My Fall 2013 Runway Report for Harper's Bazaar Magazine

My Fall 2013 Runway Report for Harper's Bazaar Magazine

Beauty, Fashion, Trends, and Holidays are in the air. I am pumped about the stellar fall 2013 runway report, it’s effecting me so much that I am seeing beautiful things everywhere! I look outside and the snow is surreal; it’s like little sparkling diamonds fluttering around.

Let’s get down to fashion business.

I love coats in general, in every shape. I am thrilled to see the coats everywhere, my favorite look for the season is the chic swing style coat. These silhouettes are timeless, and speaking of time, you can wear them anytime day or night, Fabulous! At the moment I am absolutely drooling over the pink coats, and grey coats. These outwear pieces are essential to fashion now, and they were stated very well in the runway report. I would dazzle in the coat with a dress or some of those high fashion slim cigarette pants.

The report was thoroughly outlined from one spectrum to the next. All the different clothing pieces from, sweaters to skirts. Of course the favorite stylist picks, and the colors of the season were revealed.

The coverage I was most impressed with was, the killer accessory and beauty runway reports. These trends are so important to the economy as a whole. This because we can’t all buy the outfit, but with a little creativity and fun we can buy the right color of lip stick, a pair of shoes, update our hair, and/or buy a hand bag and feel like we have a while new look. I feel this is essential.

My Top 5 must haves from the accessory and beauty report:

1. I loved the glamour hair! It reminds me of season 1 of the Carrie Diaries. I am totally going curly, blonde, and bouncy!

2.The punk necklace. It totally glams up any outfit!

3. Bold red and pink lips. Yum.

4. Oxblood nails and short no less.

5. The Booties. So Haute.

Testify

THIS GIRL

To the Future, bring on the great unknown- I am ready to embrace it. I'm going to shed my old skin & make a change. Time to bring positivity back, and some bada$$ Fashion. Time to live life not dwell. Let's stop trying to change the things out of our control and concentrate on the things we can change. I'm starting with me.. choosing to be surrounded by positive energy and the people I love!!! Yes this includes me dancing and bowling at the same time in a dress in public! Hey at least I am being me! Come on Girl's you know the rules never dress down. Always dress up!

FASHION

Must say the top of everyone's wish list is the color Emerald. If your a guy or girl grab it up fast because it's super hot this season. Next season you will see it everywhere!!! I doesn't have to be a dress or a coat. Grab a great medallion, set of earrings, some swanky shoes. Show the Wizard of OZ who's the fashion boss! 

PAIN

Today and forever I choose to change for the better. I am letting go of all the negative energy around me. Toxic people this includes you. To the toxic's,  don't you have better things to do than cause drama? Maybe forgive, move on, give something to someone else ...just to be nice? Try helping others instead? It is so much more rewarding. Everyone needs help. Even the person you think has it all. Often I find when I am actually helping others I am healing and helping myself.  

This is a hard topic. I am over people that are stuck on themselves. I use to be one of those toxic types & it's an absolutely miserable life. I will never go back to it. Being toxic basically means the world revolves around you, and you do whatever you want, say whatever you want, whenever you want. The saddest part is you get stuck with people just like you, and THEY don't care about you at all. Because they are completely self absorbed. And there is always another person they can latch on to besides you. These type of people won't be there to catch you when you fall. People who don't show grace, love, forgiveness, and kindness are the people I am talking about. I still think there is good in these people, who know's they might turn out to be outstanding individuals in the end. Who am I to judge? I just know that if their current actions are affecting you negatively they harmful to you, it's like eating a poisonous apple. When people are toxic chose not to trust or believe them. In my experience, I feel like all they want to do is simply use you, or put you down. My advice is don't gossip behind your friends back, if your hear or believe something disturbing from someone else about your friend confront them about it. DON'T BELIEVE everything you hear or read. People intentionally instigate drama to ruin people's friendships daily. Especially if there is no evidence, don't believe everything you hear or read. It's call friendship code. Call your friend and talk it out!  Wow! 

 The grace of God has shown me a better way, ironically by living in harsh conditions and through though times. I choose and collect my friends by their actions. I think everyone gets a couple chances (let's be honest we all mess up, say things we don't mean, think without speaking, do careless things, especially the younger we are). But if a friend is worth fighting for then get up and FIGHT for them like a mature adults. Talk it out. Show grace, love, forgiveness, and if you get that from them in return you have found your true friends. THose are the kinds of friends that will be your family. Nevertheless, I have some pretty stellar friends, and I wouldn't trade them for gold. I know if I was in jail in Mexico they would come bail me out pronto. I would do the same for them. It's so wonderful to have friends you trust, friends that can house sit, dog sit, baby sit, have celebrations with, make memories with, do the holidays with, cry, and laugh with, to dance with, create with, inspire, and who you know will always have your back. It's time to consolidate those who matter in your life. Find out who your real friends are and why. I love my friends dearly. Shows like the Real Housewives, almost make it seem normal to only have fri-enemies. The world is getting more crazy by the minute. If your friend hurt you on purpose time to let them go. If your friend is like family, and you had a misunderstanding; I bet that neither of you truly intended on hurting one another. My motto make new friends but keep the old some are silver and the other gold. 

Something Blonde, Something New, Something Wild, Something Blue

GIRL

Time for chance. I love change. Although, many people despise it. I don't quite get that theory of thought. However, if your anything like me you probably understand where I am coming from. I wanna change how I look, my house, my car, my hair, my furniture, my interest, my lifestyle, my nails, the flowers, everything because its fun! It's like traveling the world and experiencing new things. There is so much to experience in life; it gets to mundane doing the same thing over and over again (for me anyways). Everyday is like a snow flake each day is different. I can handle a routine, but I like to think of new and exciting ways to do things instead.

My new look (FOR MY HAIR) will be inspired by the Carrie Diaries expect in 2014: Love it? Hate it? I don't care.I LOVE IT!!!

FASHION

Wedding Season. One of my most beautiful friends Stacy Mariner White, and her hubby Greg White tied the knot this weekend. They had a unforgettable romantic wedding in San Antonio, Texas. Stacy and I have know each other almost 10 years and she has becomes smarter, more caring, and more beautiful each time I see her. She looked absolutely stunning. I had to share this amazing picture of her in her fashionable wedding gown leaving the church they were married in, with Mr. White. This is the same church Stacy's parents were married in years ago! Yes there were lots of tears. BTW Stacy gave me some great advice I had never heard.  She told me the dirtier the dress the longer and the happier the marriage. What a positive outlook. I am going to share that with my children one day if I have them.

PAIN

Pain hurts but it will never take over who I really am. Dear the diseases in my body, I will not let you define me anymore. 

THANK YOU JEN FOR MAKING ME REALIZE THAT!

I did make this blog to keep people updated not feel sorry for me. So I will continue to post my health status but I don't want to concentrate on it to much. 
This week I had a 3 day gallium scan that took about 2 hours each. This test should be able to show my doctor where the white blood count is highest. Helping him decipher if I have chronic schlerosing Osteomyelitis or Supperative Osteomyelitis. The answer I am praying for it neither and it it all gone!!

A Time for Change

This Girl- 

Happy Harvest! I hope your Halloween was super fun. My husband and I dressed up minimally. He was the joker and I was a YOLO (You Only Live Once) Fairy. I am going through a lot of changes right now. Being the YOLO Fairy was perfect and funny to keep my spirits high.  Yesterday we had a long day, and today was an early morning today. Last night we kept it super low key and went to our friends house for dinner. Yesterday I found out that there is a curve ball in my osteomyelitis diagnosis. With that being said I have the urge to see my friends, do the things I love, and stay positive (even though things aren't getting better yet). I also wanted to say thank you for everyone that supported me. To anyone that used indiegogo.com to support me: I will be sending your thank your gifts off soon I promise.I think I am going to make a mood board of the things I want in my life, and things that inspire me. I will post it once I have finished. 

I am happy to announce that I was asked back to be Austin's Harper's Bazaar Style Ambassador.

Fashion- 

Luckily, I was asked to renew my Harper's Bazaar Style Ambassador contract till 2014. I am super excited about it.

I found out through Bazaar that there is a stellar sweepstakes going on for this amazing skin care line called Algenist. This contest is an awesome oppertunity because anyone who qualifies can enter. The grand prize winner will receive $1,000 cash, along with $1,500 worth of Algenist products.The first 3 winners will each receive $1,000 worth of Algenist products. Just apply before December 31, 2013.

Sign up with this link! http://www.algenist.com/algenist-advanced-anti-aging-repairing-oil-sweepstakes

Pain-

For a couple weeks I was feeling so much better. I thought I might be cured. Unfortunately, I started swelling and getting rashes about 8 days ago. I have already seen 3 doctors this week. I have 2 weeks of testing coming up before I get any answers. I was informed that the most diagnosis might be wrong. Either way I have osteomyelitis of the mandible. They are still considering chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis, which basically means that the bone that is infected and starts to grow rapidly, hard, and thick. Very nasty for this one they must remove your jaw. If this is the case I have at least 2 more surgeries. After the doctors reviewed my post op from July, they have reason to believe I have what is called chronic suppurative osteomyelitis. This means that infectious liquids grow between in my mandible bone. If that is the case 2 more surgeries and a month of hyperbaric chamber treatment. Either way I will most likely will have to have another picc line (which I can't stand). I also have an autoimmune disease which makes it harder for me to recover that the doctors are concerned about.

This is not only painful to hear, but it puts my dreams and business on hold. 

I thought that my blog wasn't reaching the people I intended to, so I thought about taking it offline. The biggest intent I have for my blog is to reach those who have similar issues and who want more information. These types of infections are so rare, and there is not much information out there. At first I wasn't helping anyone. I am glad that I have continued to write and keep my blog up because I am starting to reach people that I can help! They are e-mailing me and reaching me through the blog!

Picture below is of a hyperbaric chamber. There are several kinds but this is one of the newest in town. If I have suppurative osteo then will have to stay in one for about 2 hours 5 days a week. 

Beauty Week 2013

This Girl- Is so thankful. For all the love and support everyone has given me through this process. I can't imagine doing it all on my own. Thank you all. I love you.  First off let me start by saying that September is a crazy month. Almost everyone I know has a birthday this month, expect me. So I have been going to several get togethers over the past month, plus planning my husbands birthday parties out. Happy Birthday Baby! On top of all that fun, was NY Fashion Week and beauty week. So I am have been a busy, busy bee, plus recovering.

Fashion- So beauty week is over in the fashion world. During beauty week I was at Neiman Marcus getting a fall facial & makeover with a national Dior rep. I wanted to stay on top of the trends for Harpers Bazaar. Dior told me that red lips and metallics are all the rave. Shortly after I received information on the new Chantecaille makeup collection for fall from Harpers Bazaar Magazine  Looks like Dior was right. Chantecaille is using golds, and grey for eyes, and beautiful red lips. This is truly a beautiful makeup collection. You should take a look at this page to learn more about the trends and buy new fall makeup! This is there Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/HarpersBazaar/app_445423222232370?ref=ts 

Being a fashion designer I know a lot of great makeup artist, and honestly if you were to look into my makeup collection it consists of brands from Cover Girl, to MAC, to Dior. One of my dear friends, Fairy is a makeup artist in the Domain at Neimans (in Austin, TX), she is really amazing! You should stop by sometime and get a makeover ask for Fairy and tell them Rachelle sent you. I have been a makeup enthusiast since I was a little girl. Hunting for the best eye liner (black lave by Two faced) to the perfect bronzer (Victoria Secret). I really love the new fall makeup collections that are out. My newest purchase was a jungle red lip liner from Dior. I am really excited to tryout the fall Chantecaille  makeup collection as well. It is a smart combination of a smoking hot lips, with the perfect glow on the face, and the gold eye shadow really brings out her eyes.

Pain- Good news! I am pretty much recovered since my last surgery. It took a couple of months but now I am back on my feet again and ready to hit the ground running into my work. There is only one set back I have to have a few doctors appointments (no big deal anymore it's almost like being at home I have had such a long journey with different doctors), and if the CT show that the CSO is gone then I only have one surgery left to be scheduled for December. This is where they will do a bone graft and reinforce my jaw bone so that it doesn't break over a period of time. I am looking more normal every day. I feel better every day. I am getting back into the gym, dance studio, and things like that. Yay! It is always good to spread some good news! 

The Path to Recovery Begins (Hopefully)

Here's the latest on Rachelle:

We went to one of the post-op appointments yesterday and they took a few scans of what is left of her right lower jaw bone. They said they did not see anymore infection, but they still wouldn't know for another month or two if the Osteomyelitis had been totally removed.

The doctor said he was happy with the results of the surgery. He stated he opened her mouth up and took the bone all the way down to the nerve. He stated the bone was mushy and he is confident he found the "epi-center" of the Osteomyelitis in her mouth. He said we will not have any confirmation of anything until the cultures come back from her surgery. Either way, Rachelle's doctor wants her to remain on antibiotics and pain medicine until at least September 1st.

If the pain persists beyond that time, and they are unable to find an ongoing infection through various testing in San Antonio, then it could be something wrong with her nerves in that area as a result of all the trauma to her mouth. He stated the nerves could've been nicked during previous surgeries and we would have to go a different direction at that time.

The doctor said that if the infection does come back, then we will have to completely remove the jawbone and replace it with the titanium plate.

We are hopeful that the Osteomyelitis has been removed, but we truly will not know for a couple of months.

Presuming that the infection is gone and she is in the clear, we still have a long ways to go. Rachelle and I will have to fly back to Miami in December so she can have a bone graft on the right side of her face. They will remove bone and bone marrow from her hip to perform the bone graft.

We still have to check in with the doctor a couple more time before we leave, but hopefully we are at the beginning of Rachelle's path to recovery. It's been a long and tumultuous journey, and I know for certain that Rachelle is eager to get back on her feet.

Please keep Rachelle and her family in your thoughts and prayers and share her indiegogo fundraiser page @ http://igg.me/at/rachellebriton/x/3746375

Video Following Surgery

OK there was a video here. I found it that it provided no worth. It was a video that basically showed how drugged up I was in the hospital, right after I had after surgery. The only cool thing was that I was talking right after I woke up from surgery. I did not think that would happen. Anyways, I think the video was more depressing than helpful. I made no sense. I told my husband to film it right after surgery. The video was a big embarrassing blur. I would like it to remain that way in my mind. I didn't want it floating around on the internet. Sometimes it is TMI!

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support! I wouldn't have been able to have surgery without your support and help. I think God is trying to teach me to be patient, to love more, and to be more empathetic. 

Oh by the way as far as fashion goes it's like the 90's blew up again. My sister doesn't even remember the time of crop tops, body suits, and crazy prints. As fashion forecasting tells us this falls in the correct Zeit Geist because for the past few years the 80's were so popular. It is was just a matter of time. I don't think this trend is going to last as long though..... I seen women in their 40's wearing crop tops and yes some of them look great. But come on even not very many teenagers can pull this off. I like the trend I just think they are little to short. I think it is great for editorials, music videos, concerts. But I don't see the point in recreating Clueless. Nothing can compare to that movie and fashion in the 90's. Come one designers lets rethink the future of fashion.

XOXOX

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

A Glimpse of Rachelle's Trip...

Beauty Does Not Equal Pain. Pain Equals No Beauty.

THIS GIRL:

Today is like most. Unfortunately, I am not feeling well. I have tried everything I think I can possibly to feel better. I am finally giving in. I appreciate that I am going to be to have surgery with a world renowned doctor that has written 8 books. I have been going back and forth should I have surgery with Dr. Marx's? Can my amazing maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Quaroni not do this here in Austin? Should I have it done at MD Anderson in Houston? Should I  go back to the Mayo Clinic for the 3rd time? I have finally allowed myself to understand that going to Miami for 2 weeks and replacing my jaw is the right answer. All the other doctors that do this surgery copy the surgery from Dr. Marx who discovered it. I will have Dr. Quaroni do my 3rd part of this surgery in Austin though, he is amazing. He deals with osteomyelitis just not CSO. He can do the implants when I get through the 2 hard parts in Miami. My mind is going crazy, but I am glad I really do not have a choice to think about it anymore. I need to just accept the fact that it is happening and I am going to be different. I hope that if this surgery changes me it will only be in a good way. In a way that I inspire others, show that I have an abundance of faith, and that I am more compassionate. I am ready to move on. This disease has taken my life and I am ready to take it back. It has torn up my emotional life, taken my passions away from me, take my hair and skin, and I  am done. I am ready to say goodbye to all the medication, pain, and ugliness from this chapter of my life.

FASHION:

CSO and the medications that come with it have taken over my hair, nails, and skin. I was actually diagnosed with about 3 skin problems but I have them under control. I started using olive oil face soap for my face, and I apply a lavender healing oil mixture from Jerusalem to the part of my chin that is infected on the outside. I use baby oil to keep my skin nice, fresh, and moist. I have been taken 1,500 mg of Biotin. This has helped my eyelashes grow in less than 4 weeks. My hair and nails are also reaping benefits from this vitamin. Adrian from Milk and Honey said that I should try it and it totally helped. She also cut my bangs short because I am getting all this new growth of hair and it hides all the weird spots. My hair stylist and colorist Ricky Hodge suggested that we do not color my hair. He said that we should wait until I am better. So the challenge I am having is that I have dirty blonde hair where the new growth is and the old growth is almost bleach blonde from when Ricky last touched it. So I kind of have an ombre look. I have a picture attached of what an ombre looks like. I think he was right when he said to wait for us to highlight it because it would make it weaker. Ricky might make a video about cutting my husbands hair though. My husband Brian is growing his hair out for locks for love and it is so awesome. It is long, thick, and curly. I am lucky to know some of the best people in the beauty and fashion business because of my background! Check out www.rickyhodge.com and www.milkandhoney.com

This is a picture of me and my mom when my hair and skin were nice and healthy (right before I started getting really sick). Oh and yes we are both wearing dresses that I designed : )

Here is Mary Kate Olsen I chose her because some people say I look like her so you can get the best idea. Although in the picture above, I do not look like her at all. Maybe over the 4th of July I will take some pictures of me and I will share them. Basically you can see in the picture above my hair in is all evenly colored from scalp to end. My hair now looks like Mary Kate's darker up top by the scalp and brighter blonde at the end.

PAIN:

All I want to say about pain today is.

Pain.
Pain.
Go Away.
Come Again Another Day.
If I Hollar STAY AWAY!!!

Self Healing Weekend

About This Girl:

This weekend was really interesting and relaxing. I went into the unknown frontier (for me anyways) of self healing. My mother and I went to the Austin Sufi center together where we met my Tracy Ward and Pamela who taught a 2 day session on how to make ourselves feel better on the inside and out naturally. My friend Ana Reign first introduced me to this (I will right more about here on another blog). As skeptical as I am to self healing, I found the weekend to be great. I was around a lot of people that are sick or injured that I could relate too. I was probably the youngest person in the room but I have found that did not matter at all. I made some great friends there that I was drawn to instantly. People that I felt an instant connection with, and that offered their advice and help to me. I will keep these people in my heart, and in my thought's and prayers. Anyways, the weekend was really "Groovy". We ate all organic food, drew pictures, learned from each other, talked about different thing's that helped us heal, we did meditations, we rested, we worked on our chakra's and synergy, and we did self energizing exercises. This was all new to me. I woke up at 7:00 each morning and came home around 6:00 each night. I was tired, well fed, and my spirit felt lifted. All great things. I realized that not everyone would learn from these teachings, and that not every teaching I would adopt into my own lifestyle. I did know God had me there for a reason. I have been so uptight with this surgery deadline coming up, so scared, so fearful. The biggest thing I realized is that most of the people around me had already Let Go And Let God. This is something I just haven't been able to do yet. After spending this weekend with my new beloved friends I realized that I can Let Go And Let God, I just have to take the leap. I am still trying. I have given everything over to him but I still have anxiety, insomnia, and pain. Christina, one of my best friends, told me that God only chooses the strong people to carry the load, and when it's over I will be able to give back to others going through a similar journey. I hope that if you are going through something similar that you have great friends, and love around you like I do. I hope that you believe that there is a better way, and a better day coming.

Fashion:

For a trip into a place of relaxation, like where I was, or somewhere like a spa. I have a great boutique to suggest to get clothing it's called Blends! Blends is this wonderful women's boutique and cute antique furniture. It is owned by this wonderful lady with a great spirit named Diane. She actually had one of my gowns in her shop recently. The dress ended up on the cover of Blend's flyers. Her shop is so unique, it isn't really the place for gown's. But we decided that one of my gown's would look great for the ambiance of her store. Ironically, it was the only gown in the store and it quickly sold to a girl who needed a prom dress. Anyway's most of her clothing is very unique, casual, shabby chic. I love it. It is great for someone that wants to wear clothing that they feel beautiful in without having to be "all did up". For example, I have a pair of pants from their that are black and I could wear them to bed or an office meeting they are seriously fantastic. So it can be causal or nice and dressy. She has the perfect clothes to wear when traveling, or while on vacation. I love this place and the family that owns it. They have a very special place in my heart here is her FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blends-Georgetown-TX/190187017663999.

Pain: 

Well as far as pain goes, I am still in a ton of it. I still have to take medications, and I hate it. But I found that eating certain healthy foods help me feel better in general. For instance, kale is a great food that does so much for your body. I wasn't really turned onto it until, I had it mixed with dried cranberries and walnuts. This mixture tastes great together. I am a big fruit lover, and that is a good thing. If you are sick like me it's really important to make sure that your plate has a lot of color on it. You don't want everything like the color of bread because you will gain a bunch of unwanted weight, and you will feel psychically and emotionally horrible. I also learned how to say good affirmations to myself self. It really helps me if I do this while I am in deep meditation or prayer. I also have a problem with sleeping. I am taking medication for this but I still don't sleep every night. I have become an insomniac at times. However, I learned a natural mineral you can take is magnesium to help you sleep at night. I would love to hear for you on anything that helps you feel better, or that helps you sleep! Please anyone out there that needs someone to relate to contact me. I would love to talk to you and help you through your journey.

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

About a Girl:
Today I was pretty tough. My mom and I worked on putting the new apartment together. There is still a lot to do. I am trying to go through everything that I don't use or need. I hate clutter. The best part of the day was spending it with my mom, and looking through old memory books. My mom brought me files from since I was in grade school through college. It warmed my heart to see my best friends through the years.
 My best friends in elementary Jaime, Laura, and Christina. To Middle School my best friends were Crystal, Robin, and Alyssa. To High School I was BFF with Chandra, JJ, Brandy, Christina, Lizzy, and Brian. College I had lots of best friends including JJ, Monika, Christina, Brian,  Kortni, Travis, Lizzy, Stacy, & Kendra. Then as I have grown up they have all managed to stay in my life and made room for more amazing new people like Casey, Nancy Shields, Casey Marie, Mikey, Larissa Ness, Tracy Tenpenny, and Connie.
The people above have all changed my life in one way or another. Even if I didn't mention your name you made a special impact on my life too. I am shown this by the notes I have saved from middle school and high school, the notes in my years books, the comments on FB, the phone calls, and the prayers. I know I have Angels watching over me. I have so much love and appreciation for my friends. I am forgetful so if you don't see you name up there send me a note and remind me! I just wanted to create a appreciation list for my real friends not a clic' just people that I am really close too.
 My family has been the greatest support for me in this situation (including my grandparents, cousins, and siblings and Brian's side of the family.) Thank you to you all for all the good times we had, and all the love and support. I am so glad I have the memories and the pictures of a better time and place in my mind. Tomorrow my mom and I are going to a retreat on natural healing to see if it can help me heal. I will try anything and she is always there to take me or be on the way.

Fashion:
A good tip for fashion if you buy something new, let's say in this case it's a new day dress. Give away or sale 2 dresses that you have not worn for at least a year. This will keep your closet clean. As going through most of my stuff I will tell you a little stylist secret. Never through away accessories. Keep jewelry, belts, hats, purses, bags, umbrellas, coats, and shoes. Even though they might not be in style now they will always come back around.

Pain:
Tomorrow my mom and I are going to a retreat on natural healing to see if it can help me heal. I will try anything and she is always there to take me or be on the way. I will let you know how it goes and what I  will be doing exactly. I hope and pray that it will at the very least take away my fear, and anxiety. I also would absolutely love a Miracle but God that's up to you.

If you can please help donate to my cause. You can use http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-rachelle-battle-chronic-sclerosing-osteomyelitis/58786 or if you would like to mail me a donation just ask e-mail me for my new address.

P.S. I am pretty sure we are having a Wishing Well Party in July on a Saturday. It will  be a formal/semi formal with the color theme of Blue. If my friends still have time to put this together please leave any information at the bottom for ideas or if you want to help. I just really want to see all my friends before I leave. I miss all of you even the ones I did't mention : ( you better come too because I love you as well. I just want another glance at how wonderful my life use to be and how fun it would be for one night to pretend I was AWESOME like before.

XoXOXO

Moving In

Thank you for becoming an active part of my blog I really appreciate it. 

ABOUT A GIRL:

Today the girls came over and helped me clean and decorate out our new apartment. My mom, sister, and niece were my earth Angels. Unfortunately today, I was sick in bed with a swollen jaw & pain all the way up to my ear. I did help some with the direction I wanted our living space to be very clean and uncluttered. However, I have to give a big shout out to my family and all their hard work today and all week. Also to Brian and his family for all the hard work and support in moving.
Before I have surgery July 18, 2013. I really wanted to have a  Blue themed cocktail party with all my friends. Hopefully we can make this work. It gives me something positive to think about. If you have any ideas please leave notes below!

FASHION:

Since we are talking about moving today I would like to talk about interior Fashion. Below is a picture of how I would love my room to look like. It is so big open. I love the soft color scheme and the large window. It's very shabby chic' mixes the new with the old. I think this is very trendy. Point being save unique gently used furniture from decades a go. I have this one amazing chair that is white and light lime green that use to be Brian's mothers and it is my favorite piece in the house. Also I have to really great mirrors that can me used in many area's of the house. I wish we actually could settle in to  a house but we currently are stuck in an apartment. No matter where you live make it beautiful and make it you. You don't need to hand everything you have. Put the rest in storage it might come back in another decade or so. I will talk about this later but same goes for accessories.

PAIN:

I ask this of you because time is running out. Please donate to  http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/rachelle-s-battle-with-chronic-sclerosing-osteomyelitis/58786  Brian is the only one working and I am trying my hardest to get on SS but so far I have been rejected. Please let me know if you are or know someone you know who can help me get the social security I need. The reason we need all the donations is because we have to fly to Miami and stay there for 2 weeks in a hotel while I heal, pay medical/hospital expenses, pay for medication, travel, and food. This will only be the first of 2 trips to Miami. There is no better doctor in the US at removing chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis of the jaw than Dr. Marx. He will doing the same procedure on me as he does on cancer patients so, this puts me on a cancer watch list (but I am not worried). He actually discovered this disease; and he has many people following him around daily learning. We also are tight on our budget because we moved into a more sterile place so that I wont get a infection while healing. If I get an infection I will have to return to Dr. Marx immediately if complications can occur. Our last living situations had mold in  our new place (the same price) no mold and it has all wood floors not carpet. To read more about Dr. Marx please go to http://uhealthsystem.com/doctors/profile/1096

I hope you will continue on this journey with me, please leave notes to educate me more, and all the support in the many forms I get it is a apperciated. 

How It All Works

First of all, word of caution:

My blog might not be written perfectly, actually I guarantee that it will have mistakes. Sometimes my medication clouds up my thinking, therefore I might confuse you. So, please let me know of any major errors.

My intentions are to create a personal blog that have a range of feelings that you can relate to. You might feel happy, hopeful, curious, sad, educated, excited, perplexed, challenged, and maybe you'll find something that you can share with others and believe in.

I don't want my blog to be a woe is me type of journal. I am not a victim, I am a warrior and I'm fighting the war. I hope that you will join in and support me in any way you can; prayers, a phone call, a donation, a visit the lists goes on. It's pretty easy to make me smile. 

A Girl, Fashion, and Pain

 A Girl  (Section 1) Is about me, my day, people I interact with; interesting things I have learned, & how I feel mentally and spiritually.  My favorite things and  least favorite things. Well basically this section could be about anything going on in my life and you might be in it.

Fashion (Section 2)  Is going to be all fun! Fashion trends, ideas, styling tips, pictures of me or of others, some links and clips to magazines and articles. Fashions do's and don'ts (now those are going to be some hilarious pictures). I might even talk about my interactions celebrities I worked with.

Pain (Section 3) Is a chronicle of my battle with CSO. I will tell you all the things I have researched and different things that I have tried in order to help heal me including: different medications & vitamins, different healing processes. I feel like this section is really going to be important & interesting to the people in the medical field who don't know much about Chronic Sclerosing Osteomyelitis.

The End (Section 4) Questions, answers, inspirational thoughts, it's really open up to whatever the day gives us.  

Most of my blogs will have some quotes or saying  at the end. I've been making a book of quotes. I started doing this when I didn't and feel well; it still comforts me the worse off I become. Please respond at the bottom of my blogs with your favorite quotes. I will collect them and write them into my book so that I can read them wherever I go. 

 * You might not agree with everything I have done, or tried out, or what I write about but it's my journey & that is the very reason why it's interesting.

Introduction to Rachelle Briton's Battle with CSO

My name is Rachelle Briton and I work in multiple areas of fashion. My titles in fashion are fashion/costume designer, wardrobe stylist, artist, trend forecaster, and trend-setter. Currently I am the Style Ambassador in Austin for Harper's Bazaar Magazine. I've worked in many different areas of fashion, including the F.I.G. in Dallas and as a celebrity wardrobe stylist for MTV and TRL back in the day in NYC. I found my way back to Texas and started my first collection Rachelle Briton Designs. I then got hitched to my hubby Brian and we rescued the most fabulous dog "Prissy Pants". Life was legend...wait for it…dary; but I hadn't really experienced real life yet, it was lurking around a dark corner.

I would describe my life as a roller coaster that has the highest highs and the lowest lows, with twists and turns along the way.

It's like waiting in line to jump on a ride and not being sure you want to enter because you can't turn back and you just don't know what to expect.

I literally had over night success. I shot up to the top and my first fashion show had over 1,000 seated women. My career was going so fast and I had to quit my other job. In the blink of an eye the roller coaster ended up flipping me upside down and I hit rock bottom.

First our house and my studio was filled with mold (from the previous owners) so we had to move out into a tiny studio apartment. I then became very ill.  I ended up going to the Mayo Clinic twice and had four surgeries over the past year and a half. After two years of searching for answers, I have finally been diagnosed with Chronic Sclerosing Osteomyelitis. This extremely rare jaw infection causes my right lower jaw to rash and swell,  and causes excruciating pain which cannot be treated with antibiotics.

My career and life slipped through my fingers like sand. I can no longer work or drive due to the condition that I am currently in and the medication I have been prescribed. I feel like my life is stuck but after years of searching, there is hope. I am going to have my next surgery in Miami, on July 18, 2013, which will involve removing most of the lower part of my right jaw, and replacing the area with a titanium chain. Then, six to twelve months later, I will go back to Miami to have a bone graft performed (bone will be taken from my hips and lower leg). My jaw will have to be wired shut for roughly six weeks in order to allow the bone to set.

Finally, after another six months of healing, we will begin the process of implanting teeth back into that area of my mouth that has been affected. At that time, I should be pain free and hopefully getting back on my feet to follow my dreams again.

To be quiet honest it is very hard for me. You see I am a go-getter kind of person. My husband has set up a charity for me to help reduce the debt from previous medical bills, and to help pay for the upcoming surgeries in Miami. The link is below:

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/rachelle-s-trip-to-miami-for-surgery-5-jaw-resection-/58786

It is humiliating to ask for help. Ironically, I was the one doing charity fashion shows and raising money for people in need, but now I am one of those who need assistance.

Some words to describe me: fun, silly, blunt, creative, interesting.

I am starting a blog for 3 reasons: Therapy for me, for people who care for me who want to know how I am, and for people fighting a rare disease to find comfort. I am not seeking attention or intend for you to feel bad for me. You asked for it and here it is, the pure,  at times ugly, and beautiful truth.

I once felt like a princess of fashion and beauty. But after all that has transpired, will I ever feel like I had before…or will the scares remain for ever more. But please know, I fully intend to reign again.

Xoxo
Rachelle Briton