Make Some Memories

This morning I woke up quite a bit earlier to get a head start on the morning commute and hopefully an earlier start to a half day of work. It was the normal routine, shower, shave, coffee, etc. But this morning had a different, familiar feel to it. As I backed out of the garage a sense of calmness and deep satisfaction overwhelmed me. It wasn't until I was on the highway that I figured out what kind of memories I had of mornings like this.

Just before the sun was rising I was passed by a car that had a family of four in it. In the back seat were two kids rummaging through a fast food bag probably digging through and handing out the breakfast they got for the ride. This really brought back some great memories of family vacations. Waking before dawn, before the sun even thought about waking up, helping my Dad meticulously pack the car, the birds chirping so loud it was almost piercing at times, the morning dew all over the car and that cool morning air. It was an awkward feeling, a feeling of almost sickness because you were up so early but you were so fired up about the vacation that you couldn't stand it. I remember my parents rounding up us kids and taking one last walk through the house making sure everything was turned off and put away and locked and safeguarded. I remember being old enough to ride co captain on that first leg of the early morning trip pretending to know where we were, probably talking my Dads ear off, wondering why some houses never mowed their yard, and anxiously awaiting that first stop of the morning.....MCDONALDS!!!

We would always stop at a McDonalds about 2 -3 hours into the trip for breakfast. This is were we would get out and stretch and start waking up to take on the day. This is where me and my sisters would get in to our first round of trouble because we would get all giddy and slap happy and annoy Mom and Dad. This is where we would say stupid words that would stick with us for years. This is where memories were made.

As I watched this family pass me this morning I hoped that that little bag of breakfast would bring as much joy and happiness and memories as it brought us.

Happy Easter everybody, make some memories.

Photo by Leo Patrone

Kinfolk Magazine

Handmade Inspiration

I happened to see this in another post this morning and really liked the vibe and the way he showed pure enjoyment of his handmade craft. Towards the end he talks about being hit in the recession and how it turned out to be a blessing and being able to do what he loves day in and day out. Check out Chris Hughes and his quality products here http://artifactbags.com/ and check out the video too. If I'm ever in Omaha I'm definitely going to check this guy out.

Artifact bags are handmade in my Omaha, Nebraska workshop using a combination of hand tools and vintage industrial equipment. I use the finest American sourced waxed canvas and leather and offer a lifetime guarantee for all my products.



My friends at Turnpost just made this video with the help of the talented Django G-S (Love Drunk Studio). Special thanks to local folk legend Simon Joyner for allowing me to use his song “I Will Find You” from his album The Lousy Dance.

February Happenings

When I started this whole blogging thing I thought " Man, this will be so fun and easy. Blogging everyday, showing pictures and projects. Blah Blah Blah!" It seems to be a little tougher than what I expected. The winter months are slow for projects, for me at least. I really have no excuse other than it's winter and it really hasn't dropped below 40 degrees and is hasn't snowed and it's been sunny for the most part. So basically I have no excuse except for pure laziness.

Here are a few things that have happened so far in February. Misty and I took a trip to Chicago for her birthday. It was a blast but guess what, the only pics I have are of an old fashioned made with lime, my new Red Wing boots, and the Carhartt store in Wicker Park which was amazing I might add.

Then it was Mistys "real birthday" and we came home to a fully decorated kitchen with streamers, a cake, and a little art from Ki. It was awesome and sweet and he could barely hold in the excitement.

We had parent/teacher conferences that week as well. I took a couple pics of the art that the kids do in class and it blows me away. The way each little brain interprets the way he or she draws or paints or glues or builds, its awesome.

Then it was Valentines day. Ki wanted to build a robot, but as we started I said "This kind of looks like an army tank." That's all it took to change the direction. Misty said the morning that she dropped him off for school he got real shy and worried about what the teacher and principal might say about having a tank at school. She assured him that it would be fine and it turned out to be a big hit. Here's the "Love Tank" and the soldier that was blowing up hearts (cheese) on Valentines day. He was giving me that Dad I'm tired and don't want my picture taken look.

Hope & Envy

Over the past 2-3 years I have really started to pay attention to mens fashion. I'm not talking about New York Fashion Week runway style, or big box store button downs and denim with overloaded graphic detail. I'm talking about handmade goods, the heritage type of clothing. From denim to hand bags, ties to boots these are all still made in america by craftsman that use the finest quality material and extreme attention to detail. Raleigh Denim is just one of those brands. Courtesy of Need Supply Co.


Meet The Maker from Need Supply Co. on Vimeo.

The Midnight Hour Is Close At Hand

The Halloween bug has finally hit our house. Me and Ki decorated the other night....well more like I put stuff where he told me too. My niece and nephew visited a few weeks ago and I had the kids make these styrofoam and cheesecloth ghosts. I got the idea by walking past a Pottery Barn store and peeking in and saying "Are you freaking kidding me, I can make those!" They look cool when there is a light breeze and almost dark....MUUUAAAAAHHHHHHHAAHHHH!!! (evil laugh) The skeleton and spider are leftover from last year but the spider webs are a new addition and kind of fun to work with. Trick or Treaters beware, this is one scary house.

Last weekend we hit up the pumpkin patch. My wife's cousin and her husband own a ton of land in the river bottoms just outside of Jefferson City. A few years ago they started a pumpkin patch fully equipped with a corn maze, hay rides, livestock, sugary snacks, the list goes on and on. It has become a very successful adventure and they do a great job at keeping everything in order and running smoothly. We went out and cut our own pumpkins and loaded up the wagon and hauled these bad boys back home to KC. Thanks Kim and Jay @ Fischer Farms Pumpkin Patch. You guys are rocking it and it's a great vibe.

This year we decided to just paint the pumpkins instead of carving and I think they turned out pretty cool.

***EGO BOOST ALERT**** I did my annual haunted house painting...but seriously look at how cool Ki's pumpkins turned out.

Hope & Envy

Since I have started this whole blog experience and delved deeper into other peoples blogs and the way they live and work and play, it's a fantastic way to keep the inspiration levels very high. Some people like myself are still working day to day but really focusing on the after hours work and one day hoping to make the after hours the real day to day. I sometimes wonder if I watch too many romantic comedies with my wife, you know the ones where they dress impeccably and live in penthouse lofts in a big city and work in marketing or advertising, or my personal favorite where the guy basically spends his time in a workshop/barn building, cutting, welding, etc, and has the beautiful girl (my wife) drive her vintage Porsche into the side of the workshop. Again impeccably dressed and oozes a vibe of pure harmony and happiness. I strive for the day that my wife and son bring me lunch at my shop and check to see what projects are being built, or spending the day with my son building a school project, or just chilling with my impeccably dressed wife by the wood stove as snow falls (however this would not be the way she would want to spend a Saturday night.).

There are a ton of small business videos of really really cool people building and designing amazing quality handmade goods or products. This is one I ran across from Soulcraft Bicycles, a brand I have always drooled over. If you have the time give it a look, who knows maybe this will be a new segment here at the circus - Hope & Envy.


              


FROM STEEL: The Making of a Soulcraft from michael evans on Vimeo.

PURE

If you have ever ridden for a lengthy amount of time then you know the pure euphoria that comes with pushing the limits. If you are passionate about something then push the limit and see how good it feels afterwards.

Try it....

Rapha Continental – The Movie from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Get Ready For Some Tooting!!

Lately I have had some pretty decent projects happening around the casa. Lots of inspiration from some of my favorite blogs, lots of ideas from places I have eaten, and now just trying to tie it all together. My problem used to be that I really didn't have a direction so I would just buy a bunch of crap on clearance that I didn't or couldn't use and be unhappy with the space. I've been hearing people say buy a "WOW" piece and design around that, sooooo thats what I'm trying to do. I'm also getting very jealous of all the nice photos that people take, the right lighting, the right time of day, the right mood, obviously the right camera helps a ton too. This weekends project is to work on getting some pics of the stuff that I have been doing and get it on here. Toot my horn so to speak, it's sometimes hard to do, but hey isn't that why we blog anyway, to virtually toot our horn. Next week I promise lots of tooting and more toot worthy pics and projects.

Until the tooting begins check out these cool videos.


RUSH / skate now from RUSH on Vimeo.


Pedalhard: Sac Town comp. from CHOP EM DOWN on Vimeo.