How about a little... Modern Swank

In my non-existent blogging days (err. months), I have been meaning to tell you all about a little business venture I have been working on....

After we took our wonderful "Two Year Honeymoon" as we like to call it, I immediately found out that  "The Jenkins Architecture" I had been working for... for nearly 5 years was NO longer going to be!  Change of heart, midlife reassessment, whatever you would like to call the owner's decision to venture away from the design business...

I knew immediately that I wanted to start freelance designing.  Having been in the design field for nearly 10 years now, I have learned the projects that I LOVE to work on, and vise versa... the ones I hate.  My life needs a little creativity.  Let me take that back quickly... A LOT!  I have met many contacts along the way & know that with much effort, I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL!

The best part of this new gig is that I am now able to choose the five W's when it comes to my job.  Well maybe not all five... but the what, where, when, etc.  It's been wonderful so far!

So let me unofficially welcome you to Modern Swank Designs! 

(Click link above to visit shop & bookmark it for your next event)

I plan an official welcome once I get all the business plans in order, but for now a sneak peak at what I have been spending my time doing over the past couple of months.

 Not only am I doing design projects, I have also been doing a little event planning!  Would you like to see a sneak peak of one of my most recent jobs?!

 

In my next post, I will give you the back story on this beautiful bride & her awesome groom!

Three Months!

Holy Banana Balls!

Three months...

Have really passed since I last posted. 

Shame, Shame on me!

I was reminded by one of my *IRL. Women's Retreaters...

That a couple of people used to read my blog.

Yep.
Probably not anymore.

I have NO excuses.  I have just been flat out busy.  

Too many other things piled higher on the plate than my blog.  

O well.  Life will go on.

My blog's not the only thing lacking attention.  

Check out my flippin' office.

Yep.  

This is where my husband and I are supposed to be productive....

Mmm. daily.  Oh, Contraire!

You see, this room used to be just a little cluttered.  

One day, I had had enough... I thought!

I decided it would be a swell idea to sell all the furniture in our house.  

I will save those details for another post, ahem.  

This included, but is not limited to
In our office alone....

~ Selling all the book cases
that used to hold those trendy storage boxes

~ Buying for some unknown reason.... 

   15 large green Tupperware boxes
to store the 100's of books & ish in.  

~ Selling the Guest beds that slept three bodies in this room.

~ My husband's anciently old gold "Man Chair".  

   The chair he has worked in...
pajama's, morning hair and all for 4 years.

~ O and I must have sold my sanity too!

What on earth was I thinking?!
(I still do not regret the exciting change though)

Now we are left with a large mess 

Oh & the green lawn chair he is working from each day.  

Comfortable, right?

On a serious note...

This room resembles how I feel our life has been the last several months.

(Not complaining!  Just stating the facts).

Utterly Chaotic & Out of Control!

We are however making headway.

  Things have to get worse before better right?

We have experienced the worst I hope, ha.

In the next couple of weeks...

~ We will have finished painting the trim,
In this newly painted Tennessee Orange room.

~ We will have a new wall of built-in cabinetry
to hold our office supplies

(temporarily stashed in Tupperware boxes).

~ The fantabulous new hounds tooth glider
For my husband to work in daily... will have arrived.

~ We will have refurb'd a new chest of drawers
to match the new design scheme

Walah! 

Before we know it,
this room will be back in tip top shape
& ready for business!

Just as this room will continue to shape up...
So will the other aspects of our chaotic lives :).

In the meantime, I will try to better keep you posted!

Ps.  I will also take time to switch camera lens' 

So that you can get a better glimpse at the room
& not just a fixed 50 view.

Seriously, with the look of this room...
and the story behind it. 

I didn't need to waste my time doing that this morning!

Appropriate Title? Life Goes On...

SO much has happened since I last posted.. 

I don't even know where to begin.  

I am slowly but surely going to get back to making blogger

a daily accomplishment... on my on going to-do list!  

MckMama's  "Stream of Consciousness" style 

would be the best way to fill you in on all... 

Well, some of the changes that have taken place in 

the Laney lifestyle over the past 4 months.

We celebrated my Mom's 60th Birthday, Easter, &
Hannah Grace & Zachary's Birthdays.  

Our good friend Chubbs married Meagan
@ a beautiful ceremony in Charlotte.  

We attended with the best company, Josh & Cristina.

Oh, & Monty & Marlene.  We had wayyy too much fun! 

My husband won the Hooter's golf tournament at Rock Barn... j/k.  

He did play though, does that count?

We saw several concerts...
Jimmy Hendrix Tribute & Alice in Chains were two.

April rolled around & we prepared for
our "2yearhoneymoon" to France.  

I had more office work to do that month than I wanted to do in a year
(but life goes on & I did it). 

A small volcano erupted in Iceland that jeopardized our trip... 

& then a bigger one didn't ever blow.  T.T.L.

We went to another wedding & visited friends in  Greenville.

We boarded a plane & flew across the seas...

We had shitty craptastic weather the whole time we were in Pari'

My North Face jacket caught on fire & I cried.  

We celebrated my 26th Birthday... I got a Longchamp & a Swatch, 

both of which made me smile!

We went back to work 2 weeks later & my boss had a change in heart.
Closing his company & changing careers. Fabulous! 
Perfect timing, you know.. Suddenly,
after taking a LARGE financial splurging trip & all...

I was jobless! Sheesh.

& pissed, and all the other words in the between.

On a good note:  I bought my computer from my boss...
for CHEAP.

So Now I CAN BLOG!
Yes...

& Life goes on!

I paid a lot of money to register for my licensing exam

& suddenly, I have all the time in the world to study.

Check back with me to see if I have used my time wisely... 

You know to actually study & not procrastinate.

 We went to the beach.  First with my mom & dad, 

then just me with mom & dad, 

then just mom & dad,

next whole family + children with mom & dad.

Laney loves the dog park.

She also loves to roll in the mud at the dog park.

& then hates getting the much needed bath afterwards!

I eat lunch with my husband almost everyday & I LOVE IT.

We went to another fab. friends wedding in Durham &

Caught up on the Flip Mode boys lives & their women.

I have inspiring lunch dates with friends & that is beyond refreshing.

We had a rockin' 4th of July party & the cops came... whoops

Laney loves to snuggle & really enjoys getting to sleep in
(with her mom until.. well too late in the day)

&  in case I forgot to mention...

 Life goes on!

My dad was in a "totaled" car accident, but thank goodness he is OK.

Sarah moved back to South Africa & I miss her.

My husband scraped his leg on frisbee golf & didn't cry.

We visited the town of Franklinton for the first time... I was not a fan.

& then had a mini massive panic attack.
(when Sarah sees this picture she might panic too, ha!)

But, as I said before "Life Goes On"!

& I am choosing to roll with the punches...

 & make the best of each day!

On a final note... 

I'm back to blogging, 

thanks for sticking around!

Pink, Black, and a Splash of Zebra!

If you have been following my blog for a while... 

You probably remember when my computer died!

Crashed, bit the dust, blew up in flames.

Well, not literally... 

But enough trouble and heartache that it is still hindering

Speedy photo editing & relatively quick blog posting.

Those two terms, now completely NON- EXISTENT.

I made several promises right around the time that my computer,

Well, BLEW... 

That I have not followed through with. 

Most of those promises relating to mmm... posting pictures!

I have been working on those promises & I am almost ready to 

Get patient and Wait on the hour glass to spin for hours...

 You know the little annoying one on this P.O.S. Mac...

That spins everytime it is thinking, or TIRED!

My only comment on that is... 

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just spin 

While we are in the middle of very important task,

While on the job... that is.

Before I begin with the task of catching up,

I have to share with you what we have been up to.

My WONDERFUL Mother turned

SIXTY!!

On March 27th, 2010

That's right.. you read that correctly!

For all of the other big years like,..

"Lordy Lordy looks who's Forty"...

You know those years that are normally prefaced 

With silly little rhyming quotes...

All of those have been Overlooked.

My sister and I thought it was 

HIGH TIME...

To Throw a BIG PARTY!

We did just that... 

In a hot minute, 

You know, because we are a very busy family...

We planned a fun surprise party for my mother!

We invited her closest friends and family.

We made cute decorations, 

Had  southern BBQ, the fixins, 

Sweet tea & lemonade catered!

 & had a fabulous time!

Thanks to all of our *IRL  

(in real life friends),

That came to celebrate 

An awfully special occasion 

With us!

Here are some pictures from our
BIG SURPRISE!!!

Mom, 

We Love You... 

More than we could ever express with words!

SO... a little fun! & a sweet giveaway!!

We all know how crazy dazy I am about having 

My little Laney pup 

In the best dressed doggy wear!

Well, I am a huge fan of this company ...

Fido's Fashion Collars!  

Laney May is lucky enough to have not ONE...

But a couple of collars & leashes from fabulous Fidos...

This beautiful orange one.. is in her collection!

Don't you looove it?!

Why am I sharing the link?!

Fido's fashion collars also has another store called... 

Phat Straps... 

They happen to be giving away a Suweeeeeet camera bag.  

An Epiphanie!

What an Epiphanie of a good idea!

Have you heard of these bags?  

If not, they are fabulous & worth a minute of your time!

If you have ever looked for a Uber Chic and Stylish Camera bag...

But not found what your heart desired...

Here it is!

I recently purchased one...

Only after a friend purchased one & raved and raved about the

Awesomeness... That is an "EPIPHANIE"!

Take a glance!

 

Don't you want one too?!

This lovely "Belle" bag... 

Is UP FOR GRABS...

I Hope I win it!

These Two Children...

Are the first thing I think of...

Each & every morning.

They light up my life.

I love them to the moon & back.

Their precious faces make my day.

I pray for there health and happiness.

And wish on a star for them nightly.

I will look forward to seeing them smile for the rest of eternity.

I love them more than I ever thought possible...

These two children...

Are more than a blessing!

Did you think I was never ever coming back?

Well Ladies and Gents.... 

It has almost been a month & I am so embarrased. 

I left this blog wet, hanging out to dry
For so long it is covered in pollen.

O wait. That is just the city of Raleigh...
A big cloud of pollen.

Life has taken us by a storm!

Yes, and my computer is still malfunctioning....

(because it is as old as my grandmother would have been)

But ya know what's new!

So, I am just going to go with it...

Until we win the lottery.

Ya know, the one that...

We have never bought a ticket for.

Our life has been crazy lately.  

We have not been in town one weekend since February.

& have our weekends booked through may.

Some part of us...
Is going crazy!

To have just one weekend...

In the house we pay a load of mortgage for 

EVERY single month 

Even if we aren't here  

Would be...

Well,

Wonderful, Splendid, AMAZING.

Dream on right!

There are good things that have come out of this though...

& related to the blogging world...

We have great news for this here old blog...

There is BUKUS to catch up on!

Are you ready???

We have been birthday party central for the past couple of weeks...

How fun!!!  We have loved celebrating with our little ones. 

& have spent more family time than we have in YEARS!

So Hello!  

Thanks for sticking around!

I hope to spend a little quality time with 

blogger this weekend to make up for lost time!

Until then...

Still Going...

It's Friday,  Thank Goodness.

@ least in all of this chaos...

I don't have to worry about my job for 2 days!

I have been working on my "To Do" list,
not to mention have really enjoyed
everyone's encouragement.
It is coming along...
Slowly but surely.

I am taking a break from the list this weekend though...

We are going to spend a few days
celebrating with some of our best friends...

After all,
Chris & Meagan are soon to become one!

We are so excited for the Wedding Festivities 

& the time we will get to spend
with our "Charlotte Friends".  

Josh & Cristina are you ready for us?

I hope you will all enjoy your weekends as well!

Hopefully, I will have had some time to edit our

San Fran pictures to share by the time we return!

I have been abducted...

Who has abducted me you ask?  

Well, "Mrs. Too Much To Do" in fact.

I am home from my fabulous girls trip. 

Which I might add...

I will be dreaming about till next years trip rolls around.

Now that I am back in the swing of things...

I am trying to get a couple of major things accomplished.

*Upload & edit trip pictures

*Get computer temp. fixed

*Catch up on office work

*Wash mounds of Laundry

*Unpack & repack for the next 6 weekends out of town

*Clean the 2 inch thick piles of Laney Hair on our floor

*Get back on a Regular diet

*Catch up on a little sleep

*Spend some extra time with my husband

*Plan out some future events

I could honestly list for days! 

Pray please...

That I find peace in all of this chaos...

& can actually get a few things... 

On my million asterisk list completed.

I will be back to you soon...

Very soon hopefully to catch you up with our recent happenings...

& post some  ooohh la la pics from my trip!

Repost & a little Vacay...

Repost:

So as you know my computer is brokity, broke, broke :( sad!

While it is broken, I am taking advantage of a little blogging vacay 

& well one in real life too!

This post is from a couple of months ago 

but thought I would repost.... because...

I am with these fabulous girls on our once a year outing!

We are in San Francisco....

For a WHOLE week!

 

 

Wednesday was the usual Wordless Wednesday! 

Or was it?...

Do you know why I posted those pictures of the same group of girls in particular?

Let me first start of by saying, these ladies are SO, so important to me!

I have grown very close to this group of girls over the years.  I was blessed or cursed whichever way you see it, to grow up in a small town.   I have always seen it as blessed!  My parents were both born and raised in Newton, NC.  In the hundred years combined that they have lived in the area, they have met many people (generations back because of there parents, and grand parents, and so on).  Both My mom & dad are very involved in our community.  With my mom being a school teacher for 30+ years, & my dad being a business man who served on many charity organizations they know everyone (this general term includes everyone, and their brothers, and their cousins, and all their dirty gossip as well.)

Where am I going with this post?  I have always looked at the small town I grew up in with two sets of "goggles" if you will....  My friends were my friends because my parents interacted with there parents at some time or another.  I could look at the situation and be frustrated that I was placed in the lives of these ladies & their families, but I don't!  I feel blessed & feel as if my parents started me on the right pathway to finding friends for a lifetime.

My girl friends attended my church, my elementary, middle, & highschool, my dance classes, the sports teams I was on, etc.  Two of the girls in my pictures from yesterday have been my best friends since long before we knew the meaning of "best friends".  We have even had the little silly slogans over the year to prove what good friends we were in that time in life! 

These girls were in my first dance recital, attended my first sleepovers, celebrated each birthday over the years, cheered on my cheer squad, were juniorettes with me... Do you get it?  I could go on and on and on!  I will spare you with all of the joyous moments we have spent as friends.

There have been times when our friendships have not been so pleasant.  We have squabbled over the years.  At the end of the day though I would never trade these two girls in the world! 

The funny thing is... the other girls in the picture I didn't know from Adam?

Who is Adam?  Where does Adam live? 

You see the three of us have all done a lot of growing over the years.... When it was time to go to college the three of us picked different universities.  All three in different towns, with very different feels.  We started a little tradition way back when.... a tradition that no one would have thought would last long after we graduated college.  Each year we picked a different spot & had what we called "Women's retreat".  We each brought our roomates/ or best friends from our new towns & got together for serious girl time!  It was at our yearly Women's retreat that I met a couple of the other girls in my picture... and each year it just keeps growing.

Just as our group grows.... so does our friendship!  Sometimes it is the only week out of the year we see each other.  We are all SO BUSY & not to mention live on the other ends of the world now that we are adults with families and full time jobs.  Wouldn't that seem like we would be a little skiddish when we reunited, it is just the opposite.

These women are wonderful.  They were placed in my life for a particular reason!  They are friends I didn't choose for myself... & their friends came along with the package.  I give credit to my parents for showing us at a very young age how to create a life-long bond in each other... no matter our current situations.  On a higher note... I thank god everyday that I have these women in my life. I know I will never have a day as long as we are living on this earth that I will not consider them to be the best of friends!

I posted their pictures for "Wordless Wednesdays" as a reminder.  A reminder of the past & what's to come!  Without even a word said.... I smile the biggest smile knowing that I have been blessed.

I am so ready...for Women's Retreat 2010!

In March, we will be visiting San Francisco for a week & I am counting down the days!

I miss you girls on a daily basis & look forward to another week full

of wonderful memories as Girl Friends.

xo.

 

WR '05

Updating...

... Still stressing...

But after today,... Half as much!

I am so relieved to report....

that...

MY HUSBAND HAS A HEALTHY HEART!

Over the past few days..
even worse than my lousy computer dying on me...

I thought My husband was going to too.

I have considered how harsh this sounds...

I have kinda been a little basketcase'y

Well, since Sunday after we sat in the E.R. ALL day... 

We have been visiting a few specialist.

Today we learned that his heart in not a concern!

I am just LUCKY enough to...

Have a husband with a abnormally sweet heart...

I love him & am so thankful for this great news.



As for the computer. 
Well, it is still dead.
But.  I'll post when I can

Out of order.

Welp. My computer.

The one that is a standbuy... 

Because the other one already bit the dust.

Died.

Stinks.

O well.

So I will be missing for a while....

Don't forget about me...

I have to finish my story...

But, of course

 ALL my images are on my p.o.s. computer!

Vrooooooom.

Back on the highway, we were!

Finally, to Jacksonville Beach.

I thought for a minute... 

We had already had several sweet treats!

But boy was I wrong...

These last few post... 

are describing a lot of the 

"dirty little secrets" of my husband.

But one part of him that I really truly love...

is his interest for things out of the norm.

When I met Michael.. 

he had a Nissan 300 ZX.

It was his pride & joy.

Pristine condition.

Beautiful RED.

Always clean & waxed.

A police magnet to say the least.

It wasn't just any car...

It held a lot of memories,

Gave my husband the "Sports Car Ego"

& well is now the burden of several big dents.

Dents large enough to total it!

You get the point.. we no longer have 

the "little red Z..."

Have no doubt though in the next couple of years... 

if either one of us have anything to do with it...

we will have a new "little red Z".

If we don't get fired from our jobs that is!

What does this have to do with our trip you ask?

Well on our way to Jacksonville we passed a Nissan dealership.

In NC it is very rare to find more than 1 or 2 Z's on the lot.

This one... had probably 20!

We had to do a U-turn, 

cancel our hotel because we were nearing the check-in deadline 

(but not sure if it was clean enough to stay & needed to approve first) 

drive through the car lot & look.

What did we see?? 

Plenty of Z's...

There was one extra special Gem on the lot though...

A Nissan GT-R!

Two men... got giddy like little school girls.

For shits & giggles...

they had to convince the guy to let them sit in it.

Done.

That wasn't enough fulfillment though..

Next, they convince the guy that they need to drive it.

3 cars were moved out of the showroom

to make room for this beauty to leave the lot.

Did I mention the car cost well over a 100 grand???

& was handmade by 5 employees

or that there are only a couple produced a year?

It does.  All of the above totally accurate statements.

Do we have insurance high enough to cover the cost 

of this car if it gets wrecked on our test drive?

We don't.

O well.  Who could resist.

So we take it for a spin.

 

 

0-100 on an exit ramp!

The car rocked...

Heads turned when we passed other cars on the highway.

We were the first people to take the zero mileage car out of the lot.

We got 8 miles to the gallon.

Ha.

Totally worth...

watching my dad with a stain on his shirt

(from being in the same clothes.. in the car for 2 days)

pretend he had a bank account

big enough to buy it 

for his wife for their anniversary... 

Just to drive it!

The boys talked about there experience for days...

& on to Jacksonville we go!

To be Continued..

Next post about our time in Jax...

Yum. Yum.

We were on the road for several hours!

Still trucking along with no snags...

So, we were pleased!

But wait.

My husband has this love affair with Pralines...

O, and beer.

Well, maybe I should rephrase.. 

anything super sweet & terribly unhealthy :) 

It is a wonder we are not little round beach'd balls.

He spoke of them... 

& didn't have to do any twisting of the wrist 

to convince my dad (the master of specialty sweets) to stop the car!

Before I knew it... 

We were taking a little detour to the River Walk in Savannah, Ga...

So that we could grab lunch with some friends 

& get my hubby some...

Praaaaalines!

Our first stop, Moon River Brewing Company

A pretty sweet place...

Michael had a flight of beer, & I had my favorite Whitt beer..

(anyone that is a *r.l. (real life) friend knows about

 the Hickory Hops Brew Fest...

& well the Whitt is what got me!)

For lunch, I had the Lowcountry Crab Melt...

Grilled Texas toast topped with fresh (real) blue crab in a mayonnaise-based salad and Monterey Jack cheese, smothered with a creamy Parmesan sauce and baked to a bubbly deliciousness!

 Next, we made our way to the River Street, wandered around, 
& then visited River Street Sweets!

 

  

 

 

 

We Walked out of the shop with about 10,000 more calories...

A box of Pralines, Some Bear Claws & Sugar & Spice Pecans.

Laney sure enjoyed the sugary, sweet, smells!

Next stop, Jacksonville Beach, FL!

To Be Continued...

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