Refinishing...

One of my favorite things to do is to refinish old/nasty furniture. I look for pieces that have a solid build, but maybe the kind that has been pushed into the back of the store and have a few cobb webs on it. It's the tender side of me that alot of people don't get to see. I find satisfaction in taking an ugly, old, and tattered piece of nothing make into a beautiful something. Here are some before pictures ... and then my finished look. My vision for the bedroom set was to color the furniture an off white, and then make it look old again by aging the edges. I'm pleased with it all and look forward to moving it all into my bedroom when I've finished painting that room.

HEART. . .

I am still overwhelmed in the fact that I finally got the chance to see Ann and Nancy Wilson in concert this past weekend. I have(since I can remember) had a love for Heart. I imagined myself singing with her as a kid and would often play air guitar in honor of Nancy. When I was in my first band out of high school I sang "Barracuda" .....often. I've even broke out a few Heart songs in kareoke. ha! Here are a few pictures of the ladies I like to call my idols....Here is a pic of me and my friend Kim peeing our pants before they came out to rock for an hour and a half....This was kim's first experience with Heart and it wasn't until I freaked out when her friend offered us tickets did she realize how amazing and wonderful they are.....

The concert was wonderful. Ann hit the notes like she did when she was 24 years old. Nancy played and danced around the stage like she was born to be up there...she WAS born to be up there. I've often been to concerts before and it's been a total let down. The artists didn't sing anything like you imagined and it was disappointing. Not so much with HEART. They rocked my world...

Country Queens...and where did my Summer go?!

wow...I woke up this morning and went outside to get my Colby bear doggie poo and realized that Fall is starting to settle in. What a beautiful, cool morning! If it wasn't for Dan going to work I would've gone for a long run and listened to some soothing music on my ipod.

"Country Queens" finished this last weekend and this week I'm looking around thinking,"Where has my summer gone!!!!!???". It feels like the last time I looked around and smelled the roses was back in June...and now it's September!! The show was wonderful...as was the ladies I shared the stage with. What a wonderful experience. I have more stories to tell and moments of pure joy that were brought from my summer of country music! It was wonderful. There was the infamous machanical bull riding from each of the country queens.....

Always fun to be had with the Queens! Then there was dancing.....LOTS of dancing......It was an all around wonderful summer.

Did I mention singing? That was the whole point to "Country Queens"! SINGING!

Then there was the moments backstage that only the people in the show will know about. The moments when your dress comes undone and your upper body is covered in tape..only to walk out onstage being held together by a thread but you have a HUGE smile on your face and no one sitting in the audience knows that your boobs are ready to pop out of your dress and your so uncomfortable in your 4 inch heels you could cry....

But, at the end of the night it was all worth it...and you do another 14 shows to prove it!

William Richard at 10 Months . . .

I am forever amazed at this little man that Dan and I have the privilege of raising. Will has definitely been keeping us on our toes the last few months and is now MOBILE. His curious little hands are into everything from the vents in the floor, the contents of the refrigerator, the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, the toilet bowl (yuck!) & anything dirty or covered in germs.....and we can't forget to mention his new fascination- closing the door behind him and sitting on the other side of the door in hopes that no one can come into the room he is in. He even giggles when we try to move him with the door. Everything is a game and you can't help but play along.
I've found myself thinking,"Am I doing this right?", "Should I be doing something more?"... It's crazy how you are given this huge amount of responsibility and then sent home from the hospital with a smile and a pat on the back...meanwhile all of us mom's are thinking..."WHAT DO I DO?". I try my best to take it one day at a time and live in the moment with my sweet son. I have come to realize with his personality that a schedule is VERY good for him. If I give him an inch he will take a mile(sounds familiar). He has a wild spirit and although I encourage him to try new things and take on the the pots and pans in my bottom drawer....I'm learning to set limits, and it's hard. For example saying, "no." or "no you may not play with the butcher knife that you found in the dishwasher."...followed by my babies clinched fists and a face that turns as red as a tomato and a scream that would hurt anyone's eardrums in the near distance. Then I have to address the temper and it goes on and on. Mom's out there are going, "Yes, I remember that!". Fun, Huh?? I'm with Will most of the time so I know by setting limits for Will the Thrill now, it will be easier down the road when he is bigger than I am. (tear, tear)
Everyone told me when he was an infant to take in every moment with him and cherish each day with him because it goes by fast. That it does! Wow! Will is turning 1 October 24th! This year has flown.
I love you sweet baby William . . . I always will.

Just a Friendly Reminder.....

REGISTER TO VOTE! If you haven't done so thus far you can register at your County Board of Voter Registration office. Stand up for what you believe in and make a difference. You must be registered to vote 30 days prior to the election. Your vote counts so make it a priority!

County Board of Voter Registration:
Address: 301 University Ridge, Suite 1900 (Greenville)
Phone: 864-467-7250
Fax: 864-467-7256
Web: www.scvotes.org

Politics and Barracuda's

Politics....a very touchy subject. Everyone has a built in defense system that turns on when this subject matter is brought up. It brings out the worst and the best in people. I have very strong beliefs and opinions in the realm of politics and religious issues. I choose at most times to keep my mouth shut in social circles to avoid having ridiculous conversations that go no where. I would rather have an adult conversation with someone who really wants to know more about what I believe in...not someone who is just waiting for their turn to talk. I love to discuss political and social issues that are going on in our world and I learn so much from the diverse world of friends that I have. Thank God for them!
On this note I've been so disgusted with the media this past week. I'm thrilled that McCain has chosen Sarah Palin as his VP! What a break through for woman...and she stands for so many things that I believe in...God, Family, Life, Environment. I've heard from some women that this isn't a step for our sex( After all she isn't a feminist). This is where I say...Not all women are Feminist!! There are women like myself that are strong, brave, intelligent, and stand for rights for everyone. But, this doesn't mean that women who take a stand and have the opportunity to be leaders choose to be feminists. This is why our world turns. We have DIFFERENT, DIVERSE, and an incredibly colorful world of people who have beliefs that are not our own. I choose to be accepting and open to the ideas of others.
Dan and I often refer to Sarah Palin as "Sarah the Barracuda"...and she absolutely is. It just makes me ill to see the media covering the story on her young daughter who is pregnant. I understand how important it is for our country to KNOW who is running as the Republican VP, but there is line that has been crossed in their privacy. It's the only thing I've heard yesterday and today on the Today show. It's the only thing the newscasters talked about during the breaks on the Republican National Convention last night. S. Palin has been very open about her history and the issues with her family..but to me it only makes her more real. More human. We all have family crap and hardships. It's how you handle the hardships that mean the most to me. I just wish the media would give them some breathing room. Cover the story and be done with it.

Here's to the next president taking over and making this country a better place to live in and raise our families in ... whoever wins the next presidency!

Spinx Run Fest 2008

The day is coming fast and I feel confident that I'll finish the race. The half marathon is scheduled for October 25th in downtown Greenville. I'm looking forward to finishing something I started back in February. It's been such a struggle to get back into shape and it feels great to run distances that I haven't run since I was in high school. Having a great running partner has helped tremendously! Jen is such a great motivational person to run with, and I'm so thankful that we share something like this to keep each other on top of our game. I've had a goal for years to complete a marathon, and we plan on signing up for that in February of 2009. I'm starting to deal with sore feet and shins...so I'm praying that my body will get the "pins and needles" and stiff legs so that so I can keep moving on without injury. Anyway, it's great to overcome a goal I've had and move on to the dream of finishing a marathon!

Here's to 10 miles this Saturday morning!