That's Just My Bag Baby...

Those of you that know me, know that I am not really a purse kind of gal. Try fitting a digital camera, an I-Pod, a book, wallet, cell phone, gum, sunglasses and keys in your standard cute, girly purse. Add various things needed by a preschool boy, and it was obvious I had to come up with a better plan.

Christmas 2007 I was looking for a new bag. My grandparents gave me money and said, "Here, go buy yourself something from us and put it under the tree." I ran across these AWESOME messenger bags from Timbuk2 somewhere online, and knew right off that I had to have one. They are waterproof, come in a bajillion different sizes, shapes and colors, and look so much cooler than a backpack. Plus, they are designed to be slung over one shoulder, which is how I prefer to carry things anyway.

I went to our local specialty sports and outdoors store just to get my hands on one and try them out for size. I decided on the Classic Small Messenger because it had lots of little pockets to store things like cell phones, MP3 players, sunglasses and suckers, while still having one large central pocket for books, a jacket or my digital SLR camera. I especially like the way the flap closes with the clips and the rubber lined ballistic nylon which makes the entire thing very durable and water-resistant. The little key fob is nice as is the adjustable shoulder strap- even though I usually leave it fully extended. You can also order optional accessories such as strap pads, cell phone holders and the like to clip to the strap.

I found a marvelous deal on a "build your own bag" of sorts online, and ordered the mocha/baby blue/mocha one with silver interior and baby blue logo. When it came it was really difficult to wrap it up and put it under the tree, but I did. I could not WAIT to open it. That was over a year ago, and I am still using this thing every day. I have washed it once (in the washing machine) and it still looks as good as new. When the time comes I will not hesitate to order another. I only wish I had thought to get one of these when Coleman was a little baby instead of lugging a diaper bag around all those years!

Quick and Easy Ribbon Bulletin Board Craft Project...

I have had a few friends ask for directions on how to make the ribbon bulletin boards I have in the kitchen and Coleman's room. I thought I would put the instructions here in case anyone else wants to try one. Unfortunately I did not take photos as the project went along, so you will have to make do with instructions and finished product.

This project can be done pretty cheaply if you already happen to have some of the materials on hand, such as the wood, batting, staples and staple gun like I did. If you have to purchase all of it you will be looking at a more pricey little project.


What you need:

* 1/4 inch plywood or MDF in whatever size you want-I used scrap we had in the garage
*Fabric- enough to cover wood plus wrap over sides about 1-2 inches. Don't use anything really thin or stretchy. I used quilt material or drapery material. Use pinking shears (those zig-zag scissors) around the edges if you want it to not unravel.
* Quilt batting- (not fiberfill)- thick enough to smooth out the wood but we're not making a pillow here! Needs to be enough to wrap over sides as well about 1-2 inches
*Ribbon coordinating with your fabric pattern. I used about 15 yards for each of mine, but if you put your squares farther apart or your board is a different size that makes a difference too.
* Upholstery tacks- get them in the hardware section of your fabric store- they come in different designs. Get about 50-75 of them. Err on too many instead of too few because you will end up bending a ton of them.
* A light duty staple gun and tons of staples
* Scissors
* hammer
* ruler
* sawback hangers so you can hang your finished product

Instructions:

1. Cut your wood to size. Lay your fabric and quilt batting out and cut it out just about 1" too much on all sides of your board. Pay attention to be sure the pattern on you fabric is going the way you'd like.

2. Iron your fabric. Trust me, you will kick yourself if you don't.

3. Lay your fabric face down with the batting on top (closest to the wood). Lay your board on top and center it.

4. Bring your batting around the back of the plywood and staple down about 1 inch from the edge. Do all the batting, Then follow with the fabric, pulling snugly as you go. You want it to look upholstered, but not like it has had bad plastic surgery.

5. Take care at the edges to fold them so that they lay flat. Too many staples are better than too few in this project. Trim your edges so they are neat and not too bulky, but leave a little away from the staples in case the fabric pulls a little.

6. When the upholstering is done, take your ribbon and stretch it diagonally from one corner to other. Leave about 3 inches overhang on each end, snip. While you are at it go ahead and cut two of this size. Staple one end on the back and bring it over that corner and down to the opposite- then staple it on the back, You will want the ribbon to lie snug and flat to the fabric, but not pucker the edges. I always staple 3 times on each end- 2 times with the ribbon's direction and once across. This is probably overkill, but I don't want to be repairing the thing later.

7. Repeat with opposite corners.- Be sure if your ribbon has a difference in grain or sheen from front side to back you take that into consideration and use the same side or opposite if you want a pattern.

8. Now you have a giant X. Measure however many inches from your ribbon to put the next one- I do 4" but 5" or more would work too. Cut the ribbon to length, remember to cut 2 to save time. Staple the ribbon on the back at the proper distance, then pull it across and measure at the bottom before stapling the loose end. Continue with all the ribbon until it is all latticed. You may weave the ribbon as well as you go along.

9. When you have the cross hatch all done, lay your board face up on a firm surface such as a cement floor or another piece of plywood- your tacks will probably go through the back a little, so do not use a dining table, the hard wood floor or something else like that. Take a tack, put it at the intersection of each ribbon and hammer down. These little suckers tend to bend all to heck, so practice makes perfect- good luck. You may want to have needle nose pliers handy to remove wayward tacks.

10. Turn your board over and nail down any protruding spikes. Add hangers to back and hang your project on the wall.

11. Slide your memorabilia, photos, appointment cards etc. under the ribbons and enjoy!

Be sure to email me any photos if you do this yourself. I'd love to see how someone else's turn out.


This is in Coleman's Room. It's great for holding photos, all those little craft projects as well as things he picks up along the way- such as cotton, cards and more!


This hangs in our kitchen. We keep all of our appointment cards, doctor's phone numbers, neat photos, and photos of friends and people we want reminders to pray for such as our kids in Ecuador and missionary friends around the world.

Our favorite 2 player games

Having a youngish child means that we have opportunity to play a lot more 2 player games than those geared toward larger groups. The following is a list of our favorite games either geared specifically for 2 players or other games that play just fine with only 2 players.

Lost Cities was a gift from our friends Bert and Meg, and is a great starter game for 2 players. The game consists of a small board and playing cards. The object is to gain the most points while collecting a stack of cards of particular colors. There is strategy involved, but it is a quick little game. Playing time- 30 minutes.


Balloon Cup is another Rio Grande game that we have really enjoyed. The game consists of 2 squares, playing cards and a number of multi-colored wooden cubes. The object is to collect enough of the little cubes through game play to purchase the trophies of those colors at the end. The game moves quickly, is a lot of fun and easy to learn.



San Juan is the card adaptation of the game Puerto Rico (to be reviewed later in the week). This card game version is for 2-4 players, and is a great alternative to all the set-up and rules involved in the regular game.


Guillotine is a card game we have played for a long time. We originally picked it up as a 2 player game, but it will play up to 5 people. The concept is to collect as many "heads" (cards)as possible, and in doing so collect points. Be careful though, because some heads are worth negative points. This may sound macabre, but trust me, it is a funny game with no gore at all. This game was out of production and impossible to find for a number of years, but from what I understand is available again. Hooray!

Quiddler was our all time favorite game for a while. It is sort of a card game version of Scrabble meets gin rummy. The cards are beautifully done in a style similar to that of the Book of Kells, so they visually great to use. Each card contains a letter or cluster of letters with a point value in the corner. The game is played in 7 rounds, with each round being dealt an additional card up to 10 in the last hand. The goal is to make words using as many of your cards as possible, with extra points awarded for most words and longest word. This game also has a solitaire version and is playable for up to 8 players.

Great "Gateway" Games Geared toward Small Groups of 3-5 players

Everyone loves games, but some of the more "gamer" oriented games have a lot of instructions, require extensive setup and concentration. The following games are wonderful games to teach new players because they are easy to explain, require little setup and are also a lot of fun! We call them "gateway" games, because people who get hooked on these often go on to play the more strategy intense games that do require more effort.



Our all time favorite game is Ticket to Ride and all its variations. This is a very simple to teach game, loads of fun and guaranteed to keep people coming back for more. There are several differences between each version, enough to keep each game a little different from the next. We personally have the original TTR and Europe versions, but would not mind having them all!

The game's objective is to complete trip tickets by building your train from point A to point B (depending on your ticket destination). Each turn is simple, and the game does not require so much concentration that you can't still have dessert or conversation while playing. Game play takes about 1 hour. This game makes a great gift!



The Settlers of Catan is THE game that got us, and so many other gamers, hooked. (You need to click the link called "Catan Games" on the left to see more info.) Again, there are multiple versions and expansions for Settlers, but the only ones we have direct experience with are the original game as well as the 2 player Catan Card Game.

This game is a little more involved attention-wise than Ticket to Ride since there are trading and pay-outs that affect all players at each turn, but still an easy game to learn and play. It also takes a little longer to set up the game board, but is well worth the extra effort.

The basic premise of this game is to collect the most points by building settlements on tracts of land that produce resources each time their number is rolled with the dice. Wheat, Sheep, Lumber, Ore and Brick are collected and traded on each turn. Players can use their resources to build more settlements, roads or chance cards. Game play takes about 1.5 hours.

The 2 player card game retains a lot of the elements from the original game without losing the fun. A great gift for the Catan player who doesn't get to attend gaming groups often.



Carcassone is another simple to play, simple to set up and teach game that we enjoy a lot. The great thing about this game is that it plays just as well with 2 people as it does with 5. Again, lots of variations are available. This game has the added benefit of being able to pack in a small space for trips because of the nature of the pieces.

The game board is revealed as a player chooses and plays a tile at each turn. The object is to join tiles in a manner to build a city. They then have a choice to place a person on the tile or pass play to the next person. The winner has the most points from cities completed or combinations with where their people are played. Game play takes about 30 minutes.



Wyatt Earp was a gift from my friend Glenna one Christmas. We have really enjoyed it since, and it has become a favorite at family gatherings. The object is to "capture" outlaws and collect the reward money. Again, this game is easy to explain, takes about 30 minutes to play and is very portable.

Time Well Spent...

Chances are, if you come for a visit or dinner at the Casa del Blake, the evening will end with some game playing. While we will play the occasional game of Spades, we especially love the lesser known and much more entertaining games from companies such as Days of Wonder,and Rio Grande Games.

Why play games instead of watch a movie, play video games or sit around and talk? Games have a particular way of bringing people together. They are great for starting conversations and allow you to interact and get to know people in ways sitting in a dark room watching tv doesn't. Games bring families closer together and add an element of fun and competition.

Why the more unusual games? Scrabble remains one of our favorite games, and we do own many of the classics such as Monopoly (in its various forms), Rummikube, Uno, Skipbo, Parcheesi, and Stratego. However, the particular genre of games we prefer are much more heavily reliant on strategy and truthfully are just more fun.

Why are some of those games SO EXPENSIVE? True, many of the games we play are a little more expensive than your average game of "LIFE" found at your local WalMart. Many of these games are imported from other countries (lots of German games), use high quality materials such as wood pieces and heavy cardboard instead of plastic and thinner stuff, and are not sold in such huge quantites at national retailers. All of those add to the cost of a game, but you can get some great deals if you know where to look. Time Well Spent is our preffered spot to get games. There are numerous places to order these games online, but we typically stick with TWS because their prices are good, their customer service is great and they are a Christian-owned small business, and their values line up with ours pretty nicely. A lot of these games are available at Barnes and Noble, or even local game specialty stores (if you are lucky enough to have one.)

A lot of our friends have played a lot of our games, and this week I want to highlight a few of our favorites in a bunch of different categories. Hopefully you will find something that interests you, give you a great gift idea and maybe even start a new hobby!

I'd like to thank our good friends back in Raleigh, NC- Bert and Meg for getting us hooked on gaming. We miss them a lot and still look to them for game suggestions!

Other helpful links relating to games:
** A great place to check out games of many types is Board Game Geek. If you have a question about a game, want to see photos of the actual parts, or want to pick up replacement pieces, this is the spot to check.

** Defective Yeti is a big gamer with a blog that covers a lot of things, none of which I can be held responsible for. However, his gaming advice is usually really good and I have taken recommendations from him and been quite happy.