Goodbye Sweet Friend

My heart is breaking as I write this.  Yesterday we had to make the terrible decision to say goodbye to our sweet little girl, our cocker spaniel, Katie.

Katie was our best friend, the brightest spot in our lives.  She was our child.

Wednesday we received the devastating diagnosis that she had a very accute severe form of anemia. The same type we lost our sweet cocker Emily to three years ago.

 We are crushed.  Katie was until Tuesday a happy, very healthy and active little girl. She was very energetic, and played just like a puppy.  Her mischievous ways always made us laugh.  

We brought her home as a little 8 week old ball of fluff.  She was just the cutest puppy ever.  She helped heal our hearts after losing Emily.

 She went everywhere with us.  Long walks each day, car rides, camping trips, trips to the beach, and boat rides. She was a constant companion, full of love and fun.

 We are beyond shocked.

We rushed her Wednesday to the animal hospital, where she ended up getting three blood transfusions.

Yesterday at 6am, we received a phone call that she had a blood clot on her brain.

We rushed to go see her, but by then, 2 hours later, were informed she had additional blood clots on her lungs and in her stomach.  They said there was nothing more they could do, and that most likely she wouldn't make it thru the day. That is when we made the very, very painful decision to end her suffering.

 There are no words to describe how devastated we are.

We miss our sweet Katie so very much, she meant the world to us.

Our hearts are hurting, and it feels that life will never be the same again.

 It is a huge loss, we are numb.

 We miss our baby.

To all that left such kind comments on my last post, I thank you for your support.

It means alot.  I am sorry I was not able to respond to you all, I am sure you understand.

Prayers Needed for our Cocker Spaniel Katie

It's hard for me to ask for help, but today I have a very urgent prayer request for our sweet cocker spaniel Katie.

Katie is three years old, and if you visit here very often, you know that she is a very, very important part of our lives and family.  She is like our child.

Yesterday morning, she just wasn't her usual active and energetic self, she was very lethargic. I became worried, so we took her to our vet right away.  They said she probably had the flu (she had a high temperature) and gave us meds, and said if she wasn't better by this morning, to call.

Well, this morning she was worse, so we took her in again.

Blood tests show that she has a type of anemic disorder that is unfortunately common in cocker spaniels.

Our vet said it was very rare for a dog Katie's age to get it.

Our sweet cocker Emily had it, it came on very suddenly three years ago, and we lost her to it.
The ironic thing is that we lost Emily three years ago yesterday.

So today our vet had us rush Katie to an animal hospital he highly recommended, 45 minutes away, for an emergency blood transfusion.

To say we are in shock is putting it mildly.  I am very worried and scared.

The vet at the hospital was very kind and said they would run other tests on her to see if something else was going on.  Best case scenario, she will be there for several days. But still will be in critical condition.

To come home without her, and see her toys scattered about the house, is very painful.

She is like our daughter.

So, if you could please keep her (and us, too, please) in your prayers, it would mean so much.

We are back home, anxiously awaiting word how the transfusion went.

I will be sure to keep you posted.

Thank you.

New Creations in My Shop

Hi everyone,

How is your week going?

It seems that spring will arrive early here in Michigan, and that is just fine with me!

Today's temps were much warmer than normal, and tomorrow is supposed to be a balmy 66 degrees!

For us that is a real heat wave!

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my latest creations which I've listed in my Etsy shop.

I just love galvanized anything, don't you? So when I spotted this tall bucket awhile back, I couldn't scoop it up quickly enough! Actually it was in it's natural state finish wise.  I decided to paint it a pretty and soft

dove gray, followed by some dry brushing in a lighter shade for interest.

Then I added one of my all time favorite labels from the Graphics Fairy.

 Love!

I have used this design many times, and never tire of it.

 Next up is this sweet tea pot, fashioned from chicken wire.  I've painted it my signature creamy white, and embellished it with a pretty rose tag,  Petite cream silk flowers and crinkly cream seam binding ribbon add to the shabby cottage chic charm!

 Here is a close up.

Shelves have always been a best seller in my shop.  I think every home could use more shelves!

So I'm always on the hunt for interesting ones that I can paint and transform.

I lucked out and found this beauty at a thrift shop when we were in Florida.  It is in excellent vintage condition.  I freshened it up with some nice bright white paint.

I love wicker!

 Perfect for storing treasures or necessities.

I painted this pretty wood shelf in a lovely light blue chalk paint.

Love the curvy side brackets and the pegs for hanging everything from coats to bags to dog leashes:)

 I couldn't resist this sweet little vintage lamb planter, which I found last month at one of my favorite haunts.

Isn't she just darling?!  It's by Napco, and features a lamb with just the cutest little face, who is pulling a pink and white cart.

 I wouldn't be too sad if she didn't sell!

 I think it would be so cute for Easter, or would be darling in a baby's room.

 Last but not least is this painted and stenciled cloche.

Cloches are another favorite of mine that I am always thrilled to find.

Actually hubby came home with this one for me.  It makes me so happy when he stops to treasure hunt for me!

I've painted it with white chalk paint, then stenciled it just for fun.

 I also added one of my glittered Eiffel Tower tags to the top. Because you know what I always say................

"You can never have too much glitter!"

That's it for today, thanks so much for stopping by!

I do appreciate your visits and comments!!

Have a great week:)

Master Bath Renovation Sneak Peek

Bonjour Mes Amis!

Hope you are having a great week!

It's been many months in the making, but our master bathroom renovation is finally about to wrap up!

There are a few more little details to complete, but I just couldn't wait to give you a bit of a sneak peek in the mean time:)

I am so thankful that I have a talented Handy Hubby!

From the gutting of the bathroom to the installation, he did 99% of the work himself.

It is a small room, so we really wanted to make every square inch count.  I'll be showing you some "before" shots, to give you a better idea of just how far this space has come!

Ok, picture 1980's blue tub, glass slider door, blue toilet and sink, and finishes that don't match.

Well, you get the picture!

I must say that the only thing I liked about our bathroom prior to renovation was the light fixture!

Yep, that was it!  And only because it was newer, in a pretty oil rubbed bronze finish.

One of the biggest changes (well, they are all big, really!) was the addition of two sinks!

Yeah! That means no more fighting for first dibs to brush our teeth or wash our hands!

And another is no more stubbed toes or shins when climbing out of the tub after showering.

I might have said a few choice words over the years after bumping into those 

ugly lovely sliding doors!

So, without further ado, here are a few teasers, along with some before pics!

On our list of wants was this frameless shower door, which we just love!

We had it installed, it was the only thing in the room that hubby didn't do.

It can swing both in and out.  No more bumped shins!

 Are you ready for the old???

Yep, mirrored and striped and shiny gold gold, ala 1980's!

You can also get a glimpse of our lovely old blue toilet in the mirror!

Another want was a rain shower head and hand held wand.  I'll tell you more about it in my next post!

Love!

 Before we even started the reno project (I say we, even though it was hubby that did all of the hard labor!!)

I knew that I wanted to incorporate iridescent glass mosaic tiles into the room.

It was love at first sight when I spotted these!  My photos just don't do them justice!

I am amazed at how they shimmer and change colors, depending on the lighting.

Hubby put them in the niche, as well as an accent band around the shower.  

We are also using them as our backsplash.

That part is almost complete, then I will show you the full reveal!!

 I was more than a little shocked when I learned how $$ they were!  I nearly changed my design plan, looking to find some cheaper accent tiles. Well, I am so glad that I stuck with my original vision, as I think this helps make the entire room!

Thanks to hubby's' builders license, we were able to get discounts on many of the materials.

Not to mention how much money he saved us in labor!!

 Ok, remember the blue toilet?

Well buh-bye!!

Hubby also added white beadboard to the walls, something I have always dreamed of!

The drywall which he hung above is painted a nice soft cream color, but it looks more yellow in my picture for some reason.

You can get a glimpse of our new white cabinetry.  I'll show it all to you in a few days, along with our quartz counter.  A huge change from our white formica!

And here she was, before makeover!

No more 1980's diagonal wood wall, either!

Yeah!

This shot made the room look larger than it actually felt.  It was taken with a wide angle lens by hubby's son, for our real estate listing when we had our home on the market last year.

Another "before".

Ok, now that I have given you a little tease, I promise to be back in a few days for the complete reveal!

In the mean time, we have to hang mirrors and finish the back splash.

Thanks for joining me on my little tour!