3D Puzzle Time Lapse

I lost the files for this animation for YEARS. Just found them and decided it was time to assemble them. So here is my latest video amusement..

Eli in his beepin' boat

He's about a year and a half old in this video? If you look carefully you can see I'm pushing him from behind, but it was so funny because he was so little and it looks like he's just a little old man driving his boat around.

This was a favorite video of many of my co-workers at the time, and we would try and get this into any demo we needed video on..

Why are the tops of...

... Sherriff's trucks white? Caught this awful low quality phone cam pic from Dreez' office. So now we not only have to wonder about the UPS trucks but the cops too?

Cross Stitched Yoda!

This is the one.  It's the cross stitch I'm most proud of at the moment, and it's the one I most hope will be seen by someone out in the world.  Eli loves Star Wars (duh, who doesn't?) and as it was difficult finding good "boy" patterns I decided to try making an original.  I used the generator at Dark Lilac (which is sadly not online these days!) and a snippet from the cover of a Star Wars Adventures graphic novel.  It does appear a little "jaggy" but I'm cool with that.  It measures about 15" tall, so it's a substantial wallhanging.   The framers were pretty jazzed about it, as well.

When I went to my LNS for supplies the ladies there were suprised that the list of floss colors was for me, not my wife.  I get that a lot though.

So I still don't know how to take a picture of something that's been framed.  Anybody have any advice for me?

Chess Pillow

I had previously posted about Lily's rose pattern pillow, but this was the true original pillow.  I got the pattern from the book "Mini Cushions In Cross Stitch" and while I had actually finished it some time ago (just after Maker Faire*) I hadn't gotten it sewed and stuffed until just lately.  Again, I love it so much it's hard to part with it, even if it will still be in the house...

(* I was so thrilled at the Maker Faire because I figured if there was one place in the world a guy could cross stitch in public and not warrant a bunch of funny looks, it was at the Maker Faire.  Or maybe the Pith Helmet distracted folks...)

DMC Leaves

Unframed, un-ironed, and just recently completed.  Got this pattern out of a free pamphlet from DMC with a set of floss.  I just liked the simplicity of it.

Look now to the heavens...

The original phrase was "Look now to Heaven" but I changed it to "the heavens" in a successful effort to heathen it up a bit.  I think it worked out quite well.

One of the frustrations I have with being a guy who cross stitches is not just the overly spiritual nature of a lot of the content out there like in this case, but the cuteness factor.  I'm having to sort through endless collections of teddy bears and cutesey sayings in order to get to anything I find remotely interesting.  This is why I end up doing so many lighthouses.  

Anyhoo, I did this one for Jill for our (eighth? ninth?) annniversary a couple years ago.  I gave her the cross stitch undone and promised to complete it for her.  And I did complete it, too, just a few weeks shy of the NEXT anniversary.  But she liked it a lot and said she had never had something like this made for her.  It was one of those rare moments when she seemed genuinely excited about one of my many craft adventures.  She's awesome.

(And no, I don't know how to take a good photo of something that's been framed.  Deal.)

Blister Run Complete

Got home last night at about 7, having driven 552.6 miles, very tired! But it was well worth it, lots of fun!

Hinckley

Yay, Tobies!

rutledge

Stopping to remap due to a detour, Stacie decides to make a hands free call.

Hell's Kitchen

Woah, what do you mean we're EARLY for our reservation?!? Maybe Lora can fil the time with the story of Boris and Natasha's fight in the motel parking lot last night...