Nothing says I love you...

Nothing says I love you like finely tailored clothing.

Diane's boyfriend Grant is a swell guy. Very nice personality, very friendly, down to earth, bright, etc. He really makes Diane happy...which makes us happy. And he gets along really well with our family. So we figured this was the year to give him a present which tells him just how much the rest of the family really likes him.

But what to give? The time and purpose called for finely tailored clothing. But with the economy in bad shape, it also seemed like bad timing. Until we decided to make him something...but out of materials readily available and affordable.

But what to make? We wanted to make him something stylish, avant-garde without being garish...using bleeding edge materials and construction/tailoring techniques..and something to keep him warm during the winter. Then it hit us one day while shopping at Hy-Vee...

We found these "pizza" bags at Hy-Vee...
...which would keep items warm/cold for up to 3 hours...
...we figured we could use these as the material..

Then we searched high and low for a stylish design pattern...
...note Sammy's trains rumbling by...

We chose a colored-matching adhesive material...
...we opted for the "Professional" quality as the label states...

We cut-apart the 6 bags we purchased...

Then we removed the clear covering...
...(which had the labeling printed on it)...

A single bag handled one section of the jacket...

Cutting out the pattern...

Michele sewed portions together...
...then on the inside, we sealed the seams with Duck tape...
...to prevent cold wind from getting through...

The almost finished product...
...we later added a silver bow to the same spot to identify our craftsmanship...
...similar to the Ralph Lauren galloping pony...

When presenting the gift...
...Paul explained all the fine tailoring and detailing which went into this work...
...note our signature silver bow...

Grant modeling his high fashion winter coat...
...it's ultra light, thin, windproof, waterproof...
...and according to the product labeling, recycle-able...

Christmas Train...

Tonight we took Sammy to see the "Christmas Train." It was a DM&E train decorated for Christmas with Santa and live music over by the Hy-Vee at Barlow Plaza. It was exceptionally cold, but Sammy braved the elements like a trooper. Afterward, we had hot chocolate (though Sammy opted for "cold chocolate milk").

The Christmas train...

Parking was an Arctic zoo...
...luckily we found a great spot nearby...

Michele and Sammy wait for Paul to catch up...

Sammy donates some canned goods for the less fortunate...

Sammy pulled his hat way down to keep warm...

Michele and Sammy...

A Case of Misplaced Identity

This past Christmas Eve, Paul went out with his sisters Anne & Diane to Hy-Vee to pick up some items for dinner. In all the rush, Paul lost his wallet (containing his driver's license, credit card, bank card, a key to the house, etc.). We searched all over with no success. Calls to Hy-Vee found no wallets turned into lost and found. Of course, couple of day later Michele found his wallet -- tucked under a towel in the clothes hamper. So all is well...though Paul had already gotten new cards issued.

The following is a real conversation between Michele and Paul:

Michele: Paul, I found your wallet.
Paul: Where was it?
Michele: In the clothes hamper under a towel.
<paul hits head on wall>
Michele: Don't worry, these things happen.
Paul: Oh, it's not that.
Michele: Then what is wrong?
Paul: Well, I was all worried someone had stolen my identity.
Michele: And the good news no one did...so why so glum?
Paul: Well, now I feel kind of rejected, like no one would want to steal my identity.

This is not Paul's license...