Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #51

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:20:00 +0000

Party number 51 this week!! Whatcha got?

Jennifer from Laughter and Grace decorated with books.

Ambreen from Simply Sweet 'n Savory made these pretty rose and pistachio cupcakes:

Sarah from Adventures of Our Family has a recipe for bacon, egg and cheese breakfast cups:

Jill from Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons made some puppy s'more pops.

Barb from Turtles and Tails made some pretty chocolate covered pretzels.

Linda from it all started with paint showed us her family command center.

Ashley from Rustic Living made a He, She and We pillow...I loved this idea!

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Wicked Awesome Wednesday #50!

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

We're 50 this week!! Whatcha got?

Jennifer from Laughter and Grace made some faux wainscoting. You need to see this before and after!

Zoe from Scout's Stitches made some candy coated trail mix.

Rachelle from Adventures in Creating made a sign out of salvaged barn wood:

Lynette from Casa de Luna made a cute pin cushion with a teacup.

Becky from Delightful Deets made a pretty card for Valentine's Day.

Love Sweet Love made a pretty burlap bubble wreath.

Sew Craft Create showed us how to make inexpensive cupcake flags:

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Wicked Awesome Wednesday #49

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:22:00 +0000

Can you believe it's time for our 49th link party:

Sarah from Alderberry Hill made some sweater pillows:

Sarah from Adventures of our Family showed us how to hand sew on paper.

Sew Passionate showed us how to add trim to a bed skirt:

Mere and Ali from SewSweetTV showed us how to make a cute ruffled tote:

Desiree from Wee Share has a recipe for mini cinnamon rolls with maple icing.

Missy from Lookie What I Did made over a baby hutch for her craft room.

Paula from Living a Blessed Life has a lavender sachet tutorial:

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Wicked Awesome Wednesday #48

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Over 150 links again. You guys amaze me with your creativity. Time for our 48th link party:

Dawn from Small Footprint Family shared a recipe for homemade coconut milk yogurt:

Jocelyn from The DIY Spot turned a magazine stand into a file caddy:

Nat & Holly from My Sister's Suitcase made a LOVE sign with pretty yarn:

Kim from Made in a Day spruced up this little cabinet:

Maddie from Thriftary showed us how to make no-sew clutch purses:

Sherry from Pondered Primed Perfected showed us how to make a giant Hershey Kiss:

Creative in Chicago made some string art:

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Wicked Awesome Wednesday #47

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

150 links this time!! Wow! It's time for our 47th link party: Keep all the great projects coming:

Treat & Trick made these milk coffee buns, aren't they pretty?

Carissa's Creative made the cutest little play kitchen:

Jennifer from Big D & Me made some Star Wars decor for her boys:

Snickerdoodle cupcakes? Yes please! Thanks to Todd & Lindsey for this recipe:

Sarah from Adventures and Asides made these pretty blueberry swirls:

Meredith from Haute to Sew did a makeover on her bathroom. Since replacing the wall tile is expensive (not to mention messy!), she worked around it to create a whole new look:

Garden Therapy made whole weat blueberry lemon scones:

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January Antique Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:48:00 +0000

We decided to escape the winter blahs yesterday, and headed out to one of our favorite antique shops. We love this shop, since they seem to turn over their inventory, and have new things fairly often.

Love all the drawers here!

Anyone getting ready for Valentine's day? I love these little plates.

Great shot with antique bottles.

I really like this picture. I took it in our front yard a few weeks ago, after a snowfall that weighed the branches down.

How about you? What are you doing to shake off the winter doldrums?

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #46

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

We had over 120 links on last week's party, wow! It's time for our 46th link party: Watcha got this week?

Jenna from The Mommy Diaries made the best chocolate cake ever.

Jenilyn from Grits and Giggles showed us how to turn boot-cut jeans into skinny jeans that will easily fit into boots:

Jen from A Place 2 Call Home did a side table makeover with a piece of free furniture and $7 "oops" paint:

Lynn from Cottage and Creek showed us a pretty way to store ribbon:

Michelle from Simplify, Live, Love bakes a 9 grain bread:

Jennifer at A Jenerik Life made this wicked cute table of gadets and latches for her toddler.

Kim from A little bit of everything made a pretty (and simple) heart wreath:

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Where Did All the Good HGTV Shows Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I thought I would post a reader question I received recently.

Remember when I posted about how I hate House Hunters, and most of the new shows on HGTV? A reader wrote in with this question:

Kay G recently left this comment on my post, "Why I Hate House Hunters on HGTV":

I hate most of the shows on HGTV now. I was a faithful watcher of HGTV 7 or 8 years ago when most of the shows were about decorating. They would show beautiful homes. I have been trying to find the show that was in the Carolinas in a very beautiful neighborhood of newly built homes.

If anyone could help me find the lost show, that was one of the best. I really hate all the shows now. I miss the old shows from 7, 8 or even 9 years ago.

Does anyone have an answer for Kay G?

I was thinking about some of the older HGTV shows that Handy Man and I used to love...you know, before HGTV turned into The Real Estate Channel.

Decorating Cents, Joan Steffend

Our absolute favorite show! Joan Steffend gets an A+ for the most enthusiastic and bubbly hostess on HGTV history, in my opinion. We just loved how she'd decorate a room (or rooms) for $500 or less.

Remember the Trash to Treasure segments with Robb Whitleff? He would show some of the pieces he created for his home furnishings store called Sticks & Stones in Minneapolis.

Where is she now? Joan wrote a book, and wants to do more work on TV and the radio.

Designing for the Sexes, Michael Payne

He likes modern, clean, design; She likes ruffles and frills. What's a designer to do? Michael Payne had a real knack for combining a couple's opinions into one gorgeous design.

Where is he now? Check out Michael Payne's site for more information. He's appearing at a home show in Burlington, Vermont in February 2012. Michael has been a featured speaker at national home and design shows. He wrote a design book published in 2003 called Let's Ask Michael. Michael also teaches a design seminar at UCLA.

Room by Room, Matt & Shari

Remember these two? Weren't they adorable? According to their site, Matt and Shari, Room by Room was the first show on HGTV. Sure, they had some cheesy banter, but we loved their easy and affordable room and house makeovers.

Where are they now? Matt and Shari are guests on radio shows. They travel around the country and speak at home and garden expos.

Designed to Sell
with Lisa LaPorta and Clive Pearse

I know this show isn't that old, but it was one of our favorites. Designed to Sell seemed to be one of the earlier Real Estate shows on HGTV. I know there have been other hosts and designers on this show, but these two were my favorite. I loved the interaction between them. I used to crack up when she'd call him Clivey. Yes, it was a show about selling a home, but I loved the quick and inexpensive decorating and home staging ideas.

Where are they now? Lisa has a gorgeous design blog, sells a line of patio furniture, and appears in several publications and national and regional TV shows.

Clivey has popped up on other HGTV shows, such as Design Star and Dream Home Giveaway. His bio lists extensive TV and voice over work. Did you know he was married to Linda Blair? Linda founded the World Heart Foundation, which helps rescue animals in the Los Angeles area.

HGTV, please, PUH-LEASE cool it with the real estate shows, and give us MORE design and makeover shows! According to what I've seen on the blogosphere, Rob and I aren't the only ones who miss the old shows.

How about you? Did you ever watch these shows?

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #45

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

It's time for our 45th link party: Watcha got this week?

Linda at It All Started with Paint made over her entry way. Wow, what a great before and after!

Maureen from Release Me Creations made a custom jewelers bench for only $85 in materials!

Sarah, who is guest posting for her sister Ellen on Ellen's blog Creative Passage, use some old Jenga game pieces to make a key chain.

Vanilla cake made in a sandwich maker? Yes please. Go see how Ambreen from Simply Sweet 'n Savory did it.

Emily from 52 mantels shared a recipe for pomegranate Champagne cocktails.

Sherry from Pondered Primed Perfected turned some wine bottles into lamps with bottle lamp kits.

Rebekah from Somewhere in the Middle showed us how to make all-natural homemade laundry detergent:

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Wicked Awesome Wednesday #44

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:14:00 +0000

I'm going to set up the link party, but I can't show any projects right now, need to get to bed. I'll try to add some tommorrow.

It's time for our 44th link party: Watcha got this week?

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The Obligatory 2011 Year in Review Post

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:33:00 +0000

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas. I ended up in the hospital on Christmas night for 6 hours. Dehydration from either a bad stomach virus or food poisoning. Great, huh? Everything's ok now. I might have to write about it sometime. Don't worry, I won't give you the gross details, but it's quite a story.

Thought I'd do a Year in Review Post for 2011.

Our blog had over 109,000 visits and 278,000 page views in 2011. (How is that possible?!)

The majority of our readers are from the USA, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Philippines, Japan, China and Ukraine.

We had 43 Wicked Awesome Wednesday link parties. Thanks to all who linked up, and thanks to all who visit the links on the party.

I started a Free for All Friday topic, and wrote three of my favorite blog posts of 2011:

I broke the "swear" barrier on the blog, and talked about The Nicest, Grossest Thing Handy Man Ever Did For Me

It involved sewage and a clean out pipe

A Behind The Scenes Look at Our Wedding Day

The man who said "I do" to all this madness

The Best Christmas Movie Ever

You'll shoot your eye out, Ralphie

Here are some of my favorite posts from 2011.

January: Handy Boy's closet, before and after

February: I made my own envelopes

March: I wrote about how I hate the HGTV show "Property Virgins." This post got the most hits and comments EVER for a single blog post (61 comments to date.)

I don't even watch this channel anymore

April: We held our first annual Snirt Watch contest, and I had an Easter Crafting Fail when I tried to go all "Country Living"

Whoops

May: We found two Fiesta medium green teacups for $10 each (I still can't believe it!)

June: I fixed some of the cracks in our walls

July: I started a six part New England Summer Thursday series, and organized my cards

August: I decided I wanted a skee ball lane in my house

...but we don't have one. Yet.

September: Handy Man found some pretty red vases for our window sill

October: The Pocket Guide to Sheds was published, which included a chapter on Handy Man's shed; and Handy Man put insulation around our upstairs bathroom window

November: I replaced our wooden hangers with slim, velvet hangers

In December, Handy Man organized some basement shelves:

Our top 10 referring sites in 2011 were:

Between Naps on the Porch

Life with the Anthonys

My Romantic Home

A bowl full of lemons

Hooked on Houses

The Happy Brown House

StumbleUpon

Funky Junk Interiors

I Heart Organizing
Linky Tools

Thanks to all of our readers, you guys are Wicked Awesome! An extra special Thank You to my friend Marcia, and my bloggy friend Barbara from DIY Home Staging. You ladies have helped me out more than you know.

Here's to a Handy and Crafty 2012!

Been Wicked Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:38:00 +0000

I tried, but I just can't do Wicked Awesome Wednesday this week. I've been wicked sick. Please come back for WAW next week!

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #43

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

I've been sick. And Christmas is creeping up on me!

It's time for our 43nd link party: Watcha got this week?

Bethany at A Fish Who Likes Flowers made a really pretty wreath out of felt roses:

Katie from Blah to Beautiful spruced up some inexpensive garland:

Angie from Burton Avenue made these powdered sugar stencil cookies:

Kara at Happy Go Lucky Girl came up with an easy way to display Santa photos:

Kristina from Real Made Simple made a fabric rope bracelet:

Kara at Petals to Picots made these pretty yarn ball ornaments:

Marla at Better than I Could Have Imagined made this Christmas tree with red burlap:

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Wicked Awesome Wednesday #42

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

It's time for our 42nd link party: Watcha got this week?

Karen from Homemade Glamor made enough soap for a year for only $4:

The Scrappy Housewife made pockets for an Advent calendar:

Tina from Twinkle Toes fixed up a dining room set:

Ambreen at Simply Sweet 'n Savory baked a pretty coconut cake:

Rebekah at Somewhere in the Middle made this simple, but gorgeous wreath:

The Home Organisation Project created an art wall for her kid's artwork:

Emily from Bargain Bound revamped some candlesticks for Christmas with .49 bowls and .99 candles:

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Antique Christmas Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:45:00 +0000

We went antique shopping recently, and I took pictures of some Christmas decor made using antiques and vintage items

Love this Christmas tree made using kitchen items

A metal Christmas tree stand. Great graphics.

These cubbies are great for stashing little decorations.

I like the old ball ornaments here. You can find packages of them in antique stores around this time of year, they are pretty inexpensive.

Do you have your decorations up yet? Our tree is up, and our decorations are set up.

Linking to: House of Hepworths

Wicked Awesome Wednesay #41

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Look who's 41: our blog party!

Watcha got this week?

Here are the projects that caught my eye this week:

Sarah from Alderberry Hill made a wicked cute matchbox Advent calendar:

Sarah from The Space Between made a snow man sea urchin:

Melissa from Shabby Love showed us her vintage Christmas decor:

Barb from Turtles and Tales made some ornaments inspired by a beach vacation:

Ange from Decorating the Dorchester Way made some easy Christmas artwork:

Kendra from At Home with K made some Christmas tree twig art:

Allysabeths1 made a cute Frosty the Snowman with Dollar Tree crafts:

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Basement Shelves

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:20:00 +0000

Handy Man found a project to do in the basement over the weekend. He took down some of the old, crappy metal shelves we used to have, and set up new shelves. I don't have pictures of the old shelves. Believe me, they were awful!

New shelves. Nice and sturdy.

What IS all this stuff?!

This brand is called Real Organized, here's a picture of the box. Handy Man bought this at Lowe's. They were on sale on Black Friday for $50. They usually cost around $80.

I don't know this for sure, but if you need shelves, you might want to wait for the new year. Stores put a lot of organizational tools and shelves on sale around January first.

We need to spread out the purchase of these shelves, but it will give Handy Man and Handy Boy something to do in the basement when it's cold outside.

How about you? Do you have any organizing projects you need to work on?

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #40

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Look who's 40: our blog party!

Watcha got this week?

Here are the projects that caught my eye last week:

Ami from AliLilly made this Pottery Barn inspired wreath:

Karah from The Space Between made a photo display with shells:

Katie from Raising Oranges made peppermint crunch brownies:

Jessica's husband at from the ground up restored this nice, old card catalog. I love these things:

Linda at it all started with paint painted a rug on her porch:

My from Space 46 made jewelry holders:

Little Miss Maggie made flowers from book pages:

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Our New Miele Vacuum Actually Sucks

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Our old Miele vacuum finally died, after repeated attempts by Handy Man to fix it. He MacGuyver'd the heck out of it, giving us an extra year or so of usage. We bought it fourteen years ago, so it doesn't owe us a thing.

After much sighing and foot dragging, Handy Man went out and bought a new Miele. We had some money saved, and we knew what we had to do.

Besides, the floors were getting narrrrsty.

This review is our opinion, we are receiving no compensation for this post.

Here is the page on the Miele site that lists all the details. This vacuum retails for about $799. Pretty steep, but it's worth it. Handy Man looked around and found it for a small discount at an appliance store. He bought it for $729. Miele vacuums don't really go on sale, so that's the lowest you're going to get. We've had cheap-o vacuums in the past, and they just...suck. Or rather, they don't suck enough. And I use the crap out of the vacuum, so it's worth it to me.

I like the canister style, but they also sell an upright.

S 6270 Topaz Canister, for those following along at home

Space ship or vacuum cleaner?

We live in New England, and track in a lot of sand, dirt, dust and mud. I have bemoaned the lack of mud room or entry way in this house. Everything gets dragged in. Everything. Even though we take shoes off at the doors, dirt and crud creeps everywhere. I hate the feeling of grit under my feet, so I vacuum near the doorways almost every single day. Every day in mud season. (Mud season = March and some of April.)

I don't even bother with a broom. Brooms just don't cut it here. I feel like it just pushes the grit around. It just seems easier to pull out the vacuum and suck up the crud that settles around the door every day. Of course, I vacuum the rest of the house when it needs it, too. I don't just vacuum doorways, I promise.

Reasons I like the Miele vacuum:

It's got a lonnnnnng cord (I love this feature, because I'm lazy.)

It's good on smooth flooring and low pile carpets

This one is lightweight and rolls easily. Our prior Miele was a bit heavy; I was glad to see the newer ones are lighter and easier to handle.

It has a real HEPA filter.

The bags are easy to change.

Six adjustable power settings! If you want to get all Martha Stewart and vacuum upholstery, you can turn it to a lighter setting so it doesn't suck the curtains into a vortex.

Miele vacuums are made in Germany. Do you have one? Does your vacuum suck?

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #39

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

It's Turkey Week! Are you ready?

Time for our 39th Wicked Awesome Wednesday. Watcha got?

Here are the projects that caught my eye last week:

Angie from Burton Avenue made some turkey favor tins:

Love this little burlap turkey from A Creative Princess:

Kristine from The Painted Hive did a small dining room makeover that made a huge difference:

Lisa from Our Homemade Happiness has a recipe for whole wheat bread:

Kerri from The Pleasures of My Life shows us how to make canvas pictures on a budget:

Sarah from Hallway Happenings made over an old mirror:

Kellie from My So Called Green Life changed an old tray into a chalkboard serving tray:

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No More Wooden Hangers

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Note: I'm feeling much better with my strep. Still a bit worn out, but getting better. It really kicked my butt! Thanks for the comments.

After we renovated our closet and bathroom, I bought new wood hangers for our clothes. I liked the uniform look, and they were sturdy. After a while, I noticed our clothes drooping and sliding off the hangers.

Whoops.

I saw these velvet hangers on some other DIY blogs. Since I no longer watch HGTV, I have to get my organizing and decorating fix elsewhere.

These velvet hangers are grippy and slim.

My clothes. Taste the rainbow!

I really like them! I bought a five pack for $5.99 at Walmart. The brand is Canopy.

What kind of hangers do you have? Do you like them? How are they working for you?

Wicked Awesome Wednesday #38

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

I'm having a pity party today. I'm sick; I have strep. Lovely! I've never had it before, so this is new to me. They gave me penicillin. I've never taken it before; I started last night. It's only been 24 hours, but I feel better already. They said I'd feel better in about 24 hours, but I didn't believe it!

Enough about that.

Time for our 38th Wicked Awesome Wednesday. Watcha got?

Here are the projects that caught my eye last week:

House of Whimsy made a cute centerpiece from a cardboard soda box:

Owen's Olivia made these cute felt acorns:

AlexisAnne from Clean, Smart, Simple Style transformed what she thought was a candle holder into a jewelry tree:

Krista from Thinking With My Heart showed us how to do a neat caulking job on house siding:

I love this command center from Sarah at just the bee's knees:

Sarah at Alderberry Hill showed us her homemade Christmas gifts:

Small Holdings Farm made a sailboat out of driftwood.

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The Best Christmas Movie EVAH

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:15:00 +0000

Our favorite Christmas movie of all time has to be A Christmas Story. It plays on cable TV every year, but we bought the DVD so we can watch it and cackle with glee. For some reason, I can't watch this movie in warm weather. November is here, and it's almost time to start watching it again...and again and again.

The family uses Fiesta Ware dishes in the movie. In this scene, the plates on the table aren't Fiesta, but you can see Fiesta in the green cupboard in the background. In the scenes where they eat dinner in the kitchen, you can see Fiesta on the table.

The infamous lamp

You'll shoot your eye out, Ralphie

I know there are a million blog posts about this movie. Here's one more!

The Old Man

Physical Characteristics: permanent scowl

Position in Family: fearsome leader

Fashion Statement: sweater vests, fedoras

Hobbies: swearing, furnace-wrangling, car tinkering

Secret Christmas Wish: to be left in peace so he can read the paper

Best Lines:

"That son of a bitch would freeze up in the middle of summer on the equator!"

"It's a clinkerrrrrrrr!"

"It's a major award!"

"Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian."

"You used up all the glue on PURPOSE!"

"Don't anybody move!"
(Handy Man's favorite line): "Nottafinga!"

Mom

Physical Characteristics: curly blond hair, frazzled expression

Position in Family: chief cook and bottle washer, peacemaker

Fashion Statement: house dresses, aprons

Hobbies: Does this look like a woman who has time for hobbies?!

Secret Christmas Wish: a hot meal without interruption

Best Lines:

"No, you'll shoot your eye out."

"That is...the ugliest lamp I have ever seen in my entire LIFE!"

"Don't want to waste electricity."

"Show me how the piggies eat."

"This isn't one of those trees where all the needles falls off, is it?"

The green bowls are Fiesta

Randy

Physical Characteristics: whiny pout, vacant expression

Position in Family: the kid who won't eat

Fashion Statement: puffy snowsuits

Hobbies: whining; playing with food; following Ralphie around

Secret Christmas Wish: Unknown. Seems happy with whatever Santa brings

Best Lines:

"Meatloaf, smeatoaf, double beatloaf. I hate meatloaf."
"I can't put my arms down!"
"I can't get up! Ralphie, I can't get up!"
"Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie!"

Ralphie

Physical Characteristics: dazzling blue eyes, squeezable cheeks

Position in Family: long-suffering oldest child

Fashion Statement: round glasses, pink bunny pajamas

Hobbies: Little Orphan Annie radio show, sending away for radio premiums

Secret Christmas Wish: a Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle

Best Lines:
(Ralphie has so many great lines, but in the interest of brevity, here are my favorites):

"My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium, a master."

"I want a red rider 200 shot carbine action range model air rifle with a compass and this thing which tells time built right in the stock."

"Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window."

"My kid brother looked like a tick about to pop." "Randy lay there like a slug. It was his only defense!"
"Only I didn't say FUDGE."

"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!"
"I slowly began to realize that I was not going to be destroyed."

Did you know:

You can visit the Christmas Story house in Cleveland Ohio?

The house has hosted three weddings, one renewal of vows and two proposals.

"A Christmas Story” inspired the creation of “The Wonder Years” television show.

You can bid on ebay to win a two night, two day stay for four people in the Christmas Story house. (I really want to do that!)

You can see A Christmas Story, the musical

What about you? Do you like this movie?

Wicked Awsome Wednesday #37

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

What a weekend I had! Just came back from a weekend scrapbook retreat in the White Mountains. Wicked fun! So, so tired. I'm suffering from what I call retreat hangover. I'm so tired, have a lot of unpacking to do, and I miss the scrapbook ladies already.

Handy Man and Handy Boy managed to hold down the fort. Our vacuum crapped out recently, so Handy Man bought a new one. I'll talk about that more next week.

I usually post on Mondays, but I just couldn't hack it this week. I thought it would be better to post nothing than to post something half-assed. Of course, I could write posts ahead of time, but that's not how I roll. I also have a wicked funny post planned for Free for All Friday this week. Planned in my head, that is.

Time for our 37th Wicked Awesome Wednesday. Watcha got?

One hundred and twenty seven projects linked up last week!

Stephanie from Angelic Accents made some pretty displays with cloches:

Heather from Tallgrass Designs showed us how to shorten jeans, and keep the original factory hem:

Ela from Scrapidoodleicious made over a bookshelf she got for free on Craigslist:

Ellen from Creative Passage made some stacked wool Christmas trees. It's not too early to start those Christmas crafts!

I love house snooping. Heather from Simcoe Street gave us a tour of her sister-in-law's very cool city condo:

I just love paper crafts. Rissa from Hazel and Honeysuckle showed us how to make paper flowers:

Nikki from Everything Under the Moon has a recipe for pumpkin curry soup:

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The Time I Had to Use a Pay Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Handy Man, Crafty Woman) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:01:00 +0000

You've all heard me whine about the power outage we had over the weekend. No power, no cable, no phone, no internet. We have a generator so we had heat and hot water, but the lack of phone turned into a big problem this time.

On Monday morning, I'd planned to go shopping with my friend Marcia. With no power, and no school, I had to stay home to take care of Handy Boy...and I had no way to get in touch with her. We couldn't even get cell phone reception.

I dragged my laptop to McDonald's, where I got on their wifi. I sent Marcia an email, a Facebook message, etc. I didn't want her to drive half an hour to meet me, and then not show up.

I shut down my computer and as I left McDonald's I saw it in the parking lot: a pay phone. You know, a real pay phone that you feed with coins! I went over and picked it up, and...dial tone! A very static-y dial tone, but it worked.

Can ya hear me now, Marcia?

I looked to see how much it cost. It said forty cents on the phone. Forty cents!! Are you kidding me? Thankfully, I had change, so I started to feed it.

I dialed Marcia's number. She lives about an hour away. Apparently, the phone thinks that's wicked far because a robotic voice came on and said "Please. Enter. Fifty. Additional. Cents."

FIFTY more cents?!! I put it in.

Then a real person came on and said "You'll have to add forty cents." I told her I already put in ninety cents. She said "one moment please, and I'll connect you." I heard change clang back into the change return.

"Can you add forty additional cents?" the woman asked. I said "I did, but it came back out."

"Can you try it again?" Cripes. This is getting too complicated.

She said "One moment please." Lots of static. I finally get connected. I leave a message on Marcia's voice mail. When I hung up, I heard a waterfall of change clang into the phone. But did any of it come back out to me?

Of course not.

I needed to make another phone call, but I didn't have enough damned change left!

Exhausting, this power outage business.