Bolsa Grande High School, Class of 2012. My brother's graduation, six years after me. I like how the graduation was short and fast. How time flies. We are all getting older and hopefully wiser.
Kat
Friday, June 22, 2012
Getty Villa
The Getty Villa Museum in Malibu is amazing. I loved everything about it. I could stay here forever. They have a special Aphrodite exhibit going on until July. Admission is free and parking is $15.
The Getty Villa is so much better than the Getty Center. I love the atrium, little ponds, fountains, statues, jewelry, etc. I was not able to take any photos of Aphrodite or Venus since the exhibit is a new one.
However here are some photos of the Getty Villa.
This Venus had a sign saying "Touch Me"
African Elephant Relief
Love this fountain
The ceiling is amazing
Roman Atrium
Blown glass
Funerary Jewelry
Funerary Crown
This was my first time at the Getty Villa. I have been to the Getty Center many times, just not the Getty Villa. The views and breeze from the beach is to die for. I didn't want to go home. I love the history behind each piece of statue, artifacts, etc. I was like a kid in a candy store. The jewelry are amazing. At first I did not know that these crowns were funerary crowns. These crowns remind me of the current jewelry trend that people are now wearing in their hair.
The ceramics and pottery got me really excited. I have try doing ceramics and it's very difficult. I love how the herringbone pattern on a Cycladic vase is still very popular in today's design.
xoxo,
Kat
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Calm Before The Storm
Lately I have been occupied with doctor visits, blood tests, changing medications and labs. This is why I have been m.i.a. It's funny how soon people forget that you have an autoimmune disease when you don't look sick. I certainly don't look sick.
My blood pressure has been very high these pass few months. My Rheumy is very concern because this may be an indication that I have kidney disease. Besides having hypertension I also have protienuria (protein leakage in the urine), indicating kidney damage. I was put on amlodipine to control my blood pressure.
My rheumatologist also referred me to an nephrologist, who specializes in kidney diseases. The nephrologist, Dr. Wechsler explain what lupus nephritis is and what type of medications he wants to put me on to control my blood pressure. I had a renal ultrasound to see the size of my kidneys and how healthy they are. So far they look pretty healthy.
Two weekends ago my cousin asked me to go shopping for house stuff with her. I told her I had to get blood tests done first. When she picked me up she asked what's wrong and I told her that I might have early stages of kidney failure. She was shocked. She asked me if I was scared. I am not scared because I know what to expect. My cousin told me that she didn't know lupus did that. I told her that lupus is an AUTOIMMUNE disease, meaning it affects all of my organs, skin, and bones. It's frustrating having to explain what autoimmune disease means and seeing the blank look in peoples' eyes.
What people don't realize is that I get a routine blood test done every month or so. This time they took 13 tubes of blood other times they take 6 or 7 tubes. I'm use to it. Unless you are in my shoes you won't really comprehend what I go through, even my twin don't understand. Before I was diagnosed, my twin was very mean to me, saying "she is just faking, quit complaining, you're exaggerating, etc." My own family thought I was faking my symptoms. I have a very low expectation of people understanding what lupus is.
Dr. Wechsler told me in advance that I will eventually have to have a kidney biopsy to see how far the disease has progress. I am not worried at all. I am calm and I am at peace. It took me a long time to get to this point, four years actually. I know what to expect, the outcome, and the treatment. There is no reason why I should be scared or worried. Dr. Wechsler asked me, "Do you ever think about going into medicine since you have done research on all these health issues?" I answered, "No."
I am not taking amlodipine anymore. I am taking Losartan instead. It helps control my blood pressure and it also protects my kidneys from damage. The first day I took Losartan, I felt drunk with out even drinking. On the label of the pills it says may cause dizziness. What an understatement. I really hope that I stop feeling dizzy every time I take this medication. Hopefully this side effects stops in a few weeks.
Last Tuesday, I felt out of sorts. My heart was beating irratically the whole day. I didn't think much of it. I went to bed and woke at 3 am to use the bathroom. I felt like my body was shutting down while I was in the bathroom. I was trying to open my mom's door when my legs gave away. I collapsed onto her floors with a loud bang. My body was shaking, my face a pea-green color, and my erratic heart going a hundred miles per hour. It made me realize that my low white blood cell count may be the reason for my collapse. I actually am taking prednisone (the dreaded steroids) for a month to see if my WBC increases. The risk of having low WBC is infection and getting sick. I've been sick for a few days now. Nyquil has been my best friend.
xoxo,
Kat
My blood pressure has been very high these pass few months. My Rheumy is very concern because this may be an indication that I have kidney disease. Besides having hypertension I also have protienuria (protein leakage in the urine), indicating kidney damage. I was put on amlodipine to control my blood pressure.
My rheumatologist also referred me to an nephrologist, who specializes in kidney diseases. The nephrologist, Dr. Wechsler explain what lupus nephritis is and what type of medications he wants to put me on to control my blood pressure. I had a renal ultrasound to see the size of my kidneys and how healthy they are. So far they look pretty healthy.
Two weekends ago my cousin asked me to go shopping for house stuff with her. I told her I had to get blood tests done first. When she picked me up she asked what's wrong and I told her that I might have early stages of kidney failure. She was shocked. She asked me if I was scared. I am not scared because I know what to expect. My cousin told me that she didn't know lupus did that. I told her that lupus is an AUTOIMMUNE disease, meaning it affects all of my organs, skin, and bones. It's frustrating having to explain what autoimmune disease means and seeing the blank look in peoples' eyes.
What people don't realize is that I get a routine blood test done every month or so. This time they took 13 tubes of blood other times they take 6 or 7 tubes. I'm use to it. Unless you are in my shoes you won't really comprehend what I go through, even my twin don't understand. Before I was diagnosed, my twin was very mean to me, saying "she is just faking, quit complaining, you're exaggerating, etc." My own family thought I was faking my symptoms. I have a very low expectation of people understanding what lupus is.
Dr. Wechsler told me in advance that I will eventually have to have a kidney biopsy to see how far the disease has progress. I am not worried at all. I am calm and I am at peace. It took me a long time to get to this point, four years actually. I know what to expect, the outcome, and the treatment. There is no reason why I should be scared or worried. Dr. Wechsler asked me, "Do you ever think about going into medicine since you have done research on all these health issues?" I answered, "No."
I am not taking amlodipine anymore. I am taking Losartan instead. It helps control my blood pressure and it also protects my kidneys from damage. The first day I took Losartan, I felt drunk with out even drinking. On the label of the pills it says may cause dizziness. What an understatement. I really hope that I stop feeling dizzy every time I take this medication. Hopefully this side effects stops in a few weeks.
Last Tuesday, I felt out of sorts. My heart was beating irratically the whole day. I didn't think much of it. I went to bed and woke at 3 am to use the bathroom. I felt like my body was shutting down while I was in the bathroom. I was trying to open my mom's door when my legs gave away. I collapsed onto her floors with a loud bang. My body was shaking, my face a pea-green color, and my erratic heart going a hundred miles per hour. It made me realize that my low white blood cell count may be the reason for my collapse. I actually am taking prednisone (the dreaded steroids) for a month to see if my WBC increases. The risk of having low WBC is infection and getting sick. I've been sick for a few days now. Nyquil has been my best friend.
xoxo,
Kat
Friday, June 1, 2012
Interior Design
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| vases, mirrors, wallpaper, sconces, peonies, coral, aqua |
I LOVE interior design. Most people don't know that I love home decor. I love decorating a home. I believe that you can decorate a home on a budget and it will turn out looking like you spent a fortune on it. I love decorating on a budget. I believe that you should never pay full price on an item. You can always find cheaper alternatives. I love imitating high end looks from designers. I believe that decorating can be affordable.
My love for interior design stems from my love of art, photography, and architecture. I took three years of art and a year of photography. I gained knowledge about color, color theory, perception, dimensions, juxtaposition, composition, etc. I love clean lines, color, and details. It's all about the details for me. I was going to major in art history so that I may study historical architecture and buildings. Instead I turned to my other love: social media. I may not have a design degree, but I have a very good eye for design.
My mom remodeled her house a few years ago and my sister Jenny and I got to choose the kitchen design and decorate the living rooms. My mom's house is a work in progress. There are things that I still want to change to make it better. I want to find a floor length mirror to put in the hallway so that it creates an illusion of a longer hallway. I also want to change out the sectional for a bigger sofa to create more seating. I want to replace her traditional rug with a Moroccan inspired trellis rug. My mom still has two bathrooms to remodel. My sister and I will get to make all of the decisions about what products we want in the bathrooms.
I am obsessed with color, poofs, mosaics, ceramics, shiny, glittery things, textures, etc. I am inspired by Hollywood Regency, Jonathan Adler, Greek key motif, chevron, ikat, and trellis designs. To me art, photography, and architecture is a form of design. Design elements blend in our everyday life; we just don't realize this. There are subtle design elements in what we wear, how we choose to accessorize, ceramics, pottery, buildings, cars, etc. The skills that I acquired from photography and art has greatly influence my design aesthetics. You can follow me on pinterest to see more of the beautiful things that I love. http://pinterest.com/copykats/ Happy decorating!
Here are some more things on my pin boards that I am obsessed with:
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| tufted headboards, chevron, stripes, hardwood floors, mason jars, winged back chair |
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| Greek Key Inspirations |
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| trays, chevron, jonathan adler's vases, throws, ottomans |
xoxo,
Kat
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