Superbowl Rings, Hairspray, and Powder...

I know, you're probably perplexed with the title.  Keep reading and it will all make sense!

So I know the Super Bowl is months away and they're just about to start conditioning and training camp, but I've got to talk about the Super Bowl.  Today I had the incredible experience of holding not one, but two!! Super Bowl rings.  Even better than that, they're from Super Bowl I and II!!!  The cherry on top is getting to meet and spend the morning with two generous, kind, and genuinely good people!!  I'm walking on clouds!!!

Look how awesome those rings are!!!

They're bigger than a third of my finger!  Can you tell I'm a little excited to hold them?
That was AWESOME!!

Ok, let me rewind a bit.  Last night my cell phone rings and the hubs wants to know what I'm doing Friday morning.  Loaded question, right?  I'm not sure how to answer that one.

I hesitantly say, "Nothing much, I was going to work in my art room...why?"

"Well, I need you to do make-up and hair."  comes the reply over the receiver.  What?!?  I'm a teacher, not a cosmetologist (although I always wanted to be a beautician when I was little).  So I question him about why he needs me to do this and here's the story I get...

"We're shooting a promo for the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl and Tom Brown (from the Green Bay Packers) and his wife Nancy are doing a skit for us," all of this I already knew about since he'd hauled off props from our house the day before.  "Well, Nancy asked John (hub's boss) if he had a hair and make-up person to help her get ready.  She has to go from hair rollers in one scene to looking normal for the final scene and she's nervous about looking ok for the shoot.  So, we kind of volunteered your services so we could make this happen."  I'm sure if I saw him in person I'd have been getting puppy-dog eyes at this point.

First my jaw hits the floor, then I chuckle.  Why not!  It sounded more exciting than sitting around the house, so I said, "Of course I'll help, this will be fun!"  Big sigh of relief from his end of the phone as I hear him tell John, "She'll do it!"

Boy, am I ever glad that I volunteered!  I had the most incredible morning hanging out with two of the most kind, humble, funny, generous, fabulous, and good-hearted people I've ever had the pleasure to meet!!  Can you feel that I really adore these two people?

I'm so cheesy, but that was pretty cool holding them!  They were HEAVY, too!!

So we finish shooting the scenes they need.  (I think there might be a few hilarious out-takes in there, too)  These will be edited together to make the promo for an upcoming special they're creating for the September NFL kickoff. We gather our stuff up and we head out for lunch.

I can't even begin to tell you how neat it was to listen to Tom talk about Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi like we knew them as well as he does.  Well my hubby kind of does, but in a fan sort of way.  I just sat there so humbled to be listening to all of Tom's great stories.  Nancy and I talk about our children and the sports they've played between the "real" football stories.  She is such an incredibly warm and vibrant person.  We hit it off right from the moment we were introduced and I feel like I've know her for a lot longer than the few hours we spent together.  They're both role models to live by.

Wow!  All I can say is wow!  What an incredible Friday morning!

Here's is Tom's beautiful wife, Nancy.  She's about as sweet as you can get, I adore her!
Don't mind the backstage mess, it was part of our "set".

Even the hubby had to get in on the pic action!!  Can't say as I blame him, it is pretty cool to be standing next to someone who's got two Super Bowl rings on his hand!  

Well, they were today.  Usually he has them locked up for safe keeping, he brought them out for today's activities.  Thank you for sharing!!

For those folks reading this that aren't from the peninsula, you may not know that Tom Brown is a bit of a local legend down in these parts.  He played both professional baseball for the Senators and professional football for the Green Bay Packers back before it was such a big deal.  As he put it, "You only got paid during the time of the year you were playing.  This way you got a paycheck all year long".  He actually has 3 championship rings, the 2nd and 3rd rings are from the 1st and 2nd Super Bowl (1966 and 1967).  Hope that makes sense!  Anyway, his local tie is his generous coaching of youth sports.  His "niche", as he said to us that Coach Lombardi told him to find "since you can't play football forever", was helping children learn and appreciate sports.  That's exactly what he's done with his Tom Brown's Rookie League!  There are thousands of children that have passed through the sport camps and leagues that Tom has created here and every one those children has been fortunate to do so.

Tom Brown's Rookie League

The mere mention of his name in a crowd of folks always elicits a response of, "Oh, my son/daughter attends/attended one of Tom's sport leagues!"  Then they tell you about how great of a guy he is and how much their child loved the experience!  Then they'll say how Tom is such a role model for young people and so humble about his accomplishments.  You'd never guess it, but this gentle giant is very quiet about all of his achievements.  Just ask Nancy, she's super proud of him and she loves getting him to share stories with others.  As he told us today, "It's just enough that you got to do it, you don't have to boast about it."  Wow!  I can think of quite a few loud mouth sport stars that could use a dose of Tom's sage advice!!

Yeah, I guess you can say I'm a little star struck today.  It's not everyday that you get to do the make-up and hair of such incredible folks as Tom and Nancy.  I feel pretty dag-done lucky today!!  Sure am glad I didn't have any plans after all.  I guess I might have to cheer for the Green Bay Packers this year.  Sorry Seahawks, I have to wear green and gold this year and get a cheesehead hat!

Dandelion kisses,
Steph

First up...the master bedroom!

We've lived in this house for 5 years and I'm finally getting to our master bedroom.  It's not that I liked the way it was, believe me I don't, I just hadn't gotten around to it with all the other things in my life that were higher priority. ..kids, job, hubby, kids sports, etc~you get the picture.

Well, I've finally had enough and I'm ready for some changes!  Starting with the oh-so-lovely (hear the sarcasm), 1970's, oriental, birdcage-looking, nicotine-tinged wallpaper that I've been living with for too long!  It's coming down at looong last!

Thankfully, it's coming off better than the spare room (another post, some day soon) or I think I would have given up by now.

Once the last of the paper is down I will freshen up the walls with some easy to change paint.

I'm thinking of a beige with a bit of yellow, but not too orangey.  Here's my first thoughts on colors.  Not 100% sure, but I'm getting closer to a final decision.

 I want to coordinate with the bathroom that I actually half like.  Well, except for the baby blue cabinets, which are getting a fresh coat of paint while I've got the supplies out.  I'm thinking of the darker khaki for it and the trim.  The teal will be my accent color with accessories and a smidge of coral for some fun color splashes.

I would like it to look like it goes together and not the mish-mosh that it currently is.  My mom and I have already been working on some art work for the walls.  Gotta love her Silhouette cutter and the endless options she has available!

Here's some more, but I need to find frames.  Forgive the pink blanket, I need to find a new bedspread too!  Looking for one, but haven't found one I like.  I'll keep looking until I find the perfect one, it's the perfectionist in me.

And some more...again, they need frames and final spiffing up.  Hey, you can't beat artwork that will basically cost me nothing more than the frames.  I found the white one at Marshall's, think I'll head back and look for some more.  Cute and cheap, that's my style!!

Can't forget the art work that the hubs won for me at a silent auction at his AP convention this past spring. It was really the only thing I wanted, so I was tickled when we got it!

So with my after-picture in mind, I'm going to beautify this hot mess!  I'll post the before and afters when it's a done deal.  I hope it turns out as good as it looks in my mind!  Wish me luck and hope my redecorating fairy-godmother is with me!!

Dandelion kisses,

Steph

Fluff and Stuff Launch!!

Hello World!  Here's my first jump into posting all the fun, exciting, sometimes comical, and always homemade adventures that I get myself and my family into.  

Little Man and myself at our favorite swimming hole!

Why name this blog after a common weed you ask?  Well, why not!  I named my handmade jewelry Dandelion Designs because they're a little wild, but always beautiful...just like nature intended them.  I figured the name of my blog should match since it's going to be just as wild and untamed!  

Whispers in the wind...

Hope I haven't scared you off yet, if not then join me as I get started on some cooking, crafting, tech-investigating, and rambling all served up with a side of fun!

Dandelion Kisses,
Steph