I went to an estate sale yesterday located in Irvine. I had a great time looking around at all the beautiful craftsmanship and décor. An antique collector had put most of their belongings up for sale and as an avid antique collector, I could not resist. I found a beautiful wooden chair decorated with burgundy and golden fabric. When I was browsing through the estate sale, it was hard to control myself from so many impulse buys. A hobby of mine is collecting antiques and I am a third generation antique collector. It is so interesting to me to learn about the history of different antiques from diverse regions of the world. I have recently purchased various teaspoons from around the world, which is a great find and fun to display! Do you enjoy collecting antiques? Tweet me what your favorite antique you've collected! @DesireePatno

I am excited to announce that Desiree Patno Enterprises, Inc. will be expanding estate sales in the near future. As an avid antique collector, I have always had a passion for learning about other's history and preserving those stories. I am the third generation of antique collectors, so this is very close to my heart. I feel like a home is an inside look to someone's habits, routines, intimacy and also a way to know someone on a more personal level. My goal is to know people on a more personal level and help them with their estate sells anyway I can. I will share more information about this business venture once I have more details and progress. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to tweet me @DesireePatno or visit my Facebook page  www.facebook.com/desireepatnoenterprises. 

The weather in California has been very pleasant and I am really enjoying the sunshine. This summer seems to be hotter than last year, and there are more heat waves across the country. Thankfully Orange County has been able to avoid serious heat waves and rolling black outs. Having such a strong summer season gets me excited for a cold winter. I enjoy seeing all the changes in the seasons, from rain and clouds to sunshine and clear skies. One thing I can live without and cannot tolerate, is the wind. Personally,  when the Santa Ana winds are at their strongest, they're too much too handle! All in all, I am enjoying this summer as much as I can (there is always work to be done), but was able to visit Lake Tahoe for a few weeks with my family.  

I have been enjoying watching the 2012 Summer Olympics this year. My two favorite sports to follow are gymnastics and swimming, which I participated in as a child. My gymnastics career was cut short due to my height and I moved onto other sports after giving swimming a try. This year, the U.S. Olympic team hosts 269 women compared to 261 men. This is the first time that women have overpopulated the male athletes. Great job ladies! For daily features of women athletes, visit NAWRB's blog reel by clicking here. 

Today is my last day in San Francisco before I fly back home to Orange County, CA. The Real Estate Connect conference was great and I am so happy I was able to attend this year. Traveling and speaking with Renee Smith in Walnut Creek was another great opportunity as well! I got to meet a lot of influential women, which I hope to keep in touch with for many years to come. After a long and busy week, I am looking forward to getting back home. Of course business never stops and I'm sure my to-do list is off the charts, but one day at a time. To learn more about Renee Smith, The Short Sale Guru, please click here. 

I went to the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, CA last week with family and a few friends. It was a bit hard to walk through the thick crowds of people and rows of food stands, but fun. I’ve been in past years and noticed some changes. There were not as many different types of animals to see, but I was able to see the newly born piglets on display in their pen. The Originalites and Oui’ 3 were talented and I enjoyed listening to the live music playing. Like usual, there was everything you could imagine to eat in the fried version. Great concept, but I couldn’t last more than a couple samples of all the fried madness. The best part of the night was being able to enjoy a night out with my family and share memories together. 

Tomorrow is National Dance Day and I am excited to celebrate a holiday so important to me. I feel like dancing can improve your outlook and mood. I have been dancing since I was three years old and it has always stayed a passion of mine. As a former professional dancer at Billy Clower Dance Studio, I learned a lot of skills which I still use in my daily life. Self confidence, healthy lifestyle and hard work have always stayed at the top of my list. I encourage everyone to let your feet lead the way tomorrow, and everydée! 

I had a great time yesterday being around such a strong group of successful women at the WCOE Western Regional Conference in Los Angeles. To see so many people gather together to overcome the challenges in a male dominated industry like construction, is very motivating. From morning until evening, there were plenty of inspiring speakers with lots of informative presentations. Judy Hoberman’s presentation about effective leadership techniques was dynamic and Beverly Kuykendall’s passion during her speech about successful federal contracting and teaming was strongly felt. All in all, the WCOE Western Regional Conference was another successful event I’m glad I attended.

American Idol Concert was phenomenal as well!

I will be in Los Angeles all day for two very exciting events. During the day, I will be attending the WCOE Western Regional Conference with NAWRB Executive Director, Cade Holleman. I'm looking forward to learning more about communicating with major prime and federal contractors and effective leadership tactics. These resourceful skills can make the difference when doing business and trying to win bids. Later tonight, I get to unwind with my family and enjoy the taping of American Idol at The Nokia Theatre. Who do you think will be America's vote? 

After attending a huge WCR event all day yesterday and a redeye last night, I’ve finally arrived in Washington D.C. WIPP’s Annual Leadership Meeting is something I haven't missed for the last several years. This year NAWRB is co-hosting a government contracting session to help small women-owned businesses learn from large prime contractors. I'm also excited about the WIPP Business Leadership Award for Social Media that NAWRB is being recognized for... the awards ceremony is tomorrow, but hey, I'm excited :)

Tweet me @DesireePatno if you're in DC!