A handmade Christmas for Mom

Back in September I had the great idea to make a quilt for my Mom as a Christmas present. I was struck by a flurry of inspiration and apparently a bout of amnesia, blocking the memories from my previous quilt making endeavors. Hey, it's September, that's plenty of time to sew a quilt from scratch and with no pattern, right? The short answer to that is yes, plenty of time for stitch ripping and cursing up a storm! It seemed like a good idea anyway and in the end I think it was worth the effort.

Here is a short photo essay of the life of a handmade quilt. Hope you like it Mom!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Yesterday was my dad's 60th Birthday! We celebrated with a little home cooked surf and turf on the grill and some sweet treats. As a gift, my siblings and I are taking dad out to a night on the town (family style) with a nice dinner and night at Comerica. Here is the "ticket" I designed for dad's card:



And some throw-back photos from Dad's early years! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

The Jersey Shore

Well, not that Jersey Shore, well, maybe a little of that Jersey Shore.

I took a four-day vacation and flew into Atlantic City to meet up with family staying at a house on the shore in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. I know it seems strange to vacation in New Jersey, especially seeing as none of us had ever visited, but my mom placed a bid on a weeks stay during a charity auction, and bam, we were going to Jersey. We had a great, and HUMID time enjoying the beach, the food and a little Jersey (or is it Philly?) "wurta ice," or water ice.

Sunset over Sea Isle and the nightclub across the street from the nice house we stayed at.


The beach was just steps from our door.




A masterpiece dinner we prepared with all local ingredients, so tasty!




Here is the view from the balcony, we had a good view of the ocean and the only open air bar in town.






One random brother, who wishes to remain anonymous, mom and mark make their way down the street at sunset. On the right, we stayed in the left side of this lovely duplex.


Everywhere you look there's a pizza. I'm not gunna argue that.


When seagulls attack, Atlantic City boardwalk.


I started this post with a sunset, so I guess I'll end it with one too. Sunset through the windows of the Atlantic City airport overlooking the runway, as we wait out a delay.

Grill master

Turns out that I am obsessed with grilling. For the second weekend in a row, I bought every vegetable I could find and I cooked the heck out of them on the grill.



My sister and I went down to Detroit to visit my mom this past weekend. Lots of eating and lots of relaxing.




Over looking the Detroit River.

Never leave your corn unattended

My sister Julianne and I put together a fantastic early Father's Day dinner for our dad, Jack. We grilled up all sorts of veggies: asparagus, onions, peppers and of course some corn on the cob. Dinner was awesome and became entertainment only after I got up to get a napkin from the kitchen. I returned to Dad's kitty, Phoebe, stealing my half eaten corn off my plate and destroying it, right there on the table.

A weekend whirlwind

My long-time friend Emily, who now lives in Washington D.C., came home this past weekend for the holiday. As usual when she visits, she had a long list of places and people to see. I tagged along as we drove up to Petoskey to visit her 92-year-old "Gra."We stopped at CMU, our alma mater (Emily still knows the words to the alma mater song, dork!) and hit Lake Michigan in Charlevoix

Adam, Eric and Emily listening to Gra as she looks at an old photo of her family taken when she was a child.


The seal at Warriner Mall on campus at Central Michigan University.


We took a short ferry ride to cross over to Charlevoix and then checked out the pier and lighthouse on Lake Michigan.






The hunt for Petoskey stones!

A night at the Park - Detroit, Michigan

Dad and I hit up the baseball game at Comerica Park last night. We ended up getting some upgraded-superstar seats because lets face it, when you hang out with my dad, good things happen. He is just that sorta guy. As he says, "It pays to be a good person."

Despite me spilling my beer, accidentally dropping a peanut down some kid's shirt (sorry kid, snack for later?) and the Tiger's losing, we had a great time!

Portrait of dad, portrait of me.


The next door neighbor.

No camera, no problem!

With my D3 sent into the techies over at Nikon, I've been feeling a little lonely lately. When my brother Jeff, sister Julianne and I decided to visit our mom and her boyfriend Mark out at his boat in Detroit for Easter this past Sunday, I decided to use what I have. And what I have is cell phone. I have been dumb-founded by what people can produce with cell phone cameras. I use mine mostly to photograph my cats. (Lucky them!) So here is my attempt at iPhone photography while out on a walk around the marina yesterday.

And just who is "top priority" around here?


This is where Mark and mom keep the boat, it's called a dockominium, get it? :)

Good to have a friend home

Elliott is home! He has been on an extended vacation at my dad's house, but it's good to have him home.

Another Saturday at Eastern Market - Detroit, Michigan

Here are some photos from another awesome Saturday afternoon at Eastern Market.



Fantastic rows of beauty!




If only they stayed this sweet and tiny!


My sister Julianne works the phones as we wait in line for lunch at Russell Street Deli. She likes plaid.