Felt Therapy

Sometimes after a long, draining day, nothing does me better than to come home and do a project that requires so little in effort and materials but results in something sweet and mindful of the important things in life. Today was just that day. A short day at work (daughter had a doctor appointment) but stressful with so much left behind at the office, lots of driving (and in the rain!) during rush hour traffic, and a State of the School this evening, then home to help my girl to study for a big test tomorrow. Dog and child tuckered out for the evening means that mom can sit at her table in the study, Paul Potts on the stereo (how can anyone NOT love this man) and make something gentle out of a rather hurried day. And with just a pair of scissors and some felt (and a few dots of glue and some embroidery floss to tie here and there), ta-da . . . the day's lovely outcome. Topped off with a butterfly. I'm off to bed. Sweet dreams.

Ripple In Still Water

R.F.K. Stadium (1989)

Kool-Aid Acid Test

"I'm freakin' out...man!"

Champagne Supernova

Christian Hosoi is Mongo's guy when it comes to skateboarding legends. He built on the foundation of Adams, Alva, and Peralta...and took it to the air.

His life story has been well chronicled, including drug use and prison time, but he has emerged as a man with a strong faith and a sturdy character.

With veterans like Miller and Caballero and Mountain still ripping in pool contests, there's no reason that Hosoi shouldn't be right there as well.

It Isn't About The Trophies

When Tom Boonen wins the Tour of Qatar this week, and Tiger Woods probably wins the Dubai Desert Classic the same week, they'll both be smiling as they climb aboard their G 5's.

It won't be because of momentus acheivements in their respective sports...They will be smiling because they got "Paid!"

Massive appearance fees for these superstars fuel the seemingly out of place events along the Gulf Riviera. Dubai and Qatar are rich countries...I mean really rich! These people have shacks that put Master P's crib to shame.

I'm not hatin' tha playa or da game... but it is what it is! The only way to get world-class athletes to this part of the world is to create silly events and then overpay the big stars to show up.

I'm pretty sure that in Boonen's trophy case his Paris-Roubaix victory is displayed a little higher than his Khalifa Stadium-Camel Race Track win.

I Never Knew How Bad It Was

Can you guess which one is the new 69'er from Trek?

They describe it as a reverse mullet..."Party in the front/Business in the rear"...I'm not kidding!

Bottles

Having a few small, colorful vintage bottles on my windowsill adds a litte color to the gray view outside. I can't wait to throw open the windows and have nothing but the screen between me and the warm, green outside filled with the sounds of kids playing and lawn mowers whirring.

Little Pea

At the conclusion of my daughter's science fair project on peas and chrolophyll, I was left with a handful of pea seeds, which seemed a perfect match with the sunny windowsill in my kitchen. Especially with the cold, dreary and dormant world outside, it only seemed fitting to bring life to view as I wash dishes and clean vegetables at the sink. Here is the pea pod we've grown. Like little babies snuggled in a papoose, warm and cozy. It makes me happy.

Forward Movement

It might have been for-e-ver since I've posted but I've been super busy at work and equally as busy on the homefront. This weekend I "pounded the pavement" so to speak and have a shop now signed on to carry my line of cards. It is called Fiddle-dee-dee! and is a charming store of gifts, collectibles and southern charm. Every shop I visited on my quest to market my cards was more welcoming than the next. Shopowners embraced the whole idea of showcasing local artisans, and I learned a lot about how to make my work more marketable. I begin work in earnest this week, creating a line of Mother's Day cards. I can't think of a better first endeavor than working on a craft that is all about my absolute favorite thing of all . . . being a mommy.

Straight Outta Compton

Mongo has always been quite vocal in his disregard for the man. Today, the man came in the form of a fat, redneck, Cobb County Sheriff.

I was riding down a very steep road with multiple switchbacks, going a little faster than the posted 35mph speed limit, when I get the quick double honk(which scared the s**t out of me) from this douchebag in a cruiser.

He flys past me on the outside and gives me a look like I'm the one doing something wrong. Nevermind the fact that he passed me in a no passing area, and was going faster than the speed limit, and we were going downhill, I saw him two minutes later at a fast food drive-thru. What an asshole!

Why I Ride

A pretty girl asked me the other day what I liked to do for fun.
At one time the answer would have involved witty-indifference, conceit, or a variety of pretentious vodkas.
Honesty was the second or third option in my pursuit of self promotion.
That day though… Eight years sober, immeasurably wiser, and in the best shape of my life… the truth flowed easily.
“I like to ride my bikes,” I told her.
“Cool,” she said.

X Games: The 'Burbs

Mongo was reflecting this morning on what a good cycling week it has been for me. In between the snow and Ice Station Zebra temperatures, Mongo has managed two days on the road bike and one on the mt. bike since last Sunday.

I rode solo on Sunday, had a "brisk" group ride on Monday, and had a strong showdown ride on Wednesday. My legs and lungs are coming around and Mongo is feeling pretty good about his fitness level.

As I continued to reflect and bask in my self-lovefest, I wondered what I could do to bring the good vibes to a screeching halt. There was only one answer...Mongo had to go skateboarding and injure himself doing something stupid, "again", and set himself back weeks so he can rehab his: A.(Wrist) B.(Elbow) C.(Knee) D.(All of the above)

Well my friends...the answer is "B". Ding!..Ding!..Ding!

I AM SOFA KING WE TODD ID

Junkanoo

IT'S BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS !

(Johan Bruyneel needs winter home...Signs licensing deal with small country)

"Mmmm...I can't wait for the conch chowder at the feed zone".

Aussie...Aussie...Aussie !!!

Rael Imperial Aerosol Kid

“ Where was I going when my journey began?
Did I ever know at all or forget along the way?
Does wisdom gained join lessons learned?
Can I right the wrongs of ignorance?”

Smoke On The Water

Occasionally, when Mongo needs a good night's sleep, he takes a couple of Goody's PM powders. They have the effect of a Marlin Perkins tranquilizer dart on me, and I'm out for a crazy dream filled eight hours.

I woke up around seven this morning from my Fellini Satyricon coma and checked the weather to see if I'd be riding today. It didn't look good... The temperature was seventeen degrees with a high on the day of thirty five.

At that point I was resigned to a day of housework and football.

Then it hit me...What would Ned do?

Ned would get off his lazy, excuse makin', fat ass, and then layer up, get out, and ride. So that's exactly what Mongo did. Big Mistake!

It was definitely way too cold to be riding and all my exposed skin froze immediately. Eight brutal miles later, Mongo called it a day.

I may be easily inspired, but unfortunately I have the cold tolerance of a Chihuahua.

Winter Sucks...I'm Getting Fat

As much as I enjoy cycling as a purist, if I'm "keepin' it real", and I am, I also relish the fact that cycling allows me to eat like a billygoat.

Mongo likes to eat crap! Ice cream, burritos, candy bars...usually these things aren't a problem when I'm logging 150+ miles per week and burning thousands of calories. It's when the miles go down and the crap consumption stays the same that the flabalanche begins.

Winter is overrated...Let's move it along!

Gideon

Our boy Gideon is, as of yesterday, 10 months old. He was born on St. Patty's Day. My daughter named him after one of the brothers in one of her Top 10 movies Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He was always her absolute favorite brother. (The movie just lends itself to lots of those discussion questions . . . which bride would you want to be, who do you think is the cutest brother, which dress would you want to wear . . . .)

Our Gideon just happens to be the youngest of his litter as was the movie-Gideon the youngest of his brothers. Anyway, he's cute as all get out. In this picture he's lying in his favorite nighttime sleep spot, under our foyer desk. My daughter's Vera Bradley bookbag is on the chair. I liken this picture to an ad — Ralph Lauren has his blonde and regal Labrador Retrievers and Vera Bradley has her moppy and oh-so-cuddly Old English Sheepdog.

Cup o' Tea Valentine

I came across a stash of glassine envelopes ages ago and was inspired this month — with Valentine's Day fast approaching — to create a valentine card to look like a tea bag. They were very easy to make (including the envelope). Click on the third image to see the tea bag label close up. I used a Valentine sticker, tiny silk posies and leaves and, of course, little jewels for the centers of the flowers. I dressed up the To/From label on front by cutting it out using decorative-edge scissors.

Can't beat a handmade Valentine; what better way to tell someone that they're loved and thought of.

Bonefishing On The Flats

Mongo was lucky enough to spend some of his childhood growing up in The Bahamas. As you can imagine, water activities consumed much of my time. Scuba diving, sailing, fishing...I did it all. I reference this because I encountered a sound the other day that brought me full circle back to my days on the water.

On the Monday group ride there was a guy riding a Kona CX bike with King hubs. I rolled out behind him, admiring his rig, and then
I heard the sound for the first time.

Chris King hubs, when they freewheel, sound just like 8lb test fishing line being stripped off a spinning reel. It's not a purposeful clicking noise, but more like a whine. And as we all know, whining gets really annoying after a while.

These are some sweet, high-quality, "expensive" hubs, but for Mongo, I like my cheese without the whine.

WoooEeee...Daniele Bennati Rules !

Mongo knows that you don't have to be skinny or French to be a good cyclist. It definitely helps to be light, and to have the power to weight ratio of a Badger, but not all of us have access to the appropriate Panamanian doctors. Instead, we work with what we've got and embrace it.

Just get out and ride...Yeah C'mon !

Cheese Pleese!

At our company's first annual Christmas Cookie Swap this year, the cheese wafers stole the show. There was much debate over whether a cheese wafer counts as a cookie, but from someone who will always choose cheese over chocolate, I will gladly sit down with a plate of these "cookies" and a cold glass of milk and consider it the finest snack on the earth. Aside from maybe cheddar flavored ice cream or a cheese scented candle, anything is "beddar" with a little bit o'cheddar.

Here is last night's homemade batch of cheese wafers (yes, lots of multi-tasking going on at Chateau Gahan . . . baking, cape making, and just wait 'til you see the Valentine card idea I hatched last night and began working on). The recipe is from Southern Living. I made them for my family's traditional Christmas Eve chili dinner, they're good for breakfast, and taste great alongside a crisp, cold apple. And steal some when they're right off of the cookie sheet, fresh out of the oven . . . like a toasted cheese sandwich.

Aqua Woman

This week is Winter Homecoming week at my daughter's school. Each day this week there is a different theme, and students and teachers are encouraged to dress for the theme. Yesterday was Sandlot day, dressing in baseball garb ala the Sandlot movies.

Today is Superhero day. We gave it some thought this past weekend but didn't get very far. The bottom line is that I didn't want to spend a ton of money on things she'd be wearing for only 7 hours in a given day. We found these funky pants at Goodwill. They are sheer and have a glittery water pattern; underneath they sport built-in bicycle-type shorts. Fun stuff. Last night we worked on the cape. We headed for the Candy Spelling Gift Closet (deserving of initial caps for its importance in our lives) and voila, found a super big piece of teal felt for the cape (a friend was going to throw this away — he had used it on a photo shoot — and I nabbed it, knowing that it would come in handy one day), a bag of remnants with more felt and this wonderful shiny sequined fabric, and plastic jewels for eyes.

Within an hour we had constructed (using only scissors and glue) a cape. It was great mother/daughter time, and it cost us nothing! We found a website where you can create logos and printed out a paper superhero name which we pinned on the back of the cape. And Aqua Woman headed to school this morning in the true spirit of Winter Homecoming week!

My Candy Spelling Gift "Room"

Aaron Spelling (producer of 7th Heaven, Beverly Hills 90210, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Melrose Place, to name a few) and his wife Candy Spelling have a 56,500 sq.ft, W-shaped house, "The Manor", which includes 13-foot ceilings, a doll museum, a gift-wrapping room, 20,000 square foot attic, a bowling alley, a swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis court, screening room, eight 2-car garages, 123 rooms, 12 bedrooms, 3 kitchens, 4 bars, a greenhouse, 12 fountains, a gazebo, and an entire wing for Candy's wardrobe.

Of all the lavish perks in this list, the one thing that caught my attention was the gift-wrapping room. How wonderful to have a whole space devoted to pretty papers, bows, ribbons, baubles and such for wrapping and decorating gifts. I imagine giant rolls of tape, tables like the ones in fabric shops with rulers on their edges, bins and baskets labeled and organized to perfection. And I'm sure there is a detailed archive of all the gifts given and how they were wrapped so that there is no duplication . . . ever.

So, I bought my first house — a modest 1600 sq.ft (54,900 less than Candy's!) — and decided that I'd have my own Candy Spelling Gift Room. Once we got settled in, though, much to my dismay, the only space left for a Gift Room was a small, windowless closet in our guest bedroom. But I forged on. I may not be a Spelling, but I like gift wrapping just as much as the next rich Hollywood socialite. And so the closet it is. I had a closet organizer company come in and give me a wall of pull-out bins and shelves. It now houses gifts I've bought for certain people, things I find that I think will make nice gifts, papers, ribbons, scissors and tape . . . all the things I need to gift and to wrap! I also have places to store my sewing machine and ironing board, and bins to hold all my fabrics. Now, to work on finding a place for that bowling alley.

Really ?

Mongo took the new Allez, or as I like to call her, White Lightnin', out for her sea trials today. Thanks to my buddy Tom(I wish my last name was Boonen) and a new EC 70 carbon fork, she's 270 grams lighter and better than ever.

Though I was only planning a 40 mile shakedown ride, ol' Lightnin' was chompin' at the bit for her first smackdown. I was holding her back at a brisk 20mph, when a twelve point buck eased past me on the left. It was a Trek Madone... with the added bonus of the rider in a full Mapei kit.

The Madone is the Land Rover of poseur bikes. The only reason most of the chuckleheads ride them is because of Lance, or because they want to keep up with their country club neighbors. I know they're good bikes, but come on! There are at least twenty other bikes I'd spend six large on before I got a Trek. To Mongo, the Madone represents smugness...and I hate smugness.

Lightnin' did her job and the Mapei/Madone/Smug Cycling Team was disposed of in short order and Mongo turned for home in a leisurely manner...Then it happened.

Like I said, I was in cool down mode, so when two guys rockin' Titanium(unfortunately not Litespeeds...Mongo's favorite prey) zipped past, W.L. and I had to ramp it back up to battle stations.

These guys were worthy opponents, but after several miles I had gapped them by a few hundred yards and was coming to the end of the ride. With about half a mile to go, traffic and lights had allowed Ti 1 and Ti 2 to catch up to me and I was quite prepared to cruise the rest of the way in with them.

As the words "nice ride" are coming out of my mouth, the dude on the Merlin goes into a full sprint. He couldn't keep up with me over a period of miles with the help of a partner, but now with the help of traffic and my good will he's trying to go Petacchi on me.

Of course, ol' Lightnin' would have none of that, and she out sprinted Mr. Douchey McDouche to the line. As we passed him, I looked at him and asked..."Are you f***ing serious?" There was no reply.

Rose Lollies

I found these rose-shaped lollipops at the dollar store amongst the oodles of Valentine's Day goodies. At $1 for a "bouquet" of 6, I couldn't resist getting a full dozen roses. They'll be sweet little leave-behinds on Valentine's Eve for those at the office who, like me, won't be coming into work the next day to real flowers delivered from husbands or boyfriends.

God Bless You

I adore these flocked Kleenex boxes. The colors they come in are lovely, but the flocking is the bomb-diggity. Flocked wallpaper, Christmas trees, fabric and now tissue boxes!

Wreath Details

A few people have asked to see a close-up view of the large Christmas wreath I made that hangs in our ken. Here are some detailed pictures.

Lady Goodwill

I can't pass up taking a detour into a Salvation Army or Goodwill; you never know when you'll find a treasure that you need or that just makes ya happy. Such is the case with this ceramic find, a bust of a lady that I found at Goodwill. With no earthly idea what to do with her, I put her on my vanity, where I was just content to see her Mona Lisa smile looking at me, as if happy to have a home. She now wears a collection of my necklaces, serving a purpose and glad to finally have some bling of her own!

Eiffel Tower

Christie Brinkley's lifestyle has always been an inspiration to me. Not her personal lifestyle and choices, but the things she loves and collects. She loves shells and has a studio, that I've seen in pictures in magazines, where she creates beautiful artwork using shells and found sea objects. She also collects Eiffel Towers and uses them as "easels" for pictures, objects and artwork. When I chanced upon an Eiffel Tower garden piece in Target, I knew exactly what I'd do with it. Here it is on my coffee table, adorned with pictures, postcards and charms. (It gave me an excuse to start a new collection . . . miniature frames.)

Same Old Trip It Was Back Then

A friend of Mongo's just built up an old school skateboard. It's a Powell Vallely with Indy 169's and OJ wheels. It is a sweet ride...but it's also a dinosaur.

Heavy, wide, flat...it has no place in modern skateboarding. That is exactly why I love it.

This board comes from a time and a place where flow and style were king. I don't care how many obstacles you can ollie up, down, or over...give me a smooth backside air any day.

Silent Lucidity

"Cold numbs the fibers inside the lungs
Rapid revolutions of oxygen in the blood
High and faint while sustaining the pace
Redeemed for the effort is a beautiful result"

Welcome To The Machine

When a dream becomes reality.

Pink Floyd 1987

(Mongo and stoner buddies sneak into sound check/Get thrown out twenty minutes later) It was awesome !

It also happened to be the last time in Mongo's life that he camped out for concert tickets. Do the kids still do that anymore?

Happy As A Monkey On A Trek

Mongo got his frame back from Specialized today and two things jumped out at me immediately. First of all, this company has their s**t together. Their customer service and product replacement is the industry standard. Secondly...THE FRAME IS WHITE !

I've never liked white bikes. I like contrast and cool logos. This frame has neither. Unfortunately for Mongo...Too bad, so sad!
I got a free replacement on a three year old frame that had fifteen thousand miles and two crashes to it's name. I need to shut up already. White...It's the new Titanium!

Skates

I can't ice skate worth a darn, but I sure do like the ice skates. I've got this pair hanging on my front door for the Christmas holiday. Every year I change out the silk flowers; this year it is pink poinsettias and evergreens with silver berries . I love that the skates are worn; they even have the ID tag (the round red thing you see) from the skating club that once rented them out. I'd like to think that the club might have been in a beautiful outdoor setting up in New England (not like the indoor rinks we have here in the South), and that powdery snow sets the scene and a big bonfire is nearby warming up the skaters. I just purchased a pair of child's black skates and plan on making a door arrangement for a friend with three small boys.

Butterflies

I created these plant adornments for table decorations for my office's Thanksgiving Feast two years ago. Orange and red silk butterflies flitted about in leafy and cat-tailed floral arrangements. I would have just hot-glued them onto a straight wire, but taking wire and wrapping it around a glass gave the stem the quality of the butterflies flight paths, very fluid and playful. I now use them at home in ferns. My own butterfly garden all year long.

Lamps

I love lamps. The glow they give is so homey. In the evenings during the week when I pull up in the driveway, Harleigh will have turned lamps on. The house looks like a little cottage with everything golden with warm light. My Nana left me many of her lamps; many are vanity lamps, like this one, white hobnail with ball-fringed shades. They remind me of my sister and I as children spending nights at Nana and PapPap's, eating peanuts in bed at night after we had brushed our teeth and smelling of baby powder and clean hair. We'd lean out of our beds and watch our grandparents playing Pinnochle at the kitchen table with friends, laughing and eating. And we'd always yell out that we shouldn't be eating peanuts after our teeth were brushed. And Nana would tell us that it was OK because peanuts clean your teeth. I wish I could tell her now how much that memory means to me.

Matchboxes

These boxes were my Christmas craft project this year. It began with my own need for pretty matches. I've usually got candles aglow in the house, and I prefer using boxed matches over matchbooks (they're sturdier for striking). But the matchboxes you buy at the grocery store are plain ol' ugly, hence a craft project was born.

I started by purchasing self-adhesive scrapbooking paper. It couldn't have been easier to cut the paper to size, tear off the backing and adhere to the matchbox. All the baubles, smalls, trinkets and charms I've collected over the years were put to good use for decorating. They look lovely on my tables, and they made sweet, inexpensive gifts. I created mucho little boxes and have begun decorating the large matchboxes you see here.