Hand Me Down Style: bowties

If your dad is a bow tie man, get him a bow tie from Oak City Ties. They are sewn locally, and some of the fabrics are even printed in Durham, NC. The Tyson bow is conservative enough for a dad but still fun since the reversible pattern can be styled several ways. Email oakcityties@gmail.com for information on the newest styles, or go by Anvil Gallery tonight from 6:00 to 9:00 for a special First Friday event. Other retailers are listed here.

For a sleek, stylish, professional way for dad to hang onto his business cards, K.slademade recently came out with this monogrammed credit card sleeve. It's also a good option for a streamlined wallet. All of their products are made in the U.S.A.

Is your dad into boating on the lake or at the beach? Y'all know I love bathing suits for myself. My preference for men's bathing suits is what some may call a "dad" bathing suit. The inseam must be short and the waist must be elastic. Help dad get ready for the summer with the L.L. Bean Classic Sport Shorts, Columbia Backcast II Water Trunk, or Southern Marsh Dockside Swim Trunk.

Now. If you want to go way over the top and thrill your dad, I've got two suggestions that would come with emphatic recommendations.

My dad loves his DR field and brush mower. It takes out tall grass and even small trees. If you want to send your dad outside for hours or need some help with your unruly yard, this is the ticket.

My dad's #1 wishlist item right now (well, okay, maybe after charts on his iPad) is a yard grill from GrillMan Grills. These grills are basically one step down from pig cookers. The company is based in New Bern, NC.

Father's Day gifts are much harder than Mother's Day! If your parents are like mine, moms like stuff. Dads do not like stuff.

What are you giving your dad for Father's Day? If you are a father, what would you like to receive?

If you know my mom, you know that she is quite an artist. She went to school for art education, she taught art, and if you remember the late eighties/early nineties, you may remember Nancy's Fancies. I can't believe I just wrote "Nancy's Fancies" on the internet. What a time warp. Now, Mom makes wreaths, jewelry, smocked dresses, and more. How could I forget she basically makes bowties and skirts full time these days?!

I have definitely inherited my mom's interest in arts and crafts, though probably only a fraction of her skill. I may have pulled out her giant caddy of acrylic paints from her giant closet in her sewing room (yep, separate room for sewing) for this project. I made the cooler per B's request for Valentine's day/his birthday, although it got to him a couple of months late. I suggest waiting for warm weather so you can cooler paint outside! Beautiful weather and good music made my project go much faster and smoother.

I'd like to share some information on how I painted this cooler in case anyone is interested in making one of her own.

1. I primed with Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastic. I used white because I knew I'd be painting each surface a different color.
Actually, before step 1, I spackled and sanded a logo that was on the flag side. Since I knew that part would be a solid color and not be hidden by a design, I wanted it to be flat and smooth.

2. I taped off the edges I wanted to be white and taped the corners to separate the colors. I knew I would go back and paint bows on the corners, so I wasn't concerned about the strip the tape would leave unpainted.
However, it was a bit of work to move the tape to get the colors to meet on the flag. FYI painter's tape does not always lift off cleanly from a plastic surface, especially when kept in place for months.

3. After the backgrounds were painted solid, I started on the designs. Of course you'll need to plan out what you want to paint. I traced the designs I chose by pulling up images on my computer. I hooked my computer up to my TV to see them on a larger scale, and I traced onto tissue paper with pencil.

4. I taped the tissue onto the cooler and traced over my pencil lines with Sharpies or paint pens.

5. I filled in the designs with paint pens and acrylic paints. Is it just me, or are paint pens these days not what they used to be?! I would suggest doing as much as you possibly can with acrylic paints. It is easier to control a paint pen when it's working properly, but mine did not work consistently. I also ended up going back and redoing with acrylic what I'd done first in paint pen because it looked splotchy or grainy.