You’ve heard it before… the family that plays together, stays together.  These days there are more and more distractions and people are busier than ever.  Taking the time to unplug and spend time playing some good old fashioned games can be a great step toward building family bonds.

As a student in Europe I spent many nights playing the game Scopa.  This Italian card game is by far the most popular game in Italy.  Although, while I was in Spain, I frequently spotted patios dotted with tables and men playing this game over cerveza and tapas. 

It may seem a little confusing at first, but after a few hands you will likely have caught the fever.  The game moves fairly quickly and can get quite exciting when someone sweeps the table allowing them to shout out ‘scopa’.

savour... playtime

Chances are if you are reading this you are a maker.  Perhaps you make photographs… or stationery.  Maybe you are a quilter or your thrill is driven by making food.  Whatever it is (and it is quite possibly many things) there is something about you that compels you to create.

Makers are a strange breed and sometimes misunderstood.  They are often distracted by the tiniest opportunity to make something else.  You may find them staring as if they’ve just gone catatonic.  They’re still there.  They’re just making... only in their mind. Makers routinely see things and instead of thinking, “Oh, cool!” they think “How can I make that?”

Those of us who are true makers make for the joy of making. Over the past few years I have made and shared many things here from roman shades to unbirthday cake, laundry care lists to classic lasagna.  Truth be told, I made way more than you see among these pages, but some stuff didn’t turn out so bueno.  Being a maker doesn’t mean you’ll always get it right.

I suppose there are varying degrees of “maker-ness”.  I happen to be on the nuttier side of the spectrum, believing that I can do just about anything.  Sometimes that’s good; sometimes not.  However, I would be willing to bet that many more of you would be on my end of the seesaw if you had the chance... if you weren’t weighed down with all the stuff that keeps you from unleashing your inner maker.  So to that end, I offer you...

by Andrew Yenne

In just over a week the world’s top athletes will converge in London to test their metal and find out who’s best of the best. Every 4 years we’re treated patriotic fun as we watch elite athletes compete at the highest level, but you don’t have to be Michael Phelps to get out and have some fun this summer.

Let the Olympics be your inspiration, get outside and start playing, grab your friends, your kids, or meet some new people in the park and let the games begin...

savour… summer fun 

We are taking time with our family today to celebrate our great nation.  It’s such a wonderful place to be.  As I hummed a few rounds of “This Land in Your Land” I pasted together a few of our many old postcards depicting places all around the country.  

The bicentennial postcard above is one I received in a lot I purchased.  I remember what a great summer I had in 1976.  It was a very exciting time to be a kid.  Bruce Jenner was on every Wheaties box and sparklers were still acceptable nearly everywhere. 

savour… national pride

With Father’s Day less than a week away, you may be pondering gift choices.  A classic choice is cologne.  While this could be a great gift if you know just what he likes, it is a very personal choice.  On the other hand, if the alternative is he wears no scent at all, perhaps it’s time for you to intervene.

A man of distinction wears a fragrance that is distinctly him.  This may not always be easy to find.  Fragrance reacts differently with each person’s body chemistry.  You will have to try several on and weed out those elements that don’t appeal to you. Navigating the fragrance counter can be a tricky endeavor indeed.  Go along with Dad armed with the following information... or at the very least, for moral support.

savour… distinction

We are in our 3^rd annual Man Week in honor of dear ole dad.  Father’s Day is less than a week away.  We are taking some time to celebrate all the greatness of being a guy and maybe provide you with an idea or two for gift giving.

A man’s wardrobe says so much about him.  It can vary greatly depending on his career field and taste.  We have outlined some essentials for the average man.

savour... style

We're on a mission to 'take back the weekend'.  It's so hard to balance it all.  Ambition and checklists often take over.  In this life, where the goal is not to enjoy the destination but the journey to it, we sometimes forget to explore the goodness in our own backyard.

This weekend we drove over to one of the gems of Dallas, the Bishop Arts District.  The entire area is just a few blocks total, but they have managed to squeeze in mad taste in a small spot.  Here are some pics from our fieldtrip. Enjoy...