Darling Dovecote

I have another breast reduction surgery (for symmetry) scheduled for Thursday this week. As a young breast cancer survivor, it is just something I have to do sometimes. Darling will be home to help for a week, partly working from home. It isn’t too bad of a surgery, but I hate sitting around in bed. So for the last couple of months I have been collecting fun magazines and books and paper dolls (to play with Mila). I have a new embroidery project that I prepped and am ready to start too (pic later). I might try some new crochet-ed flowers. I have lots of fun things to keep me busy. I also have a new pair of pjamma bottoms and some comfy stretch lace bras. Oh! And I ordered a couple of treats that will come in the mail to cheer me up. If I feel well enough I will post from bed

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day flowers from my mom and dad. My favorite colors! Thank you

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For the fruit:

2 boxes strawberries

4 stalks rhubarb

1/4 c flour

3/4 c honey

For the crisp:

1 stick butter

1/2 c flour

1/2 c brown sugar

1 c oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Bake at 400 deg for 35-45 mins. Inspired by Martha’s rhubarb crisp recipe (of course).

Kid stuff

Recent Treasures

From the Mt Airy flea market. I really love the linens I purchased there!

Close up of the twin bed cover. $6! I adore this.

Vintage buttons that came with Mollie Makes this month and pink/white bakers twine that I got cheap from Group Deals.

This is a vintage, full size, 100% cotton sheet from Unique. $2.99. I <3 Unique! It was yellowed but I oxi-ed it and it is so pretty now!

On Mother’s Day Darling and I went to the Harper’s Ferry flea. Total spent $6.

The Powder Room

So for Mother’s Day I’ve asked Darling to redo the powder room with me. I would like to put beadboard on the bottom and Cath Kidston wallpaper on the top. I am loving Antique Rose Bouquet Wallpaper. I was inspired by the Yvestown blog bathroom. Yeah. I pretty much just want to copy the whole bathroom. Minus the wooden toilet seat. I have wood floors, so no beauty tile for me…but the wood floors will be very pretty too.

I’m back…

Here is what has been happening…

Lots of lilacs and tree peonies.

I thrifted this 1960′s (?) raincoat in FL. It is so darling!

From H&M.

Vacation and treats from vacation.

My sweet nephew, baby Aiden. I missed his birth in FL by 2 days

Swedish, wooden clogs for Mila from Lucy’s $9.

A lovely new dress for Mila from my mom.

A sand/water table for Mila since she had so much fun with the sand and water at Granzie’s house.

Vintage jewelry from the Clarksburg flea market $1 total.

I actually got some things done! Framed these lovlies.

Ordered this pepper mill from Amazon since our old one broke.

Finished my British flag bath mat (it is quilted with a towel on the back). It turned out so cute and it was so fun to do some sewing for the first time in a long while.

It has been a long month of doctors appointments. Hope to be posting a lot more again. I have been obsessed with Pinterest during my blogging break!

obsessing about…

crocheted doily rugs…

Thanks M for sending me the link.

This one is form here.

Tried to publish this post like 3 times. We are all sick with a stomach virus here. The whole family has taken turns (except Mila, this time). AND it is our second virus in like 3 weeks. I haven’t been out all week. Let’s think about doily rugs instead, shall we?

Fun stuff

New panties etc. I got 7 pairs for $26 here. They have such pretty florals!

Tea and toast (and sponge bob) makes everything better…the boys had a long week of MD assessment testing.

What to do with leftover coffee…can’t waste it, it’s like gold…make coffee ice cube for smoothies or iced coffee (Martha’s idea of course).

Here is my nice blue/pink porcelain handle collection I have started. I <3 ebay!

SLS/Coconut free products

So the quest for SLS/coconut free products continues. The shampoo on the left of this picture was mud/clay/awful. Didn’t feel like soap at all and I couldn’t rinse it all out properly. The body lotion in the middle seems to work well for me but they have changed the formula to include coconut. So I can only buy the old bottles for so long This shampoo is the only shampoo I can find so far that works for me and is coconut and almond free, but it dries my hair out terribly. I have found two bar soaps and a toothpaste I can use without problems. I have not found a conditioner or face cream that doesn’t make the rash/breakouts worse. Every time I think I am on top of this, about a week passes and my skin begins to heal, I somehow mess it up with another product that makes it terrible again. This time it was the conditioner I tried to balance out the new drying shampoo. I need to just order the conditioner that is the partner of this shampoo and maybe it will be just fine. In the meantime I can only use pure aloe on my face. The dermatologist told me that once I completely eliminate all the products that are causing the problem, it will take 2 weeks for my skin to heal. AHHHHH!

This blog has been sooo very helpful to me right now!

PS Did I mention I always knew I had a problem with SLS (sodium laurel sulfate in regular shampoo gives me terrible skin) but when I switched to natural shampoo 15 years ago I was fine again. It is only since Lyme treatment that coconut has become a problem. However, I read online that if you have a problem with SLS than you probably have a coconut allergy. The coconut allergy blog told me to rub coconut oil on my inner arm and watch for redness. I did and it was red and blotchy, but when I went to wash it off, it was like fire. I think I need to see an allergist to help me figure this all out.

Darling Dovecote

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One more thing…

Pile of fun stuff…