Learning to live with the loss of a parent & googling how to write a kick ass obituary...

So I took some time off from blogging. It was a time I needed to have for me.
It is hard to believe it has been almost four months.

Some of you may have followed the trials and tribulations of my mom over the past few years. She has had a myriad of issues and medical procedures and may have even glowed a little in the dark. She was an almost 20 year breast cancer survivor and an amputee. She had asthma and had taken prednisone for as many years as I can remember. She had PAD and diabetes. She may have had all of these things, but she was NONE of these things.

Let me take a second and tell you just some of what she was. 

She was a survivor. The strongest and most courageous woman I have ever known. She was beautiful inside and out. She was a nurse and was forever happy to dole out her medical knowledge...mostly to people who wanted it and occasionally some who did not. She was an adpotee (spell check wanted to make adoptee to tadpoll) and found her sisters late in life. She was an animal lover and a rescuer. She was a lover of Bloody Mary's, but not ones that were too spicy. She loved sequins and all things shiny and sparkly. She was able to still find humor even when things were kinda shitty. She wanted a T-Rex tattoo on the stump of her leg. She was a wife and a daughter, she was a sister and grandmother, but above all she was my mom.

I miss her. We talked all the time. She was the first call when something shocking happened and even when it was something mundane.

Most days are okay. I can feel her with me. I know she is still around and I find myself having entire conversations with her while I sleep and I wake up feeling calm and I know we talked. 

I am not going to make this post too long for fear of needing an extra glass of whiskey tonight (I got that from G'ma...) and I want to make this a celebration not sad occasion. 

Sometime I will share our discussions of where mom's ashes would be stored and our conversations with the funeral director. Mom would have laughed the whole time and I am sure she was.

One last thing...I will admit I did have to google how to write an obituary. I did learn a few things. An obituary is a genealogical record and that is why you need to include certain information like family and city of birth. I had never thought of it. 

Anyway I want to leave you with her obituary. I wrote it with my dad. It is funny and irreverent and even a bit off the wall. Dad chose this picture from there trip to Antigua shortly after they were married. It was taken in a cemetery and she is wearing my dad's shirt because she had gotten a nasty sunburn the day before. She looks beautiful. Mom would have approved, no I KNOW she does.

Mary Alice Davis

Mary Alice Davis, age 72, of rural Shelby, died peacefully Saturday, February 4, 2017 at her home.

Mary Alice was born on November 27, 1944 in Gary, Indiana. She was adopted by Frank and Helen (Mahoney) Mooney who preceded her in death along with her brothers, Frank Mooney and Jack Mooney. Later in life she was able to find her birth mother, Mary Elizabeth Leonard who also preceded her in death. On June 15, 1968 in Shaker Heights, Mary Alice married William E. Davis. Bill survives along with a son: Michael (Heather) Davis of Dublin; a daughter: Maureen Jones (Mark Haake) of Chicago; 3 grandchildren: Brayden, Tori, and Erik; two sisters from her birth family: Rosemary (Mike) Nolan and Helenann (Gary) Paruta; and a sister in law: Margie “MiMi” Mooney.

Mary Alice was a nurse. She graduated from St. John College of Nursing in Cleveland with a Bachelor of Nursing. She worked at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and later worked at Shelby Memorial Hospital where she was in charge of the Caring For You Home Health Care Agency- a job she loved. Following Caring For You, Mary Alice became the Director of Nursing at Dale Roy in Ashland from where she retired. In her off time, she was a country nurse who would occasionally evaluate an abrasion or take out the random stitch or two for the neighbors.

Mary Alice was a woman living in the digital age with her feet firmly planted in the analog world. She had a smart phone that left the charger two or three times during the four years she had it. Mary Alice preferred daily planners to calendar apps and talking on the phone to texting. The only exception was her Nook, which saw hundreds and hundreds of digital books. She was a reader.

She was a lover of all things four legged and furry as well as high thread count sheets and anything bedazzled. Those that knew Mary Alice and received her Christmas cards will appreciate that she was also preceded in death by the “damn horse in the barn.”

Mary Alice was one of the most optimistic people around. If someone wondered whether the glass was half empty or half full she would take the pitcher and fill the glass so there was no doubt. She liked movies as long as Disney produced them. Mary Alice powered through many difficulties but refused to be a victim. She always saw the positive, always.

Mary Alice was a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, 5742 State Route 61, Shelby, where her funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 10:30 am with Fr. Nicholas Weibl officiating. Family and friends are welcome on Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 4-7 pm at the Turner Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby where a Christian Wake Service will be conducted at 7 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School.

Online condolences at: lwww.turnerfuneralhomeshelby.com

Wanderlust - Northern Ireland Edition

Many moons ago while doing my graduate work I applied to present at an Olympic Conference in London, England. This was in 2010 while London was ramping up to host the summer games in 2012. 

My application was accepted and so the planning began. Of course the way we travel we never go to just one location. This trip was no exception. We loved our time in London and totally geeked out over the Olympic Park and visiting lots of the big sites like Windsor Castle, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament and Kings Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4.

So we started looking around at side trips. If you have ever been to Europe flying around on the low cost airlines can give you so many options for not much money. We found roundtrip flights from London Stanstead Airport to Dublin, Ireland for about $40 a person. Neither of us had been to Ireland...sssooooooo off we go with as much crap as one person can stuff into a small backpack. 




TRAVEL TIP!!! Ziplock bags and rolling clothes can save you space! Also if you can layer. And then layer again. These airlines can be very serious about the size limit for your carry on and paying to check a bag can cost more than your seat on the plane.

A good portion of my ancestors came from Ireland. We went in late May and let me tell you the North Atlantic is no joke and while we lucked out and had beautiful sunny days, they were still chilly with the wind coming off of the ocean.

Oh and renting a car and driving in Ireland...just be prepared. Turning. Roundabouts. Sheep (actually we got stopped by cows). Non existent shoulders...they were either cliffs, rock walls, or rock walls covered in shrubbery. Also people native drivers barrelling at you on the wrong side. As a passenger you also experience another form of terror...you are sitting where a steering wheel and pedals should be, but aren't. It is a bizarre adventure.

This entry will only touch on a brief portion of the trip, because if I talked about the whole thing it would end up being a novel and nobody got time for that while reading a blog.

We rented a car in Dublin and headed north. We had a hostile in Belfast calling our name and we were on our way...cautiously because well you know driving in a manner we were not accustomed. 

Traveling in Europe across countries since the joining of the European Union is interesting because sometimes you have no idea you have entered another country. This was the case passing from Ireland into Northern Ireland...we had no idea until we saw the Great British flags flying...surprise and welcome to another country! It reminds me of driving from say Ohio to Pennsylvania, except there are usually signs along the highway.
First stop a pint of course. And we rolled in like a couple of insane foreigners and drank the sweet dark nectar of Dublin. If you find yourself in Belfast, and I hope you do, go to the Crown Liquor Saloon and take up a stool and just take it all in...this gorgeous old gin joint.

I didn't realize it until after I took the picture...yep my photographic genius captured Ass Whiskies...

While we were in Northern Ireland I was finishing my last few projects for my grad degree...just be aware, most European coffees are very different and Americano is not always a good thing oh and water in many places is flat or sparkling. I found a love for sparkling water, but many people are not so keen. Flat is like tap water.

Our Ireland trip was part planned and part free-form. We knew we wanted to see Giant's Causeway but a few other places were a very happy serendipity.
We were unprepared for the magnitude and beauty of Giant's Causeway (<<<want to learn more...click the name). Giant's Causeway is named for Finn McCool (<<<brush up on your mythical story) and his epic battle with a Scottish giant named Benandonner.
There is also a much more scientific explanation which involves an ancient volcano and the resulting hexagonal basalt columns left behind, but I will let you form your own opinions on how it got there.
This place is magical. Green clifftops followed by gorse (see picture - yellow flowering scrubby bushes) covered cliff sides and then you turn a corner and all you see is these amazing hexagonal columns packed together like a huge puzzle created ages ago in violence and now they stand there flowing into the sea and beckon you to just stay a while.

Heading to Giant's Causeway 

The coast of Northern Ireland is stunning. Green cliffs leading to the North Atlantic...islands and birds and a whole lot of magical views.

 The trail out to Giant's Causeway is a fairly easy hike and slightly picturesque. 

This is gorse...it was everywhere and in full bloom while we were in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Show off.
Then you turn a corner and start to see the columns. They seem to stretch on forever...as you get closer they get even more amazing.

The perfection. The simple repeating beauty.

You can easily see where the legend of Finn McCool came from as the columns disappear into the sea.

It isn't a stretch to think giants fought here.

After spending some time here and soaking up the energy this amazing place offers off we went still trying to get the hang of driving on the other side of the road and not harm sheep or man or the rental car.

Oh wait...is that a random castle just hanging out on this gorgeous cliff. Why yes it is. Stop the car!

Serendipity. Castle. No real safety guidelines and no one to stop us from wandering around and wondering what this place must have been a couple hundred years ago.
I give you Dunluce Castle (<<<<Learn more).

I will end on this gorgeous note...
If Northern Ireland is not on your list, it should be. 

Other serendipities in Northern Ireland: Bushmills (closed because it was a Sunday) and Belfast Castle pictured below.

Wait, why are they throwing that out? Stop the truck!

I suffer from a serious collection disorder. 

You de-clutter and I re-clutter.

So a few weeks back I was driving through the neighborhood when I saw a rickety rocking chair sitting in someones trash. I get back to the house...grab the truck being careful not to disturb (aka let him know what I am up to) Mark. This is tough because if you have ever seen our Ruby girl she is tough to miss because she sounds like a freaking school bus...without a muffler...on steroids.

The chair was obtained with no issues and promptly deposited in the garage. No Mark.

A bit later..."hey, why did you take the truck?" Busted. For the record the answer 'ohhh no reason' is guaranteed to arouse suspicion. After a few choice words and eye rolls we move on.

I debated what color to go with. My heart was screaming for a turquoise or fire engine red, but the mostly hidden practical side of me went with black - really shiny black. I knew this was a piece I was going to part with and figured black would be most appealing.

So here is what we started with. Some people have mentioned they thought it was a commode chair, but unless you have some interesting bathroom challenges I can't see a rocking chair used for this purpose. My thoughts are that it had caning or maybe some type of padded seat inserted, but who knows.

After a light sanding (and by light I mean mostly non-existent) I took her out to 

the paint shop.

I grabbed my handy and favorite cans of spray paint and went to town!!!

After several coats of glossy black paint I sealed her with a triple glaze. 

I went to my second home the thrift shop and found an old steamer pot with handles that fit perfectly into the hole in the seat.

Next I filled the steamer pot with some growies (yes I took out the newspapers) 

I bought at local store.

As the plants grow and the flowers bloom it should really pop against the black of the chair. I am happy with how it turned out and am excited for her to find a gorgeous porch to spend the lazy summers.

 I just adore the lion (I am totally guessing) on the top of the chair!!!

Wanderlust - Charleston, South Carolina edition

If I haven't mentioned it before I love to travel. Seriously love to travel. If Booze Traveler wasn't already a thing it could be my thing...our thing.


I am lucky to have a partner in travel that loves it at least as much as I do. I guess I have always known I have a wondering soul, but after Mark and I got together this near obsession started to surface over and over and over again!

Together we have been to at least 20 states and 25 countries. I (we) want more. 



This is a brief look at the last two visits we have made to the Charleston, South Carolina area and what makes it amazing (besides having family there).

Travel doesn't have to be over the top out of reach expensive. You also don't have to go to far away places to feel like you have been swept away. Charleston is a beautiful city that transports you to far away places with wind swept dunes and architecture that you will drool over. Haunted spaces and history both beautiful and filled with horror and hate.


You could spend days wandering the city streets and still not see or taste it all.

We are blessed to have family to visit in the area so we get down generally at least twice a year. 

I love being a tourist. Here. There. Everywhere.

We spent a few days over the Christmas holiday there and we got to go see the Angel Oak. What is the Angel Oak you say? It is a scrumptious ancient live oak. The tree is thought to be at least 400 years old and is located on Johns Island, SC. The day we visited was drizzly and cool, but the tree was all that I had hoped it would be.

I love trees. Especially the old gnarled ones covered in moss and lichens and other growies. Seriously look at this beauty. She is like a spiderweb of branches and leaves. Just stop and think about what this tree has seen the people that have touched her and admired her strength and history.

 People that have looked up through these same branches and just breathed in the salty air.

Look at the life. Look at those gorgeous ferns just making a life for themselves on one of her branches. She is an entire little ecosystem.

I really thought this post was going to be about more than just the visit to the Angel Oak, but I think I am going to leave it just like this. I have more...but I will save it for another post. 

Who knows if this little one will retain her first visit to the Angel Oak, but my wish is that she find a love of nature and trees and moss and ferns and bugs and sand and surf and birds and stars and all of the other amazing that nature gives us every single day if we take the time to look around.

So take a second to stop. Take a deep breath. See the beauty. Love the dandelion and the cicada. See them for the amazing part of this dance we are in. Find your rhythm in nature. 

GO HUG A TREE!!!!

I am happiest when I am creating.

Chicago is a haven of resale shops and thrift stores.
This leads to finding and deciding and maybe a few tears leaving certain treasures behind.

Sometimes you stumble on a little gem and see its potential.

This was one of those trips.

This is a little woven wooden wreath and I saw something in it so I had to have it. I brought it home and in true 'me' fashion I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have. 

This lady needed a few costume changes before I found her new found her perfect outfit.
We tried on a shade of coral - yuck. Then we tried on a beautiful shade of turquoise - also yuck. Neither matched her eyes.

So I went back to my tried and true love of metallics.
BAM she had found her perfect outfit. 

Also pictured are my touched up gazing ball (aka painted bowling ball) and freshly painted matching stand!

Now she needed some accessories. And I had the perfect items to gussy her up.

I am a collector of rocks and shells from numerous trips from all over. I have bags of them and most serve no purpose...so break out the paint and give them purpose. 

Now to attach the painted shells to the wreath and add some gorgeous feathers (an Ohio neighbor has raised fowl of all kinds for years and are a great supplier of gorgeous naturally shed feathers). 

I thought I was done, but it felt like it needed more. Always MORE!!!
So a few more feathers and NOW it feels complete and the bling has been added in a sufficient amount.

Here is this newly transformed beauty. I am smitten. I hope to find her the perfect home to love her as much as I do!

Cheers to stepping way out of our comfort zone.

First of all, let me apologize for my extended absence. I was really getting into a rhythm and then life or rather the end of one happens and your world gets all wibbly wobbly. Trying to get back into my blog and craft cycles. Because life does go on and it is still amazingly beautiful.

So here is what we have been up to over the past few months.
Mark & I established an LLC officially this year and are launching a website and we have even set up a real bank account for all of this business stuff. 

I gotta say it is empowering and terrifying all at once.
Today I have been working on some new labels and working toward getting some product stocked up and ready for some upcoming farmers markets and other vendor shows we are doing. We are even getting business cards. I almost feel like we are getting legit!

Plain Jane Castile Soap

Grapefruit Lotion Bars and Outdoorsy (Citronella & Lemongrass) Lotion Bars

Today I have been working on some new labels and working toward getting some product stocked up and ready for some upcoming farmers markets and other vendor shows we are doing. We are even getting business cards. I almost feel like we are getting legit!


We made a mess of soap last weekend and I am working on getting lotion bars together so we have some inventory.

Crafting and upcycling is also a favorite and you never know what we might have to offer at any time...for example:

Porch rocker planter. I love how this turned out and it is only going to get more spectacular as the flowers fill in.

Found the wreath at goodwill. Tweeked with some spray paint and added some whimsy with metallic sea shells and feathers from a family friend. I am also smitten with this piece.

The weather this weekend looks sketchy so it may be a full on crafty weekend.
I love that we are giving this a go. I love that we are doing this on our terms. Creating something that is all ours.
CHEERS to new adventures and trying something new!

If you want more info or are interested in buying any of our products just give us a shout!