Spring love

Monday was my first encounter with chemo.  It was a little difficult but I made it through with minimal crying.  It was just hard to watch as the nurse had to push the first chemo drug through my IV.  The second chemo drug was hooked up to the iv with a bag.  So, one cycle down and only seven more to go. 

I thought today I would share a little spring cheer from around here.   First, I have admired these  from Ballard's for a while but didn't like the price.

source

I stumbled upon a smaller look a like that was much easier on the pocket book from Hobby Lobby.  I thought it would make a perfect base for my cloche.  All I added was a little spring nest.

The other pieces like this one went onto my mantel.  Here is my simple spring look for this year.

Here it is a little closer.

Closer still.

Don't you just love those little fluffy yellow guys?!

These tulips have helped lift my spirits after being tired from the chemo.  I'm going to share my spring mantel over at:

 

From sweet to sassy (and an update)

First, let me thank all of you for your encouragement and prayers.  Last Friday, I had 29 lymph nodes removed to determine which chemo I will be undergoing.  I found out yesterday that it will be a total of 8 cycles every two weeks.  Yes, that is right.  4 months of chemo!  Wow, that is a lonnnnggg time without any hair.  My son's reaction about me getting a wig was I must get one like Elizabeth's father.  You know, from the pirates of the Caribbean?!  I told him that I am not sure they make powdered wigs anymore. 

On to the makeover.  I had been working for two weeks trying to get a desk and chair done for my daughter's room before my surgery last week.  Today, I am just going to share the chair transformation.  I spotted this too cute chair at the auction and decided it was meant for my daughter's room.  So, here is the sweet (albeit dirty) chair.

Can't you just imagine a 5 year old diva in it?  Well, I could that is why it came home with me.  Of course, the fabric had to go and all the innards.  My daughter wanted me to paint her walls hot pink but that was just crazy talk.  I decided that we would infuse color with accessories and inexpensive pieces (IE. the chair).  So, I went on a mad hunt for fabric to match the hot pink paint I was painting the desk.  Finally, I stumbled upon something that would work.   

I spray painted the chair frame white.  After foaming, batting, stretching, stapling, and gluing, here is the new and improved 'sassy' diva chair.

Doesn't it just scream sassy diva?!  I'm sharing over at:

  

No thank you

I know that my posts have been few and far between last month and this month so far.  Unfortunately, there is a reason.  On February 7th I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer.  Ever since I got the news, I have been put on this roller coaster ride that hasn't stopped.  I mean, as a 35 year old mother of a 5 and 7 year old, this just wasn't in my plan.  I would like to say, "no thank you," but this is the path my life has turned on.  So, there is nothing to do but buck up and get ready for the ride. 

This week, I will have a sentinel node surgery.  This will help my oncologist know which chemo to do and for how long.  After that, I will have a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstructive surgery.  It took me a good week to really get that this breast cancer isn't the same as my father's lung cancer he passed from.  It was a little bit of a struggle for me to separate the two. 

I can say that I am honestly having more anxiety about the surgeries than the chemo.  Something about taking out part of my body, well it is just scary to me.  I am pretty anxious about the reconstructive process.  When I visited the first plastic surgeon, I was terrified with the photos I saw.  After meeting with the second one, I feel so much more confident.  You may find this funny, I know my husband did.  They show you before and after pictures of reconstructed breasts.  The pictures they showed me that would give me a more similar, realistic outcome for me was of a 60 year old woman.  Yes, I am apparently a 35 year old with a 60 year old set of boobs.  Hubby and I have had a good laugh over that one.  As for the chemo, I am more nervous about the kids reaction to the side effects.  I'm sure losing the hair won't be easy.  I have my mother's nose.  I guess that makes me my mother's daughter.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It will just be more obvious to the world in about a month.  I went to the wig store.  I can't say that was fun.  It was hard for me to imagine some of the wigs considering they were different hair colors.  I can absolutely say that I do not look good as a blond.  I will have to take my trusty, critical sisters there when I make my selection.  They will give me the real deal opinions.  None of that, 'oh, that is such a cute look for you.'

So, there you have it.  This is why I haven't been posting lately.  Quite frankly, I don't know what this treatment will be like for me.  Therefore, I am not sure how much I will be posting.  I may post about whatever crafts or DIY things I've done or I may just talk about my journey for the day.  I ask that you hang in there with me because I really do want to get my plain old normal life back. 

Coffee Table

Life has been busy.  I've got much to tell you, but that will be for another post.  Today, I am going to share my coffee table makeover.  Since the one I had upstarts was about 40 years old and the kids were making even more unstable, I replaced it with an auction find.  This new to me coffee table started off as a dining table.  It had been cut down for a perfect coffee table. 

It was definitely a candidate for paint.  It had so many scratches on top.  I had to find a non-yellowing poly since I knew that I was going to paint it white.  After many coats of primer, paint, and poly, I have a new coffee table.

It fits so well in the space.  Don't you think?!

I'm sharing over at: