CRAFTY DAD ::life in the craft lane::

Projects. Projects. Projects.

2011-11-19T16:48:00.001-05:00

Matt (a few years back) as Harry Potter.

Saturday.

A day filled with projects. House projects. Setting-up-the-new-PC projects. Science fair projects.

Yes...a busy (yet fun) day.

Now...it's off to church.

I've Moved! Yes...the Crafty Dad Blog Has Moved!

2011-05-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

The blog is over here now.

Please come over and see what's going on.

More Easter Photos

2011-04-24T08:54:00.001-04:00

Beautiful Colors!

Crafty, huh?

Messy? A little bit. Fun? Oh yeah!

Wife and the boys after church on Saturday.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T09:53:00.003-04:00

Like Peter Cottontail, just wanted to hop in to say Happy Easter!

We've been busy making cookies [eggs, bunnies, tulips, crosses], pickled eggs and beets [a family tradition] and other Easter goodies.

And we've been cleaning house too. All the family members are pitching in to make this chore quick and easy.

What do you have planned for Easter? Leave a comment, won't you?

Tissue Holder in Japanese Fabric - Linen and Cotton

2011-03-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

Japanese fabric is the best. I love working with cotton and linen. A hot iron pressed against this stuff brings out such an organic smell. It's wonderful. Can you relate?

The print fabric was purchased online at Etsy directly from Japan. [I can't remember the exact buyer's name, but if you really want to know, send me an e-mail and I'll dig through my records to find the information for you.] The lining (100% linen) was something I picked up at a Yoder's Department Store in Shipshewana, IN. They have the best staff. And a TON of fabric to choose from.

The tissue holder is on its way to my Etsy shop.

Special Order for Julie

2011-03-21T05:21:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine recently added a grandson to the family. She wanted a 'boy' bib and asked if I had anything I could whip up. That's all I needed. I was sure I had a fabric to fit the bill.

Here is a 'boy' bib with spaceships on a blue background. I also made a burp cloth to go with it. I hope she likes them.

Something "Spring-y" For My Etsy Shop

2011-03-19T23:45:00.002-04:00

Yes! I was able to be creative before the end of the day!

Here's the proof. And...it's on the way to my Etsy shop. Wow...and only fifteen minutes to spare before the midnight hour.

We ♥ Fleece Throws

2011-03-19T11:03:00.001-04:00

Yes, we love our fleece throws. All of them: camping theme, Christmas theme, plain ones, fancy ones. We use them almost every day.

Sit on the sofa, oops - forgot my throw, get back up, grab one and sit back down. They are so snuggly and make TV-watching so much nicer, don't you think?

Riley likes them too. He tends to use them as chew-toys. Yeah...not good.

By the way, today is 'clean-the-basement' day. Lots of de-cluttering going on. And a ton of dead bugs and cobwebs are going bye-bye too. It feels good to be doing something productive. And something that's almost craft-related. That'll be next. And I can't tell you how excited I am to be going in that direction.

My Heart-felt Thoughts and Prayers...

2011-03-17T17:56:00.000-04:00

Go to the people of Japan.

Spring Cleaning and Creative-Space Envy

2011-03-17T06:56:00.000-04:00

The photo? Not my space. Wish it was. That's the sun room / enclosed porch at the Essenhaus Country Inn in Shipshewana, IN. We spent a long weekend there a couple years ago. I love the space: lots of windows for natural light, white bead-board, wooden floors. Wow. THAT would be a great workspace,wouldn't it?

With the revival of my crafty spirit, I've found it necessary to re-evaluate my craft space. It's not really a 'studio' per se (although that sure sounds nicer and more professional than 'space'). But it IS a dedicated area to me and all my craftiness.

Right now, it's an absolute mess. Located in a corner of my basement, it's been left untouched for several months. Spiders, bugs and cobwebs have taken over. I've piled things on top of piles thinking I'd be back to put them away. Sometimes that happens.

So...it's time to get serious and get things put away and cleaned up so I have room to work. Clutter is not good for the creative spirit.

Speaking of new studios and workspaces, Alicia has a new office/studio and Anna Maria is converting her attic into a new creative space. Jealous. That's what I am. Jealous. But I'm happy for them. Can't wait to see Mrs. Horner's space once it's finished.

Okay...I'm off to work. Have a great day...and make something!

Fruit Anyone?

2011-03-15T19:31:00.004-04:00

Does this look like something you'd eat? I sure would! Probably a better choice than the Chinese food that I ate for lunch. Wow...way too many carbs. OMG!! But it was certainly tasty! Each Tuesday, a bunch of us get in the car at 11:00AM and head for the Garden Wok in South Bend, IN. That place has THE BEST Chinese food. I'm tellin' ya.

My favorites are chicken and broccoli and black-bean chicken. I always get 1/2 lo-mein and 1/2 mei fun. Mei fun is rice noodle. Much like angel hair pasta...but made with rice flour. Yum-my!

So, yeah I'm in the process of setting up my new blog. My buddy from Sweden is helping me get all the files figured out. I'm a geek, but not a geeky-geek, okay?

I'll miss the Blogger platform...but I'm in love with WordPress and all the way-cool things you can do with it. I'll keep you posted...but should be ready to roll sometime early next week.

Hey! Leave a comment to let me know that you're still with me, okay? I'd love to hear from you!

Wow...it's been a long, long time!

2011-03-14T21:37:00.001-04:00

Yes...it HAS been a long time since I've posted here.

Since taking a long hiatus, it only seems natural that I'd return. And so I am. Sort of. I am working on a new blog site. It won't be here at Blogger. I'm opting for a self-hosted blog using WordPress and a Woo Theme. I think you'll like it.

So...buckle your seat belts: it promises to be a bumpy (yet fun) ride!

Stay tuned!

Friday the 13th

2010-08-13T05:50:00.004-04:00

Really, there's nothing scary about Friday the 13th. It means nothing that one of my staff members is out, getting ready to take his daughter to college. And another staff member is out because she found out last night that she has jury duty today. And another staff member is out because she broke her toe last night. And another staff member is out on a camping trip.

I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that it's the 13th day of the month...and it's also a Friday.

So...that leaves me and two other co-workers to tackle all the crazy things that come up. It helped that one of my peeps brought in a Tastefully Simple Almond Pound Cake to share with us. Wow...it's really good. She's having a party and surprised us with a tasty sample today. Thanks Kerry!

Here's what's left of the cake:

Almond Pound Cake from Tastefully Simple

Enjoy your weekend bloggers!

P.S. Here's an almond pound cake recipe I found online. I'm going to try it this weekend.

Happy Friday!

2010-08-06T05:00:00.002-04:00

Hey bloggers! Another week has flown by.

Still haven't made anything, but I did make a trip to the thrift shop today and found a great deal on some good-looking fabric. A big bag of it for just $2.19. Some of it looks VERY promising. I'm seeing tissue covers, key fobs and lanyards in my future. Stay tuned. (But please don't hold your breath, okay?)

While you're waiting (ahem) I thought I'd share four of my summer time favorites.

My two favorite kids and my two favorite veggies. My youngest son looks like he's being attacked by the Killer Tomato plants....honestly, they have gone crazy with all the rain and humidity we've had. Typical weather here in Indiana...what can I say? Now...if all those hundreds of little gems would ripen, we'd have a heyday (and a tummy ache too).

Enjoy your weekend!

2010-07-30T05:30:00.002-04:00

At the lake

Although I don't always have time to make something, I seem to have time to surf the web to find things to make. Anyone else have that ~~problem~~ pleasure? One of my favorite places to shop is Etsy. You're no doubt familiar with it. I have a (almost empty) shop on Etsy. [Note to self: MAKE SOME THINGS TO SELL!!]

I came across this shop and have ordered a few things. They have a great selection of Japanese fabric and pattern books. Yes, the books are written in Japanese, but if you know anything about sewing, you can pretty much figure out how to make the items in the book. Just use some common sense and a ruler that has centimeters on it. :-) The books that I have are loaded with great illustrations which really come in handy. And the photography is first class.

Nate finished his first week of Band Camp and we're ready for a weekend at the lake. It was really hot this week. And we are behind on so many things. Getting ready to go on vacation is a major deal. And getting back from vacation is tough too. We are very thankful for neighbors who kept the flowers watered and the grass cut.

School starts in just a few weeks. The boys go back on August 17th. I hate it. Summers are just to short and it makes me sad to look at then calendar and see that July is pretty much over. Seems like when I was a kid, the summer lasted forever. I guess it's true: the older you get, the faster time goes. Okay, enough of the sadness. It's Friday and I'm going to make the most of it.

Hope you have a great weekend.

P.S. Sorry for the rambling....

Time to Freshen Up a Bit

2010-07-29T05:00:00.001-04:00

If I'm going to get back to blogging (which is my intention) then I ~~need~~ want to freshen things up a bit. I've already changed the layout quite a bit thanks to some built in Blogger tools (thanks Blogger!). I'm also going to get some help from Veronica. She's a really great person to work with and I'm looking forward to getting my blog space spruced up. According to her website, the waiting list is eighteen months. But...I'm going to stand in line until it's my turn.

I have some vacation photos that I'll share with you soon. And...if I get off my lazy butt, perhaps I'll actually sit down and MAKE something in the near future. There are literally cobwebs and spider webs in my craft space. That's how long it's been since I've been in the creative mood. Creepy, huh?

Stay tuned.

Away for Too Long

2010-07-28T15:36:00.008-04:00

So....this is pretty sad. I've been away for months. I won't use the 'I've been busy' line. Because we're all busy, right?

I guess I've not been in the blogging mood. That's lame too!

Summer is going by WAY too quickly...in just a few weeks, the boys will be back in school. Seems like they just got out. What is wrong with this picture?

Last week were in Carolina Beach, NC on vacation. It was heavenly. We stayed at the same condo as last year. The weather was HOT (just like everywhere else in the US). It only rained one evening...and that was a true blessing. We had a great time just doing nothing. Sat under beach umbrellas and listened to waves crash against the shore and let the breeze put us into 'relaxation mode'. It was wonderful.

Oh, by the way, Riley has grown up quite nicely. He celebrated his first birthday last month. Here are a few photos.

He is still a puppy in many ways. He is a sweetheart and a big baby. We felt really bad leaving him at the kennel while we were on vacation. He did okay....and we called to check on him a few times during our week away.

I made this for my Dad

2010-04-12T19:22:00.002-04:00

Little Guy was itching to do something creative (bless his heart!) so I put him to work editing a photo using Picnik (my favorite photo editor). Here's what he came up with:

I made this for my Dad on Picnik.com.

Great job Matt!

Love,
Dad

Sometimes....we just get too tired to put our things away.

2010-04-12T05:15:00.000-04:00

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

Damn Spam!

2010-04-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hey Bloggers!

Welcome to the beginning of new week. I'm looking forward to a pleasant, peaceful, relaxing time. How about you? Ha! I'm kidding of course. Who has time for any of that, right? Always too much to do and not enough time to get it done. Now, THAT's what I'm talking about.

Hey...just wanted to give you a heads up. After receiving a TON of spam comments (GRRRR!) I've decided to turn on comment moderation here on the blog.

So....be patient. I'll get your comments approved a.s.a.p.

Thanks for understanding!

And have a good (crazy) week, okay? Okay!

Yep: Still Here!

2010-04-07T05:00:00.001-04:00

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Yes, I'm still here. Lame blogger-man. The un-CraftyDad. Oh well, I digress. Or do I? Confused yet? Welcome to my world.

Hey there. Hope you had a great Easter. The weather was good for us and and we did the traditional Easter egg hunt with the boys (now 9 and 14). Shazam! They grow up quickly. Don't fool yourself. We had a very low-key dinner with my dad. Simple: ham, cheesy-potatoes, green bean casserole, Hawaiian dinner rolls, pickled eggs and beets (VERY traditional recipe from my grandma).

After dinner (lunch, mid-day meal, whatever you want to call it) we donned our old clothes and headed outside for the annual spring cleanup in the yard. I love oak trees, but I really wish they'd lose their leaves in the fall like all the other deciduous trees. It would be so nice to rake leaves just one time. But...that's Mother Nature for you. We raked and raked and tore out old, spindly marigold stems from last fall. Oh, (and please don't spread this around) but we still had strands of tiny Christmas lights on two of our conical evergreen trees that flank the front door. THAT is lame. Geesh!

It has been such a crazy, busy time around our house. As a tax accountant, my wife has spent oodles of hours at work. And there have been several new projects launched at my workplace that have caused a few spikes in blood pressure and some four-letter words to be spouted off. Not good. I pray that we're turning a corner and I will have some time to do a few of things on my "I WANT To-Do" list. (Not holding my breath on that one, okay?)

So...leave a comment to let me know that you're still out there. Just a quick 'hello' will be appreciated.

Until next time, do something crafty.

Great Online Video Resource

2010-01-23T22:06:00.003-05:00

Hey Bloggers....if you have a blog and you include video (or you're thinking of including video) on your blog, they I HIGHLY recommend you grab a copy of Steve Garfield's book Get Seen -- Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business.. It is chock-full of great tips and resources.

The book, published in 2010, is 323 pages and comes in hardback. You really owe it to yourself to check this out. I got my copy in the mail today and have been ~~reading~~ devouring it all evening.

Garfield talks about several different types of cameras (you don't have to have a fancy-schmancy to create videos, by the way). He also gives great tips on accessories you might want to add to your video arsenal: tripods, lighting, microphones, etc.

There are tons of interesting interviews and photos and screen captures to make this book a page-turner. It's certainly going to be a book I pull off the shelf time and time again to refer to. Lots of good stuff.

Use the link to go see for yourself. It's a great resource!

Mexican Potato Salad

2010-01-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

Ok...so here's another vegetarian recipe for you to try. I love potato salad. And I love salsa. This is certainly a new twist and one that I think you'll really enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 large tomato, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 cup salsa
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro or 1 T. dried
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook 30 minutes, or until just tender.
Remove from the heat, drain, and place in large bowl.
Add the corn, tomato, and scallions.
Combine the salsa and lime juice.
Pour over the salad and mix well.
Add the cilantro and a few twists of pepper.
Mix gently and serve at once or chill over night.

Yum-O!

New Recipe for You -- Herb Roasted Veggies

2010-01-21T05:00:00.004-05:00

While I'm not a vegetarian, I think I could become one. But it might take me some time to sort out all the pros and cons (I'd love to hear from you if you're a vegetarian or vegan).

In the meantime, here's a recipe that I'm going to try. Thought I'd share it with you:

Herb Roasted Vegetables

Prep Time: approx. 5 Minutes
Cook Time: approx. 10 Minutes

" This recipe works best when baked in a convection oven,
it allows the herbs to fully flavor the dish. "

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup baby carrots
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 small eggplant, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch st
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Combine potatoes, carrots, and onion in an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper to taste in a small mixing bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the vegetables.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and add eggplant and bell pepper. Toss to combine the eggplant and bell pepper with the other vegetables. Return the pan to the oven.
Bake for 13 to 15 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender and brown on the edges. Serve hot.

Nutrition at a glance
Servings Per Recipe: 7
amount per serving
Calories 202
Protein 3g
Total Fat 8g
Sodium 243mg
Cholesterol -
Carbohydrates 31g
Fiber 4g

What's For Dinner? 470 Crock Pot Recipes to the Rescue!

2010-01-20T05:00:00.026-05:00

Is meal planning as popular with you as it is with the Crafty Dad house? Yeah...thought so! It's tough to come up with new ideas. And eating out is EXPENSIVE and usually not the best food you can eat. I love french-fries, but the nutritional value is not a good thing!

With a new year comes new ideas. Or...old ideas made new again. Crafty Mom and I have decided to give our crock pot a workout this year. We're making our favorite dishes like stew, beef roast, vegetable soup and the like. We run out of new ideas pretty fast...so I did some web surfing and found this:

Here's a great collection of recipes you might want to try. The eBook (PDF format) retails for $11.95 but I'm offering it to you for just $4.95. You get immediate delivery -- so you can start cooking up some goodness today!

eBook -- Ready for Immediate Download!

P.S. Be sure to let me know what your favorite recipe is, okay?
P.P.S. Here's more info about the recipe collection.

Crochet Anyone?

2010-01-19T05:00:00.007-05:00

According to Wikipedia, crochet began back in the 1800's. Hmmm, I would have thought it started way earlier than that.

Crochet (pronounced /kroʊˈʃeɪ/) is a process of creating fabric from yarn or thread using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the French word "crochet", meaning hook. Crocheting, similar to knitting, consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops. Crochet differs from knitting in that only one loop is active at one time (the sole exception being Tunisian crochet), and that a crochet hook is used instead of knitting needles. -- Wikipedia

See what you can do with a piece of string and a hook?

Resources for Crocheters:

Check out CrochetPatternCentral for a ton of patterns (most are free).
Crochet.org is home to the Crochet Guild of America where you'll find lot and lots of good info.
Want to learn how to crochet? Visit About.com to get started.
Visit your local public library for more resources.
And, of course, you can surf the net to find more good stuff.

Closeup Shot

I don't crochet anything fancy. Facecloths/dishcloths (see photos above) and an occasional scarf seem to be my complete crochet repertoire. Facecloths can be whipped up in a matter of minutes (less than an hour if you don't get interrupted). If you do get interrupted, it's not a big deal. You can put down the project and pick it back up and you don't even have to wonder where you left off. Just insert the hook, yarn over and move on. Easy. Peasy. Try it!

Craft Hope is Helping the Haitians and Doctors Without Borders

2010-01-16T13:45:00.004-05:00

Photo by Matthew Marek of the American Red Cross
through the Creative Commons License on Flickr.

Hey Bloggers! There are SO many ways we can help the earthquake victims in Haiti. One really great way for us creative-types is by donating an item to the Craft Hope Etsy store.

Here's what Jade over at Craft Hope has to say:

The Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop is now open! There are some amazing handmade items in the shop. Please support Doctors Without Borders by either donating a handmade item or shopping in our Etsy store.

Our Etsy shop will benefit Doctors Without Borders, with 100% of the proceeds going to them. The medical need in Haiti right now is acute. The Doctors Without Borders existing facilities are so badly damaged, they are no longer functional. Post-earthquake medical care will be from tents. So far they have treated 1,500 people – 500 of them need immediate major surgery. There are no facilities to do this in Haiti currently. An inflatable hospital should be arriving in Haiti today.

The shop will remain open as long as we have donations to fill it up! Thanks to everyone for spreading a little hope to those in Haiti.

If you don't have an item to donate to the shop, please consider purchasing an item from the Etsy shop.
Check out the site and the shop. And please -- help if you can.

Thanks so much,

101 Tips on Blogging a Better Blog

2010-01-11T05:00:00.004-05:00

I am REALLY excited about this. I've been working on a list of 101 tips that will help you with your blog. And the best thing: it's F-R-E-E.

They are all basic, easy-to-use ideas that can really turn your blog up a notch (or two!).

The list of tips is set for publication late January 2010. Stay tuned!

Two Perfect Books

2010-01-11T05:00:00.003-05:00

Yep, they really are PERFECT!

The Perfect Pajama by Kristina Nilsson and Jennifer Pirtle. [Publisher: CICO BOOKS; ISBN: 978-1-906525-96-5; List Price: $19.95]. This keeper is 96 pages long and full of great photos and instructions. AND.. has 21 full-size patterns and templates! There are patterns for kids, women and men too! You really need to check this one out. In addition to the pajama patterns, there's a pattern for a hot-water bottle cover , an eye mask, a cute laundry bag and a pair of "Kasbah Slippers". The book also includes a techniques section.

Here are some shots of the inside of the book:

The other "perfect" book is by Clare Youngs and is titled The Perfect Handmade Bag -- Recycle and reuse to make 35 beautiful totes, purses and more. [Publisher: CICO BOOKS; ISBN: 978-1-906525-81-1; List Price: $19.95] The book contains 128 pages of great photos, instructions and templates. Perfect Handmade Bag also has a sewing techniques section.

Here are some of the projects from the book:

I bought my books from Crafter's Choice (the craft book club). I'm sure you can find these online by doing a bit of searching.

Have fun!

2010-01-06T05:00:00.001-05:00

Have you visited the site I launched a few days ago? Go. Go. Go....check it out. And make sure to check out the Blog too.

I'm excited about making Craft-News.com a REALLLY great place to visit to get all kinds of craft-related info. 2010 is going to be a banner year!

Several crafters, artists and authors have agreed to be interviewed and featured on the site. I'm psyched!

In other crafty news, I'm de-cluttering my craft corner in the basement and am busy putting together a couple tutorials and an eBook too. Yes, I'm busy. And loving every minute of it.

Happy Crafting!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T14:36:00.001-05:00

Hey bloggers!

A new year and a new decade. Can you believe it?

January's Freebie Friday is set for the 15th. Not quite sure what the giveaway item(s) will be yet. I think it would be appropriate to give away something(s) that had the "new", "clean" and "de-clutter" theme. Stay tuned for more info.

Hey....Craft-News.com and the blog are up and running. Check them out and let me know what you think. I'm not giving up this blog (no way!). I just wanted to create something new for the new year. The goal: a site that features artist and craftspeople interviews and the best craft-related info on the web.

Merry Christmas !!

2009-12-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays bloggers!l. And a big 'THANK YOU' for making CraftyDad a part of your online world. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Enjoy this special time of year with family and friends.

Freebie Friday Winner Announced

2009-12-23T05:00:00.002-05:00

Hey Bloggers!

Are you on the edge of your seat? Waiting and wondering? Who won the free book?

It's official. The Freebie Friday book goes to:

Secret Cake

Secret Cake added her name to the mailing list and left a comment on the blog post to make her eligible. Her name was picked out of the hat over the weekend and voila, she's the winner.

I'll be in touch with her to get her mailing address and the book will be on its way.

Keep checking back...there will be another giveaway in January 2010. Wow...2010. That sounds different, doesn't it? Time flies. Make the most of it!

Freebie Friday! - and - New Tissue Holder in the Shop

2009-12-18T05:00:00.003-05:00

Hey bloggers!

HAPPY FRIDAY! It's such a good feeling to know we've made it through another week. However....I guess that means that we're getting closer to the big day. Christmas is just a few days away. Are you ready? Is the tree trimmed? Do you have all your presents bought and wrapped? The Crafty Dad house is abuzz with activity these days. My wife (bless her heart) is the official gift-buyer and wrapper. Although I did help accompany her on a gift-buying trip a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. Always good to have some 'alone' time...even if it's spent at the mall.

We made a trip to Shipshewana a couple weekends ago and I found some really great fabric for tissue holders. I finally had a minute (after making a dozen bumble bee tissue holders -- thank you Kimberly for the great order!) to whip up a new design. I think it's going to be a big hit. Here's a sneak peek:

Let me know what you think. You can get a better view by visiting my shop.

Hey...it's Friday. And not just ANY Friday. It's Freebie Friday. It's the last day to sign up for the book giveaway I blogged about here.

Don't waste another minute: sign up now.

Best of luck to you.

These are a few of my favorite ....

2009-12-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Little Guy, Crafty Mom, Mr. Teenager and Riley

The Reason for the Season

2009-12-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, it truly IS the reason for the season. The wreaths and bows and trees and packages and cookies and candies are great. Shopping isn't too bad either (it gives my wife and I some 'alone' time). I enjoy all the Holiday songs too. And the family get-togethers. But...the real reason for the season is because God sent his only son to Earth to save us from our sins. Now THAT'S a gift. The greatest gift of all.

Nativty set by JimShore.

I hope you are enjoying this special time of the year.

It's the Bee's Knees

2009-12-14T06:37:00.003-05:00

I've been working with an Etsy customer for the past several days on a special order of twelve (12) tissue holders. I shared the sample with her last night and she approved! Excited? Yes...I'm very excited to start on her order.

Here's what she ordered:

Twelve Tissue Holders Comin' Up!

Okay. Gotta run. Busy day ahead. Hey: don't forget to sign up for my Freebie Friday book giveaway.

Hope you have a great day,

Sometimes the Simple Things are the Best

2009-12-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

Indeed: sometimes the very simplest of dishes are the tastiest. Case in point is my wife's chicken and noodles. It's a family favorite. And mashed potatoes on the side. Oh yes...a match made in food heaven.

She's been making this hearty combination for several years. However, she's been adding something new lately. She adds a couple tablespoons of Watkins Chicken Soup and Gravy Base. And I kid you not, it has made a good thing even better.

Along with mashed potatoes, I like my chicken and noodles topped off with sweet corn (frozen or canned). Yum-O!

December's "Freebie Friday" Announcement

2009-12-07T05:00:00.094-05:00

Freebie Friday Coming Up!

The December "Freebie Friday" will be another book (yes...I like books...and I hope you do too). This is a brand new copy of Eduardo Xol's Home Sense -- simple solutions to enhance where and how you live. Photography by Doug Myers. The ISBN is 978-0-06-124976-1 for those of you that might be interested. Eduardo is the designer from ABC's hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Some photos of the inside of this beautifully-photographed book.
[Click on the image to get a better view.]

So...how do you enter? It's easy:

STEP 1. Make sure you're signed up by using the form over on the right-hand sidebar of my blog. I just need your name and your email address. That keeps you in the running for the Freebie Friday giveaways;

STEP 2. Leave a comment on this post.

The fine print:

The deadline for the drawing is midnight EST on Friday, December 18, 2009.

The winner will be drawn over the weekend of December 19 and 20.

The winner will be announced on Monday, December 21st.

Since it's the 'most wonderful time of the year' everyone is invited to join in the fun. Whether you live in the US, Canada or anywhere else in the world. Sign up. And Good Luck!

Speaking of books. What are you reading these days. I recently re-joined the Good Cook Club and got four books for $1.00 each. And..I bit the bullet and bought a fifth book for 1/2 price. ('Cuz I'm a sucker for a good deal.) Here's what has my attention:

Currently on my night stand.

Alton Brown's Good Eats [ISBN: 978-1-58479-795-1]
Diane Phillips: Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever [ISBN: 978-0-8118-6657-6]
The Deen Brothers: Ya'll Come Eat [ISBN: 978-0-696-23397-5]
Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten): Back to Basics Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients [ISBN: 978-1-4000-5435-0]
Elizabeth Yarnell: Glorious One-Pot Meals [ISBN: 978-1-60751-581-4]
The Ellie Krieger book, The Food You Crave [ISBN: 978-1-60085-021-9] was a gift from my wife. (Thanks Honey..I love it!) She bought it at the Cleveland Clinic when she was there a few weeks ago for a follow-up visit with the neurologist (for the horrible headaches and sharp pains in the right side of her head.)

In between the One-Pot Meal book and the Food Network magazine is Bon Appetit.

I also subscribe to Food Networks magazine. Mmm, mmm, good.

I guess you might say that food is on my mind these days (every day people, EVERY day!). But... honestly...my wife will be going back to her five-days-a-week work schedule after the Holidays. So...one of my New Year's resolutions is to help with dinner. It's tough for us to figure out what we're going to have for dinner some nights. I thought some fresh ideas might get me in the mood for helping out. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you have a good week. Remember: do something crafty!

P.S. Sorry about all the different photo formats. I was having fun with Picnik today.

The 2009 Crafty Dad Family Christmas Tree

2009-12-06T17:12:00.006-05:00

At last count, there were 1,200 lights on this year's tree. This photo does not do the tree justice. I think I need to figure out how to change some settings on my camera!

Watkins Introduces New Aloe and Green Tea Personal Care Items!

2009-12-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

Check it out! Watkins has introduced a Green Tea and Aloe Body Wash and a Green Tea and Aloe Shampoo.

You can purchase them at my Watkins web store.

It's Going to Look Like Christmas

2009-11-27T05:28:00.003-05:00

Happy Black Friday! (Oh...I truly don't like how that sounds.)

Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. The Crafty Dad family made the annual pilgrimage (no pun intended!) to Auburn, IN for the big feast. A good time was had by all. Lots of food, fun, family and laughter. My favorite combo-package.

After we got home, Crafty Mom made her way to the basement to supervise in the traditional "carry-the-Christmas-decorations-upstairs" event. The boys helped out as we made several trips up and down the stairs -- good exercise after eating so much turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, etc., etc.,

A foyer-full of decorations.

Riley is not sure about all this!

Today is the day: decorate the house. It's become a tradition. And I enjoy bringing the house to life with all the decorations. My mom was a HUGE fan of Christmas and always make the house look so nice. She passed away 14 years ago...and I miss her. Especially during the Holidays. I'm guessing she's looking down from heaven and smiling as we do what she did for so many years. Miss you Mom!

The tree will be decorated tonight. Jennifer and the boys wait for my help on that one. I am the official tree light guy. I started wrapping each individual branch of the tree with lights a few years ago. Wow! Talk about a brightly-lit evergreen. I think it looks great and we continue to wrap lights from year to year.

I'll share some photos with you later this weekend.

In the meantime...hope you find all the bargains you were looking for today. Don't forget the ONLINE sales. Speaking of which, my Etsy store is having a 25% sale on tissue holders -- that's $1.00 off the regular price!

Have a great weekend,

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T05:40:00.004-05:00

Hey bloggers!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Seems there's always something to complain about -- road construction that forces us to go miles out of our way (always in a hurry, aren't we?), 'fast food' places that are really not 'fast' and sometimes not even 'food', pharmacies that put our prescriptions back into inventory too soon (that just happened to me today). But...we have SO much to be thankful for, don't we? Like a job. I love mine. And I love the people that I work with. Family? Oh yeah! Tops my list. [Love you guys!]. A place to call 'home'. A wife that puts up with all my 'craftiness'. Yep. So much to be thankful for.

Be safe and have a great holiday.

The Grist Mill at Bonneyville Mill Park

Sale Continues in my Etsy Shop

2009-11-23T20:38:00.001-05:00

The 25% off sale continues.

Book Giveaway Winner

2009-11-23T16:58:00.002-05:00

And the winner of the book giveaway is (drum-roll please.....)

HARBOR HON

Number three (3) was picked out of the hat. And number three (3) belongs to Harbor Hon.

Seasons at Seven Gates Farm

I'll be sending her an email message asking for her mailing address so I can get this great book on its way.

Thanks for playing.

There will be more giveaways in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.

Book Giveaway

2009-11-21T10:31:00.000-05:00

I'll be drawing the winning name for the book giveaway later this weekend.

Was planning on doing it yesterday, but had to take my wife to the eye doctor to have a cyst removed. Ouch!

She's doing okay, but the pirate eye patch makes it tough to do things.

I will keep you posted.

Have a good day.

Etsy Shop Update

2009-11-16T05:42:00.008-05:00

Hey bloggers!

As promised, my shop has been updated with some new items.

Big Holiday sale going on now through the end of December on tissue holders. Regular price is $4.00; Sale price is just $3.00. I'm trying to keep the store stocked with good stuff so YOU can take advantage of great prices and I can move out some inventory.

Here's a sneak peek:

More updates later. Gotta get busy.

Have a great day.

P.S. Make sure you sign up for the book I'll be giving away this Friday. Just enter your name and email address in the sign-up form (over there in the right-hand column) and you're all set.

GCC Rocks!

2009-11-15T13:11:00.001-05:00

Saturday:

Cleaned up the yard again. Those leaves are still falling and blowing around.
Whipped up some new tissue holders to put in the shop (watch for an update tomorrow morning).
Had lunch: turkey sandwiches and soup. Yummy.
Made a trip to Woodwind & Brasswind. Mr. Teenager is going to switch from Alto to Tenor saxophone. Bought him an early Christmas gift. (He LOVES it!)
Went shopping for poster board: Little Guy is doing a project on John Dillinger next week.
Stopped at McDonalds for a quick snack.
Went to church. The current series is on Relationslips. As always great content. Fantastic music and media. Last night we had a special gues t. She is awesome.
Had dinner at Culver's. Good stuff and easy on the budget.

Granger Community Church

Now we're off to a cousin's birthday party.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

It's the Weekend!

2009-11-14T10:34:00.004-05:00

Hey bloggers!

We made it through another week. Hope yours was a good one.

I recently changed my mailing list service here on the blog. If you signed up on the old one, I'll (hopefully) be able to add you to the new one. But....just to make super-sure you're on the list for giveaways and other cool stuff, please use the new form (over there in the right-hand column). You just need to enter your name (first and last please) and your e-mail address. It's that easy. You'll receive a confirmation e-mail. Follow the links and you're all set up.

As an incentive to add your name to the list, I'm hosting a book giveaway next Friday. It's only open to those of you that have signed up (US residents only). So...hurry over to the form and enter your info. It was a thrift-shop find so it's not new, nor is it in perfect condition. However, it is in VERY good condition (a couple small tears on the dust cover). Beautiful photos, and 223 pages. I think you will enjoy it! Here are some shots of the book.

Country Living
Seasons at Seven Gates Farm

Natural Crafts, Old-Fashioned Gardens, and Homespun Holidays

ISBN: 0-688-14466-7

Oh..and there's a 25% off sale going on over at my Etsy shop. Take advantage of some great prices now through the end of December 2009.

Have a great (crafty) weekend!

Family Photo Op

2009-11-13T05:01:00.007-05:00

Hey bloggers....Wow..three posts in the same week. That might be a record for me! LOL!!

We were at one of our county parks the other day for a little outing. Unfortunately, we had so much rain the past few days the walking trails were so muddy it was impossible to use them. Fortunately, the sun was shining and I had my camera (never leave home without it).

A little bit of editing via Picnik (I really like that program) and voila, we have a photo:

Crafty Dad, Crafty Mom, Riley,
Mr. Teenager and Little Guy

Here are a few more:

Hope you're enjoying the Autumn season.

Take care!

I Have Two New Brothers!

2009-11-12T22:00:00.004-05:00

It's true -- I have two new Brothers. And I love them both very, very much.

There are several years difference in their ages. One was born in 1965, the other in 2009. They are both handsome and very strong. I get along with both of them. No sibling rivalry here, folks.

In all seriousness...I found the vintage machine at the thrift shop today. You know I'm a sucker for vintage machines...especially the ones that are in pristine condition. I hit pay dirt today by golly. Brought my new (old) Brother home. Gave him a dose of oil and he was off and running. Like a well-oiled machine. Well...he IS a well-oiled machine now isn't he? [Sorry I couldn't resist.]

Here they are in all their glory.

Click on the image to get a better view.

Holiday Sale

2009-11-12T18:15:00.002-05:00

Hey bloggers!

With the Holidays rapidly approaching (and my quest to move inventory OUT of the house) I am having a sale in my Etsy Shop.

Check it out.

There will be more items listed soon.

Not So Fast ...

2009-11-12T05:01:00.003-05:00

Hey bloggers...it's the crafty guy again. You know--the one with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Just to keep you REALLY updated, I've decided to cool my jets on the Stampin' Up career (for now anyhow). My wife (bless her heart -- love you honey!) reminded me that I have about 1,452 things going right now and adding any more might put me (or her) over the edge. And...nobody likes the 'over-the-edge' thing. So. I'm going to behave and deal with what's currently on my overflowing plate.

A HUGE thank you goes out to Mike and Mary (SU! demonstrators) for their kindness in answering so many of my questions. If YOU are looking to get involved with Stampin' Up, I highly recommend you get in touch with them. They are THE BEST and although I've only known them for a very short time, I can tell that they are wonderful people and would do just about anything to help you along in your Stampin' Up adventure. And...even if you're not looking to become a SU! consultant, check out there websites for some of the most creative card-making you'll find on the web. Truly amazing. And...make sure you check out Mary's craft space (there's a link on her blog). OMG...it's so great. A beautiful place to create. I'm jealous. :-)

So where do I go from here? Well...I'm going into purge mode. I really MUST get rid of some stuff. I don't really want to give it all away...so I'm going to try to dedicate maybe one night a week where I can list some items on eBay and try to make a buck or two. Hey: let me know if you're in the market for a cover stitch machine. I just happen to have an almost brand new one from Janome. It's only been used about fifteen (15) minutes. I bought it thinking I just HAD to have one (wrong). So...my loss will be someone's gain. If I remember correctly, I paid almost $300.00 for it. Yikes! But it's just taking up space in my craft corner...so it's time for it to find a new home. Let me know if you're interested.

Enough of the ranting already. I'll leave you with some photos (click on them for a better view) I took a few weeks ago as we were closing up the park model. I've never seen Canada Geese on the lake...but they must have decided to take a break and wow...there were tons of them on the water.

Early Autumn at the lake

More geese...and beautiful Autumn colors.

An empty campground.

Have a great day!

Switching Gears

2009-11-11T04:12:00.001-05:00

Hey bloggers! Trying to keep my blog alive..thought I'd better get another post in this month.

I've been in a craft funk for the past several weeks. And...I'm seriously thinking of changing things up a ~~bit~~ lot by changing craft medium. Seriously.

Not sure what happened, but I think I've been bitten by the card-making bug. Several years ago I attended a Stampin' Up! event and had a great time. I bought several stamp sets, ink pads, fancy scissors, glue dots..the whole nine yards. Making cards became an obsession. My SU! demonstrator was just getting started and as she was doing her demo, I kept thinking to myself (shamefully?), "Hmmm, I could do this with so much more enthusiasm than she has...it would be really fun to teach people how to make things." Then I snapped back to reality and glued my orange strip of cardstock on the front of the Halloween card and moved along with the group.

Some of you know that I am somewhat ADD when it comes to crafting. My wife calls it the 'flavor-of-the-month' syndrome. And she's right...I am a lot like that. I've got so many craft supplies, our basement looks like a craft store warehouse. Oh well. I have fun and I think that's what counts. Crafting is sort of like therapy for me (although a trip to the psychiatrist might be cheaper than buying all this craft stuff!).

Anyhow...fast-forward a bit. My oldest son is a freshman in high school this year and my wife is (smart lady) starting to pull photos together so she can make a scrapbook of his school years so she'll have a wonderful memory book for his senior year and graduation. She's been talking about it and worrying about it for a long time and she's recently decided to really get moving. She bought some scrapbook albums, a bunch of 12 x 12 paper, several packs of stickers, etc., etc. So...now she's getting ready to find a semi-permanent place to put her stuff so she can get started.

LIGHT BULB COMES ON! So...the ADD Crafty Dad decides that (ahem) maybe it's time to put all that fabric-related stuff in storage (or give some to Goodwill, or sell some on eBay, or SOMETHING). That would give my wife some dedicated craft space for her project(s). Cool. And...since she's going to be playing with paper and scissors, perhaps this would be a good time for me to dust off my card-making supplies and play along with her. Besides, we really need some 'together time' and this might be just the ticket.

Okay, so sorry for the ranty, long post, but I wanted to get you updated on what's happening. I've also met some wonderful Stampin' Up! people on the internet. They are some of the most creative people I've seen when it comes to card-making. And they have big hearts and have been super helpful in answering all my questions about the possibility of me joining the SU! family. Don't tell my wife yet, but I am thinking about becoming a SU! demonstrator. [You knew that was coming, didn't you? -- LOL!] But...if I'm going to dive into this new craft realm, I really need to make room for my new adventure. We'll see how it goes.

Any of you folks into card making? Any SU! people out there? I'd love to hear from you.

Stay in touch...I'll try my best to keep my blog fresh with new posts so you know what I've decided.

Take care,

See what happens when you get REALLY busy???

2009-10-19T05:07:00.000-04:00

You keep thinking, "Geez...it's been forever since I've written a blog post."

Yes, it bothers me that a whole month goes by without a post. There's tons of stuff I could tell you, but to have the time to sit down and DO IT. That's the problem. After all, TIME is a four-letter word. Some days it ranks right up there with the "S" word and on REALLY bad days, it's comes close to the dreaded "F" word.

But hey, enough of the self-pity ranting already.

Behind the Eight Ball!

The past several weekends have been filled with Saturday Band invitationals and contests. Mr. Teenager's band is on its way to Semi-State this coming weekend. Congratulations to him and the rest of the Blazer Brigade. They have done a fantastic job this season. Braving the cold, rain and wind...they are fantastic! We've been dropping Nate off at the high school at about noon and then driving to various performance sites. Crafty Mom, Little Guy and I have driven to Lafayette, and Ft. Wayne (twice) Indiana to cheer them on. Their performance times have been late in the evening and we don't get back home until well after midnight. Wow....it's a long day for everyone.

On top of that, Matt (my Little Guy) has been in YMCA Soccer and has soccer meets on Saturday too. We've been stretched a bit thin trying to make it to both boys' events. Yes...it's been somewhat wacky the past few weekends. Oh, and we had to bring the golf cart home from the lake. And...we had to 'close up' the park model for the winter. And. (yes there's more) Nate called me from school last week. He said he did something to his neck and he couldn't move his head. Great! Crafty Mom and I high-tailed it school to see what happened. Seems the 70 pounds of books that he's been carrying around in his backpack (every day since the beginning of school) has taken a toll. Crafty Mom took him to the doctor. A pulled muscle for sure. Rest and some muscle relaxers were ordered. And...he had to miss a few band practices, much to his dismay.

Soccer is over now so we will have a little breathing room this weekend. The band travels to Indianapolis to perform in the ISSMA Semi-State contest. Yes...we're headed south. We're planning to plan our schedule so we can take in a bit of shopping while we're there. It's been a while since we've been to a Trader's Joe...so that's No. 1 on our list if we have time. Too bad they don't have one are here. [Note to self: You would think with the University of Notre Dame here in South Bend, they would have a TJ's.]

So....what's up with you?

Just Checking In ...

2009-09-12T08:05:00.003-04:00

Yes, I'm up a tree and wondering where to go from here! (Kidding of course, I mean I'm kidding about the 'up a tree part'). I'm always wondering where to go from here.

Riley says "hello".

As always, it's been a hectic time. Work has been extra-full of challenges. But..I'm happy to have a job. Don't get me wrong, okay?

We're off to a soccer match (Little Guy's first one of the season). And, Mr. Teenager has a band contest 2-1/2 hours away. He has to be a the high school at 10:45 this morning and (get this) won't get home until almost 1:00 A.M. on Sunday. THAT's a long day. And he (we) get to do it all over again next week. Wow!

The marching band is looking good. I got a little choked up watching them perform at last night's football game. They are good, very good. It's not the marching band that my wife and I were in when we were in high school. No no no. It's very different. But they look good and they sound good. Hope they do well when they perform for the judges tonight under the lights in Lafayette, IN.

BTW: both my boys were elected to Student Council yesterday. This is Little Guy's first year (he's pretty psyched up about it).

Have a great (safe) weekend bloggers!

First glimpse of Fall. A leaf on the shore at the lake.

P.S. In case you haven't notice, Fall is right around the corner.

Wait...what's this? A Finished Project? Yeppers!

2009-08-24T05:49:00.002-04:00

It feels like months have gone by since I've actually 'made' something. So I was so excited to be able to start AND finish something this weekend. Nothing big...but hey: these days anything is good.

Little Guy is in YMCA Soccer again this fall and for those of you in the soccer circuit, you know how nasty those soccer shoes can be after practice or a game, right? With all the mud and grass, and .... half the soccer field in between those cleats. Yeah...Thought so. Well...rather than have Little Guy take them off and toss them in a plastic bag from the grocery store when he climbs in the car, I created a draw-string shoe bag. And he likes it. A lot. He smiled BIG TIME when I showed it to him. Ahhh, the little things.

I found a valance (you know, the curtain type) at the Thrift Shop awhile back. Not knowing what it might become, but too nice to pass up. That pretty much sums up my Thrift Shop mentality: never knowing what it might become, but too nice to pass up. I like that! [My wife thinks I'm nuts....]

So...here's the finished project. A simple un-lined bag. But it will more than serve the purpose I think. Don't you?

Soccer Shoe Bag

PS: Do you know how I can tell that it's back-to-school time? Because I have about ten (10) pairs of jeans/khaki pants to shorten. Yeah...the CraftyDad family is a bit on the 'less than tall' side of things. [Note to self: so thankful to have the machines to make quick work out of all this.]

Friday Wrap Up

2009-08-21T05:23:00.005-04:00

Oh, yeah...I'm still here. I swear: I tell myself that I'm going to do better at keeping the blog posts coming...and I fail. It's crazy.

Here are a few things that happned since my last post:

The boys started school (Little Guy is a 4th Grader this year; Mr. Teenager is a Freshman in High School).
The new dishwasher was installed and is working like a charm. It's not as quiet as I thought it would be, but that's not a big deal. It does a great job of cleaning and drying. Love it.
Riley Roo is growing into his long, lanky legs. The puppy stage is still at 100%: chewing, etc., is still full-force. He is not fond of water at this point. The boys took him into the lake last weekend and he did the dog-paddle stroke like a pro!
I decided to re-teach myself how to knit. Wish me luck on that one. I've been crocheting for many years and I find it very difficult to use two pointy sticks after using one hook for so long.
I downloaded lots of Cast-On podcasts to my iPod. [If you're a knitter, you will soon become a fan of Brenda Dayne. Check out www.cast-on.com for more info. Brenda is a hoot and her podcasts are full of hooty stuff. [Not sure if "hooty" is a word, but let's go with it, okay?]
Joined Ravelry (feel free to become my freind. My username = craftydad) Go figure!
Joined the forum at KnitPicks.com (my username = craftydad) Go figure, again!
I crocheted two wash cloths using 100% cotton yarn (Peaches and Cream brand). Photos? [Insert hearty laugh here] Hmmm, perhaps later.
A nasty storm came through the area the other night....we needed the rain..but tornados were not on our wish list. We lucked out: no damage at all. The town west of South Bend (where I work) didn't fare so well. Big-time damage there. Why is it that bad weather happens when it's pitch black outside. [That's a rhetorical question....I don't need any scientific answer. Unless you really want to...then that's okay too.
I got my new sewing/embroidery machine from Ken's Sewing Center. I have only had a few minutes to play with it. From what I can tell, it's a great machine. Does a lot of nice stitches. Has needle up/down setting (a very big 'plus'); has auto thread cutting feature (never had that before...I like it!)
Lots of medium- to large-scale projects have launched at work (yes...I have a day-job like many of you). I dream of doing this full-time; but I don't think the salary is high enough to support my family and craft lifestyle. [Donations welcome :-) ]
I've taken a few pictures.
I sent off the photos Mr. Teenager took during his trip to Washington D.C. back in June.

Here's the Brother sewing/emboridery machine that I got:

So...what have you been up to?

Tonight is the first home football game at Mr. Teenager's high school. Mr. Teenager plays alto saxophone in the marching band and will be performing at half-time. Crafty Mom, Little Guy and I will be there cheering him (and the rest of the band) on. I'm praying for a nice, cool, breezy, DRY evening. You know: sweater weather.*

Oh...almost forgot: next week I'll have a Freebie Friday giveaway going on. I'm giving away a really nice book I found at the thrift shop. Of course I can't remember the title...it's on the nightstand at home. But...it's a nice, hardback book with the words "Seasons" and "Farms" (i think) in it. It's a Country Living book and I think the winner will be happy to have it.

Next week peeps!

Stay tuned for the second Freebie Friday

That's it for now. Have a great weekend.

*Edited to add: Oh, it was sweater weather alright. And rain poncho weather too. Just as the band was taking the field for the pre-game show (National Anthem and School Fight Song), the rain came down. Not hard, but nice a steady, get-you-all-wet kind of rain. Crafty Mom was smart (as always) and brought along sweatshirts, weather-proof blankets and umbrellas. Let's hope Mr. Teenager's saxophone pads aren't all stuck when he goes to play it on Monday (his horn is spending the weekend in its band locker). Oy!

Things We Take for Granted - Dishwashers Included

2009-08-06T05:55:00.006-04:00

[CUE UP Joni Mitchell song] "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone."

And that goes for kitchen appliances too. Seems the dishwasher is trying to nickel and dime us to death. Well...we ain't gonna put up with that. No sir. It ain't gonna happen. It's a Frigidaire brand (it came with the house when we moved in about seven years ago.) It's not antique or anything, but .... the darned thing is working against us.

First, the springs in the door decided to go. Called the local repair guy and they fixed it. To a tune over $100.00. Then...just last week, the door handle decided to stick: Can't open it; can't close it. Not good.

Rather than continue to pour money into this monster, the wife and I decided it was time to invest in a new one. So we made a trip to Sears last Sunday and bought a new one. It's scheduled for delivery/installation today. (Keeping my fingers crossed that the guy shows up on time and that the process is a smooth one.)

I read some real horror stories on some new dishwashers as I was researching online. Comments like: "leaked all over the floor first time we used it", "it's not getting the dishes clean", "the soap compartment door won't open", "it takes over 2 hours for a wash cycle to complete", "I can get more dishes in my OLD machine". Geesh! We don't need any of that.

Here's the scoop on the new dishwasher. It will match the stove, microwave and refrigerator. Yee haa! OH...and it was on sale, and we are getting a rebate on the delivery and installation fee. And.....they are taking the old dishwasher with them. How cool is that?

Have a great weekend, bloggers!

P.S. The dishwasher guy is installing the new machine as I type this. He told my wife that you should not put any money into a dishwasher that's over five years old. And...he says that Frigidaire, Maytag and GE are the worst machines you can get. They are not the high-quality machines of older days. He also told us we were smart to buy the extended maintenance agreement -- if the control panel goes bad it would be $350 plus labor. Ouch!

Tee for Two

2009-08-05T05:05:00.001-04:00

I bought a new camcorder during the Day-After-Thanksgiving craziness last year. I've shot several movies, but am just starting to figure out how to get them from the camera to the PC to ..... a DVD or wherever.

The boys got golf clubs a couple weeks ago (sort of an 'allowance' for the summer). We've been visiting the driving range the past couple of Sundays so they could practice their skills. I thought it would be a great way for me to grab some video and try to get it uploaded to YouTube.

Without further adieu, here's Tee For Two:

Just Another Manic Monday

2009-08-03T05:03:00.002-04:00

Hey bloggers! Welcome to another week of fun and excitement (well...I hope so anyway!)

We spent the weekend at the lake. Nice weather. Warm days, cool evenings. Perfect. I'm just having a really tough time dealing with the fact that it's August and the boys will be going back to school on the 18th. Bummer. They don't seem as bothered about it as I do. I guess that's what happens when you get older. Oh. Well.

The new sewing machine is really nice. I've not had a lot of time to test it out, but so far, so good. Very nice machine. Has a great needle-threading option (great for aging eyes), has a needle-down option (always a good thing) and also has a thread cutting function (very cool!). I'm working on a tote bag with a musical theme. It's a vintage-ish piece of fabric I got from a sweet, little old lady in Michigan. She's closing down her sewing business and is going thru the de-stash process. Bless her heart! She didn't have too much for me to choose from, but I found a few things. I'll share a photo of the bag once it's a little further along.

My wife found some wild raspberries at the lake and suggested I take the boys berry-picking. So...berry-picking we did. And the camera went along with us. Here are some shots from our little nature walk.

Until next time, have a great day!

Green Clean

2009-07-30T05:35:00.002-04:00

I found a great little book the other day at the library and wanted to share a couple "recipes" with you.

From The Naturally Clean Home - 150 Super-Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning. [ISBN: 978-1-60342-085-3]

[Photo: stock.xchng]

Basic Sink Cleanser

1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
3 drops lavender, rosemary, lemon, lime, or orange essential oil*

Combine all ingredients. Rinse sink well with hot water. Put the cleanser in the sink and wipe with a sponge or cloth. Rinse again with hot water.

*If you're looking for essential oils, you can usually find several varieties at health food stores. Or....Google it on your favorite browser and surf, surf, surf. You can also find lots of them on eBay.

Super-Easy Automatic Dishwasher Powder

2 cups washing soda*
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda

Combine all ingredients and store in a plastic container. To use, add about two (2) tablespoons to the soap compartment of your dishwasher. If you find your glasses are getting a residue buildup, then reduce this amount to 1-1/2 tablespoons.

*Washing soda is NOT the same as baking soda. I had a really hard time finding washing soda at the grocery stores in my hometown. Some wonderful person on a blog or forum (sorry, can't remember) suggested Kroger's. Yep: they had it. Right next to the borax in the laundry detergent aisle.

Last tip of the day: if you're in the market for a book, please check out Better World Books. They are located in my area (Northern Indiana) and have oodles of titles to choose from (new and used). And...shipping is free. Yes: F - R - E - E! And...they use environmentally-friendly packaging materials. And...they support world literacy -- big time. Check them out when you want an alternative to the 'big box web-stores'.

Food, Flowers and Frivolty

2009-07-29T05:12:00.005-04:00

Not much going on 'craft-wise', so I thought I'd share some more photos from this past weekend at the lake.

Saturday morning we went to the Farmer's Market and they were loaded with vendors and customers. Just the way I like it! We found lots of fresh veggies. Not too many tomatoes yet (we bought the best we could find), but plenty of summer squash, onions, zucchini, green peppers and cucumbers.

Farmer's Market Fare

We bought several and later that day Crafty Mama cooked them up on the grill. Excellent. The boys and I kept saying, "Oh my gosh..this is so good" all through mealtime. (What a great way to make Mama proud: compliment her cooking. Oh yeah!)

Chicken Kabobs, Onions and Green Peppers on the grill

Here's a big shout out to Linda (our neighbor at the lake) and her beautiful lily.

Linda's Lovely Lily

OH, and I'm am doing my part to stimulate the economy. It's been a while since I've added to my family of sewing/craft machines. So....I ordered a new combo sewing and embroidery machine from my favorite shop. Ken's Sewing Center is the best place to find great machines at great prices. Give them a call or look them up on the web. They are also on eBay. Their seller ID is "easyterms". They always have lots of great stuff for sale. Prices are low and many times they offer FREE shipping. And they have nice warranties too. Can't pass that up.

Here's the cool machine that I bought:

Brother Sewing/Embroidery Machine (Model HE-240)

Happy Hump Day. We've made it halfway through the week. Can we do it? Yes we can!

Take care!

Puppy Update

2009-07-27T12:54:00.001-04:00

Crafty Mama with Riley [07.25.09]
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

Puppies sure do grow fast! Riley is now ten weeks old and has just about doubled in size since we got him three weeks ago. Un. Real.

Ready for a great photo? Okay. Here you go:

Happy Monday!

Busy, Busy, Weekend

2009-07-22T05:13:00.000-04:00

Hey Bloggers! Welcome to the middle of another week. Summer is marching on, so be sure to take advantage of those daylight hours. Soak up that sun (don't forget the sunscreen!) and enjoy the warm weather while you can. It was an overcast, misty, rainy, kind of weekend for the Crafty Dad house, so we skipped the trip to the lake and, instead, worked in the basement.

In case you don't already know, I'm a pack rat. In fact...I'm the King Pack Rat (any questions? just ask my wife. On second thought.....don't.) I spend many of my lunch hours visiting Goodwill Stores and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift shop. It's amazing what I find there. I'm a sucker for 'something for nothing' and can't seem to pass up a good deal. Problem is, where do you put all this stuff? Answer: the basement.

Our basement is 50% finished so I can't stash my stuff there. However...the other half is unfinished and you'd be surprised how much ~~crap~~ stuff you can store in there. The shelves were overflowing, the counter-tops of my crafty corner were buried, there was stuff under the counter and all over the floor. No. I did not take any 'before' pictures. That would be embarrassing. I will get some 'after' shots taken so I can at least prove to you that I did clean up my mess.

A few months ago, I got a hairbrained idea that I needed a more permanent work space for all my projects. When we remodeled the kitchen, I talked my wife into keeping the old counter-tops for a good reason: me! With my dad's help, we created a pegboard wall (I love pegboard) and a nice L-shaped work space. It's nothing you'd find in a magazine or on the Ikea website, but it works for me and I enjoy working in my space (when I can actually find my space).

[Note to self: STOP bringing sh!t home. You have enough of everything. You need to sit down and start making stuff so you can list it on Etsy or eBay or start making gifts for the upcoming Holiday season.]

I told my wife I would be happy to de-clutter, de-stash, whatever you want to call it, so long as she'd help me build ANOTHER pegboard wall. She agreed. [Love you honey!] So, a couple weeks ago the boys and I went to Menards and bought some more 2 x 4's, two more 4 x 8' sheets of white pegboard (white makes the area brighter; the natural pegboards and way to dark for me), a box of long screws, a box of shorter screws (both in the square-head version, which I did not realize until this weekend. [Thanks Dad for leaving the square driver bit with me!]

The wall is complete. I even found a nice pair of cafe' curtains to cover the one and only window in the basement. Touche'

Now...the de-cluttering continues. I'm trying to have a critical eye towards all the ~~crap~~ stuff I have. Some of my 'treasures' have been sitting around for quite some time....and I think it's time we parted company. It sounds really strange, but some of the stuff I bought at St. Vinnie's is going back to, well, it's going back to St. Vinnie's. [I can hear you laughing.....and I'll bet some of you have done the same thing. Admit it. We have a problem. Perhaps there's a 12-Step Program for us. "Hello, my name is Crafty Dad and I buy too much sh!t at all the Thrift shops within a 50 mile radius of my home."] Please tell me there's hope for us. Ah, but I digress -- big time.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the wall is up, the 1957 Singer 401(a) sewing machine has a home, the coverstitch machine (oh yeah, I had to have one those...) has a semi-permanent place to sit, the blindhemmer is still where he was (and that's okay for now). The blindhemmer was a smart purchase (I can justify anything, okay?). But really, we are short-ish people and most of the slacks we purchase need to be shortened. The blind hemming machine is a godsend.

Now it's time to go thru the collection fabric and 'other stuff'. I will be so excited to have some 'space' when I'm all done. It will so cool to be able to escape to my crafty corner of the world and be able to do all those projects that I've had floating around in my head for so long.

And the Freebie Friday Award Goes To ...

2009-07-20T05:59:00.003-04:00

Lisa !

The random number generator cranked out No. 9 and ... you were No. 9 on my list.

(Click on the image so you can actually read it.)

Congratulations Lisa! You are the first Freebie Friday winner. You'll be receiving an all-expense-paid trip to .... Whoops, wrong prize. Sorry Lisa.

You'll be receiving some of my new lemongrass-scented bath and body products:

Glycerin soap bar
Hand and body lotion (4.0 oz.)
Shower/Bath Gel (4.0 oz.)

I will get your items all packed up and sent off to you as soon as I receive your mailing address. An email will be sent to you soon....please reply with your shipping address and we'll be all set!

Thanks to all of you for playing along. I had a lot of fun with this. My next giveaway includes a beautiful Country Living hardback book and who-knows-what-else.

And Lisa...I expect a product review from you. I really want to know what you think of the soap, gel and lotion.

Until next time, take care bloggers!

P.S. If you're interested in the lemongrass products (in all seriousness they are really, really nice), please visit my Etsy shop later this week and grab some before they're gone.

Freebie Friday!

2009-07-17T05:15:00.004-04:00

Hey bloggers! Happy Friday....and welcome to the first Freebie Friday. I appreciate you guys so much that each month I'm going to pick one Friday to be Freebie Friday. I'll give away something to the lucky winner.

How do you play? It's easy. You need to sign up for my mailing list to be eligible. It's just that simple. Then...on the designated Friday I'll draw a random name out the 'hat' and that's the winner. There will also be a blog post explaining the Friday Freebie. I told you it was easy!

I'm a bit behind (so what else is new, right?) but I do have one picture of my lemongrass glycerin soap that is part of this week's giveaway. The winner will get one super-lathery bar of soap PLUS... 4 oz. of lemongrass hand/body lotion and 4 oz. of lemongrass shower gel. These are not store-bought: all three items are custom-made and packaged by me. You are gonna smell REALLY good...I promise.

Here's what the soap looks like:

Lemongrass Glycerin Soap with Real Lemongrass

The lotion and shower gel come in a 4 oz. squeeze bottle (technical term: 'tottle'). This is the type of bottle that stands on its cap so the lotion/gel is always ready for dispensing. I've been using the lotion and gel for a few weeks and have tested it out on some co-workers too. They LOVE it. And I think you will too.

So...this is your FINAL CHANCE to get in the drawing. If you haven't already, please use the mailing list sign-up form in the right hand column [ over there ----> ] and get registered. I'll be drawing a name over the weekend and will post the winner's name on Monday. Then...I'll contact the winner to get his/her mailing address.

Lemongrass is an uplifting, energizing scent. It's great all year 'round, but I especially like it as a summertime scent.

Okay...get busy. And Good Luck!

New Floor in the Park Model

2009-07-13T12:33:00.011-04:00

I'll bet you didn't know that Crafty Mama and I were so talented, did you? Well...when we put our minds to it, we can do just about anything. [Note to self: hire someone to strip the ugly-ass wallpaper off the bedroom walls.]

During the cold, cold winter months the park model remains unheated. And we've never had any trouble with anything. We have it professional winterized each fall and we put little containers of moth balls around (to ward off any pesky mice). But we got an really unpleasant surprise when we opened up our unit this year.

The vinyl flooring in the kitchen and entryway was split in several places. It was like someone came in and took a utility knife to it. It was sliced in pie-shaped triangles from wall to wall. Ugg!

We got an estimate on having it replaced. After picking each other off the floor (the estimate was a tad bit too much to appreciate and we both about fainted!) we decided we could/would do it ourselves. So...Crafty Mama made a few trips to Lowe's and Menard's to pick out some nice square vinyl tiles. The kind that you peel and stick. I was a bit hesitant at first...not sure if the "stick-em" kind was going to be a good idea (as opposed to vinyl that comes off a roll). But, thankfully, the project moved along faster and better that I imagined. In fact, it would have been a huge PITA* to deal with a sheet of vinyl as there's not a great deal of space to work in, and there were TONS of places that had to be notched out.

IN case you didn't know, I carry my camera with me everywhere, but do you think I had it when we opened the park model? Nope. So...I don't have any good photos to show you of the 'before' shot. However, here are a few pics to show you how it ended up. Bottom line: it's nicer than the original floor. We love it.

Thanks Honey for all your hard work! Crafty Mama makes a great partner in these handy-man/woman projects.

Before

During

More "During"

"DONE!!!"

Smooth as a baby's butt!

*Pain in the a$$

Have a good one!

P.S. Oh, yeah...almost forgot. Please make sure you sign up for the Crafty Dad mailing list. Later this week I'll be drawing a name for some great giveaway items. It's going to be FREEBIE FRIDAY in honor of my Christmas in July celebration. The sign-up form is over on the right-hand column. Go there now and then watch for a special e-mail invitation. ;-)

You Say Tomato, I'll Say Tomaaaaahto

2009-07-08T04:49:00.002-04:00

Have I told you how much I LOVE home-grown tomatoes? I think I have. There is no substitution for them. Period. Don't even begin to contest that statement, okay?

I suppose my love for those juicy, red globes of wonder stems (lol, no pun intended) back to my childhood days. Spending quality time with my grandpa working in his garden. He was the best. And tomatoes were his pride and joy. Sure...he had lots of other things in the garden:

green peppers
cucumbers
green beans
beets
radishes
carrots
sweet corn
potatoes

But...tomatoes was the No. 1 plant in the patch.

I can remember many summer afternoons at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I would walk in the kitchen, open the pantry door, get out the cardboard salt shaker and head outside to the garden. I'd find a medium-sized tomato, wipe it off (using my t-shirt), take a small bite...being careful to leave enough skin on the tomato so the piece stayed attached. Then...I'd sprinkle it with salt and bite it off. O.M.G. That was like heaven.

Earlier this summer I bought a patio tomato plant and it is doing WONDERFULLY. We've had almost ten nice-sized fruits off the vine.

My Tomato Plant - Summer 2009

Ohhhhh, I loves me a good home-grown tomato.

How 'bout you?

Happy Independence Day !

2009-07-03T04:42:00.001-04:00

Wishing everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

And....let's hope the weather cooperates. It's been VERY cool the past few days. The weatherman says it's been some of the coolest July days in history. Yeah. That's not good.

PUPPY UPDATE: His official name is Riley. We had a very tough time coming up with a good name for him. But I like the name Riley...and it seems to fit. (Whatever that means!)

Oh, and have you seen the latest issue of Country Living magazine? It's good. You should get it.

Take care,

Puppy Update

2009-07-02T05:05:00.002-04:00

Mama and the boys have returned from Wisconsin with the cutest puppy I've ever seen.

And the winner is:

BURLEIGH!

Congrats to Carolyn and "Anonymous" for guessing the correct answer.

Christopher: Thank you for playing along.

More pictures will be posted soon. We're having too much fun playing with him. No time for uploading photos.

Puppy Power

2009-06-30T05:49:00.008-04:00

Exciting times at Casa de Crafty Dad these days. For the past several weeks, there's been lots (and I mean LOTS) of conversations where the subject is dogs, puppies, and all things Canine-related. We certainly miss our Hershey Girl and she will never be replaced. She holds a very special place in our hearts.

Hershey Girl

Rather than get another Lab, we've been looking for Weimaraner puppies and found a reputable breeder in Wisconsin. Crafty Mom has been corresponding with the "Puppy Lady" and has made arrangements to go pick one out. Woo Hoo! So...it's road trip time for Crafty Mom and the boys.

Here's a Weimaraner puppy video I found on You Tube:

Which pup will the boys (and Mama) pick out?

Will it be Blizzard, Spot, Frosty or Burleigh?

Here are some photos the breeder sent us. They are all good looking pups aren't they?

Burleigh (in purple collar)

Blizzard (in blue collar)

Frosty

Spot

Chow Time for all the puppies!

Vote for your favorite puppy by leaving a comment.

I will let you know what puppy we pick.

Take care,

New Banner and New Watkins Store

2009-06-22T04:07:00.005-04:00

So....what do you think of the new summertime banner?

I snapped this photo at one of our resting spots in NC. This beautiful creature stopped just long enough for me to capture it (digitally). After just a tiny bit of "photo-doctoring-up" (using Picnik), I'm happy with it.

You may have noticed the Summit Group 'link' on my sidebar (over there....in the right-hand column). Yes, I am an official Independent Watkins Consultant. Watkins has been around since 1868 and has some fantastic products. My great-grandfather was a "Watkins Man" back in the day. I have a black and white photograph of him standing by his car/truck with the Watkins logo on the door panel. It's a classic.

100% Organic Spices

Please visit my online store and take a look at all the good stuff Watkins offers. They are probably most famous for their cinnamon and vanilla. But they have LOTS of other products too. If you're looking for some environmentally-friendly cleaning products, Watkins has them. We've been using the All-Purpose Cleaner, the Window Cleaner, the Tub and Tile Cleaner and the Toilet Bowl Cleaner for the past few weeks. They are fantastic! Seriously...no nasty smells. And they WORK! I really like the Aloe and Green Tea formula. It has a nice, fresh smell to it.

I would sure appreciate your support. Please let me know if you'd like a free catalog. I'd be happy to put one in the mail to you!

Thanks!

Trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

2009-06-21T06:22:00.005-04:00

Hi Bloggers! Here's a quick collage I put together of our nature walk during our recent trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I highly recommend the audio (headset) tour. Otherwise, you'll see a WHOLE bunch of stuff...but you won't know what you're looking at!

[Click on the photo for a larger (much better) version.]

More photos later. Photos were not allowed inside the house. But...I got several of the outside. You'll see them soon. Photos above are from the beautiful gardens and walking paths. It was perfect weather for a long, long (longer-than-we-thought) walk.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

P.S. It's Father's Day....so make it a good one!

Summertime...and the livin' is easy ...

2009-06-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

especially if you're a dragonfly.

Hope you're having a good weekend.

I'll tell you more about this photo later.

Wonderful Weekend!

2009-06-08T04:42:00.002-04:00

Hey...hope you had a great weekend. We certainly did. Spent Friday and Saturday nights at the lake. Weather was a bit iffy, but pretty much okay. We're still dealing with bare floors in the kitchen of the park model. The estimate to have it replaced was ~~enormously-large~~ a bit more than we expected, so we're going to do it ourselves. (Oh boy!)

Son No. 2 went swimming while Crafty Mom and Dad sat in the sun and looked at magazines. Which just happens to be one of my favorite things to do. It is total relaxation for me. And the wife and I needed some of that. My wife cooked chicken over the open campfire and it was EXCELLENT. As she was tending to it, Grandma and Grandpa Cook (no relation to either of us, but two of the nicest people we've met at the lake. My kids have 'adopted' them and we call them Grandma and Grandpa) pulled into our site on their golf cart and gave us some wonderful chocolate dessert. Not sure what all was in it, but it had a yummy crust with pecans or walnuts...chocolate pudding and Cool Whip. It was g-o-o-d. Along with chicken, we had green beans, a baked potato and a very simple (I like simple) salad of Romaine lettuce hearts.

Sunday was the family celebration for Son No. 2's birthday. He turned NINE. (Holy cow, where does the time go? Famous parental question, right?) This fall we'll have a high school freshman and a fourth-grader living with us. Geez. He got lots of greenbacks which (I'm sure) he'll spend on baseball, football or basketball trading cards.

The family get-together was a hit. The weather cooperated so we spent the afternoon outside on the patio. The kids played on the swings, kicked a soccer ball around and had a great time. The grown-ups sat around and chit chatted about all the things grown-ups chit chat about. Then it was time for ice cream and cake. Son No. 2 is a big Colts fan, so the cake was white icing with blue trim and a Colts emblem on it. He loved it!

Here are few photos from the weekend:

[Click on the collage for a larger version.]

1. Rose bush that's LOADED with blooms this year.
2. A peony bush...almost all done with blooms..but still pretty enough for a photo.
3. Up close and personal: peony flower.
4. Sleepy boys on Sunday morning at the lake.
5. Crafty Mama's open-fire chicken (YUM-O).
6. Grandma Cook's chocolate dessert (also YUM-O).
7. Son No. 2 in the pool.
8. Salsa, chips and some other goodies.
9. Simple: Romaine lettuce (love that stuff).

Happy Friday!

2009-06-05T05:50:00.001-04:00

Hey bloggers! We made it! It's F-R-I-D-A-Y.

It's been a long, tough week. I'm ready for some veg-out time at the lake. Crafty Mom could use some relaxation time too. She's had a hectic week too. And we've both been a bit stressed/worried about our oldest son being in DC for the week. He was such a good guy and called us each day. I'm not sure if he got homesick or not. I am sure that (being a 14 year old) he'll never confess it if he was! That's okay.

I need your help. I'm going to kick the Crafty Dad blog up a notch or too. You can help by signing up for the mailing list (over there in the right-hand column). I'm going to do some monthly give-aways and the only way you'll be eligible is if you've signed up. So...c'mon. Take a minute and sign up, would you?

If you're planning a give-away, let me know and I'll give you some free advertising. I figure if we work together, it'll be a lot more fun for all involved. Make sense? Yes! I'm working on a blog button for my giveaways and will appreciate you grabbing the code and popping it into your blog.

Okay...enough already. Have a great weekend. And do something crafty!

See ya later,

A Perfect Peony

2009-06-03T05:00:00.003-04:00

Peony bush in the back yard.

These are not the big, double peonies that you might be familiar with. These are a simple,single-type of flower. But simple is good. And since they only last for a few days, I thought I'd take a few shots of them. Then...I uploaded the photo to Picnik and played around with it. I'm a Premium Member so I get some spiffy extras to use.

I used the Fancy Focus tool and highlighted the three blooms. Notice how they stand out from the rest of the picture? Picnik is a fantabulous tool. And the really cool part is, the basic version is free. You can do some really great things to your photos. You can use the 'auto correction' feature, crop photos, put all kinds of frames around them, make collages, put text on them. There are digitial 'stickers' that you can put on photos to make photo greeting cards, etc., etc., I use Picnik to fix up most of the photos that I use in my Etsy shop. Go check it out! But beware: it can be addictive. OH...and you can link your Flickr photos to it too.

Oh, by the way, Son No. 1 is back from his Washington DC trip. He's pooped! Crafty Mom and I are so glad that he had a great time and returned home safely. He took TONS of pictures and I'll try to get some of them posted in the next few days. He's just like the old man: put a camera in his hand and watch out!

Catching Up

2009-05-31T17:12:00.009-04:00

Exciting things happening around the house and at the lake.
(click on the image for best results)

Hey bloggers! I wanted to share some of the beautiful blooms that are making my jaw drop. I had to catch these digitally and share them with you. I thought Spring would never ever get here. But...seems I was wrong (thank goodness).

And...some new projects popping up in the craft corner too. Coasters, Scrabble™ necklaces and some really cool aprons (up-cycled from kitchen towels).

I'm also planning a tutorial for anyone who's interested in making tote bags. I will start with the handles (I think they are most the fun part of the whole process) ☺

I really want to learn how to make You Tube videos. I know how to include them in a blog post, but ... I need to make a video and upload it to You Tube. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you had a great weekend.

Oh, by the way...we just dropped off Son No. 1 at school for his big Washington, D.C. trip. He'll be there all week, taking in the sites and sounds. I'm jealous since I've never been there. But I'm so glad he has the opportunity to go. Crafty Mama got a little teary-eyed as the bus pulled out of the parking lot. This is his first time away from home for more than a day. It's a new experience for all of us.

Take care,

Dreaming of a White Memorial Day

2009-05-18T10:31:00.004-04:00

White, white and more white!

This is a mini-collage I put together last spring of the beautiful white blooms in our front yard. With such a harsh 2008-09 winter, I'm not sure what we'll see this season. We worked in the yard yesterday and while there's lots of green, I'm not sure we'll have a repeat of last year.

Speaking of weather. Can I tell you how tired I am of temps in the 30s? Yes...it's the middle of May and the night-time temperatures have been at the freezing level with lots of frost. We've been dragging in the flower pots each night to keep them safe. Just when you think it's going to stay warm, it happens again. My wife just potted up more flowers yesterday. And (yep) they spent the night in the garage.

Not sure if we'll spend Memorial Day weekend at the lake. We were greeted by a crazy sight when we opened up the park model for the season. The brutally-cold temps over the winter seemed to have wreaked havoc on the vinyl floor. [Photos to come soon.] Let me just give you this visual: the floor looks like someone stood in the middle and took a knife to it. It's cut in pie-wedge shapes from edge to edge. After just putting $800.00 out for car repairs last week, we're not real excited about replacing the floor. But...what are you going to do? My wife and keep saying: It could always be worse.

Have a great week!

Spring is in the Air (and in the Etsy shop too)

2009-04-29T05:12:00.000-04:00

In the shop.

Green and Red Apple Travel Tissue Holders

All this Swine Flu talk has people pretty nervous. I guess the best we can do is common sense.

Wash your hands
Stay home if you're sick
Keep away from congested areas (congested with people that is)
If you need to cough or sneeze, do it into your upper arm/shoulder area
Stay informed, but don't become glued to CNN and get all paranoid about this (okay?)
Don't travel to Mexico

If putting germs on your sleeve seems a bit much, perhaps a facial tissue might be an alternative.

(You knew I was going to segue into that, didn't you?)

The Crafty Dad studio is cranking out travel tissue covers in all sorts of bright, sun-shiny, fun fabrics.

Stay tuned for more updates.

A Busy Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T09:41:00.003-04:00

It's early Sunday morning and it's already been a busy day. Crafty Mom supervised the traditional Easter egg hide (the Easter Bunny did all the work, you know). And then it was chop the vegetables (for our lunch guests, NOT the Easter Bunny). I love the smell of fresh cut celery. Something about it.....smells like home. It's a comfort smell (if there is such a thing).

Here's a sampling of what we've done so far.

{Click for a larger view}

The lamb cake turned out nice. This is the first time I've used the star tip to decorate a cake. I should have practiced before I frosted Lamby, but he turned out okay. His jelly bean eyes and nose almost makes him too cute to eat. You can see the two-piece cake mold filled to the rim (yes, it ran over in the oven and made a mess). [NOTE TO SELF: put a cookie sheet under the pan next year to avoid a house filled with burnt cake smoke.]

The boys colored eggs last night after we got back from church. It was a great service. Great music, great music and a good time to celebrate the whole reason there is an "Easter". Upper left-hand corner is a shot of some bunny and egg candies I made. I was going to make lollipops, but didn't have any Springy or Easter-y molds. These turned out just fine.

Enjoy your day!

An Easter Tradition

2009-04-11T08:46:00.003-04:00

Pickled Eggs and Beets

Every Easter my grandmother made pickled eggs and beets. I just found out that one of my co-workers makes them every Easter too. My co-worker is Polish; my grandmother was not. I'm sure this recipe has some ethnic origin, guess I'll have to do some Google research. [Thank goodness for Google he/she is my best friend when it comes to answering questions.]

Here's the very simple recipe if you're interested:

12 hard-boiled eggs (peeled)
2 cans of red beets (liquid included)
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of white vinegar
1 big GLASS (no plastic please) container to keep them in

In a large pan or stock pot, add the beets, sugar and vinegar. Boil this concoction for a few minutes stirring pretty often. Be careful! The mixture is prone to boiling over so keep an eye on things.

Put the eggs in a glass container and CAREFULLY ladle or pour the beet mixture over the eggs. Stir gently and allow to come to room temperature before putting the lid on. Stir the mixture every few hours to make sure all parts of the eggs become nice and red.

I make them a day or two ahead to allow time for the red to penetrate the eggs all the way to the yolk. To serve, just slice them in half and sprinkle some salt and pepper on them. Yummy.

As you can see from the photo, I use a very large jar with a screw-on lid. This was my grandmother's jar and I cherish it. You can also use a glass cookie jar or other large glass container. DON'T use plastic as the hot sugar-beet-vinegar mixture gets poured on the eggs.

Okay, gotta get back to work. My wife is working again today (poor thing). April 15th is just around the corner and her office is buried with work right now. So..I'm in charge of housework and de-cluttering this morning. If the clutter was less, the housecleaning would be much easier. Wow...now I'm sounding like my wife. Yikes. Must be all the vinegar I used in the eggs and beets.

i Zoom to Lunch

2009-04-10T11:10:00.001-04:00

Indiana Toll Road's Quick Get Away Plan

I'm going to WalMart for some last minute Easter things. I know, I know....nobody likes Wally World. But..it's the only store in driving distance from my office. So...I gotta do what I gotta do, okay?

We'll just see what jumps into my shopping cart today. Wish me luck!

Happy Easter Weekend

2009-04-10T09:36:00.001-04:00

Photo from last year's trip to Toledo Zoo (Butterfly House)

Hey bloggers, just wanted to pop in to wish you a very Happy Easter. It's been awhile since I've posted (which makes me very unhappy). Life has been a bit crazier than 'normal'. I'm never quite sure what 'normal' is these days. But...anyhow there just seems to be too many things to do and not quite enough time to get them done. It's a constant struggle, isn't it? Geez!

We're having a small Easter dinner gathering with my dad, my sister-in-law and her daghter and three grand-kiddos. Dinner will be somewhat atypical (we're not doing ham this year). My boys have decided they no longer like ham. Hmmm, whatever! So..we're having Sloppie Joes, green bean casserole, homemade macaroni and cheese, along with some veggie snicky-snacks. I'm going to make a batch of pickled eggs (my grandma's recipe) and I'll bake the traditional lamb cake. The Wilton cake mold works great. If you haven't tried it, don't be afraid -- go for it. Just make sure you grease and flour the top and bottom pieces. Or you can cheat (like I do) and use Pam or Pam Baking with flour already in it. They work great. There are way too many nooks and crannies in a lamb cake mold for me to brush vegetable shortening all over.

If I get real creative (read: have time) I will dig out my pastry bag and large star tip and make the cake look extra nice. If I'm feeling lazy or don't have the time, I'll just frost the littel guy with my offset spatular and we'll call it 'done'.

My wife and I are going to cut back on the candy we put in the boys' Easter baskets this year. They just don't need all that sugar. My wife (the Tax Accountant) has to work tomorrow, so ... if I wake up early enough (note to self: wake up early tomorrow) I might whip up a pair of boxer/sleep-shorts for the boys. We'll just see how things go. And..I really was planning on cranking out a baby bib for Ava (our niece). I really appreciate my day job, but darn! sometimes it gets in the way of my creative side. By the time I get home each night, my butt is dragging. Sorry for venting on you like that. Does anybody else have that problem? Caffeine only works for so long. If you have the magic answer to get more things done, please share them with me and the blogosphere.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Son No. 1 Brings Home a Baby

2009-03-20T17:51:00.002-04:00

Oh Lord no....not a real baby! It's his weekend project for the HomeEc class all the 8th graders have to take. His name is Samuel and he's a cute little guy. He 'came to life' late this afternoon and was very hungry. DS1 says, "When is he going to stop eating? He's been eating for, like, twenty minutes." LOL! I replied, "Hmmm, babies are like that. You'll just have to see what happens." DS1 rolls his eyes. I'm lovin' it!

Baby Samuel. DS1's Weekend School Project

I think this is an excellent way for teens to find out what a TINY slice of baby care is all about. DS1 has to feed it, burp it, change its pants (that'll be a good one!) and make sure that Samuel's head is supported. Samuel has his own car seat and a ~~makeshift~~ ugly diaper bag.

Baby Samuel after his first feeding.

Ahhhh, I remember those days.

DS1, DS2 and I have a barbershop appointment in the morning. We will have to take Samuel along for the ride. I can just see the funky looks on the old codgers' faces at the barber shop. DS1 is going to be red-faced with embarrassment for sure. But...life is tough sometimes, you know? Me: Oh, I am looking forward to this weekend project with great anticipation. Really, I am. :-)

I'm sure that DS1 will be a great dad.

Spring Is In The Air

2009-03-20T08:22:00.003-04:00

Tulips in the landscape border at home (last Spring).

It's official: today is the first day of Spring. And boy are we ready for it. It has been a long, long winter my blogger friends. Too long if you ask me.

Sping is official not so much because the calendar says so, but because the Robins and Red-Winged Blackbirds are back. Their lively morning and evening songs tell me that warmer weather is on the way. And the daffodils and tulips have popped up from their winter homes once again. Amazing stuff when you think about it.

Right now it's a brisk 29 degrees outside, but I have great faith that the cold temps will soon be a thing of the past and I will once again feel the warm sunshine on my face.

Wishing you a very First Day of Spring!

The Wearin' of the Green

2009-03-17T06:48:00.005-04:00

Happy St. Patty's dad bloggers! Are you wearing green? Or...do you enjoy being pinched?

The wife and I started the day out with McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal. It's good stuff. One cup of oatmeal to two cups of milk made PLENTY for the two of us. I added raisins, flax seed, a sprinkle of sugar and a bit of milk to my bowl. Yummy. A great way to start any day!

Enjoy your day and may the Luck of the Irish be with you!

Learn more about this fun holiday here.

It Takes a Village

2009-03-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

Yes....and some days it takes slightly more than a village. You have days like these, too, huh? Yeah. Thought so.

Just another manic Monday. Almost over. Looking forward to Tuesday.

Photo credit: Helio (on flickr.com). By Creative Commons license.

Football Cards For Sale

2009-03-12T19:24:00.000-04:00

Hey bloggers! Just a quick heads-up: Little Guy (my 8 year old) is going to be putting lots and lots of football cards up for sale on eBay. He will have some 'sneak preview' pictures on my blog in the next few days.

Gather your kids and grand-kids around so they can take advantage of this great opportunity. Prices will be great and shipping will be more than fair.

Hope you can stop by.

Thanks!

For the Love of Babies and Baby Bibs

2009-03-09T20:50:00.002-04:00

Hey....I have another reason to make baby bibs. My cousin Amy had a baby girl justa few weeks ago. Her name is Mya (that's A-M-Y with the letters re-arranged). How cool is that?

Here's my Little Guy holding Mya at the

birthday party we attended on Saturday.

And this is "Mr. Teenager" holding her.

It's great to have a new baby in the family and it gives me great pleasure to make some itty-bitty baby bibs. Here are the three that I made and gifted this past weekend.

Hearts, Frogs and some Japanese Fabric bibs.

A closer look.

Green Smoothie

2009-03-09T12:50:00.010-04:00

Several weeks ago I bought a VitaMix blender. Wow! Talk about commercial grade. That baby is built. And very powerful.

I bought the blender because I KNOW I don't eat like I should. And...I came across a lot of information on Twitter and the Web about Green Smoothies. They are full of vitamins and minerals and they are super quick to make, and they taste good too!

So....I pulled out my credit card, dialed VitaMix's toll-free number and bought one. The customer service rep was great. Within two days, it was on my doorstep. Like magic.

Here's my recipe for a great-tasting Green Smoothie.

6 whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple
1/4 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, etc.)
1 banana (cut in 3-4 chunks)
1 cup spinach leaves (or kale)*
1 cup ice cubes

Add to VitaMix blender in order listed above.

Have blender set on variable speed. Turn on blender and quickly increase from 0 - 9, then switch from variable to high for about 1 minute. You may need to use the plastic push-stick to make sure all the ingredients get down into the blades so they are pulverized and blended to a nice smooth consistency.

Turn the machine off and pour yourself a fantastic, healthy smoothie.

*I've made smoothies with kale and spinach. I prefer the spinach. Kale has a stronger taste that you have to hide with all the fruits. But hey, you be the judge.

VitaMix has tons of recipes on their website, and there are lots of other sources for smoothies on the web. Just search for "smoothie" or "green smoothie" and see what I mean.

Enjoy!

P.S. The VitaMix makes the BEST chocolate milk shakes, too. Just ask my boys.

Photo: © Liv Friis-larsen - Fotolia.com

Two Very Creative Blogs

2009-03-05T11:25:00.004-05:00

Leave it to the one-and-only Martha Stewart and an ex-MSL magazine executive (editorial director) to come up with some really clever blogs.

Martha's blog has gone to the dogs (literally). Her two French bull dogs, Francesca and Sharkey now have their own dog blog. Yes, it's true. Go check them out.

Another Martha Stewart original. It's a "good thing".

And...staying with the animal theme, Margaret Roach has launched (no pun intended) a Frog Blog. Hop on over and see what I mean.

It's a Frog Blog!

Enough of these witty little quips. I better get some work done.

Have a creative day. Seriously: go make something.

P.S. I have a second-cousin who turns five this weekend. I'm making him a sports-themed tote bag out of some re-purposed kiddo curtains I found at the thrift store yesterday. I really hope my idea works. If it does, I'll be sure to put a photo or two here for you to see. If it flops? Pretend like I never mentioned this, okay?

Soak Wash

2009-03-02T21:57:00.005-05:00

I was just introduced to Soak Wash via Twitter tonite.

Check this stuff out. Looks like it would be a great thing for all those quilts and heirloom items you may have tucked away.

P.S. Yes! I'm still among the living. And hope to begin posting more often.

P.P.S. If you're a Twitter-er, you can Twitter along with me. I'm 'craftydad'. (How'd you know?)

:-)

Sewing Green by Betz White

2009-01-25T23:53:00.000-05:00

Extra! Extra! Read all about it.

Over here, at EcoChild'sPlay.

Having Fun with Scrapblog.com

2009-01-24T20:50:00.001-05:00

A Little Bit of Inspiration

2009-01-24T12:06:00.003-05:00

I found this on Stephanie's blog....and HAD to share it with you.

I hope it touches your heart the way it touched mine.

Wow.

2009-01-19T20:48:00.001-05:00

Science Fair Project - For Son No. 1

2009-01-17T10:22:00.002-05:00

The "Before" picture: nice, healthy, green plants

The project? Acid Rain and its effect on plants. Start with five great-looking plants and water them each with a different combination of water and vinegar (to imitate acid rain).

What do you get?

This:

The "After" photo. Acid Rain is not a good thing.

Okay...we're off to get some photos printed and to make a trip to Shipshewana, IN. One of our favorite places to go. Amish country. Northern Indiana (where we live). We'll be stopping at E & S Sales (bulk foods, tons of flour varieties, herbs, spices, etc., etc.) and Yoder's Meat and Cheese Shoppe.

The weather has warmed up considerably. It's now 12 ° F outside, which is WAY better than -16 ° F which we encountered yesterday morning.

Hopefully, I'll have some craft time later today.

Have a great day!

Almost Done!

2009-01-14T05:07:00.000-05:00

Except for the Velcro® , these are ready for sale.

It's such a great feeling to FINISH things. I start so many projects and then get side-railed. I truly think I have ADD.