BFF Open House: Keeping It Real Edition

 

Happy Friday Eve Creative Peeps...this time from home vs this time last week in the hospital. Thank you for your kind words of support. Got sprung last Friday and on my journey of recovery. Normally I keep the intro to my party related to creative things or seasonal discussions but this one I'm going to "keep real" so if you want to skip straight to the party, scroll on down. 

What landed me in the ER last Monday was having dealt with of all things, constipation, for the two weeks prior. After my Mom's fall and her own hospitalization in March, recovery and follow up tests and appointments plus dealing with insurance stuff in April, making the decision in May to move closer to her, and then prepping to move, it wasn't that surprising since I had been doing a lot of on the go eating etc. 

Welp! That wasn't the culprit. But I'm glad I listened to my body and part of the reason I'm sharing this is to encourage everyone to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! After blood tests and a CT scan in the ER, turned out I had a Tubal Ovarian Abscess as well as Colitis. The question became a chicken and egg one of which came first. Especially since I'd had a hysterectomy at 35 and there was no logical pathway to the Fallopian Tube and/or Ovary. The conclusion by the time I was discharged was, "doesn't matter". The treatment would have been the same. I had a white blood count double the top of the normal range which was "no bueno". Really really bad. So days of IV fluids and antibiotics ensued, including being discharged on the maximum dose of antibiotics for two more weeks. I also came home with a friend called a Pigtail Drain which is a tube that had to be put in my abdomen by a specialist called an Interventional Radiologist. Are we having fun yet? Nope! We are not. 

Most ( not all ) of my readers are women so I'm directing this to you. We tend to put ourselves last. As mothers, daughters, wives, sisters...we're the caregivers. PLEASE friends...listen to your bodies. Know when not to ignore that something's off. Don't feel like you have to power through everything. I'm a good one to talk because that's what I've done my entire life. My dad, may he RIP, set the minimum expectation at 110%. That was baseline. And I internalized it my whole life and as such, have sometimes ignored things I shouldn't. Likewise, we're bombarded with messages to push ourselves and accept no limits. Appropriate when contextualized perhaps, but it can be equally dangerous. So I implore all of you, don't think you have to be Wonder Woman. I love her but ... she's a fictional character. 

A big shoutout to Mr. Chocolate who has been there for me 100% and the burden of this move has fallen on his strong shoulders but he too is only human as I keep reminding him. Thankful that PhD Man is coming to help us finish up. 

Alright let's take a look at some of the creative ideas shared at last week's party. It's going to be a minute before I get back to creating. Have some follow-up appointments next week and a surgery in my future to remove these lady parts that tried to kill me. Also...moving. Never let it be said that I do things halfway!

Howling Liz shared some adorable and fun Summer Necklaces. 

LOVE these bright and fun Owl and Bird Painted Rocks from Simple Joys! There was a trend a couple of years ago of leaving painted rocks in random places. How fun would it be to randomly find ones this cute? I still have one I found at our Community Garden. 

This rescued makeover from French Creek Farmhouse is not only a beautifully refinished piece, but Kristi gives you some FABULOUS tips of things to look for in rescued / thrifted pieces and how to rehab them. Beautiful piece! 

Finally,  you know things must have been serious with me because I haven't even thought about chocolate for a couple of weeks. Seriously. I can't believe it either. This Chocolate Poke Cake from The Lou Lou Girls is definitely being saved for when that time comes!

OK let's see what you've all been up to this week and I would be remiss in not giving a HUGE shoutout to NURSES! I know I do not nor did I ever have it in me to answer this vocational calling. I truly believe it is a calling and the Nurses who cared for me were my angels. 

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BFF OPEN HOUSE

 Happy Friday Eve everyone. I can guarantee that almost all of you are having a better week than I am. I’ve spent the week in the hospital which was an unexpected treat. Doing OK and will share more later but for now it’s just gonna be straight party no features since I’m trying to do this on my phone!

Opening early too so party away! 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy June Creative Peeps although JUNE?! Yikes. Moving is underway and making is on pause. Is it just me or do others see things they're moving and decide "hey I need to make this over right after I'm settled". I bet it's not just me. June! Father's Day, PRIDE, lots of graduations, weddings etc. at least traditionally. Graduations seem to be split between May and June these days and with so many still being virtual it's hard to keep track. 

I had a wonderful surprise this week. You may remember that I made some cards and tags for an organization called Box of Balloons that works to ensure every child has a birthday memory. I got the nicest email from them yesterday that just made my heart soar.

"I've been putting a card and gift tag in each birthday box I've been creating and it adds such a personal touch to each box. Thank you so much for donating these as I'm sure they took a lot of time and energy to create. They're so beautiful and made so well and I'm just blown away and grateful :) "

I let the coordinator know that as soon as I'm settled I'll make some more. It's such a great feeling to know that you can bring a little more light into the world doing what you love. 

Let's take a look at some ideas from last week's party!

To my point about making over some things on hand, take a look at these gorgeous pots Howling Liz updated. These look so current and I love the glossy black she used. Gorgeous! 

Think this is an old wooden box  Artsy VaVa tranformed into gorgeousness? Nope. It's a brick mold! And being a Southwest dweller, I love the succulents which aren't painted but rub-ons. 

I've had a lifelong fascination with globes. I'd look at them to see where characters I was reading about lived, or of course for schoolwork, or to look at places people came from or I wanted to go. Jennifer from Studio 27 had another creative idea to use one to show where her blog traffic comes from! So many possibilities! 

Genius! If you've made Hot Cocoa Bombs, you've already got the molds you need to make these perfect for Summer Ice Cream Bombs! This genius idea comes from 3 Winks Design. What fun treats for the hotter months!

Thank you as always to everyone who linked up. I love seeing what everyone's up to. Now let's take a look at who's done what this week! 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all!  Hope everyone's having a great week and looking forward to a long weekend. Ours will be busy since we got our keys yesterday and let the moving Olympics begin. We're doing it ourselves because we have time so we can pace it accordingly but still...moving SUCKS! In between cleaning out stuff and packing I stole some time to whip up a pair of easy Hammered Silver Earrings because Michaels is my enabler. 

Let's take a look at some wonderful ideas shared at last week's party! 

I'm going to start off with a shout out of "Heck Yeah!" to Cecelia of My Thrift Store Addiction. As women, society places such an emphasis on our looks. And as we get older, that gets harder in a different way, at least it does for me. I'm never going to get cosmetic surgery (and I'm not judging...just saying it's not a thing for ME) or Botox or fillers etc. I do love makeup because the Creative in me sees my face as another surface to play with. But my main thing has been...coloring my hair. Something I've increasingly been thinking about stopping although I'm not quite there yet. Cecelia shared her hair journey in doing just that and I for one think she looks F A B U L O U S!!! I really want to affirm her decision because I know how hard it is to make. So "Hello Gorgeous!" and you are an inspiration. 

Anita, from Unique Creations by Anita shared a different kind of tranformation...this gorgeous Vanity makeover using chalk paint. I need to update a couple of things for my new office and chalk paint is where I'm going! 

Mary Jo from Master Pieces of My Life shared some beautiful ways to incorporate and display Sea Shells into your decor and maybe even bring back some special vacation memories! 

Finally, when this move is done, I can see one of these in my future.  From Tracy at The Kitchen Is My Playground  A Sparkling Raspberry-Limoncello Cocktail. Refreshing! 

Wishing all of you a safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend as we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in honor of our country. 

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

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BFF Open House

 

Whew! It's another Friday eve already and May is chugging along. It seems like once Memorial Day hits, time goes even faster. Hopefully this year that means at least more time spent with friends and family! Speaking of which, my making time will be a little spotty again for the next little while as we prepare for another move. Confluence of things made it the right time to move closer to my Mom which will be good as we figure out her next chapter. So instead of an hour each way, I'll be about 15 min away. But moving means...cleaning out and packing and that doesn't always leave time for creating right? One step forward to my hope of creating full time. Two steps back. 

OK let's take a look at some of the ideas from last week's party! 

I'm excited I'll have a little porch area so this Reversible Porch Sign from The House On Silverado is great inspiration! 

Speaking of signs, I also love this pretty Herbs Sign from The Apple Street Cottage, an idea that could be used for all kinds of goodies you're growing. 

If you need to come up with some easy storage, crates are your friend and this idea from Condo Blues is a great way to use them! 

Finally, with days getting warmer ( we've already hit at least one triple digit day in the desert) and Summer upon us, what's better than an ice cream sandwich except this Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich from 3 Winks Design?! 

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week ! 

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BFF Open House

 

I hope everyone who celebrated Mother's Day had a good one. Whew! Halfway through May already and before you know it we'll be seeing Halloween and Christmas supplies in our favorite craft stores. I know...I know...but you know I'm right! 

I had a lot of fun playing with a free Mandala SVG file shared by Gjoa from Special Heart Studios which I shared here. As always, I hope everyone's had a good and creative week and let's take a look at some inspiring ideas from last week's party! 

In love with this gorgeous Vintage Spring Tablescape from French Creek Farmhouse. I love the books used for elevation! 

From Priyam at Simple Joys comes this perfect combination of pretty and practical in this Brown Paper Basket made from something we all have access to, a brown paper grocery bag! 

Another simple but beautiful project with so may potential uses: Leather Tassles. From Hello Sewing. Perfect for Keychains, Handbags, a Journal...so many possibilities 

Finally, from A Loverly Life these stunningly beautiful and delicious looking Chocolate Chai Tea Cakes! YUM!

 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all and Happy May! MAY?! Yikes. Happy Mother's Day Weekend to everyone celebrating and being celebrated! I hope everyone's had a good week. I had just the jumpstart I needed to get my creative juices going which I shared here: Every Child Should Be Celebrated On Their Birthday: Box of Balloons

Looks like we're starting our triple digit days here in the desert hitting 100 yesterday! Not that we don't hydrate all year but now's the time of year where it's CRITICAL! 

OK let's take a look at some of the inspiring ideas shared at last week's party!

We've all probably got access to some family jewelry that may have been sitting in drawers or in need of repair. What a better way to bring those out than to repurpose them into something new? I love this re-loved brooch from The Apple Street Cottage. Even if you don't have anything on hand, thrift stores are full of wonderful pieces! 

Howling At The Moon shared this great Charcuterie / Cheese Board that she used her new Pyrography (Wood Burning)  Pen to decorate. Great idea to start working on now for holiday gifts, yes? 

Have you heard of "Spiral Betty" ? It's a way to make thee fun spiral images that can be used in a number of ways including like this wonderful pillow made by Unique Creations by Anita. 

Finally, what Mom wouldn't love a batch of these Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars from The House on Silverado? YES please! 

Now, let's see what all of you wonderfully creative peeps have been up to this week! 

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BFF Open House

 

Whew! Here we are at the end of the week again already! And almost to May which seems impossible. Finally had time to play in my craft room and then found myself stuck so have been watching some You Tube videos and trying to learn Inkscape and then finally had an idea for Mother's Day cards which I'm finishing up. 

How do you get yourselves creatively un-stuck? I'd love to hear your strategies and if I get enough responses, I'll turn that into a post! 

Meanwhile, let's take a look at some of the creativity shared at last week's party! 

There is just something about lavender that holds a wide appeal all over the world. Someday I want to visit the lavender fields in Provence, France.  Our last house before we moved from Washington had TONS of lavender bushes and I would cut and dry bunches. I wish I'd thought to do what Lisa from Fresh Vintage by Lisa S did with this beautiful Lavender Wreath! 

Tonna, from Sew Crafty Crochet shared not only a gorgeous wreath but a great way to use up bits of leftover yarn by making a bunch of crocheted flowers. 

Summer will be here before we know it ( OK it's already supposed to be in the 90's today here in the desert..."Spring") so you'll want to check out not only this cute Hello Summer printable from Creatively Beth, but she also has 15 more! Free! 

Finally, maybe you're planning a Mother's Day Brunch or like me, you have a freezer full of blueberries. Either way, this Farmhouse Blueberry Coffee Cake from Mom The Lunch Lady is a must try recipe! 

OK peeps, let's see what you've been up to this week! 

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