Maybe this will help you,
My name is Cheyne Maclaskey.. I am 22 and from a small town outside of Houston Texas. I am a senior at the Art Institute of Houston studying a double degree in Culinary Arts as well as restaurant and catering management. I work with several non-profit organizations throughout the Houston area. My mom has been sick since I was born, having problems with her body. She was told recently that she would have the loan she had been longing for to pay for her surgery. After years of exercise, walking jogging, eating correctly, being under the supervision of constant doctor care and following strict dietary orders, she has yet to lose the weight. Being a young women, I fear for my mothers life as I watch her wither away. She has been an amazing quilter my whole life and it seems to be one thing she has the strength to work on even if for a few minutes every couple of days. A few years back, my mother taught me how to sew quilt blocks on paper backings. I got a sewing machine from a salvation army and took off. Being new in college, I was trying to gather money to pay off loans that I will only have 10 years from the day I graduate to get rid of. I made blocks and sold them to quilters on ebay. Most were quilters who had quilted for a long time but wanted these blocks to complete a quilt, hang in a frame, or to add extra flair to their quilt. While attending The Art Institute, I discovered painting. I cant say my paintings are anything great, but I free-paint, meaning I dont use a template or prior sketches. When an idea hits me, I paint. I have sold several paintings now and have been taking personal requests but not making enough money to even pay for gas for more than a week. This little extra money has now been dedicated to my mom. Staying up late at night, racking my brain and running into exaustion from no sleep, too much work and not enough time, I am at a complete loss. I cant get from A to B, and will look at any possible way I can to get there. I have a livejournal on the internet where I can post a "diary" to my friends and loved ones. I had become a member of a quilting group there a long time ago also. I made my post about what was going on, not realizing I had said only 100 lbs overwight, although my mom weighs way more than that. Immediately all my friends who had helped me organize fundriasers and feed the homeless came out of the woodwork, saying we needed to hold a charity bbq for her, or this or that... But the problem is that Houston has some grave restrictions on what can and cant be done thanks to our corrupt police chief, so all options cant take place. Then one night, when I was probably at my LOWEST point before I came here, I met someone, someone I had never seen before, who came to me and told me that I could come here and she was a member here, and that if I was truthfu about my situation and opened my heart to this group, maybe an answer would be found. She told me that this was a great group of ladies who helped when the cause was correct and she didnt see why they wouldnt want to hear my story. So with this last little bit of faith, I came here, just wanting an answer. My intentions with my post were not to just say Give me money. My intentions were to say hey, short of standing on a corner, I am offering something... its all I have to offer, if you want one great if not... thank you anyway... I wasnt going to come here and just say open your wallets to me. Quilters are amazing people who always seem to want to trade and many quilters like to buy blocks from around the world to make a quilt repersenting places from the globe, how was I to know that wasnt the case here. I said what I said, tried to defend myself to the end. Listened to people say I was a troll and question my character. People say I am wrong for saying someone is a bitch... yet she called me an ignorant snotty bitch and much more, at that point I was defending myself. I havent been given any type of chance, and people still call me names. This is something I expect from youg teenagers rather than adults. Through this site, I have made a few great friends who have emailed me back and forth and understand where I am coming from. I have just been out of options, lost and dont know where to go, I will take any lead I can get...
I dont know what else you want to know about me. At the age of 5 I was the largest entrepreneur and second largest to the Chef and The Child foundation underneath Coca-Cola, as reported in the March edition of The National Culinary Review in 1991. My younger sister and I started a lemonade stand and sold at craft shows on the East coast, making
1400 in three hours. half of the income went to college funds and the other half was sent directly to the Chef and the Child. My dad being a chef had told me about it. I am a member of the ACF of American Chef's federation. I competed in my first competition in April and won a third place medal for my platter and centerpiece. I was the only student in the competition to medal. I have worked under a master chef for the past year until recently when I chose to look into a new adventure, pastry. I have been asked by a well respected chef in the Houston area to come to his country club and learn more about designing and layouts of platters. He is a member of the Olympic culinary team, and has been a captain several times now. At Thanksgiving time, I volunteer myself in my hometown and work at the Salvation Army feeding homeless. I dont know what else you want to know so I guess thats it..
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