Ok, I am in love with sinamay. felt, feathers, leather, biais binding, petersham ribbon and many other ingredients that make the wonderful world of millinery. While I am stumbling in finding wood blocks - I need them in order to mold the hats -  through the years I have learned to be more patient and I truly enjoy the power of thinking outside the square. Still looking for those expensive commodities has been somewhat turned around last night, by my Australian Master Milliner Instructor Miss Elaine from The Hat Academy, bringing much hope. She is so clever.

Sous Vide is a cooking method with which you immerse vacuum sealed food in a hot water bath and cook it slow and low. The hot water bath is controlled by a water heater/recirculator with a very tight range of temperature control (to one degree F). Since proteins in particular are more temperature sensitive than time sensitive, sous vide allows one to cook and hold food for long periods of time without degradation or loss of moisture. These temperature ranges for various states of doneness are often from about 120F - 160F.

Not too long ago I ate at a small family run Italian restaurant in Dallas. Their claim to fame is handmade pasta and they have one of those $15K bronze die pasta extruders that leaves proper tooth on the surface of the pasta in order to better hold sauce. We tried many of their wares and the the standout dish was not an extruded noodle but a fresh egg noodle made for ravioli. The dish is called Pasta in Brodo (pasta in broth). More specifically it was a porchetta ravioli served in a chicken broth with a full sprig of rosemary dunked into the broth.

On weekend mornings, I like to treat myself to home brewed coffee; high quality, whole bean, ground on the spot and french pressed. Takes about 20 minutes but well worth it. I’m lucky enough to own an antique coffee grinder that has an interesting story. In the early 20th century, my Irish grandparents were servants at the Brewster Estate (now Edgerton Park) in New Haven. Frederick Brewster was the equivalent of New Haven's John Rockefeller. When he wasn't off on safari, he was making phat stacks of Benjamin’s with a life size train set that covered most of New England. Mr.

I'm sure I will make more videos specific to individual components of this bike, but this video goes over most of the parts. If you'd be interested in seeing more videos detailing how I made it (or about some of my other projects) comment/like/subscribe and I'll put the time into editing. Here are some of the things I could make videos about, let me know which you'd be most interested in:

So I ride my bike to and from work almost every day and given NHV's slow but methodical march towards normalization of bicycles on roadways, I decided it would be safe and proper to get a bike light. The bicycle accessory industry has a dazzling array of options with equally dazzling expense. Because my priorities are focused less upon lighting the roadway and more upon making my presence evident to motorists, I opted out of spending hundreds of dollars on a high tech “bike light”.

Do you wuv puppies? 

Do you wish to allow them the dignity of eating at a wittle table?

Do you hate the unsightliness of dog dishes sitting on your floor?

We have your favorite characters returning and three new stars entering the cast.

• Colin Bunting is an engineer and designer. He has built lots of drones, can bend a laser cutter or 3d printer to his will and has entrepreneurship in his blood.
• Catherine Cazes-Wiley is a hat designer and crafter. She is from France but has taken to her new home in the USA by volunteering to teaching marketable crafting skills people with disabilities, exiting homelessness or who are settling refugees.
• Lior Trestman is an advocate for making a better community. If he is not volunteering at the bike coop or working on his startup he is at MakeHaven in the woodshop showing people safe tool use or teaching techniques.

As part of the Arts and Ideas Festival we asked a number our members to demonstrate the work they are doing on projects. Here are three of those makers summarizing their projects in under a minute and a half. 

Elisa Shares Her Laser Cutter Work

Elisa talks about her work to use the laser to cut intricate paper designs and create a fold-able wood book cover.

MakeHaven has been recognized as the first FabLab in Connecticut. This designation will help to propel MakeHaven as a technical prototyping platform for innovation, invention and entrepreneurship. Being recognized as a FabLab means connecting to a global community of fabricators, artists, scientists, engineers, educators, students, amateurs, professionals, of all ages located in more than 78 countries.

MakeHaven has sensors and Arduinos with them you can take senor data (sound, light, vibration, radio, etc) and turn it into light. How about a skate board that lights brighter the faster you go, or earrings that light up when you shake your head, or a scarf that tells you the temperature.

We bought a bunch of these led lights (neo pixils) for the make-a-thon, register now and start inventing!

Ears