My trusty sewing machine

My trusty sewing machine
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

was very busy this past weekend. We hemmed SEVERAL pairs of pants for the boys. And...get this...we even did some C R A F T I N G. No kidding. We actually made some tissue holders and a few Christmas gifts (stocking stuffers).

More to come...

Crafty Dad - The Monday thru Friday Routine

Here's where I hang out during the week. It's the anti-craft, for sure. But...it's a great job, pays the bills and makes me think. Click on the image for a larger version and you'll see the little sign under the left-hand flat panel. That's my reminder. Every day presents new challenges. It's up to me (and you too) to think. Remember the old saying, 'work smarter, not harder'. It's pretty much true. ;-)

Mashed Potato Tribute for my Little Guy

My seven-year-old had a bit of trouble yesterday at school. It seems he was buried in a pile of leaves when another student decided it would be fun to jump on him. Oh maybe three or four times on the stomach. Yeah. That's the ticket! Then...as if that weren't enough, a second student joined in the fun and jumped on him -- twice. Dang! The behavior of some kids is just a bit more than I can handle.

Let me just say that my wife and I don't pretend to have perfect kids, but I can tell you that they have enough sense and manners that they know right from wrong. I don't think I would find either of my sons in a situation where they would jump on another kid. While I'm on my soapbox...can I just say that the behavior of several school children pretty much amazes me. It seems they can't keep their hands to themselves. And...the 'grown up' language they use is another issue I have. What are their parents teaching them? Or...have I hit the nail on the head with that comment? Perhaps the parents are NOT teaching them. I guess I'll save that for another post.

But...back to the story. So...my wife is at an offsite meeting for the entire afternoon yesterday when the school principal calls and leaves a voicemail message to let her know that our son was in a "situation" at recess but everything is okay. Not so fast..... When my wife picks him up from his after-school program, he tells her that his stomach hurts and that he can't pee. (Oh joy!) When I get home from work, he's complaining that his lower abdomen still hurts. So...the decision was made to take him to the ER to check things out. After an IV and a CT scan, he was allowed to go home. Some bruising, but nothing major. Thank God!

So..."Little Guy", I'm so glad that you're okay. You've had your share of tough times at school this year and I sure hope that things get better for you.

This post is for you buddy! My red-headed, mashed potato eater. Mom and Dad love you very much. And we're sure proud of you!

Hot potatoes in the mixing bowl on Thanksgiving morning.

Ready for the second batch. Love that KitchenAid mixer baby!

My "little guy" licking the bowl and the spatula. He LOVES mashed potatoes. And Hershey does too. See her in the lower right-hand corner? She knows a good thing when she sees/smells one. :-)

Have a great weekend everyone. Give your kids an extra hug.

Home Makover :: Holiday Style!

From Thanksgiving to Christmas -- all in a four-day weekend. Can I get a woot-woot?
It all started with a bowl of cranberries.

And quickly went from here to ...

Nutcrackers all in a row in the little guy's room...

to this...

Garfield ornament on my little guy's Christmas tree...

to this...

Gumby-style ornament...

to this...

the family room tree.


A favorite (and simple) ornament.

By the end of weekend...my wife and I felt like this.



Hershey was not impressed by all the decorating hub bub.

So: let the craziness begin! The shopping. The crafting. The baking. The making of lists. And checking them twice. In all the rush-rush-rush, may you find some peace and quiet during the Holiday season.

So Very Thankful --

For so many things. Even though I've been crabby and complaining about my stress level and work load (at work) I'm SO happy to have a job that I really like (most of the time LOL!). And a wonderful, supportive, gracious, (the list goes on) wife. And two of the best kids in the world. And last, but certainly not least, the fantastic blogosphere of crafty people. You are some of the most talented, creative and caring people on the planet.

You make my day. You really do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pickles, Pumpkins and More

Dill pickles, sweet pickles, garlic, Kosher, bread-and-butter, I love them all. Yes, I'm a pickle person to be sure. Are you a pickle lover too?


Just to the left of the plate o' pickles is the pumpkin bowl. Which currently serves as the centerpiece of the dining room table.



And above the pumpkin bowl is this light fixture. I was playing with the camera when I took this one. I really like the black background.

Fountain in front of the Woodwind and Brasswind's showroom.

My oldest son's saxophone needed some TLC (new cork and a thumb-key adjustment) so it was off the The Woodwind and Brasswind for a repair visit. If you're ever in the market for a musical instrument, I highly recommend visiting their showroom in South Bend, IN or their web site. Cool place. Very cool.

Hope you're having a great autumn weekend.

Brown Friday

Lightly-browned apple muffins. Food seems to show up often in this blog. Wonder what that means? Oh..nevermind.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Thursday - Cream Anyone?

Today is brought to you by the color cream. Enjoy!

More Blue Wednesday

Okay, I'm going overboard here, I know. But really. Have you ever seen such a B:L:U:E sky? I ask you: Well??? Have you?

Ok. That is all.

Blue Wednesday

Woo Hoo...three days in a row with the color theme started by JCasa. I'm so proud of myself. Ha!

A sea of blue. The combined Seventh Grade Band at this year's Fall Band Festival. This is the second year of band for my oldest son. He loves it! And has a ton of fun with the other kids. Their musical skills are vastly improved over last year. My wife and I were so impressed. Like 'goose bumpy impressed'. The kids really worked hard and the concert was a hit.

Blue sky. Green and amber trees. And a hint of russet. Against a beautiful blue sky.

Tuesday :: Grey

In keeping with JC Handmade's color of the day theme this week, I humbly offer this splash of grey.

Grey. With a touch of gemstones. The boys panned for gold and gemstones during their trip to pick out pumpkins this year. Amazing Acres is just that: amazing. As part of the tradition, my dad accompanied us on the trip. We had a great time. Feeding the goats, laughing at the goats, playing in the 'cornbox' (think sandbox, but instead of sand, it's filled with kernels of dried corn).

My oldest son is making a corn-angel in the cornbox. And my little guy is jumping in to join him (upper left-hand corner). They had a great time that day.

Yummy, Yummy Pumpkin Bread

Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven. My wife made four loaves of scrumptious pumpkin bread this weekend. Just add butter and you are in heaven. The plate is a thrift-store find from a few months ago.

Catching Up a Bit

I know Halloween was a few days ago, but I promised my kids that I'd get a picture of their jack-o-lanterns on the blog. So...without further adieu, here they are:

On the left: my seven year old's creation. On the right: my 12 year old's.

A little bit closer.

How cool is this? I helped, but he did a great job, didn't he?

Oh, by the way. This post (with all its orange-ness) fits in very nicely with Jennifer's 'color of the day'. Check out the JC Handmade blog. It's one I visit frequently.

In the foyer

It's out with the pumpkins and in with the Pilgrims.

Turkey Day is just around the corner folks. So...some Pilgrims and a cornucopia now reside on the foyer table.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Amazing Acres - where we've been getting pumpkins for the past few years.

Ha! And you thought I had gone away forever. Nope. Not true at all. Just been a teeny-tiny busy, that's all.

Work has been a constant stream of new and exciting experiences. Things like:

• employee turnover
• tons of work to do
• hiring a new person
• training a new person
• doing the work of two people

All the while, I'm trying to be a husband and a father. Holy Cow! I have a new appreciation for single parents. Because I truly don't know how they do it all.

And while I don't have a lot of time to sit here and create this post (busy with some home-related chores today), I did want to tell you that I'm still alive and kickin' and I HOPE to be back on a more regular basis.

Oh, and take a peek at the calendar -- Thanksgiving is only a few days away. And Christmas is just around the corner too. Amazing isn't it? I feel like summer was just a few days ago. I guess it's true: the older you get, the faster time moves.

I'll be back soon.

Take care!

Mailbox Full of Magazines!

Better than bills or junk mail, magazines are always welcome in our mailbox. Four of them came today. And even though I don't have a lot of time to sit down and really read them, it's fun to flip through the pages now and then.

This issue of Fortune is all about women in high places in some of America's largest corporations. Impressive. While I'm very much against children being raised by nannies and daycare centers, I don't think all women are cut out to be stay-at-home moms. And I applaud those that are able to balance career and family. It's tough. Let me tell you from experience.

My wife is not a top executive in a big company, but she has a career outside the home and it is a struggle some (most) days to make it all work. Honestly, there are times when we ask ourselves if it's worth it. Sometimes it gets so crazy that I threaten to sell everything we have and move far, far away to fend for ourselves. But I really enjoy hot showers, indoor plumbing and my high-speed internet connection. So I don't envision a 'for sale' sign going up in our yard any time soon.

Comfort Food

Beef and noodles with mashed potatoes.

Autumn Sights Around the House

In the foyer.

On the computer desk. A cute little Halloween tree we found at Michaels a couple weekends ago. We've seen Easter trees, but this is the first Halloween tree we've found. Cute, eh?

Two or three packages of ornaments later.

One of my favorites.

Closeup shot of the runner on the dining room table.

Kitchen Table: Homework, Crafts and Legos

It's true: the kitchen is probably the most popular spot in the house. And the kitchen table, that trusty, multi-purpose surface is a wonderful thing. Tonight we had dinner, did homework, put a Foamies® witch together, drew some Star Wars characters and staged a few Lego photo shoots.

Here, take a look:

Here's the tail end of the homework session. My oldest son wrote a book review at school today and was rewarded with a craft project. So after doing sixty-one (61!) math problems, he was ready for something fun. And what is more fun than some Foamies® cutouts and some glue?


With the glue still sticky-wet, it was time to slide this spooky babe off the table to make room for the ever-popular Star Wars Lego projects. The boys love these things. We recently scored a major set of ships and characters from eBay. It was the pay lode. The best ever. (Until something new comes along, of course.)


I'm not a Star Wars aficionado, but I'm pretty sure this is C3P0 and.....I have no idea who (what) the other guy is. The boys are in bed, otherwise I'd check with them. And yes, another something-or-other ship. (Or $20 worth of plastic.) I'm just sayin!


I think we have a problem here. Like I said, I'm not a pro at this Star Wars stuff. But, I'm pretty sure this car is NOT part of the legend. I see this and think: Star Wars meets Bonnie and Clyde.

Summer is winding down

and it's really feeling like fall. The days are certainly getting shorter. I had so much fun this summer. I stayed up late and got up early. It was wonderful. Now the seasons are changing and I feel like I need to hibernate. It's depressing. I think I'm suffering from that ....what's it called? Not enough light. I don't even know what to Google to figure out what I'm thinking about. How lame is that?

Black eyed Susans at the mailbox. They seem to take forever to bloom, but once they start....they seem to stay forever. I'm sure the mailman really appreciates them sticking out in the road. Oh well.

Up close and personal.

See...the leaves on the trees are starting to turn color.
Summer, summer, where art thou?
I want you back!