I Dream of Spring

Well, I received some bad news today.  I have a herniated disk - L5S1 - in my back and that is what has been causing all of this pain.  I will be referred to a specialist to determine the course of treatment and I am pretty down.  Chronic pain is not fun.  I am soooo over it!  The only thing keeping me going at this point are the signs of spring all around!

Did you receive the new Southern Living this week?  I got mine today and it cheered me right up.  I'm dreaming of hosting a tea party like the one featured on page 112 (if my memory serves me correctly).  I could eat all of those foods everyday and never grow tired of them.  I'm tempted to invite some of my neighbors over for a girlie gathering this spring.  That is if I can get this back pain under control...  Last year at this time I had a few soirees going, a February baby shower with a bird theme for my sister-in-law out of town, March bunco with my Bunco Babes and an owl-themed baby shower for my sister in April. It's no wonder I am getting a little stir crazy and wanting to entertain! Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure...

First a few taken around the house as things began to bloom...

(and before the great drought of 2011 hit and zapped everything)

 A fabulous pool coming soon at the bottom of those steps!  

That bouganvilla eventually got repotted and grew to be e.nor.mous.

 One of my girls walking up from the pond.

 Geraniums on the front porch.

 These are some sort of petunia that I just fell in love with at the growers.

I bought this furniture last March after much shopping and I love it. I am in the process of re-imagining my back porch though.  It needs some wind protection, privacy and just needs to be dressed up a little architecturally.

And now the shower...

 Henry the owl's cake.

 I made that cute diaper cake!  I also made one for the shower that we hosted for my sister-in-law last February along with some flower arrangements made from wash cloths and bibs.  I can be crafty when I want to be but it doesn't happen often!

 My other sister-in-law made these.  Adorbs!

 Fresh flowers and a bookish owl. 

Sweet Henry is now 8 months old and the most precious thing.  That was a fun day!

2.12.2012

Happy New Year, I'm still here!  I was off to a great start this year.  Organizing, rearranging accessories, purging, zhushing and fluffing and then bam! - no sooner had I gotten my boys back in school and started to tackle the mountain of paperwork in my office, my back went OUT.  Like totally down and out. On January 18, after my morning workout, I bent over to pick something up off the counter, not even the floor, and something twinged and by the end of the day I couldn't sit.  I am a bookkeeper, I need to sit!!!  I have been battling to get "back" to normal ever since with daily visits to the chiropractor and just taking it easy.  Today is the first day I have felt little to no pain.  Yay!  So now I can actually sit at the computer and compose a post!

On a good note, while I have been laid up in bed, I discovered Downton Abbey.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show!  I was able to stream it through Amazon on my Kindle Fire.  (Love my KF as well!) I can't get enough of it.  So good!

I've also discovered Houzz.com!  OMG, where has it been all my life?!?!  Apparently right there under my nose but I have just discovered it so it has become a serious addiction.  I had always seen pictures sourced from there but never really ventured over to check it out and now I have Ideabooks out the wazoo and want to build another, more contemporary house.  Oh dear...  And I've also recently joined Pinterest but since I am more of a house junkie I don't play on it as much.

This week I am getting started on our pool plans!  If we want that sucker in by summer we better get cracking!  Be on the lookout for a pool post from me.  Until then, here are a few pictures that are inspiring me at the moment.

On this dreary February day (we even had a little snow shower earlier!) these warm, sunny pictures look especially inviting!