So I sat down to write this last night and it just didn't work. I felt like I was whining and venting and it didn't seem like a true expression of who I am so let me try again.

I'm a 45 year old mother of 2. I have a 17 year old (well on Wed she will be) daughter with special needs and a 6 year old son. I am getting married in April and since I eloped the first time I am "enjoying" **sarcasm** planning my wedding. It's going to be small and as cheap as possible while having a great time with a small circle of family and friends. Or that's the dream.

I work full time testing websites which is an awesome job. Basically I get paid to break things and tell people they did it wrong.

I also volunteer a fair amount. I serve on the board of the county department that provides services to people with special needs, mental health issues, and addiction problems. I also do speeches about my lived experiences with mental illness.

In my spare time I craft. Basically it is my form of self care (and man do I need it!). I am currently into making cards so if anyone is interested in a card drop me your address. I love being on RandomActsofCards.

I also splurged on a Cricut cutting machine last year and LOVE IT! Everyone I know got hand designed shirts for Christmas. And baby onsies are fun to make too.

My fiance works at a cigar lounge so I get tons of cigar bands and cigar boxes. I make really cool cigar band cards, large collages on canvases, and decoupaged picture frames. During Christmas I stuff them in clear ornaments. I made an awesome cigar box lamp last year too.

Well that intro doesn't sound so bad.

I'm glad to be here and am looking forward to making friends who can help support me and my family (we have some serious crap going on but that gets into the venting stuff) and who I can support because no matter how bad things get being there for others actually help me a lot.

Take care,

Daria