Functional Decor - picking a project back up

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A couple years ago, I decided to make a copper wire tree. I have seen similar wire trees in window shops for years and decided to try my hand. Instead of using thin wire, I used a thicker gauge, hoping to make it a functional piece to hold jewelry.

The tree tipped over too easily without a strong base and so it was shelved until the muse felt like visiting again. 

She visited last week. I've been searching for inspiration for a piece of art for the bedroom and it struck me that I could not only create a base for the tree, but could incorporate it into a larger piece of work. 

A quick trip to the basement to see if we had any suitable materials quickly evolved into this:

A functional piece of art that incorporates two abandoned projects, scraps from the basement, and parts of a long unused household item.

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Vanilla Extract - Take 2

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As promised, here is a post from a pre-holiday project that has waited until now so as not to spoil any surprises.

You may remember that a couple of years ago I tried making vanilla extract. I posted on day 1 and day 30, but no final results. After the allotted couple months from the recipes I had found, it hadn't intensified and was basically vanilla infused vodka.

Original batch at 30days

 

This time I wanted more! So I did way more! I  used almost half a pound (buy in bulk online) instead of the few for the original batch and steeped them for six months! 

The result was an intensely aromatic and delicious vanilla extract.

The deep color and aroma of the extract is solely from the vanilla beans without any added colors, sweeteners or dilutes. It is absolutely divine and cost a fraction of store-bought bottles of similar size and quality. 

Most was given away as gifts and I still have more than I'll use in the next year.  I'll fill up the jar again and by the time I run out I'll have a whole 'nother batch.

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We did it! I ran 5k!

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We did it! We ran my first 5k race and ran every step of the way.

Since announcing the run a month before the race, my continued absence from this space has been very well occupied. I've spent at least one night in five different states and and traveled through five more several times each as well as continuing to train for the run.

Joe stayed with me the whole time and we clocked in at 42:10 which makes it a 13:35 minute mile. Based on how my runs had been going, I was aiming for around 45 minutes and am so pleased! 

 We're at the back right here. I'm carrying my coat. I brought a windbreaker to Joe's place on base but forgot it when we left to visit my aunt a few days before the race. Race morning it was 23 degrees when we arrived, so I started the run in my regular jacket and took it off when I warmed up.

It was so inspiring to run with such a vastly diverse group of people. There were people who walked every incline, people who sprinted and walked, the runners who did 5 minute miles and were done before we reached the half way point and so many like me - people challenging themselves to get off their butts (and buts) and do this.

Thanks so much for all the love and support, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next challenge.

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Taking the New Year and running with it.

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Phew! Since the last post (almost a month ago) we survived the holidays, prepared for a 2.5-month school for my husband, had an amazing singing party and generally had a grand ol' time.

I have a backlog of posts to write and share (now that they won't spoil any holiday surprises) and intend to post a little more regularly now that there's time to breathe.

My big news (one that I'm a little nervous to share) is that I'm going to run a 5k!

My husband's military career requires him to pass their fitness test, which always includes a run. As he has never found pleasure in running, it has often turned into a chore. In an attempt to be a more supportive partner, I decided that I would surprise him by doing the Couch to 5k program (C25k) and registered us for a 5k race close to his course for Valentine's day.

A couple of days after the New Year, I sprung the news. Not only had I been
running for 5 weeks without him knowing, we were going to do a race together!

Having told myself and anyone else that "I don't run" since puberty, this is
a giant scary step for me - well tons and tons of little ones at least.

I'm pleased to say that I've stuck with it long enough that
I've not only noticed a difference but I might actually possibly be starting to enjoy it. Maybe :D  

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Egg and Rutabaga update

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It's been almost three weeks since we found our first egg. It was a few days before we found any more. When we did, we discovered that they had made a nest under the coop in the sheltered part of their yard and had been laying a couple of eggs each day!

Since then we've collected two eggs a day most days and have been enjoying our very own fresh eggs. It took a little convincing to get them to lay in the nesting boxes and not in nests of their own creation, but we're getting the hang of it.

It seems that only the Buff Orpintons are laying. We have two each of four breeds of chickens with four different (possibly five if the Easter Eggers vary) egg colors. Even if any of the other girls showed any interest in the nesting boxes, it is easy to tell whose eggs we find.

It is common for chickens to not lay, or not lay often during the shorter daylight months. It may well be that the other girls will wait until spring to bless us with their eggs. It's doing to be exciting to open up the nesting box to find a clutch of different colored eggs.

Another update: after cutting open the happiest rutabaga, I couldn't help but cut a slice and propped it up on my windowsill. After a couple weeks, he's still smiling! Although he's gained a few wrinkles with his advanced age.

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a topper for our tree

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I love traditions, and I love celebrating. A loved tradition that my husband and I have been able to bring along and make our own is our Christmas Tree. As we continue to purge and downsize our physical belongings and the entourage of stuff we possess, our tradition of a little tree has been able to stay with us. While it was originally a necessity because of the size of our apartment (and budget) it has become a matter of pride. 

 

Our little (rarely over 4ft tall) tree sites on a side table and fills the room with as much delight as a tree twice the size or twice the price.

Collecting ornamental treasures has been a delight of mine since I was very little but never quite had the "what to put on top" question quite worked out. Growing up we often put humorous or something that happened to be at hand - such as a hedgehog dog chew toy, or a duck puppet - but I wanted something that could be illuminated and celebrate the lighting of the darkness, just as the tree itself. 

I made a simple paper star and could not be more thrilled with the results! I can't find the tutorial I used but it's the same as this one. 

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Happiest Rutabaga

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Since the end of our farmshare we have been gathering vegetables from farmer's markets, my step-father, and our own stores and gardens.

From the Coventry winter Farmer's Market we got some rutabagas a couple of weeks ago as I'd wanted to make a better Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) pasty.  I made some improved ones a few weeks ago and while they were fantastically delicious, I knew I could do better. 

I cut into one of the rutabagas and found this:

The happiest rutabaga!

Happy rutabagas are tasty rutabagas.

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We got an egg!

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We moved the chicken coop to their winter spot. There's not enough left growing on the ground to be able to leave them in one place for more than a day or so. We've moved their pen to a spot in our back yard where it will stay until spring. We will spread dried leaves and other bedding materials in their yard and they will poop, scratch, and peck it to lovely compost throughout the winter.

As Joe went to move the coop he found an egg! Our very first pullet egg!

 

A pullet is a chicken that is less than a year old. The first eggs laid by a chicken are smaller than regular eggs.  After a bit they get the hang of it but as someone who appreciates lots of little things, I've always loved the little eggs!

Here's our egg on the left with a store-bought egg on the right. Hooray for our chickens!

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