Michaels 50% off sale, and Wilton cake decorating classes

Hello everyone! I hope your Memorial Day weekend was sunny, fun + exciting! I have lots of photos to show you of our weekend, but first I wanted to dedicate a post to this awesome sale that Michaels craft store is running right now. Today through Saturday May 31st, you can get 50% off of one regular priced item with a coupon, available in the store. Also, they are giving out coupons for NEXT week, which are good for 25% off one regular priced item. What a sale!

If you have a Michaels in your area, go check it out. You might find something you've needed for a long time! I bought a Dremel-like tool that I've needed for oh-so-long, but never had the extra change to spend. Other things I could think of that would be great to use the coupon on include their large unfinished pine furniture like shelves, rocking chairs and cabinets, or OLFA rotary cutting mats! In our store, the largest mat retails for $150, so that coupon would come in darned handy!

In other news, I signed up for the Wilton cake decorating courses at Michaels as well. Classes start on June 4, and I am about as excited as a kid on their first day of school! I already have all the tips & bags and whatnots for the class, so all I have to buy is the practice board. Has anyone else ever taken the classes? I'd love to know what to expect, so let me know about your experience!

Look those weekend photos later on today!

spookily yours,
SM

what do we do with the elephant in the corner?

so, Spooky Daddy, Little Spooky & I went thrifting on Sunday, just because the weather had been so bad all weekend that we HAD to get out of the house. I have long said that I have "thrifty Spidey senses," and on Sunday, the idea just popped into my head that we needed to GO!

well, I usually tend to start at the front of the store and work my way back, because I know the good stuff is always at the back and I save it until last. Spooky Daddy, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He goes straight for the good stuff! So as I was browsing the front, I failed to notice that he'd camped out with several large objects that he'd laid claim to, and he was trying to get my attention.

His first treasure was an orange and yellow Little Tykes picnic table that looks something like this. It was only $5, and we had to get it, because it is exactly the same one that I had when I was a kid. I can remember drawing so much at that table, and sitting indoors at it, watching the Golden Girls and Night Court while eating little pieces of cheese and Vienna sausages. It's amazing how $5 can bring back about a million great memories!

The second treasure he found was THIS THING!

It was only $2, and even though it is huge, we finally reasoned that we had to add it to our crazy collection because we had never seen anything quite like it before. We thought a while about what to do with it, and finally both agreed that it would be perfect to plant something in. I've had my eye on these small fancy braided fig trees at Home Depot since mom's day, and I think the elephant is the perfect container for one!

The inside seems pretty well suited to holding a plant, and there's already a large hole in the bottom for drainage. I figure that if I fill the bottom with rocks, it should be great!

Spooky Daddy is working right now on stripping the red paint off, because as awesome as it looks all chipped & stuff, I wanted to restore it to it's original look, if I could locate a photo. Well, it took a whole lot of Googling, but I finally found a small photo of what it originally looked like on eBay. Someone was wanting to find an "elephant toybox from the 70s" in the want section.




Now I'm not so sure if I want to restore it. The original paint job is kind of crazy & not the best quality. I might base what I do to it off of this photo, because I REALLY like the idea of a polka dot elephant planter! But I think I will work on his face more. Let me know if you have any other ideas!

So, I went out for a ride yesterday while our Little Spooky was asleep. I'm attempting to diet & exercise more, and I wanted to visit the thrift shop down the street (which we affectionately refer to as "our" thrift shop!) so I figured bicycling was in order.

I was visiting because of the secret project I am working on. And oh, I so wish I could tell you about it! I'm terrible at secrets. But I can't tell, because then it wouldn't be a surprise when it's done. So instead, I'll sit here and tell you about how awesome the thing I can't tell you about is! haha!

Anyway...

I took the camera along with me, intending to get some lovely shots while I was out. Of course, I snapped a few photos of the first thing I saw, and then the battery died. I should've checked, I guess.

But, the photos I did get are of an storage building behind our little neighborhood pizza joint, Gino's. There is a lovely mural that wraps all the way around the building. I only got photos of one side, though. So when I am out again with a charged battery, I will show you the other sides!

P.S.- the inside of the restaurant also has painting by the same artist on the wall. Mostly vases & urns, and some wine bottles if memory serves me correctly.

These photos all have lots of little details in them that you can only appreciate when viewing the photo in large or original size. To see the larger size, simply click the photo, which will take you to a 1024x768 size on my Flickr account. If you are on a high speed connection and would like to see the original size, go to My Flickr page!

This is the side with the "entrance."


Closeup of the faux-entrance

I love this part the most - the vegetable stand!
The little signs in the bins have names & prices on them, too.

Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone out there had a great weekend!

Feeds & Updates by Email!

So, not too long ago I started learning all about feeds & readers and I found out a whole bunch of stuff I didn't know. I'm not exactly up to date on a lot of things, I guess! Anyhow, you can subscribe to my feed (courtesy of FeedBurner) OR if you don't use a reader, you can just enter your e-mail address into that little box to the right, and every time I post, FeedBurner will send the text of my post directly to your inbox. I mostly did the e-mail option for Granny & Mom (HI GUYS!) because I know they keep up with us on here.

That's it. Subscribe..... now!

WeeRide Carrier, and the fun of bicycling with your child

Life has been a little hectic & stressful lately, but we have managed to have a pretty good time! Summer has been creeping in, even though admittedly the nights here haven't felt too summery yet - almost down in the 40s! I'm not complaining, though. Warm days & cold nights are perfectly fine with me.

So, since it's been nice, I try to take our Little Spooky out somewhere every day that I am home from work. A few Sundays ago, we took our new bike seat out for it's first ride. It's a WeeRide Kangaroo Carrier, and boy, is it awesome! My friend has one for her little boy, and we borrowed her bike a few times to use it. After that, we had to get one for ourselves. I was lucky enough to find one completely by chance at the local superstore, out of the box for just $25. Here's our ride:



You can sort of see the WeeRide (it's yellow & blue) in this photo, but I will have to get a better photo of us actually on the bike sometime. Since it sits between your legs, I feel more in control & safe. I like having him right in front of me, because we can talk about what we see while we ride, and I can also steer with one hand and hug him with the other :) Here's a photo of a child in the Kangaroo Carrier from the company's web site, www.weeride.com



Admittedly, the styling of the seat causes you to adjust the way you'd normally ride your bike - you have to pedal with your legs spread apart a bit. But, I agree with the site's FAQ section that addresses this issue. It basically says that a modified pedal stroke is worth sharing the fun of riding with your child. And, it's not like you're going on a major ride with a toddler or anything. It's for fun! Usually he's good for 30 min to an hour, and then he wants to get off and play.


At any rate, there's my satisfied mom endorsement for the WeeRide. If I can offer you two tips, here they are -

-First, understand the way the seat mounts to your bike. I've found that my women's bike has a top bar (the top of the triangle that makes the bike frame) that is too low and slanted. A men's bike is better styled to use this carrier, since they usually have high, level top bars. Also, I had to purchase longer bolts to mount the hardware to my bike, because the top tube was too thick to use the factory bolts it came with.

-Second, I fee like the yellow & blue carrier I have is lacking in padding. Being a crafty person, I may try to fashion some cushioning for the back of the seat. If you're not crafty, I would recommend springing for the Kangaroo LTD, which is much more plush.

And now, a few photos from our most recent bicycling excursion!


This playground is on the bike trail at our city's park.


I took this one of us with a 10 sec timer! Talk about a dash.


We took a whole backpack full of snacks - including pink marshmallows!




Well, that's it for now. If anyone reading this has a WeeRide carrier, I'd love to share photos & stories!

Google doodle contest, grades K-12

I just saw on the Google homepage that they've opened voting for their k-12 doodle contest - (Voting Homepage here!) I was really impressed by the younger categories! To be honest, I think the youngest group division, K-3rd grade, showed the most imagination.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could hold on to that kind of creativity forever? But alas, we grow up and begin to think that fish wearing socks and kangaroos working at grocery stores are just silly ideas, and we resign ourselves to more mundane adult ideas like stock portfolios and 401k's. So sad.

Owly

So, I just found out about a series of graphic novels that I'm going to have to check out, called Owly. The first & coolest thing that grabbed me about them is that they're totally text-less! Owly's creator Andy Runton's site has a teaching guide that offers lesson plans on using the graphic novel series in the classroom - and showcases how the books' lack of words can be used to inspire students of all ages who might've fallen behind on their reading skills.

When I read them, I'll let you know! Has anyone reading this read (or should I say interpreted?) the Owly novels? Do tell!

don't know what to get mom? ask a stranger!

so, I was out today finishing up some last-minute mother's day shopping. I needed to get a few things from the neighboorhood superstore, like photo paper and t-shirt transfers. I was walking past the lotions & cosmetics toward the register, when I heard a kid's voice say, "Excuse me, ma'am?" I looked - knowing that MA'AM simply COULD NOT mean me. But, it did.

There was a kid of about 10 or so standing there, in front of the Vaseline Intensive Care with a gigantic red gift bag. I said, "Yes?" and he said, "I'm sorry but do you think you could help me pick out something for my mom to make her smell good like, you know, when she gets outta the shower?" It took me a few seconds to go AWWWWW in my head, I said, "Sure, let's go down here with all the fancier smelly stuff and I'll help you find something." His being totally lost was really cute. I asked him if he knew any particular smells that his mom liked and he said, "I dunno....flowers?" So, I gave him some advice. I found the vanilla scented stuff, and told him, "Remember, if you're not sure what kind of smell a girl likes, just go with vanilla. Almost every girl likes the smell of vanilla!" Then I showed him how to pick out a set of the same smell, like shower gel, lotion and body spray. Then, I told him good luck after he thanked me, and walked off grinning.

the sky split open and cried.

Today is our anniversary. Three years ago, I met my love, my support, my best friend, my partner-in-crime, my hairbrained-scheme companion at the Greyhound bus station that was two blocks down the street from my tiny, roach-infested apartment.

He was wearing knee-high black boots, long black shorts, a white button up shirt and a black tie, and he looked amazing. The first time I touched him, hugged him close like I'd wanted to do so badly for three years, he presented me with a single rose that he'd dragged on the bus with him for 8+ hours. It was a little wilted and soft, but he had held it close to him the whole time, protecting it. Rain was pouring down all around us as we held each other for the first time under the bus station shelter, surrounded by some lone gawkers and all his material possesions in a few boxes & suitcases. The only other time I've ever seen it rain that hard was after I had my son. When both my men came to me, the sky split open and cried.

Thinking back on that rose, that rain, that moment....I realize now that it was a pivotal moment in my life in so many ways. Sure, there are the obvious turning points - meeting the man whose son I'd have, for one - but there are so many things that I'm just beginning to see.

The man I love has a way of protecting me that is not unlike the way he protected that rose - he carries me a lot, and shields me from things that might be damaging. Sometimes I have been too stubborn to realize this, but it's always been true. When I'm fragile, I don't have to feel scared anymore. For someone who has been plagued by low self-esteem, the banishment of fear is something that often seems so far off. But it's so close now. And it's because of him.

In some ways, the rain has never seemed to stop. Our relationship has been anything but perfect. Even when we fight, we still love each other - and we say it, too. But the rain isn't arguments....the rain has been hardship, poverty, depression, failure. We've had to re-define ourselves as individuals, as parents, and as a couple, too. And through it all, "I love you" has always been there.

I am so thankful that by some chance, this man walked into my life. Things have never been the same since he arrived. I wouldn't have it any other way.

One of the reasons that I love him so much is because he always seems to remember small things about me that really mean so much. He accepts my quirkiness (which everyone else simply calls "tacky") and even facilitates it at times! When I've found some crazy thing in a thrift store, I go running to him saying "Look at this elephant-shaped hairbrush/lotion dispenser combination!" and he will smile. Sometimes he admits it, sometimes he doesn't....but I always know he saw it first. He purposely keeps quiet and lets me discover it on my own.

I don't remember if that was the case with the owl mug. I got it a long time ago, at a local Goodwill. I paid fifty cents for it. I bought it the same day that I bought his favorite mug, too - a brown, slanted-side pottery one, with abstract purple and green leaves on it. The owl mug was not my favorite at first, but I grew to appreciate the fact that it held almost the exact amount of coffee I wanted to drink. I am so strange, because I don't like thick-walled mugs or cups...it makes me feel like I'm drinking with a big fat lip. The owl mug was the perfect thickness, but it kept my coffee so perfectly warm, because it was vintage Glasbake.

One day, there was a fight. The owl mug was broken before the fight, but I discovered it right smack in the middle of the fight. I don't like admitting this....but I got very upset over it. Normally, I would have said, "It's okay, I know it was an accident." But on that day, I got very upset. I still feel bad about it.

After it broke, I looked around for a replacement, but it was always to no avail. I checked eBay a lot for one like it, and while I could never find one, my searching did show me a world of wacky mugs I'm just waiting to collect.

Yesterday evening, after we got home from our huge shopping trip, he said he'd make us tea. When he brought it to me - to my surprise - the tea was in not one, but TWO owl mugs.



The other looks similar, but he's a bit more goofy looking. I love them both, but I'm definitely biased. He said he found them the very first time he searched on eBay.....and I had searched so many times! I told him they must have been waiting for him to come along.

After it broke, he promised to replace it. And he did.

Forest Party!

Big News in Spooky Land!

Spooky Daddy has been toiling away at the machine to bring you kids some really, REALLY special plush goodies for his upcoming show, called Forest Party. The party/show has been organized by the wonderful Heidi Kenney ( of my paper crane fame) and will also feature the wacky work of plush master Jenny Harada.

Festivities kick off
this Saturday night (Feb. 9) at 7:00pm at Emmaus
on 49 York Street in Gettysburg, PA.

This show is going to be especially unique in that ALL THREE artists are going to be there on opening night! So, if you'd like the opportunity to meet three great plush artists, your Saturday night is already planned!

As an added bonus, Heidi and I will be making some tasty forest-themed goodies (mine will be vegan!) for you to stuff your face with as you "ooh" and "ahh" over the crazy creatures at the show!

If you'd like to see Spooky Daddy's sneaky peek photos of his show pieces, just visit his Flickr photo set!

So, come one, come all...men, women, children & monsters, to the Forest Party!

i totally suck at blogging

I really said I was going to be better about this. Things have just be SO hectic!

I guess the biggest news around right now is that we now have an Etsy shop!

A lot of skull bunnies have been sold on Etsy already! There are a few brooches on there that I've made, with two eyeball necklaces to be added soon, so watch out for them. Here are two small pics of them:



I've been making so many trips to the post office lately, and I'm getting more familiar with filling out customs forms. I also know now that if you send something Priority Mail to Canada, it costs $16.00! Crazy, considering I was able to send something First Class to Germany for only $7. The postal service is so confusing sometimes! Is there a better way to send international stuff??

Since the last time I wrote was before Halloween, I guess I should at least post some photos of our costumes. So, here they are!




Jack was candy corn, if you can't tell. I just went as your generic witch, and daddy was a skeleton-man. We had lots of fun! (even if we didn't get much candy!)

Geez, I just realized how bad I am for writing about Halloween in January!

In other news, Spooky Daddy has pieces that will be appearing a show called Plushed! at Purdue University.


PLUSHED::art gone soft::
Plush Art Exhibition
Purdue University (West Gallery), West Lafayette, IN
Jan 21-Feb 1, 2008

If you live nearby, you should check it out! The Spooky Daddy pieces will also be for sale, and at a very reasonable price for an art show, I might add.

Look for more news soon!