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!

Kid Krafts - Halloween Projects

A quick trip to Michael's Craft Store and $40.00 later, we had craft projects for everyone. Here's just a couple of them.


Here's my little guy working on his paper mache pumpkin. Folk Art paint was on sale. I think we paid 89 cents for the bottle. And the color? Oh...it's "pumpkin", of course. :-)


My middle-school guy bought this and had it whipped together in no time. Wow....he takes after his crafty dad. I gotta say.

:: Creepy Close Up ::

I even found some great W-O-O-L yarn. That's wool as in sheep. As in non-acrylic. Getting the picture? Knitter dudes take note: Crafty Dad found him some natural fiber and snatched it up at just $1.00/skein. Sorry...no pictures as proof, so you'll just have to believe me guys.

P.S. The 40% off coupon is a good thing.

Front Door Project

This weekend was full of fun home improvement projects -- like this one.

The front door needed a fresh coat of paint and the bathtub in the boys' bathroom needed a new caulk job. So...while I crouched in the tub (there's really not a lot of room to work in a bathtub, ya know?), my wife scraped old paint of the door. That was Saturday.

It's Sunday and here's the 'before' shot of the door.


And ... a few hours later, it looked like this.

A little paint makes a huge difference.

I'm not crazy about all the extra work, but it's really not so bad once you get started. It's that nudge, push, or shove that is needed to get the momentum going. When you're done, you say, "Gee, that wasn't so bad. I should have done that weeks ago."

Duh.

WIPs

Another week of fun at work. I guess that's why they call it 'work'....cuz it ain't no fun. Well...it used to be fun. We'll have to work on that. Perhaps I need some serious attitude adjustment. Or maybe a drink.

Anyhow. Here are the hats that I'm working on. Two of them are very close to being F-I-N-I-S-H-E-D. [Warning: poor quality photos ahead.]

Yep...Bright green and blue. Perfect for the seven year old boy. The ends need woven in and this puppy is done. Great photo, huh? NOT. But you get the idea.

Speaking of great pictures. Isn't this another good one? I was using the old camera trying to save some time. Ha! Haste makes waste baby. This one is just getting started. The yarn is Caron Simply Soft. It IS soft...much softer than the acrylic stuff I've been using up. This hat will be the red and blue when it's all done.



Camo hat at the 90% finished stage. Just a few more rounds and it's done. This one is acrylic...which I know makes your skin crawl. Cuz acrylic is like a big no-no to serious fiber artists like y'all. But...when you're looking for something that can be thrown in the washer and dryer several times during the winter season, man-made material seems to fit the bill. I'm thinking of getting some of that merino superwash yarn from Knit Picks. But...with the yarn stash I have, buying MORE yarn is not in the cards right now.


This is a scarf that my twelve year old son is working on. It will be a Christmas gift for a cousin. What a kid. He's a quick learner and doing a really nice job.

So what are you working on?

Have a good weekend and do something crafty.

Doing Better and Better

Hey all. I'm still here. Not at 100%, mind you, but doing much better.

The day job is still extremely stressful. I think a lot of it's self-imposed. I've always been that way. Taking life and work a bit too seriously. I really need to get over that, I know.

The boys are doing very well in school. My oldest, now a seventh-grader (sniff, sniff) got his progress report last week and he's getting A's in all his classes. My wife and I are so happy about that. Woo Hoo..... My little guy (the second grader) is doing very well too. It continues to amaze me what they are teaching in second grade these days. Oh. My. Gosh. I swear, it's like the stuff we learned in 4th grade.

It's been a transition to say the least, but he's handling it very well. There are so many kids that have behavior issues, it's sad. I know there are many, many things that influence a child's behavior and learning skills. I'm not naive. But...I'm very thankful that our family is able to do what we need to do to support our kids and to be involved in their school life. Too many kids don't have that resource. It's really a shame.

On a positive CRAFT note, I've actually been doing some craft-related things. I have three hats going right now.

[Side note to my Knitter Brothers: Guys, the hats are not of the knitted kind, they are creations of the single hook craft we call crochet. I haven't mustered enough patience to get the pointy sticks out. But I swear there will come a day when I do that....]

If I wasn't such a lazy butt, there would be photos on this blog post. Maybe later. I'm proud to say that I actually created a new post. LOL!

Take care my crafty friends.

All Work and No Play ...

makes for a very unhappy crafter.

• Work has been stressful.

• Back to school has a little hectic.

• I have a horrible cold / sinus infection.

Have I said enough? Thought so.

I'll be back when things are a bit more normal.

Yep, it's back to school time.

2007_08191stdayofschool_more0001
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

The boys started the new school year last Wednesday. Can you believe it? The middle of August, and they are going back to school! There should be some law against it.

While I dread the end of summer/beginning of school year, I love the back to school sales -- especially the school SUPPLIES. Thank goodness for Target and their fantastic selection and great prices.

Here's to a very positive, productive and FUN school year guys! "Do your best." That's the message that my wife and I preach all year long. It's all about your personal best.

Craft Time at the Lake

Painting wooden apples
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

Saturday afternoon was spent painting a bag of wooden apples I picked up the the Thrift Shop several weeks ago. The weather was cloudy and dreary...a perfect time for a creative pick-me-up. The boys helped me create some very life-like pieces of fruit. They might need a little touch up and then a spray of matte finish clear coat.

My plan is to get them finished this week and put into a basket that (I hope) will really show them off.

Stay tuned.

P.S I hope you had a crafty weekend.

A Craft Space -- To Die For!

Have you seen the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine? I mean have you really seen it? She has converted an attic into one of the COOLEST craft spaces. This is stuff that dreams are made of. Oh. My. Gosh. This is what I want my corner of the basement to look like (well...sort of). To have a place to go and create. That's my goal.

It's a good thing. The latest issue came in the mail today and craft maven is on the cover.

Wow! What a wonderful place to spend hours and hours and hours. Dreaming. Designing. Creating. In other words: A little bit of heaven.

Staying organized. The Martha Stewart way. I really like the green too.

More tools of the trade. I'm just a bit jealous. ;-)

Stay tuned. My dad is going to help me get my craft space built in the next few weeks. It's been in my head for a long time. He helped figured out what lumber I would need early this spring/summer. Now it's time to bite the bullet, pull out the checkbook and make a trip to Lowe's. I'll keep you posted. My goal is to have it ready so that I can start making Christmas gifts. (For THIS Holiday season, not next year!!). It won't be a MSL Production. But it's gonna be good. I promise!

A Finished Object!

DCP_4510
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

I started this stocking cap a few weeks (months) ago. I finished it just a few hours (days) ago and had to show it off.

I seem to have very few FO's, so when I have one: I'm gonna tell you about it!

Son No. 2 is the model. He wanted me to make sure I told all of you that he was under the hat.

For Dave and Micah

Knitting Again. Woo. Hoo.
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

Ok guys. Here it is: Crafty Dad's attempt to knit. It's slow going, but I'm beginning to get the hang of it. I feel very, very clumsy with the two needles. (A single crochet hook seems so much easier...)

I need to watch and re-watch my knitting video. Tension is a major issue with me. (Both the tension of the yarn and tension in general) LOL! But I shall overcome. I shall become a knitter. I shall. I shall.

Send me some encouraging words.

WGCS 91.1 The Globe -- Public Radio

WGCS 91.1 The Globe -- Public Radio
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

It was hotter than H - E - Double Hockey Sticks on the way home tonight. And humid too. The worst it's been all summer. So...the A/C was on to the maximum, the fan was kicked up, and one of my favorite radio stations played in the background. If you're looking for some unique, Public Radio, check out Globe Radio 91.1 FM

Stay cool!

Brant Point Lighthouse - Nantucket Island

Brant Point Lighthouse - Nantucket Island
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

It's Monday. And I'd love to take another summer vacation with my wife and the boys.

Here's a great shot of Brant Point. My wife took this photo from the ferry as we were leaving the island for Hyannis. Nantucket is a wonderful place. I highly recommend it.

Have a great day!

Simple, Summer Salad

My dad has a garden and he shared these green, banana and black(?) peppers with us soon after we returned from vacation. He also gave us a couple ripe tomatoes. (I am a TOMATO FREAK, just so you know.) I have been in love with tomatoes for as long as I can remember. When I was a teenager, I can remember taking the salt shaker out to my grandpa's garden. I would find a nice ripe one, carefully twist it off the vine, wipe it on my shirt, take a small bite (just to get to the fleshy part), then I'd sprinkle salt on it and eat it up. It was heavenly.

Fresh ones, stewed ones, canned ones. If it's a tomato, it's a friend of mine. Unless, of course, it's a rotten one. Then....well...that's a whole different story.

Fresh vegetables from Dad's garden.

A very, simple salad. Chopped veggies and some Vidalia Onion dressing from Tastefully Simple. If you've never tried it, you certainly should. They have some great products.

Summertime on Nantucket

The hydrangeas were in full force and I took lots of pictures of them. My wife and I have been on the island several times during the summer months, but I don't remember this many hydrangeas. I remember roses.

More vacation pictures will be posted soon.

And ... we're back!

The vacation was wonderful. There were a few 'bumps' along the way, but all is well. No one got sick. No one got hurt. We laughed. We cried. We had some very quality family time. I'm happy about that.

It's taking some time to get back to normal. What is normal? I'm not sure I know. Anyhow...I took lots of pictures and will share some of them with you as soon as I get them downloaded.

Going on vacation is always a treat. But coming home is nice too.

Stay tuned for "Cape Cod - 2007" coming to a blog site near you.