Born in the rural town of Geneseo, Illinois in 1981 & later raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, mainly Schaumburg, where she still resides, Decnie "Sissy" Jeschke loves a good "Before & After." A retired junior high school teacher (due to complications of Lupus, a life-threatening autoimmune illness) turned artist, her work range is so diverse that it can be difficult to explain what she does.  She loves all things DIY & she builds, crafts, creates art out of tree branches, recycles, upcycles, designs/stages spaces & events, & is always looking for her next project. She uses her website www.LoveSissy.com to share projects & tutorials and to raise awareness and funds for the Lupus Foundation She also posts daily on her facebook page (and welcomes friend requests) at www.facebook.com/SissyDec

I'm a huge fan of sites like Pinterest & Facebook. I post daily on my facebook page www.facebook.com/SissyDec
I post a Before & After or new project every day & I post sneak peeks of upcoming projects & artwork.  I also post pictures & prices of great items that I find while I'm out scouring thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, etc. There are so many great items out there & I can't possibly buy/store them all. I love being able to share the things I find & to connect people with items that they might not have the time to find on their own. 
I love it when I get new friend requests & messages!
I am always up to something new. Art, crafts, building furniture, figuring out ways to imitate expensive items at stores like Restoration Hardware, Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn, etc. for MUCH less. I love sharing HOW TOs & Tutorials & Tips & Tricks. The best way to find out what I'm up to is to friend me on facebook www.facebook.com/SissyDec.
I don't have a business facebook page because I'm not a business.  I'm a hobbyist...a person... a friend. I want to interact with people & have a conversation--to have people feel like they can send me a quick message like  "Hey--got this piece at a thrift store, what do you think!?" or "Not loving this color, how do I fix?" 

I have been many things & before I'm done I want to be many more...Teacher (junior high, piano, swim, Pilates & meditation, CPR/1st aid, substitute), crafter/scrapbooker, sister, wife, lifeguard, retail worker (for about a minute), advocate, volunteer, webmaster, friend, supporter of the arts (Geneseo Art League!), Resident Assistant, corn detasseler, designer, stager, consultant, beach lover, explorer, jewelry maker, resume writer, editor, writer, comedy writer, face painter, party planner, recording studio owner, song writer, music lover, dog fosterer/adopter, nursing home activities assistant, charity event organizer/chair, supporter of equal rights/gay rights (“Until we all are free, we are none free” ELazarus), Lupus patient & advocate, and now...artist.

In 2009, I was diagnosed with SLE (Systemic Lupus) & retired from teaching junior high Language Arts (a job I ADORED). Throughout college I had health issues, but had no idea I had Lupus.  I saw doctors all over the country & saw the best I could find in Chicago. I was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease (adrenal failure) & Interstitial Cystitis (OUCH!  A defect of the bladder lining) and fought hard to graduate college (English Literature, Creative Writing, Secondary Education) & to get my dream job at Jane Addams Junior High in Schaumburg.  My experience at Addams still deeply shapes everything about who I am and how I interact with the world. The staff (and community) supported me, challenged me, and taught me about being a better teacher and person. The Addams family continues to be a large part of my life & I’m grateful everyday for their support and for the support of my friends, family, & the new friends I’ve made through my website www.LoveSissy.com & facebook page www.facebook.com/SissyDec.  My family, especially my siblings, are the biggest source of inspiration & support. My brothers & sisters (plus three by marriage) love me. They just love me.  That’s it.  What a beautiful gift. My husband, who I met in 8th grade, realized I loved in college, & married in my 20s, is the love of my life. He is as flawed as I am and I love him for it. We are perfectly imperfect and I could not walk this path without his unconditional love and support. 
With Lupus, life is a daily series of challenges, but I am grateful. I am grateful to be here. I am grateful for every experience and every person that takes the time to friend me on facebook or to send me a message about something that spoke to them. I am even grateful that life has thrown some real challenges and twists at me (Hey life—not grateful as in I want more, just appreciative for how they have shaped me. Don’t get any big ideas about me wanting more challenges! It’s time for some rewards *cough cough* LOTTERY *cough cough* MICHIGAN BEACH HOUSE *cough*)

Thank you for being interested in this site & in sharing the successes & helping me rework the failures.  I do this only for the experience and because, right now, it’s what I love to do. Working on furniture is something that helps me with the physical challenges of Lupus (sort of like physical therapy) and that helps me with the mental burden of living in this body—a body that never forgets it is sick, but also a body that is so much stronger than it looks and that has carried me through both the most challenging of times and the most beautiful of times.