Away for Too Long

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.

Damn Spam!

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!

 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.

The Reason for the Season

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.

Not So Fast ...

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

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???

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?

Friday Wrap Up

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

[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!

Dreaming of a White Memorial Day

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!

i Zoom to Lunch

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!

Spring Is In The Air

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!

It Takes a Village

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. 

Happy New Year !

It's out with the old and in with the new.

Here's a sneak-peek at my resolution list

• learn how to make pasta (found a pasta maker at the thrift shop)
• get the craft area organized @home
  
• stop going to the Chinese restaurant at lunch (way too many calories)
• de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter all my workspaces (@home and @ the office)
• continue to lift up my team @ work
• continue to lift up my family members
• minimize: take the approach that less is more
• have what I love, and love what I have
• remember what it was like to be an 8-year old and a 13-year old so I can relate to my boys better
• become more proactive with household duties in order to help my wife and set a good example for my sons
• teach the boys more life skills. they are never too young to learn
• tell me wife that I love her more often
• make lots of items and sell them on Etsy
• start selling our 'want nots' on eBay (see de-clutter above)
• compose DAILY blog posts with good quality pictures
• become more Christ-like
• stop using 'bad' words
• start using positive, 'good' words in all my communication
• drink more water
• remember to take my multi-vitamin every day
  
• eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
• shop at the co-op grocery store; buy in bulk when it makes sense

I'm sure I could on and on....but I won't.

How is your list coming along?

Let's Get Organized

Hey bloggers! We're headed to Indianapolis for the weekend.

One of our stops will be the Franklin Covey store. Click on this post's title to find out what's on sale at Franklin Covey right now. My wife has been a Franklin Planner Girl for many years. As a busy accountant, she has to keep track of every minute of her time. And...let me tell you: this girl is O R G A N I Z E D. WAAAAAAAY more than I am.



I guess it's the 'opposites attract' thing with us. I am Crafty Dad and she is Organized Mom.



Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Two Days! Just Two More Days 'til Christmas!

Hey bloggers! No...I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth. I've just been a tad bit busy with work (the day job) and a ton of other stuff.

How do you guys do it? How do you have a 'life' and still have time to post all these great entries and beautiful photos? Do you not sleep? What's the deal?

Lately, it seems that I need to take a vacation day just to get things done. That's crazy. With all these high-tech gadgets, it seems life has become more and more hectic. (Ok...I'm off the soap box).

I did actually take the time to make a tote bag and wallet for my favorite Aunt. I'll get a photo posted as soon as I can find it. LOL! And...I cranked out some great-smelling soap for the people that work with me: glycerin with spearmint; aloe and olive oil with lavender; and goat's milk with tea tree oil. They turned out very well and the peeps love them. Whew!

There are two baby bibs that are 90% complete. I recently bought some Japanese fabric (man I love that stuff) and made a bib for Audrey (photo coming soon) and a bright orange and green bib for baby Ava (ditto: photo coming soon).

Oh....and I finally got a replacement for my DOA (dead on arrival) blindstitch machine. The slacks had been measured and pinned...just waiting for the new machine. Yes! the new one works perfectly. And makes hemming pants very, very fast. Love it. Speaking of machines...my dad is buying me a commercial grade, portable (is that an oxymoron?) walking-foot sewing machine. I found one on eBay and of course had to have it. It's on its way from the west-coast. I doubt if I'll have it by Christmas, but ... it will be fun to try it out when it does arrive. I've always wanted one, but the cost has been a bit above my budget. Cross your fingers that this one arrives perfectly so I can plug it in and give it a whirl.

Enough babbling already. I gotta get back to work.

Hope you're ready for the big day. My Christmas Countdown clock says 2 days, 13 hours, 7 minutes and 22 seconds until the big day. And let's all remember: it's about the Christ Child. All the gifts and glitter are great. But...the reason for the season is Jesus. I'm very proud to say that. Amen.

Love you guys!

--mike

T.G.I.S.

Yes. Thank goodness it's Saturday!

Crafty Mom and I are getting ready to head out to Kohl's and Michael's then later we'll be taking a van-load of 'stuff' to Goodwill. It's such a good feeling to de-clutter a space. Last night we spent a good amount of time in the cedar closet and sorted through old clothes and other miscellaneous items. Geez, it's amazing how much 'stuff' we've accumulated.

Hope you have a great day.

Do something crafty. With the Holidays just around the corner, there's no better time to get the creative juices flowing and to c-r-e-a-t-e.

Something fall-ish from the Crafty Dad photo gallery:

Take care,

Chicken Soup for the Sewing People

I love it when a plan comes together.

It seems almost zen-like when you are so "into" a project. Like the one above. There are so many steps to the process. And when you're done (and ... assuming you got the results you expected) there's a sense of elation, accomplishment, a 'whew that went well' moment.

This pair of slacks turned out nice too:



Do you experience that with your projects?

Busy Times

Greetings!

First, two of my favorite photos to share with you:

Toledo Zoo - Summer Vacation 2008

Toledo Zoo - Summer Vacation 2008

I guess it's always 'busy' time isn't it? Seem there are so many things to do...and you often wonder how you're going to get them all done. But, somehow, all (or most) of them get done. Thank God for that!

We've made two visits to the funeral home this week. My Little Guy's teacher is Mrs. H. And Mrs' H's mom passed away this week.

Then...last night, it was another visit. I work with Dean and his father passed away. His dad was diagnosed with cancer on Labor Day weekend. And he died last week. Wow...

Today it's a trip to the lake to close up the park model and then, later today, Little Guy has his bonfire at school. We're not going to stay too late. My wife heads off to Cleveland Clinic tomorrow. Her headaches and severe pain in the side of her face and head are still causing her a great deal of discomfort and stress. I pray that the folks at CC can help her out. We'd appreciate your prayers too!

Hope you have a great weekend.

God bless,

Happy Friday!

Woo Hoo! It's Friday. And I'm lovin' it.

Last weekend was the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. It's called A-Mazing Acres because.....it is amazing and it has a corn maze and....it is several acres in size. Makes sense, right?

More photos soon.

Have a great day.