Saint Paul's Cathedral during the London Blitz

I have gotten to the point where I cannot distinguish one day from another.  I didn’t realize it was Thursday – I only knew I had to be at work at 12 pm and that there was a lecture about Connie Willis‘s heroes at 9 pm at the Olamot Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival (sponsored by the Tolkien Society of Israel and the Israeli Science Fiction and Fantasy Guild).  I went.  It was the most normal thing I did this month, which is really saying something as a larger collection of fashion-clueless, absurdly costumed geeks I haven’t seen in a long time.  Tomorrow is the first day off in over a week.  The next day I work at 12 pm.  The next day I have a doctor’s appointment.  That’s how it goes.

Why have I become this clueless zombie?  Work and Passover.  We all complain about work.  Yet, I don’t hate what I do.  It’s just quite physically taxing, and my hours are long.  It can be demoralizing being a glorified waitress sometimes, but I’m getting over it.  I hope.  I’m quite proud of myself, I do have to admit.  It’s Passover, and pre-holiday wine sales are madness.  Wine sales the day before and of Passover are the highest of the year.  In fact I think most of the wine in the country is sold in those few days – but don’t quote me – I would need to find the stats.  In any case, I played my part admirably.  My sales for my winery were beyond fantastic, and for the most part, I had a great time.  Along with the wine bar work, I believe I worked I worked 45 hours in 4 days.  The haze I’m in is interesting.  The meaning of life, or rather, the search thereof, eludes me these days.  I don’t feel like reading at all.  I feel like I’m floating and not quite living.  Things like bills and taxes can wait, and I’m glad I’m not freaking…but this zombie phase has got to end.  Soon.  I want to look forward to reading a book, seeing friends with any sort of regularity, putting at least some attention into my studies (which I’ve basically abandoned for the last 3 weeks due to exhaustion), and perhaps…career, men, the future…and especially not feeling tired all the time.  Just realized it’s kind of ironic – my working like a dog, really slaving (worked a real 16+ hour day for the first time in forever) during THE holiday that celebrates freedom from bondage.  Yep.  Just my luck.

For the moment, I’m glad I did something other than sleep, watch reruns of Extreme Home Makeover (artificially-enduced emotional catharsis), and work.  It was weird paying 30 shekels for a 50 minute presentation on my favorite author that basically turned into a conversation with the audience of 20 that veered off at one point to Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel.  Yeah.  My kind of people.  I have to say, it was worth it to sit in a room with several others who had read, not even just heard of, Connie Willis, in Israel.  I adore Willis, and everyone who loves a good long read should pick up both Black Out and All Clear.  Especially if you’re a WWII buff.  It’s heartfelt storytelling crossed with extraordinary research – historical science fiction at its very, very best.

The bar at the corner of my street is playing dance/trans music so loud, I can feel the bass through the floor.  I live on the fourth floor.  And I’m at least 5 buildings down.  I don’t even play my own music this loud (relatively speaking – as it now sounds in my home).  Ugh.  Popcorn, green tea, and Extreme Home Makeover may be in the cards tonight.  Oh well.  I’ll have to find earphones first.  No rest for the weary.

Yes I am. Yes I can. To all my Superwomen. You inspire me.

Www.CarilynVaile.com

Multi-Function Fashion,Tips & Tricks for Multi-tasking Lifestyles

Surprise. Drama. Conflict. Community. Compassion. Generosity.  Construction. Tools. Creativity. Teary-Endings. Can you connect the dots? Any guesses as to what these words are describing? If you guessed Spring training – you’d only be partly right. (As a life long Mariners fan – Spring Training’s end always brings tears – knowing there’s 162 games of painfully constructed lineups and uncreative ball playing ahead!) What I was actually describing is the host of emotions and qualities found in the TV show Extreme Home Makeover.

I was reminded of this show last night when we had nearly 150 high school students gathering in our church building for their first team time to prepare for our annual Spring Break trip to build homes with Amor Ministries in Mexico. As they came flooding into the sanctuary I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the impact that this group of friends and strangers were going to have on the lives of 13 different families, as well as in the lives of each other.

One episode I remember watching was on well over a year ago. This particular episode highlighted a family whose home was full of mildew, dust, and other arial garbage that their children were having a severe reaction to. For years the family stayed in the home that was stealing the lives of their children because they had no other financial option, as all their extra money went to medical bills. They were stuck trying to heal their children in the very environment that had made them sick! The Extreme Home Makeover Team tore the home down to the foundation and started over from scratch. They had to build a completely new environment for this family to live in.

In the book Follow Me to Freedom, written by John Perkins and Shane Claiborne, Shane Claiborne says something that mirrored what I was watching on TV with the condition of my own spiritual and social condition. Shane said:

I am excited to share this stunning kitchen and dining room makeover. It is my good friend Jenny’s home, here in Oregon.  I have seen A LOT of remodels, but this one takes the cake! I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Living/Dining Before

Kitchen Before

 And drum roll please……………………………….

After!

Open Shelving With Subway Tile

Gourmet Appl. From Sears

Painted Fireplace

She painted her fireplace tiles grey and the molding white. I transformed this chair for her and posted a tutorial. It’s so perfect in her new cottage home. For more photos of Jenny’s home and product information, hop on over to her blog: JennySpringerPhotography.com.

Have a great and CREATIVE week! - Sarah

I wasn’t surprised. The entire sales point of the program was that it would be about the day to day life of this woman who didn’t, in truth, have much going on other than being empirically good-looking and well-compensated in her out-of-the-way corner of the celebrisphere.

For me, just speaking as a viewer, there’s nothing I enjoy less than watching a celebrity seemingly plucked at random and tailed about for three months, yielding non-storylines built around parties, vacation plans or a vacuous blonde friend borrowing a bag and not returning it. It’s painful to watch and the worst kind of celebrity reality.

Celebrity participation alone is not enough to sustain a reality show.

What kind of celebrity shows work for me? Shows like THE SURREAL LIFE or THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, where there’s a structure, challenges and something at stake for the participants. You are entering the show at the same point as the participants, enabling you to identify with and invest in them as they take on their challenges.

C-listers pitching shows about themselves often forget an important point about Reality TV:it’s quite effective at making its own celebrities.

You can’t blame them for getting it wrong. You launch a scripted show without at least one known face in it and you’re taking a huge risk. Launch a reality show chock full of fascinating nobodies and it’s still, well, fascinating. Before the shows premiered, had you ever heard of the guys from MYTHBUSTERS? How about the crew from QUEER EYE? Jo from SUPERNANNY? Ty Pennington from EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION? Bob and Jillian from THE BIGGEST LOSER?

I always go back to FLIPPING OUT as a great example of a show that featured an interesting group of people whose daily adventures were waaaaay more interesting than those of the average c-lister who’s gunning to revive a career by appearing on a reality show. A few seasons later, Jeff, Jenni and Zoila are well-known. Jenni’s popping up all over tv, Jeff has a line of home goods on QVC, and the last picture I saw of Zoila also had Ryan Seacrest in it.

Viewers make celebrities, and stars come from stories.

-JQuenga

Allstate’s Save11 campaign advocates for passage of the STANDUP Act (Safe Teen and Novice Driver Protection Act), and this special episode is dedicated to raising awareness of this dangerous behavior, featuring the Brown Family from Wellman, Texas.

The episode tells the family’s tragic story of their talented teen-aged daughter, Alex, who lost her life to a texting-while-driving accident. Allstate will run the :30 second teen safe driving spot, “Tail Lights” during the special episode.

The Save11 print ad that ran in national publications last summer featuring Alex Brown.

Visit Facebook.com/Save11 to take action.

For the past four years, Calvary Lutheran Church in North Richland Hills has been ringing in the New Year with an “Extreme Home Makeover” project – home, that is, to the Nelson Center children. The youth group at Calvary spends the entire year raising funds to complete their service project, and they come in their Calvary Lutheran bus as a group to the Nelson Center during the first or second weekend of January to “make-over” an area of the Center.

The first year they painted and decorated each room for the “Little Boys” (ages 5-8). The second year they took on the “Adolescent Boys” rooms (ages 12-15), and last year they remodeled the “Big Boys” rooms (ages 9-11). Each dorm has 6-8 rooms with 2-3 boys per room.

This is the drill: Calvary drives up to Nelson Center on a Friday night, meets with the kids in each room, and asks them what design they would like on their walls. The church kids immediately head to Wal-Mart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, and wherever else they need to go to get supplies, and then spend the night in a local hotel. Bright and early on Saturday morning they arrive at Nelson Center to get to work – and don’t leave until the job is done – usually about 10 hours!

This year they took on an even BIGGER project – the Nelson Center gym! The leaders met with our coach on Friday, discussed what his “dream gym” would look like, and came back on Saturday to make it happen. The kids have a great time and are hard-working, knowing that their mission make-over will be the talk of the Nelson Center for months to come.

The Nelson Center kids, upon seeing the gym, were in awe and couldn’t believe the new designs and motivational feel of the décor. Even the Nelson Center staff was left speechless. The kids and staff spend so much time in the gym, the inspirational words written on the walls now remind everyone daily of their goals and their mission to be a part of healing and hope for dozens of young lives every day.

‘Extreme Makeover’ builds more than a house

By DANIEL GRISWOLD

Published Monday, January 24, 2011

Few things get entire communities excited these days — but the television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” has a way of blowing into a neighborhood like a fresh wind.

Rallying people around families in need of proper housing and telling their stories to the world make for a stirring occasion. Honestly, I have a hard time watching episodes of “Extreme Makeover” because I get emotional and my wife likes to look over and see if there are any tears.

Two recent local builds, one in Savannah and the other in Beaufort, have highlighted the power of this production to bring together people from all walks of life to reach out and make heaven on earth a reality for some very deserving people.

We all need a place to call home. The desire for safety and comfort away from trouble is deep-rooted and always has been necessary for us to feel truly human. The hidden reality of the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve made the first family, is that the garden was a safe place. It was not only a place where there was plenty of food and water, but it was a place filled with God’s presence, and the love that God had for his creation was stated over and over, “It is good.”

Since losing that perfect safety, people have cultivated the earth to rebuild paradise, and success is sometimes fleeting, depending on the times.

People do have a global outlook now more than ever, with access to information in every corner. It is easy to lose oneself in the data, as it is obvious that multitudes of people are not in safe situations and need help.

“How can I do anything to bring hope to the world, when I am such a small person?” we might ask. But outfits such as “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and its energetic crew, remind us that a few people with strong vision, lots of energy and the attitude of “We’re going to do something good” can actually bring about change in a modern version of an Amish barn-raising.

Ty Pennington hasn’t started something new with his show. The needs that his crew addresses have been met by many in the past and in the present. The churches of the world and the good people who have seen the call to “go out” to the world have been building homes, orphanages and lives for centuries, out of pure love for God’s diverse people across the globe.

When the cameras leave town and those in the community reflect on what has happened, hopefully they see a symbol of what all our communities are capable of.

With or without a television program, there’s still more work to be done.

Daniel Griswold is the director of youth at St. Andrew By-the-Sea United Methodist Church. Follow him on Twitter @dannonhill.

Read more: The Island Packet

So, gather up all those happy thoughts from when you were whipping around your neighborhood, hair flying in the wind, and that euphoric feeling after a few laps. At most you probably completed 2  or 3 miles of riding. Now, imagine circling your block approximately 3,000 more times. Thats about the distance that some incredible young adults are completing through the organization, Bike and Build.

The Organization:

Bike and Build was founded in 2002 by Marc Bush. He had formerly been the leader of the Habitat Cycling Program which incorporated long distance cycling and the support and building  of low-income housing (www.bikeandbuild.org). Bike and Build consists of 8 different cross-country courses that are traveled completely by bike over the summer! Each route has about 25-30 riders on the trip. They will spend their nights sleeping in churches, community centers, or with host-families. At least once a week there is a “Building Day” designated to assisting a home building project. Since the first summer of cycling in 2003 Bike and Build has awarded $2,780,000 to low-income housing projects.

This isn’t exactly that lap or two around your block but it is one heck of a way to spend your summer! While the challenge may seem incredibly daunting, it is even more rewarding to be able to physically challenge yourself,  see the country from a completely different angle, meet individuals from every corner of the nation, all while making a positive impact for a luxury that many take for granted.  *Photo from the Bike & Build Facebook Page*

The People and Places

I’m very proud to say that my best friend, Catherine Hewlett, will be participating in the Bike and Build program this summer! On May 25th she will depart from Virgina Beach and head west to Cannon Beach, Oregon. Just a mere 3,835 miles. No big deal. When she first mentioned the program I thought, “Oh cool, you ride a little then get in a car and travel a bit.” HAH. Honestly, if it were that “easy” I don’t think Catherine would do it. She is always looking for the next challenge or opportunity no matter the time, effort, training, or hard work that it will take to get there. Even with the hectic schedule that comes from her Psychology and Nursing double-major she is determined to raise donations for an outstanding cause.

(www.bikeandbuild.org)

The Cause:

You may be thinking to yourself, low-income housing? Thats really an epidemic in our country? Seems lame. No, its not like the more glamorous epidemics you may see being advertised by celebrities with a fancy “luncheon” (by the way, why do they have to call it that? Its still lunch right? Its not brunch. Its lunch.),  or a hardcore ad campaign with the hottest actor/actress. Yes, this is more than Oprah and her “pause for effect” moments before revealing  A BRAND NEW CAR!! Whew, thank goodness for all those free cosmetic gift baskets, free flat screen T.V.’s,  and gourmet All-Clad frying pans the audience has received over the years. This is a grass-roots organization dedicated to hard work and honest impacts.

So many college kids like myself have grown accustomed to our less than luxurious apartments and houses. Paint chips, cracks in the walls, the water is either scalding hot or freezing cold, the carpet smells like beer and has Chipotle burrito stains, and the piles of dirty laundry is almost as high as the creepy neighbor. However, we are lucky. We have a roof, a floor, a bed, a blanket and food in our cupboards. There are those that come home to unlivable situations or are unable to afford a place that is safe for their families to live. Bike and Build is an organization that is making a real difference with real people. Determined, passionate young adults that want to put in the effort to help in realistic ways. It doesn’t have to be Ty Pennington screaming “MOVE THAT BUS” and revealing a multi-million dollar mansion to mean something.

The Process:

Catherine has already begun her fundraising process, but there are still many more donations to be found in order to reach her $4,000.00 goal by May. So remember that while you are sitting on your Beaver Hill/Cedarbrook/wherever-it-is couch and warm apartment that she will be out in the 20 degree wintry weather fundraising for those who are not as lucky to have a warm place to go this winter. No matter the size of the donation, its impact is priceless.So,  50 cents, a dollar, or the $5 that you were going to use for that second Monkey Boy/Fish Bowl that you really don’t need (trust me) is more than enough to show your appreciation for the 4 walls you have everyday.  You can donate towards her goal right on her rider profile page here or find her on campus and donate!

OR make sure to stop and buy some delicious treats at her bake sale during the weekend of March 18th! We’ll be there all weekend during the late-night hours! So, if you do happen to spend $5 on a Monkey Boy or Fish Bowl make sure to save the change for dessert and help out Catherine and Bike and Build!                                       *From the Bike and Build Facebook Page*

Below are a few “before” and “after” photos of some recent client’s home makeovers.  The Buyer’s did almost all the work themselves, along with a little help from their families and friends.

I would say, “move over Ty Pennington you might have some competition!” 

Kitchen Makeover – Before & After!

A kitchen remodel can bring some good returns when you go to sell.  The only problem is that they can be very costly, unless you do a lot of the work yourself.  A client in Powell, Ohio did this excellent kitchen makeover.  Beautiful job, Scott!

Laundry Room – Before & After!

Bedroom – Before & After!

Living Room – Before & After!

Dining Room – Before & After!

Kitchen – Before & After!

An incredible home makeover in the Hilliard area, this client did a wonderful job on their HUD foreclosure purchase.  I’m always amazed how much you can totally transform a home with just new flooring/carpeting, painting and cleaning.  Incredible job, Jason & Liz!  You have a beautiful home!

Since 2007, the HomeBuyer’s Advocate blog has been featured in “This Old House” magazine and the Columbus Dispatch with 100+ posts and 54,000+ views!  The HomeBuyer’s Advocate blog has been a leading resource for home buyers and homeowners in Columbus, Ohio.  The HomeBuyer’s Advocate blog has been true to the blog mission statement “real opinions & quick, valuable information for the homebuyer in central Ohio.”

For additional information, we now have a great compliment to The HomeBuyer’s Advocate blog.  Check out our company Facebook fan page to stay updated with the latest important news for home owners in central Ohio. Our fan page is loaded with great information, coupons, monthly Lowe’s gift card raffles, contests with prizes and funny home pictures and videos. Make sure you click to “Like”.

Buyer’s Resource Facebook Fan Page!

In January, we will be celebrating the new year (2K11) and reaching 200 Facebook fans with a special, incredible gift card raffle.  Check us out and make sure you don’t miss out on this special prize.  We are NOT your typical traditional real estate Facebook fan page.

Good luck out there!

Home Buyer Advocate Mike

Representing People, NOT Property!

"Good morning, Williams Family!!!"

Oh well hey there good lookin (Midwestern twang). What’s that you say, you noticed I’ve gotten a little work done?  I mean since you brought it up, I did have a fabulous Extreme Blog Makeover recently (you can catch it on ABC next week, and yes, it was emotional and tears were shed). This is all thanks to my friend Pat (kind of like my Ty Pennington) who is killin it with his design skills (if I ever become rich and famous it will be partly because of him and partly because I’m amazing).

This blog post is quite unusual for me since I will actually be promoting ANOTHER blog (no not www.muzicturnsmeon.com which is the best thing since the dog snuggie was invented).

But I must – it is my New Year’s resolution to be nicer to other people (I just made that up). This could be the death of my blogging sensation but it is the price I will pay for integrity and talent (but really, this blog is in another country so it doesn’t count – right? I’ll have to ask my lawyer (a.k.a CFO, VP, imaginary person).

Now prepare yourselves because here is where I tie the title into the blog anddddd…. the name of the blog I’m feelin right now is Saturday Walk of Shame. It is actually based in Sydney, Australia buy two guys who really love ridiculously great music (hence why www.muzicturnsmeon.com supports this message). They have actually featured some of the songs I have (although they probably copied mine (just kidding)).

The blog is actually pretty smart. They introduce three new and upcoming bands each week and then on Saturday mornings from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. they have a radio show where they discuss and share their music obsessions. How the name came about is actually pretty hilarious as well.

The cafe where the radio show is aired is located on the beach and on Saturday mornings they would see tons of ”mates” doing their “walk of shame” from their previous night freak fest. Since this became a natural part of their lives, they decided it would be a fitting title for their show (I think “Did We Have Sex Last Night? Shit I May be Pregnant.” could also have been a fitting title).

I digress. Not only does the blog have a funny story behind it, but they also feature some pretty great tunes that I think you will really enjoy. I have become blogospheric friends (by that I mean we have exchanged two emails) with the man behind the magic of Saturday Walk of Shame – Ben Adams (I recommend you connect with him on Twitter @benadamsspeaks and his blog @shame88).

He has generously commented on some of my posts and will actually be mentioning me on the show this Saturday where you can watch it ONLINE at http://saturdaywalkofshame.wordpress.com/ . I suggest you tune in and see what it is all about – I know I will be. Note: Australia is 16 hours ahead of us American folk so if you are in the central time zone that would be about 5:00 p.m. Friday.

Now I will grace you with some of their great finds and hope you check them out – but don’t leave me or I’ll Google Analytics your ass and it won’t be pretty.

Our Dealership and the entire Garlyn Shelton Automotive Group is participating in this most wonderful event that is going to happen this week here in Central Texas for a very deserving local family.

Here is the link to the website that will give you all of the information about the project, and to be announced very soon, the family who will receive this fantastic Holiday Gift.

Click HERE for the link.
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Senior Nick Hebert pauses between takes for the group shots for FC's segment in Extreme Home Makeover. The rest of the students hold up their thumbs wearing rings to signify their promise to not text and drive. "I think it's a good personal challenge for me and the rest of the school. It is a real problem in the world today. It's hard to take a second off and not be part of the world," said Hebert.

Kristin has a love for the play Wicked, she starred in it early in her career ( I’m planning to see it in 2011, yaay ) , She loves Chick-fil-a  and her style is sophisticated and chic. She is a true friend in my head.

Kristin will be performing on New Year’s Eve at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

~Enjoy Your Journeys, Kristi