It seems Spring Fever has hit much of the northeast. It's been a winter to remember. Little snow. Mild temps. Abundant sunshine. I am so thankful for a reprieve from our normal frigid weather and dull gray skies. Especially in light of all the doctor appointments my mom's had to suffer through these past almost three weeks. Today we visited with her old oncologist and were very encouraged by her assurance that my mom's compression fracture is most likely not due to cancer. Praise God! She's running a test to be sure, but I could see the immediate relief in my mom's eyes when she heard the doc's assessment. We've got an appointment with a spine specialist at the end of March but until then, we'll take one day at a time, pull together as a family and make sure things get done, and continue to hope for God's best.
The forty-five degree day was chock full of sunshine and that bolstered our mood even further. It was the kind of day that if you didn't know better, you'd think it was early April. I sure hope the flowers don't get confused. I ran into the hardware store to buy a grab bar for my mom's shower and noticed bags and bags of fertilizer. Yup, Spring Fever has hit Western New York.
The nice weather motivated me to deep clean my office the other day. It's been
out of control since before Christmas. Really since I had my surgery in early December. Older homes tend to be dusty and my cozy cottage-by-the-creek is no different. Now, the dust is gone, the clutter organized and stashed, and my etsy inventory shelf neat as a pin. Wanna take a peek?
It's hard to believe I've lived in my home for a year and a half now. You can read about the transformation of my thrifted hutch top
here. I bought it at Amvets for $6.98.
I even organized the interior cupboard by snitching a Rubbermaid shelf from my kitchen and making better use of the vertical space. Now it houses my Zutter, Crop-a-dial, journals, CDs, computer paper, and all those vintage buttons I bought a few weeks back. The red tin is full of 'em.
This little vignette is on top of the shelf where I keep all my etsy inventory. The vintage turquoise canisters hold markers, curtain hooks and rings, and pretty pastel plastic clothespins. I've mentioned my Aunt Adeline in my posts before. That's her holding my daughter Kelly in 1986. She was an extraordinary seamstress and fueled my love of sewing and fabric. She's eighty-nine now and lives just a few miles away from me. I love her dearly :)
I bought this little shelf at the thrift store too. I think it was $3.98. She's much prettier in her new coat of Rustoleum's Heirloom White spray paint.
The thrifted frame was transformed into a chalkboard for Kelly and Jeremy's wedding. We posted the menu on it. Curious about our thrifty wedding? You can read about it
here.
I've been working on adding a few of my favorite things to my "style board" (a.k.a. my old bulletin board!). I hung it on the closet door with velcro tabs.
This collage of keepsakes includes a photo of me and my Bible study group posing with Beth Moore, a photo of me as a newlywed (
short-shorts were "in" in 1981!), the program I made out of a vintage greeting card for Kelly and Jer's wedding, and a lovely Happy New Year card from my sweet blogging friend Marianne of
Leisure Lane. Marianne's original artwork and prose are often featured on her blog and are always a day-brightener.
There's been a lot of wrinkles in my world lately but God's grace is sufficient and I'm thankful for both the sunshine and the rain. My little toy iron reminds me to look for smooth sailing ahead as I trust in the One who puts the wind in my sails.
Thanks for visiting and for the nice comments you've left concerning my mom's fractured back. I told her today that there are many praying for her. She always reads Cottage and Creek but hasn't for the last three weeks since she hasn't had access to her computer. I told her my blogging buddies were praying for her - she was surprised and delighted. What a testimony of love! Another reason to love the blogging community. Thanks, friends.
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