A Sprinkler in the Rain

Scaping the Land

2011-07-04T14:34:00.004-04:00

That's right, we're scaping the land around here.

Last summer, in our efforts to experiment with gardening, we totally neglected the flowerbeds in front of the house. We talked about them occasionally, but it usually amounted to this:
Wife: "We should totally get some flowers or something for these beds."
Me: "Yeah, ok. Great!"
Wife: "Yeah."

We never acted on these discussions.

Finally, 4th of July weekend opened up on our calendars, and to the local Blues and Oranges we went. In retrospect, we should have started at the local nurseries because they had way better deals and heartier looking plants, but that's how hindsight works, and we'll know better for next year.

Anyhow, we planted some knockout roses, and roses, and black-eyed susans by the shed. Black-eyed susans are our state flower, by the way. We also planted a whole bunch of impatiens and such in front of the house to liven it up. Again, hindsight tells us that we should have mixed up our color a little bit more, but again, we'll know better next year.

Take a good look at the rose pictures. Those bushes will probably never look this good ever again, now that they're in our care.

At any rate, it all breaks up the sand that we had fronting our house previously.

Scaping some land.

Upgrade: Mailbox

2011-05-28T16:45:00.004-04:00

ith the holiday weekend upon us, I figured that this was one of the best times for us to upgrade our mailbox, especially considering that it could have taken us many days, not knowing which snags we may have encountered while doing the work. Fortunately, this was an easy one, and everything went according to plan.

The mailbox that came with our house was old and busted. The flag would spin way past upright, the box itself was covered in algae and lord knows what else, and the post--oh, the post!--was well, look at it. Nightmarish, right? It had seen better days to say the least.

So we hit up the local blue and oranges to get some supplies, namely, a new post, a mailbox, and some numbers. We also went to our local Sherwin-Williams and bought some paint from a guy with a personality like a used car salesman.

Two days, two coats of paint, and a few feet of dirt later, we've got a new mailbox!

It's a little red, but it's not too shabby, I think.

New Numbers

2011-05-26T08:37:00.003-04:00

We live on a long and winding road, and so occasionally people have trouble finding us. Hopefully these beauties will help.

Maybe we'll even landscape around it or something. Who knows?

Next up on our improvements: the mailbox!

Finished product

2011-04-10T13:37:00.003-04:00

ere's the shelf in action!

Pillow Shelf

2011-04-09T22:36:00.010-04:00

e have the loveliest throw pillows for our bed, but we've never had a place to put them.

Often they have found themselves on the floor, stuffed in a closet or piled on a dresser. Ever since we've had a house, I've wanted a place to put those things while we sleep, so we don't have to stash them away, and maybe so that we even make our bed occasionally.

Well, enter a weekend with some time to spare--a true rarity around here, but this was one! We picked up four shelf brackets (sold in pairs), a 1x8x8, and two 1x2's one 6' and one 8'. (We didn't really need that much 1x2, but two feet cost as much as six, so we went for it.)

When I got home I pulled together a couple kitchen chairs for makeshift sawhorses and ripped the 1x8 down to seven feet (the width of our headboard). Then I cut the 1x2's to mitered corners and taped it all together with some finishing nails. A little wood putty filled the cracks and the corners where necessary and I stained it walnut with some leftover from the CD shelves we built a long while back. After the stain dried, I polyurethaned it and waited for it to dry.

Meanwhile, I measured, taped up a template, check to ensure the template was level, and then drilled and set my brackets in the wall. Hours and hours later, after consuming some steak and potato salad to refuel, the polyurethane had dried--mostly.

So I carried the shelf back, marked out where the screws would go, carried the shelf back to my saw horses (by which I mean kitchen chairs) and drilled out the holes. Then I remounted the shelf and set the screws in place!

Mission accomplished.

In fact, the shelf even sits tight against the wall, which was more than I was hoping for considering the age and often unlevel qualities of our house.

So, there you have it. A pillow shelf.

We'll add some action shots of the shelf holding pillows as soon as were certain that the polyurethane is, in fact, quite dry. Check back for that exciting development!

Where do you keep your crazy throw pillows when they're not being pretty?

Bathroom Curtains

2011-03-10T23:06:00.004-05:00

ell, after a year in the house, we finally decided that the neighbors had had enough eye candy, so we hemmed up, stamped up, and hung up some curtains to cover up my bathroom window.

I'm sure the neighbors will console themselves and soon find something else to watch, like the season finale of Jersey Shore.

Man-Cave Upgrade

2010-11-07T21:55:00.006-05:00

ell, at long last, I had one day to work on a fun house project, so here it is!

A few months ago, when I last had a spare afternoon, I hung my dart board in my study. The study is also known as the downstairs bedroom, but I prefer to call it my man-cave.

The dart board is good for breaks in grading, but it would be even better for friendly games of darts, but we didn't have a chalkboard to keep score.

After searching all over this town, we finally struck gold at the local teacher supply store, where we got a chalk tray, a small blackboard, some chalk, and an eraser.

All that we needed to do then was paint numbers on it for cricket and add some lines for scoring, so we picked up some acrylic paint at the craft store, and I set to work on it.

All that's left is to hang it in the aforementioned man-cave!

New Dryer Vent!

2010-07-05T13:29:00.009-04:00

he lack of activity on this blog is inexcusable, but I've been terrible busy.

First we had the great flood of oh-nine. Then I had my semesters to finish. Now we have bats getting in, so I've been plugging up holes in our house like it's my job, which it is.

The latest in efforts of plugging holes that bats may be entering through is the dryer vent. The dryer vent has never closed fully since we've moved in. So, we bought a new one, with closing vents and a screen over the top to keep the pesky critters out entirely. I won't name-drop the brand because I wasn't really impressed with the quality. It's really flimsy plastic material, and I had to tape the screen on to be sure it was going to stay in place. That is partially the fault of the manufacturer and partially the fault of the previous vent going into the house at an angle instead of straight through, but I got it up, sealed it, caulked it, and hopefully it will be one added guard against potential flying-rat intruders in the future.

Pictures explain more fully.

See how the old one gaps almost a full inch when it's upright! That was a pretty big access point for frogs, bats, etc., but hopefully we've got it sealed up now!

CD Shelves Finished

2010-01-02T23:50:00.005-05:00

o, I had to work for a week, and then I had some holiday-with-family time, but here, at long last, are the pictures of the finished shelving unit.

Apparently the pictures are in anti-chronological order and I don't feel like fighting the HTML code to fix it right now. (Thanks alot, Blogger!) So scroll down and see the shelving unit unstain itself.

If you look closely at the first picture you can see the backing material for the shelves was high-dollar reused cardboard from soda 12-pack boxes, but that's how we roll around the Snicklefritz ranch.

Also, it should be noted that the shelves are now covered in construction dust because shortly after we finished the shelves, we had some water seepage in our basement, so we had to get some contractors to waterproof the place.

:(

Still, we got some shelves, and soon we'll be able to put everything back together.

Too Much Music, Too Little Shelving Units

2009-11-27T16:16:00.006-05:00

or quite some time, I've had too many CD's. The racks have overflowed, and it was finally time to do something about it.

With a handy Lowes gift card, I picked up a circular saw and with a bunch of cold hard credit, I purchased a bunch of lumber.

Armed only with a crude sketch and some ideas, we started construction at the Snicklefritz ranch.

We spend the first evening measuring the lumber two or three times and returning to the sketch and a calculator to refigure the measurements. Then I made sure to read the instruction manual for the saw to ensure safety and proper precautions.

Early Thanksgiving morning, we started cutting, sanding, gluing, and screwing the pieces of lumber.

At the end of the day, we had exhausted both batteries for the cordless drill and were forced to call it a night.

Early Friday morning, I finished attaching the bottom six shelves and puttied the screw holes to the best of my ability. Sanded everything once more and now I'm waiting to pick up the last piece of lumber, for we were one shy. That way I can add a kick plate and we can start staining.

Not bad for two days' work and little real construction skills.

Book 17

2009-08-08T19:05:00.000-04:00

2009-06-19T22:39:00.001-04:00

Progressive

2009-06-04T19:12:00.002-04:00

Snow Day Book!

2009-03-02T19:54:00.001-05:00

Guitar Strap Tutorial Video

2009-02-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

First Shirt!

2009-01-07T15:15:00.003-05:00

I made my first shirt. It was from McCall's 4079 "Three Hour Shirt" pattern. I, however, did not find it to be a three hour project. It took me about two days, but it was my first shirt.

The project wasn't too tricky. I think the hardest part was finding the packages of snaps I purchased way back before vacation, but that wasn't McCall's fault!

The pattern calls for buttons, but I swapped them out for some pearly snaps, and that went pretty well, but nobody told me how easy it is to crack pearly snaps! I think it'll hold up alright though.

At any rate, I finished it today and I screen printed the bird on the pocket.

Ta-da!

Screen Printing: My First Try

2009-01-06T16:05:00.006-05:00

I don't deal with spare time very well.

I have to be busy, always flitting about from one project to the next.

Today's project is screen printing.

I picked up a silk-screen skit at a craft store in Ohio over the holidays. I had been looking for one for years, but apparently they aren't in high demand on the Eastern Shore of Maryland because nobody has them.

Today, I finally got it out and started working with it.

I started by finding some source pictures on the internet. I wanted to do some birds and also I wanted to experiment with some wind turbine designs. Then I traced those designs right onto the screen with a pencil. I filled the outlines in with "Drawing Fluid." After that stuff dried, I squeegeed the "Screen Filler" across the screen. After that dried, I washed out the "Drawing Fluid," and I let the screen dry again. Then I was ready for a test drive!

I have six flour-sack towels that I use to dry my handmade papers. I often get confused mid process about which towels are wet and which are still dry because they all look alike. I was thinking about just Sharpie-ing some numbers on them, but with the screen, I had a better idea. I used the towels as my test runs to see how the screen printing process would turn out.

After moderate success with a couple of the towels, I tried a handkerchief or two.

Here are some snaps of the results!

Experimental Book

2009-01-03T15:45:00.006-05:00

I know, it's been months since I made a book, but I've been a bit busy with school and school and the holidays and everything.

With the last few days of my break, I got the bug again, so I made quite a few sheets of paper; in fact, my arms are sore! I also picked up a trashed leather skirt from a thrift store for about $3 so that I could try my hand at a leatherbound book. I didn't want to waste the handmade paper on an experiment, so I tore some plain computer paper, and I stitched it together to see how it would turn out.

Here are the results!

Recycled-Sweater-Mittens Tutorial

2008-12-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

Cut from a paper

2008-12-11T02:14:00.003-05:00

I think I was rambling off topic, so I deleted this, but it's too good to not share... or at least my 2:15 a.m. brain says it is.

"Perhaps this is the unavoidable nature of instruction—the end of the semester leaves all involved parties with too much work and too little time to complete it. So we all, teachers and students alike slug through, zombie-like, with pen and pencil in one hand, books and papers in the other, and an otherworldly lost gaze in our eyes that leaves us tripping over our own feet, stumbling along for the last week or two of classes, and our friends and family are left with but one question: 'Are you ok, man?'"

Thanksgiving Craftiness II

2008-11-30T14:53:00.007-05:00

Here is an update to my previous post.

After much thought and experimentation, I decided to not robotify my mittens. The deciding factor really came down to how feasible it was. I tried (on a spare piece of fabric) to Sharpie the design, but it didn't work out--I think the 10% of nylon and 10% of spandex meant that 20% of the Sharpie was not going to stay on. (Lots of marker rubbed off on my fingers, even after I let it dry for a full day.) I tried paint markers too, from an old project about a decade ago, but that didn't work too well either. Furthermore, my PIC said she could embroider the design, had I not already assembled them, but hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20. So, I guess the NEXT pair will have to be robotted up.

Meanwhile, I did cut a pocket off of the original felted sweater and I added that to the left mitten, as you can see here!

Also, Bosco approves of the messenger bag. I'm sure that most of my readers already know about his helpfulness in the sewing room from all of my PIC's allusions to him, but I thought I'd let you know that his helpfulness knows no bounds!

Furthermore, Kim had asked about the Playmobil nativity set that was mentioned over on the Snicklefritzes. Yes, it is now set up. FINALLY, she let me assemble it and proudly display it in our kitchen on a lit bookshelf. It looks pretty cool in the evenings when it's lit up. Here is a picture. Joseph, as you can see, is missing his headband. I have already contacted Playmobil and expect to receive a replacement part at their earliest convenience. I'll keep you posted.

Also, doesn't Balthasar look pretty crunk?

Thanksgiving Craftiness

2008-11-27T15:23:00.009-05:00

With my four days off, I've been able to work on a few projects that have been in the works for a while! Three total, and now, I need to return to the papers that I've been avoiding with all this fun.

Project 1: A lap desk.

I had seen lap desks at B&N and other stores around town, and I looked at them until I saw the price tag: $40! (They get $40 for a hunk of wood or plastic and some fabric with styrofoam beads in it!) So, I figured, heck, I can make one of them myself! Not too long ago we replaced the freebie coffee table that we inheritied with our apartment with a brand new one, but not before I salvaged some of the scrap wood that was barely holding the old one up. I took one old piece, about lap size, and some leftover fleece from a project from a while back for my PIC, and some foam from the stadium seat we constructed (yet to be blogged about). Ten minutes, and a staple gun later, I had a lap desk. I took out a chisel and carved a little pencil tray at the top, did a little sanding, and called it done.

Project 2: A Messenger Bag

Some time ago, I made a messenger bag for myself out of some blood, sweat, and canvas. Since then, I've been schlepping

papers to and from work in it. Initially it caught quite a bit of attention. My boss even asked me to make one as a graduation present for a young friend of the family. A few months later she again asked me to make one as a Christmas gift for another young family friend. I'm not sure when else I'd get an opportunity between now and Christmas to make one, so here it is: a plain black messenger bag.

Project 3: Felted Wool Mittens

The PIC got a book from the library called Warm Fuzzies a while back. It included a ton of neat projects making use of felted wool, "upcycled" from old thrift-store sweaters and the like. Inspired she bought about nine old wool sweaters from Goodwill, and felted them. But then we got cable, and she didn't do much crafting. (For more on that read her blog.) Well, I have been inspired by all the amazing items on Etsy to get crafty again, and I've also been inspired by these 20 degree temperatures we've been getting to stay warm. Warmth and craftiness go together to make cozy mittens!

I sewed them up and lined them with fleece. The whole project took about an hour, maybe two. Now, I'm not sure if they need anything to spice them up. I'm thinking about sketching or stenciling on a robot (see the last picture for a draft of this idea). What do you, my dear readers (by which I guess I mean, Kim) think?

I like the robot and I like the plain subtle mitten. The PIC feels the same way. We can't decide! Help us!

Dear Ohioans,

2008-11-04T16:31:00.002-05:00

Things like this make me glad that I'm out of your state.

Seriously, "Write In Candidates."

Oh, cripes!

Love,

-Chuck

Carvings from First Lutheran, Springfield, Ohio

2008-09-14T20:19:00.002-04:00

I took pictures of the end-of-pew carvings from the First Lutheran Church while I was there for my sister-in-law's wedding last year. Now, thanks to Picasa3, I was able to make a video out of them and upload it to YouTube with one or three easy clicks! Eventually, maybe I'll figure out how to set it to music.

In the meantime, enjoy!

Shameless Plug for My Pops: A Brief Aside

2008-08-14T11:28:00.003-04:00

My dad plays the banjo in an Ohio band called Bridge County. As I was talking to him on the phone least night, I found out that there's a great new venue for bluegrass music in northwest Ohio at the Glass City Opry (see the new link in the right column of this page). Upon scouring their website, I found a podcast (Bridge County is featured about 22 minutes in) and YouTube videos featuring his band. Apparently the band is getting quite the online representation. Check them out!

Acetone Transfers!

2008-08-07T08:30:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I have been dabbling with transfer methods to reliably reproduce a polished image onto my papers and fabrics.

I have managed to run one page through my jet printer at home, but usually the paper just jams and I get a smeary mess of jet printer ink all over my time consuming handmade papers. I had to find something more effective.

I looked into letterpresses, but the bottom of the line for those is about a thousand dollars, used. *SIGH!* Someday, maybe, but until then, I had to figure something out.

I have done silk screening in the past, and I really like it, but we live in a small apartment, and so the darkroom issues in addition to the mess was less than ideal.

Finally, I stumbled upon Acetone Transfer! (Insert heavenly choir noises here.) I have been making trips to Kinkos now and then rushing home to transfer fresh copies onto my papers and fabrics and more!*

The first picture here shows my first attempt at a business card.

After I got the image all set, I called my PIC/Proofreader over and asked her to take a look. She gave it the two thumbs up, so I set out for Kinkos. I made my copies and I started transferring the images onto my yellow handmade paper. After two sessions of transferring and about a dozen or so business card/bookmarks, I realized that there was a typo. (BooooooooOOOoooooooks!) So, I started over. Grr. >:(

Round two was far more successful. You can see the results at the top of my blog here.

Then I really got crazy! This is the next book I plan to make. The six-shooters are transferred onto the fabric that will cover the outside. The cardboard paper (the brown speckles to the right) will be my flyleaf, and the blue in the background is going to be the pages for this upcoming work. Watch for the pictures here, as soon as I find time to make four more sheets!

* Please be aware of all health issues related with solvents. I always work in a well ventilated space and take proper precautions with safety equipment, and you should too!

Yikes! It's been quiet around here.

2008-07-24T13:55:00.003-04:00

I know, I know, it's been over a month since my last update, but don't think I've been slacking! I have big news!

First and foremost, I now have four books in a real-growed-up-artist gallery in a neighboring town. You can find a link to that gallery, Bishop's Stock, at the top right corner of my blog or: here.

Also, I've been making plenty of paper and a couple of books, but I've additionally been experimenting with acetone transfers because my paper isn't quite smooth enough to reliably run through a printer, and I haven't yet sprung for a letterpress, but I wanted to find a way to get a clean image onto my paper. This is working wonderfully. I've already made some business cards, and I'll get a post up here this week to explain how the transfer works, for those that don't know, and show some of my upcoming books and projects.

Alright, I'm out!

Books 14 and 15

2008-06-10T19:04:00.004-04:00

I know, I know, book 14 looks just like "The Ugly One" but it is supposed to! I received an email inquiring about its availability on the day that I promised it to one of our cat sitters (or at least to her mother--and subsequently it was given to the aforementioned cat sitter).

Anyhow, so I had just enough fabric to make another one. So I did.

Then I packed it up and mailed it off.

The latest book (15) is the mod looking brown one.

Enjoy!

Books XII & XIII

2008-05-29T08:13:00.004-04:00

Here are next two books that I made.

They both were completed a week ago, exactly because I needed them for the trip. The green book is covered in Amy Butler fabric (oooh!) that we got for an extremely reasonable price at a local fabric store that is tragically going out of business. This book was part of a graduation present for my littlest sister.

The red and khaki Route 66 book is covered in plain quilter's cotton. My mom claimed it when she saw it, so I told her, "Happy Birthday," and let her have it.

Book XI

2008-05-27T08:55:00.005-04:00

This was my first commission work.

A former coworker contacted me about making a book for another former coworker's going away present.

I was already halfway through making the paper for this one, so I finished it up and found some fabric that reminded me of a sketch that the aforementioned recipient's daughter made of the wedding party at my nuptial ceremony.

The young lady's sketch was actually far more representational than the scribble covered fabric, but only the true subject of her sketch warranted the attention to detail that her pencil gave him. Joe, groomsman, best friend, and all around nice guy was super-sized and boldly drawn, with great attention to detail, holding the hand of the young artist. The rest of the wedding party looked very much like this fabric in the background. It seems only right though, for Joe nearly delivered the young lady as he helped the young artist's mother, our supervisor, shut the place of our employment down as she started into labor.

The wedding day sketch is lovely, and a copy of it hangs on our fridge to this day.

Also, many of my books are now in the hands of other people for various reasons. Here is a quick update on the whereabouts of my books.

XI: Sold--didn't you just read this post?
X: Given to my sister for her birthday.
IX: Sold as a birthday gift for one of our cat-sitters.
VIII: Retirement gift for a coworker out here.
VII: Available.
VI: Sold, to the aforementioned coworker who bought XI.
V: This red one was the first one I made for my Partner in Crime, A.K.A. "Wife."
IV: This one was gifted/bartered to my officemate. He makes soap, so we traded.
III: This is another sketchbook for me. It's the first full sized book I made, but it's not a great example of quality.
II: This one turned out really nice, but I like it so much, I can't part with it.
I: This one was a bit of a disaster/learning-experience, and I sketch in it. It's not suitable for anything else.

Book X

2008-04-29T10:30:00.003-04:00

I think this one looks as though it were, perhaps, stolen from a bowling alley in the 70's.

Your call.

Book IX: The Ugly One!

2008-04-24T12:37:00.004-04:00

This is my newest book. I like to call it, "The Ugly One."

It is the ninth book I have made completely from scratch.

Your comments, questions, concerns, queries, and name calling are appreciated.

Book VIII

2008-04-13T22:43:00.002-04:00

Here it is, at long last, by public demand, after a long hiatus, BOOK 8!

It's a little girly, I know--not my usual style, but I think the star gives it a little bit of self respect.

Ta-da.

Books V, VI, & VII.

2008-04-08T08:06:00.006-04:00

Based upon the insane popularity and the flooding of comments on my other pictures, I knew that the masses couldn't wait another day for me to post pictures of my next three books!

Here they are: V, VI, and VII!

Books III & IV

2008-04-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

Although it may not look like it, these are pictures of my third and fourth books. I used the same fabrics for both of them, but the first one is foolishly glued on the spine; whereas, the second one is sewn. The double-stitched seam on the second one is far superior and is the way that I am going to be making my books from now on. I have already made books V and VI, so look for more pages soon. In the meantime, check these out!

Book II

2008-03-21T09:48:00.005-04:00

I've been on a paper making kick. After moderate success with the first book, I thought I'd try my hand at a second one.

Here are the results.

A Handmade Book: How I Spent My Spring Break

2008-03-11T12:52:00.005-04:00

So, this is how I spent my spring break. First I spent a day or two researching paper-making online. There are a couple good websites, which I may add a link to later when I am at the computer on which I looked them up.

Then, I mentioned my plans to make paper to my dear, sweet Partner-In-Crime and she told me that she'd check the library for some books since she was going there anyway.

She came back with four books, all completely different and sometimes contradictory in their suggestions, techniques, materials, etc.

I read all four books simultaneously, taking from them the best of each, and then I set up my paper making factory. This part of the story will probably be covered soon on the PIC's blog.

After I closed up the paper factory (by which I mean our apartment's kitchen, I set to work on a handmade book (another of my useless hobbies). I used a new technique from one of the four books that was called "Japanese Stab Binding."

I started by cutting the paper to size and folding it into three leaves of four pages each (times two pages per leaf, that's 24 pages).

Then I cut a piece of mat board for each side and glued it down, with some fancy Elmer's gel glue, on some unbleached cotton canvas. I use the same cloth on all my books. I like the natural look. After I got the mat glued to the board, I glued the edges of the canvas and folded them over onto the board.

Then I added some flyleaf paper from your basic craft-store-fancy-paper bin. I simply glued one side of the flyleaf to the front cover and the back cover of the book and then fold the edge back to act like a first sheet. This helps hold down the canvas and gives the cover a polished look.

Then I started on the stab binding. And that's when things went awry. The stab binding was a pain because I had to drill a hole with a needle. Someday I'll get a power-drill! After much labor, I got the thread through and the book started to look like a book.

Unfortunately, it's really not a very functional book because I used too-heavy mat board for the outside. I think it might have worked if I had cut or scored it first. I'll try that next time.

Then I realized that I had two days to grade all of the papers that I had ignored for a week.

An interlude...

2008-02-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

You Know What's Stupid? Everything I Don't Understand

For far too long I've sat idly by, twiddling my thumbs and respecting the right of others to form thoughts and opinions independent of my own, and...

Blogged with Flock

Rocket

2008-02-25T14:59:00.002-05:00

This was a meeting doodle. They kept repeating the word "disruption" in reference to a student who cannot behave in class, so it ended up on my folder, juxtaposed with this rocket.

Robots III

2008-02-19T08:02:00.001-05:00

Robots II

2008-02-18T14:59:00.001-05:00

Robots: part I

2008-02-14T15:10:00.001-05:00

Robots…

call me on the phone,

play games with me,

mail me letters,

chat with me online,

want to be my MySpace friend,

sing the music on the radio,

build my cars,

steal my identity for crooks,

email me about my small unit,

give me money from my account,

ring up my groceries,

ask me to “please stay on the line,”

assure me that

“your call is very important

us and we’ll be with

you

in just a moment.”

Flock

2008-02-13T16:03:00.001-05:00

This is my new favorite browser. I don't think it will work well at home with dial up, but it could launch a new phase in my online distractions!

Big Project, Small Apartment

2007-12-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

My Heritage: Look Alikes

2007-11-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

..>..>

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

Last Sunday's Project

2007-10-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

I made some pie.

It is, after all, apple season.

The pie was delicious.

Eat warm apple pie in a bowl with cold milk over it.

Sewing

2007-09-04T20:35:00.000-04:00

Kelly got a sewing machine for her birthday last year.

Kelly had never before run a sewing machine, but almost a full year later, after lots of trials and lots of me recalling my 8th grade Home Ec. classes, she is now stitching away.

Since we are hip young kids, we figured we ought to start a sewing blog, so she can swap ideas and show off her projects to friends, family, and the world.

You can find her new blog here.

Drop her a note! She'd be glad to hear from you.

2007-08-31T20:52:00.000-04:00

Stained Glass

2007-06-18T15:59:00.000-04:00

Like a double header, and we lost both of 'em!

2007-05-02T17:02:00.000-04:00

Shorebirds 2 Grasshoppers 3

Chucks Arms 0 Angry Sunshine 2

Kitchen Violets

2007-04-26T19:56:00.000-04:00

The City

2007-04-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I Feel Like This.

2007-04-10T19:06:00.000-04:00

Sister Gracie

2007-03-07T17:08:00.000-05:00

Our little Gracie is considering the convent or at least the table cloth guild.

Snow!

2007-03-02T23:13:00.001-05:00

The flakes were the size of my outstretched hand. It was amazing. The video hardly captures it, but it's an attempt.

The name has been blotted, but the problem is real.

2007-02-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

How are the cats, anyway?

2007-02-02T11:58:00.000-05:00

Well, they're generally just pissed off.

Smile, Bosco!

For All My Ol' Carlson Peeps (and Pepys, E?)

2007-02-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

Autumnal Imagery

2007-01-31T08:09:00.000-05:00

This is the view from my office window, or rather, it was the view, back in the fall. Now it's all just grey and dead.

Reflections II

2007-01-30T07:32:00.000-05:00

Deals, deals, deals

2007-01-29T14:13:00.000-05:00

New emo-pirate shirt provided by: Target
T-shirt: $3.24

Sewing Project? You?

2007-01-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

You heard right. I'm sewing now. This crafty remote caddy was machine sewn in all of a half hour. Then it was decorated with some budget rubber stamps in thread matching navy blue.

Bargains, bargains, bargains

2007-01-27T15:20:00.000-05:00

New wardrobe choices provided by Kohl's.

Shirt: $2.25
Tie: $1.25

Top 25 on my 25th which is on the 24th

2006-05-24T19:35:00.000-04:00

The 25th Birthday Top 25 Albums of All Time (according to me--with the understanding that this may all be changed tomorrow according to my whim.)

1. The Beatles Rubber Soul (US)
(The US version starts with "I've Just Seen a Face", and its way better than the UK version, which starts with "Drive My Car")
2. Radiohead Amnesiac
3. Can Future Days
4. John Coltrane A Love Supreme
5. Archie Shepp Blasé
6. Weezer Weezer (Blue)
7. MC5 Kick Out the Jams
8. The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
9. Radiohead Kid A
10. Beach Boys Pet Sounds
11. Can Monster Movie
12. John Coltrane My Favorite Things
13. Don McLean American Pie
14. Miles Davis Kind of Blue
15. Simon and Garfunkel Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.
16. Charles Mingus A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry with Charlie Mingus
17. Jim O'Rourke Bad Timing
18. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
19. Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
20. The Stooges The Stooges
21. Bill Evans Waltz for Debbie
22. Bill Evans Undercurrents
23. Zao Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest
24. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
25. Miles Davis A Tribute to Jack Johnson

Post your own 25. I'll understand if you change it tomorrow or at your whim.

Happy Birthday to me.

21

2006-05-19T09:15:00.000-04:00

Coffee King

2006-05-18T16:49:00.000-04:00

Emily's Glass

2006-05-12T12:54:00.000-04:00

Flowers. Yay.

2006-05-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

The Rose Bush I Gave My Sister For Graduation

2006-05-10T10:09:00.000-04:00

collage

2006-04-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

Short Film Friday #4

2006-04-20T19:03:00.000-04:00

Here it is:

Watch it, enjoy it, discuss it, recommend something for next week.

"Laser Cats"

Circles

2006-04-18T14:18:00.000-04:00

Angel

2006-04-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

Short Film Friday #3

2006-04-13T19:45:00.000-04:00

This friday's short film is provided by Saturday Night Live and NBC.

It's called "Lazy Sunday".

Enjoy, discuss, recommend something for next week.

Sketch

2006-04-13T19:43:00.000-04:00

Cliff

2006-04-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

German Lesson (Subliminal Message?)

2006-04-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

7. Mein Freund fragte mich, wie es mir gehe. Ich antwortete: "Danke, es geht mir gut", obwohl es nicht wahr war.

This really came from my German homework for today, and this is an illustration for the exercise that came from a sketchbook from my melodramatic highschool days.

Have you ever seen rrrrrainnnnnn?

2006-04-10T14:24:00.000-04:00

Short Film Friday #2

2006-04-06T12:28:00.000-04:00

Watch it, discuss it, recommend something for next week.

Magnetism

Courtesy of AtomFilms.com

Scanner Art 2

2006-04-05T23:55:00.000-04:00

A really old watercolor

2006-04-03T18:34:00.000-04:00

What an anticlimactic 100th blogpost!

Wedding Plan Updates

2006-04-02T20:56:00.000-04:00

Goals for this past weekend:
~~find a photographer~~
~~find a cake~~
~~premarital counseling session #1~~
~~get registered~~
find a ring for me

Details:
Photographer:
This (Edit:) is now a link to her website, because we're pretty sure that we're going with this gal.

Cake: Exactly like this, but with a basket weave frosting pattern, and maybe more strawberries.

Registered:
JCPenny
and
Bed Bath & Beyond

Counseling:
Session went AOK, except for the part where I threw a chair out the window.

Find a ring for me:
I hate buying jewelry for the same reason most people hate buying cars. The price on the sticker is never the real price. It is an abstract concept stuck on the band to shock you. After seeing the exaggerated price of $1000-1500 the real price of $600 for a plain white gold band looks like a deal, but it's not really half off if the price of the band ought to be $80.

Edit:
Edit #2:
I almost forgot, we even made time for a dinner at Young's Dairy who has the best milkshakes in the state (according to Ohio magazine, and me).

New Blog Feature

2006-03-30T19:14:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start a new trend for my blog, I call it "Short Film Friday".

I'll post a short film for your viewing entertainment and then you will have all weekend to watch it, discuss it, and post a recommendation for next week's featured film.

This weeks is called "Shoes Off!" and it's found HERE! (@ Atom Films.com)

Memento Mori

2006-03-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

Split

2006-03-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

Discuss your own dualities and paradoxes here.

The Weeping Angel

2006-03-28T13:43:00.000-05:00

X

2006-03-27T14:51:00.000-05:00

Scanner Art

2006-03-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

REJOICE!

2006-03-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

Dear Charles,

I am pleased to inform you that, in the judgement of the examining committee (Drs. John Boening and Melissa Gregory), you have passed your M.A. examination written on March 18, 2006.

Congratulations on this important achievement.

Our best wishes to you in the final stages of your master’s study.

MW

Solace. (A path, eh?)

2006-03-21T14:06:00.000-05:00

This is the source for many of my pictures

2006-03-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

Title

2006-03-20T15:53:00.000-05:00

The Eden Adam Knew

2006-03-19T14:47:00.000-05:00

Highlights from the Exam Include:

2006-03-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

First, you have to know that T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock" begins:

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table.

Then you have to know "Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802" by Wordsworth, which reads:

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty;
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theaters, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Then, you can read this from my exam:

"This unraveling of everything into complete disjunctive subjectivity ought not to be confused with the observational celebration of the beauty which Wordsworth used to embellish, muse, and extrapolate upon. When Eliot’s sky in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock” becomes a patient lying etherized upon a table, it may share a state of unconsciousness with the buildings that lie asleep on a Wordsworthian hazy morning, but anesthesia and hazy mornings are by no means analogous to each other in any other aesthetic way. One is prepped for the brutal modernist dissection to follow, while the other is getting ready to greet the oncoming sunshiny glory of the romanticized London day. Oh, be still my heart!—but, not as a result of the forthcoming surgery."

For better or worse,

2006-03-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

The M.A. Exam is Over.

I quit.

Jacob's Wings

2006-03-17T12:02:00.000-05:00

UD 25:

2006-03-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

Tell me about this picture.

Peanut, R.I.P.

2006-03-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

199?-2006
Have one in remembrance while your out with the green beer this weekend.

Spooky Tree

2006-03-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Logo

2006-03-14T13:04:00.000-05:00