Birthday Party Puppet Show: The Paper Bag Princess

This year, we decided to add a performance to our seven-year-old's birthday party. As always, we provided drinks, dessert, and a BBQ feast, which always brings a crowd--this year there was a little 50 people attending. The secret is beer. Granted, that's not what you typically find at a seven-year-old's party, but it brings out entire families instead of the one parent who drew the card to attend a kid's party. Having just as many adults makes it fun for everyone, and people tend to stay longer and let the kids play. Besides, it's not like anyone was doing keg stands.

Anyway, back to this year. I had gotten into puppets lately, especially after seeing the documentary about Wayne White, Beauty is Embarrassing. Add to that last summer's visit to Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts, and we were all hooked. The excuse to make puppets for me was to do a performance, and this year's selection was The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Complete with dragon and princess (above) as well as the arrogant prince (below), we were set.




The show was a lot of fun. Fortunately, we simplified the performance with my wife reading the book and my daughter and I acting out the rest with the puppets. If we do this again next year, we'll continue making versatile puppets we can use in different roles, although the dragon might not work for every show.

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My Version of a Kids' Play Structure

The Challenge:
I had a lot of wood I couldn't burn inside (i.e., cedar and pine), and I wasn't able to burn it fast enough in the outdoor fire pits. We also adopted a slide from grandparents and need to put it to use or give it away. I didn't want a monstrosity of a structure dominating the yard, so I came up with my own design with nontraditional materials, I suppose.

The Solution (for now):
I added a second log stack (supported/flanked by 4 t-posts) and connected it to the existing (taller) one with a pre-cut, 3-step staircase. I used standard posts for railing, leftover cedar shingles (from roofing the adjoining hut) for a small shelter on top, and tongue-and-groove cedar for the floor.



To access the slide, I staggered longer logs on the back to serve as climbing steps (above). I also added a climbing wall (below) as a second access point for the covered tower (on top of the taller log stack). I connected climbing holds to signboard (MDO, not to be confused with MDF) with the usual 3/8" t-nuts. The planters in front of the stacks is a nice addition for summer snacking on tomatoes and mint.


Overall, I'm happy with the results. It was a good use of the materials I already had, and the smallest members have given their seal of approval. I am told the tower "is the perfect reading spot" and great for relaxing out of the sun. The biggest challenge was positioning the log stacks so the pre-cut stairs would line up. A little 10th-grade geometry came in handy--thanks Mr. Herder.

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This is where we live...

This is Carbondale. from Arthur Agency on Vimeo.

Adults like to drink, too

It's the holidays, and we've been inspired to have some friends over for good drinks, food, and conversation. Yes, there will be kids involved, and yes, we will start at the very uncivilized time of 5pm on a weeknight. In our defense, the early start will give us time to get the youngsters fed and stuck in front of a holiday movie. Then, the adults--many of whom have had all-too-many evenings end at 7pm--will be able to enjoy some festive cheer.

Admittedly, the event is inspired by the resurgence (outside of Brooklyn) of the craft bar. Some recent haunts are: Tavern Law in Seattle, The Esquire in San Antonio, and Scotch and Soda in (of all places) Springfield, Mo. (I've now made it my mission to visit new craft bars at every conference city I visit).





The revelation was a whiskey sour at The Esquire last year. The magical concoction is made with bourbon, ice (crushed by whacking ice in your hand with the back of a spoon), egg whites, and freshly-grated nutmeg. It was a treat to sit at the bar and watch the drink being crafted in front of me. Let's just say the spectacle was watching a craft being executed with care rather than bottle tossing by Tom Cruise in a scene from Cocktail.





It was sitting in The Esquire that I realized that adults once roamed bars in a bygone era when $.25 draws and chemically-dyed mixers were not the norm. We're a far cry from that in Carbondale, but I still have hope. Here's to the holidays and adults once again taking over the night.





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Floor from 1920s Kansas House

In 1996, my parents still lived in Kansas. My dad had a hobby farm, and we started building a cabin in the woods. We never finished it before my parents moved to Missouri, though, and I figured the frame has been rotting in the woods ever since.

While building the cabin, we had the opportunity to salvage tongue-and-groove pine floors from an old house being torn down. The only cost was our labor. It was a great deal, but we were never able to use it in the cabin. As a result, my parents have stored the wood ever since.

Jump ahead 16 years, and I am in need of flooring for a new project (that I hope I will see completed). When I picked up the floor, I also grabbed some old cabinets my great grandparents put in there house in the 1960s. These will be perfect storage in the shed.



After bringing back a load of solid wood cabinets and flooring with 90 years of built-up dust, I got to work. Using medium steel wool to scrub a mixture of 1-part boiled linseed oil and 2-parts mineral spirits cleaned up the wood beautifully. Then, I rented a pneumatic floor nailer and was able to install the floor in about a day. The rental for the nailer was only $35, but the smallest size of nails/staples I could buy was $70 for 7,200. (Anyone want to buy 6,900 unused ones?)











I'm thrilled with the results. The floor has beautiful character. More is done on the exterior, too. I'll post those pictures soon.


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Shed Progress

We need a space for making things and storing the tools to do so. I've been eyeing the modern shed kits you can buy. They make for the perfect outdoor studio space, have an amazing aesthetic, and are pricey-- too pricey. I found some cheaper plans online, but decided to have a go on my own. This would be a great opportunity to design something not too outlandish and learn more about building an abode. Further, it wouldn't be so big that my naive mistakes would matter too much, or so I hoped.

So here's the start. I was able to use the previous shesd's floor. In fact, the new one is the exact same footprint. It's amazing how much vertical space matters.

After laying down an additional layer of plywood to strengthen the floor, I bought the door and windows to have exact measurements for these spaces. Framing the walls came next. Then, it was adding the first layer of plywood to the walls before I used house wrap for additional protection. Finally, I installed the door and lower-level windows. A video from the This Old House website came in handy for this first-timer's work with windows and doors.

Still to do: a lot. I've be tackling the shed's exterior next, including the upper windows. These cool little rectangles (four will go across the top for aesthetics and ventilation) are called "basement windows" and are very cheap.

I've learned a lot. That also means I've made a lot of mistakes, but when is that not part of the learning process?

Oh, and here's a public thank you to my dad. He's been so helpful.













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Mod Dog Dwelling

It's getting cold outside, and the dog is in need of shelter. No ordinary design would do, so I tried to make a shed that mimicked the lines on our home. Here is the result after a Saturday's worth of work, and a little help fro my daughter.










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Lantern Festival in St. Louis

...was last summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was quite impressive and made for a great trip. Now I know what to do with those extra dishes.












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New Bench

I couldn't help but notice an attractive slab of wood in a friend's wood pile. It was from a local mill--a castoff because "city wood" has so many nails that it will damage the saw blades.

He said I could have half of the slab for a project. Then, began the task of loading it. A tractor eventually got involved, too.

Skip ahead with gravity helping me unload it, the addition of shims and wheels, and voilà--"instant" outdoor bench.

Now, how to finish/protect the top...?






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Starting the Shed

I suppose you have to break an egg to make an omelet. Last summer we started the long-but-enjoyable process of building a new shed.

First step: tear down existing shed, salvage as much lumber as possible to reuse, and make room in garage for stuff once in said dismantled shed (thus, the dumpster).






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