Monday, May 31, 2010

PINKS...and their calming effects...

Gathered a yard or so of a pale pink WIDE LACE and laid it over a shade....
Softens your world into a calm fairylike glow....
sometimes ...that's just the change your looking for.


Mom and her brother....framed in pale pink flowers...sweetness...




Palest of pink vase...MMMmmmmm.



Fake but Fabulously pink...

Hoping this last weekend left you feeling in the PINK....
xoxo~Kathy.



Wednesday, May 26, 2010

WOW !...WHAT AN AMAZING DAY !...

Some days are just FABULOUS!!!!

a new haircut...that I LOVE...

and my hair dresser loved my lastest bracelet I just finished and bought it right off my wrist!

Thank You LeAnn!!!!!

and if that wasn't enough for one day...

My man brings in the mail and says...

Did you order this magazine?.....

a complimentary issue from Somerset Studio/Gallery...Summer 2010 issue...

Complimentary issues don't come flying into your mailbox...

UNLESS...

Unless your featured in it!!!!!!!


Pages 179-181.....

Usually a heads-up comes in the mail previous to publication...

not this time ...I was Pleasently surprised!!!!!...



My mixed-media Decorative Page Savers....

Just tryin to make reading a little more FUN!...





needless to say...I'm Geeked!!!






It's wierd seeing your name and art in print...unreal...


Wow! ...My toes are long!!!!









Thank You Somerset Studios...

Honored,

xoxo~Kathy



Tuesday, May 25, 2010

SWEET BEDROOM SHABBINESS...AND AN UPDATE...

Sometimes when looking across the room I think...

Now that would be a nice picture...

so I go get the camera...

thought I'd share some "Shabby Bedroom Love" this morning...and

Then an update on my LOVE...

This beauty ...a gift from my daughter Beth....
See the nighty?

From the Red Flannel Factory origionally...

New to me from a garage sale last weekend...

25 cents!





Sweet for 25 cents...




Beauty is in the eye of the beholder for sure...


Making my bed ...

I noticed how inviting these white pillows looked ...

all stacked from the night before....

so I shot them before returning them to the bed...

Yummy...
Do you MAKE your bed every morning?...


If not done the moment I wake up...

Might never get done that day.

Just being real here!!!!!!



Shabby whitness...




A little chair I covered with a Garage sale find...



Have a comfy day...


An Update on my Love....

Yesterday We met with both the LIVER and COLON surgeons...

If a meeting of such importance could be inspiring...I must say It was.

They both reinstated their pleasure in how well the chemo, (God)...shrunk the Cancer tumors.

The surgeries are scheduled for the 4th of June, a week from this Friday.

Both surgeries will be done one after the other at the same time...AMAZING!

and...

The best part is...

The plan is to do them both Laproscopicly....We were shocked!

That would be hugh in the recovery time and severity.

I've been away from Nursing for some time so when the Liver Surgeon said he would be Micro-Waving the infected portions of the liver I thought I misunderstood him!

A prob goes deep into the liver and fries everything in it's path.

Sorry about the grapics....it's the Nurse in me...

anyway...I was happy to hear there is wonderful results with this technique.

Over a foot of colon will be removed...followed by a resection of the colon to the intestines...

Okay...

this is the best part...

No colostomy....

No change in bowl habits...if anything MAYBE a little looser stool....MAYBE....

Can I get a witness here to the Power of Prayer!!!!!!!!!!!


Recovery will be 6-8 weeks and then we will talk about maintenance chemo...

My Man is not excited about going under the knife...understandably...

but we are both excited about what we are hearing at this point!

"Every good and perfect gift is from the Father of Lights"

and we recognize this as a Gift from above...

As with any surgery there are risks...

We ask you pray specifically...No infection develops after the surgery....especially in the colon.

A bag would then be needed ,( another surgery)...for about three months until everthing heals.

We're having a Pre-op MRI this week to really see soft tissue around the colon and liver...

Praying no new surprises...

Anything new showing up could change Laproscopic into an incision from Dave's sternum to his pubic bone...

Much harder to heal from...

Thank you my friends and family...

wow!, What a ride this has been.

I saw this same intestinal resection done when I was in Nurses training...eons ago.

What I wouldn't give to be in that OR...for this surgery....

but I know that'll never happen ...

probably a good thing....

I know I couldn't keep my mouth shut!

Love...

xoxo~Kathy






Monday, May 24, 2010

MEET MY TALENTED FRIEND...

Is this yard not Breathtaking?
A virtual Garden of Eden...complete with potting shed and enough eye candy for hours of exploring...
The next visit I will certainly get into the shed and feature the fun in there.
Time only allowed a few shots before leaving for the Beth Moore conference...
Can you believe this shed?
Linda and her husband Paul basically built this structure themselves...
salvaged doors,
windows,

Linda just completed a tiered brick walkway from the driveway through the arbor...will get better photos next visit!

Your eye seeks out this white structure amongst the sea of lush greenery...

Charming points of interest everywhere...



Linda is an Artist also....it shows in her home and landscaping...



Linda Willy....= a Fabulous friend...
with an inspiring yard, amongst a trillion other talents!
We're off to see the Surgeons this Monday about Dave's upcoming surgery...
May your day be Sweet...
xoxo~Kathy


Sunday, May 23, 2010

SHABBY BOTTLE JEWELS AND BIRDS...

Tried my hand at a little "shabby Bottle Jewlery"...for the centerpiece on the Front Porch...
Adds to the sparkle with the sunshine...

A little wire , beads and buttons...

and some creativity...

A great DIY for you....



You've been inquiring to the progress of the little blue eggs...


Their growing fast!!!!!!!
I'm basking in the "Afterglow" of a Beth Moore conference I attended Fri-Sat.
Nothing like recharging ...
If you ever have the opportunity to attend...
You owe it to yourself....
You will not come away the same...FABULOUS.
Have a blessed Sunday!
xoxo~Kathy.



Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Shabby Tea Cart....tablescape~

Today I'll feature a little "Tea Scape" on my newly restored Tea Cart we picked up at a Garage Sale last weekend...

Lots of repair...sanding and painting...and MORE sanding...finally done!
Tea Cart and shabby chairs = a good marriage...

Green cups = the Maxx

the tray = GW...


Candied orange slice?...



I just realized...EVERTHING in the scape came from a Garage Sale...

except the cups!




Tea set = Garage sale...Plate also...







I was a sucker for this teapot with all it's pretty flowers...


Crystal candel stick = GW...












Heart my new Tea Cart!!!

More tablescapes @ Between Naps on the Porch...

scroll up and click on title of post...Happy scaping!

xoxo~Kathy


Monday, May 17, 2010

MEET THE NEW SHABBY, CHIPPY COUPLE...LIVING AT OUR HOUSE...

Today we had sunshine...
always a motivator...
awakening those desires to get some projects done!

Rescently brought these two home from a yard sale...

I had this upholstery fabric already...
Dave had the staple gun...
I washed the frames down...deciding not to paint.
Chippy already and I liked how they had weathered.
We have oak stools at the kitchen counter here...
tried changing it up with the chairs...
I like it but...they are much lower then the stools,
we'll see!




A fast and easy project...
2 new Chippy chairs...$12.00
HELLO !!!!!!




We both have been running full steam ahead since the wonderful news...
Trying to get everything in order around the house ...
meeting with the Liver Surgeon next monday...
Dave asked me to Thank You ALL for your amazing comments full of love and concern...
He has read every one...very humbled, we both are.
Our deepest Thanks,
xoxo~Kathy

Friday, May 14, 2010

New feathered friends...and an UPDATE...

This evening I will give the "UPDATE" my heart has been wanting to share with you for over 4 months.....

After David was diagnosed in January with stage 4 Liver and colon Cancer...our lives have taken on a whole new momentum of it's own.
Dave has been on regular Chemo treatments with the HOPE that the Chemo would be effective enough to shrink the larger tumors so that Surgery could be done on the liver and then have a section of the colon removed.
Many of you have been traveling this road with us for the last few months and have been invaluable to both of us with your Prayer support and uplifting , positive comments.
Your faithfulness has ment more to us then you will ever come to realize...
Yesterday Dave had the PET scan we've been hoping for and dreading at the same time.
The "Tell all" scan....Did the Chemo work?
Did it shrink the tumors enough to be able to have surgery?
Being a Nurse myself these photos don't phase me....sorry If they make you uncomfortable..
not my intention.
Thought I'd take a shot of the nuclear meds being pumped into his IV...Pretty heavy duty.
If you've never had a PET scan....
Here she is...
simular to an MRI....just bossier.
This girls Way Large and IN Charge!
She picks up everything...
That being said...
We recieved a phone call tonight from our Oncologist as to the PET scan results...
The Chemo did it's job...
All the liver tumors are Indistinguishable!!!!
the two quarter size tumors on the liver are indistinguishable !!!
the colon tumor is indistinguishable !!!
the abdominal spots are indistinguishable !!! (this is my new FAVORITE word!!!!)
All the spots are INACTIVE....(another fabulous word !!!)

In short...the Chemo did in 6 treatments exactly what they and we hoped it would do...
Shrink the tumors so they were indistinguishable on the scan.!
Now we are meeting with the LIVER and COLON surgeons this next week to schedule surgery to remove the portion of the colon that was infected...
and the portions of the liver.
If left alone at this point the cancer would grow back...so it's coming out.
Then 6 more treatments of chemo...
At this point the prognosis is VERY GOOD.
The next 4-6 months will be challening recovering from the surgeries and additional Chemo...
Our hearts are singing Gods praises this evening!
Chemo does not work without the hand of God...we are humbled and in awe of His wonderous ways...
He has been the "God of All Comfort"...
and the "Lord of My Rocking Boat "these last few months...

Again..., we both Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and support .
I pray that somehow each of you have been enriched in some way by witnessing this amazing God we serve.
He loves each and everyone of us like no-other.


While we were so busy rejoicing in our good news a little MIRACLE was taking place in the backyard...
Dave went to check on the beautiful blue eggs and Oh! My!...
He clicked real fast and got out of there so Mama could come keep her new ones warm...
sooooo new...






One more to go...



What a day of rejoicing in NEW BIRTH !...
xoxo~Kathy