Harper Valley

Birthday Spa Trip

 
I've been hitting the spa on my birthday for about five years now.  But when I discovered the Ritz Carlton spa a few years back...my birthday celebrations skyrocketed to a whole new level.  I usually make the birthday spa journey by myself, but this year, my friend Gaybrielle joined me since her birthday is just 10 days after mine.  It was so much more fun to celebrate with a fellow Libra. 

The day was full of giggles.  We cut the fool from the moment we arrived.  Everything was just funny.  Everything!  Throughout the day, we thought of zany things we could do to shock our fellow spa-goers.  We wondered how people would react if we rolled up to the spa pool with some bright pink noodles, snorkels, and some flippers.  Then we tossed around the idea of bringing our own Lean Cuisine meals and asking the pool boy to heat them up for us.  Wouldn't that be a riot?  Wonder if they'd kick us out?

We used an insane amount of towels, which also struck our funny bone.  I think we used around 12 each over the course of seven hours.  But that's what the spa is for--indulgence.  We partook in every indulgence available - massage, sauna, snacks, hot tea, shower, pool, lunch, drinks, dessert, hot tub.  Gaybrielle kept saying throughout the day...I could really get used to this life...I'm meant for this! 

On the way home, we got a little depressed because the perfect day was nearing it's end.  Gayb had a great idea that a spa day should be a yearly requirement for every female alive.  I agreed and added that it should be part of our annual gyno exams:  Morning at the doctor...afternoon at the spa.  What do you think, ladies?

Here I am, anxiously awaiting my East Indian Lime Scalp & Body Massage.

Fellow birthday spa friend....

 One of the ladies lounge areas.

Moroccan bird cage in the upstairs lounge.

This is how many towels I used.  Literally.
 

The $14 margarita. 

Somebody got very sleeeeepy.
 
  

View of the Spa from the hot tub.  It's three stories, people!

 

 

Blog Fluff

I am excited about the following......

1. Sweating profusely at Bikram Yoga
2. My next redesign project
3. The new Big Lots in my hood
4. Pumpkins
5. My new flirty dress for an upcoming wedding
6. Sweaters {a delusion of grandeur for Florida Fall}
7. My DIY/Bathtastic debut
8. The permanent absence of my DVR
9. My annual Ritz Spa birthday indulgence
10. Teenage vampire love

Thank you for indulging me on Blog Fluff day.

Craft Corps

Guess what?  I'm famous!!!  OK, so kinda not really.  BUT....I am a member of the brand spankin'  new Craft Corps website. 

Craft Corps is the brain child of Vickie Howell, knitting extraordinaire. Vickie's original plan was to create Craft Corps: The Book ...which is still happening and debuts in May 2010.  The book features some of our nation's fave and most interesting crafters.  Some of the featured artisans are in the public eye --think Carol Duvall (Carol Duvall Show), Jay McCarroll (Project Runway), Kathy Cano-Murillo (Crafty Chica).  Some are behind-the-scenes folks just doing what they do best..making stuff!

The book applicant response was overwhelming, so Vickie rounded up the extra troops (AKA the ones of us who didn't make the cut...AKA me) and gave us an online community home.  I feel grateful that she found a way to include us!  And a little bonus to being on the website ---> a new member will be featured on the home page and the newsletter each week.  Check out my profile here.  From anywhere else on the site, I'm in the Paper Arts section on the right sidebar.   How groovy!

p.s. I appear a little younger on the site because I turned in the app a while back.  That was my age at the time, so I guess I'll be 34 forever.  Yahoo!!!

My 100th Post!

  

Drumroll please.............

I am writing my 100th blog post.  Can you believe it?!?!  It's been 7 months since I created Harper Valley and I've enjoyed every moment.  I wasn't quite sure why I started a blog, but I am very sure about why I've carried on.  My blog has become a way to share my artsy projects, an avenue for staying in touch with family/friends, and a pretty kewl means of documenting my life. 

Before my blog bursts at the seams with data, I'd like to convert it into a book.  Maybe my future spawn will read it one day and get a kick out of it.  Who knows?  Check out Blurb to see how you can make a blog book too.  

So how do you like my Wordle?  That's the word cloud you see above.  I typed all 100 of my blog post titles into the Wordle text box and look what came out!  The program automatically ranks the words based on frequency, so the larger the word...the more I've used it in my post titles.  I found it interesting that "day" was the most prominent word.  Seems pretty apropos since my blog is full of a-day-in-the-life stories. 

As a way to say ~thanks~ to you...my loyal blog supporters, I'm giving away a soldered marble necklace charm, handmade by my friend, Amanda.  The charm is an orange speckled marble complete with a steel cable choker.  Enjoy more of Amanda's creations at her shop on Etsy.    

To win this whimsical and unique jewelry piece, post a comment below and I'll pick a winner at random (using random.org) on Wednesday, May 6th at 8pm EDT.  Be sure to complete the email/blog field so I'll know how to reach you.

Thank you for allowing me to share my DAYS with you!!!  =)

*UPDATED 5/6/08:  The winner of this lovely charm necklace is.....Janet Kornegay!  I know.  I know.  She's my sister.  I swear this is not rigged!  I used random.org to generate a winner and created the list based on the order the comments were received.  But don't despair!  Through a course of interesting events, I just so happen to have an extra marble charm and it may have your name on it.  So check back soon for another drawing! 

   

Self-Portrait Party

     

A few weeks ago, I hung out with my art posse for a Self-Portrait Party.  We spent the afternoon creating self-portraits of ourselves.  Here's mine above.  Last Summer, I made some colored papers using this shaving cream background technique.  I loved how they looked, but couldn't quite figure out what to do with the swirly buggers.  So I broke them out of the archives, tore them into pieces, and used them on my self-portrait.  I created four small mosaic canvases to be displayed together as one larger piece.  Waddayathink?

After a day of creation, we enjoyed a delicious dinner cooked by Chefs Debbie & Brian...our gracious hosts.  The hit of our dinner was ----> homemade ketchup.  Whoa.  I can never squirt Heinz on my burger again after eating that savory concoction.  It was just fabulous!  Then we wrapped up the evening with Becky's homemade butter creme cake, moist and light..topped with fresh strawberries.  The day was refreshing and full of laughs, just what the doctor ordered. 

Our finished products...

 

The buttercremalicious cake...

 

The whole gang.  Clockwise, from left: Becky, Brian, Debbie, Me, Lori.  And Denise is behind the camera!

Got to be REAL

 

My MOST fave disco song ever of all time on the planet is "Got to be Real" by Cheryl Lynn..for real, it is.  I seriously love it so much that I can't even stand it.  I totally access my inner Cheryl Lynn disco star when I hear it on the radio, in a store, at a party, ya know..where ever I am at the time!  Tonight, I enjoyed a fabulously fun wedding for my friends Lauren and Brian.  The DJ was completely interactive and upbeat.  He got the party started right away.  No down time.  None.  AND..he gave me the mic when Got to be Real came on.  What?!?!?!  Ya.  I was dancing and singing and I guess he could see that I was totally into it, so he passed the torch and let me have my five minutes of fame.  Aaaahhh...and what a five minutes they were.  It was like "Wedding Karaoke Gone Wild."  Can't wait to see the pictures.  Sorry I don't have one for you here, but take a listen/look below at this link and bring out your inner diva.  Dance around the living room and be energized by this disco era classic!!!  Be REAL. 

Got to be Real by Cheryl Lynn

p.s. My other fave Got to be Real moment was on Sex and the City when Carrie walked the runway with this very song in the background..and busted her arse in front of everyone.  Fashion roadkill!!  Hilarious.  One of the best SATC episodes ever. 

Silly Factoids About Me

 

Well folks.  It's a slow blog week here at Harper Valley.  So I thought I'd throw out a few random factoids about yours truly.  Hope you get a chuckle.

• I've jumped out of an airplane
• I once crapped my britches in public
• I grew up a PK ..that's code for preacher's kid
• My first job was boxing tomatoes in a packing house
• I sleep in my birthday suit
• I've eaten fried squirrel...multiple times
• I love flamingos!

Future Me

Have you ever wanted to dabble in "the future" but didn't have a DeLorean and 1.21 gigawatts?  Check out FutureMe.org.  On this website, you can write a letter to your future self and send it on any day you choose...even five or ten years from now!  What advice would you give your future self?  What would you want to know?  What dream would you hope to become a reality?  What would you encourage yourself to let go of...or strive for?  Try it.  It's free and it's kewl.

My Day o' Birth

It's here.  The day you've all been waiting for.  Just 35 short years ago on October 1st in Hollywood, Florida..Harp Dawg was birthed into the world.  I thought you might enjoy seeing how I've evolved over the years.  Looks like I've made some progress in the looks department.  Actually, I think my newborn shot is kinda cute, but why am I so angry?  It's probably those miserable plastic sheets they've got me tucked into. 

To celebrate, I took the day off work and hung out at the Ritz Carlton Spa to indulge in an East Indian Lime Scalp & Body Massage.  I was WAY overdue for some R&R.  My guy, Henry made the 80-minute massage so glorious.  There's nothin' like a big strong man rubbing lime-ginger oil on ya to make a birthday girl happy!

After the massage, I ate lunch at the pool and soaked up some rays.  The weather was absolutely perfect today...and so was my lunch - sesame seared tuna with wild mushroom salad and soba noodles.  Deeeeelish I tell ya.  With my lunch, I had two perfect margaritas.  Then I got a 25% Florida resident discount on my massage (which really helps with the Ritz prices)...and a little birthday bath gift!  And on top of that, I saw two old friends who work there...one of whom I hadn't seen in several years!  What a fab day.

Here's the paradise pool....

Ms. Warhol in the Making

Check out this totally rad picture I took of myself.  Is this Andy Warhol or what???  I was in an experimental mood and thought I'd take some shots of me...without the flash.  Look what came out!  I'm not exactly sure how this happened because some of the shots were normal.  But a few of them had this overexposed reddish contrast, almost like a negative.  I love it!  Now I must find a way to use this in some sort of art project or collage.  Hmmmm.  Moral of the story - Take pictures of yourself.  Experiment with the all the different settings on your camera.  Watch what happens. 

Happy Day o' Not Laboring!

Happy Day o' Not Laboring, everyone!  Three-day weekends are one of the best inventions on the planet.  I'm so thankful to have no real commitments today.  Free as a bird! 

Actually, my commitment list in general is pretty short these days.  A few months ago, God showed me that I was giving too much of myself to other people and projects.  So much that there was nothing left of me at the end of the day.  Before this revelation, I thought that I was only giving too much to certain people or situations..you know, isolated incidents.  But one day this summer, I realized that this was an issue in every single aspect of my life.  It became crystal clear that I had spent most of my adult life being in charge, rescuing, saving, fixing, controlling, being indispensable.

I realized that the all the giving and the doing was how I identified myself.  I was nothing apart from what I could do for others.  I was a nobody if I wasn't in charge or "saving the day." After years and years of this..it finally caught  up with me.  I started to feel very angry and very resentful.  I could finally see that my giving wasn't always coming from a good place.  Many times, I was giving out of obligation, or guilt, or because I was trying to earn love.  As difficult as that is to admit, it's the truth.   

So I started thinking...who is Lisa without all that stuff?  Will people love me if I'm not doing something for them?  How do I exist in the world without being that way?  What is my purpose if I can't rescue, save, fix?  Well I'm not really sure, but....I've realized that my purpose is about who I am and who I'm becoming.  And that is enough.

I created this collage above to symbolize my new found freedom.  It symbolizes all the things that I am being freed from.  I also took some action and released all of my unnecessary commitments.  One day I will be able to give freely again..and from a good place.  But for now, I'm practicing the art of BEING.   Of being the person God created me to be.  It's weird.  It's uncomfortable.  It's nothing I've ever done.  But I am embracing it.  And I'm starting to like it too.  =)

      

Spontaneous Decisions!

This morning I bought a ticket for the John Mayer concert in Tampa ....which is tonight!  Last night I was talking to my friends Tammy and Sara about the show and the next thing I knew, I was crashing the party.  I love doing that!!  I have a tendency to make spur-of-the-moment decisions when it comes to concerts and trips/travel.  It just seems more exciting that way. Guess it's my complete lack of control over my impulses getting the best of me.  Well I'm stoked with poncho in tow. 

You should do something spontaneous too!  Come on...it's a holiday weekend.  Do it!!