Today's Joy: Celebrating Life Beginning Anew.
Tomorrow is Easter, dear Reader, and I can't wait to get up and spend the day celebrating this sacred day and the rebirth of spring with friends & family!

Today's Joy: Charming Charlie is Coming to Town!

Reader, if you haven't had the pleasure, it's time to get acquainted with Charming Charlie. I discovered this little gem of a boutique while living in Dallas last year. They have the most wonderful--and affordable--selection of unique jewelry, accessories, handbags and scarves. When you walk in, everything is arranged by color & style, making it so easy to find the right accessory for any occasion. As if that weren't enough, the sale prices are unbeatable. I bought the enameled brooch above for $1 on clearance at the store in Southlake, TX.

Then, low & behold, this morning I discovered Charming Charlie is coming to Chicago! They are opening a store in Orland Park in May and one at Yorktown Center in Lombard this June. I am practically beside myself! Can't wait to get together a posse of gals and do some serious shopping. If you're in the area and would like to tag along, drop me a line. Or if you have a Charming Charlie's story to share, I am all ears. Photos of fab CC purchases are also welcome!

Today's Joy: Lounging Out on the Sun Porch After Dark on April 1st.
Well, Reader, it's almost nine o'clock in the evening on this glorious first day of April. Here I am, sitting outside in bare feet, typing away as a nice breeze drifts through the screens. Ahhhhhhhhh!
Is there anything more sublime in early spring than drinking limeade and listening to the season's first peeper frogs croaking out in the ditch?
I was elated to leave work and step out into an 80 degree afternoon. Very uncharacteristic for Chicago this time of year. But Mother Nature has a way of evening the score--I'm told Saturday will be a stinker.
In the meantime, I shall enjoy every moment of outdoor bliss! Am looking forward to many more warm & lazy nights of blogging from this very spot!

Today's Joy: Spring Traditions.

Spring is in the air today, Reader, and it was a glorious 75 degrees outside when I left work. I drove the truck home with the windows down and my hair blowing in my eyes. Mary Chapin Carpenter sang about taking chances on the radio while I flew down back country roads. There's nothing like that first drive on a warm spring afternoon.

Tonight, my family is gathered together and we're dyeing Easter eggs. I missed doing this last year (was in Dallas) so it's nice to be back again and sharing the same tradition we all loved as children. Easter and spring and the feel of warm air on your skin for the first time in many months--isn't it wonderful how the little rituals of this green season make us feel renewed?

Today's Joy: Eggs & Learning to Diversify.

We're told from childhood, Reader, that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket. We should diversify! Now, in many ways, I'm a risk-taker. I enjoy the adventure of trying new things & expect that whatever the outcome, God will take care of me and I will learn a valuable lesson.

But when it comes to my newly-hatched photo business, suddenly I'm 14 kinds of careful. It must have something to do with the way we tend to take better care of our loved ones than we do ourselves. I've been fretting of late over how to diversify in my darling venture. Fortunately, a few helpful souls have suggested ways to expand my line of photo products. So, today, I found an affordable way to make one of those suggestions a reality. I can't wait to roll it out!

God gave me this wonderful vision and I'm loving finding the tools to make it a reality. I'm also really looking forward to seeing it grow and make a positive impact in people's lives. Maybe that's the real upside to diversification--spreading all your eggs around so when they hatch, the joy touches lives you never expected. Doesn't God do good work?

Photo: Goslings, Dekalb, IL.

Today's Joy: Doing Something Nice for Someone Else.
I took an extra shift today for a coworker with a new baby in the family. Feels really good to help out!

Today's Joy: Spring at Platt Hill Nursery.
Good evening, Reader. Did you have a lovely Sunday? If you happened to be perusing green things at the Platt Hill Nursery in Carpentersville, IL this afternoon, you might have seen me milling about with my camera. Platt Hill is my favorite garden center to visit. They have an extensive selection of plants as well as the most creative assortment of garden accessories and gifts I've ever seen. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. There were so many wonderful flowers already in bloom in the greenhouse! Ranunculus, pansies, begonias, hydrangea and many more. I snapped a few to share with you.

Ah, doesn't that make you itch to get out and plant something? Let the gardening commence!