Time FLEW!!!

Wow, I am pretty amazed at how quickly this week went by! I had the privilege of meeting a fellow blogger on Monday...Kim from Kim's Treasures is just the sweetest, nicest, friendliest, warm gal you'd ever hope to meet and I had SUCH a good time! I'll be writing a full blog post this coming week to share about the fun we had :)

A two-day head-splitting-out-of-this-world migraine followed my fun day out and slowed me down considerably this week. I also had an appointment to see my radiation oncologist and I have AWESOME news to share on that...he said everything is looking good, I am doing well and won't have to go back to the radiation center until next year....YAY, YAY, YAY! I'm experiencing a few little discomforts here and there that aren't so pleasant - a bit of lymphodema, pain around the place where my trusty med-port had once been and I have what the doctor called a "clogged vein" on my right side below my rib - none of which I need to worry about, they tell me. And I'm really not, especially considering where I was health-wise a year ago at this time, ya know.

This coming week I have an appointment to see my plastic surgeon for some follow-up details regarding my reconstruction. The minimum wait in that doctor's office is about 2 hours so I always make sure I have a good book started!

No big major weekend plans around here. What about you guys?

A Delightful Day Trip

I had the opportunity to get out of town this week and spend a fun day away from the mundane and ordinary. Even though we were just gone for the day, we enjoyed a very nice time! My sister, two nephews & one of my nieces and her boyfriend met at our house to caravan to our destination. I had our two daughters and two of their friends in my vehicle. Four crazy teenage girls plus their favorite music equals a whole lotta laughter and fun! Man, we had a blast on the way there! See, we have this tradition of singing along to the radio or CD whenever we go somewhere...doesn't matter who can sing well or not...if ya know all the words or not...ah, none of that even counts. The point is that we're having F-U-N and making memories! The girls all crack up at me because I know most of the words to so many songs from the 80s :) (Hey, don't laugh...that was my era!)
Lake Huron in Michigan is beautiful! Cold, but beautiful!
My sweet sister did an outstanding job of packing a wonderful picnic lunch. (We both brought stuff but she really outdid herself!) These pesky guys kept trying to get our food! At one point, one of those buggers DID snatch up a snack size bag of chips from the boys! The chips scattered and so many of those seagulls were fighting for a taste :)
You can actually walk up into this lighthouse for a nominal fee. I opted to skip it this time. My sister took one of her boys while the rest of us stayed on the beach.
We drove to the Lumberman's Monument after a full day @ Lake Huron.





Ah, such crazy girls they are!

The kids and I were supposed to take an out-of-state trip this past week but it's on hold for now. Just temporarily getting out of town was nice, though.

Have any of you taken any cool vacations this summer or have you stuck pretty close to home?

Enjoy your weekend!

DIY Day @ ASPTL

Today I'm participating in Kimba's DIY Day @ A Soft Place To Land. Be sure to visit everyone and take a look at their projects...don't forget to leave a comment...we all love getting them, don't we?!
What can I say? Yes, I admit it...I caved. I'm not usually a follower and copycat but since I liked the idea so much I jumped on the bandwagon and made some house numbers for my front door :) I first got the idea from Holly @ Homebody several weeks back. (Thanks, Holly!) I didn't have any contact paper on hand so I picked a roll up for $2 at Dollar General and got started. I printed the letters/numbers out in a Microsoft Word program, taped them to the contact paper and used my exacto knife to cut everything out. Voila...here's the finished product! What I love is how easy and temporary this project is. If I don't like it or move, it can easily be removed.

Thanks for looking!

An Anniversary!

Tomorrow is an anniversary. And anniversaries are all about celebrating, right? Well, that's exactly what I'm doing!

One year ago I got the news...

That terrible, dreaded phrase no one EVER wants to hear...

The big "C" word...

Yes, one year ago I was told I had breast cancer. So many emotions swirled through my head...

'I'm too young; I'm only 40!' 'I don't want to die!' 'I can't believe this is happening!' 'I'm so scared!' Those were just a FEW of the thoughts running around that I tried to chase away.

Like it or not, I started on a journey that day. One I certainly didn't sign up for but had to go on anyway - ready or not. Cancer doesn't care if your house is clean or you've got a vacation planned! LOL

Today, I can celebrate. Today, I can reflect back on this last year and see just how far I've come. The journey hasn't been easy. It's been filled with pain, sickness, sadness, tears, anger, frustration...but also with a whole lot of these things - love, support, kindness, encouragement, thoughtfulness, help, laughter, joys.

I MADE IT THROUGH! Through surgeries and chemotherapy and losing my hair, my eyelashes, my eyebrows. Through feeling like a freak without all of those things. Through wigs and bandanas. Through pain so bad I felt like I couldn't take another minute more. Through radiation treatments.

And NOW I'm on the other side...

Eyebrows, eyelashes, HAIR! All treatments...DONE! I'm ALIVE! I feel WONDERFUL! It's amazing! I'm so thankful. God brought me through!

Some of you know this and some of you don't. My mom died of breast cancer that had metastasized to her bones; she was only 49 years old. She had been an oncology nurse for about 23 years. Two of my mom's sisters and a niece are breast cancer survivors. One of my dad's sisters is a breast cancer survivor. I was well acquainted with breast cancer long before my own diagnosis.

Can I tell you something about how you can be supportive to someone dealing with cancer?

JUST BE THERE. You don't have to say a bunch of flowery words. Don't make the cliche' statements like 'Everything happens for a reason' or stuff like that. (Doesn't help. Not one bit. In fact, it just made me want to avoid the people who said it. Just bein' real.)

ASK what you can do that will help the most. That could be anything practical like making meals, helping with kids or cleaning house, etc. Or it could be driving to doctor's appointments/treatments. Just depends on the individual.

DO CALL OR SEND CARDS. Just to know I was being thought of and prayed for...that was huge for me! Really think about that...doesn't take much to sign a card, add a stamp and send it. Or picking up the phone to say you're thinking of that person. Yet it means so much!

THERE *IS* A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PITY AND CONCERN! Try to be as genuine as you can. Even if you don't know what to say, then just say that. Being honest is always better. I never wanted people feeling sorry for me. I could tell sincere concern and just plain 'ole pity.

I've been so blessed in so many ways through my journey. Like I said, it hasn't been easy. I've had to make the decision every single day to stay positive, find the GOOD in the situation. Sometimes that's really hard but it's there; you just have to search for it. I've faced much of this with quite a sense of humor...that has made it easier. Sometimes what else can you do? You're either gonna cry or laugh - comes down to a choice between the two!

There's a very easy way you can help. Look on my sidebar and click on the Breast Cancer Site link. That simple click will help to fund a mammogram for a woman who otherwise would not be able to have one done. We all know early detection saves lives. I am living proof that it does!

Be diligent about doing a monthly self breast exam. *YOU* know your own body and if something is not right. DO NOT put off going to see the doctor! I found the lump on my own, not through an exam by the doctor or a mammogram.

If there is anything I do to help someone out, please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail. (Address is listed on my sidebar.) I'm not an expert; I just know what I've gone through and I'm very open about my cancer experience...

Just wanted to add a bit more to this post. My friend Beth @ Aunties With Advice reminded me of something I'd shared right after my cancer diagnosis. Our daughter Tess, who was 12 years old at the time, wrote a very lovely poem. It touched my heart so deeply and I was so proud of her for sharing her feelings and fears. Tess has been a wonderful support to me throughout this last year. She helped shave my head when my hair started falling out and we decided to make a party of it! I am very blessed to have such awesome support from a wonderful family and from all of you, my blogging friends...THANKS!!!

I want it all fake,
I wish it wasn't real.
Everything inside me;
It's just the way I feel.
Can't it just go away?
Can't it just be fake?
Just some cruel joke,
Just a big mistake.
Making everyone scared.
I think it's all fake.
But it isn't at all.
We're all doing our best, not to see my family fall.
Dear God, oh please -
Let her be healed.
She's my mom.
And I love her.
I don't know what I would ever do without her.

~Tess...August 2008

Thrifting...It's A 'Hit Or Miss' and A Party

Today I'm joining in the party over @ Rhoda's blog. Hop on over there to see more thrifty treasures! http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/ Thanks, Rhoda, for being such a lovely hostess! :-)



Found these little tins for 40 cents each at Salvation Army (or Salvo, as the kids all call it :)...
This plate is DEFINITELY a chalkboard paint project! Don't ya think ribbon will look adorable threaded through those holes?
Candleholder I found at Goodwill.

I was SO happy to score this Hallmark card organizer box @ Salvo! Brand-new, never opened - as you can probably see :)

I also found these fabric remnants and tablecloth @ Salvo. 25 cents each for the remnants. Tablecloth was only a couple bucks. I'm planning to use them for a few patio projects.

Thanks for looking and be sure to visit Rhoda's to see more treasures!

Happy Monday!

Why I Love Clearance Shopping

Did you know Hobby Lobby is having NINETY PERCENT OFF their clearance section? Between HL & TJ Maxx, I found some super deals. I just couldn't resist this greenery arrangement - it found its way into my shopping cart! The price was right, I'd say, wouldn't you?

I honestly could barely believe my eyes when I saw this in the clearance section @ TJ Maxx! It was promptly snatched up and in my cart. I was so afraid I was gonna drop it on the way out to my car!

Another great find, this one for only 3 bucks...woo hoo!

Cute little cake stand from the Hob Lob 90% clearance section. Originally $34.99; got it for $3.50.
Love the square shape of this plate! This was marked $25.99 down to $2.60.
I bought the last 2 of these plates. They were $17.99 marked down to $1.80. I'd hoped they would fit into a tiered plate stand I already own, but they were just a little teeny tiny bit too big - ugh, I was disappointed!
Bookends - $1.80 for the pair.
Decorative magnetic board, originally priced @ $21.99 marked down to $2.20. Man, do I ever love finding great bargains like this!


What kind of treasures have you found lately?

DIY Thursday

Today I'm participating in DIY Day hosted by Kimba @ A Soft Place To Land! For one project to share, I went waaaaay back to the beginning of my blog a couple of years ago to share a restyled art project. Then another one I shared was about the graduation party projects. Head on over to Kimba's to check out some fun transformations and great ideas...join in on the fun!

Handmade Thank-You Notes

Do you remember these handmade envelopes that Tyler's graduation party invitation fit into? I made over 100 of them, along with the invitations and announcements. I had lots of long paper strip scraps leftover from the black & white music paper so of course I saved them (what scrapper wouldn't :-)...
I found a 50-count package of blank stationery cards/envelopes at good ole Wallyworld for FIVE BUCKS! Didn't really have a plan when I bought them; all I knew is I was gonna make "Thank You" cards for Ty to send out. Armed with paper scraps, paper trimmer, a glue stick, circle punch, an ink pad and a new stamp I bought @ Michael's for a buck, I set out to create the cards and here is what I came up with. (I'm NOT a great stamper and the perfectionist in me is having issues but they turned out okay - I can live with the results.)
Now, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a teenage boy to write thank-you notes?! ha ha (He *has* started on them but there are more to be written.)

Graduation Projects.....FINALLY!

Here's the photo display board I made for Tyler's graduation party.
I wanted it to have an organized look to it and not just a big mess of pictures overlapping onto each other. Believe it or not, there are just over 70 pictures on the board!
The "CONGRATS" banner I made.


Bought these numbers from the dollar store...
and transformed them into this!
This picture was taken as the food buffet table was being set up.


Fifty-cent-popcorn-buckets-turned-utensil-holders. I traced a pattern onto a paper grocery bag and cut it out; then used the pattern on each piece of scrapbook paper and cut those out. Next I used spray adhesive to adhere the paper to the bucket. The stars are actually star-shaped playing cards covered with scrapbook paper and letters. I punched a hole in the top and threaded ribbon through the star. I broke out the trusty glue gun and glued on fun pom-pom trim (on sale - it cost just under $2 for the 3) and the ribbon/star tag.
More scrapbook paper, a circle cutter, hole punch and ribbon for this project. All told, I cut out, punched and tied 135 circles! (Found the idea somewhere on the web and adapted it a little bit.) These sat under the table centerpieces.
This is what the centerpiece planters looked like when I first bought them.
Couldn't beat the price, especially for an FTD planter.
Quite obviously they were the wrong color but that's why spray paint is our best friend! ha ha
Plastic cardholder that came with the planter...
turned into this after I was done :)
This is what the centerpieces looked like - only the grass was actually green then, not brown and dying as it looks now :) (I just took this picture tonight and the party was just over 2 weeks ago.)

Thanks for looking at my party projects!