Oh Happy Day.

44 years ago today, this wee girl came into the world to make folks smile.  She hopes she continues to do so for another 44+ years.  She thanks you all for your bloggy friendships, and hopes you will all enjoy something beautiful and fun today in honor of her birthday.  She prefers it be something sweet and chocolately.

Spring is springing.

The grass is turning green and it rains instead of snows. I wouldn't complain about seeing the sun a bit more, but the slowly rising thermometer is encouraging.  I can't tell you what this does for my spirits!

Nothing new to tell you about 'cept for a trip to IKEA (which I won't tell you about actually) where I procurred a scratch and dent desk for my homeschool/living room.  Nothing like a new piece of furniture to get the decorating cogs creaking again.  So my focus is reorganizing and switching up some stuff in my school room.  And yes, that will prolly mean a new paint job.  Love the green, but don't love that it doesn't flow with the rest of my house.  Not sure what direction to go colorwise, but it will need to be happy and go with my aqua couch.  Don't breath a word of this to my hubs.  Thanks.

The boys' rooms definitely need some attention as well.  Need to finish up one, and haven't really started the other.  Bathrooms.  Ugh.  Need to be taken down to the studs, IMO, but I don't foresee that happening in the near future.  Just some cosmetic flourishes for now I 'spose.

Many of you ask about my mama, so here's an update for ya.  She continues to heal from the surgery, and is beginning to actually take short shopping trips with Dad.  She still tires very easily, though, having lost somewhere around 15 pounds of muscle weight.  She's attempting 5 minute stints on an stationary bike.  They found 'residual disease' in the tiny part of her remaining sternum that connects to the collar bones, which was discouraging, but so far those stinkers aren't growing or doing anything.  We take things day by day, focus on a fun summer, and she's already redecorating her sunroom.....:)  I promise to take pics!

Time has become a precious thing, days are a gift.  Stuff that isn't important has fallen by the wayside to make room for peace and love and hope and goodness.  I'm not farting rainbows or anything, but dogonnit, life is a beautiful thing.  I'm continuing in my journey toward wholeness, learning to focus on the change, not the results...though they have been good.  Slow and steady and all that.

Sorry no pics today.  I hope to document the school room refresh though.  It's actually getting warm enough to begin some painting projects in the garage now.  Woot!  I also will fire up Make it 4 Monday beginning in April.  I miss seeing all your awesome projects and inspiration!

I finished something. Believe it or not...

Hello Faithful Readers.  I miss you!  I almost forgot to take 'after pics' of this furniture do-over I have been working on for a friend's friend.  But then I was like, *thunk*, I have a decorating blog.  So out came the camera and I snapped a few shots.  

Here's the before: It's a family heirloom, a dining cabinet.  

At the last minute they threw in this little side table too:

  Let me just say that painting furniture in the middle of your living/school room isn't dandy.  

Just thought I'd throw that out there.  

Anyway, they were sanded a bit, then I used some liquid deglosser, primer, several coats of paint, a coat of stain wiped on and wiped off, then a few coats of polycrylic.  

  It was a lot more work than I expected, little nooks and cranies, the turned legs, etc.  But they turned out pretty I think.  Although I used satin paint, stain, and polycrylic, the finish still has quite a bit of sheen.  

You don't see all the crap supplies on my floor.

Here's the side table:

I tried to get a close up of the paint job with the stain, but I couldn't smack my macro setting into behaving.  

So, that's all I've managed to do the last couple months.  Hubs is ready to start on the boys' rooms again.  

Me?  

I'm all about looking for any sign of spring.  

Does a plethora of fat mother robins making a pit stop in my back yard this afternoon count?  

Oh heck yeah.