A Happy Thanksgiving

As Turkey Day draws to a close, I do hope that each & every one of you had a wonderful day. As promised, I am posting how my little antique shop find turned out as my table centerpiece. Remember this?

Here is the final product:


I don't think it turned out half bad. My father-in-law was the first to remark about it. He made sure to tell me how beautiful it was and how he couldn't believe I made that out of an old carpenter's tool box. A compliment coming from a man who you wouldn't think would notice something like that, really made my day! (I only wish I had taken a picture of it with the candles lit too. Oh well.)
It's getting late, I really need to get to bed now...lots of decorating to do tomorrow! :) If you are decorating or brave enough to go shopping tomorrow, have a great day!

My very first award

Well look at that! I received my very first blogging award. (insert applause here) The lovely Jen Coen
gave me this award, so thank you, thank you, thank you Jen!
To accept this award do the following:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreative Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.


Now I must tell you 7 things about me (oh I hope I don't bore you with these!)
1. My birthday & my husband's birthday are 2 days apart. The really interesting fact though? We were in the hospital nursery together. My mom even remembers meeting his aunt who was visiting her sister-in-law who had just had a baby. (my mother-in-law) What can I say? He must have been checking me out when he was days old! LOL
2. I have always lived in the same city I grew up in. I didn't even go away to college. I've always been here.
3. I once was a hair model at a show given by L'oreal to introduce their new products to area hair dressers. I remember being given the most beautiful perm I ever had. (no laughing, this was the 80s people!) Now for the real trauma? They cut my hair really, really, and I mean really short afterwards. I was a teenager, it was the 80s, era of the big hair, needless to say I was shocked! As I recall, it looked nice but it was soooo New York City. I remember all the hair dressers telling me it was about 3 years ahead of it's time for our little city in Upstate New York!
4. I gained only 7 pounds while pregnant for my daughter, 6 pounds for my son. At one point, I remember even losing 5 pounds!
5. I have met celebrity chefs Sara Moulton, Paula Deen and Giada DeLaurentiis. I have pictures with all of them.
6. I have met Josh Groban and have a photo with him as well!
7. There were 452 people invited to my wedding. I don't know why but people are always shocked by this. What can I say? Big Italian family?
Whew! Glad that part is over!
I am supposed to nominate 7 of you for this award, but I think I'll cheat and say I would like to give it to each & every one of you because you all deserve it...so much creativity out there! Is that acceptable or will the award police try to defame me? (sort of like Kanye & Taylor Swift, heehee!)

The incoherent mind

That's me, owner of the incoherent mind...especially, at this time of year. My head is swirling with thoughts, all kinds of thoughts, all over the place, like Thanksgiving dinner, tablecloths & napkins, appetizers, my new rug, Christmas gifts, having a wall shelf made, folders, something to match my new brown shoes, painting, haircut, baby gift, bottle brush trees, scrapbooking... I have lists that are too numerous to mention. It's getting out of control and the holidays are not even in full swing yet! Last night I went to bed with a pen and paper placed on my night stand because I knew that as I was trying to relax and fall asleep, I wouldn't be able to without thinking of a thousand things I needed to do first. The result? Another list added to the pile.
(Now you know how my blog got its long & odd name...well, that and the fact that I couldn't think of anything creative to name it that day!)
I wanted to share this find that I got at the antique store last week.

I think the owner of the store was intrigued by my buying it. He joked that I must have alot of work to do with a tool box of that size. Then I told him that it was going to be my Thanksgiving table centerpiece. He was definitely surprised and commented on my creativity. Well I think we'll need to see what it actually looks like when I'm done with it before we praise my creativity. Who knows? I could end up destroying the thing! I'll post a picture of it if I manage to pull it off though.
I just have to add that I am so ready for this tomorrow, I'm nearly salivating!

Have a good day my friends!

Blessings

I've been pretty scarce around here lately...here's my story. (not that you asked, but you're gonna get it anyway!)

In October, I had a mammogram. A day later, I had my worst fear...a phone call. Now I know that the technician said NOT to panic if I get called to come back, but really people, what do you think a normal person is going to do? They needed to repeat the mammo and suggested an ultrasound be done too. The earliest they could get me in was some 9 days later. Of course, the fact that my doctor sent me the radiologist's report during this 9 day wait did not help. I know just enough from working in the medical field previously to scare the heck out of me. Why would she do this? I still can't believe it, it's not like I requested the report! Anyway, 9 days of panic follow.

Why is it that when you are going through something rough and trying not to think about it, the more you are surrounded by that thing. Know what I mean? What is October? Breast Cancer Month. No matter how much I tried to take my mind off my worries, the more I saw online posts, tv commercials, pink ribbons, etc. all pertaining to breast cancer. It was seriously scaring me. (I would also like to apologize to my blogging friends that had heartfelt posts about breast cancer on their blogs (Melonie and Ana, I believe). I wanted so much to respond but it was all too close to home.

I finally go back to the hospital and this technician mammograms the heck out of me. I'm telling you a good 15 additional views! I wait and wait and wait. People going in after me have now left and here I sit, contemplating the worst. I finally get called in for the ultrasound. The technician leaves to go show the results to the radiologist and she returns with the actual doctor. I took one look at him, uttered "Oh no!" and knew I was in trouble. He explained that he found a "nodule", solid looking, that he recommended be biopsied. More panic. He tells me that there's an 80% chance it's benign.

More worry. I finally get an appointment with a breast surgeon, some 2 weeks later. 2 more weeks of worry & panic follow. Luckily, he was able to get me in for the biopsy within 4 days. 4 more days of panic. I had the biopsy this past Monday. Doctor thought it looked benign. He couldn't say for sure because the pathology report wouldn't be back for 2 days. 2 more days of worry.

Yesterday, it was official....all is fine! Thank God! Thank St. Jude and St. Anthony who I prayed to over and over again. I feel as though I've been through the wringer, but yet I know that this could have been so much worse.

So here's my public service announcement to all my friends....Make sure you do monthly breast exams and get a yearly mammogram. (if you're old enough) This "nodule" was not something that could be felt and was only found with the mammogram/ultrasound.

Sorry if this post was TMI, but I feel blessed and had to shout it to the world!

27th win

I just can't let the moment pass unblogged (is that even a word?). The boys in pinstripes have done it again!

Congrats to the New York Yankees on winning the World Series for the 27th time!!