around here.

Hey Al....I feel the need to stop by the 'ol blog even though there's not much going on here "blog worthy", except that we have been traveling a little bit, and Sam has been working all the time too much. So that has been a little rough lately...just not seeing him as much. I know that this is part of life at times, and I'm trying to have a good attitude, but this week has been especially hard.

On another note, we took a road trip a couple of weekends ago to the beach with the Browns and had a really good time, and I was excited to finally see the ocean and dip my toes in the water, although it was a little short-lived. Here are some pictures from our little beach walk.

Mark and Lynette

Sam and Mark, one of my favorites

Near Pawley's Island, we stopped at these quaint little shops, called the "Hammock Shops" that have been around since the 1920's....it was really cool. They had all kinds of different shops, from Christmas decorations to baby clothes, to hammocks and t-shirts. You could spend all day there if you had time.

As you can see, shopping can tire you out.....Mark took advantage of a nearby bench for a little shut-eye:)

On the homefront: Last weekend I went to Dothan to visit the parents, even though Sam had to stay behind last minute to do his favorite thing....work. It was a good visit though. I enjoyed seeing Mom, Dad, Mama, and even Logan. That crazy kid. And of course we can't forget the furry children. Sadie is still sharpening her "Budda" stance, the only trick she knows, beside looking ridiculously cute all the time. 

And Max still calls the driver seat, even though we have told him repeatedly that he cannot drive without his license:)

on the way to see Mama

Mama- trying to smile:)

Mama is still adjusting to her new living environment at Westside Terrace. She is in a room with another lady, separated by only a thin curtain. That's a problem when the other lady's TV is on so loud you can barely hear yourself think. I know it's kept Mama up a few nights. She is doing a lot better than she was though a few months ago Al. That was good to see....I just wish she didn't have to be in a nursing home.

Even though she saw this picture and said, "I'm so old." I think she is the most beautiful "old" lady I know, especially when she smiles.

On a lighter note: I've been able to see the results of some of my designs lately on project site visits. I am thankful that Appleseed affords me the freedom to work directly with the clients and practice designing. Here is a quick iphone shot of a design sketch I did for a master bathroom project recently:

Here it is installed....it turned out pretty good!

I know I emailed you earlier about this other kitchen I was visiting this morning, but I thought you should see some before and after shots. This is a kitchen we just finished in Vestavia and I can't take credit for the entire design (because Mike did most of it) but I did work with Bonnie on the island design, all hard surface materials, paint colors, and tile. Really turned out nice. Here's a quick picture (of a picture) of what their kitchen used to look like:

before ("au revoir" mexican tile)

progress

after. beautiful. click and you can see a bigger picture:)

The owner of this kitchen was great to work with too....I love clients like her. Flexible, and easy to talk to.

So...that's about it for me over here this week. I hope you guys have a good weekend and we need to catch up on the phone soon!

xoxoxo,
Whit