Fox Knights for Royal Rangers

OK, I just got finished making these for my bulliten board in my Ranger Kids classroom, and they are beyond cool. We are starting the Fox quarter, where the boys will earn their Fox Advancement, and the theme of the quarter is Bravery. Well, I let the creative juices flow, and what could be more brave than knights, well how about fox knights?

Feel free to share and comment.

Planning Thanksgiving Dinner - Part 1

Thanksgiving has always been a time for our family to get together and reconnect, and I have always felt that it should be more than just a meal. It should be an event. I want not just the food to be exceptional but also the decor to invoke feelings of warmth, nostalgia, and comfort. As a guy I want a comfortable table that I will actually want to sit around. I want food that is simple yet special. As an artist I want my decor and table setting to be visually balanced and emotionally serene. I want it to be both functional and pleasing to the eye.

Living in an apartment, we gather around our kitchen table for dinner. It can expand to seat eight, though in a pinch we can seat ten ( we've managed to get 13 of us around it one year but that is just too crowded). This year we are looking at at least ten if not more. Any overflow will be set up at a smaller table in our parlor. The table I set for the photo shoot  is set for eight.

Left: Our table set for eight
Top Right: I like to have a balanced look to the center of the table, candles at both ends and in the middle
Bottom Right: I tied cinamon sticks to a large pillar candle with twine. My wife bought the pumpkin on clearance at a pharmacy, it looks extra special sitting on top of a cake plate we never use. 

Left: This simple luminary is made from a pint mason jar that was stipple painted and then baked in the oven to set the paint. We then added a silk leaf tied with twine and placed a votive inside.
Top Right: I originally purchased this five votive candle holder to go in the unused fireplace in our bedroom but it didn't sit correctly so I've been using it on our kitchen table instead. We filled it with gingered pumpkin scented potpouri and popcorn kernals. We then topped them with a tea light.
Bottom Right: I like the idea of something special placed on the plate (last year I tied the silverware with twineand attached a silk leaf and a card with a scripture verse.) this year I made crackers. They will be filled with treats and a scripture verse. I made them using dicarded towel rolls cut down to size and covered with gold foil and ribbons of varying length.

Obsessed with Table Settings

As some of you may have noticed, I'm not your typical guy.My interests are varied and do not always fall within the realm of what the world has declared to be manly things. Over the years this bothered me until I realized that I'm uniquely made. I joking tell people that I don't just follow the beat of my own drummer, I have an entire mariachi band. I know who I am in Christ and I really don't care what anyone else thinks, well most of the time anyway.

I have an entire mariachi band.

I'm saying this because, as a stay at home dad, I have to perform some functions that are usually placed under the woman category by society, and even by most christians.One of those things over the past few years is planning our Thanksgiving dinner. I have really gotten into planning the menu and even creating a festive tablescape for our guests.

Last Years Table

This year hasn't been any different, with the exception that I will be sharing my creation on my blog. I had just finished photographing the table, complete with place settings and burning candles, when my wife comment that I was just not like other guys. Even my own wife of 20 plus years is taken aback by my creative side at times. she got me thinking though.

I'm obsessed with table settings. Did I follow the correct etiquet rules, does the coffee spoon go to the right or on top, which side does the napkin go on??? Why am I like this? Then it hits me, my mom. One of my fondest memories from my childhood was setting the table everynight for dinner. And when I says setting the table, I'm talking the whole nine yards. Frist you hand to remove the table runner and all the knickknacks. Then you had to pick out a tablecloth. Followed by the dinnerplates, glasses, and silverware, which my mom would gently correct me if something was out of place. My mom taught me how to set a formal table, and and informal one, and indirectly taught me the importance of sitting down for a family meal everynight. The meal would almost always end with coffee and dessert, and then everything was whisked away into the kitchen to be washed and the table would get its runner and knickknacks replaced once more.

I'm obsessed with table settings.

Familty dinners around the table. Something that our busy modern families hardly ever have time for anymore. maybe that is why I obsess over the holiday meals, I'm trying to recapture the warmth and nostalgia of simpler times. By setting an elaborate table I'm not only providing a festive stage for our meal but also for the family to reconnect.

Hey dads (and moms to), how do you help your families reconnect

Fun Fridays: Sprucing Up the Place - Quote Mural

We have spent the last couple of weekends painting the stairwell of our three tenement house. The property is owned by my mother in-law and my sister in-law and brother in-law live on the second and third floors respectively. We chose a bright yellow (Valspar - Soft Duckling) wall color that makes the stairwell clean and bright. We then decided to paint a quote on the wall on the landing between the first and second floors.

The quote is visible as you enter the side door from the porch (this is the main entrance used by the family and guests.) I really love the way it turned out. I used two complimentary colors (Valspar - Rich Chocolate and Bear Claw) that I was able to get in 8 oz. sample sizes. I drew the layout of the letters lightly in pencil and painted them freehand. The whole mural measures approx. 3 1/2 feet wide by 6 feet tall.I'm still trying to decide what to do on the landing between the second and third floors, but will definitely be sharing when I do.

Fun Fridays: Getting Crafty with Snowmen Mason Jars

We have more craft fairs coming up so I'm once again painting mason jars. This time I decided to create snowmen.

These were "painted" using paint pens. They are really easy to use and provide a level of control that I can no longer get with regular brushes due to my fibro. I then place the painted jars on a cookie sheet and place them in a cool oven. Next, I turn the oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes including preheat time. Finally I let them cool in the oven. 

These jars are going to be embellished with ribbons and filled with homemade Hot Cocoa Mix. I'll be sharing the recipe for that on Monday.

Managing Mondays: Mason Jar Crafts

As I said last week, we have been very busy around here. Part of that business is due to some upcoming craft fairs we will be working. With that in mind I thought it would be fun to show off some of our wares.

These are just a couple of the mason jar luminaries we have been working on. the first one is a fall themed one. I stippled yellow, orange, and red paint in vaguely leaf like shapes and then attached a silk leaf using jute.

The next one I used paint pens to draw snowflakes and added a blue snowflake ribbon and blue stones around the candle.

I hope this gets you inspired. You might even want to try these with you kids.