I Have Been Cheating

Yes. I have been cheating and I am sorry.

I have been cheating on my posts. Craziness is exactly what it has been here for a while now. My J.O.B. is taking more time along with all of the social events, Tri's, etc going on - craziness. So, I have been shortchanging all of you on my posts. Sorry, but posting with lots of photos has been a quick way to let you all in on the goings ons around here. Cheating. I know. Sorry.

In addition, because of my short amount of time, I have been skimping on the comment love. I am still reading everyone's posts but I find myself clicking on the next because I am always so pressed for time. I am still stopping in to see everyone as I always have but have been skipping the comment love. Cheating. I know. Once again, I am sorry. Truly. Bear with me through my busy season and I'll be back in full swing.

This is a sample of what I do for a living. This home was a newly built home. The clients moved here from Chicago. They had no furniture at all for their home. So, I came in and created this -

This is a "during" shot. This client ordered the sofa and decided she loved the Tiger pattern so much, she wanted more. So, I painted the pattern onto the face of her kitchen bar.

And in her art "niche"

For those of you who have asked -There is a tiny peek into what I do for a living. I do it all. Custom furnishings, draperies, bedding, carpets, floors, faux finishes, you name it. Right now I am about to install a beautiful copper ceiling in a home that is being built. It will be so stunning. Stunning.

Right now, in my world, everyone loves me. They don't love me because I am charming and beautiful. Well...maybe that's it....yeah, it probably is, but in reality, they love me because I make their homes beautiful. Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Right. ( I am laughing very hard out loud right now)

If it was to be done before the Holidays, they should have started in July. Swear. Custom upholstery, drapes, bedding, it all takes time. These days, more time than before. You see, in the effort to meet Americans' desire for nice look for little price, everyone has gone overseas for their product. So, those fabrics that used to be milled in North and South Carolina no longer exist. The mills are all closed down and the fabrics are now coming from China. This means, lots and lots of wait time if the fabric isn't in stock. Well, no one ever picks a fabric that is in stock. Trust me. So, custom is defined as: Wait. Period. Please. Don't shoot the messenger.

Okay, enough of my bitch session. With all of that said, I am still insanely busy. I like it that way. My days are not so easy and they are very long more often than not. But, I really do like it this way. So, please forgive me if i cheat a little for a bit on my posts. Please?

We partied at the Bigun house this past weekend. It really was a fun filled evening. I felt like the Bride again. The house was full and I barely got to spend time with anyone person for more than 5 minutes at a time. ExcelMan and Green Eyed Lady joined in the festivities along with 20 other people. My life is so full of beautiful people. I truly have wonderful friends. TriFeist came over for a bit. It was so much fun to meet her. I feel guilty that I didn't spend more time learning about her. I have no doubt we'll see her again. Her Hubby was working so she was flying solo. I smell a dinner coming on...

In addition to work and regular home things I have been working on various projects in my home too. My walls have been painted and repainted more than once in more than one room. The Guest suite is almost done. I have to finish putting the bed together. I had the bed frame in there but now have a beautiful carved black poster head board and foot board to add. The delivery guys forgot to leave the rails, so the bed is not put up yet.

Finally finished painting the hall bath - it is metallic gold. LOVE it. It looks fabulous with the red curtains in there. In addition to that I redid our bedroom too. Bigun recovered the headboard a while ago and i finally put the new bedding on the bed. It's red, mingled with gold and bronze. The bedding. It looks so gorgeous with the red sofa in there. Stunning. I still have to finish the venetian plaster in there and the painting. It'll happen, just don't know when. I am also building some built-in bookcases in the office. The painting is done and the desk and credenza are in but the book cases are only about 1/3 of the way finished. I'll finish them in between putting the final layer of glaze on my Dining room walls. Are you seeing a trend here yet? Many projects, little time and millions of ideas... that's me. Oh. I work too. Cook often. Take care of the dogs, try to keep up with the house ( not always successfully either), work in laundry every now and then as well. Thank the Lord I don't have children too. I would be three stories up at the asylum. How you women with kids do it, I'll never know. My hat is off to you all.

Oh. I almost forgot. I read too. I read a lot. It's my get away. My sanctuary. Books. I love them. I love the way the ink smells on the pages when you crack that book for the first time. If I fall asleep with ink smudged fingers at night, I feel good. I just finished a couple of books. One in particular,

"In an Instant" . Bob and Lee Woodruff.

Editorial Reviews
Book Description

In one of the most anticipated books of the year, Lee Woodruff, along with her husband, Bob Woodruff, share their never-before-told story of romance, resilience, and survival following the tragedy that transformed their lives and gripped a nation.

In January 2006, the Woodruffs seemed to have it all–a happy marriage and four beautiful children. Lee was a public relations executive and Bob had just been named co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight. Then, while Bob was embedded with the military in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. He and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were hit, and Bob suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him.In an Instant is the frank and compelling account of how Bob and Lee’s lives came together, were blown apart, and then were miraculously put together again–and how they persevered, with grit but also with humor, through intense trauma and fear.

Here are Lee’s heartfelt memories of their courtship, their travels as Bob left a law practice behind and pursued his news career and Lee her freelance business, the glorious births of her children and the challenges of motherhood.Bob in turn recalls the moment he caught the journalism “bug” while covering Tiananmen Square for CBS News, his love of overseas assignments and his guilt about long separations from his family, and his pride at attaining the brass ring of television news–being chosen to fill the seat of the late Peter Jennings.

And, for the first time, the Woodruffs reveal the agonizing details of Bob’s terrible injuries and his remarkable recovery. We learn that Bob’s return home was not an end to the journey but the first step into a future they have learned not to fear but to be grateful for.In an Instant is much more than the dual memoir of love and courage. It is an important, wise, and inspiring guide to coping with tragedy–and an extraordinary drama of marriage, family, war, and nation.A percentage of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury.

Please read this book. It brings to light a serious issue facing our nation, it's soldiers, it's families. People may not agree on the war in Iraq and they may not agree with why we are there or the policies of our leaders. It doesn't matter. Our men and women are still there. Support them. Supporting our soldiers is what matters. Freedom isn't free and the men and women who are there, in Iraq, they know this. Does your personal freedom depend on the war in Iraq? I don't know. I won't presume to guess either. What I do know is that a tyrant who murdered his people and tortured many more is now gone. Our men and women are there to help the ones left behind in the debris.They are there to help them put their lives back together. To gain their freedom. The daily struggles they face, both our soldiers and Iraq's citizens, will be a long and hard road.

I did not want to turn this into a "heavy" post, but I am compelled to say this-

Our men and women who are returning home with missing limbs, post traumatic stress disorders, brain injuries, and more, they need our help. They need OUR help. What can you do?

Sgt. Gonzalez from Alpha Company of 1/38 Infantry Regiment patrols Baqubah, Iraq, on Oct. 3.
ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES