Good Things Come

My mom stopped by today with my Christmas present. Yes. Christmas present. Before Christmas my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I was thinking a Pottery Barn gift card for the bathroom we are trying to finish. Bathroom Post coming soon. After talking she easily convinced me that I needed something pretty just for myself. It did not take much convincing. I of course went strait to Etsy for something unique. I searched beach necklaces and found the most beautiful necklace that was totally me. Since it was so close to Christmas when we ordered and it is a handmade item, we had to wait a while. Well I did think it was a pretty long wait but I will have to say I would have waited three more months.

It is the most "Vivian" necklace I could have ever imagined. So perfect. So...tomorrow...January 30th...since Tuesday they are calling for 63 degree weather...I think I am just going to put on my beach necklace find me some flip flops and accept that winter is refusing to give me a much needed snow day. I will embrace what I will now call the Sprinter of 2012...in style...that's spring and winter...lol...I crack myself up! Thank you mom! Good things come to those who wait! Best present ever...except for maybe that Barbie camper back in the early 80's. That thing was cool!

Choose Joy

Ashley Hackshaw of the blog Lil Blue Boo is one of the bravest people I know. She has been diagnosed with cancer and she faces her battle publicly. Over a year ago I found her blog the way I normally find blogs....by wandering aimlessly from site to site. When I first started reading her blog I was just getting the crafting and sewing bug. She made crafting and sewing seem cool to me. She was young and beautiful and I wanted to be just like her.

Several months ago while checking up on her blog I began to read about some things that she was facing and it just seemed to spiral downward. Each time I checked back in to see how she was doing I saw that things had gotten more difficult. Then one day I went to read her post and read that she had been diagnosed with cancer. I won't share her story here. I would not do it justice. All I can say is please go to her website and her Cancer Chronicles at www.lilblueboo.com and read. You will cry. I have seen her rite of passage video several times now and cried each time.

I don't understand cancer. I don't understand why it exist. I just know that it must be stopped. I know that we must find a cure whether it is childhood cancer, breast, colon. Whatever cancer it is I pray that a cure be found. I pray for Ashley every day. I don't know her personally but she is such a role model. Her new motto is Choose Joy. What a beautiful message. Despite everything she has been through her ability to smile and laugh and share with the world what she is going through to me is such a gift. When I have a bad day I think of Ashley. I will try to live each day with that motto. I will choose joy! So my first blog post is dedicated to Ashley and her family. Prayers and hugs from Tennessee all the way to Cali