Scabbard from a Sock

Need a fast scabbard? A lost sock will do the trick!

My son Liam has discovered the Star Wars series. (At last, our geek genes are showing true!) Like Count Grievous, he's collected for himself a rather large collection of light sabers, and one day, he wanted to take them all to a friend's house. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough scabbards to hang them off his belt. We do have plenty of orphan socks, however.

Two minutes, an orphan sock and some scissor work later, he'd made himself this handy scabbard. I thought I'd share his genius with you:


Find a volunteer sock. Smaller ones are better, especially since they stretch.


Cut an inch or two off the top. Discard the rest or use as dusting rags. (My favorite use for the unmatched.) (Liam also likes to do this to make wrist guards.)


Cut about 3/4 of the way through.


If the hole is too big for the saber or sword, you can tie a half-knot to make it smaller.


Thread the belt through and voila! A universal sword scabbard.


Here's Liam modeling the scabbard and wristband.

If you want to read more about our adventures with orphan socks, check out www.fabianspace.blogspot.com.

Changes in Blue Knights "uniforms"

Beginning this fall, we will be changing what we will be offering for Blue Knights uniforms. Previously, we had offered vests and breastplates in a light blue with a dark blue trim. The boys quickly outgrew the breastplates and many didn't think they looked "knightly." So our new breastplates will be slightly larger, made of a heavier gray canvas material with a large red cross on the front, trimmed in dark blue. We will also be offering a detachable cape that flows from the shoulders of the breastplate. It can be removed for games and activities, or worn for more solemn ceremonies and occasions. The capes can be changed each year in a "bridging ceremony." The colors of the capes will correspond with the colors of the badges and books: Year One; blue: Year Two; green: Year Three; red: and Year Four; gold. We should have these new items up on the website by the first week of August.

Year Four Shield Patches are also now available. They'll be on the website in a couple of weeks, or you can call toll free: 1-866-305-8362 if you'd like to order them right away. They are $10/set patches.

See you in Michigan!

Hi all,

Ecce Homo Press will be in Lansing, Michigan for the Catholic homeschool conference this weekend, June 20-21st. Stop by and say "hi" to my summer intern, Julia Fahy while you're there. I'm staying home with my feet up for the last few weeks before baby arrives.
Stop by and ask Julia about our new products, especially the Little Women Hospitality Program. She'll have samples of the manuals and charms, too.

Don't forget to get your supplies for the coming year. Buy them at the conference and not only will you save on shipping, you'll get an extra 15% off the retail price! It will be worth the trip...even with today's gas prices!

If you are looking to supply your Blue Knights Boys' Club for the coming year, this is a great opportunity to do so. If you could just drop me a line and let me know what kind of supplies you may need, I'll be sure to pack them for the conference. Thanks!

See you in Indy!

I'll be in Indianapolis for the Catholic Homeschool Conference June 7th. Stop by and see our new Hospitality Program, the beautiful charms, and just to say "HI!"

Also, get all your Blue Knights Boys' Club materials for the fall and save shipping AND an additional 15% off your entire order when buy it at the conference!

If you plan on doing that, shoot me a quick email (eccehomopr@aol.com) and I'll make sure I'll bring enough for your needs. Thanks! See you there!

Come see us!

Ecce Homo Press will be a vendor at the following midwest conferences:

Dayton, OH: May 16-17
Indianapolis, IN: June 7
Lansing, MI: June 20-21

Look for us and come by and say "HI!" We have some special conference surprises for attendees. 15% off your entire order and a preview of new and exciting products! This is a great time to get a jump start and SAVE on next fall's school year.

Writers! the Catholic Writers Conference Online Registration Ends Friday

Thought the writer dads and moms would like to know:

Just a reminder that the Catholic Writers Conference Online registration ends FRIDAY! This is a free conference, with speakers from all areas of Catholic publishing--from the writer to the publisher--covering all areas of writing--from idea generation to query to contract and beyond. Sign up at http://conference.catholicwritersguild.org.

Here's a list of presenters and their presentations.

Ami McConnell: Trends In Fiction
Audrey Shaffer: Branding and Your Marketing Platform
Barry Michaels: Feature Article--Ideas and Queries
Bert Ghezzi: Ins and Outs of Publishing
Brian St Paul--Crisis & InsiderCatholic: Meet the Editors of InsiderCatholic
Carolyn Howard-Johnson: 10 Ways to Let Agents Know You are an Amateur
Carolyn Howard-Johnson: Marketing Basics (with Karina)
Colleen Drippe: Driving Writers Crazy--The Editor
Heidi Hess Saxton: The Good Writer
Heidi Hess Saxton: Meet the Editor of Canticle Magazine
Hope Clark: Shy Writer
Hope Clark: Funds for Writers
Karina Fabian: Worldbuilding
Karina Fabian: Marketing Basics (with Carolyn)
Karina Fabian: Virtual Book Tours
Karina, Michelle Buckman, Terry Burns: Contract Essentials
Lea Schizas: Writing the Short Story
Mark Shea: How Faith Connects to Everything
Maya Bohnhoff: Show Me, Don't Tell Me--Character and Dialog
Maya Bohnhoff: Plotting Through Writer's Block
Melenie Rigney: Ethics of Memoir Writing
Melenie Rigney: Book Modeling
Meredith Gould: Self-Publishing as a First Resort
Michelle Buckman: Writing For Teens
Michelle Buckman: The Right Details
Patrice MacArthur: Art of Blogging
Patricia Punt: Writing for the Inspirational Market
Patti Armstrong--Ascension Press: Hooking Your Reader
Pete Vere: Canon Law and the Catholic Writer
Sister Maria Grace-Pauline Books: Pitch Session--Pauline Books
Steve Saffel: Working With a Book Editor
Steve Saffel: Using E-Media to Promote
Sylvia Dohram: Character Development and Dialogue
Terry Burns--agent: Pitching and Working With Agents
Tim Drake: So You Want to Write a Book?
Tim Powers: SFF and Catholicism
Tom Grace: Crafting the Catholic Thriller
Vinita Wright: Making Friends With the Creative/Spiritual Process
Woodenee Koenig Bricker: Writing With Faith But Without Bias

Cardboard Box Bird Feeder

Spring is in the air! In Minot, North Dakota, that means that the temperature is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and folks are putting away the winter jackets and putting on the shorts.
It's also time for birds to return. Here's a nifty little bird feeder my son Alex (9) put together.

One thing I love about Alex is that if I leave him alone long enough, he'll grab some spare stuff, make up a project and put it together himself. He did this one to fulfill a boy scout requirement.

Get a thick cardboard box--Capri Sun boxes work very well.
Cut a door about 3 inches tall by 4 inches wide in the top for putting the food in. (Alex gave it a bend to make it easier to open.
Cut a slot about three inches from the bottom. Slot should be 2 inches tall by 3 inches wide.
Put two eyelets into the area below the slot, about half an inch in from the sides. Feed a dowel through the eyelets.