Made the back "envelope style" with a tie...easy to unstuff and wash...

There you go Candy....hope this was helpful...now you can make your own rendition of the

Pottery Barn Pillow!

Happy Monday my friends, xoxo~Kathy.

GO AHEAD...I DARE YOU TO SPILL SOMETHING...PLEASE...

Do you keep paper towels visible in the kitchen? ....I always hide them under the sink...
I came across this very "Ooh, la- la" towel holder ....I knew that was going to change where I stored paper towels from here on in!...
created a little tag to "French" it up a bit...
the little birds nest stole my heart!...Added some eggs...

Comes complete with BIRD!...unscrew the bird... slip paper towel onto the branch!...

My paper towel has never looked so good...

Discount store...$4.99 ...

That's some" serious cuteness" for $4.99

Makes spilling something even more fun!...Happy Valentines eve!!!!,

xoxo~Kathy

IT'S STANGE TO OPEN THE MAILBOX AND SEE YOURSELF !!!...

A LITTLE LOVE SENT YOUR WAY STAMPINGTON & COMPANY....

WHAT A CHARGE TO OPEN THE MAILBOX AND SEE YOUR WORK...IN PRINT...HUMBLING TO SAY THE LEAST.

I GUESS MY BOOKMARK SAYS IT BEST..."THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU" A GREAT PUBLICATION WITH TONS OF TALENTED ARTISTS SHARING THEIR WORK...A VERY INSPIRING MAGAZINE, ALONG WITH THE PLETHERA OF OTHER MAGS. PUT OUT BY STAMPINGTON & CO.

"Thank You" Stampington & Company...

such a sweet surprise!

A LITTLE UP-DATE:...

THE FIRST ROUND OF CHEMO IS FINISHED...

BY THE TIME WE REACHED GRAND RAPIDS THE CHEMO WAS ALREADY FINISHED SO I SHUT OFF THE MACHINE MYSELF AND ONCE THERE REMOVING THE NEEDLE FROM THE PORT WAS ONLY SECONDS.

THEY FLUSHED THE PORT OUT WITH A LITTLE SALINE SOLUTION AND HEPRIN,(BLOOD THINNER) AND WE WERE OUT THE DOOR!

WE SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY RUNNING ERRANDS AND ENJOYING LIFE...TOGETHER.

DAVE IS PLANNING ON ATTENDING A GOLF SHOW ON SATURDAY WITH FRIENDS...

GOTTA LOVE THAT !!!!

FOR NOW I GIVE HIM AN A+....THE PERFECT PATIENT!

COME ON CHEMO...DO YOUR STUFF.....

THANK YOU FOR ASKING...XOXO~KATHY AND DAVE.

WANNA PLAY ..."MEASURE THE SNOW?"....

I HEAR SOME OF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SOME MAJOR SNOWFALL....
WELL...IT IS WINTER SOOOOOOOOOO....

LET'S DO SOMETHING FUN....
PUT YOUR WARM FUZZIES ON AND GRAB A YARDSTICK....
PEEK YOUR NOSE OUT THE DOOR AND MEASURE YOUR LATEST SNOWFALL ( LAST 24HRS)...AND JUST LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR MEASURMENT.
I'LL POST THE MOST SNOWFALL ....AND THE RUNNERS UP!
WE ALL LIKE TO KNOW WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN'T GET OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY !!!!!

YOU SOUTHERN AND TROPICAL PEEPS...LEAVE YOUR TEMPS!!!!
HAPPY LOVE MONTH...XOXO~KATHY....

HEARTS, HEARTS....AND A WORD FROM THE HEART...

Some sharing of hearts....and then MY HEART...
this is the cover of Mary Emmerlings book....HEARTS...love this little book...
Soldered heart...
Pile-o-hearts...

Thank You Barb...

for the circle of love...

AND A LITTLE FROM MY HEART THIS EVENING...

TODAY WAS DAVE'S FIRST CHEMO-TREATMENT AT THE LEMMON HOLTON CANCER CENTER. WE LEFT AT 6 THIS MORNING AND MET THE "CHIROPRACTOR " (BRAD) AND OUR DAUGHTER BETH AND GRANSON LUKE...ALWAYS FUN HAVING FAMILY TO BOUNCE THINGS OFF OF.

AGAIN TODAY ...DAVES APPREHENSIONS WERE PUT AT BAY BY THE CAPABLE STAFF THAT CROSSED OUR PATH.

AFTER THE PORT WAS ACCESSED A ROUND OF ANTI-NAUSEA MEDICATION WAS ADMINISTERED...FOLLOWED BY THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEMO...ALL TAKING PLACE OVER A PERIOD OF 5 HOURS.

NOW WE ARE PREPARED FOR WHAT TO EXPECT THE NEXT TIME AS TO TIME AND CONDITIONS.

DAVE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE COMFORTABLE...IT HAS BEEN 12 HOURS NOW AND THE ONLY THING SO FAR IS HIS SENSITIVITY TO COLD.

WE WERE WARNED THAT THE NERVE ENDINGS IN HIS FINGERS, LIPS , TONGUE...WOULD BE VERY SENSITIVE TO COLD...AND THEY ARE ALREADY.

HE IS EATING WELL AND HAS NO OTHER EFFECTS TO SPEAK OF.

A FANNY PACK IS STRAPPED TO HIS WAIST WITH A CHEMO DRIP INTO HIS PORT FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS...

I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE ADVENTURES OF SLEEPING WITH"CHEMO MAN" and the fanny pack!!!

(SOUNDS LIKE A BOOK TITLE)...

WEDNESDAY BACK TO THE CANCER CENTER TO REMOVE THE FANNY PACK...

I LOVE THIS MAN...HE IS MY HERO...WHEN HE SMILES AT ME, I KNOW IN MY HEART HE IS GOING TO BEAT THIS THING...

DAVE WANTED TO KNOW IF HE COULD SAY SOMETHING TO YOU ALL HERE IN BLOGLAND BEFORE I POST THIS........"I want all of you to know how much I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. You, who belong to the blogger world, have blessed my wife with so much love and hope, it becomes a source of love and hope for me. Thank you so very much." Dave.

GO TEAM!!!!!!....Spinach PUFF PASTRY!!!...

Been trying to go through Ina Garten's cookbooks this winter and see how many recipes I can get under my belt....
seriously might need a wider belt by the time I finish!...
This is her Spinach Puff Pastry from her..."Barefoot In Paris" cookbook...( wouldn't we all like to be!)... barefoot in Paris that is....
It was fun to make...

not hard at all...
Oooooo....Puffed nicely...

A scrumptious presentation....a great Company meal...

We both agreed...this was a keeper!

What's on your Super Bowl Sunday Menu? xoxo~Kathy.
I just asked dave..." what teams are playing this year"...I know, I know, what can I say...

When I was issued the Football Gene...It saw all this PINK...SHABBY CHIC..GIRL THING going on and LEFT.

So...Go Team! Hit the ball out of the park..#$@-!&..*.... I mean ..get a goalie...or goal..or Ugh!

HAPPINESS CAME TO OUR DOOR...

I went for a walk this morning...frigid cold!
Returned home to find "Happiness" at the door...It is a blessing to have friends....
who care...and want you to be happy...

who will send flowers....because they know you love them...

Such a contrast to look out the window at deep winter...and turn your head to see these on the table...

Friends=....priceless...

THANK YOU...SABINES......

RHONDA, BARB, LINDA AND KATHY....couldn't be more beautiful in the middle of winter!!!

xoxo~Kathy.

WE'VE PURCHASED A NEW .@#%**//..THINGY...

Forgive the dark photos... Sunshine....on vacation...
Dave and I were thrifting a couple weeks back and spotted this candelabra?.../ hot air ballon?/...basket?/...thingy!!!!!
Brought it home...washed it up...painted it pale pink, ( big surprise!)...added some polka dot ribbon and hung a big crystal from the top...

Found some tall pale pink tapers at the Maxx...

Tossed some yarn balls in shades of white in the basket part...

Isn't that an unusual piece?...I think I need more crystals hanging from the balloon lattace...

What do you think?

If you look at it long enough...there are a lot of things you could do with it!

For now...this is where it is. Won't stay there for long though...nothing ever does!

Are you a mover and a shaker?...always moving things around?

Happy weekend!!!!, xoxo~Kathy.

Promise to take better photos when the sunshines...

A VALENTINE PROJECT...AND AN UPDATE ON MY L.O.V.E....

A little update..and some Valentine love...

Up at 3 am...to arrive in Grand Rapids by 6am.
The port was fitted into Daves left collar bone area of his chest.
The surgery went without a hitch , all in all about a 3-4 hr. process.
Dave is comfortable and resting well this afternoon with NO complaint of pain whatsoever at the port site. There are a few stitches that will disolve on their own and showering can resume tomorrow.
Again...we were amazed at the throughly compassionate individuals that crossed our path today. We continue to feel we are in the best hands and that the Lord is forging the path for us...One day at a time.
We plan on a low-key weekend and look forward to Monday ...Dave's first round of Chemo.
I will sit next to my love while he recieves the chemo....mentally slaying every cancer cell..
Be afraid nasty cells...BE VERY AFRAID!...

Found a little time the other day to play in my craft room... Have been aching to finish this paper mache heart I picked up at Michaels a while back.
Glued this pretty rose fabric to the heart and just pinked the edges...Whoa! that was hard!
A little embellishing and voila!
Sometimes the simplist things turn out the best....a fun little Valentine project.

Layered some flower petals and a pretty pink rose....ribbon

Now how easy was that!...

Hope your finding time for some Valentines projects...L.O.V.E. Kathy.

THREE MONTHS IS A...L O N G....TIME WHEN YOUR WAITING FOR GOOD NEWS...

WELL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY....I WILL ATTEMPT TO UPDATE YOU WITH THE "READERS DIGEST " CONDENSED VERSION OF THIS PAST WEEKEND.

FRIDAY EVENING WE WERE CONTACTED AS TO THE RESULTS OF THE PET. SCAN.

THE LIVER NOW HAS TWO LARGE QUARTER SIZE SPOTS ( BOTH LOBES NOW....ORIGIONALLY ONLY ONE), AND SEVERAL SMALLER ONES.

OF COURSE LYNPH NODES ARE INVOLVED ...THAT'S HOW THE CANCER SPREAD FROM THE COLON TO THE LIVER. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE ARE NEVER READY TO HEAR THINGS ARE WORSE....WE BOTH, ALONG WITH OUR CHILDREN STARTED JOCKEYING THIS INFORMATION AROUND AND TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL...AN EMOTIONAL WEEKEND TO SAY THE LEAST.

TODAY WE MET WITH THE LIVER SURGEON AT 10:30...AND THE COLON SURGEON AT 1:30.

THEY BOTH AGREE THAT THIS THURSDAY DAVE WILL RECIEVE A PORT IN HIS LEFT SHOULDER TO RECIEVE CHEMO FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS...

IF...AT THE END OF THREE MONTHS A REPEATED PET.SCAN SHOWS THAT THE CHEMO IS SHRINKING THE CANCERS THEN SURGERY WILL BE SCHEDULED TO REMOVED THE SHRUNKEN LIVER SPOTS AND 1/3 OF THE COLON.

2 SURGERIES THE SAME DAY ...TWO DIFFERENT DRS.

WE ARE NOW BEYOND THE HOPE OF DOING EVERYTHING LAPROSCOPICALLY.

AFTER DAVE HEALS SUFFICIENTLY FROM THE SURGERIES...3 MORE MONTHS OF CHEMO.

NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR THIS PART...IF THE CHEMO DOESN'T WORK AND THERE IS MORE SPREADING AFTER THE FIRST THREE MONTHS...THERE WILL NOT BE ANY SURGERY AS IT WOULDN'T BE WORTH PUTTING DAVE THROUGH THAT.

THE CHEMO COCKTAIL PRESCRIBED IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE THERE IS.

DAVE AND I AND THE CHILDREN ARE ALL READY TO FIGHT THIS DAMN THING ( YES I SAID DAMN ) . I HATE IT...AND I PRAY AGAINST IT HUNDREDS OF TIMES A DAY.

DAVE AND I PRAISE GOD DAILY FOR THIS FAMILY WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH....OUR CHILDREN ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO COPE WITH THIS NEWS AND GET IT TO A PLACE IN THEIR HEARTS THAT ISN'T PARALIZING...TIME ALWAYS SHEDS LIGHT AND BRINGS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE.

I TRUST AS TIME PASSES...WE WILL ALL CONTINUE TO BE AMAZED AT HOW GOD PROVIDES ...WHEN HIS PEOPLE CALL ON HIS NAME.

IF YOU WILL PRAY.....PLEASE PRAY THIS CHEMO HATES DAVES CANCER MORE THEN I DO....AND DEVOURS IT....AND THEN CASTS IT OUT....INTO OUTER DARKNESS...IN JESUS NAME...

AGAIN MY FRIENDS....KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED, XOXO~KATHY...