Hello everyone, It is with great sorrow that I must tell you that my father has passed away. As most of you know we lost our mother three short months ago. It was shortly after my mothers passing that we learned my father was keeping a secret. We learned that he was terminally ill. He didn't tell anyone, not even my mother knew. It was only when the pain became unbearable and he was rushed to the hospital several weeks ago that  we learned just how sick he was.  Hospice workers helped us manage his pain and care for him, and someone from the family was always with him. Thankfully his last weeks were mostly pain free. He was comatose the last week of his life and quietly slipped away Monday. It's so hard to believe that we lost our brother, then mom and now our father in less than seven months time. We are all hanging in there but its really tough. I'll be away from the blog for a while.

English Scenic

 I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Mine was quiet although there is a lot going on with my family right now. I've been very busy with lots of things pertaining to my dad, so I haven't had time for projects. Today I want to share an old treasure my husband bought me for my birthday about 23 years ago. We used to frequent a junk store that surprised us once in a while with something gorgeous. I walked in one day and saw these dishes and fell in love with them.

Bunnies and Eggs

It seem as though we just decorated for Christmas and now its time to bring out the Spring and Easter decor. Where did the time go? This year I was in the mood for a little whimsy for Easter so I bought out the tons of Easter bunnies and eggs I've been collecting for ever. I always buy things at the end of the season and literally pay a few cents for most of them. I busted the ole bunnies and eggs out and this is what I came up with after a lot of tinkering.  Sometimes things just wont flow, but eventually I came up with something.

 The vintage look bunnies in the egg and the bunny riding a bunny in the cloche both came from Marshalls, both clearance items a couple of years ago.

Heaven Sent?

 I purchased this beautiful  statue of Saint Therese at The Good Will.  I was immediately drawn to it.  I bought her about two weeks before my mother died. I didn't know anything about Saint Therese or as she's more commonly known the Little Flower. I became curious about her after I received a beautiful sympathy prayer card from a friend and former co worker after the death of my mom. When  I received  the card and realized my mother had been made a member  of The Society of the Little Flower I realized that Saint Therese was the same Saint as my Statue.

Jeanne D'Arced

Its time for another fun Copy Cat Challenge. I love this party. I look forward to it and I'm so happy to be able to participate this time. I copied an ad image from Jeanne D'Arc living. I had everything on hand and I love the images in this magazine.  Here is the picture that inspired me,

A Final Goodbye

 Hello friends, last Saturday my family and I held a memorial to celebrate the life of our beloved mother. It was a beautiful tribute to her. There were many heartfelt testimonials to mom from friends and family. We played her favorite music and served  the foods and treats she loved best. There was video of mom and family photos streaming throughout the memorial. It was our hope that everyone would leave feeling her love and spirit and not sadness. We were able to accomplish just that. Everyone remarked that they felt so much better after the service... the heaviness of grief was lifted, we were so happy for that. Mom's passion was gardening and she had one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen. In remembrance of her love of gardening we gave everyone a packet of Forget me Not seeds to plant in her memory. I made all of the floral arrangements for the memorial. I didn't photograph the actual arrangements but I did make some bouquets from the flowers that were left. Moms favorite colors were blue and white so we decorated in those colors.  I just want to share with all  of you some of the flowers from her memorial.

Thanks Tip Junkie

 I just want  to say thanks to Tip Junkie for featuring my   painted leather ottoman. I'm so thrilled that my ottoman still sparks so much interest. I'm flattered more than I can say.  Big thanks to everyone who has visited from there.