HERE COMES THE...BASKETBALL.
It has been a pretty big week here––if I am allowed the occasional understatement––and Hannah and I have a lot of news to share! First, on Tuesday of this week the Kentucky Wildcats defeated handily the Samford Bulldogs 88-50. The reason this typically irrelevant pre-conference game is of note is not Doron Lamb's superb, 26 point performance...but that Hannah and I witnessed it first hand! Thanks to the never-ending generosity of her parents, we were blessed with a set of tickets directly behind the student section––my first game of the year and the closest I'll likely ever get to talking to Coach Cal in Rupp Arena. It was our last night out before our trip to Louisville Wednesday, and I guess you might even say it was the last night before the first day of the rest of our lives. But since far too much happened this week to cover in one entry and since it's our blog and we can draw things out for as long as we want, this is just going to be the first in a series of entries about our big day. So please bear with us and stay tuned this week for a lot of great updates leading up to a lot of great news!- Jesse.
CRAFTING THROUGH THE FLU.
So I have the flu. Or had it, rather. Earlier this afternoon I ventured out of the house for the first time in days, and I feel like I am on the mend. Basically, my head does not feel like a swollen volcano of pain anymore. Progress! Of course, this is wonderful timing, because Jesse and I are getting MARRIED...in FOUR DAYS! I just can't believe it, really. All that being said, I know this is supposed to be a blog about farming, but I have had little else to do with my time while laying around sniffling and groaning this week. So today, we are going to talk about crafting.
While making plans for our (incredibly simple) wedding, I realized something: flowers are insanely expensive! Is this common knowledge? I was not aware. While trying to figure out how to justify paying for a bouquet and boutonniere that would eventually shrivel up and die, I decided to just make my own. It was honestly incredibly easy, and now Jesse and I have something to keep forever! This is a great project for a wedding bouquet, but it would also make wonderful centerpieces or just decoration for your home. The best part is that you can customize the colors to exactly what you need, because it is just made out of PAPER!
So here's the step by step:
MATERIALS:
ROSETTES:
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| Draw a spiral. |
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| Cut out the spiral. |
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| Start rolling the spiral into itself, starting in the middle. |
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| If you need to, you can secure the outside with a piece of tape or glue, so it doesn't unroll. |
CARNATIONS:
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| Cut out a set of circles, slowly increasing in size. |
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| Wrinkle up the paper circles. Poke the wooden stick (or twig, or wire, or whatever) through the biggest circle. |
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| Keep poking circles down on the stick on top of the first, getting smaller as you go. |
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| After adding the smallest circle on the top, I added a little superglue, letting it drip down the stick and securing each circle in the right place. |
PUFF BALLS:
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| Wrap yarn around your fingers. |
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| Once you have a thick amount, cut it free from the skein. |
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| Carefully slide the bunch off of your fingers. |
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| Tie it using a separate, small piece of yarn. |
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| Cut through the loops on both sides. |
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| Trim the yarn until it resembles a ball! |
NOW....
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Keep making them until you have A LOT...trust me, it takes a lot. Then attach them to your wooden sticks or wire.
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| Arrange the flowers by sticking them in the styrofoam ball. I supplemented mine with some silk flowers and rattan balls. |
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| If you are making a bouquet, you can make a handle by grouping a bunch of wooden sticks together and wrapping them with ribbon. |
TAH DAH!!!
I am really pleased with how this turned out. It was fun to make, and a welcome distraction from my sick days. I hope the holidays are finding you happy and healthy, and now I'm off to make Jesse's boutonniere!
- Hannah.
HOUSE HUNTERS.
Being basically perfect outside today made for a good excuse for Hannah and I to visit the farm. We're currently looking for a spot to build our house, and although we had ideas of where we wanted it, we also wanted to examine all options before proceeding. It turns out the house that currently lives on the property is not going be available until well after the growing season so we figured why not go ahead and build our own dream home while we wait? It's something we wanted to do eventually anyway, but since we're eager to get on the land and get farming, we might as well take care of the things that could get pushed to the wayside once the train gets moving. You'll be happy to know that we did some searching and we've found our plot. Baring any other snags, we are planning to actually build this thing over the winter. So stay-tuned for some guaranteed hilarity and entertainment as we construct our dream home before the plants come screaming out of the ground. Fingers crossed!- Jesse.
