Very Personal Post

Happy Sunday.

Normally I use this blog for decor crazy and my home designs.  Today I thought I would share something very personal here on the blog.

I normally would not want to do this but I thought maybe by sharing my personal story here it might help some of you and help me with more information and help.

I know with all the changes I do to my home a lot of you refer to me as someone that is never idle and is always moving and doing things.  That is so true about me.  

The personal part I am going to share is I fight through a rough autoimmune disease that can really be debilitating.

It is Fibromyalgia

Here is the Webster Dictionary meaning of Fibromyalgia.

fibromyalgia

 noun

fi·​bro·​my·​al·​gia | \ˌfī-ˌbrō-ˌmī-ˈal-j(ē)ə  \

Definition of fibromyalgia 

: a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles and associated connective tissue structures that is typically accompanied by fatigue, headache, and sleep disturbances

I suffer with it all.  

It comes and goes in my life.  

I have noticed in the past year I have had

 more flare ups than normal.  

I use to just move through the pain and take

 Advil or Aleve on occasional flare ups.  

In the last year that has not worked and I 

have worked with my doctor on some of the

 biologics out there with FDA approval to

help.

The good news about these newer drugs is

 they work well to keep the pain and fatigue

 under control.  

The bad news is they have harsh side 

effects.

  

The one that I suffer from is brain fog and

 memory loss. 

 While the medications were working for the

 flare ups

I was living in a fog and not remembering 

much of anything most days.

At first I thought it was just turning 60 years old and senior moments happening!Then it became more and more harsh for me.  Not a good way to live life when I have my mom's care and babysitting my grand girls and living a pretty active life.

My mom had an important test at the hospital and I even talked to her the night before on what time I would pick her up etc.  That night when I went to bed I forgot competely and did not set my alarm and my mom called me at the time I was to be at her place to pick her up to see where I was.  I have never done anything like this.  I am always early and never late and very organized in my life. 
 That was just the icing on the cake for all theforgetful moments I had been having on a daily basis!

I decided to wean myself off the biologic and cut the dose.  The good news is that the brain fog and memory stuff is so much better.  The bad news is I am in so much pain.  There are days I can hardly walk.  It effects my feet, ankles and achilles.  
This is the most frustrating part of my life.  So I am reaching out to all of you today to see what natural therapies might be out there and how they might be giving you relief.

I have been doing a lot of research on the CBD oils and exercises help.  Yoga is a big one but I am just not a yoga kind of gal.
The CBD oils are getting really good results.  The issue with those are you have to be careful to find a reputable company that is making these oils here in the USA and are not scammers.  The prices are all over the place for these.  I do see my doctor at the end of the month to go over some alternatives.
  I hope she may have some tricks up her sleeve to help me get off the drugs
 and more into natural or off brand Rx's that can give relief without the harsh side effects.
At this point for quality of life I am willing to try anything that might work with in reasonable perimeters.

I know medical marijuana is the big thing now.  I do not think I want to go in that direction but am willing to try the CBD oil with out the chemical that cause the high in marijuana.  I am crazy enough to have that to deal with!

So if any of you suffer from anxiety, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome etc. etc. and have tried some natural help I would love for you to leave me a comment andinformation here on the blog.

Have a great start to the new week.Hugs,
Kris

Living Room Changes

Happy Friday Everyone.

Hope the first new week of the year started out fabulous for all of you.

Struggling here with the cold and hardly any sunshine.  

I just love when that sun comes out.  Makes me feel more motivated in these cold gloomy months of winter.

I told you I would share some of the pics of my escape to Michigan to the Found Cottage last week.

It was a sun filled day and the weather hit 60 so what a fabulous day for a road trip here in the midwest.

Look at this fabulous long wood counter.  Would that not make the perfect island in a large kitchen.  Ohhhhh,  if I had the space that baby would have come home with me.

The shop had some fabulous table setting vignettes.  That candelabra is so chippy and fun.

I know if you follow Liz Marie's blog you know her beautiful old farmhouse is filled with lots of comfy slipcovered furniture.  She has lots of pieces for sale in the shop like this comfy couch.

Look at this wood drawer piece.  That would also be great in a kitchen or a craft space for storage.

For you demi john fans.  The shop has lots of those.

This blessed sign with the basket attached came home with me.  It was a Christmas display so I got it for 50% off.  SCORE!!!

I brought it home and added some spring flowers to the basket.  That will go up on the walls when I figure out all my pieces for hanging.

Terry painted this arch way a solid white with just a little chippy showing.  Looking so good to bling up the opening between the living room and kitchen.  I need to find just the right decor piece to hang on the arch.

Remember this claw table I got for a bargain on Offer Up.  This is going to be the new dining area piece. 
Small world the guy that sold this piece was a Chicago Firefighter that lived a few blocks from Terry's Fire Station!!! 

Here she is!!!!! New table painted white to match my decor.  Love the claw feet and toes on this table!

This chandelier framed out on the ceiling in the middle of the living room will be moved over to hang over the new table.

My little design assistant Buddy was a big helper today!  He was right in the middle of everything with moving and cleaning floors etc. 

Such a big helper lol!!!!

The mirror will be put back in the old door and get hung back up too.

So that was the highlights of my trip to Michigan and also an update on the living room/ dining area changes.

Now I just have to figure out where things will go back up on the walls.

Trying to stay patient while awaiting the new sectional to arrive to complete this room.

It is coming together slowly but I am liking how things are turning out.  I think I will finally have my living room/dining room area that will work in this tiny room.

Have a fabulous weekend.

I found another fabulous item on Offer Up for my office.  It needs some love and I will show you that transformation hopefully after the weekend.

Hugs,
Kris

Parties:
Create, Bake, Grow & Gather

Hello 2019 New Adventures and Changes

Hello Sweet Blog Friends

Here we go into the New Year!!!

I will admit I am not great at the months of January and February here in the Midwest.

It is usually dark, cold and snowing with very little sunshine.

 I try to keep positive and find things in these dreary months to keep me motivated.

As you know we are re doing some things in the living room and trying to find space for a dining area too.

 I am going to recap what has happened so far.

This fabulous Armoire I found on Offer Up got a little make over.

It is now white and ready for placement in the new living room change up.

Wallpaper came down and fresh paint replaced it.

A New Small Space Sectional was ordered.

This is the style we will be getting.  By all calculations it should fit well in the new living room space!  Fingers crossed!

This mirror was moved off the wall to make room for the new Armoire.  It is being de constructed into two new pieces for the living room.

Since we are not taking down the wall between the living room and kitchen we decided this opening from the living room to the kitchen needed a little character added.

Here are some of the pieces from the mirror re loved to make the opening to the kitchen a little more interesting.

Here it is finished just waiting on a few more decorative touches and then it should make this passage way look pretty awesome.

This part of the door/mirror will be made into a new mirror for the living room space.  Sorry the mirror in the pic is upside down!!!

We are moving along with the new changes to the living room / dining room area.  

This is a super fabulous round wood table with fun claw feet I found on Offer Up.
This is being transformed into a new dining table for us.
Stay tuned for this new change for the living room and dining room area.

I cannot wait to get my new sectional in the room and start to pull this room together to create a cozy living room space and dining area.


Hope you all are having a great start to the new year.

Terry and I took a day last Friday and took a drive to Michigan.  We visited some of my favorite shops especially the Found Cottage.

I will have some great pic's of that trip and a few of the new items I bought.

Have a great start to the new week.
Hugs,
Kris

Last Post for 2018

Happy New Year to all of you.

A little update on the Living Room changes.

The last of the wallpaper is off the walls.  Walls were sanded and paint was applied!

The room is now a blank slate for what is to come. 
I am waiting on my sectional to arrive and Terry is making me a new table which I am leaning towards round. 

He will use the legs off this table already in the room or I might just use this table as my new desk.  Have not decided yet!

As we say good bye to 2018,  I want to thank all of you for a year filled with sweet comments and friendship shared. 

You all have blessed me and my little blog in so many ways.

I wish all of you a new year filled with lots of good health, happiness and that you find Joy in every day.

For many of you suffering with health issues I continue to pray for you and your families.

So many of us have had struggles this past year in a lot of different ways.  May the new year clear a path to more peace and less struggle.

Happy New Year!
Hugs,
Kris

New Year New Changes

Hi Everyone.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and now we are moving into the New Year and New Adventures!

Speaking of new adventures,  I had said in my last post that I was thinking of taking a wall down between my living room and kitchen.  

I felt it would give a more open concept and hopefully allow me more space for a dining table and living room area.

This is the wall in question.  After lots of thought on taking this wall down we decided not to do it.

This is a load bearing wall.
 Terry said he could put up a new beam and braces in the ceiling to take this wall down.

  I thought about all the work along with dry walling and plastering to follow!

Even with my great new camera on my new I phone still on a very dark and dreary day my pics look a little grainy.  I apologize!  Hopefully some day soon the sun will come out for better pics!!!

Besides the fact of all the hidden worries inside the wall of this 1940's home,  I also need this French Armoire that is my kitchen pantry. 

This pantry is on that wall that would come down and we would have to swing it up against the long wall after this wall came down. 

It would jet out into the space too much and take up the room  for a dining room table.  

Now it is on to plan B.  I had to think about how I could make this living room work as a living space and also a dining room space.  A big challenge in this small home.

As you can see the plan is underway!! 
Pretty twinkle lights on my Christmas tree is now replaced with a beautiful mess!

Wallpaper is coming down and getting ready for paint.

Buddy is confused on what the heck is happening in this living room!!!!

I found this piece on Offer Up and it got a make over.

The new armoire got some new cabinet paint in white.  This will hold a new TV so I have a TV on the first floor of this house and not just in the Terry's Fireman Cave downstairs.

Santa is bringing us a new Small Space Sectional for our living room. 
After lots of searching!!!!
 Pottery Barn was one of the only places that had a small space sectional that would fit in the space I had to make the living room space and still allow me room for the dining room table.

After looking at several sample swatches we decided on this light cream performance linen.

It is neutral enough to go with any of my decor changes now and in the future. 

This is ordered and can take from 4 to 8 weeks to come in.  I am hoping to get it sooner than later.

  Pottery Barn is having their biggest sale of the year right now and so they get tons of orders.  So that might be a problem to get it sooner than later.  We will see!!

I was gifted this beautiful sign for Christmas.

I hung it above my open shelves in my kitchen.

After taking all my Christmas decor down I decided to keep my winter birds out and not pack them up. 

I love these sweet guys.  They make me smile each morning when I walk into my kitchen. 

Since they are winter birds I feel they can stay out of the Christmas decor boxes for now.

On a thank you note.  I was gifted these handmade soaps from Benita @ Chasing Quaintness.  Thanks Benita the orange clove and peppermint smell so good in my kitchen.

Wishing all of you a grand entry into the New Year!  May we all have wonderful blog adventures in the new year.

Thank you always for following along with my decor changes.  Your friendship's shared bless me in so many ways.

Cheers to a better start in the New Year and may we all enjoy good health, happiness and find joy everyday.

Stay tuned for the stages of the new living room and dining room changes.  I will show you things as they get completed and then hopefully when the new sectional arrives I can show you the whole room put together.

Happy New Year!
Hugs,
Kris