Easy Homemade Father's Day

It's the Monday before Father's Day and you still don't have anything?  Well join the club!  I'm still thinking about what we're going to do this year, but I do have a couple of easy ideas to share with you that are great for your younger kids.  My husband always complained that he didn't get the cool personalized gifts I get because Mother's Day is during the school year.  We did some of these to address that and now that the kids are 11 and 13, I don't think he minds as much that the gifts aren't as personalized.

Here's an easy one you can do with a couple of markers and a small stretched canvas you can find at Michael's, Hobby Lobby or any local craft store.



I used alternating colored markers on the stretch canvas.  I outlined the letters for DAD and then had the kids come up with words to describe their dad.  Then I wrote the words to make the shape.  I made sure the kids wrote their own names and put the occasion and date on the bottom.  (I hate when you find things made by kids, but don't know what year it was.)

Another gift dad really loves are the homemade coasters.

So easy!  You use plain absorbent stone coasters, some phones printed on paper and modge podge.  We didn't try photos printed on photopaper because I'm not sure how well the modge podge works on that type of paper.  The one mistake difficulty we had was getting the head shot close enough and still being able to cut a complete circle to fit the coaster.  You can see that my kids didn't succeed in that task, but I still love how they turned out.  The modge podge mades them nice and smooth and completely water resistant.

Last year we did a barbecue theme (we aren't terribly original around here).  To add to the implements, spices and apron, we made a tray to carry items to and from the barbecue grill.

You can get a plain unfinished wood tray at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.  Using scrapbook paper and modge podge, we decorated the inside of the tray and then painted the rest.  I made sure to put a clear epoxy or shellac coat over everything to make it water resistant.  This project was a little more tricky for my 10 year old and we did struggle with the seam on the paper (you can see it above).  However, the fact that homemade things aren't "perfect" makes them the most precious gifts because it shows how much the kids worked at it.

The last one we wanted to make last year (and might this year) is a valet tray made from varying sizes of small boxes.  We found a set last year at the Container Store.  You can again use scrapbook paper to cover the boxes and then glue them together to make this configuration.  As a sharp touch you can use the "file markers" to identify the various compartments.  You can find the metal frames for those in any scrapbook section of a craft store.

Good luck with your homemade treasures and Happy Father's Day!

cindy

Father's Day - Etsy Style

There's still time to shop for unique Father's Day items on Etsy.  If you don't know what Etsy is (really, is there anyone who hasn't heard of Etsy?), it is a marketplace for artisans.  You can find the coolest stuff you won't find in department stores.  Here's some items I found for Father's Day:

Here's a cool 15" laptop/messenger bag made from upcycled clothing.  That's a one of a kind for dad for only $145.00.

Here's a nice personalized message on a metal alloy card, perfect for dad's wallet.  Your kids can create their own personal messages for $22.00.

I think I need a set of these!  Here are some natural stone coasters with different theme/designs.  I can see my husband kicking back to watch a game with his beer on these coasters.  You can get the game going for $18.00.

Isn't this the sweetest keychain?  Completely personalized with the most important facts front and center.  Dad can carry this stylish personalized item for $34.00.

O.K., maybe not every day would appreciate this Breaking Bad inspired custom engraved cutting board, but my husband would get a kick out of it. This is especially great from kids that aren't quite so young anymore.  Heisenberg can come to your home for only $29.00.

Finally, for the newer dad, here's an upcycled Dr. Seuss favorite repurposed into a beautiful journal. Wouldn't that be the best place to keep all those little memories of your preschooler from a dad's perspective?  This unique gift is only $22.00.



Okay, I'm hardly scratching the surface at Etsy.  You haven't seen all the funny cards, personalized items, clothing, wallets, sports memorabilia and anything else you might want for dad.  There are two other items I really love, but you will have to order these:

This is an heirloom quilt made from upcycled men's ties.  What a great way to remember the men in your life - husband, dad and granddad.  

Here is another quilt made from 16 t-shirts of your choosing.  If your husband is like mine, he's collected t-shirts that are meaningful to him but can't make it into the current t-shirt rotation or take the frequent washes.

Don't see anything that catches your fancy or do you already have a gift for Father's Day?  Keep Etsy in mind for all of your gift needs (or when you need/want something just for you).  If you're looking for some pretty items for little girls or babies, you can check out my store, Pretty Pretty Cindy.

cindy

Father's Day Gifts - ACK!

Yep, you've waited until the last minute and don't have a clue.  Neither do your kids.  You know who you are - me.  I've been looking around and I found some good ones - here are 10.  Five you can make (so your kids have some part in this endeavor) and the other five you can buy.  Click on the title to see more, including the source.

1.  Brookstone Grill Light - This attaches to the hood of your grill and provides great fluorescent light.  Great price at $39.99

2.  Bose Headphones - These are a bit on the pricey side at Sharper Image, but imagine the joy your husband will have blocking out the sounds of the children.  If you don't want these expensive noise canceling headphones, you can always find some less expensive ones and get your children to keep the noisy ruckus to a minimum.

3.  IPhone Cycling Accessory - This is a great gift for the dad who can't put his I-phone down, even while he's riding his bike.  (People think using an I-phone while driving a car is dangerous, imagine riding a bike!)  Apple has these items for $59.95 in its store.

4.  Magazine Subscription - These are really easy gifts, especially for last minute, because all you need to do is go down to the local grocery or drug store, buy a magazine and tell him they will be in the mailbox for the next 12 months.  (The gift that keeps on giving!)  Some good suggestions - Men's Health, Sports Illustrated, Esquire, Forbes and Time.

5.  Baseball Glove - This is a great idea to get him outside playing with the kids.  If baseball or softball is not the game for your family, think of another and get him some equipment - bowling ball, bike, golf clubs, basketball.  This doesn't have to be an expensive gift - this one from Target is only $24.99!

6.  Homemade Gift Basket - You pick your theme - sports, music, grilling or his favorite hobby - and fill it with lots of goodies.  Game tickets, equipment, I-tunes or other gift cards, a bottle of wine, cigars, you get the idea.  This is a great way to turn small things into a thoughtful gift.

7.  Homemade Tie - The Purl Bee has a hip DIY tie with some beautiful fabric ideas

The Purl Bee

8.  Father's Day Coupons A co-worker of mine told me today that the Father's Day gift he wants the most is one day when his children don't fight.  (Me too!)  Here's an idea that might buy dad that and more.  These are nice ones - made by Martha Stewart.

MarthaStewart.com

9.  Mod-Podge Coasters - I love this idea because you can create these with any theme you want - pictures of the kids, favorite sports team and this great one - superheroes!  These are from Mod Podge Rocks.

10.  Valet Tray - Here's another one of those gifts that you can personalize using the basic pattern.  Dad can keep his phone, keys, wallet - all those little things he can never find one he puts them down.

Well, now I have a few ideas.  Hopefully I can execute them by Sunday.  Hey, it's only Friday - live on the edge!

Happy Father's Day

cindy

Family Wedding

Sometimes it's good to go home.  I'm getting to that middle age when you only get to see your extended family at funerals.  Last weekend we traveled to Illinois for a joyous purpose - my brother's wedding.  My four brothers and sisters, husbands and wives as well as most of their children, were there to celebrate.  We are really quite the crowd:

I didn't realize my immediate family was so big until I looked at this picture.  Not only did my immediate family attend, a good number of my cousins with their kids (and a few grandkids) showed up.  I had 23 cousins on my mother's side growing up and counting their spouses, children and grandchildren, there were 21 family members there representing the original 23.  That might not sound like a lot of family members to some people, but my cousins are scattered from Boston to Virginia, from New Orleans to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and everything in between, especially southern Illinois.  The best part?  Because of social media, I feel like I still know what my cousins are doing most of the time.  Gotta love it.

We don't get too many chances these days to gather for occasions like weddings.  My mother was one of five girls and in the last four years, 3 of them have died, including my mother.  It's wonderful to know that even as my mother's generation is waning, their children still enjoy getting together and introducing new members of their families.  How ironic that probably the last wedding of the cousins is my brother's, the oldest cousin.

My kids were very surprised to find out how many "cousins" they have.  Here are the first cousins:

My daughter kept asking how she was related to all the other family she was meeting.  I kept repeating that they were all "cousins," some just farther removed.  During her week in Illinois, she also visited with my husband's family, including "cousins."  After we returned to Arizona, she missed being so far away from her extended family on both sides.  As the unofficial family genealogist, I was thrilled to see both of my children so interested in their family roots.

My cousins used to comment that such a large family came from the five "Wilbourn girls" (my mother and her sisters).  As we get older, our families have become very extended.  My kids and their cousins will now look to the five "Hendricks kids" as their source.

Mom and Dad would be so proud.

cindy

Men's Gifts - Etsy Finds

Last week I posted some ideas for unique Christmas gifts for women you can find on Etsy.  This week I found some cool items for the man in your life - husbands, fathers, sons, even friends and co-workers. This is just a sample of some of the items, but there are many more in lots of categories.  Without further ado, here we go:

Leather Messenger Bag

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Retro-phone I-Phone Dock

                              Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Cufflinks With Swiss Watch Movement

Customized Kindle Cover

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

cindy

Shaking the Tree

I've been working on a quilt - it's one crazy quilt.  There are lots of fabric colors and designs, and I had this insane idea to hand embroider over the seams.  The squares are uneven and the embroidery is crude.  It's a bit of a hot mess, but one of a kind.  And I am spending a LOT of time to finish it.

When my dad died, I realized I knew almost nothing about my family name.  My dad was the only child of essentially a single mother.  That's when I became interested in genealogy.  I've been shaking the trees on both sides of my family since then and I've been amazed and amused at what I have found.  I have learned that even though it's exciting to know you are a descendant of Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor (really!), at some point the names become meaningless without some backstory.

Chance Encounters

Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting the parents of one of my dearest friends.  My friend is one of the kindest people I have ever met, with an infectious smile and a warm hug.  I was intrigued to discover the people who raised this very special person.  I was not disappointed.

Her dad is a character.  No, really, a character, someone bigger than life.  He's a big guy with a huge personality.  The best description I can offer is that he is the ultimate Texan.  He knows everything about oil and Texas history and other interesting topics and he's not afraid to share it.  He's one of those rare people who can be a big personality without being a big ego.  KWIM?

Her mom is a sweet, nurturing woman.  She doesn't say too much, but it's not because she's shy or doesn't have anything to say.  It's because she is a listener, and a good listener at that.  She looks right at you when you talk and is genuinely interested in what you have to say.  She's proud of her daughter, but more importantly, admires her as a person.

As interesting as these people are, that's not why I was so fascinated with them.  What is remarkable is how my friend is the perfect combination of both of her parents.  She's a wonderful listener, compassionate and sensitive.  At the same time, she has a smile as big as Texas and a mischievous twinkle in her eye.  Wherever she goes she fits in and charms everyone in the crowd.

As interesting as it is to see the physical resemblance among children and parents, it's so much more enlightening to see the "inner" resemblance.  It brings a whole new facet to a dear friend and I'm privileged to have experienced that chance encounter.

cindy