You need Strength & Hope when you're being pelted with lemons!

The saying goes: "When life throws you lemons, make lemonade." 

Soon after my last blog post, I got pelted with what felt like a crate full of lemons... I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Never saw it coming...

But, in true craft-obsessed fashion, when I was going through the cute pink and brown tote bag stuffed with all sorts of breast cancer related items (that the Breast Health Nurse gave me to welcome me to the world of Breast Cancer) and found a simple cardboard notebook... I thought, HEY!  I can alter that with the Strength & Hope stamp set!  It's a stamp set especially designed to support breast cancer research after all!  And so I did:

Here's a close up of the butterfly.  It's hard to tell, but it is heat embossed using Rose Red Craft Ink and Iridescent Ice embossing powder. 

I have to tell you that this has been the most useful notebook! I bring it to all my appointments.  It's great for writing down questions to ask the doctors and taking notes so I can keep it all together in one place. 

My new best friend, Nurse Michelle, made a great point:  "If you have to have breast cancer, you might as well get all the free stuff you can!"  You know, make lemonade out of lemons!  So, I did! 

This would be a great time for me to remind you to do your monthly self breast exam.  GO AHEAD... no one is watching!  :)  Seriously though, having discovered the lump that turned out to be breast cancer myself, I am and will continue to be the posterchild for self breast exams!  I had a routine mammogram back in October (right after my 40th birthday) and this lump did not show up!  As a woman with dense (or lumpy bumpy) breasts, I learned that mammograms alone are not full proof for discovering breast cancer early.  You have to take your health into your own hands... literally! 

In case you'd like to support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, consider purchasing either a Strength & Hope stamp set or digital kit.

BCRF receives $2 from every set and kit purchased!  Click HERE to place your order!

Happy Stampin!
Brenda