ABOUT ME

INTRODUCTION
Permit me to introduce myself: My name is Rachel Ann Gray and I am a PhD student at the University at Albany (SUNY). Both my daughters work and attend college. Albert the Family Dog runs this roost. Permanent physical disabilities related to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained in 2003 keep me home-bound for the most part. My younger sister Sarah is a librarian in the Great American West; we are very close so her name is bound to come up sooner or later!! She has been a great source of support and inspiration for me and my family.

REFASHIONS & COFFEE TALK 
48 years of living on this planet means I've accumulated a ton of clothes, including those of my husband, Jim, and my two daughters, ages 19 and 22 years old. Time to sew up a whole new wardrobe!! This blog features "Before & After" photos plus my own and others' tutorials. Photos of Coffee - made with a plethora of different methods - shall adorn this blog, too. Either coffee fuels refashions or nothing gets done. Seriously!

THE LABELS:
  • Batman
  • Clinical Depression
  • Coffee
  • Hair Affair
  • Introduction
  • Menopause
  • Outfit
  • Re-mix
  • Refashion
  • Thrifted
  • Upcycle
  • Weight
PHOTOGRAPHS
My camera was a 2010 Craigslist find: barely used & $10, an Olympus Camedia D-580 Zoom, 4 Megapixels. What does it mean? I know nothing about cameras. 

MENTAL ILLNESS
I am out of the closet about living with mental illness: chronic clinical depression. I do not 'advertise' it or shout it from the rooftops; I simply refuse to act out of shame and stigma! Because depression influences every facet of my day-to-day, I talk about it when depression-related issues crop up. Topics could include medications, side-effects, and anecdotes.

Many in my family feel ashamed and disappointed about having a close relative with mental illness ("Crazy Rachel"). The "embarrassing disgrace" phrase originated from the mouth of a close family member, and another called me a "depressed failure." They've said worse. Nice, huh? I laugh and move on. 

NAMING THE BLOG
Your feedback matters to me a whole lot, and your advice shall be heeded:
"Rachel! You must change the name of your blog!!!"
Quite a few agreed with this comment. That is why I re-named it "Embarrassing Disgrace: Refashion & Coffee Talk" (from simply "Embarrassing Disgrace.") I will not refer to myself that way — though I do have a Yiddishkeit (Jewish) self-deprecating sense of humor. 

ALBERT, My 12-year-old pure-bred Heinz 57 All-American Mutt
He has his very own couch...






5 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing Rachel! You are lovely. X

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  2. I just found your blog though Refashion Co-op. You sound like a lovely person! Cat wait to read though the rest of your blog. So far your refashions are great.

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  3. Rachel;The people who mind don't matter.The people who matter don't mind.I look forward to reading more of your blog and seeing your refashions in the future.

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  4. Nice to have stummbled upon your blog and nice to meet you. I too am looking forward to your refashions and other creativities.

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  5. Hi Rachel - I often look for inspiration on re-fashion co-op, you haven't posted for a while. Hope everything is OK with you and your mental health issues aren't making life too hard. Also longing to know if Albert is still pottering around.

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