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!

Happy Easter Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Extra! Extra! Read all about it.

Over here, at EcoChild'sPlay.

Having Fun with Scrapblog.com

A Little Bit of Inspiration

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.

Science Fair Project - For Son No. 1

 

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!

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. 

Handmadeology

Timothy Adam is an artist.  Who sells online.


And...he helps others sell online too.  That's what Handmadeology is all about.


Click on the button below (or in the sidebar) to learn more.





You won't be disappointed.


Thanks!

Trader Joe Loot

Hey bloggers!

We were in Indianapolis the weekend right after Christmas. As a last-minute gift, my wife and I surprised our youngest son with tickets to a Colts game. He is an AVID fan of the team and has been begging to see a game. So....we were going to be in Indy that weekend anyhow. So yeah, we bought tickets. And yes, we sat in the nosebleed section, but we had a great time.

While we were in the capital city, we also went shopping at a couple malls and found a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's. We are pretty much in love with the Trader Joe's store. The closest one to us is in Chicago. That's about two hours away. That's a little bit too long of a commute to get groceries in my book. It would be great if they'd open a store in our neck of the woods. I've heard about the store, and have read several blog posts about them. Their stuff is GOOD.

Take care!

A Touch of Spring Color is Needed About Now

I think snow is wonderful. Really, I do. But...I'm a bit tired of it already. So I took it upon myself to spend some time in the studio today to 'think Spring'. I came up with some bibs that remind me of springtime -- green apples and flowers. They are in the finishing touch stage and will soon make their way to either Etsy or Art Fire. I haven't quite decided yet.

Springtime bib -- ready for the sewing machine.

[01.12.09: UPDATE: Bib is complete. I'll post photo tonight.]

Snow Day

It is still snowing. It's been snowing pretty steadily since Friday. The boys and I have cleaned off the driveway 3 or 4 times. I [heart] my snowblower.

[Image: Uriah Welcome through a Creative Commons License on flickr.com]

The wife is getting ready to head back to Cleveland this afternoon. She has another appointment at Cleveleand Clinic. Her headaches are way better, but they still give her fits every so often. Hopefully this will be the last time she has to drive 5 hours each way to see the doctor.

Oh yeah, I'm working on a story on organic cotton yarn and LYS' (local yarn stores) that sell it. If you have a favorite LYS, please leave its name in the comment section of this blog post. I'd be happy to include them in the short article I'm doing to Eco Child's Play.

I've been a closet writer for a long time and this year I decided to take the plunge and start writing 'publicly'. I just signed on with ECP a few days ago. I'm writing craft-related blog posts for them at least three times a week. It's a great green site, so click over and see us.

Take care!

Weekend (Craft) Warrior

The snow is falling, coffee is brewing and we have nowhere to go until late this afternoon. So...it's a good time to get things done.

I have several WIPs (works in process) in the studio that are just begging to be completed, photographed and added to my new shop. New shop? Yes! I recently joined forces with Art Fire and have a new online venue to share my craft items with the internet crowd.

My Art Fire shop inventory is a bit skimpy right now, but by the end of the weekend I hope to have a nice selection of items up for sale. Stop by and let me know what you think. My Etsy shop is still up and running. And, I have nothing against Etsy; I just want to give Art Fire a chance. And I see huge potential with the Art Fire team.

Okay, time to get moving. Have a great weekend.


P.S. If you sell crafty things online, I invite you to sign up for an Art Fire account today. Normal price is $20.00/month. Right now, they are going for just $7.00/month. It's a flat fee: no listing fees, no fees when you sell something. They use PayPal and their studio set up is fast and easy. As a bonus, they offer some great studio stats so you know who has visited your site.

Click on the link in my sidebar to get started today!

Time To Get Busy

Need to make more of these:

Green and Red Apple Tissue Holders

Green and Red Apple Tissue Holders -cute aren't they?

Need to get off my duff and start cranking out some more crafty stuff for the Etsy shop. Perhaps tonite!

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?

Brett Dennen -- This is Good Stuff!

I have found some new music that I want to share with you.  I REALLY like this song:



Tell me what you think!

Lucas Oil Stadium

Lucas Oil Stadium
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

Here's the new stadium in Indianapolis. It's the Lucas Oil Stadium and it's home to the Indianapolis Colts. We surprised the Little Guy with tickets to yesterday's game (as a last-minute Christmas gift).

He was ELATED. Like on cloud nine (or ten or eleven, not really sure).

We had a great time. And the Colts won too.

Latest Issue of Cotton Time

I found this on etsy.com today. I'm hoping to find some Japanese craft books (or Zakka books) in Indianapolis later on this weekend. We've had to delay our trip due to the rotten ICY weather we're having. There's a state of emergency keeping us hold-up on the house for now. So...it was tomato soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches for lunch and camping out by the TV and computer as ways to pass the time.

Here's the craft magazine I found on pomadour24's etsy site:

Hopefully, we'll be able to start our trip a little later this afternoon. Until then, it's back to surfing the web. Hey: it's better than spending the day at work!

Take care,

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.

Merry Christmas !

Wishing you a very 

Merry Christmas

and the happiest of New Years.

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

SUGAR COOKIES II

(Makes Approximately 40 3-inch Cookies)

4-1/2 cups sifted flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter baking sheets. Sift together the dry ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll 1 piece at a time on a floured board and cut with large cookie cutters.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool on racks.

From The Martha Stewart Cookbook -- Collected Recipes for Every Day

YOU: Aaaaaa-chooooooooooo!

ME: Bless you!

YOU: I need a tissue.

ME: Funny you should ask.




Tissue holder anyone? I have several laying around the shop.

My "Country Living" Photo Shoot

Yeah, right.



But...I am very happy with this photo of my sister-in-law's living room / dining room.

Whadyathink?

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas

I love goofing around with Picnik (www.picnik.com). It's free and fun. Wow. What a great combination!

Here is one of the wreaths that was placed on my mom's cemetary plot. I took some 'graphic license' and added some snow for effect.

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

Busy Weekend

Oh, it's definitely the Holiday season. In addition to the obvious (Christmas songs playing on the radio and all the decorations in the mall) it's the rush-rush-rush of our schedule that tells me the big day is not too far away.

Friday night was the middle-school play. Son No. 1 had the lead role in Who Poisoned His Meatball? It was a hoot! The audience was laughing the entire time (oh, and it WAS a comedy by the way). The kids did a fantastic job. Crafty Mom and I were especially proud of the young man who had the role of Luigi.

Middle School Play - "Who Poisoned His Meatball?"

Take a bow! You did a fantastic job kiddo!

Saturday Son No. 1 spent the entire day at a rehearsal for Honor's Band. He was selected as a top musician from his school to join 17 other area schools for a concert on Sunday afternoon. It was phenomenal. Those kids played their hearts out and played music that was at a skill level that .... I don't know. My wife and I were in high school band back in the late 70's and we never played music like that. They did a great job and received a standing ovation.

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?

Happy Veteran's Day

I am THANKFUL for my freedom.

From all of us at the Crafty Dad household: A big 'thank you' to all the members of the armed forces (past and present) for keeping this the land of free and the home of the brave.

Hungry? Dinner is Served

It's a pasta casserole that Crafty Mom put together.  Yumilicious!  That's the best word to describe it.

Thanks honey!

My good friend:



This little baby was VERY busy a couple of weekends ago. And it's going to become busy again. I have some Christmas gift ideas for some special people on my list.

Oh...and did I tell you? I've added another machine to my inventory of "tools"? Yes indeed. I bought myself an early Christmas present. You can see it here.

And, although it's not a super-duper-commercial-grade machine, it works a lot like this one:



Am I a crazy, crafty maniac? I think I am!

But hey, there are lots more pants that need shortened, so this blindstitcher (some people call them blindhemmers) will be a big help.