Happy "22nd", Dad- A Tribute to Organ Transplantation

We seem to be doing a lot of celebrating at Vivid Hue Home recently.   Today our celebration is on a much more personal level as my dad recognizes his 22nd year organ transplant anniversary.

See his previous celebrations here:  21st Birthday   |  20th Birthday   |  19th Birthday |  18th Birthday 

My parents, circa 1978 on a cruise in their formal wear (love the powder blue ruffled tuxedo shirt)

On August 25, 1994, my dad received an organ transplant.   

Prior to that date, he had been in the transplant recipient program for close to a year and a half.  Once he showed signs of advanced organ failure, he was moved to a critical wait list.  He received a pager (a sign of the times in 1994) and carried it with him day and night in hopes that he would be contacted about a donor.  Within a week of being put on this list, he received the call. 

At my sister's wedding, 2004

There are many factors that go into determining if the organ will be a good fit for a person in need of a transplant.   Some of the elements  considered are blood type, body size, severity of patient's medical condition, distance between the donor's hospital and the patient's hospital, the patient's waiting time, and the availability of the potential recipient (e.g., the patient can be contacted and has no current infection or other temporary reason that transplant cannot take place). (*1)

My dad's donor was a sixteen year old teenager who died in a car accident.   In a weird twist of fate, my dad was not the first person called that morning to receive the organ.  A different patient was called first and she excitedly rushed to the hospital only to learn that her cavity in which the organ was to be placed was too small to fit the available organ.  As her family must have experienced anguish and disappointment, my family hopefully stood by to see if my dad would be compatible.  And he was.   

Though we have never known the donor or his/her family, their unselfish decision to donate has allowed my family to experience over two additional decades with my dad.

Grandpa Dewey and Mor Mor (my parents) 

One aspect of organ transplantation I don't know if many understand, is that organ rejection is a constant threat.    The transplant recipient's life is forever altered, requiring them to take daily combinations of anti-rejection medication for the rest of their lives (the body's natural reaction is to reject the new organ as a foreign object).  Maintaining health isn't a straight forward path.  

 Often there are severe side effects and health conditions that result from taking these drugs.  It's common for doctors to make frequent adjustments to the combination of drugs.  And sometimes, other organs can become at risk due to the prolonged use of these medications.  It's a courageous journey, but one I'll bet most transplant recipients would say is worth it for the reward of life. 

My parents, circa 1970 as my dad was leaving for Vietnam

One donor can save up to 8 lives (*2). 

When I first started talking about organ donation, the take away was to let those close to you know you are interested in donation and indicate on your driver's license that you want to be a donor.  I'm happy to see that technology has caught up with this cause.  Now, if you'd like to be on the donation list you can simply register by state online here.  

So, to Dad, happy 22nd Anniversary.  I am so blessed to have had an extra quarter of a century with you (and expect more) where you are healthy and a part of our lives.  I have grown to know you on a much deeper level as an adult woman and I am so proud that you're my dad.  I owe so much of who I am as a person today to you, because of how you (and Mamma Moore) raised me.  

To many more celebrations!  

Love, 

Heather 

*1 According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "Organ Matching." 

*2. Department of Health and Human Services "Why Donate"

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Happy One Year Vivid Hue, Our Celebration Recap

This summer we celebrated our one year Vivid Hue Home anniversary.  We invited our best clients to join us for an evening of  hors d'oeuvres, shopping and wine.  It was our way to show thanks for all of the support everyone has given us since opening our brick and mortar doors just a little over a year ago.

This was a big milestone for us and Acorn Talk Photography was on hand to capture the essence of the evening.  While we are professionals, we also know how to be silly and celebratory when the occasion beckons.   (Oh who am I kidding, we are always silly).   I love the photo on the left where Annie seems to be communicating to me with her eyes saying "Why in the world am I standing up here posing with a Mardi Gras feathered mask?"

Lindsey, Heather and Annie on the front porch at Vivid Hue Home

The kids were in attendance for the first portion of the evening before I had a sitter whisk them away.

Anyone that follows my instagram knows that my kids are always dressed in athletic gear.  Jack has a strict self-induced "NO COLLARED SHIRT" policy.  Smidge is only rarely caught in a dress.   Needless to say, this photo is one for the photo album because it captures the quick second where they were getting along and complying with the photo session.  (Not pictured:  balloons popping and Jack pulling out his tattered hockey USA tee shirt).

Smidge (Vivi), Heather and Jack

They even made it for awhile longer so that we could snap a rare family photo together.  

Jack, Heather, EG and Smidge

It's amazing how many of my friends have super fab talents.  A friend from high school, Jill Fahey, owns Sugar, LLC and designs custom cakes and sugar cookies that are beyond breath-taking.  I had her create these cookies from the Vivid Hue Home logo for the celebration.  (Yes, she hand painted every bit of the detail from our logo...stunning!)

Vivid Hue Home sugar cookies custom made by Sugar, LLC

And Lindsey used to operate her own pastry catering business in her previous life.  She made these fabulous petite cupcakes with pastel buttercream frosting.  Yummy!

All guests appeared to have a great time, which is exactly what we hoped for.  

Annie with her husband, Bill.  Bruce Charette (love him), and Lindsey and her daughter, Phoebe 

Emily Sapione, Codarus

Heather with Jodie Liddy

The food was catered by the Bees Knees Catering.  

Georgia Zikas

Christine Feinberg with our fabulous summer associate, Alli Burns

Amy Wildhack, EG, Sue McMillan

Jodie Liddy, Heather and Sally Lerman

Lisa Goldstein and Ali Galin

Lisa Goldstein

We have had an incredible kick start for Vivid Hue Home during our first year in business.  We have plenty of plans to grow Vivid Hue over the next year and more.  We are truly grateful and thankful for the wonderful support we've received by our local community and beyond (yes, fellow friends on Instagram, Facebook and the website....you, too, have attributed to our steady growth).  Thank you!

Cheers, 

Heather 

VHH Master Bedroom Project

It's rare that I find a block of time to sit down, start a post and actually finish it.  This Saturday morning, I'm going to attempt to catch up on as much as possible before the kids beckon my attention.

(Their latest fascination is with professional wrestling and WWE wrestler John Cena 
They simulate wrestling matches and chant Cena's theme song "You Caint See ME, tha time is NOW"...."

This started out as funny; however it has gotten progressively more annoying.  Especially when their play wrestling escalates into a full on brawl...then I attempt to separate them and give them each a time out and they look at me with this face and say "you can't seeeeee me, you can't seeee me."

But I digress.

Most of ya'll that follow me on instagram manage to stay up to date with projects and happenings that I'm working on.  I post there daily and it's so simple.   But I think it's important that I maintain a connection with the rest of my Vivid Hue Homies through this blog.  And so, I promise that I will still post about projects and events here as well.

With that said,  one of my current personal projects at home is updating my master bedroom.  Here is a current photo of the room.  Don't get me wrong, overall, I love the room and I have put quite a bit of work into it already.  But I have always wanted the bedding to be a bit more upscale and better tied into the other elements of the room.  Much of the furniture is custom or made to order and I feel like the bedding has always been an "after thought."

There are a few caveats that I have needed to consider.  The curtains, fireplace chairs, dressers and X benches were all part of our initial investment into the room.  They are not old enough for me to replace and we made an investment into these items, so I needed as many of them to remain as possible.  (I'm not wanting to do an entire room make over).

So I had yellow, gray and teal to work with as my colors (Of course with pops of other colors but I considered these colors not as permanent).

One day I was in the @vividhuehome shop perusing through the Cotton & Quill textiles that we often turn into pillows and upholstery for our customers when I had an ah-ha moment.

The Cotton & Quill Deco Collection had a swatch called The Charleston with all of my necessary color ways.

So I took the swatch home to try it: 

And I absolutely love it.  I'm currently having Cotton & Quill make the duvet for me in the sateen finish.  The front will be the Charleston print and the back will be the yellow candlestick print.  

And now everything else seems to be falling into place: 

Stay tuned for the finished result.  I will post more as it progresses.  

I'm starting to hear the Cena theme song and one kid has the other pinned to the ground for three seconds while the other is shouting "you can't see me!  you can't seeeee me."  So I'm off to refer that project for now.  Until next time!

Take a tour of other rooms in our house here.

xoxox

Heather 

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You Need This Place

I opened Vivid Hue Home ten months ago.  Initially it was to satisfy my dream of owning a gift shop and to be able to curate colorful and beautiful items for the home.  I love home decor.  I love shopping.  I love finding unique products.

I've realized that this initiative has become much more for me.  I have met tremendous people during this journey.  My customers have become regulars, and friends.  They are no longer anonymous faces that just come to buy greeting cards.  My support staff has become part of the VHH team.   They don't just price merchandise and sell pillows; they are often my sounding board for business and personal endeavors.

The other day, I was at the shop working with AC, my 'right hand woman."  We were arranging new inventory of gurgling fish pitchers into a colorful display when I received a troubling personal call.  I hung up the phone,  fought back tears and took a deep breath.  In an attempt to delay the stinging reality of the news I'd just received, I turned back to AC,  in auto pilot mode,  "okay, so the tangerine needs to go next to the coral.  How bout the oatmeal next to the kiwi green?"  She understood what I was doing and looked back at me with sympathy and simply said, "You need this place."

I didn't realize it until this point.  But, it's so true.

I don't share my life on social media on a deeply personal level.  Partly because we are all facing "something" and what makes my road more difficult than anyone else's?   Also partly because I have an obligation to preserve and protect my family's privacy.  But, in an effort to protect that privacy, it can often feel like our family is isolated and living in a secret world.

I have a seven year old that is trying to navigate through life with sensory processing disorder (among other diagnoses).  Her nervous system has to work harder to interpret senses and turn them into appropriate responses.  For her, if she doesn't keep her body regulated and calm, she risks violent tantrums and episodes.  She has to work much harder than most people for her body to stay regulated and respond in a typical, appropriate manor.   Together, we have tried to empower her with a toolbox of techniques to accomplish this task, including behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, social skill building, and her growing maturity as she gets older.


My daughter's diagnosis is her own but she is not 'in this' alone.  As her parents, EG and I are responsible to nurture, support, protect and provide resources for her so that she can grow in to a healthy and happy young woman.   When she is disregulated, our entire family is impacted.  Sometimes it gets messy.

So while Vivid Hue is just a gift shop filled with colorful fun products, it is also my sanctuary.

It's a place where I can let my mind wander for a smidge.   My mind is never far from my daughter (and my entire family), but it's nice to have an outlet where I get to focus on making pretty bows and helping a customer decide between a turquoise gurgle pitcher or the coral one.

I need this place.



To read more about our family, check out Pink Cowboy Boots and Pond Scum

House Tour: My Hallway Vestibule

 I've been on a  DIY project frenzy lately around my house.  Recently, I decided to tackle the vestibule at the end of my hallway.  It was a neutral beige just begging for some attention.  I had silhouettes on hand that I'd made a few years ago and they got booted from my master bedroom when I got a new headboard. 

Initially I stuck these pictures up in the hallway and immediately liked their new home...they were just missing some "oomph." 

 

Start of Project

Work in Progress

I discovered this Kelly green bold striped fabric on a trip to IKEA and had a light bulb moment.  In my college years, I was known to starch sheets onto the walls of my rental apartments so I wouldn't ruin the walls when I moved back out (you could easily just peel the sheet right back off when you left). 

So I decided to attempt a similar tactic in the vestibule.  Only, this time I literally nailed the fabric to the wall.  I started at the top and continued to smooth the fabric out as I nailed down the wall. 

I painted the side table into a glossy black for extra pop along the fabric. 

And then I used a grosgrain ribbon trim and nailheads along the perimeter to hid the carpenter nails in the wall. 

Finished Result

 

 

I hung the silhouettes right over the fabric and styled the side table with a few accessory items (like my Waylande Gregory box).    Read about the history of this box, here. 



There is a silhouette for every member of the family, each with a specific saying that captures an idea of our personalities...

 

 

 

 Now that I've given a little extra love to this area, it offers a much needed boost in the hallway!  And the entire project cost me under $100.00.  (Side Table $69 from Home Goods, 3 yards of fabric from IKEA $21.99, Homemade Silhouettes $25). 

 

Have you done any recent projects that have transformed an area in your home? 

Please share!