LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING

Like so many others I am soooo ready for spring! We have already spotted a few robins and our magnolia bush is covered in blooms. I plan to venture out in the yard tomorrow and check out the forsythia bush to see if there are any buds. I want to cut some and bring in to force bloom. The little yellow blooms are one of my very favorite signs of spring!!! I know we have some time before spring is really here.....but I am loving the 50-60 degree weather, no matter how short lived it is. In Indiana we could have blizzard like weather next week!

This is a necklace I have done......loved the little velvet flower.......... love, love, love

A girl has to take time out for a coffee break once in a while. Plus, love the sentiments on this mug........love what you do!!

I had a group of lovely ladies over last week for a felting class. Actually, I had done the felting ahead of time....we did felt flower pins. What a great evening!

so many colors to choose from!

How cute is this little count-down calendar? The ends are chalk. They will be available with different color lettering. Also, some are made to be hung on the wall. This could be fun for a child to count down the days until their birthday.....Christmas....vacation.

isn't it the truth?

"Home is where you can scratch where it itches"

Inititial block.................

Silly birds..............

funny, silly looking little birds.....

when in doubt, give a gift certificate! When someone buys a certificate it is put into a decorated vintage bottle.....a double gift!

this is a little wooden bank that reminds me of a treasure chest. I have painted and distressed it in pink. I think I will add a little vintage frame to the front that you can personalize.

February - LOVE MONTH

Valentine's Day is Monday. I think immediate thoughts go to heart related things. I started looking through my house to see what I could find that had hearts. ummmm. I used to collect all heart related things....guess I have moved on. It was tougher then I thought. So I began to look for heart related things from a different angle......Valentine's Day....hearts=love.
Doesn't it always start and end with family? Those that mean the very most to you. I started at our "family wall".....our children, Jason, Tyler, Jenny and Sara. Oh my goodness, where does time go. Jason is now 37 about to become a father for the first time and Tyler is 31 and is daddy to our sweet Maryn.

Don't laugh......I guess Rich and I are old then we thought from the looks of this picture.
FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

A part of our heritage.....my parents, Rich's dad and step mother and Rich's mom and step father.....

my dad's parents. This was the only grandparents I ever knew.

Missy and Tyler= LOVE

love birds?

this was a valentine surprise from Rich one year. While vacationing in Hilton Head he had written this message in the sand (yes, he calls me Da......long story....). So, for Valentine's day he printed it with a pink tint, cut it out and put it on my pillow. How sweet is that? I love it.

more of those crazy love birds.....

sweet Maryn and the necklace that I made for her momma....

ok. use your imagination on this one. It was some felted pins I had done for class the other night. Kind of looks like a heart though...right?
I found a few heart pieces in my jewelry box.

February is also "Red Dress" month.....heart health for women. This is dear to me as
I have had heart problems. It is so important not to ignore symptoms you may have...racing heart, skipped beats. I did. For years I would have episodes when my heart would begin to race. Lasting usually just minuets. Over time it might race for up to 30-45 minutes. At Christmas time 1999 my heart began to race. Once again I put it off as anxiety, hormones (all things I had heard in the past as a reason for racing heart). After 3 days it was still racing. I had got to the point where I actually had to sit up to sleep. That is when Rich finally over-rode my denial and took me to the emergency room. When we reached the hospital my heart rate was 265. They could not even get my blood pressure. I could hardly hold my head up, but I was still insisting it was prob. just bronchitis. Ha! I had gone into congestive heart failure. I was admitted to the hospital and that is where I spent the next week....through Christmas. 3 months later I had a heart ablation. We were told it would be an hour procedure......10 1/2 hours later the doctors said that they had the problem fixed. 3 months later as we were watching television I felt my heart again. But, once again I ignored it for 3 days....I mean I was told that I was "fixed". So, I knew it had to be my imagination.

Another trip to the hospital....another heart ablation. This time after 4 hours the doctor comes out to tell Rich that they did not get the results they were wanting as they had cut a nerve and my heart was not beating on its own. At least not fast enough that I would be able to function. So, early the next morning I was scheduled for a pacemaker. I was only 47! Much to young for all this. It was so hard for me to accept at the time. Even knowing it was the only answer to keep me alive I was still so angry.

But, here I am 12 years later....on my second pacemaker. Grateful to be alive and so thankful for modern medicine. All this to say... I did not go to the doctor because I did not want to be embarrassed because it was "nothing". I waited until it was almost too late. My problem was actually something I had had since birth . If you experience rapid heart rate, tell your doctor.

Women's heart disease is on the rise. And not always diagnosed, but put off as anxiety or change of life. It is up to you to take care of yourself.

AND THE SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL.....WHAT IS A GIRL TO DO????

First, I fix myself a cup of peppermint mocha......with an added dollop of whipped topping and chocolate sprinkles....ahhhhh...and it just happens to be in my favorite mug.... then I start looking for projects. Like this....Rich's hospital bracelet from when he was born. This is going into a project that I have been working on. Wonder who that could be for??

I force my poor Annie outside into the elements for a photo shoot. Actually, she likes it out there. You have to make her come in. Silly girl.

Hopefully I will get Maryn's valentine box to her before spring! We had planned to visit her this evening....but now there is a travel advisory in effect and the snow is still falling.

it is filled with goodies for my favorite little Valentine this year.....

I am looking around for photo shots of ANYTHING......

I organized my jewelry center.....I can actually find things again!

Yesterday I decided to "paper" the wall in the hall using pages from old books.

love the way it turned out. I had done a wall in my shop last summer. Easy, fun and free!

Yes, we actually do bring snow into the house for our dogs to eat. Sadie loves it. We really try not to bring the yellow kind in....

I have been busy making more rings. So much fun to wear!

a wooden bangle covered with little pennents....so summery

I have been gathering together all heart related things.....thinking of doing a junky heart necklace.

Sadie tried out the new bench.

I decided to put the risers back on the bed. Sadie and Maggie decided they couldn't jump that high. Which might have been a good thing......we could have re-claimed our bed. But, being the good parents we are, decided we needed a bench. So, Rich made with using the legs of an old end table. Perfect! Sadie thinks its makes a pretty good bed, too!

I'M A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah! Did I mention that I won a give-a-way last week from thecottagenest.blogspot.com
It arrived today! I love love love the fabric....a linen with grey/tan. And Cabbage & Roses book. I am thinking of fixing myself a peppermint/mocha latte with whipped topping and spending some serious time pouring over this book. What is it about winning......ANYTHING! I know it made my day to open up my email and read the news. Thank you, Jen! Totally excited. Please check out her blogsite. She is a talented lady!