waynes kitchen table

xmas and thanksgiving pics 2011

2011-12-02T16:20:00.002-06:00

halloween 2011 pictures

2011-10-21T07:52:00.002-05:00

lots of lovely pics of the house during october 2011.

http://www.flickr.com//photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157627819469127/show/

registry info

2011-10-05T08:03:00.002-05:00

for those of you looking for our registry info, please click here...

of late

2011-08-09T12:35:00.000-05:00

god its hot...not only is it hot, but it just seems to get worse and worse. the last few days (in the 80's and 90's) have felt like such a relief to what we have been having.

ive been staying busy and not busy...all at once. i'm in this weird funk right now, and its hard to always see a way out of it. im doing a bunch of smaller jobs that i really like. however, i dont feel alot of passion in any of them. i would trade them for one thing that i really had passion about. i wish that i could find something, but i dont seem to have much success, and that scares me. i work at hjem (fun), i teach at nwacc and phoenix (good for the checkbook and brain), i sew (fun and rewarding), and i write and do the radio show (which is there to hopefully open doors for me in the future). the problem is, i dont see any doors opening, and it puts me in this real funk.

add to all of this...our friends just keep moving. some go to tulsa, some are in chicago, some are in florida, some are in new york, some moved to little rock, hell some moved to africa (although for some reason, i guess we have been blacklisted by them). it just a weird spot to be in and im afraid of getting into too deep into a dark place and not being able to find my way out.

i dont know...

los lonely boy

2011-05-10T16:37:00.002-05:00

i know that it has been way too long since my last post. the truth is...ive been sitting in a bit of a funk for a few weeks. nothing serious. it was serious a few weeks back, but now it just sort of comes and goes. my dear jessica recently moved to chicago. pair that with my lack of sarah/lancer love and my distant friends around the country (and many days at home)...and you get one lonely boy.

sure i have been teaching and working at hjem. things are actually fine there. however, i just feel likeim wanting something more. its a wierd feeling because i shouldnt really have anything to bitch about. house is good, pups are good, d is good...but as the days get longer and longer...i have more and more time to think about things.

its just a wierd funk...

updates and more

2011-03-04T09:42:00.003-06:00

so its been so busy. working at hjem. teaching four classes. its just been crazy. all is well here. its getting warmer and the dogs like that. daniel is doing well. im just tired...but you know, cant complain:)

love to all, wayne:)

donna summer says..."on the radio...woo ohh"

2011-01-25T15:49:00.002-06:00

so i dont have much exciting to share. the new year came and went and i am in better spirits than before the holidays. teaching, serving a bit, writing....underemployed...but okay. we went to see baby cadence (and family) this weekend. tulsa, and the d-miller's were great.

anyway, i thought id share some exciting news. my column for the fayettevilleflyer.com is being turned into a weekly segment on KUAF/NPR's "ozarks at large." it debuted this morning and will run most tuesdays. hope you enjoy my take on all things culture. we start with a discussion of the oscar nominations. enjoy (and come back on tuesdays to kuaf.org).

ozarksatlarge.com

and the year ends in a whimper...

2010-12-20T12:33:00.002-06:00

this is the time of the year when i normally try to look back and take stock at what is/has gone on around me. i figured today would be a good day to start this conversation, because today has been a toughy for me. as a lot of people know, i started back in the summer with brick house kitchen in fayetteville. the kitchen was opening a kafe on dickson street and after months of waiting (and sporadic work here and there)...the kafe opened about a month ago. i loved working there and interacting with people and working with a great product. today i learned the original location was/is closing for a while...and therefore, their staff is transferring over to the new location that i managed. hence...i am no longer needed.

this really upsets me for a variety of reasons. i gave a huge portion of my time and energy to the opening of this location this year. more so, i really loved working there and think this kind of decision just blows. especially on christmas week. now i am saddened and scared as to what i am going to do, when the holidays finally do go. not to mention...i am prone to depression after the holidays end...so i am meeting this with extreme sadness.

this whole year has been a roller coaster and a year full of lessons. my love for daniel, our house, and our little dog charlee grew and grew. i couldn't ask for a more supportive and kind person than daniel. there have been so many days where he has lifted me up when i was at my darkest points. this year also saw the addition of harper to our house. he is our newest little dog and has taken his place alongside of charlee...as rulers of the house. we are so blessed to have them both.

in march, i lost my job of four years with doubletree/hilton. it was a bit of a shock, but not devastating...as that job was sucking the life out of me. the adjustment period after it, however, was hard. after a few weeks...your "to do" list becomes very thin. in this economy, you suddenly realize that you cannot simply go out and find something new. therefore, i built a bit of a portfolio, working on websites, helping out friends...and of course, teaching. this year has seen me teach for both northwest arkansas community college and university of phoenix. both posts have offered me a chance to get back in the classroom...and kept me busy.

in april, i was approached to start working with brick house (see how that turned out)...and also got some pretty shocking news. jessica, lance, and sarah d. have always been our best friends in the area. lance and sarah shared in april their plans to move back to tulsa and have a baby (and wedding). this was a rough period for me...and still stings a bit. i love cadence (the now born little guy) and the wedding was great...but there were so many challenges with the loss of close friends. we see them every month or so...but its simply different, in a time when i needed stability.

jessica is doing good. family and friends all seem to be good. a few new friends have even worked into the fold. however, this year will end in a state of unease. it was a year of change. a year of great and sad things. a year that tested me (and a huge chunk of america) in ways i could have never predicted.

turkey, a tree, and more

2010-12-10T18:27:00.002-06:00

so its been crazy lately. im teaching multiple sections this semester at the local community. however, the big news is that the cafe that i help coordinate servie for has finally opened. it has been quite a process. i work early in the morning (think 5:30 am) until late at night (with class). therefore...it been crazy busy. however, i couldnt let another day go by without sharing our pictures from thanksgiving and christmas. the house looks fantastic for the holiday. love wayne:)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157625572316134/show/

charlee, the queen of halloween

2010-10-31T09:39:00.004-05:00

pay special attention to the adorable lobster at the beginning. thats right...that would be charlee...now local media celebrity, trick or treating on the fayetteville square. sadly, harper in his equally adorable headless horseman didnt make the cut.

Click here for the video...

of course...no mention of halloween would be complete without photos from the month of october around our house (including d's birthday etc.)

a welcome addition

2010-10-24T13:34:00.004-05:00

so things have been crazy busy lately. a new job...teaching...oh and a new nephew. presenting little cadence davis miller, 7.5 lbs, 21 inches, and born on friday 10/22/2010. we met him...he seems nice...a bit shy:)

charlee and her little brother harper

2010-09-20T18:45:00.002-05:00

now they just miss stella, tucker, and co.

robots for cadence...craft night

2010-09-19T21:21:00.002-05:00

so daniel and i were bored (and hot...sanz air conditioner)...so we made some little robots of ourselves for baby cadence (guess whose who).

craft tale

2010-09-14T07:56:00.003-05:00

so its been a while since i have posted a nice tale of crafting on here...so alas, i present baby cadence's robot mobile. i found a shrinky dink robot mobile on etsy that was pretty damn cute for seventy dollars. however, after much elbow grease,friends help (jessica and daniel) and a kit...i present a much cuter (and more modern) shrinky dink robot mobile for about 35.00. i wanted something modern enough to grow from baby cadence to child cadence. lovies to the luckiest little god-child in the world. p.s. charlee is sort of enchanted by this thing...so my guess is...so will baby d-m. p.s.s. please note that there are femine robots, girl robot, boy robots, ethnic robots, and masculine robots....to create the worldly and well-balanced baby (uncle wayne setting his agenda, one step at a time).:)

a loverly weekend

2010-09-07T09:41:00.002-05:00

well we had a loverly weekend with slancer and co. in tulsa and kansas. its always nice to spend time with them. other than that...there isint a ton of excitment to share. its finally a bit nicer outside and you can feel fall coming...just a few short weeks. anyway...off to a new week!

dixie day

2010-08-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

chuggin along the highway

2010-08-20T17:01:00.003-05:00

so i made the rounds of calling a couple of my friends last night after a faculty meeting. i couldn't get ahold of two of them, got a dropped call from one, and had a nice little conversation with my friend nikki in vermont. it sort of got me thinking about what a shitty friend i am. there was a period when i was dating my ex, that i never talked to my friends. then when we broke up, i talked to them all the time. i suppose that's the way it works. and like good friends, they lifted me up when i was down. my friends christina, jaime, and jillian suffered through countless calls. for the record, i facebook with jaime now (who is married), occasionally talk with christina (who now has a little girl), and get to talk to jillian once in a while (different time zone). the friends that i had in florida (which were so close for a period in my life) are now relegated to christmas card status. its not intentional, but it is still shitty of me to not put in effort.

of course, all of this goes with our friends who recently moved. i had a tiny bit of awkward silences with my friend sarah today. i guess it comes to the fact that we have never outlined how or distance relationship works. i am hanging on to what it was like to have them close...and they are working and living and getting ready for baby. i think i said something like you should come over next weekend (which isn't really very cost effective, since we will see them the next weekend) and then i got the litany of comments that i have handed my friends on multiple occasions: a) the drive is long b) the car and mileage and c) two travel weekends in a row. of course, this is where i inserted that since they moved, we have either traveled too or with them four times. but i digress...i get it. its not practical and those are pretty good reasons. however, i said the obvious "when the baby comes...what happens." isn't this a concern for alot of people. if you cant make time now...when? im so guilty of this. sarah said i was paranoid...but i think its a fair question. i get cards in the mail all the time from a friend of mine from high school. do i reply...normally not. i send one christmas card. its not fair.

d was pretty much saying all those excuses to me last weekend before we went to tulsa...a) the money b) the gas c) its so and so's turn...but in the end, we came to the realization that some things are just more important than those lists. however, how many times can you tell yourself that. christina and i have been telling each other that we were going to visit each other for years...hasn't happened. i saw her once in orlando a few years ago...but it was simply because we were both traveling there at the same time. i saw jillian a few years back...but it happened to be at the same time that i was in ca for a conference. in the last few/next few weeks, we went to a concert in texas and will go to ks with slancer. we had a blast, and im sure we will have...but we would have all gone on those trips anyway. see...it just doesn't count. in lieu of feeling sad about all of my friends around the country that i a) don't talk to anymore b) feel sad about or c) relegate to facebook...i offer the following article that i found off the internet. its interesting and may bring comfort and advice to those who miss that special someone from high school, college, or maybe an old family friend...

THE DISTANCE FRIEND

Whether you met in high school, college, or some other time in life – chances are high that distance will come between you and some of your closest and dearest friends. How are we supposed to maintain long-distance friendships? Some people find it difficult enough to maintain friendships with people in the same town. So how are we supposed to survive a hundred miles or more?

The truth is that it isn’t easy. And that’s okay…if you’re willing to put in a little effort occasionally. But remember, both parties have to put in equal effort. And that effort might pay off tenfold if: you suddenly live in the same area, you get married, you get divorced, you have children, you travel through their town, or if you just want to maintain that friendship because it’s important to you as a person.

Ways to maintain distance friendships

1. Commit. Just like in a romantic relationship, friendships require commitment. If you’re not willing to make the commitment to stay connected to someone you care about, then simply put – you won’t. Just when you think you committed...commit more. remember that its a two way street. if you friend is doing all the lifting...they will feel lonley and eventully stop lifting at all.

2. Variety. Myspace. Facebook. E-mail. Texting. Calling. There are a variety of ways to stay connect, so there is no excuse not to! The better the friend, the more variety in their ways to connect to you. If you are only using myspace to stay connected to your best friend, chances are that you probably won’t be best friends for very long. It’s important to hear their voice! So use a variety of methods and use them frequently. If you talked with someone three times a week when you lived in the same city, then try to match that.

3. Driving. I hate people who talk on their cell phone and drive!! But I’m guilty. It’s my main way of staying connected to my best friends. If it’s going to take me 20 minutes to get home, I might as well do something positive on the way there. Headsets are a great idea, and don’t be afraid to say – “hold on” when your driving requires some more attention. And please don’t hit me with your car. Thank You.

4. Memory. While your friend is telling you all about her experiences with new friends, people, and work – it’s likely that you won’t know any of these people. Trying to keep everybody and everything straight can be a challenge. What’s a solution? Write it down. You will need to work extra hard to remember what your friend is saying because you’ll have no other personal connection to it all. Remembering the details and the people’s names is a great way to show your friend that you care and you are paying attention. Need some help remember?

5. Notebook. Grab a spiral notebook while you’re chatting on the phone (NOT while you’re driving!) and jot down the important stuff – people places, etc. Glance over it again to refresh your memory before calling or writing your friend. Little details make a big difference.

6. Plan a monthly trip. Even if you’re both broke, plan a trip together every month (more if you have the funds to do so). If you live more than three hours apart, you might only be able to do this quarterly. Make it an annual thing, if you live cross country, and take lots of pictures. You can go to your friends place, your friend can come see you, or you can both go somewhere else together. Bring spouses and partners if you want, but warn them that it’s going to be a lot of “catching up” and it could get boring for others.

7. Snail mail. Sending things in the mail may be a thing of the past, but if you don’t want your friendship to ALSO be a thing of the past, it’s time you figured out how to mail things. Yes, there are stamps involved. The post office can help you, but be prepared to wait in line and deal with cranky people. What can you send your friend? Anything! A note, postcard, letter, picture, book, cd, anything!

8. Their friends. Your friend will make new friends. Be ready to accept that, and even more importantly – get to know them! Meet them, write them, talk to them. These people surround your friend’s life. If you are even just casual friends with the new friends, you will stay closer. If they want to surprise your friend, or if your friend really needs help – these new people will know they can count on you. And so will your friend. Remember that if you make new friend, be sensitive about the issue with your old ones...to help them feel included.

9. The bad stuff. When you experience something bad – whether it’s a bad day, or just a bad moment (feeling lonely, sad, angry, etc) call your friend. That’s what friends are for. Don’t think that just because it’s a long distance friendship that you can only share the good stuff. Great friends are there for the good AND the bad. So be sure to call when you need someone to talk to.

slightly better

2010-08-19T21:56:00.003-05:00

so this has been a slightly better week. a few things happened: i got to tour the space for the new job...which is really great, school is starting, oh...and daniel and i discovered "nurse jackie":)

of course, the other big thing was that we got to see sarah d. and lancer. of course, it was too brief, but it always is. gosh i miss them. its crazy. they are so special to me...its kinda gay:) sarah is one of those people that i can talk to about anything and lance is so much more than the pretty boy that i had a little man crush on when we met. hes sweet, sensitive, and will be the sort of father that everyone wishes they had. i love them both and miss tbem (and stella) way too much.

tbe week was pretty good though. well, other than my dear friend jessica who is going through a break-up. he wasnt the one or her...but alas, that doesnt make it better.

you know...i hear the ticking...of 30 coming! seeing sarah and lance makes me think about the possibilty of having kids one day. i think i might like them. i am great with kids...which is kind of wierd. i am going to try to be the best uncle and godfather to cadence that i can be. ill probably spoil him (like charlee) but i also think that i am firm and honest. that kid is so lucky to have parents like sarah and lance. i wonder if one day, i can have one...

the not so great depression

2010-08-12T11:25:00.004-05:00

so i just say this crazy woman on the today show talking about "the art of journaling." a topic like that would normally not make me mad, but something about this woman's suggestions got on my nerves. according to this lady, one should never put personal narrative on a blog. one should never use real names (even in a written journal). finally, one should never publicly display their material. well if that's the case, i am fucked with this blog and i might as well cancel the check.

i suppose i get what shes saying regarding the blogs (in theory) but that number two suggestion just seems odd. either way, i fully realize that nobody actually reads my blog...and therefore, it is like private journaling. also, i understand that i cannot blog, write, and journal. i am in an attempt to steam line...so if you don't like hearing my rants and raves, im sorry...ms. today show lady.

my rant is about this funk that i am in. im in a really weird place right now. i was downsized out in april and have actually used my time effectively. projects have been done around the house and things have been taken care of. i also landed a job with a catering concept which is opening soon (not soon enough). that all being said, the last few weeks have been really challenging. i have broke out into tears four nights this week...and its thursday...so you do the math. maybe i need to up my dosages again...but i feel like this depression is getting pretty deep. infact, it reminds me of when i was working at the devil and had such sadness over my role (and myself) there.

i think a few things have really added to my great depression. first, im ready to return to work and i am patiently waiting for the opening. i enjoy being able to write, teach, and get basic shopping/cleaning done without crowds...but im ready to return to a venue that challenges me and provides me with some sort of creative expression. that's why im excited about the new job.

second, i had all these great dreams about opening my own little store. i met with bankers, investment people, business development people...and then nothing. when it became clear to me that financially...my dream wasnt possible...my dream sort of died. i was consumed with making it happen...and then bam...it was done.

third, there is this overwhelming feeling of not being able to get married that is really bothering me as i knock on the 30 door. it has been going on for a bit and of course got re-intensified at slancers wedding. as happy as you are for all of your friends who get married, welcome babies, start new ventures...theres a part of you that goes...is this it. i think daniel and i would love to get married and experience that together..and yet, cant currently (in state). furthermore, im not sure daniel really wants that...and that saddens me. he comes from a family where marriage=bad and therefore has mixed feelings on it. if that is truly the case...once you buy a house...are you done?

finally, the biggest issue lately has been my circle. i sort of feel like when i lost my job, i had my circle around me to pick me up and dust me off. however, as time passes, the calls lessen and finally you are lucky to get an email. its hard because i put such stock in my friendships and circle. jessica has a new boyfriend and stays pretty busy with this exciting development. abby, suzanne, jay, and corey all moved away. we hardly see aleks and jon. chris and wes travel a ton. my old friends are spread out all over the country from ca to tx, ny to ri.

then of course, you have slancer. as a couple, they were as close as anyone daniel and i have ever let in. with the marriage, move, and baby and all...i am having the hardest time that one could imagine. you try not to talk about it (for daniel sake) and to not bring people down...but i just feel like some great vacuum came in and sucked the life out of me. we spent two to three nights a week with them. its the nights...now...that are the hardest part. i was crying during "modern family" last night. then i sit patiently waiting for a text, a facebook, a call...anything. once i get it...im on top of the world...till i start to not hear. you see...i sound like a ten year old girl...but the truth is...i may not have lost my best friends...but the relationship has truly changed...and it hasn't been renegotiated. do we go there, do they come here. what about gas money. they dont seem to want to drive. daniel seems tired. do i need to ask permission to go there. how do i suggest they come here. does lance quiet. does daniel. sarah is preggers. lancer doesn't have the weekend off. daniel has to work saturday. its just crazy and i miss when it was all easy. saturday night/wednesday night=slancer. friday night=wes/chris. saturday morning=jessica. thursday night=wayne/daniel night. i feel needy and pathetic when i call friends. its just a mess and i don't want to impose on anyone...odd. of course...i try not to think that others are coping a hell of a lot better than i. that cant be good for the ego. it doesnt help that d and i have lived within the existance of the four of us (the slance group) and the family we created...and now were trying to recall life before that time and what exactly we did (pre-schedule).

i guess im just lonely. i feel like i am annoying daniel with all of this. i am annoying myself. i am missing my friends. i am missing creative expression. i am missing work...its just a depression. its a dark spot...and i want out!

my ray oh ray

2010-08-09T16:15:00.001-05:00

anyone who knows me knows how much i love my ray lamontagne...

here is a streaming link to his new cd which comes out later this month:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128986999

ah slancers wedding photos

2010-08-06T11:01:00.003-05:00

okay...so the official photos havent come in yet (we are all waiting), but here is a link to some pictures taken at the recent wedding:

PICS

it was a lovely event. that all being said, gosh i miss the d-millers. ive had the hardest time with their move to tulsa. ive been through this before in my life. when my friend christina left florida, i expiernced it. when i returned from florida to jonesboro, i missed many of my friends. then of course, when i went throuh the break-up heard round the world in 2005, i went through it.

it seems so different this time. i dont exactly know why? i suppose it has to do with the fact that the four of us are so intertwined. i even notice daniel is noticing it. who knows?

anyway, everything else is okay around here. charlee is as cute as ever. i may be starting work at brickhouse soon. my classes are about to start up with nwacc. we are going to kansas with the davis-millers at the end of the month. anyway...just a blue day...nothing big. enjoy the first set of pics...

lady gaga/slancers honeymoon weekend

2010-08-03T14:03:00.001-05:00

heres a link to some lovely pics of slancers honeymoon/our lady gaga weekend extravaganza (with a few random puppy pics mixed in).

how does all this become a wedding cake...

2010-07-28T10:16:00.003-05:00

i dont know which was worse...a) the look of terror on charlee's face when i came in the door, b) the poor little lady at walmart who said "oh lord" when i came to her line or c) me walking around walmart with two overflowing shopping baskets... p.s. i also like what the little asian lady at walmart said: "if me, i go to bonefish cafe and take my best friends and eat steak and shrimp...and let them do all the work and go justice of peace. lol

some fun videos with friends

2010-07-19T10:39:00.002-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

ah...now this is a nice wimbledon!

2010-07-06T21:15:00.001-05:00

happy fourth of july...

2010-07-04T12:31:00.002-05:00

memories from florida...2002!

2010-06-29T22:37:00.002-05:00

so ive been thinking alot about the past lately...anyway, look at some pics from years ago...

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=771865037#!/album.php?aid=453982&id=771865037&ref=mf

random thoughts on a sleepless night

2010-06-14T22:35:00.003-05:00

so i can't even call it a blue christmas in july...because its june. wow...i cant even do that part right. im having a blue spring. for those of you who arent from around here, my best friends are moving away and its really taking its tole on me. to complicate matters, they are also having a baby...which led to a wedding...which led to a house...and all sorts of excitment. see...i should be excited.

and dont get me wrong, i am excited. i think its awesome that they are getting married and i love kids...so you can only imagine how excited i am about that. however, this whole moving thing and everything that has gone along with it has really hit me hard. perhaps the thing that is the hardest part is that because of all that excitment, you begin to feel that you cant express the saddness you feel...or you are simply a debbie downer.

the truth is, daniel feels it too. i can tell. he isint that close to a big chunck of his family, so the friends that we have are a big part of our family. the house we bought, the stove we got, the garden we built, the tables we eat at...were all planned to accomadate our friends. friends that have now decided its best to move on to new excitment. however...you do want to say...hey! we are still here.

of course the other thing that gets me down is seeing all the things that we can never have. sure we have a nice house (celebrating its one year with us) and a fantastic dog...but d doesnt want kids. even if he did...arkansas would make it impossible for us. arkansas also wont allow marriage. therefore, im excited whenever friends get married...but it also makes me sad.

perhaps the biggest issue is that i turned 29 a few weeks ago. 29...jobless...unmarried...childless....and standing in the sidelines showing excitment for things that are truly great...and yet also very sad. things that make me lonely and cold at the core.

ive talked to some people about this saddness. ive made some changes in my life to try to get me over this hurdle. however, nothing really seems to be working. daniel just keeps asking what is wrong with me...and i am not even sure i know. jealously...sure. a feeling of loss...sure. excitment...sure. bitterness...sure. joy...sure. a feeling of being lost...sure. not knowing where i am at this point in my life...SURE. i have a great house, great dog, great guy...and yet some saddness.

of course...all of this is still better than when i was stuck behind a desk for four year doing something i hated. at least now i do have that house, dog, guy, garden, and yard to care for.

a few weeks back i spent a morning helping someone at their resteraunt with prepping for a catering. it was the most fullfilling thing that i have done in years...professionally. just chopping vegetables. nothing big...but fullfilling. hmmm...

a few weeks before that, a new friend who met us through this blog (lives in another state) came to visit for dinner and said the obvious about this whole other baby/move/wedding situation...he said "gosh, that must be rough for you?" how could a complete stranger that i had never met...but occasionally reads my bog...understand what was going on in my head. i get "whats wrong" from d and others. i get pangs of "dont say anything...or put on a smile" from others....but a complete stranger got it. it is hard for me. 29 has been hard for me. this summer has been hard for me. its a funk that i deeply...deeply want to get out of. im just scared. scared is some state that i always live in. well...scared and pleasant!

the girls: what an easy life...

2010-06-08T18:59:00.001-05:00

charlee's bday

2010-06-08T08:40:00.003-05:00

despite the fact that it was also my birthday...the real star of memorial day weekend was little charlee who turned three. thanks to lancer for taking these fantastic photos.

lancer and sarah d. engaged!

2010-05-29T12:06:00.004-05:00

a new addition

2010-05-22T07:47:00.005-05:00

so lancer d and sarah d are adding baby d to our little family. here are some pictures... well the second one can be taken seriously. the first is a projection of what little baby d will look like from morphthing.com.

and with one fuzzy black and white picture...two uncles are born!

missed connections

2010-05-05T09:10:00.002-05:00

daniel and i's new favorite little game is to go into the "missed connections" portion of craigslist. apparently if you feel that you have seen your soul mate at home depot but you don't know their name or anything about them, you can post a message in this portion that alerts them of your feelings...and presto...love is formed.

ive been thinking about this missed connections thing a lot lately. i suppose that it wouldn't be fair to disclose my feelings without saying that i think i've been in a bit of a depressed funk of late. work was so horrible and the environment was so toxic...that it has been a great relief to not have that on my plate everyday. however, with extra time comes extra time...and extra time brings forth lots of questions, concerns, and memories in your head.

a few years back (eight!!!) my friend christina was leaving disney world to go back to new york (we worked their together and became very close) to try to reconstruct the missing pieces on her relationship. she feared what the status of the relationship would be with her then beau in new york and her (working) in orlando. we had grown so close prior to her move that devastated me that she was moving. i felt as if she was moving for the wrong reasons and that she didn't seem to care about the connections (i thought) that she had made in florida. in all truth...i think i just wanted to hold her closer to me. i remember that we got in a big tiff (as big as you can get at 21) and i remember walking to the bus station (employee transportation) in tears. i just wanted to go to bar and get away from the whole situation. i remember the night perfectly. as i was walking to the bar, i ran into our mutual friend sara and she sort of held my hand through this tough night. she seemed to be the only one who could address what was going on in my head and help me justify my feelings. of course, christina and i remained close after her move (as did sara and i) but moves lead to new relationships, new homes, and in both of their cases...children. now i long to have the sort of conversations that i used to with them...but where to begin. it seems that we have crossed the line into christmas cards and emails...which i suppose is natural. however, this has turned into its own missed connection of sort.

we as people so long for these connections and they seem to come and go in our lives and we are always told that this is simply the process. that raises an interesting question...should we open ourselves to gain relationships if we know that they are going to end (as they always do). the homes, the children, the work...it all kills the heart of relationships and replaces the heart with casual greetings and sweet holiday cards.

i have another series of friends (one in california, one in texas, and two in florida). of those...i have gone from speaking with each of them once a week to speaking with one of them...once a month. of course its not intentional. the thing is this: once you go without talking for a period, their is so much to say and yet nothing to say...does that make sense. you don't want to fill them in on everything that's happening in your life (it could take hours) but simply going over your daily routine seems trite.

i saw all of this because i feel these things happening in my own life right now...and it saddens me. it has nothing to do with not wishing anyone well. it has more to do with the sadness that i feel that i opened myself up only to have my spark put out.

whether its new relationships, new homes, moves, children...whatever the case, you begin to see that you don't belong in your friends lives. the reality is that you begin to feel that people are moving on and you didn't get the memo. the thing that bothered me all those years ago in florida...and still does today...is that there is always this talk of what we are moving towards (a new boyfriend, a new job, a new situation) without any real reference to what you are leaving behind. nobody ever says..."thank you for coming into my world"...its simply...this is what i'm doing and i know that we will all stay in touch...(christmas cards, emails).

i would be cute and say something like "maybe i'm just in a funk" but the truth is...that would negate my feelings. the truth is...they are my feelings and i should own them. now of course, loneliness sets in...and you start to reevaluate everything you know...and every connection you have missed.

nama night

2010-05-01T17:22:00.003-05:00

heres some lovely pics from our big night out with jessica, aleks, jon, susan, sarah, and lance at the northwest arkansas music awards benefiting the fayetteville, ar free health and dental clinic.

full house tour in apartment therapy

2010-04-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/house-tours/wayne-daniels-comfortably-classic-cottagehouse-tour-115472

april showers bring a garden?

2010-04-27T08:37:00.002-05:00

well i am off to plant our garden today. i really hope that it takes off and delivers all the produce that we want.

i should say that i'm in a bit of a funk lately. i have this feeling nagging at me that keeps saying "what do you want to do with your life?" the problem is...i cant answer that. daniel just wants me to sit back and chill but i have had this feeling nagging at me.

it hasn't been helped by the fact that i feel that some friends are pulling away, other friends have become strangers (by my fault as well) and other friends are consumed by new relationships. its just sort of overwhelming and consuming. who knows?

branson fun

2010-04-19T19:47:00.004-05:00

heres some pics of our little spring branson trip.

april and the backyard

2010-04-14T12:30:00.001-05:00

so i was walking around our backyard a few minutes ago and it is beautiful. it is hard to believe that it has almost been a year since we bought the house (may 31st) and moved in (june 13). anyway, the backyard looks great. we put in the garden unit last week and i sealed it yesterday. next week we will need to start thinking about planting it. we also planted an herb garden.

anyway, things have been really good for me. everyone keeps asking me how i am doing since i lost my job. yes...its tough at times...but i just feel so much more free from the restrains of a job that i hated. it allows you to find creativity that you didn't know you had. perhaps thats the great value to come out of it...just wondering!

charlee's new boyfriend

2010-04-05T09:01:00.002-05:00

okay...so we went home for easter and my mom adopted a great little blind stray that we named tucker. he is adorable and a great little boyfriend for charlee. she appeared to be quite taken with him and vice versa:)

some fun easter pics of the girls...

2010-04-01T10:03:00.002-05:00

happy easter everyone from charlee and stella!

the bunny hop

2010-03-24T09:40:00.003-05:00

so i have always been a huge holiday guy...but, i don't really like easter. i never have. i think it

has to do with the pastels...the ham...the jesus. anyway...this year i decided that i would at least embrace it a bit by following martha stewart's craft guidelines for glittered eggs and birds. hope you have a nice easter.

ah its finished...the kitchen remodel

2010-03-21T10:56:00.004-05:00

well last night finished a three and a half week project to redo the kitchen. the old blue tile countertops were fine, but they were awfully hard to keep clean and do anything on...because they were uneven. plus the old kitchen didnt have a backsplash and had an old double sink. enter in our ideas. first off, we replaced the countertops with a high-end dark gray solid quartz with modern finishes and square corners. although pricy, this was a necessary step that you shouldnt skimp on if you do this yourselves. for the backsplash, we tiled all the way up to cabinets in a mini subway tile with white gloss grout and high gloss end pieces. then we replaced the kitchen double sink with an extra wide and extra deep utility sink (undermount with cut-out). this (of course!!!) required a new garbage disposal (and 12 trips to home depot). we finished off with a new set of utility faucets and a new layer of polish on the cabinets. done!!!

the above pictures show the kitchen when it was owned by the previous owners, then us, and finally the full remodel (3).

other than the countertop and sink instillation, we did everything else ourselves. from removing the old countertops and sink to removing the old backtiles and putting up the new...this is really the best way to ensure that its done right and save some money. the whole project was about $3900 instead of $5500-7000 if we would have had to contract everything out. its worth considering...but is back breaking and time consuming. below are the specs:

wall color: benjamin moore glacier

trim: benjamin moore decorators white

tile: merola 1x2 subway tiles with white grout (high gloss)

coutertops: verona legacy quartz in breta gray 3 cm with square edge, high gloss, 1 1/4" overhang, and 90 degree corners

sink: utility 32 wide by 20 deep

faucets, disposal, and dimmers: home depot

march...ing to a new drum

2010-03-10T07:07:00.002-06:00

well as many of you know, i lost my job on friday. i had been employed with that employer for 4 years. people keep asking me how i am doing. the truth is...i am sort of numb. i miss some of my dear friends that i had made. however, i was miserable at that work and see the fact that i will eventually...hopefully see the purpose behind this.

i hope that i can eventually have the strength to turn this "negative" into a "positive." an acquaintance said something yesterday that really made me think. she said "this economy has the ability to bring out the best in people." i hope this releases the creative side of me that is yearning and has been yearning to escape for four years now.

finally, i thought i would pass along some pictures from our third annual academy award party. it was a blast!

its february and im a little blue

2010-02-24T10:19:00.002-06:00

don't we all get like this? i don't know...

i know that it has been a bit since my last blog post, but in all truth...i think i am a bit depressed and that scares me. as many of you know, i have growing dissatisfaction with my job. i love some of my co-workers but its really more of a case of analyzing where i want to be in this world.

there are a few things that i know. i know that i am passionate about food and would love to run a small biz gourmet shop. i know that i am passionate about small biz and its impact on fayetteville. i know that i am passionate about tennis and film (but that's not really a big help). anyway, as part of my mission to find ways of expression, i wrote to a select few business owners that i really respect and frequent. of those...i heard back from about five. i got some invitations to volunteer and one owner denied me the opportunity to volunteer because of my spelling and emotioncons....i know! apparently those who need volunteers can be choosy...

that all being said, i just am trying to find my place in this world. i feel like a bit of a shell of who i want to be. its hard and therefore causes me a great deal of stress.

other than this...it has been busy. ive been glued to the olympics and am sad that its almost over. d and i had a wonderful trip to tulsa for valentines. i love my friends...sarah, jessica, and lancer. the new gay boys are great. of course...charlee is fantastic. i guess im just a bit blue.

blue in a month of red. lovies, wayne:)

puppet fun

2010-02-06T21:14:00.002-06:00

well our latest project (non-martha stewart...but still fun) was little felt fairy tale puppets.

happy valentines day

2010-02-06T21:01:00.003-06:00

so we don't have a ton of valentine stuff...but what we do have is pretty damn cute!

schools out...enjoy the snow!

2010-01-30T16:55:00.003-06:00

oh what fun on a snowman. meet our newest friend...mr. snowman!

project two: martha and her damn clay

2010-01-23T22:14:00.004-06:00

so tonight the lancer and the saraher came over to do yet another project from that damn martha stewart craft book. tonight we decided to tackle the clay section (flowers, buttons, animals). i don't think it went as well as the paper flowers from last weeks chapter. first off...the clay was expensive. apparently there are different types of clay and some of ours didnt require baking...which then melted. then the clay got sticky and looked nothing like the ones from the martha book. however, it was fun and we all had fun. lancer made indian food and we enjoyed spending time with the girls (charlee and stella).

today was a loverly day...we went to little bread and had delicious oatmeal rasin muffins. then we went to ozark and handmade and had a great day. here is hoping tomorrow is just as lovely.

wayne

craft project one: the paper flower

2010-01-16T23:06:00.004-06:00

inspired or just plain crazy...the four of us (plus the little girls stellie and charlee) have decided to do our own little julie and julia. now there is not really a time limit but we thought we would takle a chapter a week or so from the martha stewart craft encylopedia. we started our adventure this week by tackeling the paper flowers section. look at the glorious results...just twenty five chapters to go...

ah the weekend...something to look forward too

2010-01-15T14:46:00.002-06:00

i couldnt be more excited about a nice weekend in fayetteville. i know that tonight we are having dinner with the lovely chris and wes. tomorrow i get to little bread and the d family will be over tomorrow night. finally sunday will see brunch with angela and dinner/golden globes with jess. oh and of course daniel and little charlee.

i have been really tired lately. i get those feelings from time to time about my place in the world and am i making the most of it. besides all of that, its the start of a new year and you just think about all of the things you want to acomplish. of course, if we start with small term goals...then it has to be to have a quiet weekend in northwest arkansas with friends and to truly get some time to relax... heres hoping and heres hoping you all have a great weekend.

sing song fun!

2010-01-06T20:44:00.004-06:00

charlee's snow day fun!!!

2010-01-03T16:23:00.001-06:00

happy new year 2010!

2010-01-01T12:53:00.004-06:00

mom's surgery went well. daniel's sisters surgery went well. dinner with good friends...already lots to be thankful for in the new year! here's to a great 2010.

2009-12-27T21:03:00.001-06:00

happy holidays all

2009-12-23T12:39:00.002-06:00

so ill start with a rant...i get so damn sick of hearing everyone say "remember the true meaning of christmas" or remember there is no christmas without "christ." hey assholes....look up the history of christmas and youll see it has nothing to do with "christ" or even "santa" for that matter....but i digress...

i actually love the holidays. the holiday season for me is about spending time with friends and family, sharing gifts and food, drinking:) and sharing. for me, its kind of like a big party to wind down the year...

and what a year it has been. i feel for those who have been touched by the loss of a job, a decrease in wages, or anything of the other mess that's going on in the world (not to mention...the endless, pointless war). it has been an amazing year for us. daniel and i have strengthened our friendship with old friends and made great new ones. we have welcomed the most perfect little bundle into our house. oh and yeah...we now own our own little piece of the world.

anyway, there's always a lot to be thankful for. i hope everyone has a great holiday season. love me:)

ah a gingerbread house

2009-12-14T20:46:00.004-06:00

well last night sarah d, lance d, and stella d joined daniel, charlee, and i to make the perfect little whole foods gingerbread house. it didn't turn out quite like the box, but i think it looks great and provided some great time with friends during the holidays. enjoy the pics...

ho ho ho

2009-12-03T20:15:00.003-06:00

so i'm pretty excited...for a nice holiday weekend with daniel and charlee. the house is all ready and things look nice. its so nice to have our little piece of the world and get to decorate it for the holiday (seven trees and counting)...love ya, wayne:) p.s. the link is below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157622805548241/show/

ah the christmas pics are coming

2009-12-01T15:21:00.001-06:00

so turkey day is over. we had a nice time down in vilonia/little rock. i like thanksgiving because it sets up the rest of the holiday season. the parade is always fantastic and then of course...comes black friday, which i personally love. this year, a lot of the family was sick, but we still made it out shopping.

anyway, ill be posting pics of the place for the holidays soon. we just finished it and it looks good. tonight is craft night:)))))) which i know daniel is excited about. there is a rumor that sarah and lance d will be bringing gingerbread tommorow....wooo hooo!

btw, for those of you who want to catch up on my writing...i currently have two publications that i write for. the first is a print publication that can be accessed online at freeweekly.com. the second is an online only publication that can be found at fayettevilleflyer.com. at both websites, you can do an author search. hope you enjoy.

lights of the ozarks

2009-11-22T16:07:00.003-06:00

last night was lights of the ozarks...a fantastic event in fayetteville. thought you might enjoy this family photo...

gobble gobble

2009-11-06T08:22:00.002-06:00

thought id put up some pics of our little house at thanksgiving time. here's hoping everyone has a really great weekend. i cant believe the farmers market is ending soon. anyway, what do you do. anyway...that leads to lights of the ozarks, so who can complain?

ive been worried because daniel's sister got in an automobile accident in little rock. i hope shes okay. i think hes going to check on her this weekend. heres hoping all is okay.

btw, im a new features writer on fayettevilleflyer.com. check out some of my work. of course, im still writing for the fayetteville free weekly at freeweekly.com.

heres some gobble gobble:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157622746483032/show/

lancers big bad birthday

2009-11-05T15:00:00.002-06:00

lancer had a fantastic birthday. we contributed some good stuff and a nice cake. it was a great night at ubberburger and a drink at smoke and barrel. happy birthday to our dear lancer d.

ah the wedding

2009-11-01T21:22:00.003-06:00

so d and i spent the weekend in texarkana. now...texarkana might not be our first choice vacation destination, but it sure made for a lovely wedding for my dear friend jaime and her husband russell. it was also wonderful to see some old friends.

lots of love, w

halloween at casa bell-bonner

2009-10-23T08:12:00.003-05:00

so i take my holidays seriously. i love halloween, thanksgiving, and christmas. it all begins with halloween and this year proved a unique challenge. how to decorate our new house...hope you enjoy the film strip.

unrelated, i am so ready for the weekend. it is the time of the year between full fledged farmers market and lights of the ozarks. i love this time of year...the only people at the market are those who really want to be there. people who are there for pumpkins, squash, and greens. however, the best part is little bread co. on a cold morning. im really looking forward to a peaceful and quiet weekend.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157622520993989/show/

the many halloween looks of charlee barlee frankenstein:)

2009-10-21T07:30:00.002-05:00

thought i would share some pics of charlee and her three halloween costumes...the lobster, the pumpkin, and the pirate...arrr!

sweet pea's bday 2009

2009-10-11T12:07:00.004-05:00

so last week was daniel's big festive birthday. we celebrated with a big festive party at tiny tim's pizza on the square with all of the people we love in fayetteville. lets see...there was jessica, nathan, cory, jay, angela, lindsey, susan and jim. it was fantastic...he got some wine, a bike, a wii fit plus, games, gift cards, and of course...a snuggie (thanks angela). i can only imagine thats from me tormenting you as a child. anyway, heres pics of his big day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157622562432234/show/

ah october and so much more

2009-10-05T20:34:00.003-05:00

so october starts my favorite time of the year...from october 1st through new years. its a great time of the year when the chill hits and we get to celebrate holiday after holiday. of course, it all starts with halloween and everyone who knows me knows how seriously i take all the holidays, starting with halloween. the house is decked out, theres butternut on the menu three times a week, and of course...charlee has an entire halloween wardrobe. oh...and daniel took me pumpkin patching this weekend...it was so wonderful. i hope we get to go back soon!

some pictures from a lovely weekend

2009-09-22T21:14:00.002-05:00

well heres some pictures from the the last weekend of summer. my favorite time of year is coming...well started today. i love autumn and i hope that this is a beautiful one in the ozarks. the last few days of summer brought tons of rain and we are trying to dry out. anyway, i love fall and i cant wait for the cooler weather, the leaves changing, and of course...decorating for halloween (this weekend) and thanksgiving. in the ozarks...it simply is perfect. cool mornings, beautiful days, warm coffee...and the dog, house, friends, season, and above all...daniel i love:)

p.s. hope you kids like the fall wreath i made:)

too long

2009-09-16T11:08:00.003-05:00

so yeah...you are right. its been way too long since my last posting. truth be told, its been busy. we had labor day and did some nice little projects around the house. we double vented our shed to increase circulation in there. then, this past weekend we went to the art festival with dear jessica. all has been good.

the house looks great and is getting ready to be halloweenified:):):) d and charlee are both doing well. d has been sick a bit, but seems to be getting better. his new wii is helping.

all and all, good times. i hope you are well too!!!

ah a nice weekend

2009-08-30T20:29:00.003-05:00

so it was a great weekend...some botanical gardens with jessica...some dinner with sarah d and lance d...some brunch with nathan...and lots of fun with our little charlee. however the highlight has to be the hula hoop...enough said!!!

finally a new before and after (the bathroom)

2009-08-24T07:45:00.004-05:00

so yes...the room is small but we wanted to lighten it up from the bright green that it was before. therefore, we went with benjamin moore dried parsley. this was actually one of the hardest colors to choose as we wanted something fresh (that matched our shower curtain from pottery barn...which we already had) but also something classic and year round appropriate. in the end...i think we got our hampton sheek look...down:)

little sammy's visit

2009-08-12T21:06:00.005-05:00

well today was my first day back at work...after having a few days off with my cousin sammy from mass. we went to terra studios, the farmers market, the promennade, and of course...we all spent lots of time with little charlee. enjoy!

ah to the weekend

2009-08-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

so sorry for not writing in a bit. it has been completely crazy since we brought little charlee home...but she seems to be adjusting well. last weekend we went to celebrate sarah d's birthday and that was a blast. now i have my little cousin sammy visiting for mass.

so im looking forward to a peaceful and lovely weekend. you know...market, little bread, dinner with the d's, some julie and julia. anyway, i hope you all have a great weekend!

the newest addition to our little home

2009-07-31T07:34:00.002-05:00

well sorry for the long delay in posting...but as you can see...we have a new addition to our little home. please join me in welcoming charlee:) charlee was adopted on monday from the fayetteville animal shelter. she is so adorable and well behaved. she is a mix of yorkie and miniature schnauzer. she really seems to love our new house and we love her...

its been so wonderful having her around. lets see...what else is new. daniel is doing well and finishing up a big project at work. sarah d had her birthday this week and we are celebrating (yah!!!) this weekend. i have my favorite little cousin coming to visit next week...which is exciting. work has been going okay. i had a good friend return to work...which has been nice.

all and all...its been a nice week. i hope you all have a lovely little weekend filled with lots of happy happy memories. :)

on to the weekend

2009-07-24T07:55:00.003-05:00

well i find myself looking forward to weekends...more and more. i love a nice weekend in fayetteville, and enjoy spending those summer saturdays at the market. anyway, i hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

some pics of the d's on a perfect weekend.

2009-07-21T15:15:00.002-05:00

well we had a lovely weekend. as you can see the "d" family came over. i love the "d's" and is not stella d the cutest little doggy??? daniel and i had such a relaxing weekend. i got to hang out with the fantastic jessica and jay (sorry you couldnt make it corey) and we put up a shinny new hammock. it was a lovely stress-free weekend.

ahhh....the second reveal (the master bedroom)

2009-07-14T10:44:00.004-05:00

well i thought for our second big reveal, i would highlight some of the things we did in the master bedroom. the room was cute before when it was red (previous owners). however, we wanted a calmer color that would also highlight our bedding. after much flipping back and forth between colors, i went with benjamin moore montgomery white. the more i sit or lie in the bedroom, the more i really love this color. it is so rich. it has a bit of yellow, a bit of cream, a bit of tan. its a perfect fit and really made the room look twice as big. i bought that fantastic historic ceiling tile from daisies and olives in prarie grove. hope you like what we did.

as far as the weekend, it was really great. we went out to dinner with our friend angela on friday night. i love ubberburger on dickson. its really wonderful and their almond-lentil burger is out of this world. saturday we went to the farmers market and little bread (oh la la). sunday we had our friends jessica, corey, and jay over. jessica is adorable and its so great having her around. corey and jay are fantastic, cute, and above all...really sweet. plus...daniel got to grill again!!!

ah the weekend:) and a treat

2009-07-10T08:56:00.004-05:00

so for those of you who don't live around here, i have a treat. but wait...let me get to the week at hand. or better yet...the weekend. i am so looking forward to a nice peaceful weekend. we in fayetteville are so lucky to have the farmers market but also little bread, the galleries, new orleans antiques, trailside, and all the fantastic places around the market. i am really looking forward to seeing some friends, enjoying the market, and trying!!! to get some much needed rest.

so on to my weekend treat...i have finally got some pictures taken that i can share of the house. for our first reveal, i wanted to post what the guest room looked like before (when it was an adorable little girl's room) and what it looks like now. we think its a great place for all our little friends to get some much needed rest in an uncluttered and peaceful surrounding. have a great weekend everyone. love wayne:)

oh say can you see...

2009-07-06T19:24:00.004-05:00

hey everyone,

what a crazy weekend. daniel's good friends from florida (tori and jessica) came to visit. of course...we had to show them the best of fayetteville. they went to prarie grove, devils den, the promenade, the square, dickson street, etc. etc. etc. plus a wonderful weekend of hanging out with amazing people like sarah d, lance d, kelly d, abby, suzanne, cory, jay, jessica r., and all the wonderful people of fayetteville.

between all the running, we got some little bread, some trailside, and some fix ultra in. it was a crazy busy yet lovely weekend with the lovely girls. enjoy the filmstrip of our festive 4th!

love ya, wayne:)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157620922992443/show/

one lovely weekend

2009-06-28T20:24:00.006-05:00

well we had a lovely weekend in fayetteville. a nice busy, productive weekend. friday night we got some stuff done around the house. saturday was ungodly hot in fayetteville. we went to the farmers market and to take care of a friends dog. it just got so hot...so fast. last night we had our wonderful friends lance and sarah d over. today, daniel made a fantastic lemon angel food cake (in barefoot contessa's family style cookbook) and i made some blueberry sauce to go with it. enjoy some pictures from one fantastic weekend in fayetteville.

love you, wayne:)

...now that's a dinner party

...sun-tea from our very own sun:)

...hot lance, sarah d, my little d, and me:)

sarah brought us a magnolia

...now this makes the hassle of moving...all worth it!

our friendly backyard protector

daniel enjoying a summer lunch

...ina garten's fabulous lemon infused angelfood cake...

daniel...the king of angelfood!!!

its time for the weekend

2009-06-26T08:45:00.001-05:00

well it is the weekend...and i approach it with a strong desire to relax. d has some friends coming from out of town next week and i know that it will be busy. the house is looking really wonderful and i feel that we are finally calming and settling down into it.

unrelated...i am just so tired. work has been stressful and the house has been a project...and i think it is all catching up with me. i will probably take some time off later this year. i'm just beat:)

i'm excited for this weekend. i am so thankful for friday's...because we have this feeling of whats to come. i know for me...its thoughts of working around the house, enjoying the farmers market, and spending time with friends.

as always, i am excited for another beautiful weekend in fayetteville. as a treat, enjoy these photos taken by our dear friend lance miller from our evening out the other day. they are beautiful.

anyway, i hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157620591498150/show/

d's new house treat for me

2009-06-22T15:03:00.003-05:00

hola everyone...

it was a crazy weekend. we worked like mad men over the weekend! we went out with some friends on friday night and then had some friends over to brake in the deck. it was so great to sit outside with the music, the lights, and some boulevard wheat:) and enjoy the evening in our new home.

on saturday morning, we met another set of friends and went around the farmers market. the fayetteville farmers market has to be one of my favorite things in the world. it is so wonderful to people watch, buy local products, and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the farmers market in all its glory. perhaps because of the economy, this years market has been the most crowded, i've ever seen it.

saturday afternoon, daniel and i began the task of hanging art around the house. it was pretty awful. we do things differently, and the sight of all that art completely overwhelmed me. however, when we finished it...it looked fantastic!

yesterday, we deep cleaned the house and then finally took out our last box. it was so wonderful. we have a few sets of curtains that are at the dry cleaners, but once those are up...everything that we will need to do for the inside of the house...will be done!!!

i just felt so wonderful yesterday. in other news, wimbledon starts today which makes me very excited. for those of you who don't know, i am a huge tennis fan. lets see...our friend jessica comes home today from alaska, and hmmm....we saw sarah d and lancer twice this weekend which was wonderful. we love them like crazy.

oh...but for the purpose of this post, daniel surprised me with my new house gift. he bought me a blanket that i have been lusting after for a few months. a blanket may not sound exciting but believe me, these little guys are like drops of heaven. the company that produces them is called dash and albert, and i advise you to check them out at dashandalbert.com as they also make beautiful rugs. they are pricey, but worth every penny. he let me pick out my color, and i went for the classic stripe. it is really beautiful.

i think when we finish up some of the smaller outside projects, we will start working on our housewarming. i hope you can all come. i assume it will be in mid-july or so.

anyway...have a fantastic week and be sweet. love wayne:)

one week in

2009-06-19T08:22:00.003-05:00

well it has been one week since we moved all of our stuff to the new property. i would say that we are probably about 70% done with the move. the furniture has all be placed and the major stuff has been done. however, we still have to unpack the office and hang art and some curtains. it can be a bit overwhelming.

however, i sit here and truly soak up how lucky we are. knock on wood (maybe my new floors) but we are very fortunate to have this home and this exciting time in our lives. we have been so busy lately...but in the end, this is such a wonderful opportunity.

i am really excited because tomorrow is farmers market saturday and i am so looking forward to going and getting back to some sort of regularity. i have been so tired lately and i look forward to the day when i can just sit back and relax and enjoy what we have.

anyway, have a fantastic weekend everybody and be sweet!

love wayne:)

p.s. plus a big thank you to sarah d for our first fresh flowers in our new home...

wowza...that was a weekend!

2009-06-15T10:05:00.001-05:00

so i am beyond tired. we finally got all of the boxes over to the new house...but now we are in the process of unpacking. it has been a crazy busy weekend and i think that d and i are just beat. im so so so tired.

that being said, there is some comfort that you can see light at the end...it is slowly but surely coming together...and thats cool.

i cant wait for it to be done for me to enjoy it...and for you to get to see the pictures.

lots of love, w

trip to little rock...

2009-06-12T16:32:00.001-05:00

as we get ready to move into our new little house this weekend, i thought i would share last weekend with you. daniel and i were joined by the delightful sarah d as we went down to little rock to daniel's sisters wedding, some river market fun, dinner with my sister, catching up with a friend...and spending money at the container store. you can see pics here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33916107@N03/sets/72157619655373940/show/

and thanks to the fantastic doubletree by hilton, little rock for always lovin on me:)

before and after (kitchen, dining room, deck)

2009-06-12T12:00:00.006-05:00

well like i said earlier...we wanted a new color for the dining room and kitchen...instead of the yellow. we decided to go with benjamin-moore "glacier." the color is so modern and yet very classy. it goes well with the living room and hall color. for the cut-out between the kitchen and living room, daniel framed out the opening with crown-molding and a sill. i've never been a fan of these cut-outs, but i think that by framing it out...it adds alot to the look...and a few centimeters to the sill. the sellers water-proofed the desk before we moved in...so a modern patio set, umbrella, plants, and prayer flags...spruced it up nicely.

btw, we are moving this weekend...so pray for us. it will be nice to have all of our stuff in one place...however cluttered it may be for a bit!

before and after (the living room)

2009-06-12T11:54:00.007-05:00

well this was hands down the hardest room to work on. we wanted a more sophisticated color than the yellow that we were presented with. i couldn't be happier with this color. during the morning it has a green gray color, at times it looks brown, at times looks gray, at times it even looks a bit purple. for the dining room, we wanted a different color (and the kitchen) as everything was yellow before. we are so pleased with the color we selected...benjamin-moore "berkshire." of course...we also purchased a new couch and chair...about the only furniture we have unpacked.

before and after (bathroom)

2009-06-12T11:52:00.004-05:00

the bathroom required attention as it was previously a bright lime green (great for kids). however, we wanted something spa-like and i selected a color that would match our bathroom accessories. for this room, we went with a great green from benjamin-moore, called "dried parsley."

before and after (office)

2009-06-12T11:49:00.004-05:00

well of course...we are turning a little boys room into our new home office. it was a bright blue before and after much primer, we are now the proud owners of a nice, peaceful space. for this room we selected benjamin-moore "wedgewood blue."

before and after (guest room)

2009-06-11T12:23:00.003-05:00

well you can feel special...because today i can share two before and afters. for our guest bedroom, we decided that as cute as the bright orange was (previously a little girls room), we needed to tone that way down. after two coats of primer and three coats of paint, this is our new guest room. we selected the color because its very calm and masculine (like the bedding) but not too dark. it wasn't until after we selected it that we noticed the name and realized that it must have been fate..."ozark shadows" by benjamin-moore.

new before & after (master bedroom)

2009-06-11T11:55:00.007-05:00

so the previous owners had painted the master bedroom a nice burnt orange/red color. however, we wanted our room to be a bit calmer to match our bedding. this presented some challenges because i didn't want the room to be a cooler color, because the rest of the house was going to cools. i was so pleased when i found the perfect color..."montgomery white" from benjamin-moore. it makes the room so much brighter and it appears much bigger. plus the color has great depth.

first before and after (the front door)

2009-06-10T14:41:00.010-05:00

you know...it was a cute enough house before we even thought about purchasing it. the former owners took some major steps to making it as pretty as it could be. however, we knew that cream and gray just did not match our personalities. therefore, we asked them to make a few simple changes...and wowza... we just love the results. the exterior paint color is martha stewart "tapannede" and the trim is martha stewart "calla". of course, we had to keep that great front door...we just added a screen door for the spring/fall. also, with the addition of some modern numbers, a pretty fern, and some dill...we have a new modern house:)