I have not fallen off the planet

I feel like 99% of my post include something to the effect that I'm sorry I haven't posted anything lately or that I promise to do better in the future. I want to do better, I keep telling myself that I will, but with a budding actress/singer/model on my hands...it's a little difficult. I thought I'd share a couple of our trips with you. Just click on the link and you'll see my pics on Facebook. Don't worry, you don't have to have a Facebook profile to see them. However, if you'd like to be my "friend," add me and tell me you follow my blog.

The first link is to my pics from the Actors, Models & Talent Competition in Orlando, FL, from June 28th through July 6th.
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1497287525&k=Z3F6XZR2T65EUCCHWCX5TWQ

The next one is to our New York City Trip, from July 12th through July 20th.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026342&id=1497287525&l=f6a2377acc

My hubby actually had to take Crimson back up to NYC this Sunday, the 2nd, I'll post some pics from that trip soon.

I would say I'll be back to my DIYing and my taking Trash to Treasures, but my next adventure is making Crimson's pageant dress. She fell in love with this cocktail dress we saw in NYC, I'm going to have to be really creative to make this one! Maybe, I can post some pics of previous dresses...but I'm not promising. LOL!

I hope you're having a fantasic "Hump" day!
A.Rose

Going to New York City!!!

Hello all my bloggy friends! We're back from Orlando, Florida. But...not for long. Sunday morning, probably around 5 am, we will be on the road again. This time to New York City! Crimson will be signing with Product Model Management, Inc!!!! We are insanely excited about this. We haven't even got there yet and she already has casting calls, aka auditions!

You will have to forgive me for this lopsided photo. It's not Blogger's fault. I am tired and about to go to bed, but I wanted to tell you the great news...and post a couple pics. So, here is my beautiful princess Crimson as Cinderella! (BTW...I handmade the dress she is wearing. It was actually a pageant dress from a couple years ago. I tweaked it a little so she could wear it to the Grand Awards Banquet at AMTC. I named this blog "Designs By A Rose" and this is the first design of mine I've shown. Too funny!)
...and here is my family on the red carpet. Too bad you can't actually see the carpet. Ha! Ha! (Okay, so I need a little powder in this pic...guess I should had the pic taken before the banquet...LOL!)

I honestly don't think Crimson can take a bad pic. I have no idea where she got those genes...I take more bad pics than I do good ones!

Like I said...we'll be leaving out Sunday morning. Please keep us in your prayers. We will be driving to save money and the longest that I've ever driven is about 3 hours. This is a 13 to 14 hour trip! We'll be staying for a week to begin with, possibly 2 weeks. After that, we'll have to decide what to do. So far, I've given it to God and he has shown us the way. I'm just going to keep praying and keep trusting. I know that he will bring us through!

Love to you all,

A.Rose

At AMTC this week

Crimson says hello from the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida! We wanted to show you a few photos from this beautiful place.
This is the entrance to the convention center part of the hotel. AMTC is taking this place by storm! Crimson's agency is taking AMTC by storm too!
I had to show you the alligators...they have an indoor "pond/lake" with alligators and turtles. It's called "Gator Springs."




In case you haven't read any of my previous posts about her competition...this sign pretty much explains it...
One area looks like a castle from medieval times.
I'll post more pics as I have time. She has already competed in "theatre monologue," "singing," "tv commercial," and "spokesmodel." We're about to head back over to the convention center for her "cold read" competition, seminars, and meetings. She will have 4 more to compete in after that. If she gets called back from the singing competition, then she will go on to the talent showcase/competition. Wish her luck!

By the way, if you ever get to stay at a Gaylord Resort. I would recommend it. We've been to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. We didn't stay the night, but the "atrium" there is beautiful and the hospitality is unbelievable. This place, by far, is the most amazing hotel I've ever been to. They treat everyone like they are celebrities. That makes you feel wonderful. For example...we were walking down the hallway and one of the cleaning people was vacuuming. He turned off the vacuum, moved over to the side, and then after we walked by turned it back on. Of course I thanked him. He didn't have to do that and I wouldn't have thought anything if he didn't, but now that he did...I'm going to expect that same courtesy from hotels in the future!

I hope you are having a fantastic week! Talk to you again soon...

Our trip to Pigeon Forge and an update

Our trip to Pigeon Forge/Dollywood was SO much fun! It was one of those last minute, lets get away decisions. My brother, sister-in-law, and their kids were going and my S-I-L managed to talk me into it. Not that we didn't want to go, but with the upcoming AMTC trip, we didn't want to spend anymore money than we had to. In the end, it was worth it. We all had a blast!

Here is my hubby and daughter waiting in line for the AMAZINGLY yummy food at Dollywood.

Hubby and me waiting in line for the Tennessee Tornado! (Awesome roller coaster!)

After spending all day Saturday at Dollywood, we decided to go into Gatlinburg on Sunday. We rode the Ober Gatlinburg Tram up the mountain. Here is a shot from the tram. Isn't it beautiful?

They have a ice-skating ring there. It was definitely not as easy as when I was a teenager. No, I didn't fall. (almost did a couple times though) Crimson picked it up pretty quickly. It was her first time.

They also have a wildlife area in Ober Gatlinburg. There were 5 black bears, a couple otters, snakes, frogs, etc. The bears were so much fun to watch...and HUGE, up close!

Like I said, it was a blast! The last time we went was about 5 or 6 years ago. Crimson wasn't big enough to ride most of the rides then. This time she could and did ride pretty much everything.

We only have 6 days til we leave for Florida. Crimson's competition starts on the 30th, but we're driving down on the 28th. Please keep us in your prayers, especially Crimson. She will be competing in 9 different competitions...that's a lot for a 10 year old! I am mostly nervous for the singing competition. She has to sing a solo, on a stage, in front of thousands of people! She has sang in front of a crowd before, but not like this.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

EDIT: I forgot the update....the "positive" test I was waiting on...never happened. Guess we'll have to try again next month. Keep those fingers crossed though!

Aphorisms

We just got back from Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. My family had a wonderful time at Dollywood. I will have pictures up soon.

I had this in an email when I got in. They are funny, yet very poignant. Hope you enjoy...

1. The nicest thing about the future is, that it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who isafraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. - It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says 'It's only a game" when their team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where "Happy Hour" is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.

Have a wonderful day!
A.Rose

Playing catch up...again!

My baby girl turned 10 back on the 13th of May! I can't believe she is getting so big! Sorry the pic is blurry...you can thank my hubby for that :)  The cake was really cute it was actually cupcakes in the shape of 3 flowers with leaves on the sides.

Crimson did really well in her piano recital...even though she fell on Mother's Day and landed us in the ER. She slid down the hill behind our house and cut her arm open on a piece of glass. Since she didn't want stiches, and we didn't want a huge ugly scar, the doctor used Dermabond and put her in a splint. (The cut was on her wrist.) At any rate, she wasn't able to use her arm/hand for a week before the recital...and she still did amazing...that's not just her moma talking! She played Fur Elise all from memory!

Here is the house...we finished the front part of the roof...finally! We still have to do a little trimming around the edges, but doesn't it look pretty? What do you guys think about the paint color of the shutters/door/ porch/etc...with the roof?
Yes...this would be me acting all goofy, but hey! My roof was done. I was thrilled beyond belief. I would have jumped up and down, but I figured I would fall off...ha ha! My hubby is behind my right arm, my brother is to my immediate left and my hubby's Dad is next to my brother. No, I'm not a tom boy, but I wanted my roof done and didn't want to spend a fortune! 

 I will have more updates in the near future. Now that the roof is almost finished, we'll have more time to do other projects, such as the kitchen table, dresser, master bedroom, Crimson's room....my oh my...the list never stops does it?

I know I haven't talked much about the baby department and our family, but I'll give you a quick summary. The hubby and I have tried to have another baby ever since Crimson was about a year and a half old. Like I said above, she is now ten! We tried a couple different fertility meds, but still no baby.   I know God has his own plans for us, but I'm at the point of pure frustration! See...I'm 2 weeks late. I took a test last Wednesday and it was negative, yet I still have not had my "Visitor!!!" I think Mother Nature is playing a really cruel joke on me! I'm going to wait a few more days and take another test. Please keep us in your prayers. We would really like to give our daughter a brother or sister and I'd rather not have to do IVF. I hope that the next time I take a test...it's positive.

Love to you all,

A. Rose

Playing catch up

Hello all!

I guess we need to play catch up. It's amazing how fast time flies! This post is a little out of order. If I ever get Blogger to work the way I want it to, it will be a miracle...

First a few of Crimson's real headshots. These were taken by my sister-in-law, Jamie McDaniel. She is an amazing photographer. We had some done by Scott Totty Photography and they were okay. Maybe I'll post some of his sometime, but for now enjoy these...

 

We've been working on our house some more. This is the front of the house. Hubby forgot to take a pic when the blue shutters were on there, but you can see me painting them, so you get the idea. Don't you love the blue porch and the red door? Don't ask me what the people were thinking that lived here before us...red, white, and blue? Patriotic? Yes!

A better shot of the front porch...
And here we are after hours and hours of painting. Those wrought iron "columns" were a pain to paint...not to mention the sunburn!!!

Here we are at Crimson's graduation from her modeling class. She has officially signed with Advantage Models & Talent in Franklin, TN. When they get her pics up on their website, I'll post a link. We're so excited for her!!!

Here she is waiting for her turn on the runway...
Walking the runway...

Lets see, what else has happened??? The Hubby's grandfather went in for a biopsy last Thursday and found out he had lung cancer. They had to take most of his right lung. The surgery went well, but he developed an infection. He is doing good, but is still in the ICU. Please keep him in your prayers.

We were told at AMTC practice on Saturday that Crimson has a really good chance of winning Overall Child Actress at AMTC. Please keep your fingers crossed for her!

Til next time...

Luv, A.Rose

Happy Belated Easter

Happy Belated Easter to all my friends out there in "bloggy" world! I hope you had a magnificient weekend and had time to really enjoy the day.

Here are some pics of my beautiful daughter, Crimson, showing off her Easter dress. We "practice" for her photo shoot every chance we get. Of course...I think she's a natural. (but, that's just mom talking) What do you think?

We went to see the Hannah Montana movie Friday night. A couple of my friends and their daughter's joined us. We had a blast. I think the moms loved it just as much as the kids. It was a really cute movie. I know we will have to buy the DVD when it comes out.

I finished the Twilight series Saturday night. My hubby said "great, now I can have my wife back!" I'm like...I never left. I can't at all imagine what he was talking about...hmm??? A couple of my friends and I are already planning to go to the midnight premiere of New Moon. Our daughters are coming along, too. Are you guys just as obsessed with the series as we are? I just wish there was more. I feel like something is missing. I guess I'll have to start over with the first book...oh yeah, my BFF wants to read it when my daughter gets done with it...

Thanks for stopping by. I have to get back to work now. Have a wonderful day!!!

Hello from the Roses

Hello to all my friends out there. Thanks for the emails and comments asking how we are. We're doing great. Insanely busy, but great.

 

Our roof is still halfway done. Since my hubby and I both work during the week, we can only do the roof on weekends. Unfortunately, we haven't found another weekend that the rain stayed away. Hubby tells me that next weekend looks promising. Of course that would be Crimson's photo shoot...ahh...life.

Crimson is doing very well with her modeling class and with her upcoming competitions. We have decided to go ahead and go for the summer AMTC competition. She would have had to miss a week of school if we waited til next winter. If you haven't already checked out what AMTC is, click here.

Oh yeah...the Twilight series...LUV it!! I'm on book 4, Eclipse and almost done. I want to know what happens, but then again I don't want it to be over. If I weren't married, I'd have to go find Robert Pattinson...omigod! Using my daughter's words...he's a hottie! :)

Anyway, thought I'd share a few pics with you...

This is Miss Crimson in "her" tree. She just starting climbing it this year. She's always been too prissy to get her hands dirty, not sure why that doesn't matter anymore...
Here is my hubby up in the tree with her. She was too scared to go any higher so he climbed up to help her. I HAD to get a pic of that! And yes...he is smiling! That's about all I can get out of him.
One of Crimson's "homework" assignments from her modeling class was to practice her photo poses. These are of her "practicing."


I know it's fuzzy but, I had to include this one...my little pop star!
Isn't she just too cute...I love her sooooooo much!

Have a wonderful rest of your day!

I've been busy...

Hey all!

Sorry I haven't been on here much lately. My life has been a whirlwind. With all the practice for Crimson and the real estate market picking back up. I have had much time to do anything for "me."

Here is another reason I've been busy...forgive me for the order, blogger has a mind of its own today.

The first pic is of the finished product...well at least half of it. Last weekend we tore off and replaced all the shingles on the back half of my roof. My hubby is on the ladder and my brother is on top of the roof.
This one is me acting silly. I just tore the last shingle off the back half of the roof!  My hubby did most of the work, but he left the last one for me. My favorite part of remodling is the tearing out part. I like the finished project too, but the installing part just annoys me..ha ha!

This was when my hubby first started pulling shingles off. We did have black shingles, but now we have pretty brown ones.
Eventually, we will have creamy or khaki colored siding, but for now the white is staying. The blue around the windows is going away. It's being replaced with a reddish brown. It looks great with the brown shingles. We are going to redo the front of the house as soon as all this rain goes away. This morning I woke up to sleet, we're even expecting 2 to 4 inches of snow!!! Monday it was 75 degrees, Tuesday 80, then yesterday the rain started and by lunch time it was 38!!!! Last night it got down to the 20s and this morning it's only 33! I love Tennessee, but hate the weather this time of the year! I just hope my tulips and irises make it through. They were popping their leaves up out of the ground. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I will try to get back to blogging again soon. It may stay sporatic for a little while though. Still have a lot to do on the house and for Crimson.

Oh yeah! Before I forget...Crimson and I started reading the Twilight series! We're only into the first chapter, b/c we haven't had a lot of time to read it. So far...it's good!!!

Love you all!

A.Rose