i made this for you

vol. 7

the same park went to fly kites, is also our favorite place to spend time with our dogs. on a recent trip, I carved shauna’s initials into a tree nearby our usual path.  

this tree is on the side of the bank and must have fallen over a long time ago. although it doesn't grow leaves anymore, it was the perfect spot for a lasting message (or as long as the tree still stands). sometimes old traditions are the best ones.

vol. 6

technically, this week should be called i had this made for you. stephen likes to stockpile pencils and he doesn't like to share them. so i ordered a few dozen pencils and had them customized with sayings like: "my wife gave me this pencil", "this pencil belongs to stephen", "will trade pencil for snickers", "if found return to stephen"...

if you have a special message (30 characters or less), the oriental trading company is a great source. for $5.99 you can order 24 custom pencils.

vol. 5

 
 shauna's been working really hard on a special project and i wanted to cheer her on. i found a fence she passes everyday and left this message spelled with paper cups. sometimes a big gesture doesn't cost much or require a lot of work. so there it is shauna, good luck, you're almost done.

vol. 4

 
we've been focused on last minute summer fun before autum arrives. at the top of stephen's list... flying kites. making them from scratch seemed a bit technical, so i decided to buy a couple and modify them. i found some simple kites at a local toy store and used the nylon body as a pattern to sew new ones from vintage fabric. we were excited to see them take flight at the park and before we knew it, four hours had passed. 

there are twelve more days of summer, so you have just enough time to fly your own kite. if your looking to make one from scratch or even form a kite club, this site is a great resource.

vol. 3

shauna doesn't exactly have a green thumb but, she's managed to keep a few plants alive. we're headed out of town and she's been worried about how the plants would survive while we're gone. 

i did a little research. as it turns out, there are many options for self irrigation. one of the simplest... plastic water bottles! just add a small pin hole in the cap, fill the bottle with water and place it upside down into the soil. add another pin hole to the bottom of the bottle to relieve pressure and you're all set! now her plants will have top notch care while we're gone.