Artist In Progress

I guess this would be my first official blog post. Also my first real biography of any sort. Where to start? That's the question.

I guess the best place to begin is why Moonstone & Marshmallow began.

---

My name is Sabrina Spedding, I've done art since I was 7 years old, and I've been wishing I was normal for as long as I can remember. Normally, I don't like to talk about these things... but I suppose there is a time for everything. I'm 20 years old, I turn 21 in about 2 1/2 weeks. I barely graduated from Chaparral High School in Parker, Colorado in 2016 because of my health.

"Your health?" You might ask. Yes, my health. I've been sick with Bartonella and Lyme disease for about 18 years now, starting when I was 3. I didn't know it was exactly that until about mid 2015, but I had other "diagnoses" on my file before that.

I've been to a few Fibromyalgia clinics, both for myself and my mother, who has had Bartonella, Lyme Disease, COPD, Addison's Disease and Ovarian Cancer at some point or another. I've also suffered from symptoms of depression, insomnia, IBS, latent food allergies, anxiety and have been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that causes my heart to produce too many electrical waves, and thus beats too quickly. I take a beta blocker twice a day for the foreseeable future, but I still suffer dizzy spells, shortness of breath and chest pain regularly. My mother and I went to see a specialist in Florida, hoping to cure our ailments. My mother went first, to test the treatment, as her condition was worse and she didn't want me getting treated without trying it first. I followed after I graduated in May of 2016. While the treatment wasn't pleasant, it was obvious rather quickly that it helped. My mother received treatment for nearly 3 whole years, and I nearly 2 before returning to Colorado in December of 2017.

We ran out of money. At $5000 a week, per person ($2500 for a second person, if in the same family), not counting blood tests, apartment, food, Port/PICC line insertion/removal, gas and other expenses, the treatment wasn't cheap at all. We didn't even have a chance to properly assess where we were using blood tests before we left. My mother seems over 80% better than before she went, and I feel at least 50% better. But I still suffer muscle and joint pain, shakes, dizziness, and stomach problems galore.

This can make getting and maintaining a normal job a bit... sticky. I've had two, between school and medical issues. The first, I think I did really well at. I was a soup tender at a Souplantation Sweet Tomatoes for 3 months before I quit to focus on graduation, as I was behind in credits at the time. My second was a more recent stint at a Costco bakery. Great work environment.... not good for those who get dizzy or short of breath easily. I nearly fainted at the end of my first 8 hour shift in 4 years, my chest aching and pounding.

That was when I decided I needed a change of plan.... regular jobs weren't going to quit cut it. I'd just moved into a two room apartment with my partner and two room-mates; I needed to do something... productive.

Thus, Moonstone & Marshmallow was born.

---

An outlet for my boundless, but unstable energy and ideas. I dream of designing and forging handmade jewelry and other metal works. Until I get there... I'll do all sorts of other things I've been dying to do. Welcome, and I hope you find something you love, and stay tuned for more. Signing off,

Ciaru