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I asked for a vintage camera strap this year. I've always liked my dad's strap that he's saved from the 70s. I like them because they're inexpensive and they can set you apart from the other Nikons and Canons you see when you're out and about.

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Santa brought a Tomica set. If you're not familiar with them, they're Japanese train sets. They're pretty fast trains that run on batteries and come with cars, roads, etc. They're pretty detailed and very well made. Most of the people are happy, but this police officer means business.

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Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you set aside time to be with the people you care about. Our families are fragmented and scheduling can be difficult, but I'm always excited to take a break and visit for a little while.

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I'm working on designing a website for myself, mostly for the coding practice. I wanted to create an image using a Sirograph. Remember those? I used to play with those for hours. I found one on Craigslist for $10. It was just as much fun to play with it again.

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My son loves trains; this is no secret. My mom happened to have an HO scale train set that she'd bought cheap at a garage sale and she gave it to us. Not sure if it even worked, we got out all of the pieces, a 4x4 board and set up a round track to test the engines. We must've spent four hours cleaning track and tiny train wheels until we could get the grime off and the engines working. I'm not sure who has more fun with it: my son or us.

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I began Operation Breakfast Nook with two 60" benches from Overstock.com, set in a L shape in the corner. I ordered some fabric remnants from Ebay, wrapped them around foam and secured them with safety pins for cushions. Then I sewed pillows for the backs of the seating area. I tried to balance the geometric patterns of the table and light fixture with organic fabric patterns. I put window film on the window so that the birds who eat at the bird feeders on the other side of the window have privacy and don't fly away when we sit down. It's been great eating breakfast and watching black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, warblers and cardinals eat at the same time as us.

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This is Cookie. If you'll look past her you'll see a chevron pattern. I extended the life of a Saarinen-esque white table by using Mod Podge and four coats of poly acrylic (water-based urethane) to glue a gray chevron fabric to the top of it. I had previously sanded and painted the top of the table but, after six years, that wasn't cutting it. I'm hoping this will last for another 6-10. Stay tuned to see how it pulls together.