I found the cute teeth fabric on spoonflower. I think they are just adorable with their pink cheeks! hehe. The second cat I made for my aunt’s friend. It is different on the back, because the back doesn’t have fuzzy fabric, but instead the flying cat fairy fabric. The last two I made especially for a friend who lives far away. The shoes reminded me of his new sneakers that I saw on facebook, and I know he likes pandas, so I wanted to do a panda cat for him. :) Click any of the pictures for a larger view. :)

Elyn Saks TED Talk About Her Schizophrenia

August 12, 2012 at 11:49 pm | Posted in Elyn R. Saks, Kristin Bell, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Psych Meds, Psychiatrist, Psychiatry, Psychiatry Denial, Psychoactive Substances, Psychology, Psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, TED Talk, The Center Cannot Hold, Video | 2 Comments

Discount Code for Hello Kitty POP Phone

August 7, 2012 at 8:26 pm | Posted in 2012, Cute, Hello Kitty, iPhone, Kristin Bell, phone, POP phone | 4 Comments

Hey Everyone! Hello Kitty Junkie has a discount code for the Hello Kitty Pop phone at her page! Please check out her site and get 20% off until August 31, 2012. You can plug the Hello Kitty POP phone into most wireless devices. It is supercute too! GO HERE FOR THE CODE! You can always check out the Hello Kitty POP Phone at this link. (P.S. the 20% off promo code is NUKTY2012, but please check out Hello Kitty Junkie’s site).

Congratulations NASA!!!

August 5, 2012 at 11:14 pm | Posted in Curiosity, Engineering, landing, Mars, math, NASA, Science, Space | Leave a comment

So excited that Curiosity landed safely and with success on Mars! Here are a couple of pics! When the servers come back up, you should be able to see the raw images as they come in here: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/

I Would Cuddle You So Hard!

August 5, 2012 at 1:59 am | Posted in 1XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL, bearded, beards, Body, chubby, Clothes, clothing, cuddle, Cute, dpcted, Extended Plus Size, Fashion, Fat, Fat Acceptance, Fun, funny, Kristin Bell, Large, Medium, pierced, Plus Size, shirts, size acceptance, Small, t-shirt, tattoos | Leave a comment

I just wanted to tell you guys about this awesome t-shirt place that has t-shirts in sizes small to 5XL. They have all sorts of cute/funny t-shirts. I just got this one and I love it! Go to: http://dpcted.com/ and support a business that is nice to fat people, pierced people, tattooed people, and bearded people (among others).

Got My Cure Alliance Schizophrenia Magnet Today! Yay!

August 4, 2012 at 6:41 pm | Posted in Activism, Anti-depressants, Anti-psychotics, Anxiety, Bipolar, Brain, Cure Alliance, Depression, insanity, Kristin Bell, magnet, Mania, Manic-Depressive, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, ocd, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, sz | Leave a comment

Hi! I’m happy to report I got my Cure Alliance schizophrenia magnet today! Strange that my bumper wouldn’t hold the magnet! haha. Anyway, please check them out at the Cure Alliance Facebook page here. Also, see the related post I made about their campaign here.

50-50-50 Magnet Campaign for Mental Illness

August 1, 2012 at 8:31 pm | Posted in Activism, Bipolar, Depression, Kristin Bell, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Paranoid Schizophrenia, Psychiatry, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia | 3 Comments

Hey everybody! The Cure Alliance has launched their 50-50-50 campaign to raise awareness about mental illness. It stands for 50 states, 50 magnets in 50 days. They want to get their mental illness magnets in 50 states in 50 days! YOU can participate! The first person from each state to contact them gets their choice of a free magnet for their car! Just email them at this address: info@curealliance.org. Also, you can buy them from their store HERE. I think they are good for other things too, like to stick on lunchboxes or bikes or anything a magnet will stick to!!! Please also like their Facebook page HERE.

Visit My Spoonflower Shop! :)

August 1, 2012 at 8:08 pm | Posted in Art, arts & crafts, design, design your own fabric, fabric, fabric design, Kristin Bell, spoonflower | Leave a comment

Just click the image above! :)

Excited About Perception!

July 21, 2012 at 6:31 pm | Posted in 2012, Acceptance, Anti-anxiety meds, Anti-depressants, Anti-psychotics, College, Crime Solver, Eric McCormack, insanity, Kristin Bell, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Paranoid Schizophrenia, Perception, Professor, Psych Meds, Psychiatrist, Psychiatry, Psychiatry Denial, Psychoactive Substances, Psychology, Psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, TNT, TV, University | Leave a comment

Hey Everybody! I’m really excited about this new show on TNT called “Perception.” http://www.tntdrama.com/series/perception/

It stars Eric McCormack (of Will & Grace fame) as a university professor, author and crime solver who is also living with schizophrenia! I’m always skeptical of depictions of people with mental illness on TV and in movies, because they usually make them out to be psychopathic killers or something. I’ve watched the first two episodes of the show so far, and I think they do an excellent job of making the character seem like a regular human being! It is so fantastic! They use the hallucinations as kind of a dramatic device and employ some other Beautiful Mind-esque devices to try to make it like the viewer can see what the character is seeing. Some commenters have argued that it doesn’t show the horrific aspects of schizophrenia enough, but I personally like that they are showing him to be a regular person, and an intelligent one at that! I like that they show him holding down a job, interacting with people socially, and using the help of other people to reality test. I’m excited to see how the character and the show develop and I hope it gets picked up for another season! Please check it out if you get a chance! Again, it is on TNT Monday nights. Here is the TNT link: http://www.tntdrama.com/series/perception/

Wonderful Video Documentary About a Mother with Schizophrenia

July 21, 2012 at 4:07 am | Posted in 2012, Acceptance, Activism, Allies, Anti-psychotics, Children, Depression, Discrimination, DSM-5, Education, Families, Family, Grandmother, insanity, Kristin Bell, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Mom, Mother, Motherhood, Prescription Meds, Psych Meds, Psychiatrist, Psychiatry, Psychiatry Denial, Psychoactive Substances, Psychology, Psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia | 2 Comments

I’m taking a Women’s Studies course at school and we are looking at the topic of Motherhood. This week we are discussing motherhood and disabilities, and I came across this wonderful video series that is made by a student about a mother who has schizophrenia and how it has impacted her life and the life of her daughter. I think he did a really good job! The video is divided into four parts and I hope you watch all four parts! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx6j_Tyb8Uo&feature=share&list=PL81E9C419F7641FD8