Summer Craft Projects

I, [M], always have a lot of ideas for new projects.  Many of them are quite amazing, if I do say so myself.  However, time is never on my side/I don't manage my time well so that I have time to actually make any of these ideas.  If often seems that right before I have to go back to work at the end of the summer, I get a surge of energy and make several projects all at once.  This is what I finished:

• A bulletin board for [A]'s room (made from cork board, covered in fabric, and accented with ribbons)
  
  
  
  
  •  Bracelets made from nuts and washers (the nut bracelet is too heavy, so I need to find some smaller parts; the washer bracelet is VERY cool).
  
  
  
  
  
  
   (what they look like on)
  
  
  •  Ceramic candle sticks, however I have 3 more that still need to be painted.
  
  
  
  •  Mini journals made from my tea boxes.
  
  
  I have a plan for this year (and hopefully I will stick to it).  I want to make at least 10 things a week (ceramics, journals, jewelry, and scarves--I will post some pictures of these soon).  Then, I plan on having a boutique show in November.  Sounds like a pretty good plan...now, [M] stick to it!!!
  
  
  

[A] Tells the Truth

[A] is at the all truth telling age of 3.  Nothing gets by her without a spoken comment.  Although this can be pretty cute, but it is also terribly embarrassing.  Example, [A] is fascinated by public bathrooms (much to my horror), so you can only imagine what she says..."The lady next to us is poopin'," in her loudest, clearest voice.  Or upon another patron exiting the stall, "What's that smell?!" followed by intense gagging sounds and actions.  So, leave it to [A] for the truth to be told.

For the last several years I have told [E] that he snores relentlessly at night.  He does not believe me and will not address the situation until I have documented proof, i.e. video (but in this day and age, who would ever bring a video camera into their bedroom?  What if it is distributed on the Internet?  Oh, excuse me, my video would probably not be a hot selling item since I am nothing special in the eyes of the media).  However, I believe that even with proof he will not address his log sawing vibrations through the night saying that I doctored the tape with all of my photoshop abilities (little does he know that photoshop cannot doctor video, but that is besides the point).  In an attempt to get [A] to sleep in her own bed, we often take turns putting her to bed.  [E] has the habit of falling asleep in her bed as he tries to consul her into sleeping.  Once he is asleep and letting his nostrils, mouth and throat begin their nightly roaring, [A] yells to me from her bed that her daddy is snoring and that she can't possibly go to sleep.  I tell her to wake her daddy up, so she does, retelling her story of distress over his loud snoring and he replies, "I don't snore.  Did your mom make you say that?"

Another truth telling episode from [A] concerns [E]'s cheeks and his motorcycle helmet.  I'm sure that in an effort to be as safe as possible, the helmet must fit snugly around your head.  In doing so, though, it pushes [E]'s cheeks up under his eyes and against his nose giving him the most chipmunk-y face you can imagine.  This does not go past [A]'s careful observations of the morning, saying "Daddy, your cheeks are chubby!" and then wants to pinch them.  This makes [E] terribly annoyed and embarrassed, leaving for work in a huff.

Although it might seem that I am picking on [E], it is just too funny to pass up.  If he would only acknowledge that he snores and has developed chubby cheeks under his motorcycle helmet, I would probably let it go.  But since he admittedly refuses to believe us, I have to keep bringing it up in order to remind him of the truth.  And now, I have [A] to help. 

In an effort not to be seen as a bully towards [E], I will share a "truth teller" from [A] in regards to me.  [A] loves music.  All music.  From "The Farmer and the Dell" to "Body Rocking."  The song "Bottom's Up" was on the radio and when Nicki Minaj raps in the middle and references her body, [A] says, "This song is not about my body, its about my bottom.  Mom, I have a little bottom.  You have a HUGE bottom."  So, yet again, she tells it just like she sees it with no society pleasing white lies.

[E] Soap Boxes

It should come as no surprise to me that [E] lives his life on and around soap boxes.  As an owner/operator of two dry cleaning and laundry services, you can only image the amount of soap that he buys (we often get funny looks at Sam's Club when we have a flat bed cart full of soap...however we give funny looks to the lady that has a flat bed cart full of Pepsi and ketchup...maybe we should stop giving funny looks if we don't want to receive them ourselves). 

But that is not the only place that [E] finds soap in his life.  He stands on a soap box for a good portion of the day.  Whether we are at home reading the Internet, walking through a public place, sitting in a restaurant or driving (standing on a soap box while driving is fairly impressive), [E] has his soap box packed and ready to go.  His favorite topics of soaping:  motorcycles (of course), politics and guns.  What are my three least favorite subjects to talk about and/or have a soapy lecture of assumed knowledge on????  Oh yeah, that's right:  motorcycles, politics and guns.  I am sure that there are topics that I talk about that make [E] crazy.  He might even think that I have my own soap box (although I really doubt it; I am a very rational, thoughtful person that doesn't get all hyped up on topics, especially not the topics that he goes nuts over).  But really, [E] really takes the cake when it comes to his soap box discussions.

Examples:  One--Last night we were watching a movie (The Mechanic--an alright movie; one that we can both watch without too many soapy incidents) and he just about woke [A] up with his screaming and carrying on about a particular gun used in the movie.  In another scene, there is a gun hidden in the sofa, so [E] has to have a running conversation about why that is not a good idea for us since we have a family.  Duh!  Why do I have to listen to why we shouldn't have a gun hidden in the sofa while missing serious plot information in the movie for something that is truly a no brainer???  Oh my, [E].  The best is when he is finished ranting and has missed vital plot information, he asks me what just happened!  How should I know?!  I missed it, too.

Two--When Donald Trump was making so much commotion over President Obama's birth certificate, I stated what an idiot Trump was.  [E] immediately pulled out his soap box, not yet dusty from the last outburst, to rant and rave about how the republicans have conjured Trump to be a conspiracy theory.  All I said was the Trump was an idiot, I did not ask for a wild recount of how Trump was invented by the republican party to steer the presidential election (and to be perfectly honest, I stopped listening once he said "conspiracy theory."  Wouldn't you?).

Three--I have yet to go into detail on motorcycles.  This probably has to do with the fact that my eyes and ears completely gloss over at the mere mention of the word anymore.  But there is a small memory from the other day driving in the car and having to "listen" to a monologue about the history of his motorcycle against the motorcycle some crackhead bought next to Fibercare.  Needless to say, I am glazing over right now trying to recall what he said, so we will leave it at that.

Father's Day 2011

I [M] started this blog for several reasons.  And, I am starting it today, Father's Day, for my husband [E] who has been dying to create it.  Although he has many ideas and is very verbal, the written word/typing does not come easy for him, so I will give it a jump start for us.

One: I always enjoy reading other peoples' blogs and have been envious of their ability to put themselves out there so visually in such a public manner.  However, when you think about it, you don't really know who reads your blog, if they read it at all, so maybe it is not as public as I might think.

Two, Edis [E] has a running dialogue on every motorcycle we see on the road.  I don't care two licks about any motorcycle, so I often say to him "Save it for your blog," mainly just to get him to be quiet.  But, he should have a blog, a place to say whatever comes to mind in relation to a motorcycle.  Maybe someone cares what he has to say about them, although that is not me.

Three, as an artist, I [M] would love to have a place to record and store all of the ideas and thoughts that I have for projects as opposed to several random pieces of scratch paper lying around.  Also, a visual catalog of what I have made would be helpful as well in order to determine if I am progressing or not.

Four, we, [M] and [E], have added two children to our family [A]mani and [C]rue.  Watching them change everyday, develop their personalities and become individuals has been amazing.  We need a place to record all of the things that say and do as well as store images of their growth and accomplishments so that we don't forget.  I am not good at keeping a baby book, so this is going to be our "baby book."

So, there are our reasons for beginning the M. A. C. E. blog.  I am sure that there are more reasons why will enjoy having this place of record in the future, but this is our start.  Happy Father's Day, [E].  I love you and can't imagine my life without you.