Jason Update 4

Jason is still in surgery. There seems to have been a lot of mis-information. We were under the impression it was a two hour surgery that would begin at 7am. The took him back at 6:25am for prep, but my first update was at 10am, and they said they had just begun, he was doing well, and it was a six hour procedure. Thanks for all the texts and emails. I am pretty worn thin right now so I so appreciate all of the texts, but please forgive me if i haven't responded right away! I will update again when I know anything new.

Jason Update 3

Jason is in surgery right now. His anethesiologisy resident and afternoon nurse came by and said he is in surgery and they'll be back in our normal room this afternoon. Thank you for your prayers.

Jason Update 2

Thank you all so much for the love you are showing to Jason and me! We are humbled by the outpouring of messages, calls, and of course visits! Of course I always knew Jason was pretty special, but I told him tonight I tought he might be the most loved guy EVER. We are for sure the rockstars of the "Neuro" floor. :)

Jason is sleeping peacefully next to me and they should start prepping him for surgery in about six hours. I am pretty awake for the first time today thanks to Codi and Omar's chocolate delivery, and Leah and Erin's late night antics and "Everything-Kroger-Sold-we-thought-you-may-like delivery!" I feel so blessed in such a stressful time to say that our hospital room has been filled with much laughter and few tears. Jason's spirit is so strong, and even laying flat back keeping his neck straight in intense pain, he is making all kinds of hysterical comments. I know the surgery will be the hardest part for me (besides the drive up having no clue what i was driving up to) because he wont be right here next to me. If you know us well, you know we are usually pretty laid back and fun people but I am so in awe that even in his dark hour, his personality still shines through and is so endearing. The man I married may be a bad driver, but he's a great friend and it has been so sweet to see the number of friends that have come up to see him. We have his Andre Johnson (the Texans player that won Sunday's game for them to you non-Houstonians...or non-male readers) jersey they had to cut off of him in the ambulance hung on his wall AND his doctor's name is also "Johnson" so all his buddies seem to think that is an excellent 'sign.'

I realize I may be rambling a bit but I just can't even express the gratitude for the way we have been lifted up. I just feel certain Jason will be back to his lively and strong self soon and thank you so much for joining me and our families in prayer tomorrow at 7am over his operation and team. The attending physician is Dr. Schmidt, and I have been praying for him all night that his hands will truly be the instruments for healing from the Lord.

I always think the Lord gives you a scripture or a song to relate things to and calm your spirit, and for the past few hours I have literally been playing "Great is thy Faithfulness" in my head. Jason and I both LOVE old hymns and I just wanted to close with the lyrics that are bringing me such peace. There IS a bright hope for tomorrow, and new mercies there WILL be in the morning. Great is his faithfulness to us!

Love, Hayley

Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God my Father;There is no shadow of turning with Thee;Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see.All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see.All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Jason Update 1

Hello, all! Some of you know already, and as I do not have a personal blog and facebook is blocked at the Hospital, I wanted to put up some updates on Jason.

Sunday evening I was at home tidying the house after Jason's friends from Oklahoma had visited, and was waiting on their return from the Texans/Chiefs game when I got a call from Kacey (the wife of one of the said friends) that they had been in an accident. Luckily they had left with them and were traveling only a few cars behind and were able to help and contact me literally as it happenend. Jason was driving on 59N and realized his lane was ending and needed to get over last minute. He saw a small window of opportunity before a bus traveling alongside him, and thought he could merge and then gun-it and be in sync. He slid in and the car did not respond, and the bus tried to stop and miss him but could not and clipped his car and pushed him sideways into the barricade. When he hit it, it sent his car spinning and it flipped two to three times before landing facing oncoming traffic. Miraculously, Grant (front passenger) and Zach (back passenger) both we able to crawl out as soon as they landed. They were all wearing seatbelts, and the driver side of the car definitely took the brunt of the impact. Kacey and Tyler were able to run over as soon as they could pull their car over and Tyler kept Jason talking and still until the first responders could arrive. I left my house and headed north the second Kacey called. I phoned my family and tried Jason's dad as well, who was already in Houston at another hospital with Jason's cousin who was having an emergency appenedctomy. Jason was conscious but obviously injured and very bloody. They had to cut open his door, and then finally also the roof to extract him. Me, the ambulances, and Meghan & Ken who came right over to park my car and handle that so I could run in with paramedics, all miraculously arrived at the same time to Memorial Hermann. Praise GOD that no one else was injured, that Jason's organs and vitals were "Rock Solid" the entire time according to our overnight ER doc, that Kacey was right behind and able to call me instantly, and that he is in such great care here. The parademics on the scene that had to use the 'jaws of life' to even dislodge Jason could not believe Grant and Zach crawled out and were even in that car!


We spent the next thirteen hours in the Trauma Center and are eternally grateful to the staff there, but also our dear friend Sarah, who after working a whole shift as an ER doctor at another hospital, came straight over and was Jason's personal advocate and physician. Grant and Zach were checked out and cleared by 2am and my dad delivered them to their beds for the night. So, after three CT scans, Xrays, lots of tests and stabilizing, here's the run-down. Lots of scrapes and bruises, only a couple needing special care or stitches, a broken nose, a broken wrist, and a broken neck. We;ve discussed backwards and forwards if its better to start with the biggie, or work up to it? I don't know!

Well, as Cara and I decided, he's the "winner of the losers!" Yes, he has a broken neck, but it is a pretty "good break."... as far as a broken neck goes. It broke outwards away from the spinal cord and body, so he does not have any paralysis or brain damage or vessel pinching. Praise God! His only physical limitation right now is his whole left shoulder and arm, which are very beaten up and then casted from his elbow to hand.

Yesterday was a brutal waiting game. A few of our very sweet friends all came by, some bearing 'essentials' bags for me, treats, stuffed animals or even the BEST Pappasitos ever, but we knew very little until we could get the MRI, which took nearly 24 hours to get in to once it had been ordered. We just found out at 3 today that he will have to have surgery to stabilize the vertebra. He broke the C5 if you are one of our Medical-dork friends (you know who you are!)and wanting specifics I may-or-may not be able to provide. They will operate in the morning and will be here a few more days in recovery after that. The surgery is at 7am tomorrow, and will rod and fuse the C5 to the C4 above and the C6 beneath. Please pray for Jason's body to be responsive and for the doctors hands and minds to be steady and clear. Any surgery has its risks, but obviously neck/spine surgery has special concern.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Jason is in good spirits and is constantly cracking me up with his dry wit. He loves visitors and is at Memorial Hermann Med Center, but tomorrow am will be in the OR. If you would like to come tomorrow, check back and I'll update when he can accept visitors post op.

Love, Hayley

Finally a Fall Chill in the Air....

..And we are in the Halloween Spirit!

Here are a few of our favorite fun images from Halloweens present and past! Enjoy!


Why not beat the rush and send a Halloween Greeting?

A fun, not frigtening, children's Halloween!

In the pink version, or the classic orange, this design delights!

A classic pullout, punkin' cute!

Sophisticated and clean, it falls perfectly in suit.

Let us know if we can help you with any Halloween Greetings, Parties, or Treat Stickers/Tags!

No Tricks, it would be a treat!

Back to School Specials!

Haute New Luggage Tags!

"Couture"

It's that time of year again and we've created the perfect addition for your childs' back to school backpack! These cute luggage tags are all uploaded to our *NEWEST* website that is about to be fully up and running. We currently have over 20 different designs to choose from for both boys and girls, and youngsters to young at heart!

These trendy personalized luggage tags are great for diaper bags, suit cases, gym bags, back packs or where ever you feel works best.

On sale now for 1 for $10, 3 for $25, for 10 for $50. Feel free to check out our new site and all our luggage tags at http://www.hhdesignhouse.com/.

Thanks for stopping by!

"Flower Flip Flops"

"Surf the Waves!"

Announcements!

Hello, everyone...if there is still anyone checking!

Recently, our friend and fabulous blogger-mom-fashionista-friend Meredith posted about her birth announcements that we did for her sweet second son, Slade!

Everything Meredith does is with style and panache, and so we were trilled to get to take all her ideas and put them into one special card.

Check out her blog and her super cool announcements....

Announcing Slade...

http://sweettfamily.blogspot.com/2010/08/announcing-slade.html

August Galveston Monthly

Hello, Blog World!

A lot has changed at HH Design House since we last posted a few months back! It's been a whirlwind, but we will try and get back into the swing of things!

We have a great article and feature in the August Issue of Galveston Monthly and thought those of you beyond the circulation area might also enjoy reading what we had to share! Enjoy...and we'll be back soon!

Personalization 101

I have heard it blamed on the fact we’re Southern. Perhaps it goes back to having a name that is spelled a bit differently than people always attempt to spell it, and thus never sold prefabricated at the souvenir shops boasting everything from keychains to shotglasses with more consistently-spelled names emblazed across on each one. Or even more, maybe it stemmed from the great affinity I have for the letter “h”. At any rate and however it was arrived upon, the love of things personalized and a deep need to slap a name or monogram on everything has been a long standing fixation, and no time more-so than at present, when personalization is all the rage!

Although I was the rare breed that always loved and anticipated “Back-to-School” each August, I think much of that was driven by having all new school supplies; The perfect excuse to stamp my moniker on new bags, notebooks, and writing instruments. As the personalization craze has heated up over the last few years, nothing is safe! Seeing people personalize their dishes, towels, sheets, flip flops, tumblers, bags, clothing, phones, laptops and cars has become so commonplace, that I rarely even take a second-glance when I see monogrammed and personalized gear for our four-legged friends. Yes indeed, even my dog has a custom drinking bowl with her name, and a bed with her monogram!

In the last five years in the social correspondence industry, I have been asked many questions in regards to personalization and the etiquette involved. There are times a certain monogram style is more appropriate than others and times when a name or surname might be best. Is your head spinning from the name-game? I’ll try and briefly answer a few common questions we field.

1. I want to personalize something… “Name or Monogram?”
The answer is BOTH! If you are going to spend the time and money to get an item personalized, go all the way. It is truly so special to have something with your full name – it’s one-of-a-kind! We do a lot of stationery that has a monogram on the face or top center, and then the name beneath. This format works well for both men and women, and nearly any age. Monograms are a prerequisite on Birth Announcements, a huge trend in Weddings, and a staple in any seasoned writer’s paper trousseau.

2. What is the composition of a three initial (traditional) monogram?
There are two times you would use a three-initial monogram: for an individual or married couple sharing a last name. First off, the individual monogram is anchored in center by the Family surname (or ‘lastname’) flanked by the first-name initial to the left and the middle initial to the right. For example, “Mary Jo Schroeder” would read “M S J” often with the middle initial larger or more detailed. Secondly, for a married couple sharing a last name, it is once again anchored with the surname initial in the center, and the initials of the husband and wife flanking either side. For Wedding Receptions, often the wife’s initial is to the left and the husbands is to the right (think of standing at the altar), while later in life it tends to be the husband’s initial first on the left with the wife on the right. This is a matter of personal preference though, and if the three letters spell something one way, by all means try it the other!

3. I want to use a monogram on my Wedding Invitation. What is proper?
This is one of the most common questions I receive planning Brides’ Wedding Stationery. Most traditionally, the Bride’s family always hosted a Wedding, so it was her family’s crest or her own monogram at the top of the formal invitation. This has waned in popularity as it has been more commonly acceptable to use a single initial, a duogram, or even a three initial monogram for the more progressive bride.

4. Initial…Monogram…Duogram…WHAT?!?
A single initial is the perfect choice when something is symbolic of an entire family (like glassware or a Christmas Card) and using a three initial monogram would only symbolize an individual or married couple. A Traditional Monogram is three initials – the surname in the center and two names on the side. You may only use this style if you are an individual who has a middle name or a married couple sharing a last name. So what on earth to do if you have no middle name, are not yet married, or are married but have different last names??? Enter, the “duogram.” Duo meaning two, this is a monogram comprised of only two initials; for individuals usually the first and last name and for couples with different last names (whether married or engaged) it is generally the two initials of the first names. This was the perfect design solution for both my wedding ensemble, not wanting to use our married monogram before we were, and also my business logo.

5. How do I write out names?
Believe it or not, this is something that I coach on a lot for invitation addressing and also personalization. For married couples, the wife’s name goes first followed by the husband’s full name. With our Southern manners many women often question listing their own name first, but the reasoning is entirely out of respect to a man and his name. Simply, one does not separate the man’s name, and the wife is added to the beginning to honor that. (ie: Hayley and Jason Hardcastle) If that makes you uncomfortable, consider the more formal approach, “Mr. and Mrs. Jason Hardcastle” or the more casual approach, “Jason and Hayley,” sans surname. For a family name, it can be listed as plural, but leave out that apostrophe! That makes it possessive. For instance, on a notepad or Holiday card, “The Hardcastle’s” is incorrect, it should simply be “The Hardcastles.”

6. What are your favorite personalized items?
I am a HUGE sucker for personalized stationery and notepads! Most everything on my desk has either my name or the store’s name on it. I also love the initial charms by Stella & Dot so you can make your own necklace and tell a unique story by the letters, birthstones, and sentiment charms you select. I am also loving our newest offering right now, our custom luggage and bag tags! We have tons of cute patterns and designs and they are so simple to pop on a backpapck, gym tote or lunchbox! Our Styrofoam cups and napkins are always some of our best-sellers as well!

Happy Hump Day: Bringing it Back!

Hello Blog World!

If we still have any loyal followers checking in...we apologize for our long absence. However, once you hear (read) what we've been up to, I think you'll pardon us.

When we last blogged we were in the midst of preparing for our busiest time of the year...Holiday Card season! Are ready for this??? We did 9,650 Holiday Cards for 2009!! We were very proud of that accomplishment and at knowing we helped spread Christmas cheer and goodwill to many, many people.

So, you're probably now thinking, that's impressive but it's February...well we didn't kick up our heels and rest after the trees and twinkling lights came down. Oh no, we launched full force into preparing for Galveston's Mardi Gras season. For which, we did 2,700 invitations for various Mardi Gras events. WHEW! Yesterday marked the end of the Mardi Gras celebrations, the last parade wound it's way through the historic streets of Galveston Island. Fun as it was, we collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Today is a gorgeous day on the Island...sunny and bright, rewarding us with its beauty for a few months of being crazy-no sleep-BUSY. We'll take regular old busy for awhile. So we gaze out the windows of the store at the beautiful day, reflecting on how best to update (and not bore) you with a "catch up/we're back" blog.

That's right, I said store...did we forget to mention in between all that we opened a STORE? Hayley is now the proud owner of "Happenings by HH Design House". We squeezed in an official opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting mid January. Happenings, Hayley's latest endeavor is located at 523 Tremont, the corner of 23rd and Church Streets. Stop by and check it out!

Scroll down to view pictures from our grand opening! Come on inside.....

Shop Dog, Kashmir, on Guard!!!

H A P P E N I N G S

532 tremont street

downtown galveston island

409.974.4122

www.Hhappenings.com

Happy...Thursday!

WOW! Our apologies to any loyal hump day readers!!! We have been so busy around here we just flat out forgot about our "Hump Day Post"!

We were delighted to receive an email from a recent Bride with wedding pictures. Rebecca and Ryan were married in Luckenbach, Texas in what looks like such a FUN wedding! Check out their photographers website for more detail and amazing pictures...

http://www.smsphotographyblog.com/

Thanks for sharing the site Rebecca! We really enjoyed working with you and appreciated your patience and sweet spirit!

Scroll down to take a peek at the invitations and other products HH Design House created for the occasion. Including, invitations, koozies, cups, matches, sign in cards, maps, programs, save the dates, menu cards, and thank you notes.