Out With the Old and In With Some Love...
Goodbye 2013.
Helloooo 2014. You're a beautiful sight!
Happy New Year to y'all. I am hoping that 2014 is fantastic, I am feeling that it will be... deep down in my farmgal bones. 2013 looked like this: we made some major progress on the farm, we added two goats and a sheep to our party (and let me tell you how I love those goats and that sweet sheep - I can now say that my life is complete), I learned a ton, made some big cowgirl strides in a few areas I needed to work on, we made some new friends, lost a few too, we lost a few people in our family and I am still missing them, we gained strength and knowledge, and opened our hearts to light and love.
I am not one for a whole lot of resolution making, I think I set myself up for failure every time. I have had some goals for myself that I have been working on: reaching out to those around me that need a little extra love, yelling in my pillow instead of yelling at my house-destroying-tornado-like-never-stop-talking-or-fighting farmhands that are so stinking cute but sometimes so tough to raise, finding my spiritual strength, loving with my whole heart, mastering a few new practices for managing the farm, yoga and more yoga, and a whole lot more. I am always working on something, but aren't we all? Instead of setting all these resolutions, shouldn't we be looking at ourselves every morning and working on those little things that make all the difference in our lives and the lives of those around us? That daily look in the mirror keeps us searching for our best selves all year instead of just at the beginning of each year, and rarely does it end in utter failure like so many resolutions that I have made...
I have to share this sweet little garland that I made for Valentine's. Yep - I am a freak. I am already on to Valentine's Day. The house feels so empty after I take down Christmas - to keep my heart full, I immerse myself right into hearts and love. Plus Valentine's color keeps me bright in the dark and gray days of January (which are VERY gray in Utah).
YOU WILL NEED:
5 1/2-feet jute or twine
42 squares of 5x5-inch fabric squares, multiple colors that compliment each other
1-yard each of 4 types of ribbon, cut into 5-inch pieces
Pinking shears
Nimble fingers
This was so easy to make, you should get crafty and make one too.
I took a piece of jute (just over 5-feet) tied a knot 3-inches from the end. I used pre-cut 5x5 fabric squares (42 of them to be exact) and cut each square with pinking shears into four long 5x1.25-inch pieces. (Helpful hint - you can fold each square in half and crease it with your fingernail - this gives you a fairly straight line to cut on. Take the two halves and repeat the fold and crease to cut into 4 strips.)
You will also need 1 yard of a few kinds of ribbon cut to 5-inch pieces. Start tying each piece of fabric around the jute. Push the knots up against each other so the garland is thick with fabric. This takes a while (2 1/2 hours to do mine - but I am easily distracted), put on "Gone With The Wind" or "Thorn Birds" or something juicy to make the time fly. I tied in color blocks - so I tied about 4 pieces of brown, 3 pieces of pink, 4 of tan, 4 of red and then I tied a ribbon piece. You just keep going, and going, and going... You can make this any length you want, mine was just over 5-feet in length and I used one pre-cut pack of the fabric.
The whole project was a little spendy, but it's so cute, the cuteness outweighs the price tag... It cost about $20, but can be reused year after year.
Go get crafty and have fun...
Helloooo 2014. You're a beautiful sight!
Happy New Year to y'all. I am hoping that 2014 is fantastic, I am feeling that it will be... deep down in my farmgal bones. 2013 looked like this: we made some major progress on the farm, we added two goats and a sheep to our party (and let me tell you how I love those goats and that sweet sheep - I can now say that my life is complete), I learned a ton, made some big cowgirl strides in a few areas I needed to work on, we made some new friends, lost a few too, we lost a few people in our family and I am still missing them, we gained strength and knowledge, and opened our hearts to light and love.
I am not one for a whole lot of resolution making, I think I set myself up for failure every time. I have had some goals for myself that I have been working on: reaching out to those around me that need a little extra love, yelling in my pillow instead of yelling at my house-destroying-tornado-like-never-stop-talking-or-fighting farmhands that are so stinking cute but sometimes so tough to raise, finding my spiritual strength, loving with my whole heart, mastering a few new practices for managing the farm, yoga and more yoga, and a whole lot more. I am always working on something, but aren't we all? Instead of setting all these resolutions, shouldn't we be looking at ourselves every morning and working on those little things that make all the difference in our lives and the lives of those around us? That daily look in the mirror keeps us searching for our best selves all year instead of just at the beginning of each year, and rarely does it end in utter failure like so many resolutions that I have made...
YOU WILL NEED:
5 1/2-feet jute or twine
42 squares of 5x5-inch fabric squares, multiple colors that compliment each other
1-yard each of 4 types of ribbon, cut into 5-inch pieces
Pinking shears
Nimble fingers
This was so easy to make, you should get crafty and make one too.
I took a piece of jute (just over 5-feet) tied a knot 3-inches from the end. I used pre-cut 5x5 fabric squares (42 of them to be exact) and cut each square with pinking shears into four long 5x1.25-inch pieces. (Helpful hint - you can fold each square in half and crease it with your fingernail - this gives you a fairly straight line to cut on. Take the two halves and repeat the fold and crease to cut into 4 strips.)
You will also need 1 yard of a few kinds of ribbon cut to 5-inch pieces. Start tying each piece of fabric around the jute. Push the knots up against each other so the garland is thick with fabric. This takes a while (2 1/2 hours to do mine - but I am easily distracted), put on "Gone With The Wind" or "Thorn Birds" or something juicy to make the time fly. I tied in color blocks - so I tied about 4 pieces of brown, 3 pieces of pink, 4 of tan, 4 of red and then I tied a ribbon piece. You just keep going, and going, and going... You can make this any length you want, mine was just over 5-feet in length and I used one pre-cut pack of the fabric.
Go get crafty and have fun...
Or just leave the tree up until 6 Jan, or Epiphany, Theophany, Three Kings Day, Orthodox Christmas. At least.
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