New Project: Light Grid

I've started a new project at home for fun. I've wanted to start playing around with an Arduino microcontroller for a while now. A few months ago, I came across several online projects (like this one and this one) involving using the Arduino to control a new style of Christmas lights made by GE. This Christmas lights are composed of a string of RGB (red-green-blue) LED modules that can be used to create any color of the rainbow. Each LED module on the string is individually controllable, and the stock remote that comes with the lights can only do a dozen or so patterns - and most of them are fairly boring. So - similar to the link I mentioned about - I want to cut up a string of modules and arrange them in a 7x7 grid, build a nice wooden enclosure for them, and display various pattens on the grid based on different events. For example, maybe I could make fireworks on the display when I receive an email. Stay tuned for future posts - I've actually gotten a little ways on this project, I just haven't gotten the photos together yet.

Goo Bath

The kids saw a commercial recently for something you can add to the bath water to make it all thick and gooey. Lori and I had no idea what they were talking about, until I saw it at Wal-Mart over the weekend. We gave it a try on Saturday night, threw on the bathing suits, and let them go to town. They had a good time with it, but holy crap did it make a mess. I think if we ever try it again it will be outside in a kiddie pool, where we can hose them off afterwards.

Carter was getting pretty silly in there, and was making up goofy dances to amuse Sean. Lori took a short video of this goofiness, and we just had to share.

Ice Cream Sundaes

Ryan slept over a couple of weeks ago, and we all made ice cream sundaes for dessert. No real story - just a pair of cute pictures.

First and Only Sledding This Winter

This winter has been so incredibly mild, that the 2-3 inches of snow we got in this 'storm' has been the only sled-able snow we've seen this winter. The kids enjoyed themselves, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and dump three feet of snow on us in a single storm.

The Great Turkey Invasion

I couple of weeks ago, Lori peeked out the back door to check the weather, and this is what she saw! Must have been at least two dozen turkeys hanging out on the back lawn.

Corner Shelf

I built a corner shelf to go at the end of this run of cabinets. It has always felt a little unfinished, and I think this shelf really rounds it out. I even managed to get the color to match! Now I just need to find something to put there.

A Bevy of Bowls

Here are a set of bowls I've finished over the last couple of weeks, that I've just now gotten around to taking pictures of. In order, they are: apple and white ash (first image), white ash (second image), a great big white ash bowl, over nine inches in diameter (third image), apple (fourth image), curly pyinma (fifth image).


Sofa Table

I just finished this sofa table to go behind the love seat in our living room. I built it from some red oak lumber I milled from a tree in our yard with my chainsaw last year. I left the slab top 'live-edge' (i.e., bark still on), and did the same for the apron. It's pretty dusty in this picture (it had just come out of the shop), but I think it looks pretty good all the same.