I am 20 weeks pregnant with our first kid and we are very excited!

I have a job that pays some bills and gives me health insurance, but quite honestly if I wasn't pregnant, I would have quit at least two months ago. Basically, regardless of when I do end up leaving to have the baby I have no plans of returning. Maybe to a different department in the same company, but I'm not entirely sure about that.

I am a high risk mama and I literally have twice as many appointments (at least) as the average pregnant lady. I am overweight and have high blood pressure. I'm being monitored by two doctors and everything has been okay so far with the baby and his/her growth and my blood pressure has been well controlled by medication.

I have been having a rough time with morning sickness and getting knocked down by a stomach bug for a couple of weeks and have missed a fair amount of work. My bosses are not pleased with this and think I need to toughen up. That may be the case, and I may look back and think I was being a giant wuss, but right now in the moment I'm just doing the best that I can. I have not worked here long enough to qualify for FMLA but I can take a medical leave of absence or personal leave. With that, I would technically be an employee for up to 38 weeks and would have no changes to health insurance for the first 12 weeks. After that, the health insurance would go away unless I paid into COBRA.

If I'm counting right, I'm one missed day of work away from being fired. As far as I know, I would qualify for unemployment because I have a health condition that would have led me to being fired. We would definitely qualify for food stamps then and although I'm not sure about Medicaid, I would qualify for CHIPS insurance for the rest of my pregnancy so at least prenatal care and delivery would be covered and the baby would be after that.

My question is, do you think it would be better to get fired or to go on medical leave now? I'm due in March, so my insurance would not last until the birth of my baby, but it would get me through the next few months at least. Is having health insurance through my company more important than trying to collect unemployment?

Any thoughts are helpful! Thanks for your time, I totally love this community.

Hey all,
Anyone want to show off their long differently color hair? I'm about 2 inches from waist-length at the moment with pretty wavy hair. I was thinking about dying my hair pink or some other color but I feel like it would look silly and "interesting" colors look better on short hair.

Prove me wrong!
Pictures please?

~*~EDIT~*~
Thanks so much for the quick responses. Moment of weakness I guess, I've been growing my hair out from maybe an inch long (basically buzzed) to the current length for 3 years. Looking into henna or something similar to get a more red hue over my natural brown...

Today's fabric find is from the Fat Quarter Shop, a place I discovered through someone here on steamfashion.

The "Be a Man" collection featuring:


It's so rare to find fabrics with gears on them. And this one is in a color I don't mind. I wish the price were lower, but it could still be fun to play with!

Just letting every one know I have completed a few things one of which is a set of engraved silver goggles!

here is the obligatory picture



and a couple of masks, rest of this including ebay links are below the cut!
( Read more... )

hope everyone is having a great weekend!

It seems like there are a LOT of picture posts lately.

Which is a good thing, right? Text-only advice is great, but I love to see pictures of everyone else's hair growth and especially pictures of all of you longhairs' hair. It inspires me to keep going!

So hopefully this is inspiring to somebody out there??

I think my hair has JUST BARELY reached BSL. It would have probably been there months ago if I haven't been so crazy with my trimming/dusting. D: I think I'm just going to stop. I've probably cut a good 2-3 inches off in the past couple of months. Eeep.

( June 2008 - November 2009 )

Awhile ago I bought a large box of antique/vintage laces and trims. I have only scratched the surface of what was in there, I found a fun use: adorning velvet blazers. I get velvet blazers at the thrift stores and reline, trim and give them a new life. I posted one a while ago with keys as buttons, but I just wanted to show you more cause you asked for it. And some other goodies I have been working on
Without further ado: (and available on my etsy)

www.shawkstitches.etsy.com
( More steamy goodness )

 So, I've dropped my wide-tooth plastic comb in the shower so many times that a bunch of the teeth have fallen off, and it's about time to get a new one.  When I bought that one I didn't know anything about long hair, I just heard in Allure that they were better.  Now I am a bit more informed, but have to ask the question;

What type of WTC is the best for detangling and gentlest for long hair?  Soft plastic?  Hard plastic?  Metal?  I think that wood is out of the question for me because I de-tangle in the shower and wood gets swollen.  My hair, as everyone knows by now, looks like this:  (I'm on the right)



And here is a bonus pic, of a "milk-maid" style hair braided with ribbons

 Hi Everyone!

I don't think I've posted here before... Guess I've just been a lurker... I do have a question, however, as I'm going to henna my hair and you all seem so knowledgeable. I've been googling this to no avail.

My hair is light/medium brown, and I have some grown-out highlights from maybe 3 months ago. I've only colored my hair once. You can only see the roots and tell that it's dyed if I tie it up in a tight ponytail; when its down, it still blends together. 

I just picked up 200 grams of pure henna (Mumtaz brand - mumtaz_superior_quality_henna_1s copy.jpg). I was going to mix it with indigo, then decided I might like to go red and just use henna. My question: I know that the highlighted hair will take the color more easily than the non-highlighted parts... but will it look ridiculous? (here's the natural color, if it makes a difference - don't have any pictures of it highlighted.. 5840_551981876861_13003495_32887100_6462316_n.jpg). Will there probably be an obvious line of new growth and old hair or should it blend well? 

Thanks!

Just thought I'd pop in and introduce myself, I'm Lady V from Lady V Designs. I am a multidisciplinary artist creating organic influenced abstract, contemporary landscape, expressionistic surrealistic portraits, photography, assemblage, jewellery and handmade art cards.

I sell my jewellery exclusively at Art of Adornment and most of my jewellery is limited edition or one-of-a-kind accessories made from rare, unusual and exquisite components. Art of Adornment carries unique pieces from independent artist that are historically-inspired, focusing on vintage Victorian, romantic Renaissance, daring 1920's, Steampunk and dark modern Gothic styles.

This is one of me newest creations...


One of a kind. Layers of flowing antique bronze floral and Art Nouveau motif stampings create a stunning contrast with the charmlike brass watch cogs and matte black glass bicone beads which dangle from them. A hand-poured resin teardrop shaped cabochon containing more vintage watch parts acts as a focal point in the center. A 1 inch (2.5cm) antique brass locking bar pin is mounted on the back. (Description & photography by E.Foster from Art of Adornment)

Dimensions: 2 3/4" x 3 3/8" (7x8.5cm) including dangles

If your local Target still has some Halloween stock left, you can grab a pair of these pleather Darth Vader gauntlets for $0.79 (originally $7.99). I think they'd make nice driving/aviator gloves.

Dear Bookstore:

I like the fact that you're across the street. I like the fact that you have a zillion books. I want to give you money. So would it kill you to actually stock a few books I want to read?

I'm perfectly willing to understand that people aren't automatically going to have everything. But you didn't have Pride and Prejudice and Zombies when I wanted it. You didn't have the latest Laurell K. Hamilton the third day after it was officially released, leaving my wife bookless. And today, I actively wanted to purchase Crumb's version of the Book of Genesis, a book by a long-standing comics figure that's been written up in most major magazines (including Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly), and no. You were out. Again.

Yes, you can order it for me, I know. But I'm trying to do you guys a favor. I can get it at 10% off with your special order process and then come back and get it, or I can get this latest bestseller 43% off from Amazon and have it delivered to my door. (Admittedly, Amazon is out right now, but the principle still applies.) I mean, I'm actively taking a hit on my own price to try to prop up a local business - can you do your duty and have what I desire? I'm not asking for totally weird stuff.

Trust me. When you had China Mieville's latest book (shelved, strangely, in fiction and not science fiction), I did purchase it. Allow me to recompense you. Let us both profit. Just get the goddamned inventory in, okay?

Love,
T.F.

Edited to add: Congress is in fact OPEN today (Saturday) and people CAN call their Reps NOW! I just called Speaker Pelosi's office in DC and they had people answering the phones. People on the west coast should have a bit more time to phone their local offices, as well, SO PICK UP THE PHONE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN, FOLKS!!! This is SERIOUS!

The Capitol Switchboard is RINGING BUSY, so go here to find the contact info for your reps: http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/mcapdir.html

Don't know who your rep is??? Go here to locate them by zip code (top left corner): http://www.house.gov/

Hello Friends,

Please forward widely!

This morning around 1am, Members of the US Congress House of
Representatives agreed to allow an Up or Down Vote TODAY to create
what would essentially become a "de facto ban" on abortion services
for private as well as potential public insurers. This is outrageous
and NEEDS TO BE STOPPED!

Where do your reps stand?
Check here: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/7/801738/-HCR-House-Debate:-The-Stupak-Amendment

Make sure to contact your Representative in the House and Senate via
email and follow up on Monday morning with a phone call!!!
Go here: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/issues/abortion/access-to-abortion/health-care-reform.html

News from The NY Times:
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/abortion-fight-erupts-in-health-care-debate/
From The Hill (DC):
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/66789-stupak-to-get-up-or-down-vote-on-amendment-to-block-abortion-funding

In Pro-Choice Solidarity!

I have never been a fan of Aldi's... Anyone have some insight on Save-A-Lot? I imagine it's about the same, crappy quality... 

I know enough of you have already started getting your holiday gourd on, so click here for a little hardcore validation. And by "hardcore", I do NOT mean DVDA.

I'd gotten this image from the photo salon at SteamCon:



They offered a choice of color or sepia tone, but didn't have the capability of showing you what the image would look like in sepia. I opted for the color version and decided I'd play with it myself later.

( Here's what I did )

But that wasn't what I really wanted. I wanted what looked like an old daguerrotype. Luckily I have a friend with mad Photoshop skills. I forwarded her the image, and this is what she came up with:

( Read more... )

She's got examples of the kinds of work she can do posted to her journal here.

Hello all fine steampunkers of the world wide web,

hope everyone is doing wonderfully well

So my first Boston Convention is coming up, and it just so happens to be a sci-fi / anime con, with some steampunk panels, and what a better reason then to dress up all nice and steamy!?

so i have been mentally designing an outfit for it, thats my design process xD in my head, to paper, to REALITY :0

xD so here is one of my sketchs,

( Pics! :3 )

I have a roach problem.  Personally, I think they are coming in from the drains.  We put down boric acid and traps/poison etc. and I can swear it's gotten worse.  I am at wits end.  I don't know what to do.