OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE EASTER!

I love decorating for Easter...almost as much as Christmas.  It's so refreshing to bring out all my bright Spring decorations.  Now that I've packed Valentine's Day decor away for another year, it's time to bring in Easter. 

It also made me get some deep cleaning done.  Living in Arizona brings a continuous battle with dust.  Honestly, I can dust and an hour later it's back.  So frustrating.  The only good thing is that everyone finally just throws up their hands and lets it go.  

This year I think I have only bought one new Easter decoration (not like me).  I found this cute chick at Home Goods.  Love to shop there.  They have such great deals.  

He sits on the chest in the entry with his little basket of glittered eggs and my Happy Easter banner hanging up behind him.

I'm still looking for some pastel Easter lights to hang amongst  my banner.  Here's a few more pictures of the rest of my decorations.

 

 Last year I attended a class at Melrose Vintage in Phoenix and made this Easter Egg Cart. 

This little hopping bunny was the first Easter decoration I bought for our home here five years ago.  I had forgot all about him and came across him in a cupboard in my utility room while looking for something else. 

He just brings a smile to my face with his whimsical pose.  So he is now adorning my coffee table in our living room.

    One of my Easter canvas art sits atop my shelf over our TV. 

As you can see by our TV we are engrossed in the Winter Olympics.  I'm sad to see them end.  But I am happy that my favorite show, "The Good Wife," will be back on this week with a new episode.

Now it's time for me to head over to put up a wall decal for my mom.  Tomorrow is a work day for me so I know it will be fun to walk through the store and see what's new.  It's like Christmas everyday there!  Makes it hard to bring home a full paycheck.

XOXO Nancy

IT'S BEGUN

 

Today begins a new season in my daughter's life.  Today the reality of daily medication for MS is upon her.

Over the past two weeks she has slowly been receiving bits and pieces of all the medical equipment needed for giving herself daily injections of Copaxone.  This drug will hopefully slow the progression of MS in her body.  With each delivery of equipment came an added state of anxiousness.  Not a fan of needles, the new daily regiment is scary, tedious and painful.  Early this afternoon the home health care nurse arrived to give Bre and Kyle the necessary education on storage, preparation, administration and side affects of the drugs.  After three hours of conversation and questions Bre bravely stepped up to the plate and gave herself a shot in her right arm with her left hand!!!  The most difficult injection site to do on yourself.  BRAVO!!!!  What a trooper!  We are so proud of her.  She is my hero.  I so admire her courage through all this.  What you need to understand is that this 7-day a week regiment is a difficult one.  The shot must be given in a completely different area of her body each day.  The shot leaves a very painful welt along with hours of terrible stinging pain, leaving that whole area of her body weak.  This can last for up to two days.  Because she has to change the site each day, that leaves her whole body in a constant state of soreness.  It can take up to a year for these side affects to disappear.  Along with this comes constant fatigue.  Not an easy lifestyle to adjust to.  Especially when you have two little boys to raise.  Thankfully, she has an awesome husband who is 100 percent committed to help her through this.  Together, along with their faith in the Lord, I know she will be okay.  But it is still so hard to see your child have to suffer.  She is a reminder of how we must not take our good health for granted.

XOXO NANCY

HEART day is almost here!!

love:  a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

How will you be spending Valentine's Day?

I hope you will be with someone you love,

doing something you enjoy,

somewhere you like.

After church Hubby and I will go to breakfast with our family

and then to the Kent's house for their annual

Valentine Soiree!

Actually, we aren't really sure what that involves, but we are suppose to bring a salad so we are pretty sure food is involved!  LOL!!

Since family is a "given", here are a few other things I LOVE:

Sunshine

Puppies

Girlfriends

Mocha Lattes

Clean Sheets

Chocolate

Shopping

Music

Prayer

Bling

Flip-Flops

Crafts

Fresh Flowers

Pedicures

Decorating

Dancing

Laughing

 

Now it is time to settle in with Hubby and watch the Winter Olympic's Opening Ceremony.

WISHING ALL OF YOU A WONDERFUL VALENTINE'S DAY!

XOXO NANCY

 

 

 

The Faster I Go, The More Behind I Am!

 So tonight I am late getting home from work...well, a little later then usual.  I put in a 10 hour day and could have stayed and worked longer!  We had 40 boxes of new clothes and 6 pallets of home decor that we have been pricing and displaying for our big Girl's Night Out tomorrow at the store.  But I was starting to run on empty and I knew Hubby had dinner waiting for me. So I blew through the door and dropped my purse and sweater on the dining room table.  I decided to relax with my feet up and sip on a Mike's Lemonade.

 Hubby made me a delicious chicken spaghetti for dinner. 

Decided I better update my blog and was shocked to see that it had been so long since my last post.  And that means that it's also been way to long since I have had a chance to catch up with all my blogger friend's blogs.  So as soon as I finish up with my post I will be blog hopping!

Wanted to show you my Valentine tree.  

 I just love these little decorations.   I should know the name of the artist that designs them, but my brain is numb right now and I can't think of it.  Sorry!

 Art Group met on Tuesday morning and I was ill-prepared.  Since I had worked all day on Monday I was too tired to get organized and find something to paint.  So I just kind of doodled this one out.  Nothing special but hey, at least I painted something!

The EXCITING news is that I won another GIVE AWAY!!!

I have long been a fan of Sandy's Creations blogspot.  She has a wonderful blog and makes awesome creations.  I was THRILLED when I found out that I won one of her giveaways.
Look how great the packages were wrapped.  I hated to open them and ruin the creative packaging!!

 The bag of Canadian chocolates were an immediate hit.

Check out the pink feather....she even stamped it.  So clever.

 

 Here's what was inside......a canvas bag, embellished journal and a wonderful winged-heart pillow.

 

 You really should double click on this close-up of her pillow and check out all the detailed work she did.

It is so cute.  I have it hanging in my studio and it will be a constant reminder of my sweet and talented blogger friend, Sandy.

 

Now I have just about finished my lemonade and I'm itching to check out all my favorite blogs before I get to sleepy to continue (I was up at 5:30 exercising with Rosie).  

Oh, but before I forget I wanted to give you an update on my daughter, Bre and the MS.  She actually got to spend 4 days down here last week.  It was great to see her.  We did our usual shopping, eating out, 

hair cuts, etc.  She looks great but is experiencing some more MS symptoms.  She will begin the daily injections as soon as the medicine arrives and the nurse can make arrangements to come to her house and train her on how to give herself the shots.  UGH!!!  NOT FUN.  She is an amazing young woman.  She keeps a smile on her face and a positive attitude.  We are so proud of her strength and determination.  We certainly are appreciative of all your thoughts and prayers.  They DO make a difference.  Thank you so much.

OK....time to blog hop!

XOXO Nancy