Hello, I'm Helen Joy and I'm addicted to Yard Sales.

I must admit, I do not think I will ever set foot in a goodwill again (ok we all know this isn't true), but seriously, I have not really had the wonderful experience which is a yard sale, until this past weekend. I've been to a few but mostly with my mom as a little girl. I went to a Unitarian Universalist "Church" yard sale. I've always been curious about what kind of people attend a church where the sign outside reads. Embrace the trees...find your balance...and other things of that nature. Well, the people were really nice, the book collection, QUITE interesting. But the finds were incredible.

I'm not joking when I say I cried several times that day because I was so excited! I think I called every one I know.

I really was in the mood to shop and spend money. So for about $25 I got all this:

I got this cute silk, note pad (where you can replace the paper) for free. It's the perfect size and really quite precious.

FREE

I teach violin and my Suzuki book 1 was pretty beat up (it is 15 years old) and so I picked this new one up for 50 cents.

I got the old, rusty shoe rack for 50 cents. I've already spray painted it white and will use it to display either towels or a quilt. I'll post pictures of that soon.

HUGE nice wooden, black frame that I don't need to spray paint. It's for a 16x20 photo:-) $2

I went on a little glass jar binge this week. I found so many beautiful ones. I actually bout 7, but have given some away already to friends who need them. I kept these three to myself and I'm so excited about what to fill them with! $2 each.

I got this beautiful gold plated necklace for $3. I absolutely LOVE leaves. I'm very picky about jewelry and so it is rare that I find something I like and would wear

My 11 year old sister is OBSESSED with the sixties. She asks me questions all the time about it, and I wasn't even alive then! She also is a huge puzzle fan. I found this puzzle for $1. We'll have so much fun doing it.

I found this good basket for 25 cents. Took the handle off...and

Now I have a place to keep Barclay's bibs in my cabinet.

I got this cute bird cage for $2.

And put it in my entry way. I think I'm going to buy some moss or ivy to put inside of it. It think it's really cute though.

I bought this tiny life jacket for $1. It'll be great for Barclay next year.

I saw this little wooden pinoccheo doll. I thought it would look awesome in Barclay's "classic little boy" room. When I got home, I looked him up and saw that it is from the 1960's from Italy. They aren't going for much, plus he doesn't have feet, so I'm going to keep him and enjoy him.

I found this unbreakable, new french press for 50 cents. I'm giving it to my sister who needs one and loves coffee.

I found this large wooden soldier for 50 cents. I am very lacking in the Christmas decor department so I try to pick up some cute things here and there for Christmas, even though it's forever away.

These are European, wooden toys, that are usually very expensive. They are of the brand Beeboo. I saw them in a bag for 25 cents and picked them up. This is a balancing puzzle and all the pieces are there. I really love it!

These are original, signed artwork of sail boats. They are professionally framed, but I'm going to probably paint the frames white and the mattes red...maybe. But I love them for my baby boy's room and they were $5 for both of them.

I've been meaning to go buy a little stool for myself. Since I can barely reach my top cabinets. I go this for free:-)

I found this beautiful, new milk steamer for 50 cents. My husband loves him a Latte so I was so excited to find this so we can make them at home!

I found this dress up Larry for 25 cents. He had marker all over his face, but magic eraser took care of that! It is so cute and fun and I know a very sweet little girl who absolutely loves Larry who will be receiving him in the mail this week. I can't wait for her to play with him!

I found this heavy metal "b" marked 5 cents. When I went to check out the lady just gave it to me for free. I think she just wasn't good at math. I'm going to spray paint it red for Barclay's room:-)

I have been wanting some white shudders for a LONG time. I want to put them on either side of a large painting or picture and it goes perfect in my newly painted brown room:-) They were both $1 total. Yay!

I also bought a $3 excersaucer for a friend who needed one!

On the way home, I pulled over to a yard sale which looked like they were giving up. I looked around and saw nothing until I saw a sign on this that said, "For Sale"

Barclay's room is a mess right now (post soon to come). His white shelf broke and so I've been on the look out for a non cheap shelf. I found this at the end of the day, I asked if she would take $6 for it and she did! I'm going to repaint it white and soon that room shall be clean!

Thanks for visiting and make sure to check out everyone else's find over at Rhoda's!

Out of the Haze

I feel like I have just walked out of a very long stay in a very dark woods. The past 5 1/2 months have been the most wonderful and the hardest months of my life! I feel like I've been unable to deal with anything. I feel like I've avoided people, bills, basically real life.

Every morning I woke up with no clue what was in store for that day, all I knew is I had been awake most of the night and I knew I was too tired to do much that day.

It really has been rough. REALLY rough.

Prior to having Barclay, not getting at least 8 hours of sleep equalled a grouchy me, headaches,and pretty much an awful day. Fast forward 5 1/2 months and I have not gotten more than 2-3 hours sleep at a time since Barclay's birth. I think it's incredible that:

a.I'm still alive.

b.People still want to hang out with me.

c.I'm still alive.

I've been worn down, I haven't had the energy to exercise. I haven't had the energy to do anything except the bare minimum. That included feeding Barclay, doing my work, and sometimes a load of laundry, and of course my very needed therapy...blogging. All my days have run together, it is just one big blur. Nothing with Barclay is a blur, because I've made sure to remember and treasure every moment with him, good or bad, but everything outside Barclay is a blur. Everything else is hazy.

I just to give a quick run down of Barclay's health, because so many people have asked me:

-At 2 weeks old, figured out he and I had Thrush. Had to get on antibiotics.

-At 3 weeks, he was screaming so much for several hours at a time and was inconsolable. We took him to the night pediatrician and he told us,

"He has reflux, put him on previcid."

I was so tired and didn't really question him. I had no idea how many babies they "diagnose" with reflux, without trying to figure out if that is really it.

-Previcid helped a lot. But he was still crying quite a bit. So I got of milk for 2 months, I got off Gluten for 2 weeks. No change.

-His problems started getting worse around 3 months. I took Barclay in several times for his Pediatrician to only comment on his healthy weight and give me another way to take the previcid (take half at night, half in the morning, double the dose, etc.).

-I tried: ground up papaya tablets, Reliv, Probiotics, blackberry wine (just a little for him and a lot for me), natural stomach tablets, and some I can't even think of right now.

-He started getting so bad that he was up screaming half the night and nothing worked to calm him down. At 3 months, I started basically sleeping with Barclay in the guest room just to survive.

-I also noticed that he could only poop while standing up. Once a day. And it seemed painful.

I finally switched doctors to a very nice man who LISTENED to me. He told me he thought it might be a blocked bowl, or a narrowing of a part of the upper gi tract.

I finally felt validated.

-We were sent to Mission hospital where Barclay drank Barium and had xrays of his upper Gi which was very painful to watch.

RESULTS: He had no valve to control acid, and a possible hernia.

-Next test, they had to put him to sleep, put IV's in his head! and do an endoscopy.

RESULTS: Xray had been false, every thing looked good. He does have quite a bit of inflammation and acidic burning in the stomach

-Barclay had a bad rash for two weeks, we took him in because he was screaming and it was welting. They sent him in for an ultrasound of his kidneys and bladder.

RESULTS: Clean.

-Next test, a 3 hour stomach emptying test.

Barclay drank my milk with some radioactive stuff in it (I know I'm cringing thinking of it)They did a scan of him 2 minutes after drinking, 1 hour after drinking, 2 hours after drinking, 3 hours after drinking.

Results: Perfect.

-I felt totally stupid. All that money, all that pain, and nothing was wrong! Well something was wrong, but nothing they could find was wrong.

(I think back and wonder if I should have tried more natural stuff, I wondered if I was a bad mother for just letting the doctors take over. I was so tired and so hazy, I didn't have the energy to question or fight. But Barclay's pain was so evident and so constant, that as his mother, I felt it was my duty to search out all possibilites of severe problems. Because I would have felt awful if there was something truly dangerous wrong with him and I had dragged my feet.)

-I notice 3 weeks ago that Barclay was pulling at his ear, I took him in for an ear infection and he said he had no infection. Barlcay still had a terrible rash.

-I pulled him off of Prevacid myself, he was screaming but it was a different kind of screaming than usual.

-I took him on Friday to the Ped because his ear was swollen red, scaly, he still had a rash and several other places that were starting to grow, peel, bleed. He was also bleeding out of his ear.

RESULTS: Infantigo. Severe middle ear infection, and rash.

Treatment: 5 different creams and medicines.

I also start feeding Barclay Kefir with rice cereal mixed in, along with other veggies.

1 day later, I start seeing a difference. Big time.

He also for the first time in about 3 months was able to poop laying down (this i think was the Kefir).

RESULTS: Naps. No screaming at night. Happy happy baby. Happy happy mama.

Last night was the first night in 2 months that I have slept the entire night with my husband. Barclay woke up 2 times but I was able to feed him and put him down and that was it. I then went back to my bed and slept with Noah.

Barclay woke up cooing at 7 instead of his usual screams.

Today I woke up in my own bed, NOT totally exhausted. Noah brought Barclay to me to nurse and we had a very sweet time with the three of us.

I then got up, drank tea while Barclay played, did some work...and I know that Barclay will nap for two hours from 10-12. Because he has done it the past 4 days.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I am going to drop a feeding for Barclay if I can, because I know he can go without it. I'm pretty sure in the next week or so, Barclay will be able to sleep through the night because he isn't in pain any more.

I have felt very defensive of myself lately. People think that I am too soft, hold him too much, don't let him cry it out. Let me tell you, I've let him cry it out all the time. Sometimes for an hour, mostly because I couldn't get out of bed. But nothing worked.

Barclay was in pain. Either stomach, bowls, or ear. He was in pain.

He isn't anymore. I don't know what happened, except that God healed him and it was nothing I did right or the doctors did right. It was God's mercy to me as a very worn out Mama who was starting (just barely) to feel a little bit bitter.

I'm not saying it's going to be easy as pie from now on (although that would be nice:-) )

I'm just saying that this morning I woke up and felt like I maybe could make it. That maybe I could have a semi normal life, that maybe I had more energy than just the absolute basics.

And maybe I could have the 5 kids that I've been wanting...

Praise the Lord!

To my friends and family. I'm sorry I've been out of touch, moody, and haven't replied to phone calls, emails, facebook messages. I'm sorry I haven't sent out my thank you notes for many sweet gifts. I was in a haze. But I think I'm back.

Twitterpaited.

I am so twitterpaited with Barclay. I love him so much!

Today has been the best day ever. He cried, but I could console him, he giggled, he napped. It was wonderful!

I do not know exactly what is working, but something is.

I seriously could eat him up he's so yummy.

I am like a love sick puppy, but I don't care.

It's 11 pm and I'm being silly and waiting for him to cry so I can hold him again. Even though I'm so tired.

Silly me...

Thrifty Finds and a Makeover

I went to a couple local thrift stores last week and wanted to share my finds:-)

I found this pineapple for $5.50 it is iron and actually pretty big. Since I'm from Charleston, SC and the pineapple is a sign of hospitality...and I didn't have any in my home. I thought this was perfect!

I can put anything in there that I want. I'm thinking a tall green candle, but if anyone has any suggestions....I'd love to hear them.
I thought about spray painting it white so you could see something in it better, but I really like the black.

I found this beautiful thing and knew it was a gem! It is raw silk in turquoise and champagne. I wanted to buy it for me, but I knew it belonged to my friend Reba. It was made for her, and she just bought a new house and this will go perfectly. Isn't it stunning? It was only $3.

Isn't this the ugliest lamp you've ever seen? I thought so, until I saw that it was 1/2 off $5. Than I looked a little closer. If you take that horrible shade off and thought about spray paint...it started looking pretty good. And it is really really tall. I have a pet peeve about short lamps...they don't make sense to me!

You can't tell but this was fake wood and it was really ugly. I really liked the carvings on it though.

And here is after a coat of white spray paint.

Look at the detailing! I was a little concerned because when I was spray painting it, it wasn't covering everything, but as I stood back, I saw that it just made it look weathered! I LOVE how it turned out!

Top part. Now all I have to find is the perfect shade and I will have a beautiful

Head over to A Soft Place To Land to check out other makeovers.

And to Rhoda's for thrifty finds.

Dear Body

Dear Body,

I'm sorry I've neglected you.

Teeth, I'm sorry I'm too tired to brush you sometimes and that in the middle of the night, I sometimes eat and don't clean you.

Hair, I'm sorry that I dyed you yesterday on a whim and left it in 10 minutes too long because I forgot.

Face, I'm sorry that I've not washed or hydrated you except once a week for the past 5 months.

Legs I'm sorry that you haven't been properly shaved in months.

Skin, I'm sorry I never use lotion anymore, at least I use soap.

Body, I'm sorry I've eaten things that aren't for your best good, and I'm sorry that often times I don't get you moving like I should.

I know things have changed and I now have something wonderful to put a lot of my energy into, but I'm realizing that I need not forget myself.

You have to last me the rest of my life!

Love Helen Joy

So You Think You Can Dance

I absolutely am in love with the show, So You Think You Can Dance. I look forward to it all week long and think about it all week long. It is inspiring, daring, and always makes me cry good tears:-) I love crying good tears.

I just watched tonight's show and wanted to write my opinion about the dancers. Especially because my friend Rebekah reads this and I want her to know who I am liking! And it's too late to call her!

My favorite couple before tonight was Randi and Evan...They were adorable and I loved their Mia Michaels "French Rivera Butt Dance".

My favorite girl and all time favorite contestant: Jenine and she's been my favorite since the beginning. She's so emotional when she dances, yet she's technical, she drips feminine intrigue, and she's a rockin dancer!

My favorite guy: Ade. That guy is so strong, manly, and he makes it look easy.

Here is what I think about everyone else:

Melissa-I LOVE Melissa. I just love looking at her. She's like a beautiful breeze. She glows all the time and has the most graceful moves. I love her.

Randi by herself: As I said before, I love Randi with Evan, but alone, she so flat. I think she's spunky and cute, but I think she feels awkward a lot in her dancing and it shows.

Evan by himself: He's so cute! And he makes me smile. His style is just not my favorite. He's just a little to peppy for me. Like, if I were in a room of men, I would not choose him to dance a nice romantic dance with.

Jason: He's talented and quiet. Before tonight I never really felt either way about him, but his dance with Jeanine tonight gave me chills. I now like him a lot.

Brandon: I think he's found a new dance that he does even better than contemporary. Hip hop. He moves in such interesting ways, and I love how well he adapts to every dance he is given.

Kayla: She's got gorgeous legs and exquisite extension, but for some reason, I don't care for her that much. It's almost like she's a bit fake. It also drives me crazy that in her solos she doesn't pause for affect.

Kupono: He's mysterious and I think he's really sweet. As a dancer...not my favorite at all. I do love that whenever he's excited he does a little leprechaun leap.

Janette: She is good at everything she does. EVERYTHING. But for some reason, I get annoyed with her interviews. She comes alive on stage, but off stage, she's just too much for me.

I think Randi and Kupono are going to get voted off this week.

"Neat Beach People"

Growing up, I was very blessed to have Grandparents who lived on the front beach. My whole childhood is scattered with memories of running out of the front door and into the ocean. I didn't really realize how blessed I was! I remember running around covered in sand, and every time that I felt like getting a drink of water, I would run up to the house. If I needed sunscreen, I ran back to the house...you get the idea. I remember watching people on the beach. They had a chair, 2 towels (one to dry off with and the other to lay on), a cooler of snacks and drinks, a radio, a magazine... I called these people "neat beach people". They were always looking good, never sandy, never without their needs at arms reach. They fascinated me.
I remember telling Noah when we were first dating how much I wanted to be a "neat beach person", the next time I saw him, he had bought me an adorable straw beach tote that had flowers printed all over it. He said it was the start of being a "neat beach person":-) I loved that bag so much! I ended up using it all the time, even to carry all my school books in...which is how it ripped to shreds one day. I still have some patches of it that I cut out and saved. I'm going to do something with it someday...it just makes me so happy to even see it.
Now that I'm grown up and visit many beaches that my grandparents don't live on, I have discovered that no matter what, I am not a "neat beach person". I don't think it can be learned. I think I will always be a mess!

Yesterday I took Barclay with two of my sisters to the beach on the Eastern Coast of NC. It was crazy! The wind was blowing like crazy, the sun was beating down, we had to bring EVERYTHING. It was quite the journey just to get there. Followed by discovering the float I bought Barclay and planned on putting him under it's umbrella had a hole in it...I guess that's what I get from buying it from a sketchy lady at a yard sale. By the end of our trip, I was covered in sand, and watermelon juice, my baby was covered in sand and was exhausted because he wasn't able to nap in the wind, all of our stuff was covered in sand, including our towels so we couldn't dry off.
Today I have a list of 3 things I must purchase if this beach trip today is going to be enjoyable.
1.Bathing suit for me that doesn't expose my chest...It doesn't when it's dry but it does when it's wet.
2.Baby tent...or something like that to block the wind and sun.
3.Baby hat that fits him and buckles under the chin.

So there I was sitting in the sand, covered in juice...at 23 years old. I was looking around at everyone else...and they had it together! How is this possible and what am I missing?
I wonder if people look at me and say, she's a "fun beach person". I bet they do! At least I'll tell myself that:-)