***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES***
While Ash is flying across the country, I’m here holding down the fort and trying to explain to Bentley she’ll be back in three weeks soon. Which also means I’m on giveaway patrol today – one of my favorite kinds of posts! We’ve got a great one from the kind folks at Rust-Oleum!
We’ve never met a Rust-Oleum product we didn’t like and this is one we’d love to try out – if only we had the place to do it! If you have laminate countertops that are in need of repair or you just want a new look and don’t want to spend thousands of dollars for granite, Rust-Oleum’s Countertop Transformation Kit just might be the answer. This 5-step DIY coating system gives your worn our or damaged laminate countertops a durable, stunning stone-like facelift. Check out the testimonial gallery here – the transformations are pretty dang awesome! They even have a Kitchen Makeover Virtual Tool where you can visualize your kitchen makeover and mix and match cabinet and countertop swatches.
The folks at Rust-Oleum are giving one lucky reader a Countertop Transformation Kit! Valued at $179, this kit comes in Dessert Sand and Charcoal and covers up to 30 square feet of countertop space. To enter, either log in with your Facebook account or enter your email address (as always, your information is kept private). Once you’re logged in, you’ll be shown the entry requirements set by yours truly. Click the “Do it!” button, answer the question and click “Enter!”. Now that you’ve entered, you’ll see some optional entry options. To gain additional entries and increase your chances of winning the prize, you can do one or all of them. Good luck everyone!
“I hopped off the plane at LAX with my dream and my cardigan…” For the life of me, I cannot get that Miley Cyrus song out of my head!
Technically, I haven’t “hopped off the plane” yet, but I’m currently getting ready to hop in the car and off to the airport because today I’m bound for sunny California for three weeks! Well, two weeks and five days to be exact.
My reasoning for going to LA probably needs a little explaining. This is something I haven’t talked about here on the blog until now, so bear with me a minute while I give you a little back story… I have one and only brother, Abram. He’s a best friend, confidant, secret-keeper, my partner in crime and literally the best little brother anyone could ask for. Well, he’s not so little anymore – he just graduated high school last Friday!
When Abram was about 11, I gave him my old guitar. I told him that if he’d play guitar, he’d get a lot of girls. He took the bait and started playing. Greg (who was my boyfriend at the time, ha!) taught him a few chords to get him started. After the chords came lyrics. Most of Abram’s songs were just impromptu ramblings about funny things – like our Dad’s bald head… “My dad has a bald dead, when he gets mad it turns red…”. I remember nights when we’d be laughing so hard, we’d be crying! After a while, he started writing music that was actually really good. Abram played guitar and sang at a few school talent shows but that was pretty much the extent of his “music career”. Around the 16 (not that long ago) he told my parents he wanted to put down sports for a while to pursue a music career. We were all floored because Abram had been playing sports since he was 5 and at the time he played football and was on two basketball teams. In an effort to help Abram be certain he was making the decision, our mom signed him up for a local talent competition, Hanover Jr. Idol. He ended up singing/playing an original song called “Talk to Me” and won the whole kit and caboodle! That night, he booked his first four gigs and signed his first autograph. Over the next few months, things started picking up. He was asked to perform at a lot of local events like the Hanover Tomato Festival (we’re serious about our tomatoes around here!), the Ashland Strawberry Festival (and our strawberries!), and headline at the Virginia Special Olympics Closing Ceremonies. This little adventure became a family affair. My mom was his manager, my dad ran sound, Greg played electric guitar in the band, and I managed the online “stuff”, graphic design, merchandise (t-shirts, wristbands, etc), and all that jazz.
I really wish I could post some of his new stuff, but it’s under wraps for now (boo!). But here’s a “homemade” video we put together earlier this year to go with a scratch track (aka rough draft) of one of his much earlier songs…
To make the long story short, let’s fast forward a year… Abram was offered an opportunity to work with an awesome manager and some incredible producers that have worked with many of his all-time favorite artists. So, in true “now or never” fashion, about two months ago, my mom and Abram, packed up and headed to Los Angeles. My dad owns an access control business here in Richmond, so he needed to stay here, bring home the bacon, hold down the fort and, of course, help me and Greg on our house projects, haha! Seriously though,I don’t know what we’d do without him sometimes! I’m sure most people think my family’s current living situation is crazy weird. But the way we look at it is that you’re never going to “make it” unless you get out of your comfort zone and take some risks. And that’s what we’re doing – as a family.
As far as their new home away from home, my mom and Abram have a three-bedroom apartment in downtown Burbank. I’ve only seen it on text message photos and FaceTime, so I’m anxious to see everything in person! On top of being able to spend some time with my mom and little bro, my cousin Danny, his wife and my childhood BFF Sarah, and their two freakishly adorable kids, Elliott and Nora also live in the area (you might remember them from this post!). And yes… I’m going to Disneyland for the first time! I’m told not to expect much because apparently Sleeping Beauty’s castle looks like a Polly Pocket compared to Cinderella’s digs in Orlando. Nevertheless, this Disney freak is still insanely excited! …and Greg is insanely jealous.
My trek to the west coast doesn’t mean we won’t be posting! However, since I’m the one that normally moderates comments/answers emails, there might be a slight delay in response here and there. Before packing my bags, I even wrote a few posts for while I’m gone. We’ve also got a few “quick tips” for a Tuesday here and there and Greg’s working on an awesome Reader Reno post as well as an outdoor DIY project that he’ll be finishing up and posting while I’m gone. So basically, expect “your usual programming”. Also, I’ll be checking in on Twitter and Instagram during my travels. Love me some Instagram!
Greg’s done packing the car, so I’ve got to run! Simply due to the fact that I can’t seem to get this song out of my head, I’m leaving you with this…
You are welcome ; )
In the mean time, any must-see places / things to do in LA? Do tell!
Be sure to check back later today for a giveaway from our friends at Rust-Oleum!
‘Tis the season for Dads and Grads! With Father’s Day just around the corner and graduation parties in full swing, it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to do for that special dad and/or graduate in your life. Therefore, Ash and I have hand-picked seven of our favorite Dad and Grad DIY projects on the World Wide Web…
These are all awesome projects, but my favorite DIY would have to be the guitar picks (obviously!) and Ash can’t decide between the iPad cover and the painted desk accessories. What’s your favorite?
