5 easy DIYs to display your LOVE

FromFamilyFeatures

Handmade Valentine’s Day decor is a craftywaytoputyourloveondisplay.Adda littleTLCtoyourhomeorshareyouraffectionwithlovedonesbydedicatingsometime to simple DIY projects that come straight fromtheheart.

1.Creativecutouts.Placesandmoments holdspecialplacesintheheart,somemorialize them with decorative wall hangings Useatreasuredphotoormapofdestinations youholddearasthebaselayer.Next,choose adesign,suchasaheartoraromanticword like “love.” Print your design then trace it on a piece of foam core or matting. Cut out the design to create an opening and layer it overthephotoormap Tofinishtheproject, either affix the top layer to the bottom and displayas-isorplaceitinaprettyframe.

2.Suckerforsucculents Hardyandeasy tocarefor,succulentsareastylishwaytoadd someplantlifetoyourhome Addaromantic twistbygatheringaselectionofsmallsucculentsinavarietyofcolorsandtexturesthen clusteringtheminaheart-shapedbasketor planter Succulentsalsomakegreatgifts;just createasmallplanterandattachacardthat conveysyourheartfeltthoughts

3.Loveisinthecards Almost everyone hasadeckortwoofoldplayingcardslaying around, or they’re an inexpensive investment. Using the red-hued cards from the heart suite, punch holes in the top of each card String heart-themed ribbon through the holes to make a whimsical banner you canhangonawalloracrossadoorway

4. Say it in string Expressing yourself withstringartisaneasyprojectsuitablefor all ages Start with a firm backing, such as a scrap of lightweight wood. Add a base coat ofpainttomakeyourdesignpopthensketch your design. Examples like a flower, heart, word or some combination of those are all good choices for a Valentine’s Day project Add thin nails in ½-inch intervals along the borderofyourdesign.Selectyourstringand tieanendtothenailofyourchoice There’s no right or wrong way from there; just loop fromonenailtoanotheruntilyourdesignis obvious Tieoffyourstring,trimanyexcess endpiecesandyou’redone

5. Collage of comrades Paying tribute tothoseyouholdnearanddeariseasywith a stylized cork board Select snapshots of loved ones and attach them to a basic corkboard using push pins in classic Valentine’s colors like red, white and pink. Then add accents with tape, stickers, gemstones and otherembellishments. Explore more DIY ideas to enhance your homeateLivingtoday.com.

Valor Run

inChesapeake,VAsheran25mileseachday, andfinishedtheraceonOctober18th,atthe Women’s Memorial in Washington D.C. at thefootofArlingtonNationalCemetery

We continue her journey Unfortunately thenumberofwomenthatdiedwhileservinghasgrownto177womennow.

Nancy also wanted to raise money for scholarships for kids whose moms served and the sacrifices that military kids and families make. We have a robust scholarship process right now. Over the past three yearswehavegivenout$25,000inscholarships to kids whose moms have served. We are very proud of the fact that we gave out twoin2020,onein2021andtwoin2022.

Y:Whatdostudentsgetandhowcanthey applyforthescholarships?

MCS: We give $5,000 directly to the students.Wepickonetotwostudentsayear and we want to have even more students apply Applicationsarenowavailableonline andthedeadlineisMay15thofthisyear The qualificationsarethatthemoneybeusedfor postsecondaryeducation.Thestudentshave to be children of women who served in the armedforcesanddeployedduringoneofour recognizedcampaignspost9/11

Y: Can you tell us more about the race itself?

MCS: The race is on March 26 at First Landing State Park, in Virginia Beach, VA and starts at 64th street. We want everyone to participate It’s on the beach and the course is all contained in the park. People are more than welcome to come cheer the runners on, with the start and finish lines beingthebestplacetoseetherace Therace is a trail run through the woods and that makes it hard to see them at other points of therace Spectatorsshouldknowthatthere isafeetoparkatFirstLanding

Along the run itself we set up what we call a Memory Mile Our runners or walkerscanparticipateina10mileeventora5K event. As a part of the race course, we set uppicturesalongthewayofthe177women thatwelostwhiletheywereserving That’s how we have continued Nancy’s journey of memorializing and honoring these women and remembering them. We also have had otherpeoplewhohavedonetheirowntribute runs just like Nancy did, where they’ve run the full 160 miles We haven’t had anyonedothe177numberyet,that’samore recent number when we left Afghanistan last summer. Our big focus for the race in March is making sure we bring people out to that It’s very heavily dominated by military families, veterans and those who want tocomeoutandruntohonorthewomenand raisemoneyforthescholarships.ValorRun isabeautifulthingtobeapartof.Yougetto runinabeautifulparkandyougettohonor peoplewhoservedourcountry

Y: For those that want to participate as runnersorsponsorswhatdotheydo?

MCS: They can sign up online to run or walk. Our in person event, we cap it off at 300 runners We also have virtual events We have a lot of people who come back to usyearafteryearwholiveallovertheworld. And anyone that can sign up to be a sponsor,thatwouldbeveryhelpful.Itmakesour

Black

from Page 2 racereallygreatandaddsfundstoourscholarships which is really what we are focusing on. With the virtual run, people can sign up and run a 10 mile or 5K and when they complete it, they get a shirt and show supportbybeingapartofourevent.

If somebody wants to sign up to do the tribute run, the 177 miles run, that’s somethingthatwetakeafewmonthsofplanning to put out some information for marketing andthat’swheretheywouldraisemoneyon theirownfortheprograms

Y: Where were you born and can you tell usalittleaboutyourselfgrowingupandjoiningtheNavy?

MCS: I was born in Pennsylvania, I went to Villanova University, where I had a Navy ROTC scholarship I enjoyed my travels with the Navy I was a surface warfare officeraboardtheUSSTrenton.Ourjobwasto transport marines. I deployed to the Gulf during Operation Enduring Freedom. Our ship was part of that operation. I loved my time, I loved driving the ship It was a great service and after I finished my duty, I went

In the second act, we talk about some of the black women that made their mark in the entertainment world: in music, dance andliterature.That’swhattheplayisabout, thisAfricanAmericanwomanwhoisfilled with self doubt, she takes this journey throughtime,guidedbytheAfricanqueens and she comes to a place of self love and acceptance back to Old Dominion University to get my Masters Degree I started a small business forawhile IhadRita’sItalianIceinVirginia Beachforover10years.

Y:Thisisyourbrainchild.Whenandhow diditallevolve?Whatpromptedyoutoput pen to paper?

SC: Hugh Copland, the Artistic DirectoroftheHurrahPlayersaskedmein2020 to put my Cabaret show on for February and the more I thought of it, the more I realized that this was bigger than a one woman show. Doing my research, I realized it needed to involve other women to go on this journey with me instead of me portraying the different people The hashtag Black Girl Magic was popular at thetimesoIchosethatname It’smorethan justatitle,it’samovementoftheneedtobe heard and change the narrative about how other people see them and how they see themselves as well.

Mymasters was in sportsmanagement. I had run in Valor Run previously and when the Executive Director job became open, I thought it was perfect, combining two of my passions: running and military service I applied, got the job and here we are. My husbandBryan,whoalsoservedasanArmy officer is an avid runner as well and we are the proud parents of two wonderful kids whoalsoloverunning Wehavethisamazing boardofallveteransfromdifferentbranches of the military and we all work together to bringrecognitiontoallwomenwhoservein the military and for those women who lost theirliveswhileserving,since9/11

Yiorgo is an arts entertainment and sports writer A stage TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist

Y: You continue to add on to your script so those who have seen it before will see new info correct?

SC:Yesindeed Theoriginalconceptwas thatofatalkshowformatbutIwasnotfeeling it. We needed to go on a journey with somekindofamusicalreviewandIneeded the audience to go on the journey with us Andthat’swhereSistercametobe Andthe thing about her is, every black woman will definitely be able to identify with Sister because they share those experiences that Sister goes through. Representation really does matter When little black girls see a black woman in a space that they aspire to be,thenthatgivesthemhopeandthecourage to believe that, if it happened for her, it can happen for me

Y: Can you talk about the music of the play?

SC:Wehaveoriginalmusicfortheshow written by songwriter and singer Roberta Lea that was added last year and we added more original music this year Roberta is working on more original music this year The intent is that this was not going to be a musical but a play that contains music. It

MissyCotterSmasal,Executive Director and Race DirectorofValorRun.(PHOTOS COURTESYOFVALORRUN) seems to be slowly evolving into a musical. It is my hope that people want to book the show and bring it to their community not just here but far away as well.

Y: How about a wow moment in regards to the show from last year?

SC: I will share this with you and it happened with every performance to be honest. It would be the end of the show, they would finish the show, take bows, we are done lights are up and the audience is just sitting I’m in the booth and I can’t figure it out. So I come out to the performing stage, thank them for coming and tell them it’s time to go, pointing to the door andsomeoneintheaudienceyells,“Noooo we don’t want to go.” Someone else says, “I have to just sit here for a minute and take it all in.” It was a huge compliment and a definite wow moment.

Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist