It’s a long tournament weekend, so you get your eye candy a day early. Any complaints? I didn’t think so …

... but I like it!

Remember the old makeup commercial where they asked, “Maybe she was born with it?” Of course, they wanted you to believe the only way you could look amazing was to slather on a variety of their products, but I’m here today with an example that shows maybe there’s something to the first notion.

It wasn’t that long ago that supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio was pregnant – really pregnant. You always wonder how good a job someone will do at putting all the pieces back together after the body trauma of pregnancy, and in Ale’s case it all worked out just fine. Here she is last week after a long night of clubbing … er, hard supermodel work. Long day, no makeup – still looks just fine … with heavy emphasis on the “fine” part. Born with it indeed!

Enjoy your weekend – I certainly intend to!

Here’s a little ray of good news to go into your weekend – actually, about Six Feet of Sunshine …

A couple of weeks back, I ran into Kerri Walsh and Rachel Wacholder walking on the Strand in Hermosa Beach with their newborns.  Both have been off the AVP Tour this season as they became new moms, and were thought to be taking the season off, as Rachel’s partner Tyra Turner has been playing with Angie Akers, and Kerri’s Gold Medal teammate Misty May-Trainor is still recovering from her “Dancing With The Stars” leg injury.  Now comes word that they’re both coming back early – as teammates!

“Why?” she said Thursday. “Because I can hopefully have it all.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist said this week that she will return for the AVP tour stop in Hermosa Beach, Calif., on Aug. 6 — about 2½ months after the birth of her son, Joseph.

“I love my sport, and I want to play,” she said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “I think it will make me a better mom to have some balance. It [volleyball] makes me feel empowered and strong.”

Because May-Treanor isn’t ready to come back, Walsh will team with Rachel Wacholder, who also had been taking time off after having a baby. The pair won two international Grand Slam events in 2004 when May-Treanor was recovering from an injury in 2004.

“I think she’s a really, really good player — defensive and really scrappy. The fact that we have a history together helps,” Walsh said. “We went through this pregnancy and new mommy thing together. But it’s also that this season’s midway through, and who wants to break up another team?”

This is the ultimate win-win.  Who knows when or even if Misty will be ready to play again, so it doesn’t make sense for Kerri to wait to see what will happen.  As for Rachel, she’s gone through a couple of different partners in the last few seasons, and has never done as well as she did as Kerri’s temporary partner.  This has a chance to be a really successful team.  And let’s face it – we’re talking about the two best asses on the beach, so that’s definitely a win for us.

You know where you can find me when the Tour hits Hermosa in August …

Everyone loves a good comeback story. There’s just something about being down, and getting back up, that taps something in our psyche – we just can’t help but pull for someone seeking redemption.

Now, that might be part of why Alessandra Ambrosio once again graces our Weekend Eye Candy. A long-time favorite of the Home Office staff, we were all dismayed at her pregnancy and childbirth late last year. After all, this was one of the world’s top models – could she possibly regain her form and place at the top of the heap?

Fear not, dear reader, as this recent Victoria’s Secret shoot attests. Ale’s doing just fine, thanks. Her daughter Anja is healthy, and she’s still engaged to Jamie Mazur, the child’s father. Oh well, we can’t have everything …

Anyway, this “better than ever” theme was more than just a opportunity to run another shot of a fine woman. It’s a reminder that we’ve completed the upgrades to the MarlinNut Forums, and they, too, are better than ever. Swing by and see for yourself, and be sure to check out the new Galleries where you can host your own photos and videos!