Perfect Weather for a Bike Ride

It's that time of the year again where the weather quickly changes from the cold, harsh winter to beautiful, breezy summertime temps. Winter and summer are very short seasons here in Baltimore. Spring and fall last forever. Come mid-March the transition to beautiful weather usually takes a few short weeks and then it's time for flip flops, relaxing on the roof top deck, and bike riding.

This year, I take a look at my bicycle forlornly sitting in our basement. Tires are flat, rust has taken over some spots, paint is chipped, handlebar grips decomposing. I've had the same bike since I was in the fifth grade. It's a fuchsia colored Nishiki mountain bike that has seen better days. It has been a good bike and it has fulfilled its purpose in my lifetime, but the bike that I saved hundreds of dollars for in fifth grade is no longer the bike that my 27 year-old self would choose.

When I was a kid my parents had told me that if I wanted a bike, I needed to save my money. They would pitch in a little, but I had to save my allowance and such to help pay for it. This was their way of teaching me how to save for things (a skill that I am glad for now that I am older). They helped me choose a bike from our local bike shop, insisting that I must choose one that would be excellent quality and last for years to come. Well, to say that this bike has lasted for years to come would be an understatement.

My mother on her Dutch bike.

Now as I have again saved some money, it is time to look for a new bike. I am inspired by my mom's old Dutch bike. This bike was once my aunt's when she lived in Belgium. It was brought to the States and somehow ended up in my mother's possession. In it's lifetime it has been through the wringer-- including being stolen. A few days after it was stolen, a family acquaintance spotted someone riding the unmistakable bike, so he followed the thief, called the police, and eventually the bike was returned to my mother. To say that this bike has lasted for years would also be an understatement.

 I really love the style of those old Dutch bikes. They are perfect, too, for cruising around town. I have finally found my new bike. My father shared this fantastic bike company, Republic Bike, in which you can design your bike online and have them custom build one for you. I will eventually be designing my bike, but in my search, I found a few that I thought I'd share. Here's to the Dutch bike!

DBC City Bike

Work Cycles

CB2

Republic Bike

Oh MSA, you are not my friend

And a break from the crafting blogs for a little bit of the teaching stuff. Yup, I've reserved the right to vent every now and again-- so this can be expected. We are in our second week of MSA testing. There are many reasons why I don't like the MSA and I'm not going to list all of them because then I might find myself without a job. And I'm not joking about that. Apparently, some teacher in Pennsylvania blogged about stuff like this and then got fired. Quite frankly that's sort of infringing on our first amendment, but people seem to get away with that sort of stuff daily in this country.

Anyway, before I head off on a whole different tangent, let's talk about what is totally wrong. What is totally wrong with MSA aside from the fact that it is horrible, no good, No Child Left Untested, state testing, is that it seems to mean that we have to drop everything else that matters in this world. For example, letting me have a restroom break. Yes, they care more about MSA than if I were to pee my pants. And true story, I was close to doing just that last Tuesday. But this sort of madness tends to occur during this time of year. The reason why I almost peed my pants-- no breaks. I had five free minutes that day and in those five minutes I had to do planning and preparation for my afternoon classes. Those afternoon classes became worthless as the students were totally exhausted and had no brain power left to do their work. My 4 hours of missed planning periods has been bargained off by the fact that we do not have to attend a 45 minute faculty meeting this month. Hmmmmm. How does that math work?

After this insane day ends, I come home completely exhausted. I have no desire to do anything, but climb into bed. Yes, it's true. But I force myself to walk the dog (or she too will pee her pants), cook dinner, grade papers, lesson plan, and get anything else done that I usually do. Thank goodness tomorrow is the last day of MSA testing! The creative juices will soon be flowing again in the classroom and I will no longer be expected to work outside of my contracted arrangement.

Remind me again why there are people in this country, leaders in this country, that believe teachers are getting paid too much.

Fun and Fashionable Finds for a Super Cute and Awesome Nephew

So I only see my year and a half old nephew Jasper once in a while as he lives across the country in Colorado and here I am in Baltimore. But when I do see him, I have to say he is one pretty awesome kid. I am not by any means a person that loves babies or even kids under three, but how can you resist a rowdy little guy with crazy bright blond hair? (I am sure my sister feels otherwise about that rowdy part at times).

The past few weeks I've been browsing Etsy for some fun stuff to send his way. Despite the distance, I can't help but want to be the aunt that spoils him just a little bit. I really do mean a little bit too, considering that if I bought everything that I saw on a whim, I would be broke. Last weekend I found this fun guitar t-shirt from Pony and Poppy. Amy, the shop owner was super awesome and even included a little note from Aunt Heidi. My sister got the tee a few days ago and said that Jasper loves his new shirt.

Here are a few more graphic styled fashionable finds for rowdy little dudes like Jasper. Enjoy!

Etch A Sketch Robot Tee from Rock River Tees

Fox Long Sleeved Organic Shirt by Wren Willow

Beaver Strikes Back Lightsaber Tee by Happy Family

Architectural Salvage Wine Stoppers

My chair project was put off this past weekend due to rainy weather. I've been doing most of the work outside on my back deck since it involves sanding and finishing, or inevitably sawdust and stain fumes. So instead I decided to work on another upcycling project.

There are several wonderful architectural salvage warehouses in Baltimore. My favorite is Second Chance which is not just one, but I believe five huge warehouses nestled between M&T Bank Stadium, I-95, and some railroad tracks. What I love about Second Chance is that they have a different warehouse for different subcategories of architectural salvage. One warehouse, for example, is all furniture and stained glass. Another is doors, windows, and the like. A third, and perhaps often most interesting, is architectural elements. This warehouse features anything from old tin ceiling panels to beautiful stair railings to antique walk in refrigerators.

The last time I went to Second Chance, I spent some time sorting through old vintage door knobs and cabinet knobs. All of the different knobs were so much fun that I bought them on a whim knowing that I would surely find a project that would work with them. I eventually decided to turn these lovely knobs into cork wine stoppers. After purchasing the corks, I used the vintage knobs paired with a copper plumbing cap to create my finished product. These particular wine stoppers are currently listed on my Etsy shop. For now, enjoy the wine stoppers in the photos below!

Row House 14 Feature

Just thought I'd share the love and direct you to this lovely blog by kzieglerdesign that just so happened to feature my shop today. Thank you kz for featuring me and my designs!