spreading some love

Happy Friday everyone! Before I do anything else, I have to say thank you with all my heart for your loving, supportive comments yesterday. Blog comments, Facebook comments & messages, emails, texts, phone calls... you name it. I just want you all to know it meant the world to me. Thank you for being such amazing friends - I am so blessed :)

~

So today I'm going to do a bit of a shout out, since it's been a while! And as a reminder, at ANY time, you can look over in my right side bar ----------> and see a group of thumbnail photos from Etsy that reads "Etsy Friends I Love!". The thumbnails are all hyperlinks and will take you right to those items on Etsy, where you can also see the seller's other items. The sellers I select to highlight on my blog are either personal friends of mine and/or sellers I have purchased from and would recommend. That's important!

--------> Sierra's Sassy Socks <--------

 Are these just the *sweetest* little baby socks or what?! Oh how I love buttons and I love pink! My dear sunshine of a friend Vanessa makes these and every pair are adorable. She will take custom orders also. And now here's something I bet you didn't know, cuz Vanessa just told me this herself: she makes HOMEMADE BREAD! She uses a blend of white and wheat - absolutely perfect :) So for those of you who live locally? Wouldn't you rather order Vanessa's homemade bread for you and your family? I will answer for you: YES, YES, YES!!!

--------> Hillcrest Cottage <--------

 I've mentioned my good friend and fellow blogger Bev -------> HERE <------- before cuz she's so totally awesome! One of my favorite posts :) A lovely artist, person, and creator of neat stuff, Bev recently started making these knapsacks out of cool vintage fabrics. I have one myself and love, love, LOVE IT! Bev also has a great little blog, also entitled ------> Hillcrest Cottage <------ but of course, you also have to go visit her beloved dog ------> Mac the Labradoodle <------ :)

-------> Quaint Collector <-------

My good friend Cindy already has a popular blog called ------> Quaint Handmade <------ and I have spoken of her before. She takes wonderful photographs and is such a talented, dear person. This is her first venture on Etsy and the things she collects are going to be wonderful!

--------> Upbeat Jewellery <--------

Ah, Wesla Weller of Upbeat Jewellery (wellery... get it?)! I have known Wesla since junior high - yes, you heard that right - junior high! Wesla is one cool chick and I just adore her. She's an extremely talented musician, artist, and craftsman also - just look at this amazing guitar peg choker! Perfection :) Check her out - she's one to keep watching!

--------> Harmony Quilts <---------

Another dear friend from junior high, I have mentioned Lauren several times before here on my blog - in fact ------> this post <----- when she opened her store here on Etsy was a very popular post! And -------> this post and this post <------ were a few more recent posts mentioning Lauren. I love this talented, life-long friend :) 

Now go show some Etsy love, peeps! And have an awesome Friday!

~

~ Perfect American Family ~

I have one more thing I wanted to share. I've been meaning to share it for a while now. It's not a store, or something to purchase. It's someone's life. It's the story of someone I have known and loved nearly all my life, and to this day I still consider her one of my dearest friends. But as we all learn, one of the hardest knocks of life is that it's not fair, and things are not always as they seem from the outside, and that everyone is fighting some kind of battle. Well, my friend started a blog, and this is her story. It's captivating, and heartbreaking, and amazing. She felt strongly that others could benefit from her story - perhaps realize that they weren't the only ones struggling, find some kind of strength from what she is so candidly sharing. I am so proud of her for doing this. I think she has done an outstanding job. If you decide to follow along, please start from the beginning. I'll leave you with one of the quotes she begins with:

Everyone has stuff, 

it's the choice we make 

on how we are going to face it. 

You can be a Victim or a Victor . 

I like to think I chose to be a Victor.

the other shoe

~ the other shoe dropped ~

For 2 weeks now, I've been trying to figure out what to say about my health and my recent update. So many of you have been more than kind to ask how I'm feeling, and send me all kinds of love, or stop by to say hello, or ask how you can help...... I have appreciated all your thoughtfulness more than I can express! It's been odd for me to have something hang on for so long, and instead of it just getting better, have to go down an unexpected road and delve into the world of specialists and an actual diagnosis. But one thing led to another and unbeknownst  to me, suspicions arose. After scans and blood work and exams and x-rays and poking, I found myself sitting in my new rheumatologist's exam room with my cousin Shell, being told that I have an auto-immune disease called Lupus. Which, if you already don't know, is one of the strangest, crappiest, lamest, crazy ass diseases EVER. 

 I'm not going to delve into the ridiculousness which is Lupus, because all I really want to do is give you an overview and be on my merry way. So let's see..... they think I've had Lupus for a long time - some of my symptoms were traced back 15 or 20 years :/ That explains a LOT actually, and for that reason I am grateful for good specialists and an actual diagnosis. I just thought I was a total WUSSY all these years. Validation of not being a wuss is a very good thing. So for me, at this particular time, Lupus means:

- my sinuses are impacted and need to drain

- I have severe anemia

- my immune system is compromised and highly vulnerable

- my body aches and pain is from rheumatoid arthritis everywhere

- I have a large mystery lump on my arm that needs to be seen

- all these years of my head sweating like a freaking waterfall were from Lupus!!! 

 Auto-immune diseases suck. Because your body is fighting itself. And Lupus whips up an endless array of the strangest things - from turning one person's eyelashes white to shutting down another person's kidneys. It can be absolutely wicked or go dormant. The stupidest thing about Lupus, is that it does what it wants no matter how committed you are to living healthy - and it comes and goes as it pleases, so you never know when it's going to rear it's ugly head or what it's going to do to you. I'm not one to panic at all, but even I have to admit, that freaks me out a little. But I'm still committed to pouring everything healthy that's possible into my body, and eating healthy too - I did a complete 180 even before my diagnosis came down. So it's all good.

 Right now I'm taking prednisone, which makes my eyes feel all grainy and is starting to puff up my face. I may not get to full bobble head status before they start tapering me off (thank heaven!) but yesterday Davy called me Mrs. Puff and I may or may not have hurt him :/ I also take several pills every Friday night that are apparently for my arthritis - I call them my "Friday Night Special" - and they pretty much make me feel like I have the flu all weekend. But I just had new blood work done, and will be seen soon, and we'll go from there as far as any more treatment/medication/blah, blah, blahhhhhhhhhhh. 

* thanks to Shell for her genius idea of 

taking a sequence of photos with my shoe dropping! 

I love this last pic cuz it looks like my shoe is yelling. 

It's yelling "I'm gonna kick yer arse, Lupus!" :D

We're all given things to deal with, and I've had my things over the years too - mainly my super fun migraines. But I'm a big believer that we're given what we can deal with, and if given the choice, we wouldn't trade our trials for anyone else's. I believe that. I also believe in finding the silver lining, dealing with reality in an optimistic way, the glass being half full, faith gets us through anything, everything eventually works out, there are very few coincidences in life, my prayers are heard, laughter is the best medicine, and in counting your blessings every day no matter what. So that's the scoop, and I'll take it from here, and it's all good :) 

spring porch

 Oh, joy and rapture! I finally have a lovely little front porch again! My front porch is like my own little personal space. Not just a reflection of me though, but a chance to be creative, and welcome everyone cheerfully. It's one of my favorite things to do. 

 But I had not done this since taking my Christmas things down the first of January. I had become ill, and my porch stayed dark and empty for months. Every time I looked at it I was so sad. It was definitely a reflection of how I was feeling... but not in the right way! 

 My cousin Shelly to the rescue! She was bound and determined to help me get my porch done before she had to fly back home. She helped me pick out the flowers because I was brain dead and just stood there unable to make a decision. She planted most of the pots and did a lot of leg work while I ordered her around. And she did it all with a smile on her face, even though we worked until after dark. But bless her sweet heart, we did it! 

 It's cheerful, and springy, and colorful, and simple, and just HAPPY. I can't even express how much joy it brings me. See? Once again, we learn that the little things really are the big things. And it makes me smile because every time I glance at my beautiful porch I think of Shell, and all her help, and how determined she was, and how blessed I am to have such a loving friend and cousin :) 

I've already added a few new things too - like this pretty doormat!

~

Thank you again Shell! Love you! ❤
~
P.S. check out how Shell and I now have 
world famous feet by getting onto ToeMail's blog!

shenanigans

I have no doubt whatsoever that all of you have been dreadfully missing my feet photos and wondering when I will grace my blog with more colorful creations of toes, tattoos, and tie dye :)

 Remember how my cousin Shell came to visit me? We love to take feet pics together too! I think Shell is probably the only person that would put up with my insane ideas and actually like them too :) I've posted a few of our feet pics *here* before. Do you notice anything NEW about one of Shell's feet? That's right - she finally got the tattoo she always wanted :) So the first thing we did was get a pedicure with similar polish and rhinestones, and then we started going through all the albums that would work best. That's kind of our thing :)

 Ah, George.....

 I think everyone on da Earff probably has this album...

 ... and this one too!

 This is a personal favorite because I turned it kinda creepy...

my Led Zeppelin IV... see how we're climbing the Stairway to Heaven?

 Okay, so no album, but I loved this one in the late afternoon sun :)

Here is another personal favorite - are all these colors amazing or what! It will also prove if Davy really reads my blog or not, because the second he sees that we were standing on his Tool "Lateralus" album he's going to have a royal come-apart, hehe :D Yes, of course we always take the records out! So here is your color/tattoo/album/art/toe/creative shenanigan inspiration for today! Zaaaaaaaaa!

P.S. Made ya look!!! Hehe :D 

Take a look at the awesome blog ToeMail 

to see our world famous feet!!!

25 on the 25th

~ HaPPy 25th BiRThDaY DaNieL!!! ~

25 years ago today, my sweet, precious angel boy made me a mother, and my life would never be the same. I knew Daniel had a special spirit from the second he entered our lives. I will forever be filled with gratitude for his talents and intelligence and beautiful heart. I know he will continue to make the world a better place for having been here. I'm sad he had to leave to go back to school just days after returning from Uganda, so we can't celebrate this special birthday with him..... But I want to wish him a *HAPPY BIRTHDAY* with all my heart, and remind him yet again: Daniel, I am so PROUD of you, and I love you SO MUCH!!! I hope your 25 on the 25th birthday is every bit as wonderful as you are!!!

~

Here are some of my favorite photos of you and I... what awesome memories! :)

 With his ridiculous brothers right before he drove back to school...

See? They really ARE capable of making normal faces :)

xoxoxoxoxo

things are not always as they seem

 I love spring and I love Easter. The world coming back to life again after seeming cold and dead for so many months, reminds me every year of God's infinite wisdom and blessings. What appears dead on the outside or in the flesh, still has a living spirit.  

 Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ chose to carry out God's plan and suffer the Atonement so that we may all live again. I will be forever grateful for his sacrifice and love. I am thankful and humbled that my body may die, but my spirit will live on, and someday my body and my spirit will be reunited. Christ made this possible. Do I truly believe this? Yes. Especially in the spring when reminders of this beautiful miracle are everywhere.

 Things are not always as they seem. Life is eternal, and hope is always, always just under the surface. What would our lives be without hope? I can't imagine living a life without hope. In every bit of life - or death - in every bud and bloom and petal..... there is hope.

~ Happy Easter Everyone! ~

dog humor

~ Hyperbole and a Half ~

I can't help it you guys... I just can't help it. I just have to fit this in tonight in between my upcoming Shell posts and before Easter tomorrow. Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half just KILLS me! Completely does me in. SLAYS me. Okay... sometimes she's a big time potty mouth so I don't highlight *all* her posts... but she is a serious comic genius. And the posts that get me the most are always her dog posts. Oh. My. Gosh. If you can get me to laugh out loud at something, then it's got to be uber funny. Because when I laugh out loud you can hear me all the way down the street, much to my family's dismay. Her humor and illustrations just nail me. BUT... you will think I'm a big dork and you'll kind of just politely go "heh heh" IF:

(1) you don't have dogs

(2) you don't worship sarcasm

(3) you don't know every single word of "Bohemian Rhapsody"

~ I'm just sayin' ~

a little sunshine

~ Kerrie's Daffodils ~

 Happy Wednesday everyone :) And although I love the cool, breezy weather, today is one of those days most of you would think is very dreary. So I am posting a few springy, sunshiny photos of flowers to bring some sun into your day and brighten it up! I haven't enhanced them yet, but I don't think flowers need too much enhancing anyway - they are already so beautiful. My dear friend Kerrie brought me the yellow daffodils above. Kerrie has what I call a "sunshine smile" - when she smiles her whole face lights up and so does everything around her :)

 ~ John's Tulips ~

 Tulips are one of my favorite flowers - how could they not be?! In fact, I don't know anyone who doesn't adore tulips! John brought me these sweet tulips and I just love them. They are always dressed and ready for their photo op! And right now tulip festivals are going on all around the globe! If you get the chance to go to one - GO! And how cool is this: we just got a post card from a dear friend of ours who is a missionary in the Netherlands! She says it's absolutely gorgeous there right now - can you even imagine!?!?!

~ Shelly Came To Visit! ~

Here is one of my all time favorite rays of sunshine - my cousin Shell :) She flew out to visit me last week - to just hang out, to help me accomplish some things, to go to my doctor appt. with me, and to be my best buddy like she always is. Oh, I love my Shell. We had an amazing time. So this post is kind of to set up my next few posts of all our antics from the wonderful week she was here. Stay tuned! :) 

LAST catch-up post, episode 5: drama in the hood

~ it started out like any other relaxing Saturday evening ~

I know all of you on Facebook heard (and commented on!) this story a few weeks ago. But it was kind of a big deal, so I wanted to mention it. And my Mouse... well, he was the man of the hour!


Little did we know that our house was being cased by a potential intruder all day. Some neighbors were taking all the wood from our cut down tree - we even noticed and commented on the guy who kept walking by and looked out of place - and it was a cool afternoon of my kids having friends over, coming and going as usual. Windows and doors wide open as usual. Sheesh, I don't even have a key to my own house! Lock the door? Rarely. 


But in the 23 years we've lived here, things have changed a lot. 


That evening - only around 8:00pm - it would have been simple for anyone outside to see what our family was up to. Bright lights on in the kitchen as I made a salad. Bright lights on in the front room as all the kids were occupied watching a movie. John in his studio with the door closed, unseen. Anyone who had jumped our wall and was hiding in the shadows of our back yard could tell my bedroom was dark except for a small light, and my sliding door was open. Perfect.


I don't know how he heard it, but the Mouse heard my bedroom screen door open. He wasn't sure what noise it was - maybe Davy's kitty? - but something told him to investigate. None of us knew any of this, he just walked quietly down the hall to check. Suddenly I heard the Mouse yell in the voice of a lion - a voice so loud I had never heard the likes of:

"GET OUT!!! GET OUT!!!"

The intruder had just stepped into my bedroom when Mouse looked down my hall into my room, and spotted him. The intruder did indeed GET OUT and ran! Mouse's friends thought he was just goofing around. John thought it was probably Davy and his friends that had come home. I knew as a mom immediately that something was wrong, but it was over before I even got to Mouse. Poor Mouse was shaking and trying not to puke. But he was able to give a partial description to the police. And more than that, he totally saved us from being robbed! HE WAS SO AMAZING!


So suddenly the air was filled with helicopters, and our street filled with police cars, and neighbors came pouring out of their houses to see what had happened. Our new next door neighbors had literally moved in the day before and we hadn't even met them yet - I still feel awful about scaring the living daylight out of them! But the Mouse........ HE WAS SO BRAVE!!! HE SAVED THE DAY!!! MOUSE, YOU ARE TOTALLY OUR HERO!!!


I don't know if the intruder was ever caught. There has been more crime in the last year - in just our neighborhood alone - than in the entire 23 years we've lived here. Things are not the same. 


So now we have bars and locks on our windows and sliders, locked gate, locked front door. I'll have to get a house key made. It makes me really sad. But that's how it has to be. But I'll never forget how courageous my Mouse was - Matthew, I am so proud of you and so grateful :) 

Saturday Part 2: National Record Store Day

~ A Basement Rendezvous performing at Rock Candy Music ~

Did you know that Saturday was not only Arbor Day, but also National Record Store Day? That's right - a totally cool day to recognize independently owned record stores! The folks who's hearts are really into music and their passion to make that world better, and work hard to form a bond with their community. For our town that place is Rock Candy Music. They have vinyl. They have CD's and DVD's, new and used. They have art, clothes, textiles, toys, candy. A little bit of everything really. And they are wonderful to promote local talent. Our boys really enjoy performing there and have gained so much support from their performances. We are grateful to Rock Candy Music and the awesome owners, Bill and Melissa, who go out of their way to make it the place to be! ("Like" both A Basement Rendezvous AND Rock Candy Music on their Facebook pages!) 

And now without further ado, I will post the YouTube vids of the boys (the first vid got cut off just shy of the ending... grrr). And let me just say, I think this was perhaps my favorite performance of theirs to date. A great turnout. Amazing new songs. The night was electric. And people, THEY ROCKED THE HOUSE!!!

An exhausted mom and her exhausted son listening to their fave band :)

WHAT. AN. AWESOME. DAY. SHEESH.