Baby Couture Magazine Hearts Bertie

Picture this. My daughter out tonight with a head that looks like she's just woken up, stains on her shirt, mismatched pants, a face-paint apple (smudged) on the side of her cheek and boots that need a good washing. While standing there at Ross buying discounted towels for our new/old home watching Little G rummage through the discount bin, Scott said, "Kiers, she looks homeless AND parentless." I couldn't have agreed...

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Save Handmade!

(image courtesy of Cool Mom Picks)You might have heard something about a new ruling coming in February that mandates that anything made for kids up to age 12 (clothing, toys, furniture, etc) MUST be tested...at a rate of $500-$5000 per test per product. This comes in response to the recall of all those lead-paint toys from China. While I completely agree we have to protect our children from harmful chemicals, a blanket...

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Same Mod Mom, New Garage

Whose bright idea was it to combine moving with Christmas? Oh yeah...ours. I've been long absent from writing because frankly we've been so busy we can't see straight. We're moving to a new (when I say "new" I mean old and smaller but completely renovated) home in an effort to reduce our monthly expenses. We're so excited about our new house...and the new garage! Get this...the garage is actually attached to the house. I can walk right from our laundry room into the garage WITHOUT GOING OUTSIDE! I know to most people this is standard, but...

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Atomic Ranch Rules!

If you haven't checked out the fabulous quarterly magazine Atomic Ranch, you need to! And if you pick up the winter issue (at Barnes and Nobles and large book/magazine dealers) you'll see some furniture you recognize. The title of the section is called Mommy Dearest -- how can you not love that?...

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Happy Birthday, Mom of Mod Mom!

Happy (BELATED) Birthday, Mom! And look Mom -- only a few days late!!! Sure, I could've been one of those REALLY good daughters and posted birthday wishes on your birthday but what fun would that have been? Don't answer that. Mom, you're truly one of a kind and I'm so thankful everyday for your love, guidance and fantastic listening ear for when I drone on about how tired and covered in sawdust I am. I love you very...

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Happy Thanksgiving Week!

(The Gottcock Clan)I just received a very kind message from David asking where I've been and hoping everything was ok with me. (Thank you again, David.) It was just the kick in the butt I needed!! Things have been nuts around here lately. I'm crazy busy with orders, Land of Nod stuff, and to top it off, we're trying to move into a different home down the street. Good timing with the holidays, don't ya think? The...

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Guest Blogger: My Husband, Scott Hathcock

This is a first for me, but I thought I would give “Mod Mom” a small break from blogging this week and offer my perspective as to what it’s like to live with a woman who “lives in her garage.” 1. I live with a different kind of “Painted Lady.” She actually comes in assorted shades of stains and colors. Some of these colors are even accompanied by fragrances, like my favorite “Dark Walnut.” 2. I never look at her feet, particularly the bottom of them. Her best friend would tell you that she doesn’t spend enough time on keeping her feet looking “kept.”...

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Brighton Furniture

Don't forget! You can view the full portfolio of furniture and lots of other stuff by visiting the Blue Sky Brighton Carpenters website... just click he...

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Brighton Furniture

Reclining manNest of tables in the style of three people playing twister!Flamingo side tableAfter a time spent boat building in Falmouth I went to Exeter to study furniture design. It was a great experience and I have many happy memories of my time there (and not all pub based I promise!) During the course we got to explore different media such as ceramics and glass but I decided to concentrate on making wooden furniture....

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Audio storage

I normally work around Brighton and Hove but this customer contacted me from Hampton Court in London (quite posh!) She wanted a solid oak audio unit. I designed a unit which looked like a solid chunk of wood with no handles or knobs. There are nine drawers for storing cd's and dvd's. When you touch each panel a drawer pops open and when you push the drawer it clicks shut. I think it looks quite cool... might make one...

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Walnut Version of the Chase Toy Box

(walnut stain with oak veneer leaf branch)I recently delivered this to a lovely family in West Hollywood. Whatcha thi...

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Happy Election Day!

It's finally here! And this wood workin', country music listenin', power tool totin', Ohio-born girl with Southern roots is voting for Obama! At first glance, I'm sure it doesn't make sense to put all that together in one sentence but that's me! I'm proud to love Lee Greenwood and Hank Williams Jr songs AND be a card carrying Obama supporter. Tonight, my kids and I are making election cookies and celebrating with...

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Furniture making in Brighton

Brighton furniture has been running for 2 weeks ...

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Interview on EtsyKids

(Julia, I had two beers tonight. Don't know what got into me. Tomorrow night -- martinis!)I was very honored to be interviewed for the EtsyKids Blog. If you know anything about my story, some of it may be repetitious but there's one thing at the end that you probably don't know. Cuz it's the answer to the question, "what's one thing people might find surprising about you?"Check it out here....http://www.etsykids.blogspot.comP.S. The photos aren't displaying but maybe that will be fixed so...

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Furniture making

Furniture making again! Brighton is a good place to make furnit...

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Press Update

It's been a long time since I've posted (anything, I know) press links so I thought I'd round a few up that were published over the past few months and post them here. Thanks to all these lovely bloggers for writing about my furniture! It's kinda like Christmas when I get my google alerts telling me "mod mom furniture" was mentioned somewhere on the web. Some days, it helps me get my butt off my chair and into the garage. SO THANK YOU!!!Bertie Toy BoxBy bwestbye ($475) It’s hand-carved from eco-friendly birch plywood by designer Kiersten Hathcock;...

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Walnut table

I like furniture made from walnut. This brighton client wanted one so that was g...

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Brighton Furniture

Check out the website www.Brighton-Furniture.co.uk We make bespoke pieces of furniture for Brighton, Hove and all of East Sus...

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I stink at this blogging thing

Apparently, I'm no good at keeping up with a blog. And it's about to get worse. We're heading back East to see family through next Monday so posting will be light to none until then. But rest assured, I'll have some good photos for you when I come back! Like my daughter dressed as a whoopie cushion. Only the classiest for the Hathcoc...

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Brighton Furniture

Welcome to Brighton Furnitu...

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A Simple Request

A few days ago, we learned that my sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. She's such an amazingly strong woman who I know will get through this but in the meantime, she'll be missing much work...if not all work (and salary), while undergoing chemotherapy treatments. When she's not a preschool teacher, she's running her own Mary Kay business. I'm asking everyone who's in the market for make-up and skin care products...

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Apartment Therapy's Ohdeedoh Likes Owyn

Thank you to Apartment Therapy's site, Ohdeedoh, for writing about the Owyn Toy Box. Apartment Therapy is one of my favorite blogs. To read the post, click he...

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I must admit...

...my entire garage floor is covered in saw dust now. What's wrong with me?!!? I (along with my trusty assitant) had it looking so good. Then after say, 6 toy boxes and 10 mini houses for my daughter's stuffed animal friends, it all goes to hell. In a desperate attempt to bury my head in the sand, I decided today I'd just get the hell out of dodge even though I have three toy boxes due by Saturday. I had to drop off a Bertie Toy Box in Beverly Hills at the offices of Baby Couture, the leading fashion magazine for babies who like couture. ...

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Today, I haven't....

...washed my dirty hair or put on make-up and feel as grimy and sawdust covered as ever but it doesn't matter. Know why?I got a message from Land of Nod. You know the company owned by Crate and Barrel that sends out those super cute catalogues with really nice kids gear and furniture? We are talking about the possibility of me designing something exclusively for them. We're still trying to flush it all out so hopefully...

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A Great Mod Find: Dallas Shaw

Being that you're all mod fans, I wanted to pass along a great artist named Dallas Shaw. She just designed the modern baby block print you see above, among many other pieces, and it's available for sale on Etsy. You can specify what month you'd like (and the wording in the corner changes by month: march darling, june bug, december baby,etc). Seriously, how cute is this print?!?!For more info on Dallas Shaw, go to...

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A few favorites...

I'm dog tired and literally have nothing new to say about woodworking other than I'm STILL building toy box after toy box. On most days, I feel very lucky about that. Some days when I'm being a real whiner I remember what it was like to lunch in high heels and say important things during important meetings.For today's post, I have nothing of real importance other than to list a few of my new favorite things....1. I love the blog Notes From The Trenches! Chris is a brilliant, very funny writer.2. AS SEEN ON TV...PediPaws. Clips your dogs nails...

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Painted Toes = Classy Lady

I'm back! From where, you ask? A carpentry/motherhood/birthday party black hole that has left me not even one second to shower - shocking, I know - or God forbid, paint my toenails. I actually painted just two toenails on each foot the other night before heading to a party. That's actually not completely true. I painted said two toenails IN THE CAR on the way there. Those four toes were the only ones that showed through my strappy sandles. But then I did what I always do. Tell everyone I know when they said my toes looked nice, that I only...

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Giraffe Keepsake Box

A new custom design for a wonderful client in Chicago...

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Mother Daughter Bonding

Playing Barbies. Nope. Singing songs and dancing in the living room. Nope.Putting glitter lipstick on each other. Nope.Cleaning up my workshop while my daughter giddily uses the shop vac to suck up every last bit of sawdust. YES!!! She's SOOOO my daughter. We're both hopelessly messy but still crave intermittent moments of tidiness and order. She even likes to fold laundry with me but look at either of our drawers and you won't find even one folded shirt.In my effort to wring everything out of my tidy-craving moment, I'll stop typing and go back...

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Soldiering On to Birthday Mahem

(Taken last weekend in Solvang, CA, after a few tiny glasses of wine at wine tasting rooms)How cool is this soldier box? It almost makes me want to make one of my own...maybe for Grace's Birthday Party which has nothing to do with soldiers. Last year, we made various junky carnival items to complete Grace's Carnival Birthday. It was such a hit, she's still asking for the popcorn stand this year. I, of course, said...

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Kelly Osborne's Magazine Ready Home - Design Public

A Design Public customer (and a Mod Mom Furniture customer via Design Public) was interviewed for Design Public's blog because her house looks like something out of a magazine. It's amazing! And she says the Owyn Toy Box is her favorite Design Public piece!! Really, I didn't pay her to say that, honest! I'm thrilled and honored to know she's a Mod Mom Furniture fan. Very cool, indeed!!!Click HERE for the link...Check...

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The Etsy Handmade For Kids Challenge Results!

What a big day in the Hathcock household! One of those days where you sorta wonder what's gonna go wrong since many things have gone right. No need to worry -- I've already cut all the wood today on my tablesaw so that possible tragedy is off the table. WHEW!Anyhow, back to the results! Thanks for all who voted for the Owyn Toy Box as your favorite. All 2622..ok, 2621 (I voted for myself) of you made it happen --...

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I'm Published!

Isn't that what people say when they have something published? Although I think it means you've actually WRITTEN something that's published. Not me, no sir. Just have a few of my designs in a new book called Designed For Kids, by a British design writer. But I'm still freaking out about it! I won't pretend to be cool because I'm not. I'll be carrying that book with me until I die. Right there in my purse so when...

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Már megint itt van a szerelem!

Thanks to the person who runs this Hungarian blog and apparently wrote about the Noah Owl Box! He/she posted about my furniture a few months back too. I tried using the online translator but sadly, couldn't even understand the translated version. If anyone out there does, please let me know. Fingers crossed he/she isn't saying this is the most ridiculous looking toy box ever. Have a great weekend! I'm inches away from being done with two toy boxes. The same ones I'll have dreams about shipping tomorrow....

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I Dream Of Shipping

I'm actually dreaming about shipping toy boxes. How sad is THAT? Really, how lame is my life that I apparently am stressed about getting toy boxes out. One dream I had of late involved me not being able to find the UPS store which meant I was driving like a mad woman in circles with three toy boxes in the back of my car. What does that mean? Guess any idiot can interpret that I might be needing a tiny break - just one week where I don't have to build something. I should know better than to book myself solid but sometimes it happens. Like...

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Cool Mom Picks Hearts The Noah Owl Box on My Birthday

YEAH for two things: 1. It's my birthday! Grace guessed I was 63 and I told her "close" and sometimes I feel 63 but I'm officially in my mid-30s now. The BIG 35!! WHOOHOO! Bring on the Botox!2. Liz from Cool Mom Picks wrote a really nice write-up on the new Owl Toy Box tod...

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Tell Me One Good Thing That Happened....

When I pick my kids up from school, I ask them, in an annoying mother voice, "What's one good thing that happened to you at school today? And what's one bad thing?" So I'm turning the annoyingness on myself...One GOOD thing that happened this weekend...I got a message from the producer of Movie and A Makeover on TBS and they want to use The Bertie Box in the makeover portion of an upcoming show! WOOHOO! My box is going to be famous! That sounded so wrong in my sick little head! Thankfully, the box is an actual box.One BAD thing that happened...

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Sign of a true craftsman...er woman

I looked down at my computer mouse to see it covered in a nice dark walnut stain. Some people would wash their hands after staining. But not me! I just dart in, check my email, and dart back out to finish. You can only imagine what our cordless phones look li...

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Crazy Builder Girl

I'm a crazy builder girl today and I'm going back out for more! I'll get back to posting tomorrow after I've had a nice shower and a glass of Red Zin. ...

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Noah At Minor Details!

One of my absolute favorite design bloggers, Jenn from Minor Details, featured the Noah Owl Toy Box today on her site! Jenn finds the coolest child/baby gear from around the world. I really don't know where she finds it all but her site is a fantastic resource if you're trying to outfit a kid's room or playroom.Here's the link: http://minordetails.typepad.com/md_weblog/2008/09/meet-noah.h...

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Etsy's Handmade For Kids Contest Finalist

Happy Labor Day!I wanted to mention that the Owyn Toy Box was selected as a finalist in Etsy's Handmade For Kids Contest. Check it out here! Vote for your favorite items from the Handmade Kids Challenge and win one of fourteen $350 Etsy Shopping Sprees! Voting ends on September 8th so if you feel like you're in a voting mood, click the link and vote for your favorite item in several...

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The Noah Owl Box

My poor first born son finally has a toy box named after him! The first one (Noah Building Blocks table) I stopped offering about a year ago. Guaranteed, there will be lots of therapy for Noah in is coming years!!!Anyhow, I designed and built this owl box for my excellent web designer. She has a Bertie but I thought two Bertie boxes might be a little boring so we decided on the owl.I'm calling it "woodland mod" because...

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Mushrooms With Expressions, by Patrick Gottlieb

I had some help on this next toy box/keepsake box! Patrick Gottlieb is my son's self-proclaimed best friend and a talented artist. He's been drawing mushrooms with expressions for about a year now and we talked awhile back about turning one of his mushrooms into a toy box. At last, it's finally done! Patrick's brother's, Eamonn and Sam also joined in by helping to color the many sketches of mushrooms with expressions...

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The Best Day EVER!

I just realized that it's been a week since this slacker woodworker has written anything on the blog. I could've sworn it was only a couple of days.That's what getting geared up for the first day of school will do to ya. (And maybe all the other stuff plus a couple glasses of wine.)So first off, Grace and Noah started back today. It was Grace's first day of school and she was really so excited, in her little Gracie way....

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hair today, blond tomorrow

Build furniture? Sure, i can do that! Learn web design? Sure, I can do that? And the list goes on...or rather, in my husband's eyes, the illness persists. I think I may have some sort of sickness where it never dawns on me that maybe me doing something isn't the best idea for the best outcome. One time one of the inserts in my shoes was lost so I was wearing shoes all the while feeling the connector brackets under my feet. I figured if I cut an insert out of foam and hot glued it we'd be all set. At the insistence of my sweet husband, I threw the...

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Designed For Kids

NEVER in a million years would I have predicted this. A few of my designs are being published in a book by Phyllis Richardson, through Thames and Hudson, London. The book is called Designed For Kids.Phyllis contacted me a long time ago and while reading her email, my jaw hit the floor. And then I calmly and cooly wrote her back saying, "oh please oh please, this can't be a joke, right? Really...my stuff? Really?" Well...

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Custom Shmustom

I rarely do custom work but sometimes I decide it's worth it to do a custom piece. Recently, a client asked for a custom piece -- Gracie Toy Box-like but with specific dimensions (4ft wide), custom walnut stain, short legs, and custom veneer applique across the top and OUTDOOR POLY. It was going to be used outdoors as a storage piece on a back patio. All was going well with it until I got to the outdoor polyurethane part. Even with a respirator, I thought I was going to pass out or puke. I've vowed never again to use outdoor poly. I'm very...

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Wood Fog

A good friend of mine used to call the years I spent from age 25-30 my "baby fog" years. Because I was constantly saying I didn't remember this or that..or anything, really. She'd just say, "baby fog." I was thinking about her today and the fact that I'm now in the "wood fog." I keep, week after week, looking at my schedule and cranking out toy box after toy box. That's how I remember my weeks now. It was a two-Owyn, half-a-Bertie-week last week. This week is a Bertie/Owyn/Owl week. Now don't ask me what I had for lunch or where I left...

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Shut It

Man, it's hot out there today. But life is sweet because my office is organized and my garage is walk-through-able. Which it never really is. I can actually walk all the way around the workbench/table without being stopped by a piece of plywood with jagged edges or mounds of crumpled, used masking tape. I'm just plugging away so not much else to report other than I found this post written on Aug. 5th and LOVED two things: first, that they wrote about my furniture and second, that the title was SHUT IT. Brilliant.Here's the link to the very...

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Building...Building..Building...

I've not just disapeared and left with no warning. I'd tell you. All 3 of you who read this! I've been working on four different pieces so I'm keeping busy in the workshop. Also, I cleaned out the workshop. (Mom, catch your breath.) It's actually now a cleaned up, organized garage. For another two weeks. Then the old coffee cups, half-drunk ice teas, and Corona Lites, will be sitting on the workbench next to the foam rollers. Now where's that favorite tape measure of mine??...

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Whiskey For My Men, Beer for My Desk

9:48pm. At my desk. Answering emails. Completely smashed. (just kidding about that -- it's just one beer, y'all.) If you know the blog title reference to a certain country song (Traci), then consider yourself country kin and a Willie Nelson fan. Tomorrow I'll be cussing because I won't be able to find my favorite tape measure or the foam rollers. I'll mistakenly think I left them in a convenient spot like my W...

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Wood, Wednesday, and a Whale of a Headache

My head is throbbing this morning. Not sure if it's the fact I weeped for an entire hour watching the special on Randy Paush last night or that I've inhaled enough sawdust to make a whole new Patrick chair. Yes, I'll be better about using my mask today. :) But one things for sure. It's gonna take A LOT of coffee and motivation for me to get going this morning. I'll be running out to Rockler woodworking store for more supplies while our babysitter keeps the kids happy...and thankful they too didn't have to go to Rockler...again. I've gotta...

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Minor Details on Her Favorite Etsy Picks

I just found this great article today written by Jenn, from Minor Details. Jenn has been wonderfully supportive of my furniture from the start and has even been kind enough to give her opinion/notes on The Bertie Box before I set it up for sale on my shop...and other shops.If you're in search of really cool kid stuff, check out her website and check out this article. There are some really great finds her...

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Saturday Morning

It's so very quiet with everyone still slumbering away. I LOVE this time in the morning when I get up to pretend I'll go work out and then I surf the internet for useless information. And then realize I haven't posted on the blog for a few days. So here I am! Can I just say that Life in the Garage with a wonderful babysitter on Thursday from 11-4 was absolute HEAVEN! It's the first time since I started the business that I've hired a babysitter. Mainly, because of the money. But since orders are up tremendously and I've overbooked myself by...

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Hodge Podge

I'm back in my seat waiting for a few things to set up with glue. And my feet hurt so I'm taking a break. Here's a list of things I've been meaning to post about but can't devote the time to posting each one individually before I have to get back to the garage.Bump Babies mentioned Mod Mom Furniture as one of their favorites. Check out this link for all the listing plus all the other favorites: http://www.bumpbabies.com/love.htmlUPDATE:...

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We're BACK!

I clearly suck when it comes to posting photos that I said I'd post. Sorry about that. We landed in LA on Saturday night around 8:30pm and are happy to be home. We had a great time and I could go on and on about it but I have to get my head back in the game again.I'll be building four pieces this week while my kids are home with me asking every hour if we're going to do something fun. I'll try to have some sort of fun activity planned to give them something to look forward to while I encourage them to enterain themselves (aka, ignore them) for...

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Kentucky Woman

We're having a great time in Louisville as we near the end of our East Cost Tour. Meme and Papa, Scott's parents, have been wonderfully gracious and are enjoying every minute they can with their sweet grandkids. I'm enjoying the no-smog skies and nightly walks in a their very quaint subdivision with miles and miles of bluegrass. But I have to say, these mosquitos out here are as big as my head! We're coming back to LA with the tale tell signs of a midwestern summer: bug bites. I just found one on my face. That's always nice. By tomorrow,...

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The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

As you know from my last post, we're visiting my parents in Defiance, Ohio (the same town from the book and movie, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.) I grew up here from 5th grade through 12th and during most college breaks. I officially flew the coop in 1995 when I moved to Charlotte, NC.Anyhow, I figured I'd share some photos I've taken of the town, the country, and the fishin':This is where I grew up! My parents...

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