holiday decorations

Farm Report: 12.14.18

- Mel

is this where I blog?

Ope, this new editor in WordPress is legit awful. For the love of Corn Dogs, please bring me back a text box. 

Editor update: Using the Classic Editor plug-in to fix this pile of cow pies, thank Baby Jesus.

christmas on the farm

Good luck getting this one out of your head. Be happy that I didn’t share the one about palpating cows sung in the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. 😳

 

extra reading: Farm & Dairy’s 12 Days of Christmas

midwest shenanigans

When I had some family visiting Des Moines last week, they asked if we had a town square that is decorated for Christmas. I kinda just figure that Capitol Hill is our “town square” but was otherwise disappointed at its lack of holiday decor. Yes, there’s a tree inside, which… OK, it’s large and decorated and from a farm in Iowa but otherwise is an outlier because nothing else is decorated inside. Is there a section of downtown, outdoors, that gets in the holiday spirit as much as I see in other cities and I have missed in my adventures? Where’s the big OUTDOOR decorated tree? Where are the lighted displays? Where can I see a live manger scene?  Actually, don’t bother on that last one because I saw one in Urbandale last weekend. 😂😂😂

Note: I have been through the housing neighborhoods in Beaverdale, which is just a delight! 

Weekly Therapy: getting ready for hibernation… or something.

- Mel

the week:
For real, the most exciting thing to happen this week was this enchilada casserole for dinner that we ate THREE DAYS IN A ROW. Pathetic, but my days are so much more relaxed when I work out in the mornings. I can almost say that waking up at 5am for 7 weeks of CrossFit has made me a morning person. Almost.

weekend:
Oh em gee, I have a weekend off work (and then an extra two days). The boyfriend and I get to do fun things, like, discuss our 2014 home renovation projects, budget and furniture wants. And then I’m drinking rum-and-cider for the rest of my free minutes because we will probably definitely be arguing by the end of that.

Kidding. Mostly.

But on Monday, I get to take boyfriend for his pre-birthday surprise.

seven things, seven days:
1. Did I really just buy three separate items for holiday decorating? I did.
2. Oh, and then my boyfriend told me that he special ordered the live Christmas tree, so I guess we’re both feeling the spirit? We also figured out where we’re putting the tree this year. Note: not in the dining room.
3. My boyfriend commented that the new dining room layout looked “like a grownups dining room.” *swoon*
4. WHAT IS HAPPENING? I HATE CHRISTMAS!
5. I used my chalk paint AGAIN — HATE the blue tape for edging. Each project the tape peels up big chunks of paint from the surface, resulting in multiple touch ups. So #dumb.
6. I unpacked boxes from our move two years ago… We have so much freaking glassware in storage, but I think I have a new idea for our collection.
7. And I must be in some kind of nesting phase because I just reorganized all the stuff in my kitchen cupboards (BUT IT’S SO MUCH BETTER!)

Every 30-something needs… some crafty time!

- Mel

A few weeks ago, I had to paint numbers on a scrimmage shirt. (I was out of iron-ons and stencils, and using a black Sharpie is for amateurs!) What I discovered, was that surrounding all the stress and hectic schedule leading up to that scrimmage (yes, I waited until the night before to do it! Always the procrastinator!), I was relaxing in that moment.

No screens. No noise. Me and paint brushes.

It’s also a feat to complete not one, but TWO craft projects in one day, but I painted a birdhouse and made bows for our Christmas tree. Before, during and afterward, there was SANTA’S CINNAMON (my favorite hard cider of the year).

Sure, the former is a kids project (30-something kids-at-heart too!), but I get to look at something fun and creative that I planned, executed — and it has a purpose. We have a wonderful bird community in our new neighborhood; something I missed while living in the heart of downtown.

I’m no artist, that’s for sure, but I like a good DIY project. For years, I made cards (and still have a small nagging in my heart for doing something paper based professionally or etsy-based at some point in my life), and nearly forgot how crafting or painting or gluing makes me so relaxed. It’s a Project Finished, to which I feel sort of accomplished.

The bows needed to be done, considering we’re still adding to our holiday ornaments collection (the tree is quite bare without). The plaid ribbon was too cute, but ultimately didn’t work for the tree decorations… but I’ll be planning something soon for those extra spools.

Both projects back-to-back made me realize that I should be making more time to be crafty.
Tell me about what DIY projects you’re working on in the comments!