tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19225948753926084592024-03-13T18:22:20.094-04:00DoojiesMy Life of IronyngUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger602125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-26681826881176662032014-09-16T13:14:00.000-04:002014-09-16T13:25:23.987-04:00Holy Mothers of Mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I've been in denial since last week when I tried to change the background on my SEVEN YEAR OLD BLOG. I had felt inspired to make a written post for several weeks but hadn't gotten around to it. So, when I went on my blog for the first time in a long time, I thought it was time to update my blog background THEN I would make my post. Well, in trying to update the background, I did something that deleted ALL my photo from SEVEN YEARS!!! I tried a couple of thing to no avail so I left...for over a week. I did put some crucial photos back on but left it at that. How long do you think it's going to be for me to upload seven years worth of photos again? Some I may not even have any longer. Can you say "back up"? Oy. I'll be backing up and installing my time machine on my laptop so I can go back. I shall proceed then slowly go back and replace photos. Please be patient and back up everything. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-57086116155231021172014-04-11T17:49:00.001-04:002014-09-04T17:59:26.202-04:00Big reveal, Matt's room...a couple of months later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Okay so I finished Matt's room after my last trip to Texas and I thought I'd better post before my next trip to Texas which is soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Matt and I are happy with the outcome. As I'd said before, he wanted the same as he'd had in his very small room (now my very small work room), the sleek, NYC look. We did a lot of recycling of furniture. The iron bed, above, was mine growing up and the dresser belonged to his grandparents. He has his framed prints of NYC buildings and...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...his big Ikea framed print of vintage NYC. That's my daddy's office chair and one of the new pieces we bought online (if you read the previous post, it's one that took us forever to put every last piece together).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The nice, new charcoal gray carpet along with another piece of online furniture we put together for the new t.v. Matt got for Christmas. Finally all the gaming can go on in his room and that's why there's carpet only in that room-acoustics- all the sound (or at least more of it) stays in the room. Oh, in case you notice the number on the door...sometimes I forget...many years ago I put numbers on all of the rooms upstairs like a hotel. Now he's number 2-ha-his brothers have been there too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In case you've forgotten, this is what this room looked like during the progress; extra unkempt because all of the guest bedroom stuff had to be stored in here while I was working on my work room. I love a finished project. I've pretty much finished my new work room but it's so much smaller that I haven't completely organized it yet. I'll post when I get around to that.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-31490163325191329962014-02-10T11:46:00.001-05:002014-09-04T18:01:29.206-04:00I'm outta heya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Anyone want to venture a guess as to where I'm going? Yep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is our second annual hometown reunion and I'm hosting about 100 people who love to get together and talk old times and meet new folks from our own hometown, Bryan/College Station.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's been five long months since I've seen home and, especially considering it's winter on the east coast, it's way overdue. Photos of the fun when I return. Until then Via con Dios Amigos.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-89521011589237482202014-01-28T22:19:00.000-05:002014-01-28T22:27:17.910-05:00Before and After While During~An Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, week whatever and still working on "the big project" of trading my work space with Matt's new bedroom (details in previous post). Below is Matt's old room and my new work room freshly cleared and painted. Above is the room with just two pieces in it. It would be wonderful if this was the amount of space and the openness I had to work in but alas it isn't. At all. It's now jammed and has been set aside until I finish Matt's room and can get back to it. Photos later (hence, the title part "During").</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above and below are the same room, same angle, all changed. (Note the snow outside above and the green trees outside below; this is how some of us keep from going too crazy during winter...or is it more crazy?...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above and below are all the pieces of the desk that I ordered for Matt online. The box was so heavy that the delivery guy could barely get it in the house. Matt carried each of the heavy 40 something pieces up to his new room where we spent the next three hours assembling it while listening to the soundtrack from American Hustle (I highly recommend it).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's great that Matt's now at the age where he can help me with these projects. He helped me paint these walls charcoal gray and helped me haul my childhood bed up from the basement after I'd painted it matte black. Of course he's got good incentive since it means his room will be finished faster. But he did plenty to help me with my room, also making the process go faster but, heck, it was still help which is new to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above, voila!, one corner of one room finished. Oh, and note the new carpet. The 17 year old off white carpet had been totally ruined long ago and I'd been using throw rugs over it to cover most of the damage. Below is what the same corner used to look like when things were still well organized as my studio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stay tuned. I'm hoping this will be finished by the end of the week. Wish me luck.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-91575102349974165572013-12-29T21:47:00.002-05:002014-01-01T17:09:09.976-05:00Passe' Smasse' or why I still blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The reason I still blog, even though I guess it's so last decade, is that I want to have all this history for myself. As I've said many times before, I've never had a diary or a journal but I've had this blog for many years now and I'm so glad I do. As you can see, if you look long enough, I go months at a time where I don't blog but eventually I make my way back here. This time it's to update on a big project I'm taking on and I want it documented.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This was the latest incarnation of Matt's bedroom. Several years ago I shamelessly conned him into taking the smallest bedroom by letting him pick out the bright turquoise paint and new furniture. We did this a couple of years ago; the sleek New York City-themed look. Minus the Bogie pillow-Matt nixed that right away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Well, he'd been a good sport about it but that ended. It's the smallest bedroom and it's hot as all get-out, squeezed between two other bedrooms with the sun beating down on it most of the day. During the summer it requires a window unit a.c. And he's just outgrown it; he needs more space, a desk, a chair, room to move around. Not too much to ask.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And here's how the second largest bedroom looked as I use it for my art studio. Shamelessly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is one of my published pieces, FYI.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nice, right? On a day when all had been tidied up so I could find things so I could create. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And here it is now. Okay, it's this bad because I had to move Matt in yet another bedroom, move that stuff into my studio to clear out Matt's room so I can paint it and move my things in. <i>Then </i>I have to paint this room, paint furniture, replace the carpet, and move him into it. Yes, I have procrastinated on this project since I said I would do it last summer, but the time has come. It was on his Christmas wish list and he has been helping me. It's a big undertaking but it feels good having started the transition because I don't quit a project until it's finished. I'm blessed to be that way. Stay tuned...it could take a while even though I work fast and hard.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-20298169711710590752013-12-29T21:07:00.001-05:002014-01-01T17:13:18.123-05:00Christmas...somewhat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Looking back on Christmas when I was young, I realize that it wasn't the gifts that were important or what I remember-it was family. Of course, we embraced the reason for the season, Jesus' birthday. Every year, my family went to San Angelo where my daddy grew up and my parents met in high school. All my grandparents lived there (very convenient) and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins would meet us there. Having all our family together was the most special thing and what made it wonderful and memorable. As an adult, my family (even my kids) have lived all over the place. I will identify locations with the photos below. Last year was the first time in the 16 (at the time) years I've been on the east coast that I've spent Thanksgiving with my mom, sister, and her family. And it was the first Christmas I had spent with all of my children in over ten years. It was a banner year. This year was not and I won't try to sugar-coat that it sucks. Four of us for Thanksgiving, three of us for Christmas. I have promised myself this is the last year I'm doing this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, I was (as usual other than last year) reluctant and not excited to decorate for Christmas at all. Of course I do, I have Matt to think about-he deserves it just like my other kids. But it was much thinner than last year. All he really cares about is the tree. Above I went all out and put a berry wreath on my statue of David in the entryway. I could'a stopped there but, wait...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yup, a tree. A real tree. It looks better in person but it made Matt happy and the gifts he wanted were under plus a good surprise which is hard to do with him. More on that later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here's the start of what I really missed. This is Millie, Maya and Eder's daughter, my great-niece. She was just an infant when I last saw her at Thanksgiving last year in Oregon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My oldest, Lucas and his girl of seven years, Kristen who live in my hometown in Texas and who were in Nashville for Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My middle son, Justin, and his girlfriend, Angel, as they head to spend Christmas with his daddy and family in Virginia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My beautiful and funny as all get-out niece, Maya, in Oregon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ben, Maya and Eder's son, my great-nephew in Oregon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My nephew, Aaron, and my sister, Valori, in Oregon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Maya and Eder, in Oregon. I love you all and I'm working on something for summer!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-6079603781978666242013-12-29T20:40:00.004-05:002013-12-29T20:40:56.285-05:00Where does time go?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My oldest of three sons, Lucas, just turned 30. How can this be?, I ask myself, when I am only around 30 myself. At a certain point in life math no longer makes sense. I think that's good. Although I don't mind getting older (something many people don't get to experience as long as they'd like), I feel much younger than I am-that's the good part. Feel young, stay young. Above is Lucas at just under two (I was already very pregnant with Justin). He's always been so full life as you can see by his wonderful smile. Below is Lucas a few months ago holding the copperhead he killed while playing disc golf. The photo was taken minutes before he realized that it had bitten him on the shin. Had to go immediately to the E.R. There's never been a dull moment with him and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so proud that he's my son and proud of the man who he has become. I love you, Mom</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-70236880165433124002013-12-29T20:16:00.001-05:002013-12-29T20:16:10.800-05:00Decorating Doojies for the Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">These photos were taken when I first started decorating the shop for the holiday season. It went through many changes weekly as things were sold and I added things. We started bringing in our things before Thanksgiving so there was plenty of time for things to fly out then need to be replaced. I eventually took out the small pink tree on the table and brought in a four foot green tree and filled it with more ornaments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I made a series of these altered frames, thankfully, they all went out to new homes the first week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I also made several "memory" boxes or holiday card boxes that made their way to new homes too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This pink wreath was inspired by Jenny at Everyday's a Holiday. She mentioned where to get the pink reindeer so, of course, I ran out and got some. I'd had the pink feather wreath for a while but had never done anything with it. These things just have a way of working out like this. Sometimes it takes years before the use for something comes about. It's much cuter in person. I hope the little girl whose room it went into enjoyed it as much as I did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I've said this many times but I'm not big on holiday creating. I love creating anything and everything but I like for it to come to me, not to be forced because of a holiday. This is a good example. The wooden pieces that Paper Whimsy sells inspire me so much that I <i>had</i> to make some things with them like this shadow box with the ballerina in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not a good photo but this is another of PW pieces that I made to use as an ornament, holiday or otherwise. Paper art is my favorite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Two more ornaments that I made from PW pieces. I wish I'd taken more photos but I knew I was getting a new camera for Christmas so I lost interest in taking any more with my old one. But, stand back, because I have that new camera now and as soon as I figure it out I'll be posting more photos.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-884660054057850502013-09-27T17:22:00.002-04:002013-09-29T11:07:53.486-04:00Decorating a show house is like being in labor...the mind forgets pain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is why I say it's like being in labor; one forgets how much work there is then, when the hard work is done and the room is finished, we are happy that we did it. But it's that in between time...thank goodness the people who are part of it are so fun to work with. Yes there are arguments, hurt feelings, butting of heads, drama, and definitely glitches. This year I only had glitches to deal with; one big one, one long term but I'll take it. I'm really good (knock wood) at staying under the radar when it comes to drama-I steer way around it and run into the bushes at the first sign of it. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oi0dy86PiKM/UkXc3xZLKPI/AAAAAAAANCY/s2K_0u5h8T4/s1600/school+daze+-+Version+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oi0dy86PiKM/UkXc3xZLKPI/AAAAAAAANCY/s2K_0u5h8T4/s320/school+daze+-+Version+3.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Can you find Waldo here? Yeah, I'm near the bottom. My mom kept asking me about the LLC's. I finally engaged her about it telling her what it is, Limited Liability Corp., an extra $800 tax that Maryland charges to cover your hinnie in case of a lawsuit. Turns out she'd been concerned that I didn't have that after my business name because she thought it was a sign of design professional certification. She was much relieved that I wasn't lacking. That's Mom...big picture. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-potNtGrOI5M/UkQox7fuInI/AAAAAAAAM_E/6GOaDuwaEDM/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-potNtGrOI5M/UkQox7fuInI/AAAAAAAAM_E/6GOaDuwaEDM/s400/IMG_0020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is the "before" of the house, the day Karen, Jody, and I went to look at the house. Funny how badly they wanted me to go with them then said no way would they wanted to do a room again but they'd happily support me. I was weak; I'd just had a huge project pulled out from under me and really needed a substitute one. And they were true to their words; they were great support.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h3ZQf96_7zA/UkXXc_e4vGI/AAAAAAAAM_U/ZLJHFxefcB8/s1600/1379237_306479889494138_1587844547_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h3ZQf96_7zA/UkXXc_e4vGI/AAAAAAAAM_U/ZLJHFxefcB8/s400/1379237_306479889494138_1587844547_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And this is the grand lady, Mount Ida, last night at the private opening.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cbAl_lVTDsU/UkXZVTMcsQI/AAAAAAAANAE/QCnpG7_dS6E/s1600/IMG_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cbAl_lVTDsU/UkXZVTMcsQI/AAAAAAAANAE/QCnpG7_dS6E/s320/IMG_0224.JPG" width="232" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And here I am last night at the private gala opening. There is an expensive dinner that comes with a preview of the house and the decorators are in our rooms to greet guests, give information, and answer questions. We had several dignitaries including Maryland Senator and Mrs. Allen Kittleman who were very gracious and complimentary. We had an appearance by a governor and his wife a few years ago but the Senator and his wife actually looked at the rooms, asked questions, and spent some time with each decorator.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-Os7_f3MSc/UkXZ1HC7I6I/AAAAAAAANAM/4lKvozkt67E/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-Os7_f3MSc/UkXZ1HC7I6I/AAAAAAAANAM/4lKvozkt67E/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Okay, back to the beginning. The Governess Quarters. This is what the room looked like when I first saw it. I love toile so I was happy to work with what had been left at the last show house hosted there 25 years ago. There was some damage to the wallpaper near the windows but I had a great plan to work with it and save time and money by not having to remove it and paint. I spent the first couple of weeks after finding out that I'd gotten the room to decorate buying samples and curtains, and etc. to use in the room. I had a great plan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another view of the before.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxrUmoiE5Rs/UkXbkaOyPbI/AAAAAAAANA4/hYkFyJ9Y960/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxrUmoiE5Rs/UkXbkaOyPbI/AAAAAAAANA4/hYkFyJ9Y960/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here's a good day; when the design chair okays the design board for the room. Not proud of this board; I have made some really beautiful ones in the past but I was lagging on the deadline. Here's a bad day; a couple of days after this photo was taken I got a very sheepish email from the co-chair saying there was a <i>slight</i> problem with my room. The workers who were repairing wall damage in the house accidentally removed the wallpaper from my walls. And, as the photos showed, they didn't take it all the way off of any one wall, they took a couple of strips off of all the walls; none could be saved. My first thought was game over. I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed; while this is the 7th show house I've been involved in this was my first on my own and was feeling the full weight of being completely responsible for this on my own (even though I had Jody and Karen helping and supporting me all the way). Jody, speaking in my language, told me right away to hold on to my saddle Cowgirl so I did. And the HEC (Historic Ellicott City) wanted to make it right for me by letting pick any paint color and getting help for me to paint the room so I decided to hang in there.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-45UKFhHswL0/UkXbkdTFjTI/AAAAAAAANA8/q-6SUWlYy-0/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-45UKFhHswL0/UkXbkdTFjTI/AAAAAAAANA8/q-6SUWlYy-0/s320/IMG_0177.JPG" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Having three sons and having lived with five males at the same time for a while made it easy to decide on a new color scheme. I've wanted to decorate a room in pink forever and here was my chance. Here are my color and fabric choices. Thankfully I had been looking around for ideas and merchandise when I was in NYC in July and had seen the curtains I got that are now discontinued. They ended up being the inspiration for the whole room. Okay, so there are many things that did go right.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UlYPAMXjwk/UkXaUae-tQI/AAAAAAAANAk/pnJ_0KKx2Vs/s1600/556408_10201400123582511_664884451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UlYPAMXjwk/UkXaUae-tQI/AAAAAAAANAk/pnJ_0KKx2Vs/s320/556408_10201400123582511_664884451_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is one of my two show house work dresses. Yes, dresses. Dresses are much cooler to work in when there's no ac while doing the "dirty work"- painting, etc. It's a historic dress that I can look at and identify which color was which show house. I actually had my photo in the Baltimore newspaper in the other one one year, not on purpose, bad timing. Painting ceilings are no fun but good for upper body strength. I'm a painting beast; give me any room and I can knock it out in a day. Being a "low rent" decorator means I get to have fun with the "paid help" who can be a lot more fun than their employers...good, loud music and some clowning around.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aGYoazhEKvk/UkXcRBOMzqI/AAAAAAAANBI/RHW3qWxgD5Q/s1600/IMG_0188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aGYoazhEKvk/UkXcRBOMzqI/AAAAAAAANBI/RHW3qWxgD5Q/s320/IMG_0188.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is what we call a "good sign". Ladder up against the wall-finished with the painting. Next up, hauling all the furniture up the stairs. Again, Jody and Karen to help, thankfully. A turned stairwell makes for, umm, challenging haulage.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4BreXdHv12k/UkXdiR4YQxI/AAAAAAAANDk/8FGGUczuznE/s1600/IMG_0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4BreXdHv12k/UkXdiR4YQxI/AAAAAAAANDk/8FGGUczuznE/s320/IMG_0206.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And now Voila!, the end result. Here's starting at the entrance and moving around the room.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9QlTZ7aBOk/UkXc1rX9CII/AAAAAAAANBQ/rqtYicgiQ0I/s1600/IMG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9QlTZ7aBOk/UkXc1rX9CII/AAAAAAAANBQ/rqtYicgiQ0I/s320/IMG_0216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Two wing back chairs flanking a mantle with a faux painted fire insert. In front is a table where the governess relaxes after a long day of taking care of the children of the home. She can entertain a friend with either tea or (shelf on the bottom of the table) wine. (She's young and fun and fictional.)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CEukzasDoho/UkXc3UitQcI/AAAAAAAANB8/CT9nbzjQqOk/s1600/IMG_0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CEukzasDoho/UkXc3UitQcI/AAAAAAAANB8/CT9nbzjQqOk/s320/IMG_0221.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mBvfS69tQt0/UkXc2dOaAAI/AAAAAAAANBc/ULcQR4fDElw/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mBvfS69tQt0/UkXc2dOaAAI/AAAAAAAANBc/ULcQR4fDElw/s320/IMG_0217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can click on any photo and see it larger but one of my favorite finds for the room is the blind in between the curtains. It has a great vintage-style graphic painted on it. I'm always the one who adds the funk to the show house. I'm considered way wacky in this conservative group. Happy to make it my job.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5NQtvwLWZoc/UkXc2tqp7QI/AAAAAAAANBk/-Iyfri8jZmA/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5NQtvwLWZoc/UkXc2tqp7QI/AAAAAAAANBk/-Iyfri8jZmA/s320/IMG_0219.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I got many items from a favorite place to shop in my hometown of Bryan, Texas, Bryan Marketplace while there in July so I could bring them back in my truck. Others small things I made myself. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bC73KMYby2Y/UkXdipmdikI/AAAAAAAAND0/yWJp8n70ZIs/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bC73KMYby2Y/UkXdipmdikI/AAAAAAAAND0/yWJp8n70ZIs/s320/IMG_0208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnUDWfXAz9o/UkXdhVjSTiI/AAAAAAAANC8/7qOXVSis8Ao/s1600/IMG_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnUDWfXAz9o/UkXdhVjSTiI/AAAAAAAANC8/7qOXVSis8Ao/s320/IMG_0201.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A view so you can see the side chair where I used the curtain fabric with a coordinating silk plaid.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WmL8EeFwxAs/UkXdhr4NEfI/AAAAAAAANDA/w3kfDMq2TvY/s1600/IMG_0203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WmL8EeFwxAs/UkXdhr4NEfI/AAAAAAAANDA/w3kfDMq2TvY/s320/IMG_0203.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is an original Doojie design that I first used at the first show house that Janine and I decorated many years ago-a clock as a chandelier medallion. I've gotten lots of compliments on it. And the stunning chandelier that Janine restored looks great in the room.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vw8jRUyb7Ew/UkXdjdwChPI/AAAAAAAAND4/848sUE45MeM/s1600/IMG_0211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vw8jRUyb7Ew/UkXdjdwChPI/AAAAAAAAND4/848sUE45MeM/s320/IMG_0211.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Better look at both sides of the side chair.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6pKpeVJevQ/UkXdhUVk3iI/AAAAAAAANDI/XxTDrLlJPks/s1600/IMG_0205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6pKpeVJevQ/UkXdhUVk3iI/AAAAAAAANDI/XxTDrLlJPks/s320/IMG_0205.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This bookcase was offered for me to use by HEC. It was in the storage area and all I had to do was paint it and can you say merchandising? The deal is that the decorators purchase all the items to put in the rooms then all are for sale during the month that the house is open to the public. The house gets a percentage that goes to HEC for their foundation, the rest to the decorator. The thing I figured out while decorating the first one I did is that having a lot of small items, not just big ticket furniture items in the room makes it much easier to make money. Since this is my main paying gig for the year it's important to me. I'm more of a retail business owner and artist than a decorator as the others designers are.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gmg8M-nEoo/UkXdT2gf06I/AAAAAAAANCk/kaxo_orJFBE/s1600/school+daze.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gmg8M-nEoo/UkXdT2gf06I/AAAAAAAANCk/kaxo_orJFBE/s400/school+daze.jpeg" width="251" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is my long term issue; my page in the show house program. The <i>tiny</i> problem here is they put someone else's credits on the bottom. Mine turned up <i>nowhere</i> in the book. Oops. They usually have us proof our pages but not this year. Had to apologize to the folks I had thanked in my credits but, after printing 8,000, HEC didn't think I was worthy of a complete reprint. Huh.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2tDsgwdvuyw/UkXXhTNNtrI/AAAAAAAAM_c/tZMXEg81Ep0/s1600/1381929_306476886161105_2115939407_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2tDsgwdvuyw/UkXXhTNNtrI/AAAAAAAAM_c/tZMXEg81Ep0/s320/1381929_306476886161105_2115939407_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another "before" area in the home...</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ds9yWVH74VQ/UkXYDYKb-KI/AAAAAAAAM_k/SsEROxHMEDI/s1600/1374048_374758199322237_1955892726_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ds9yWVH74VQ/UkXYDYKb-KI/AAAAAAAAM_k/SsEROxHMEDI/s320/1374048_374758199322237_1955892726_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...and the "after" last night. Saturday I start working in the sales office sharing shifts with one other woman during the month where all the merchandise sales are transacted. I'm happy with how it turned out so far and honored to be part of this all in the realm of first world life.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-86789843733160954792013-09-20T13:30:00.000-04:002013-10-27T11:15:13.871-04:00Why I love facebook part...mmm...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A few months ago I was honored to be asked to be one of the administrators of my hometown facebook page, You Know You From Bryan/College Station When... I had been a member since near it's inception which was many years ago. Even though there were a couple of thousand members for several years, there were only about 20 or 30 of us who were continuously active on there. When we took over as admins there were just over 3,000 people who were members, now, only four months later there are over 4,100 members. It doesn't seem like a big deal but have you ever tried to keep over 4,000 people from pissing each other off, offending others, keep their political and/or religious views to themselves on a public forum? Go 'head wit it, try it; I'll wait to hear how it goes. I get made fun of a lot because I take it so seriously but it's my beloved hometown; the place where my heart and soul live and soar-it's important to me to keep it clean. My fellow admins feel the same way. We make it fun by having "meetings" every night to talk about the goings on from the forum from that day and we all take turns during the day posting, supporting our members, and keeping an eye on things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Recently Jim, John, and I were talking about how our local newspaper used to write about the daily going-ons of the folks in our little town. I found this example recently:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fGZ-OyBTux0/UjyATcGrofI/AAAAAAAAM-0/4lMgp34fZ4o/s1600/Page+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fGZ-OyBTux0/UjyATcGrofI/AAAAAAAAM-0/4lMgp34fZ4o/s640/Page+5.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I loved going to Camp Allen, the Episcopal church camp every summer growing up until high school when I started going to Young Life camps. This was the local news in the local newspaper back in 1963. Sure Vietnam, etc. was on the front page but there was also <i>good</i> news in the paper. This would have been my first year at Camp Allen. The next year I moved to the next level with Elaine and we went together for several years in the same cabin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hence, that's one of the many reasons why I love facebook. No, I don't need to know what everyone is having for dinner or other minutia (it's all relative to everyone differently) that some people post but I do like to hear about what's important to them and their dear ones. I like to stay connected to those who are important to me and in this fast-paced, wacky world this is the only way I've figured out how to do it on a grand scale. Email is for more deeply personal stuff. I'm trying to limit my time on there and keep it to the "important" stuff, I like to acknowledge birthdays, and life events, and yep, Aggie stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I heart fb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And a follow up: I wrote to the administrator of Camp Allen asking if they had any photos from the years that I attended and she sent me these. It overwhelmed me with wonderful memories. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QMhLbBokyCY/Um0tPrCA9_I/AAAAAAAANIs/-MfCsVPWQow/s1600/6A03D392-161E-4DC5-9933-A77633201D4E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QMhLbBokyCY/Um0tPrCA9_I/AAAAAAAANIs/-MfCsVPWQow/s400/6A03D392-161E-4DC5-9933-A77633201D4E.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am on the second row 4th from the right; short hair and white shirt.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JWIL7ra_xE4/Um0tZQ_QTHI/AAAAAAAANI0/nUTgEXENL0Q/s1600/B3F7933C-C42B-450A-9DCA-5025E6E6078F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JWIL7ra_xE4/Um0tZQ_QTHI/AAAAAAAANI0/nUTgEXENL0Q/s320/B3F7933C-C42B-450A-9DCA-5025E6E6078F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The cabins we stayed in just as I remember them. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ESYxi6j3EyQ/Um0tgwSNtoI/AAAAAAAANI8/lhwQsgzbQhc/s1600/E3FF48C7-0D5F-4318-A98F-BA5152A3053A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ESYxi6j3EyQ/Um0tgwSNtoI/AAAAAAAANI8/lhwQsgzbQhc/s320/E3FF48C7-0D5F-4318-A98F-BA5152A3053A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And the wonderful view from the camp.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-44702240816705195452013-09-20T13:02:00.000-04:002013-09-20T16:04:10.636-04:00There's a spirit can ne'er be told...<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Being born and raised in Bryan/College Station, Texas was an idyllic experience. The best of both worlds; Mayberry meets a major university (Texas A&M University). After living in three different states since the last time I lived in Texas, I still consider it my home in my heart and soul forever. And I've been blessed to be able to visit several times a year for the last several years. This year was a banner one; I was there every other month in the last six months and a trip earlier in the year. My oldest son has made it his home (his and his middle brother's daddy is also from there). This last trip, the first week of September, was particularly special since my mother met me there from where she now makes her home in Oregon and we got to go to an Aggie game for the first time in over 25 years. My mom had not been back to B/CS for almost 15 years. I'd been trying to talk her into meeting me there but she'd resisted until one day, a couple of months ago, she called me and declared she wanted to see Johnny Manziel play football in person. See, I come from a football family. Sure, all of us Texans do, but I come from a woman's football family too. My mother's mother went to University of Nebraska. Her husband, my grandfather, was a football fanatic and so was she. My grandmother passed away on January 1, 1997 and her doctor said that the he truly believed that she lived until then because she wanted to watch the Nebraska bowl game the night before. I have no doubt that's true. My mom watches football and baseball but any and all football. And she calls after every Aggie game to go over highlights. So when she said she wanted to go I went to my precious Becky and she made it happen. Becky and I have been best friends since we were six and her family has a box at Kyle Field. She had told me several times to pick a date and they seats were ours. Of course I knew better than to ask for Alabama seats; I would never have taken those from her and her brother, Sam. We saw the Sam Houston State game, a great one.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_75Q3DFVTNY/Ujxtl9ivnfI/AAAAAAAAM9A/XdDI-qw9sHQ/s1600/school+daze.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_75Q3DFVTNY/Ujxtl9ivnfI/AAAAAAAAM9A/XdDI-qw9sHQ/s320/school+daze.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is me on the left with Becky and her family together for her cousin's wedding when we were about 12. We have a long, close history. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hg5hH-dcn8E/UjxvUfjC0pI/AAAAAAAAM9M/sE4epS1cy0A/s1600/1240415_10201621623719876_82095173_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hg5hH-dcn8E/UjxvUfjC0pI/AAAAAAAAM9M/sE4epS1cy0A/s320/1240415_10201621623719876_82095173_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, 50 yard line seats in a box! </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BI8JRPUvd0/Ujxvso7ujEI/AAAAAAAAM9U/0UJ6PBgvKTA/s1600/534356_4517349420505_1184517627_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BI8JRPUvd0/Ujxvso7ujEI/AAAAAAAAM9U/0UJ6PBgvKTA/s320/534356_4517349420505_1184517627_n.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My favorite part of the school and the game, The National Award Winning Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The game, the box, the friends and family in the box, everything was great...amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Before that, on Friday night it was First Friday in Downtown Bryan and I had arranged for my bestie childhood friends who knew my mother well to meet us for dinner downtown. It turned out to be beyond my great expectations and here's why. For one thing, Becky's kids and mine are very close...the next generation of our friendship and it warms our hearts to no end. And her brother, Sam, always meets up with all of us whenever I'm in town. We are one great, happy family and, along with our other longtime best friends, a bigger, happiest family. So Friday night we were all together for dinner and then some...</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MiNkFIj-UbM/UjxxzfnFf8I/AAAAAAAAM9g/GYeCSft_vlk/s1600/1230041_10201617826344944_318598024_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MiNkFIj-UbM/UjxxzfnFf8I/AAAAAAAAM9g/GYeCSft_vlk/s320/1230041_10201617826344944_318598024_n.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Becky's older son, Harrison, my oldest, Lucas, and his girl Kristen.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7I14F4phZUM/UjxyGVNbubI/AAAAAAAAM9o/eR-LTXVZtN8/s1600/75924_10201617820664802_1908061517_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7I14F4phZUM/UjxyGVNbubI/AAAAAAAAM9o/eR-LTXVZtN8/s320/75924_10201617820664802_1908061517_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The friend I've had the longest on the left (can't see her at all but you can see she's there), Cindy, then Cathy and Betty Ann, dear friends since childhood.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WVqjcyrTLdU/Ujxylj1sHlI/AAAAAAAAM9w/VCFqa57SlSE/s1600/1235516_10201617810184540_1880181621_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WVqjcyrTLdU/Ujxylj1sHlI/AAAAAAAAM9w/VCFqa57SlSE/s320/1235516_10201617810184540_1880181621_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A huge highlight of the night is on the left, Kristi, my parent's God daughter, my mom, and brother Sam. Kristi surprised all of us by just showing up having driven in from Houston to see my mom. It was awesome!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gsp4AP14XA/UjxzOqeOmMI/AAAAAAAAM94/7OKwOv2AUrc/s1600/225915_2008821617654_5697142_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gsp4AP14XA/UjxzOqeOmMI/AAAAAAAAM94/7OKwOv2AUrc/s320/225915_2008821617654_5697142_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mom, Kristi, and Daddy at Kristi's baptism, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Bryan, Texas, 1963.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KhSNk9mnDZQ/Ujxz0s6EJgI/AAAAAAAAM-A/2keaoEYNyRA/s1600/1185239_10151839224479171_672907543_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KhSNk9mnDZQ/Ujxz0s6EJgI/AAAAAAAAM-A/2keaoEYNyRA/s320/1185239_10151839224479171_672907543_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Later, on Friday night, Lucas found a band playing next to Village Cafe' and we dance the night away. Since Becky and I have a good friend who has a band, we know how to support one and were the only dancers to the great music while people <i>sat in chairs</i>! I'm a dancer; I love music, I dance in the grocery store if the music is good. And Becky is the same way. So we danced. Then the lead singer, between songs, said how much he appreciated everyone including his good friends for coming out to support THEIR FIRST PUBLIC GIG. He said that they <i>really</i> appreciated <i>their band dancers, </i>ha!, that was me and Becky. After taking our bows, the band's friends figured out that they weren't being as supportive as they thought they were and hit the dance floor, filled it, then it was a party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The weekend ended with just as high a note as the rest. Church with mom and Billie and lots of other folks who mean so much to us at St. Andrew's.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8h7DuGPAPo/Ujx2HIHAgSI/AAAAAAAAM-M/UNqMZhg-dEQ/s1600/1236178_10151842992544171_1349061612_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8h7DuGPAPo/Ujx2HIHAgSI/AAAAAAAAM-M/UNqMZhg-dEQ/s320/1236178_10151842992544171_1349061612_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then Lucas and I took Mom out to the Brazos Valley Veteran's Memorial Park to see my daddy's name etched on the maroon wall there.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cP2JBrS7CV8/Ujx7Mk6uqjI/AAAAAAAAM-c/6MJYiBsVn34/s1600/1208746_10151843635799171_1272884199_n+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cP2JBrS7CV8/Ujx7Mk6uqjI/AAAAAAAAM-c/6MJYiBsVn34/s320/1208746_10151843635799171_1272884199_n+(1).jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The last stop on our tourist tour was the George H.W. Bush Library. It was my first time to see a presidential library and I was very impressed. It obviously inspired me to try on the "presidential suit" with my cabinet beside me. (It was casual Sunday) My mom was campaign chair for H.W. when he was running for congress so our families were friends and she enjoyed the memories.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wX2saqGv5P0/Ujx9LdeZ_1I/AAAAAAAAM-o/EzgtbdIUsAY/s1600/426554_10200539058936433_1984802735_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wX2saqGv5P0/Ujx9LdeZ_1I/AAAAAAAAM-o/EzgtbdIUsAY/s320/426554_10200539058936433_1984802735_n.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm the 11 year old with the ponytail, my mom is in the sunglasses next to George W. Bush. We were out campaigning for his daddy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was all good...past and present. Connected.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-13118739903075866262013-08-04T22:30:00.000-04:002013-08-10T18:39:19.961-04:00There's a fine line between boredom and chaos...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs1adMgEKd4/Uf8DclwS2SI/AAAAAAAAM7s/k7lBoEnAvEs/s1600/944583_282071285268332_1779956641_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs1adMgEKd4/Uf8DclwS2SI/AAAAAAAAM7s/k7lBoEnAvEs/s400/944583_282071285268332_1779956641_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's been a few years since I've done a show house for <a href="http://historicec.com/" target="_blank">Historic Ellicott City</a> but I'm doing it again this year. I've done five of them before but this is the first time I'm doing it under my name alone. Of course my dear, sweet friends from The Pink Cabbage are helping me out but, at the end of the day, it's gonna have my name on it. Wow, stress! But the good kind. The deal on the show house is that a different designer decorates a single room in the house. The funds that are made from the show house go to help keep historic structures in Howard County, Maryland intact plus there are scholarships and other benevolent deeds that come from the money. Just a couple of months ago I was feeling pretty bad about myself. I felt like my only worth was cooking, doing laundry, and getting a teenager where he needed to go. I felt I had no life or purpose for myself or in the world. Hence the title quote. I prayed and prayed for God to lead me to some purpose. Up popped this show house opportunity then, as I said in my last post, came the ministries. In between have been trips to Texas and NYC. I also have another personal project I'm working on but that's confidential-sorry, don't mean to be a tease-it's to protect other people. Anyway, I have plenty to do and fill my days with-yay!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCW6kXO9uA4/Uf8DmFLctYI/AAAAAAAAM70/y3B4vuPCpiE/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCW6kXO9uA4/Uf8DmFLctYI/AAAAAAAAM70/y3B4vuPCpiE/s400/IMG_0007.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here's the room as I first found it. It's called the Governess Quarters. I loved the blue and white toile wallpaper right away. This house has not been decorated since it was last a show house, 18 year ago, so it's dated. I think this was the nursery; the toile print is one of children but I was ready to work my magic with it. The only issue was there was damage on the wallpaper near the window. I asked that if I did a wall of curtains to hide the damage on that wall could I keep the paper and it was thumbs up yes. The deadlines on these deals are a short in the beginning; the design board is due ONE week after being accepted as designer. So I went out running around like a chicken with no head or legs getting things for this room to be approved for the design. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72iowz8an38/Uf8D1uSA7tI/AAAAAAAAM78/TbUDNNc_HV4/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72iowz8an38/Uf8D1uSA7tI/AAAAAAAAM78/TbUDNNc_HV4/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can probably tell but the photo above of me and the head of the design committee, Carroll (we have worked together a lot and get along very well), that he was happy with what I'd put together.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CPdxu4k6uoU/Uf8D_4QBYSI/AAAAAAAAM8E/Gka4pPxQY1I/s1600/IMG_0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CPdxu4k6uoU/Uf8D_4QBYSI/AAAAAAAAM8E/Gka4pPxQY1I/s320/IMG_0175.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then came the day right before I left for Texas, a call from the show house chairwoman telling me that the workers in the house had accidentally removed the wallpaper from my room. Ugh. I thought I was done, thought it was over. I was already stressed and tired (not to mention I had already spent money on things for the blue design) from getting all the things in line to go with the wallpaper. I called my wonderful cohorts, Jody and Karen, and they talked me off the ledge. And, of course after I had time to think about it, it was beginning to look like a bit of a blessing. HEC was willing to work with me to help me out with painting the walls any color that I wanted and they approved of. The world actually became my decorating oyster. I'd always wanted to decorate a pink room so here was my chance. Yes indeed, a blessing in disguise. What is that saying I've heard so much lately? When life throws you a curve yell out "plot twist"!!!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IrZvBjso5wM/Uf8EIU-RvqI/AAAAAAAAM8M/wEKJ9yse0vA/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IrZvBjso5wM/Uf8EIU-RvqI/AAAAAAAAM8M/wEKJ9yse0vA/s320/IMG_0177.JPG" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Plot twist! Here's a sneak peek at what I've got in mind for the room. I'm very excited. I start painting tomorrow. I have to finish early because I'm meeting my mama, who lives in Oregon, in Texas for the first Texas A&M (where I was born and raised) football game I've been to in over 2o years. I will have a couple of days after I get back to do the finishing touches but I need to have most of it done before I leave. Then when I return from Texas I'll be working in the sales office at the show house. Bored-no, not even any time soon. Thank you God.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-64304924579548194012013-08-04T21:40:00.001-04:002013-08-10T18:45:27.122-04:00My new mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aO8ySlbLwCo/Uf75sO_jifI/AAAAAAAAM7M/GRCrzEo7--w/s1600/1016840_602597469774156_666411332_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aO8ySlbLwCo/Uf75sO_jifI/AAAAAAAAM7M/GRCrzEo7--w/s320/1016840_602597469774156_666411332_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Well it all started with facebook, of course. I reconnected with a couple of guys who went to school with my sister (a little 0lder than me) then met up at our hometown reunion in February. Actually I had reconnected with one of them during his ride last year when I found out he was riding through Maryland; didn't see him but it started the reconnection and learning about the ride. This is, as the sign says<a href="http://www.hokaheychallenge.com/" target="_blank"> ,The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge</a>. There are many reasons why people make this ride; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, all the above. These guys have several reasons they ride but one is for charity. That charity is called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/milesformissions751" target="_blank">Miles for Missions</a>. Last year I was only on the very periphery of what the ride was about but as the ride got closer this year I learned more and more. And I learned a lot about the ministries they were riding for and they became close to my heart. I became close to David and Carla who started Miles for Missions; David through watching him ride live on his camera, listening to his Christian music as he road and with Carla through her posts on their facebook pages, messaging, and even through phone calls of support. It's a very intense experience, of course for the riders, but also for those who are following (Hoka Hey provides a tracking feature on their website to watch the riders live in animation). The testimonies of Carla and David's faith was awe-inspiring.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-HikWeT-g8/Uf7rSjOukDI/AAAAAAAAM60/_GDt_oBEoeQ/s1600/547432_705294372819963_494465509_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-HikWeT-g8/Uf7rSjOukDI/AAAAAAAAM60/_GDt_oBEoeQ/s320/547432_705294372819963_494465509_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So I started, even before the ride began, checking out the ministries they were riding for. I got involved enough with the charities and with David and Carla that they asked me last week to be a board member of Miles for Missions. What an honor. It's just taking off so I have tons of ideas and can't wait to get to work with them and these great ministries.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmysCayuATc/Uf7ra3Lar4I/AAAAAAAAM68/M9w0zt0-jlc/s1600/374449_417460521705537_872779953_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmysCayuATc/Uf7ra3Lar4I/AAAAAAAAM68/M9w0zt0-jlc/s320/374449_417460521705537_872779953_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.restoreher.org/" target="_blank">Restore Her</a> was the first one that got close to my heart. Started by the folks who opened <a href="http://www.stillcreekranch.org/" target="_blank">Stillcreek Ranch</a>, a ranch for at-risk boys, Restore Her is a home for mostly girls who the F.B.I. and other agencies find who have become part of child sex trafficking in the U.S. Both are located in my hometown area of Texas. This is one of the very few places where these children can go to escape and be saved from this heinous situation. And, of course, there is not housing for all these children who are being rescued. They need more money to build more homes for these kids. Who could look away from this issue? Check it out. They welcome any amount. It's not how much people give, it's how many people give.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mN_sLv3xXBQ/Uf76Aq065JI/AAAAAAAAM7U/GnSxQUPo73g/s1600/546730_3605097165300_731070662_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mN_sLv3xXBQ/Uf76Aq065JI/AAAAAAAAM7U/GnSxQUPo73g/s320/546730_3605097165300_731070662_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another part of Miles for Missions is David's work on getting water to people in El Salvador. He also helps with building homes and helps in general but the funds mainly go to getting water to the folks. Can you imagine life without water? Above is a photo of David cranking water from a new well for the people in the village. I'm very excited to be part of something so wonderful with people with such huge, loving hearts and who inspire me daily.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-83158711024216593952013-08-02T00:25:00.000-04:002013-09-25T17:33:07.954-04:00Texas will always be my home trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDHPc62WLqc/UfsiGfsDK7I/AAAAAAAAM4Y/GnXjASTdRfs/s1600/970119_10201287754373351_1036016046_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDHPc62WLqc/UfsiGfsDK7I/AAAAAAAAM4Y/GnXjASTdRfs/s400/970119_10201287754373351_1036016046_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sooooo, Matt decided he had to attend the world's largest sneaker convention in Houston on July 28th. Really? I thought, Texas in July? I hadn't been to Texas in the summer (okay technically not past May which was in the triple digits last time I was there in May) and was a little skeered. But it's Texas so, umm, yeah I'm going. By the time we made the decision to go the plane flights were way too expensive so I decided we were driving. I mapped the trip so we could go see my longtime, dear, wonderful friend, Tim, who I grew up three doors down from and who lives near Nashville. What a great visit we had with him. Matt had met Tim at our 35th high school reunion in Texas a couple of years ago so it was easy for them to slip into comfortable conversation again.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-frfyAot74r8/UfsiKeXs1UI/AAAAAAAAM4g/TObU4wA17fg/s1600/971702_10201292906262145_698587040_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-frfyAot74r8/UfsiKeXs1UI/AAAAAAAAM4g/TObU4wA17fg/s320/971702_10201292906262145_698587040_n.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We went out to dinner then back to Tim's gorgeous home for more catching up. Above is the love of Tim's life, Toby. Toby is like a wind-up toy who is absolutely precious. The way he cocks his head when asked a question, well, you'd just have to see it. Matt fell in love. I think Toby took a real shine to him too. Tim was wise to keep a close eye on Toby as we left; he didn't trust Matt completely not to run off with his beloved dog. The only thing that kept us from taking him was knowing how much they love each other; we'd never come between a love like that.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--sbDtPs9VcU/UfsiPVJdplI/AAAAAAAAM4o/fopsPvbbfck/s1600/1069382_10201309336312886_580397811_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--sbDtPs9VcU/UfsiPVJdplI/AAAAAAAAM4o/fopsPvbbfck/s320/1069382_10201309336312886_580397811_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If there is anyone in the world reading this at all or anyone who doesn't know this, I was asked to be one of the three administrators of my hometown facebook page about five weeks ago. What an honor it was to be asked. I've been a member since very early on which is almost three years now. The person who started the page left long ago and it was not being administered to. We did some digging and finally Jim, above right, had the page handed over to him. He asked John, left, then me. Mostly I was asked because Jim and John know how much I love my hometown and knew how honored and serious I would feel about being an administrator but they also knew that I could pretend to be appropriate enough to handle it! We started out with 3,200 members five weeks ago, now we have over 3,800. You might not think that there's much to do as admins on a silly ole fb group page but you'd</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> be so wrong. Can you imagine making sure over 3,800 people behave, follow rules, not offend anyone else, and keep things interesting all at the same time? Well it ain't easy. We take shifts then we usually are all on at the same time each night. I've really enjoyed working with these guys and getting to know them. I had only met John once at our hometown reunion in February and hadn't seen Jim since he dated my sister (they are five years older than me) in junior high! These guys were so sweet to drive from Houston to Bryan to have lunch with me while I was there. Have I ever mentioned how much I love small world stuff? Well not only did I have that connection with Jim but John and I figured out that we had a really wild connection. John had worked at the Houston Zoo and in many areas with animals and he knows the men who were the animal dealers when my daddy had our Funny Farm, an exotic animal farm we had when I was growing up! We discovered this over lunch; neither of us could get over how coincidental that was.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6rPdh482lY/UfsiTKFR6YI/AAAAAAAAM4w/Wo-pR9nyrTc/s1600/63921_10201309337032904_1049012312_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6rPdh482lY/UfsiTKFR6YI/AAAAAAAAM4w/Wo-pR9nyrTc/s320/63921_10201309337032904_1049012312_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wanted us to have our photo taken with our Aggie rings while we were together. Of course, those guys earned theirs themselves, mine is through my daddy. Still, Aggie rings, a bond.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drppk0l7N7E/Ufsia1Qw8_I/AAAAAAAAM44/ToDeLexVbwA/s1600/21419_10201309908927201_996847033_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drppk0l7N7E/Ufsia1Qw8_I/AAAAAAAAM44/ToDeLexVbwA/s320/21419_10201309908927201_996847033_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While Jim, John, and I were having lunch at Chicken Oil Co. the guy sitting at the table next to us overheard us mentioning a bunch of names he recognized. He introduced himself as Bill Allen from Hairy Bikers, a t.v. show on the History Channel where bikers do cooking. He had some great stories for us and he was a real nice fella.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--17u4nbrV50/UfsieXdFFCI/AAAAAAAAM5A/2mz_m2w4Id4/s1600/994541_10201320254545835_1641858257_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--17u4nbrV50/UfsieXdFFCI/AAAAAAAAM5A/2mz_m2w4Id4/s400/994541_10201320254545835_1641858257_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And if there weren't enough ways for me to feel like the queen of Bryan, the sweet people from our hometown facebook page invited everyone out to meet for dinner in my honor. What a great crowd we had and the seating, the way people who didn't know other people got to meet, the stories-it was fabulous. You see Greg standing behind me, the guy who I saw in NYC just the week before? Small world, check.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDp0QvKxr4U/Ufsi03KfrSI/AAAAAAAAM5I/D7ZgT3bJMDY/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDp0QvKxr4U/Ufsi03KfrSI/AAAAAAAAM5I/D7ZgT3bJMDY/s400/IMG_0174.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were other fun times and there were challenging times. Lucas and Kristen were moving into their first "grown up" house and we "got" to help. Of course we were happy to help but we all know how much moving stinks and July in Texas doesn't make it better. Grumpy ruled many times. There was also a family pool party, lunch with other friends, shopping for the show house (next post). Matt shot his first gun, caught a bunch of big fish, and had his first run-in with fire ants. He and I also bonded over great music, close conversation, and seeing a lot of the beauty that is our great country. Plus, on the way home, I took the route to go through Monroe, LA so we could go the Duck Dynasty Command Center. We had the added thrill of getting to see Jase somewhat up close and more personal than just on t.v. It was a lot of driving for one person but, as always, I had no regret doing it. It was very hard to leave but made slightly easier by knowing that I'm going back in just over a month to meet my mom for a football game...smiling.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-56277874671063071662013-08-01T23:44:00.001-04:002013-08-10T19:02:36.627-04:00Summer in New York City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IVcggbtYEVo/UfskSe9aGoI/AAAAAAAAM5Y/eI9N7OZrgGs/s1600/1069903_10201235143538113_995506932_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IVcggbtYEVo/UfskSe9aGoI/AAAAAAAAM5Y/eI9N7OZrgGs/s320/1069903_10201235143538113_995506932_n.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am a girl of opposites. I love New York City but I want to live out in the country outside of my hometown in Texas. Well, I was blessed that I got to experience both this summer and, in the picture above, both came together. While in NYC in mid-July, by coincidence my good friend, Greg, who I've known since junior high was there with his daughters on a business/vacation trip. We all met for drinks at his hotel. His daughter snapped this pic and we posted it on our facebook pages to the surprise of many of our friends. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b89QefAZGGo/UfskdJj5boI/AAAAAAAAM5g/i2f0w4a6jsc/s1600/CYMERA_20130713_180740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b89QefAZGGo/UfskdJj5boI/AAAAAAAAM5g/i2f0w4a6jsc/s640/CYMERA_20130713_180740.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next day Matt wanted to go to his favorite haunts, Flight Club, it's THE place to buy sneakers in NYC. While Matt was busy drooling over sneakers I was checking out the crowd. I've always had a nose for celebrities so I was checking out this tall guy who was with a guy who seemed more like a bodyguard type than just a friend. We were in the store for about 1 1/2 hours so I had plenty of time to get a feel for him. When we left the store it was about the same time as this guy but in the meantime we had watched him check out his SIX pairs of sneakers (they are expensive) and people on the street started to talk about him and get their photos taken with him. I asked someone who he was (Matt hadn't recognized him) and it turned out he was Travis McCoy, a rapper celeb and Katy Perry's ex. Matt did not want to have his photo taken with him (being the too cool teenager) so after I stepped beside him for Matt to take my pic with him, he relented and let me snap the one above (dropped the too cool in favor of a good story and photo to back it up). </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zbgva5igw-E/UfskmIk-tvI/AAAAAAAAM5o/udFWrtuLsG0/s1600/CYMERA_20130713_180845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zbgva5igw-E/UfskmIk-tvI/AAAAAAAAM5o/udFWrtuLsG0/s400/CYMERA_20130713_180845.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While Matt was still standing next to Travis the guy above walked right in front of Matt (yeah, just like in the photo he took of him above) and Matt's jaw dropped. He was speechless. The Matt started to point at him still with his mouth open speechless. This was not like Matt, this was not Cool Matt. I knew it had to be someone pretty darn big to make him react that way. So I reached out my hand, shook his, and told him what a big fan I was (what's a girl to say?). After the fuss was over and we walked away I asked Matt who he was and he told me Trinidad James. Another rapper. Google him if you have any interest. He's a deal, not a huge deal, but big enough to make it a really fun story for Matt and really fun to have the photos. Yep, I can sniff out a celeb anywhere.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Shawa5JLUWM/Ufsk4FrQ5zI/AAAAAAAAM5w/THpVvnIB020/s1600/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Shawa5JLUWM/Ufsk4FrQ5zI/AAAAAAAAM5w/THpVvnIB020/s320/IMG_0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For the next couple of days we did blah, blah, blah. JUST KIDDING. We did the city stuff. The weekends are so great there. Just go outside and things are happening everywhere. Above is a view from the High Line walking path that opened a couple of years ago. I found out about it on the facebook page of a childhood friend in Texas. It was beautiful and very cool.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jbbkfhxtbGE/UfslPeow-AI/AAAAAAAAM6A/_GPcZfO3sSk/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jbbkfhxtbGE/UfslPeow-AI/AAAAAAAAM6A/_GPcZfO3sSk/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">One of the great things is that on the weekends you can just walk from park to park and there are basketball tournaments, like above, going on. So many parks have stationary chess tables, boccie ball, street shows...endless amounts of free entertainment and things to do. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AwFr7EXnZNg/Ufsl0E_7p7I/AAAAAAAAM6I/qKqC0VZGkxg/s1600/1069861_10201409124571930_23282651_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AwFr7EXnZNg/Ufsl0E_7p7I/AAAAAAAAM6I/qKqC0VZGkxg/s320/1069861_10201409124571930_23282651_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Very cool photo snapped at a park of a little pick-up baseball game with the cityscape in the background. Always something cool going on.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-5740980425882682502013-08-01T22:50:00.001-04:002013-08-10T19:08:07.715-04:00Family reunion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTBFnpQFKy8/Ufs1UKa4j9I/AAAAAAAAM6Y/631cuobna2g/s1600/tanksley+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTBFnpQFKy8/Ufs1UKa4j9I/AAAAAAAAM6Y/631cuobna2g/s400/tanksley+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The gang, 2009.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5rHBZWVFio/UfsWI6I6L5I/AAAAAAAAM3I/KPRddLsjry0/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5rHBZWVFio/UfsWI6I6L5I/AAAAAAAAM3I/KPRddLsjry0/s320/IMG_0237.JPG" width="244" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So back in 2006 a family moved in next door to us. An army wife and husband with four boys between them. Of course they were from Texas. They brought our cul-de-sac together; they taught our neighborhood how a neighborhood is supposed to be-close. We became very, very close. I have posted about them several times before. But, in a nutshell, the couple divorced, the wife moved away and we became even closer to the husband and the boys.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKDnRZ1AHTg/UfsWPFOJNUI/AAAAAAAAM3Q/INknEULDA3A/s1600/IMG_0257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKDnRZ1AHTg/UfsWPFOJNUI/AAAAAAAAM3Q/INknEULDA3A/s320/IMG_0257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then the husband, Cedric, got sent to Iraq for the 6th time. Cedric's brother, Allen, came to stay with the boys but he needed support too. So I stepped in as mama to the boys, especially the oldest and youngest. The second photo is of the oldest, Andre', and me. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m7ysT7YH7bg/UfsWf91SSiI/AAAAAAAAM3Y/uX1h15Xca8U/s1600/matt+and+alec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m7ysT7YH7bg/UfsWf91SSiI/AAAAAAAAM3Y/uX1h15Xca8U/s320/matt+and+alec.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They lived here for almost three years-a long stay for their lifestyle. Then Cedric got transferred to Georgia. The photo above is at a dinner we had as families right before they left for Georgia. They stayed with us for a few days before they left after their things had been picked up by the movers. Just when I thought I couldn't get more boys in my house they brought in Cousin Shaun too. It was crazy, wild, wonderful. A huge, wonderful family all hanging out together. I was in heaven. Remember, Cedric was also included to keep all these boys in line!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_wXV7fqMS_4/UfsWtYKizmI/AAAAAAAAM3g/DS6zI32lwzI/s1600/IMG_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_wXV7fqMS_4/UfsWtYKizmI/AAAAAAAAM3g/DS6zI32lwzI/s320/IMG_0057.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I know, the photos aren't lining up with the story, live with it. In April, Andre' (the oldest), who had joined the Air Force a few years ago was being transferred from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska to Afghanistan with layover for training in Maryland-yay! That's the top photo; the first time I'd seen Andre' in about four years. We got to see him a few times before his mom and Alec (the youngest and like a brother to Matt) came from San Antonio to see Andre' before he left.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GQ-vZuuW0E/UfsW26L-WUI/AAAAAAAAM3o/Q0wZPPLOfBI/s1600/IMG_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GQ-vZuuW0E/UfsW26L-WUI/AAAAAAAAM3o/Q0wZPPLOfBI/s320/IMG_0048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We met up with Alec and Andre' at the bowling alley first. There was about 10 minutes of awkward time-gone-by feeling between Alec and Matt then, boom, brothers reunited and inseparable for the rest of the stay.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzSvBS2LbPM/UfsXDFLRtdI/AAAAAAAAM3w/amuvZMZtmPY/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzSvBS2LbPM/UfsXDFLRtdI/AAAAAAAAM3w/amuvZMZtmPY/s320/IMG_0061.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Alana, on the right, has lived next door since she and Matt were very young and she was always part of the great group of kids that played constantly together while Cedric, Alec, and Andre', and the rest lived next door to us. The kids had a great time playing basketball one night; it was just like the great old times. They are so young to have these long periods of time not seeing each other. My heart was so full watching them step right back into the past.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QHkHy9Yxgrw/UfsXzKiReCI/AAAAAAAAM4I/cMgTbl_69Ao/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QHkHy9Yxgrw/UfsXzKiReCI/AAAAAAAAM4I/cMgTbl_69Ao/s400/IMG_0072.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The night before they left we went to ride go carts and had a pretty wild time. We got to have Alec all but one night that he was here including this last night. So many years had gone by without seeing them but through the fabulous medium of facebook, had been able to keep in touch and coordinate this visit. There was a time we weren't sure if we were going to have them in our lives forever but I think we've proven that wrong. I pray that we will always stay this close and I ask for prayers for Andre' as he is in harm's way in Afghanistan. Alec has gone to live with his dad in Saudi Arabia for the next couple of years. It'll be interesting to see when we will all be together again. How blessed we are to have them in our lives.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-31508134733581404212013-07-11T15:29:00.001-04:002013-08-10T19:11:41.250-04:00Best jewelry ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2NcJMriirQ/Ud8Fh7b6IBI/AAAAAAAAM20/IkGJt-9gEPY/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2NcJMriirQ/Ud8Fh7b6IBI/AAAAAAAAM20/IkGJt-9gEPY/s400/IMG_0044.JPG" width="315" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I've waited my whole life to get an Aggie ring. I went back to school last year just to get enough credits to transfer to Texas A&M University so that I could carry on the tradition of my daddy's of having an Aggie ring. Then a few months ago, my brother and sister from another mother and father told me about Aggie sweetheart rings. If someone graduated 1978 or before one could order an exact replica of their Aggie ring (men) for their wives or mothers. My daddy never got one for my mama; they couldn't afford it when he was in school there. So I looked into it and sure enough I could order one posthumously. And I received it last month. It is like a new woman's Aggie ring only instead of Texas A&M University it says Texas College of A&M because that was the name of the school when my daddy graduated the first (and second) time. It has '51 on it, the year of his first degree and has his name inscribed inside, Carl W. George. For those of you who don't understand the significance of an Aggie ring and want to know, here's the link to find out about it: http://v4.texags.com/Stories/10853 I'm eternally thankful that my daddy did all the work so that I could have this. Part of the tradition is that on one is supposed to wear the ring except the person who earned it. That means that I can't even wear my daddy's on a chain around my neck. This is a wonderful way that I can honor my daddy and the college he (and I still) loved so much.</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-35917491286100242382013-06-13T14:18:00.003-04:002013-06-13T14:18:39.427-04:00Happy Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PcKyilToa5I/UboMC0I_NVI/AAAAAAAAM0w/_Ebi6bIvkhk/s1600/165805_4161729367896_14741026_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PcKyilToa5I/UboMC0I_NVI/AAAAAAAAM0w/_Ebi6bIvkhk/s320/165805_4161729367896_14741026_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To the best daddy anyone could ever dream of. Almost ten years gone; I think of you and miss you every day. You are always with me, always part of me. I love you.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-83818858194591554692013-06-05T21:38:00.002-04:002013-06-05T21:38:47.443-04:00Hope for Oklahoma Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lD8u09dYDJs/Ua_lDILV1eI/AAAAAAAAMzw/qmg336rCTbM/s1600/935598_660425450640673_551067210_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lD8u09dYDJs/Ua_lDILV1eI/AAAAAAAAMzw/qmg336rCTbM/s320/935598_660425450640673_551067210_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFtQCKkvvXI/Ua_lIJJO96I/AAAAAAAAMz4/9loL1SHv8Aw/s1600/IMG_0291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFtQCKkvvXI/Ua_lIJJO96I/AAAAAAAAMz4/9loL1SHv8Aw/s400/IMG_0291.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, sweet Heather who has two young children who spearheaded this Hope for Oklahoma project was so tickled with the success from the first round that she decided to have another. Bless her heart. At least another sweet Heather stepped in to help her with all of this. When it's over, Heather is going to personally drive from Texas to Oklahoma to deliver the funds directly to those in need. No penny wasted. I'm so happy to be part of this project. Here are my art pieces that I'm offering for the auction this time. It starts on June 10th and I will be posting and reminding on my facebook pages.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jiXXd310q_s/Ua_lSwrar2I/AAAAAAAAM0A/Q7hAJ9bRgQ0/s1600/IMG_0281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jiXXd310q_s/Ua_lSwrar2I/AAAAAAAAM0A/Q7hAJ9bRgQ0/s400/IMG_0281.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Antique shoe forms I embellished and strung with raw silk ribbon to look like ballet shoes.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mT0y2ZC1B-M/Ua_lajPF6PI/AAAAAAAAM0I/N5GXrwHS_rI/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mT0y2ZC1B-M/Ua_lajPF6PI/AAAAAAAAM0I/N5GXrwHS_rI/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mini dresser for holding small treasures. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-faCauhYj8ns/Ua_lk-zAN4I/AAAAAAAAM0Q/X0WT3Yw3BWA/s1600/IMG_0283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-faCauhYj8ns/Ua_lk-zAN4I/AAAAAAAAM0Q/X0WT3Yw3BWA/s320/IMG_0283.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pixie treasure box.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPlgFvsaHEs/Ua_lq33QODI/AAAAAAAAM0Y/o4gUJ--yOBo/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPlgFvsaHEs/Ua_lq33QODI/AAAAAAAAM0Y/o4gUJ--yOBo/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mini journal. Embellishments from Tinsel Trading Co.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-42f70XS20rY/Ua_lwaxfNTI/AAAAAAAAM0g/Ao_-sjSVqOE/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-42f70XS20rY/Ua_lwaxfNTI/AAAAAAAAM0g/Ao_-sjSVqOE/s320/IMG_0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another mini journal for tea drinkers. 3-D tea cup with tea bag and faux "steam" coming out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I hope y'all will feel compelled to check out the auctions. These are not high dollar items; most are very reasonably priced hand-crafted, wonderful art. I even got one great item on the last one for only $5. And most have no shipping fees either. Win-Win.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-42511813772393930872013-05-22T16:55:00.000-04:002013-05-24T21:48:06.308-04:00A good fundraiser gives me the giddy up and go...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1V8bmS5PpFM/UZ0t6IUw6uI/AAAAAAAAMyk/2JGqmppNGu0/s1600/253341_10151692682923453_1057284227_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1V8bmS5PpFM/UZ0t6IUw6uI/AAAAAAAAMyk/2JGqmppNGu0/s320/253341_10151692682923453_1057284227_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ever since I got back from Texas and had the carrot of purchasing property to flip was taken from me I've felt a little lost. I was really excited about having a new project and work that I could focus on while still having the flexibility of being the mom of an active teenager. Then here come the storms and devastation and the feeling of wanting to help (and putting things in perspective). Thanks to the wonders of facebook, an artist friend announced today that she is doing an online auction of art with all the proceeds going to the Oklahoma recovery costs. Inspiration was born. A reason to create and a way to help.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lN2dVm6SQY0/UZ0tJrRpaHI/AAAAAAAAMyU/clKePKdYSzQ/s1600/IMG_0260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lN2dVm6SQY0/UZ0tJrRpaHI/AAAAAAAAMyU/clKePKdYSzQ/s400/IMG_0260.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I signed up then went straight up to my studio and started making. These are two hand mirrors that I made immediately.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UOrS1FLdyW4/UZ0tOzAWkKI/AAAAAAAAMyc/FLfvL0nBGeo/s1600/IMG_0262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UOrS1FLdyW4/UZ0tOzAWkKI/AAAAAAAAMyc/FLfvL0nBGeo/s400/IMG_0262.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J7t4filzGjA/UZ0yj-JpMJI/AAAAAAAAMy0/_FVH2_Kc2Dg/s1600/IMG_0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J7t4filzGjA/UZ0yj-JpMJI/AAAAAAAAMy0/_FVH2_Kc2Dg/s400/IMG_0265.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bee-inspired hanging ornament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is actually a knock-off of a Paper Whimsey project that I'd been wanting to do. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1VCiJWivyXY/UaAXmz8WG5I/AAAAAAAAMzM/5A65uMf5IAY/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1VCiJWivyXY/UaAXmz8WG5I/AAAAAAAAMzM/5A65uMf5IAY/s400/IMG_0268.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Altered cigar box.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mixed media hanging collage ornament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Altered journal (in packaging).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> had been thinking I'd like to go to Oklahoma and help when the time is right. Whether I do or not at least this is a start. The auction will begin on May 26th </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hopeforok" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">, the link to the facebook page called Hope for Oklahoma. Please join in either buying, selling, or both.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-76380356980886161362013-05-16T11:52:00.000-04:002013-05-20T16:18:12.264-04:00Adios mi amigo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My dear friend, Pete Ruff, passed into the loving arms of Jesus on April 15, 2013. He was an officer and a gentleman; a quiet man but a party boy and a lady's man. He was a Texan and a Longhorn. He was born in Midland but passed in Maryland. He was a sailor and a true patron of the arts. He gave me my start in business to which I will be forever indebted to him. He also brought together a group of people who, under no other circumstances would have ever met. So many are my "forever friends". This photo was taken when Pete and I went to see Historic Oella Mill, where we met when he owned it, after he had sold it and it had been refurbished into 270 condos. What a treat it was for me to get to share the experience with him. He was very happy with what they had preserved of the history of the mill, as was I. Pete, you are missed and you will always be in our hearts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">(A piece of art that Pete bought from me has now come full circle)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #45818e; line-height: 18px;">I was blessed, because of our Texas connection, to be given Pete's boots. They are Justin Boot Company boots (my middle son's namesake). I also am blessed to have a painting done by Pete; a country house surrounded by a beautiful stand of trees and wide, blue skies. He loved Texas. He loved Maryland. He loved Costa Rica. All places where he had homes. I met Pete in 2000. Here is what a childhood friend wrote about him for those of us who didn't know these great details of him growing up in Midland. He loved talking about Hawaii and the parties he had with Don Ho and his adventures around the world especially in Mexico and Central and South America but Bill has edified us with an even more wonderful insight into this very special man.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fbfcf7; color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I grew up with Pete in Midland. He was in our Cub Scout pack at the age of nine or ten, which is how I first remember meeting him -- at our back door. He was as pleasant and funny then as he later showed as a young man fresh out of the Catholic high schools he attended in Amarillo. I believe he was the star quarterback.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fbfcf7; color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Pete, whose nickname was Speedy, became an associate member of the West Flepanske group created by the late R. Dennis Kelly. The. Name stood for West, Pannill, Fletcher, and Skee, or Kelly. Dennis changed the nickname to Speedre. He played much touch football with us -- in games at which Dennis often played in a Haspel suit and tie.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fbfcf7; color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Speedre stayed with this agglomeration at the University of Texas. I believe he lived on Speedway with Dennis, Roy Merrill, and Hugh West. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fbfcf7; color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I lost him for a time when he graduated and became a Naval officer ("Mr. Ruff"). But we resumed our friendship when I went to work for the Treasury Department in the spring of 1971 and he opened his importing business in Ellicott City. We made a few trips there to see Pete and his wife, and I think both couples produced babies in 1972. But I moved back to Texas and we lost track again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fbfcf7; color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I heard from Speedre a couple of years ago when he was organizing a trip with the late Charles Ratliff to Costa Rica. I missed that trip, which I now regret very much. We don't appreciate what's important to us until too late. Goodbye, old friend.</span></div>
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-44769385905932160982013-05-04T20:09:00.001-04:002013-05-04T20:09:25.526-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm headed to the land that I love this week, home. My hometown Bryan, Texas. The land of my heart and soul. The land where my soul brothers and sisters live and my oldest son and his darling girl are. My heart is filling with joy and it will continue to fill and fill and fill. My prayer is that everyone has that one place in the world were, when they are there, they feel that relief and peace of, "I'm home." just as I do when I'm there. I'm looking for real estate this time. It would be the first piece of property that I ever owned myself in the state where I was born and raised. Wish me luck, say some prayers, be happy for me. Catch you on the flip side (literally).</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-5195825514462423232013-05-04T19:58:00.001-04:002013-05-04T20:12:28.745-04:00Throw back Saturday?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The year was 2005. Janine and I had shared a shop at Oella Mill for a couple of years and had were getting ready to launch our decorating business when we stumbled into the grand opportunity to decorate a room for The Historic Ellicott City Show House. It is a huge honor to be chosen to be a decorator for this annual fundraiser for the creme' de creme' of Howard County. A woman who was involved with HEC came into the mill one day when I was working and I asked her how a person goes about getting to do a room. She said she'd just heard that day that, after everyone had been selected a month earlier to decorate all the rooms, someone had to drop out and that there might be an opening. Well that was quicker than we had been planning but we knew better than to pass up an opportunity. We met with the chairwoman the next day and wowed her. We were scared crapless but acted as confident as we possibly could. We had to run around like mad because everyone else had turned in their design boards two weeks before. What we learned that day was that we had gotten the master bedroom and bath! Huge. Huge room, huge coup. Right after the main floor rooms, the master bedroom comes next. We were too excited to be overwhelmed. We had three days to get <i>everything</i> before meeting with the design committee and the homeowner. As I said, something everyone else had a couple of weeks to do and they all had experience. Well professional experience. Fortunately, Janine and I had both been rabid amateurs our whole lives so we caught up quickly. We were very happy with how it turned out. Now remember, when you look at these photos, this was eight years ago...things have changed but our design was bold and classic. I just found these photos this weekend and, because I didn't have a blog back then, I'm just now posting this. We did four in all; two are somewhere on here, the other I will post sometime soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Janine and Christine (our fab friend who, along with her husband Phil, helped us so much that we never could have completed in time and all while they were visiting from England/Wales) enjoying the finished product. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge. The wallpaper was a beautiful golden yellow Asian-themed toile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">These photos were taken before there were better digital cameras so excuse the funky quality. This was a wonderful corner with a rattan chaise, quad-fold mirror screen, potted palm on a staircase of books, and the first time I thought to use a clock as a ceiling medallion for a chandelier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ahh, that's where that family heirloom washstand went I've been wanting to use as a vanity for years! We took an antique bed and upholstered it with silk taffeta plaid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were twin lampshade pendants on each side of the bed. Phil did all of our electrical work for us even thought he was only used to European wiring. We had some exciting moments while he was working.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Topiary and cutting edge design at the time placing a vignette in the non-functioning fireplace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To make more "retail" space we had our buddies, Bob and Bob build this bookcase and cabinet into the large closet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A sweet secretary I found and painted white and played dress up with the chair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the bathroom we used a wallpaper that coordinated with the bedroom paper. We used the same Dupont silk fabric as the bed plus another to do the sink skirt and shower curtain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Check out the detail on the shower curtain; there are crystals hanging from the harlequin points. Who doesn't love a chandy in the bathroom?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Little gilded chair with the same harlequin and crystal detail next to the tub.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Okay, the befores. Me, Phil, and Christine ready to go. See the old wallpaper and dark blue paint that had been there 25 years?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The house had not been lived in for 10 years so lots of things were in bad shape...before us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Janine and Phil taking turns on the ladder. 16 foot ceilings made for long, tiring days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">One of many "I Love Lucy" moments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Philly on his perch.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k1qGWcoc86U/UYWVNb4HZMI/AAAAAAAAMvY/AeXvDkbWocA/s1600/lights01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k1qGWcoc86U/UYWVNb4HZMI/AAAAAAAAMvY/AeXvDkbWocA/s400/lights01.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not like Wales' wiring but he did it.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hUuv_0UT9fw/UYWVTFxnuBI/AAAAAAAAMvg/uWWsAQnT1g0/s1600/papering11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hUuv_0UT9fw/UYWVTFxnuBI/AAAAAAAAMvg/uWWsAQnT1g0/s400/papering11.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Great minds.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SfbucY2maDE/UYWVfSb_UnI/AAAAAAAAMvo/CYpDsv84xoE/s1600/ellie03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SfbucY2maDE/UYWVfSb_UnI/AAAAAAAAMvo/CYpDsv84xoE/s320/ellie03.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our kitty, Ellie (Ellicott City Show House Cat), who I found under a fridge in the garage. The mama ran off and left her so I grabbed her. I rue the day now eight years and 15 pounds later.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNhOR4YMf1Q/UYWVlLxjRHI/AAAAAAAAMvw/zXCQNAMXD68/s1600/ellie01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNhOR4YMf1Q/UYWVlLxjRHI/AAAAAAAAMvw/zXCQNAMXD68/s320/ellie01.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ellie had to be bottle fed the first couple of weeks. I have to say that Christine did most of the feedings. We had to take her with us to the show house in a box so we could feed her during the day. She loved it when we were at home trying to sew the bed linens, shower curtain, window treatments, and pillows. Backwards, I know, but there you are. Boy did we launch.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-4327273753780066352013-04-18T22:47:00.002-04:002013-04-18T22:47:50.765-04:00Playing with my blog causes frustration and costs money.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqcSpprmsTE/UXCsPgwdgAI/AAAAAAAAMrc/cfOqW6i3Xhs/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqcSpprmsTE/UXCsPgwdgAI/AAAAAAAAMrc/cfOqW6i3Xhs/s400/IMG_0199.JPG" width="333" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I decided that I wanted a new header/banner for my Doojies' facebook page and for my blog so I made one. On facebook it worked out very well; I'm pleased. On here, not so much. Every time I change something it doesn't seem to work then I can't get the old look back. I know I'm usually the only one on here but my banner, at the top, was much smaller but I couldn't get it to go back after the failed launch of new said banner. I used to change the look of this blog on, at least, a monthly basis. Because I like the way it looks now I haven't dared to mess with it until this week. Too much time on my hands? No, too much bad news in the world and this is a good, creative distraction. I also did a little art this week along with going back to "doing" furniture which my new larger space at the shop allows (yay). The one above went to the shop...</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FdFbhdwvoZs/UXCsW84rOHI/AAAAAAAAMrk/fahyW7Ruyf0/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FdFbhdwvoZs/UXCsW84rOHI/AAAAAAAAMrk/fahyW7Ruyf0/s400/IMG_0201.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...this one goes along with several other items to a fundraiser for Eva. Eva's story can be found in here somewhere. She's now raising funds to try to recover from her defense and is also going to sue the shit (pardon me but the situation definitely calls for it) out of the folks who tormented her for several years. Any attorneys out there want a big, high profile case in Clint Eastwood and Leon Panetta's backyards? And the cost to me? I decided to focus on others tonight and visited some blogs I hadn't been to in a while. I ended up at Paper Whimsey where I get the goods to make these good-ies and I'm always inspired to buy more to make more. That's called re-investment in my business which I've been doing a lot of for 12 years. Check out some of the other blogs I have listed if you have the time and want to see good news. It's good for the soul.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922594875392608459.post-27113837511516470092013-04-01T20:28:00.002-04:002013-04-01T20:32:41.020-04:00Then and now, my new space at The Pink Cabbage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-RGSO0nULM/UVoduLse8HI/AAAAAAAAMpI/SFbB9qFPjQo/s1600/shop+part+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-RGSO0nULM/UVoduLse8HI/AAAAAAAAMpI/SFbB9qFPjQo/s400/shop+part+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I made a big business mistake a few years ago. I had been at The Pink Cabbage a couple of years in a nice, big bedroom and was doing well. But I got restless and who knows what else was going on in my crazy head at the time but I though I wanted to get out of the biz for a while so I gave my notice. Look at that darn cute room, above. The other women there were very supportive, they even threw me a going away party. Look at all this room...</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFdmcL-xGbs/UVoctjyTaGI/AAAAAAAAMoo/Nm1i2i8TCtk/s1600/shop+part+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFdmcL-xGbs/UVoctjyTaGI/AAAAAAAAMoo/Nm1i2i8TCtk/s400/shop+part+23.jpg" width="331" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...then Jody talked me into staying but my room had already been promised to someone else. The good news was that there was a very small closet available!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fzTfK8fpMCw/UVogziAPwQI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/29kZxiaCWfQ/s1600/aa+closet+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fzTfK8fpMCw/UVogziAPwQI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/29kZxiaCWfQ/s400/aa+closet+2.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Small, right? Okay so I was there for a few months then moved into a larger closet...</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g4u6YSEcgQU/UVohTjQAPeI/AAAAAAAAMpY/RCENnHM2n7w/s1600/shop+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g4u6YSEcgQU/UVohTjQAPeI/AAAAAAAAMpY/RCENnHM2n7w/s320/shop+4.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...still not as much room as I needed but I in was there for a couple of years.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Jp7g7GXfhk/UVodD8mgXYI/AAAAAAAAMo4/_8zKXZ-pCEs/s1600/building2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Jp7g7GXfhk/UVodD8mgXYI/AAAAAAAAMo4/_8zKXZ-pCEs/s400/building2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Backing up a bit. For those of you who don't know what The Pink Cabbage is all about, it's this nice, old house that has been turned into a house of shops. There are 15 women who have spaces here. Some rooms are shared, most are solo. The business is going on over six years and is very successful. With 15 women who have fabulous taste and a shared vision of keeping prices down, we weathered the financial bust without so much as a hiccup. It's a great group and a great place to shop.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4uUgwnvCIU/UVoimSdDEfI/AAAAAAAAMpg/Lfg_VkfORB0/s1600/IMG_0131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4uUgwnvCIU/UVoimSdDEfI/AAAAAAAAMpg/Lfg_VkfORB0/s400/IMG_0131.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Someone is leaving which meant that things started to churn throughout the shop. One thing lead to another and I got to move into a larger area yesterday on the <i>first</i> floor, yeah, lots easier for hauling in furniture and in the main room so more visibility. The first view is above.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-82xFfYNU4hw/UVojG9K4F-I/AAAAAAAAMqM/DTRMn-xZLfg/s1600/IMG_0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-82xFfYNU4hw/UVojG9K4F-I/AAAAAAAAMqM/DTRMn-xZLfg/s400/IMG_0141.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A space where people will be able to walk through and more than one person can get in at a time. Yep, that's how tight my last two spaces were.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fiTDzKSLnOg/UVoisYZBlaI/AAAAAAAAMpo/MWRRqLWUxmA/s1600/IMG_0139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fiTDzKSLnOg/UVoisYZBlaI/AAAAAAAAMpo/MWRRqLWUxmA/s400/IMG_0139.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And I can spread out my art and treasures so they can be seen better.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNY7EoEwf5I/UVoiyTRowHI/AAAAAAAAMpw/nGDRWuAndR8/s1600/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNY7EoEwf5I/UVoiyTRowHI/AAAAAAAAMpw/nGDRWuAndR8/s400/IMG_0140.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My sales had already improved today. Yep, I'm happy. For those of you who live locally, I hope you'll stop in soon. For all others, please like my Doojies' page on facebook damnit.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2