My Hearts are Published, a new Trash to Treasure and Springing Crocus

We're safely back home in Tennessee from our week!  It's always nice to be back home but it's sure great to see family and to greet new grandchildren!    Sadly, our trip back was delayed a day because my sweet DIL developed severe cramping and ended up back in the hospital!  Can you imagine being admitted into the hospital when you have a week old baby at home?

After many blood tests, two CT scans and much pushing and prodding, she was diagnosed as having a uterine infection.  Thank God that they were able to rule out cysts and kidney problems!  The doctors believe that the infection was the cause for the pain and sent her home yesterday.  Please, let's pray that they are correct and that the antibiotics will cure the problem.

She is SO small and the baby was SO big that I'm amazed no other problems developed.

She will probably kill me for publishing the above picture, taken seconds after Ace was born.  My DIL is a beautiful girl but that immediately-after-childbirth-flush doesn't do anyone true justice. Next:  Daddy (my son) helping Bradley getting to know Little Brother.

Have you seen the latest copy of SOMERSET LIFE MAGAZINE?  Thanks to the super-sweet Kim at Daisy Cottage, you can see some hearts that I made in one of their articles!!!  I'm sure most of you are already familiar with Kim and know about her little shout-out on her blog, requesting to see some of her readers' handmde hearts for purchase.  Well, many of us responded by sending some to her; we all love her and just wanted her to know it.  One of the Somerset editors decided to publish the story and some of her hearts; the rest is revealed in the magazine!  I'm honored that my three hearts were among the ones chosen for the article.   

Here's something else I wanted to share with you:  

Isn't this just the cutest little purse?  It's zippered at the top and is really too small to hold my wallet, checkbook, etc.  It's a good storage size for makeup and makes a cute little display on a dresser.  I picked it up in Indiana and would love to have a supply of them to sell at the Corner Nest in Elizabethton, TN.  

Speaking of which:  Here's a picture of the finished cabinet we'll be taking over there this afternoon.  It was really ugly when we got it - there were lots of little advertising stickers all over it (nothing old, just little ads for motor oil, etc.) and greasy spots that made us think it was being used in someone's garage to hold old car parts, etc.  Additionally, it had a broken bottom board, some water damage and here's what it looked like in the midst of some cleaning and sanding:      After a paint job, a few "primitive" touches added back in it, a couple door knobs and a latch, it's now in great shape!  

Finally, I had to show you this last photo! Can you see those little sprigs of green next to the planter?  Crocus have already started showing their greenery!  If you look a little closer, you can see a bulb that somehow managed to work its way above the ground.  It's still on the ground because the ground is frozen too hard for me to re-bury it.  Still, the tender shoots are strong enough to pierce their way through the earth.  Nature is so amazing!