{ A Cuff for YOU! }

 

**Update**

Winner of the Farmgirlpaints Cuff is #6 entry Rachel Mortensen!

Thank you to everyone who commented and shared!

 

Don't forget to check out Farmgirl Paints Etsy shop, she's only open through this Friday! Use code Kasey15 to get 15% off your purchase.

I have to tell you a little about my sister's story. I tell you, this girl is the strongest, kindest, most genuine, and beautiful person that I know. Hands down. I have truly been the luckiest to have her in my life and as my sister. She supports me in my goods and bads. She gets excited for me when I'm excited. She gives it to me straight when I need it the most. She is younger than me but wiser and way more mature. Her attitude and love for others is something I strive to have. I am blessed beyond descriptive words. If you know my sister you are nodding your head right now, aren't you. She truly is a fabulous person inside and out.

I mentioned a while back that she has been dealing with epilepsy now for many years. Almost her whole life really. She was diagnosed at age 8. Her medications were helping her live a pretty normal life for many many years but when she got pregnant with her twins back in 2012 life changed. Not only did she have to go on bed rest (not related to her epilepsy), but her medication was no longer maintaining her seizure free life. Long story short they went up with her doses until they couldn't go up any longer. She started having grand mal seizures (up to this point she was only have petite mal seizures). Her beautiful twins were born early because her body wasn't able to adjust to being pregnant with two and being medicated for epilepsy. We were all hoping that she would be able to go back to "normal" in regards to seizure activity and being maintained on medication. That didn't happen. She has since had multiple seizures both petite mal and grand mal, undergone deep brain testing, had her head shaved (more than once), participated in research for a deep brain stimulator (DBS), had a DBS implanted into her body/brain, gone without driving for over 2 years, and had multiple adjustments to her medications - ALL while being very brave and mostly positive oh and did I mention, raising twins! This girl is STRONG.

When she went for a month long testing earlier this year, in which she was in Ohio and separated from her family and her babies, enduring very painful procedures - I decided I wanted to get her a little gift. I really didn't know what to get her, I mean, what do you give to someone who is about to have their beautiful hair shaved and poked and prodded in an area (the brain) that most people would prefer to leave alone?

 

I came across these cuffs from a shop on Etsy (you all know my obsession with Etsy by now don't you?!) and decided this was perfect. It was a small gift with a great message. Something that she could wear that would remind her that she is loved and that what she is going through ... her road... her trial, that she can believe that there is a purpose in it all and that we are all here for her, supporting her in the ways that we can, walking beside her through it.

 



 

 Farm Girl Paints shop sells hand stamped cuffs and other items. They are one of a kind and absolutely beautiful. You get to choose the word or phrase you want to have stamped onto your cuff and so for my sisters cuff I chose the word "believe".

 

I shared the above photo on IG with the statement:

 

"Believe it's all part of God's great plan, Believe you are strong. Believe you story will encourage others."

 

I honestly believe that we go through trials in life to grow ourselves and to encourage others. We may not even know how our story has impacted someone else but I am here to say my sisters positive attitude and amazing strength through extremely tough situations in life has encouraged me. I know our stories are nothing alike. My body doesn't work the way hers works, I don't have to deal with having much of my independence taken from me by not being able to drive. I don't have to wonder when I will have a seizure next. But we all go through trials of life, we all have things that don't work "right" and the lesson I've learned from my sister is to rely on God through the tough times, putting my faith at the forefront through it and to remain as positive as humanly possible because otherwise we become terrible people that no one wants to be around, am I right?! I tend to lean toward a whiny, pathetic, whoa is me kind of person when things aren't going right. Most of us do. But ultimately truth is, we are loved, we are blessed with what we DO have, and we have a purpose.

 

I share this today for two reasons. 1. because these feelings that I have toward my sister are something I wanted to write down. I need her to know that she encourages me and through her story you may be encouraged. She shares a lot of her thoughts and feelings along with family and house news over on her blog A Twinell Life and if you are struggling with seizures, her words and insight may be comforting to you. Like I said she is far wiser than I and shares deep from the heart, a place I don't go to very often on this blog of mine.

and the second reason is to share about the lady behind the cuff and her shop. I've been reading Becky's blog - FarmGirl Pants - for quite awhile now. She's another one of those beautiful people that shares deep from her soul and you leave feeling lighter after reading her posts. I shared her "marriage advice to her girls" post on my FB awhile back because it was SO perfect and exactly what I would say to my daughter. Becky is extremely talented and artistic and started making cuffs for herself and after awhile was making them for lots of her friends and has naturally transitioned into opening up her own Etsy shop called FarmGirl Paints. See this post for details on all of Becky's new stuff that she's selling in her shop!

 

Her cuffs are adorable. Handmade, hand stamped, and original. She generously sent me this cuff and I've been showing it off to everyone who will look ha!

When I received it, the words -breathe- hand stamped on it were a perfect reminder for me to literally just take a breath in the midst of my crazy, fun, full, everyday life. We all need to be reminded of that sometimes, am I right?!

There's only one problem, I don't really wear a lot of accessories and this one needs to be worn because it's so cool, so... I am GIVING THIS CUFF away to ONE of you!

Here’s how to win….

PRIZE: (1) FarmGirl Paints "breathe" Cuff (as seen in photo above)

NUMBER OF WINNERS : (1) One

TO ENTER : Enter by sharing and commenting on THIS POST with “Shared!"

PRIZE SHIPS : Continental U.S.

 
Details: This giveaway closes on Monday, November 10th at 9pm. Only one contest entry per email address. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be announced in an update to this post on Tuesday, November 11th. I will email the winner directly for shipping information, so please make sure you use your regularly checked email address.

If you havent already, make sure you go check out Becky's shop on Etsy to see all that she has to offer. Her shop Re-Opened Yesterday and she's only open through the 14th of November, so get over there and see what you can find for yourself or for that special person in your life that might just cherish encouraging words to wear on a super cool and stylish cuff!


Disclosure:   FarmGirl Paints provided me with a Cuff for this post, but all opinions are 100 percent mine.