Taking a Leave

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well.

I wanted to tell you that after long and heartfelt thinking, I came to a decision that I need to take a long break from blogging.  My heart has been telling me things here and there and after an ER visit the other day, I decided it was literally screaming at me.  Everything checked out well but I am being monitored right now to make sure that they aren't missing anything.  

If you are new here, about 6 years ago I had two heart attacks and open heart surgery due to my pregnancy.  Everything turned out well in the end and I have felt really good but it seems like stress and whatever seems to settle into my chest which gives me the feeling of having a heart attack, panic attacks and just weird palpitations.  Things have always checked out good but I need to stop feeling like this and start taking care of me.  I need to concentrate on my health and my family for now.  I will visit from time to time because I love you all and you have been nothing but supportive and wonderful friends and you inspire me.   

I hope to come back, but I think it will be a while before I post again, well except for May 1, I was invited to join Stacey at A Sort of a Fairytale for a house tour a few months ago, I am excited for that, she is so sweet.  So I will be doing that, but otherwise not so much in between and after for a bit . I am very sorry and believe me it was a hard decision and after talking to some friends, I think it is the right one for now.

I hope everyone stays well and enjoys their Spring and thank you again from the bottom of my wonky heart, you are a wonderful community of friends.

I will see you again!!!

Hugs!!!!

A Brighter Place to do a Dark Job

 Alright, so it's not that dark of a job but at least now it is a bit brighter.  I painted my entry/laundry room over our break and it looks so much cleaner and fresher. Last year sometime in one of my painting fits I painted that room a muddy gray/brown color.  It just felt so dark in there and just dirty.  

This is what it originally looked like about two years ago:

A bit crowded, the dogs stayed in here as well and it just wasn't working for me.

Here is what it looked like after the painting fit with the muddy color.

Now it was just dark and small and still no room.

  So we built a little locker to put our shoes, hats, mittens, etc.

That seemed to work well but every time we opened the door we would get hooked on the chicken wire and or the kids would get scratched.

So I had enough and last Friday we went and picked up some white paint and went to town.

Here is what it looks like now.

I took off the chicken wire from the locker and we replaced it with beadboard. 

No more poking and scratching and I just love the look of it, much cleaner lines for me.

Picked up a few baskets from Meijer and TJ Maxx to give it that natural coastal feel,

and shopped around the house for some other treasures to add like my whale and some beach grass and rug.

(not sure why there is a phone plug in the laundry room, for the life of me I can't imagine why they put it there)

We also got a new washer, I was done cleaning up floods and having my clothes smell  nasty.  The salesman said that the biggest complaint of the front load washers is the smell but he couldn't tell us why the dumb thing flooded all the time, he thought perhaps we had a lemon......no kidding!

I love my new top loader and now with a bright clean room and a new machine, washing is actually tolerable. :)

There are still a few details that I would like to do like a new light and I have to paint the ceiling which probably would have been smart to do first, but I don't think that way.  I can see by the last picture that I need an outlet cover too.  

Details, details. :)

I love how how it turned out and even though there is less room with the washer and dryer having to be side by side now, it still feels bigger to me.

I heart white paint.

Summer/beach Mantel

Hi everyone!

How are you and how was your Easter and weekend?  

Good I hope.

Since Mother Nature decided to skip over Spring, I decided that it was ok too and put together my summer mantel.  Actually my mantel always looks like summer but for grins and giggles we will call it my summer mantel. :)

I had this mirror that belonged to my grandparents sitting in my basement waiting for me to do something with it. The mirror is starting to crack in places but it is solid and HEAVY!!! I didn't want to get rid of it so it sat and sat and sat until last Thursday for whatever reason an idea popped into my mind.

I have seen driftwood mirrors on line and the prices range anywhere from $60 - $350.

I did mine for free.

I dipped into my bucket-o-driftwood, got my glue gun and went to town.

I first painted the frame grey to blend in with the driftwood.

I LOVE it!  

I also have a hernia lifting it up on the mantel but at least I can admire it while recovering. :) 

Just kidding, but it was really hard to get up there and I think we need to anchor into the wall so it and others will stay safe.

I added some beach grass in a sisal/rope vase and kept my birds and sign that my daughter made and 

voila, my summer/beachy mantel.

I don't know if I ever showed you my honking big piece of driftwood that I lugged out of the lake last year, it makes for a great coffee table center piece. :)

 I now need to replenish my bucket-o-driftwood.

  

Spring Break

So sorry I have been away, we are on Spring Break.

Nothing too exciting going on just little things here and there. (Although I have been dreaming of far away beaches and the smell of the water and salty air)

 It has been sunny and mild here which is nice.

My brother in law is still in the hospital, getting off the vent was a bit slow but he has been off now for a day and going strong so I am crossing my fingers.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week and I hope you have a beautiful Easter.

Hugs!!