Who can resist an adorable 8-year old singing Les Miserables at the school talent show?
Not me.

So when Taylor called to invite me I knew that I had to make the drive out to the ‘burbs tonight to see her big stage debut. She auditioned & decided to sing “Castle On A Cloud” from my favorite musical. And although she had a few technical “issues” along the way, I think she had a wonderful performance! And could she be any cuter??? Really?

Click here to see the video footage from her big debut!

Yesterday I got together with my niece Taylor to make her Halloween costume. She decided a few months back that she wanted to be a Minion from “Despicable Me.” Now I know that “Despicable Me 2” was all the rage with the pre-teen crowd this past summer. But I must admit that I missed that one. So I had to do a little research to make sure we got all of the details correct. So for the rest of you who also missed The Minions… here they are…

With so many Minions, so little time… we had to decide which Minion she wanted to be.
Of course, it was every kid’s favorite… the one-eyed one of course!!!

So I went out to my sister’s house early yesterday for a yummy “planning” breakfast, followed by shopping for costume parts & pieces. After gathering all of our supplies, it was back to their house to build a Minion. But when we got back to their house, I was greeted by a small family surprise birthday party!!! Yes, apparently my “Birthday Month” continues with more fun & parties!!!!

After we chatted, opened presents and ate party foods, it was back to my Minion!!! Some foam sheeting, some styrofoam balls & wreaths and a bunch of yellow fabric! And we’re off... into Minion Madness!!!

And my very-trusting niece Taylor was inside as I cut the mouth open… right where her face was. And yes, we were EXTRA careful. Grandma, of course, was sitting there cringing with every poke & snip!

With some pipe cleaners for hair, we were getting close to completion…

A few final touches… like getting the overalls to stay in place on her lack-of-shoulders!

And here it is… the final Minion!!!

So we had Taylor put on her overalls, shoes, yellow shirt, gloves and the Minion!
Then it outside for a quick photo shoot. She loved it – and I was surprised how tall it made her look! She’s normally shorter than the fireplace!

If you look closely, you can even see Taylor’s little nose poking out of the mouth.

Mission accomplished. Minion accomplished.
And here’s Taylor de-Minioned… but still excited & ready to wear her costume on Halloween!

My adorable 8-year old niece Taylor apparently lost another tooth today.
And she decided on her own to write a letter to the Tooth Fairy… which might just be
the cutest thing EVER!!! Seriously… I mean EVER!!!

Most people would see it as a coffee cup.
But my brother-in-law has decided that it’s also a prototype for the new item
he thinks I should add to my product line. Apparently he thinks everyone
needs a “ceramic Dairy Queen Blizzard insulator cup with handle.”
Seems it’s all the rage at my niece Taylor’s house!

During the early hours of Sunday, while a lot of customers haven;t made it to the fair yet because they’re at church or brunch, I made the rounds really quickly to see some of “My Talented Friends” who were also showing in Barrington. When I stopped my metalsmith Amy Taylor‘s booth on The Deck, I was surprised to find that she had lost her voice! But still, she asked about my bracelet… the one that Taylor had made for me on her “rainbow loom.” Amy loved the simple “woven rubber band bracelet” and asked if Taylor would make her one.

With a quick phone call, I placed the order with Taylor and set the wheels in motion. Later that afternoon, Taylor and her mom (my sister) Jen came back to the fair to deliver Amy’s bracelet. We went over to The Deck to deliver the bracelet… which Amy loved and put on right away! We were excited to see that both Amy and I were wearing Double Taylors! A groovy woven bracelet by Taylor, and beautiful metal bracelets by Amy Taylor!

And here they are – Double Taylors!!!

So last night I had a sleep-over with my niece Taylor and her parents. We went out for pizza after the art fair last night, then came back to their house for marshmallows & s’mores! Then she taught me how to make “rainbow loom” bracelets… all the rage with the young crowd! This morning we went out to breakfast at one of Taylor’s favorite places… for one of her favorite breakfasts… CHURRO WAFFLES!!!

Picture this… a waffle baked halfway, then deep fried, then dragged through a yummy cinnamon & sugar mixture! It’s like waffles on crack! So good. So yummy. Crunchy & fluffy all at the same time.’

It was so nice staying at my sister’s place last night. So much closer to The Barn. So much shorter of a commute than back into the city & back. Plus, fun with Taylor, s’mores AND churro waffles!!! What could be better?!

It was nice

After years of seeing my biking sunrises…
My adorable niece Taylor sent me her first sunset photo tonight. I hope I may have had a small part in inspiring her love of photography & sunrise/sunsets!!! Now if we could just get rid of those pesky cars in the parking lot!!!

Last night I took my niece Taylor, and her best friend Piper, to Opening Night of “Cirque Shanghai” on Navy Pier. I thought it would be a nice treat for them to come play downtown for the night. Sure, it’s a school night… but that’s not really MY problem, right? I’m just the “fun” Uncle!!! Plus it was GREAT entertainment for me too!!!

It was a very FULL evening  And on a school-night no less. We did dinner, ice cream, show, Ferris Wheel and fireworks. We started with dinner at the Billy Goat for “Cheezeborgers, cheezeborger, cheezeborger. No fries, chips!!!” Then followed that quickly with some yummy ice cream before the show started. Some great fun downtown for a couple little suburb girls!!!

We then went into the Skyline Stage for “Cirque Shanghai.” Taylor came to see the show last year too. But was excited to see this year’s version, and to share the experience with her buddy Piper.

One of their favorite acts was the Motorcycle Cage… where there were five, yes count them FIVE, motorcycles inside the cage all zooming around at the same time! Unfortunately, it didn’t show up too well in the photo?!

And does it strike anyone else as “weird” that in a show named “Dragon’s Thunder” that this illuminated gobo pattern on the wall was really the only dragon in the show?!… well, that and one dragon backdrop curtain!!!

As you’re exiting the theater, you go past the souvenir stand… and then they have a few of the performers there for photos & autographs. I love seeing a kid look at the autograph… and not being able to read ANY part of it. Of course, they sign their names in Chinese!!!

After the show & souvenirs, we watched the fireworks that shoot off over Lake Michigan. So much fun seeing the “first fireworks of the season” set to pop music… and listening to the little cuties sing every word to every song!!! When the firework show ended, we made our way to the huge Ferris Wheel for a spin.

They were a little anxious getting on… but once we were going, they both had a great time. And the view of the city was perfect as it turned out to be a beautiful night!

As our evening came to a close, it was obvious that the Pier may be slowing down… but NOT the girls!!! They were wired and ready to play. Or to strike a pose!!!

We all had a great evening… but after all the adrenaline & sugar-buzz, they were quickly re-named “Hyper & Piper.” And I must admit… I did feel just a wee-bit sorry for my sister Jen who had the “privilege” of driving them both home to the suburbs. I’m sure it was a long drive… but that’s my motto… Get ’em sugared up and send ’em home!!!

Don’t you always wish that your Easter Eggs were this cool?

I seem to have grand plans every year for making the coolest eggs ever. Then somehow when the day actually rolls around, I find myself without the time to color ANY eggs!!! So I need to enjoy someone else’s really cool eggs I found on the Internet. At least I did get to spend the day with my “favorite” little Easter Bunny… my niece Taylor!

It was a fun day for my 8-year old niece Taylor. It was her family birthday party with all of her cousins, aunts, uncles & grandparents… and a bunch of bowling balls! She loved her flower pot gift. And now I’m sure she’ll have fun dropping off the other finished flower pots to her friends this week.