Saturday, June 21, 2008

how you spend your dash

One of my dear friends sent me an e-mail this week with a link to a song that she said reminded her of me. It's such a powerful song and the meaning that is packed into it is awesome. I wanted to post it so that if any of you out there (yeah, all 3 of my readers...) hadn't heard it, you could.
Listen to the words. (and thanks, Janelle!)


POINT OF GRACE: "How You Live (Turn Up the Music)"


In listening to the song again, it brought to mind one of my favorite poems ever by Linda Ellis called "The Dash." Since I'm in such a sharing mood, I thought I would post it here as well. It has been made into a small movie. Here's the link and please watch it--it's so great and so well done. Make your today and your dash matter.

Go to www.dash-movie.com

Panini Mania

I'm obsessed with paninis. I bought a panini press the other day and I've been obsessed for a week now. I've made breakfast in it, lunch in it, dinner in it, snacks in it. It's awesome!

It takes very little to impress me sometimes.

Monday, March 24, 2008

char-lay....

it's bound to make you smile! these are the cutest little kids that some mom put on youtube.

the green room gets a makeover!

if you've ever stayed at our house, you've stayed in the green room! we decided to "adultify" it (so galinda of me...) and redecorate.

the old colors were loud and the hot pink lended itself to more of an 18 year old's room, so here's what we did to make it over to be a more grown up space. after all, we are fast approaching our 30's. oh wait, jeff's already there.... :)

Sunday, March 9, 2008

it's been a while!

it's been a while....

jeff got a new "classic" car the other day...a 1988 ford bronco. it's 20 years old, but get this--it only has 35,000 actual miles on it! he really, really likes it and i must say, it is sharp. i'll post pics later.

we are are trying to be finished with the master bath...we started on it back in october, but my work kicked into high gear and it just hasn't gotten finished. we are having a guy come out to start tile work in there in two weeks. our big dilemma right now...should we put in a new tub or should we forgo the tub and put in a kick butt shower? i must say that i am pleased with what we were able to do. the paint looks great! i did some striping...





we are also so glad to have our cousin, bryce, back home! bryce underwent a major surgery in atlanta on his back to correct the curvature of his spine and came through it miraculously! he is such a hero to all of us. the surgery was in february and he is already back home and in his own bed. we were so fortunate to have a visit from uncle frank and aunt pam this week. they came all the way from texas to stop in and say hello and visit with bryce and the family. of course, any special occasion calls for dinner at paesano's...it's our favorite! it was bryce's first "night out" since his surgery and he wasted no time digging into the bread and dipping oils! and us stovalls wasted no time digging into a bottle of red wine!






we're really, really ready for springtime! we got a good taste of it last week when it was in the high 70's...we got grill fever and ate outside. it was wonderful! here's a pic of our yummy supper...cedar plank salmon with long grain brown rice, roasted asparagus and a small roasted tomato with prosciutto, basil and mozzarella. mmm mmm!



that's about it for now. hope all is well with everyone out there! :-)




Monday, August 13, 2007

c'mon get happy!





okay, i gave myself a task to list out 50 things that make me happy. here goes.



1) random road trips, complete with a good playlist on my iPod and junk food from the convenience stores.



2) good coffee, especially hazelnut in the fall and winter



3) the anticipation of college football



4) swing sets and playgrounds



5) fabric softener



6) sleeping with the ceiling fan on and having to cuddle up tight to keep warm



7) Blaring Justin Timberlake's "Future/Sex/Love/Sounds" cd on my Bose sound dock and singing and dancing as I get ready to go somewhere



8) Dancing around in my skivvies. (who said you have to dance through life fully clothed?!)



9) Meeting a complete stranger and forming a friendship out of nowhere



10) The Wizard of Oz. After all Auntie Em, there's no place like home.



11) sweet tea. it's the wine of the south.



12) good, long hugs



13) Cakebread wine (particularly the Chardonnay)



14) completely junky reality TV, like Real World, The Bachelor and Big Brother.



15) sitting down with an old person and listening to their life stories



16) looking back at pictures I’ve taken through the years



17) riding in a clean car with the windows down and radio up



18) Being able to sit in total silence with another person and not a moment of it be awkward



19) cuddling up on the couch with the newspaper or a Sudoku book on a Sunday afternoon



20) Old Navy yoga pants



21) Planning trips



22) Love stories that turn out with a happily ever after



23) Going out dancing



24) Cold watermelon



25) Good hair and skin days



26) being in love



27) football games that are so intense I’m screaming at my T.V.



28) when the Gamecocks win those games.



29) snow days that force you to stay home



30) Old, beat up pick-up trucks. I will own one one day.



31) ghost stories, especially around a fire in the fall in Jonesboro, TN

32) stars. so much than i got one tattooed on my foot.

33) New York City and Broadway

34) pretending I'm a good photographer

35) Accessories! They are better than the clothes.

36) Biosilk

37) The movie, Shag. Please see it if you haven't.

38) Cooking....namely baking.

39) Scouring flea markets for the perfect find to add to the house...the find that everyone else wishes they had found.

40) Little black dresses

41) Elvis

42) the smell of leather

43) winding mountain roads

44) unexpected trips--those grab a bag and jump in the car and go at the last minute kind of trips...

45) the beautiful turquoise water and careless naked people at Isle de Tintamaar, off the coast of St. Maarten

46) clyde, maggie and wickett

47) simple, country people

48) thunderstorms and rain

49) produce stands

50)

Monday, March 12, 2007

dancing through life

my favorite musical in the whole wide world is wicked. if you haven't seen it, please try to catch it sometime when it is on tour--or better yet, see it on broadway in NYC. it's incredible--the art, the story, the characters...and especially the music.

one of my favorite songs is what prompted me to name my blog just what it is, dancing through life. i love the lyrics and love the message:

nothing matters when knowing nothing matters; it's just life, so keep dancing through!

dancing through life

dancing through life
skimming the surface
gliding where turf is smooth
life's more painless
for the brainless
why think too hard?
when it's so soothing
dancing through life
no need to tough it
when you can sluff it off as i do
nothing matters
but knowing nothing matters
it's just life
so keep dancing through...

dancing through life
swaying and sweeping
and always keeping cool
life is fraughtless
when you're thoughtless
those who don't try
never look foolish
dancing through life
mindless and careless
make sure you're where less
trouble is rife
woes are fleeting
blows are glancing
when you're dancing
through life...