people in our lives...

It's funny how people come into our lives for a reason... a reason we may not even know at the time.
I met my friend Carolyn through my golf group. She's a great golfer and a fun person to be around. She's an upbeat and positive person, a friend that I look forward to seeing every week.
We have a lot in common... and even though I'm 9 years older, it doesn't feel like it. We both have wonderful husbands (who golf of course!), we both have 3 beautiful daughters, come from the Northeast, are avid tennis players and golf gal pals,
and... both of us have had Cancer.
She had breast, I've had sarcoma. A few weeks back she found out that she's had a recurrence, lung nodules showing up for the 2nd time. She's currently undergoing Chemo and she's doing great. Hopefully this will be the treatment to make them disappear for good.
Well... I had my follow up CT scan this past week, to follow nodules they've seen in my lung. After 6 months they've continued to grow and they're now at a size they want to do something about it, coincidentally the same operation that Carolyn had last year. My Oncologist even referred me to her same surgeon.
A "blessing" of a sort to have someone close to you, be able to advise you through an experience they have also shared. Believe me, I wouldn't wish the big C on anyone, but I am grateful for this person in my life to guide me through what to expect. It's a comfort knowing she's been through it and came back strong as ever.
We'll both be back from this strong as ever!
We didn't know we had so much in common when we met, but now I know, we met for a reason. God puts people in our lives... we're here for each other... to comfort, support and help each other.

I have hope and I have faith.
I have a wonderful supportive family, a caring group of friends, and a loving God who I prayerfully ask to see us both through this round.

a Coast Guard wedding

the place

the family

the girls

the guysthe happy couple

Congrats Greg and Tricia!

a sad story and a reminder

I was cleaning up my blog page and scrolled down to a "button" I have on the right hand side:
I hadn't checked on Noah in awhile and wanted to see how he is doing. If you don't know his story, here it is for you to read:
Noah's Road
My heart aches for this family. Such an impatient, unthinking act by their caregiver with such permanent consequences.
Caring for a baby is a huge responsibility. They are totally dependent on you.
I've had a baby with colic, our first baby. They cry and you can't do anything to comfort them... you hold them and walk them and put them back to bed still crying and you feel a bit helpless. But they will be fine, the pain will pass and they will grow out of it.

Never shake a baby

This post linked from Noah's Road offers suggestions to parents about a crying baby:
http://www.dontshake.org/pdf/What-Is-All-That-Crying-About.pdf

Praying for Noah

TaDa! and finally... the bedroom reveal

It all started with Grad Girl moving back home...
and a dream color palette

Below is the blue toile wallpaper, two different patterns (see... in the mirror). It was there when we moved in and I loved it! I wouldn't let her talk me into changing it for 7 years! But... when she came back home after college, I finally relented.
So... we started the project and the demo of stripping wallpaper. I mean we... scored and sprayed and scraped the wallpaper. Then we washed the walls to get the glue residue off, then we primed, and spackled and sanded and primed again. Are you tired yet? We were!

But we were inspired by the "Procrastinator's Party" and stuck to our 2 week deadline. Thank you Melissa over at The Inspired Room!!! We never could have done it without you!

After 2+ weeks of prepping the walls... the next step was to paint. First we had to choose a paint color. I like to be real sure when painting and totally believe in the new "testers" you can buy. We started with 3 but still weren't totally sold on the perfect color, so... we tried 2 more.

Here are the colors we tried...

We wanted a relaxing subtle spa color to go with the bedding. Like Goldilocks and the three bears... one was too dark and one was too bright (that's how it was in the fairy tale right?), but we finally found the perfect color... "Rushing River" a Duron color we mixed into Behr paint. Calm and soothing and perfect with the Pottery Barn "Painterly Paisley" bedding!

So on to the painting... then the 2nd coat... and finally we're done!

Then came "dressing" the room with all her stuff

We happened to find the perfect color drapes at Target

The "inspiration plates" ... a steal from HomeGoods for $3.99 each!

the jewelry nook

So... there it is! We love the color and the way it all came together. Grad Girl is thrilled with the finished room and that makes it all worth the time and effort!

what do you think?

this DIY feature for the week
also posted at DIY Day @ A Soft Place to Land
and Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

my festive fall decor

Welcome... come on in!

Just enough to be festive... happy fall y'all!

oh, and... I do have my white pumpkin cookie jar
that I absolutely love!

stop by Kelly's Korner for more fall decor

have I told you...

yes, that's right... my grand baby is a boy and due to arrive in March! We are a family with 3 girls so this will be a big treat for all of us.
Here's the first photo for the album...Isn't he the cutest?!

alias grandma

Procrastinators progress report

this is where I started

Okay... it's been two weeks since we signed up for our "accountability" at the Procrastinators Party at the Inspired Room, and I have to say it helped me tremendously! I always had in the back of my mind the deadline to finish what I said I would do, and... I did it! I finished stripping the wallpaper in my daughter's bedroom. It was quite the chore of scoring and spraying and scraping... tedious to say the least. It's not so glamorous yet as the walls still need to be primed and spackled and painted, but... the wallpaper is gone! Hooray!I promise to re-post photos when all the painting is done and the room is picture perfect. In the meantime I want to thank Melissa at "The Inspired Room" for giving me the kick in the a-- to get the job done!

Here's the redecorating plan... the new bedding, paint color and "Inspiration Plate" to hang on the wall. It's going to look great!