Fall @ Brown Acre

Hello all!! Keeping with my usual blogging abilities, I purposefully skipped two months to keep you on your toes and checking back frequently=). Right. I will never be one of those bloggers who updates regularly, has a fan base, and gets money from advertisers in the side bars.

But thats not really the point for me.

So to those of you who occasionally continue to check my blog, here is whats been happening!

I started a craft group on FB that will meet once a month at my house to craft something together!! How fun!!!! I can't wait for our first meeting. I made the wreath below as practice, so I could be more of a helper when everyone is here.

Simple and rustic, just how I like it! Kole and I gathered sticks of roughly the same diameter, cut them to size, and glued them to a cardboard ring I had previously covered in twine. Easy Peasy!

 Football was a HUGE part of our lives from Aug-Oct. Here is one of the last games. Kole got a trophy that he was super pumped about. This night, they had a "bomb" fire (koles words) and a DJ. Pizza and Drinks. And crazy football boys ages 5-10 running around=).

Kole was a blocker. I think it is called a guard? Yes, beside the center. He LOVED football.

Can't wait to play tackle next year.

Pushing the other guys on the line. Why this is fun for boys, I may never know. But as a momma, I was the one with the t-shirt that said Koles Mom. I even tried to make a giant foam finger. I was so proud of him for doing his best! It was a blast to watch.

Hopefully this video works. They are playing after the game=)

Nana and Grandaddy!

 I have been working on a sewing unit at school with my students. I wrote 2 grants at the end of the school year last year and I actually got them both!!! I bought 20 sewing machines and a TON of fabric. My students made a pillow project for themselves first. Now we are finishing up the community service projects. Each class chose a community organization that gives back to the community in some special way. We then called them and asked what they could use that we could make and donate. I have one class making rag quilts and pillows for the childrens hospital wing. Another is making PJ pants for a homeless shelter. And another class is making aprons and potholders for the Soup Opera, which feeds people for free daily.

It has been VERY stressful/overwhelming to get it all organized and to kept the students on task, but it is already rewarding in so many ways. The next step is to get the newspaper/station in there to take some pictures and write a story on what the kids are doing. Then we will have guest speakers from each of the organizations come in a give a presentation before we present them with the items the kiddos made.

HALLOWEEN-IE!!!

Anakin Skywalker and his grandfather.

 Realistic light saber. Grandmomi looks frightened!!

How cool does it look without the flash!?!

Love trick or treating in Mannington on Meadow Ave! Kole says he gets WAY more candy there.

Our little Family=)

The loot.

Any almond joys in there???

Its raining candy!!!!!

And this is how the rest of the evening went=). Sick on candy. All three of us!

Oh yea! Our pumpkins!!! I, of course, did something girly. The fleur de lis. Kole wanted scary, so lips and fangs it was. And Zach couldn't decide, so we chose goofy mustache and sunglasses man for him=). Fitting right!?

I have 2 craft shows in the near future that are consuming my free time getting ready for. I will try and post some pictures of them so you all can see what craftiness I have been up to!

Well, hopefully I'll get another post in before christmas!

Projects, Oh my!

 The summer is coming to a end......AHHHHHHH!!!! It has gone soo fast! I just can't believe that in a little over a week I will be back in the classroom. Kinda makes me sickly (this was my first hint that I need a career change....farming anyone?!?).

As the countdown begins, there are several things on my summer to do list that were/are stressing me out, as they weren't finished and its almost over. So, this past week I have gotten on my big girl pants and got some stuff done.

I decided to paint my bedroom because I have hated the color since we moved in. Here are the before pictures!
Very dark hunter green color. Now, I'm a green girl, but this color was terrible.

You can't really grasp in this picture how dark this room was.

And here are the after!

I am pretty pleased with the results! The color was called wood smoke. Depending on the light, it looks green, brown, or grey. All pretty neutral but I like it! And the trim was painted swan white which really pops and looks more modern. The ceiling is a tint lighter than the walls to add height and give the illusion of more space.

In addition to the paint, I decided to cover the light outlet and the lamp shade in the bedroom with some leftover fabric (that I love!) from the curtains I made a while back.

Here are those pics.

Next on the list is to paint that awful dated furniture. I think I may paint it the swan white color, but I am still deciding. Input anyone?

Kole had his first sleepover with his BFF! It was fun and a little stressful. They didn't (wouldn't) go to sleep until 1am ( I had to get stern). This is the morning, and as you can see, we are having funnel cakes!! Koles friend wasn't so sure about them at first, but after one bite he was hooked. His mom said that he has been asking for them at home now!! Glad I can be an advocate of healthy eating...lol

Lastly, Nana took kole school shopping and here are a few pictures of the loot.

All this school stuff is a little depressing.....=(

I'm not ready to go back. It has been an awesome summer. These last few days I have left are being packed with activities, appointments, visits, and projects that I haven't accomplished yet.

Hopefully, one of these will be to paint the exterior of the house!!! Ill have some before and after photos when that happens.

Until then, I'm off to enjoy my last few days of freedom!!!!!!

Howdy Ho!!!

 

                                I have been bad to my blog again. It's a wonder you people still check=).
I really thouht that I would blog all summer long about everything that we were doing. But this has not happened. I could make excuses all day long, but the truth is: It's summer. I sleep in. I have no schedule. And I am lazy.

Ok, so maybe I'm not THAT lazy. I do keep up with the garden, chickens, child, house, meals, activities, etc. But I have made the choice on several occasions to sit on the porch with one of my favorite magazines instead of sitting in front of my computer updating my blog.

I am truely sorry! Most of you keep up with us on Facebook, but I know that it is nice to read a more insightful entry in a blog than puruse someone's photo albums on the facey space.

To make up for my bad behavior, I will post a series of summer photos with descriptions about what was going on. WAY different from what I normally do.......right? =)

And we begin in no particular order............

We were all sitting around the dinner table after gorging ourselves on mommas delicious marinated chicken and venison. I believe Zach H. was the first to take the bandana napkins momma uses with this table cloth and put it to its actual and practical use. On his head.

So we decided to make a game out of it. I was cowgirl Brown and my hubby was a hobo (he first was a bandit, but then changed his mind). Which is hilarious because he works for a non-profit organization that helps homeless people and HATES the word hobo, or anything that romanticizes the fact that people live in terrible places (like a cave for instance) and often go hungry. Grandmomi often says they LIKE to "ride the rails". Needless to say, Z and G$ are usually debating something or another long after the rest of us leave the table.

Speaking of G$ (that is what we call grandmomi, as she is either slipping a twenty in our pockets or telling us to eat something), she decided to be a hippy in this picture.
Momma wore her bandana like a babushka, very sweet and innocent=).
Zach H.'s friend Matt was a middle eastern man......I think?

Ah, Mom and Dad. Goofy kids. I think dad was trying to be Lady GaGa, or Madonna.

Here is Dad and Mom's awesome garden! This was a week and a half ago, so its even bigger now. Dad says its the peat moss he mixed in when he planted. I am definately going to try that next year with our garden!

We got an awesome visit with TT and baby River. I am so in love with this boy. He is a gerber baby!! So cute. And loves to snuggle with his Aunt Meg. I miss him so much!! Mom found a pair of his socks in her car after they left and I'll admit, we sniffed them for a while=).

He is such a pleasant baby. It is so easy to make him smile and giggle.

Kole was all about Baby River. Kole loved to sit beside him on a blanket and try to make him smile and laugh. It was super sweet watching him being protective and interested in his little cousin.

I made dad this apron for father's day! I found Real Tree camo printed fabric and embroidered his intials on the front (thought it is hard to see....come on, its CAMO!!). And yes, he was wearing shorts=).

On a sad note, my favorite kitty of our three has cancer. We have known for a month or so now and it has been a steady decline since. This is Momma. Named this because she was the street cat by Z's old house that kept having litters. Our other two cats are her babies. As I type, Momma is laying in a box by the side door with water and food and a homemade litter box, although she has stopped eating, drinking, and using the litter box as of Friday. Her back legs have basically stopped working, but she is trying her best to follow Z around the house by dragging herself. She is so exhausted after just a few minutes of this that she lays down to rest. I think she knows that he saved her from the streets all those years ago and just wants to be near him as her life slips away. We fortunately know two really great vets, and though it is Sunday, they will be helping us today at 3 to end her pain. I am crying a little bit now. I've never had to make the decision that will end a beloved pets life until now, and let me tell you, its not easy.

She has been such a great cat, never caused ANY grief (unlike our other two), and was always ready to love and be loved on.

She will be greatly missed in our family.

Ok enough of sad stuff. Sniffle.

Here are our "girls".

Still laying like machines! We love the fresh eggs. They are fun to watch!

I really want to get a couple more and will hopefully be doing so before summer is out.

We also want to build a new, bigger coop in our back lot. The ground on this run is just dirt and dust, so they need a little more green to play around in. We will keep this coop as our winter coop as it will be easier to get to in the winter and will keep them warmer.

Plums!! This plum tree has done really well this year. Z is a big fan, and as they rippen, he plucks them off and eats them off the tree=)

You may want to click on this picture to see it's full effect. This day, Kole and I invited his BFF (his words not mine) for a day by the river. Our friends own this little woodsy patch by the river called sandy beach that is beautiful. There is a little stream that runs into the river and when you walk up it for a bit, you come to the train tunnel. The boys had so much fun looking for "treasures" and animals. I was on the look out for snakes.

Tomorrow, we are headed out for a week filled with all things good at Lost River State Park. We got a cabin there this year, and I just can't wait. Icecream following softball each evening, lazy days spent on the cabin porch reading, swimming at the pool, hiking, horse riding, and family time.

Thanks for continuing to read my blog! I'll try to be better. But most likely will not be=)



Craft Show and Concert

Time for an update! We have been SUPER busy here at Brown Acre lately. It is a rainy day and I have tons to do, so I figured why not procrastinate and blog a little....=)

The past two weekends have been a blur of activity. I had my first craft show!! It went so well, and now I can't stop thinking about when I can do another. People really responded to my things!! I was super nervous beforehand, but once I got there, got set up, and started visiting and meeting people, my nerves calmed down and I had such a good time.
I guess the reason I was nervous was because I put so much thought, time, and energy into coming up with cool ideas, picking out awesomely beautiful fabrics, and shutting myself in the basement letting the creative juices flow. I didn't know if anyone else would like anything I had. I knew I loved every piece, but who knows what the world would think (or Fairmont atleast=).
I got such great responses from people that I was simply blown away. People said I had an "eye" for color, targeted my market, and had well made, trendy things. WOW!!! Like I said, I had no idea it would go so well, but I am glad it did. What a good feeling to know that what you love, others love as well. What you spend hours on, people want to buy. I felt validated. I felt engergized. I felt more creativity wanting to seep out. LOVED IT!!!!
Sorry, this sounds a little like bragging, and I really am not trying to be "that" person. It was a good weekend, so I want to share it!! Here are some pictures.......

Aprons! My own reversible pattern. I combine complimentary fabrics for a fantastic fashion statement while stirring a pot of butter beans.

Shot of the table. I made some totes as a "filler" item. People liked them though because they were also reversible and eco-friendly shopping bags=)

Long shot of the tables I had. Owls, hairflair, totes, aprons, earrings.

Button Earrrings! These were a hit. I need a better way to display them though. I think next time I will elevate them on some kind of diaply piece.

Hair Flair. This was also a big seller. The craft show was in one of my junior high schools where I teach, so lots of the young girls were into these funky statement pieces.

Angled shot of hair flair.

 Owls!!! People loved these as well. I made one for KB a couple years ago for christmas, and decided to make a bunch for the youngsters at the craft show. The next day, Mom found a picture in a pottery barn (I think) catalog with very similar ones!! They stole my idea!! LOL

Then there was Kole. He was so good. He and Zach came half way through the show and helped out. The iPhone is Kole's go to for boredom. He ended up going home with GDaddy to play. They had a good time splashing in the creek=).

The following weekend I sang for a tsunami relief concert at the Fairmont Baptist Temple with some very talented bluegrass musicians. Our band name that we all decided on was Common Ground (since it is so overused, and kinda generic...lol). But when we got up to sing, our friend Joe (banjo player and best man at our wedding) announced we changed our name to "Megan Brown and the Dial Tones" (one of the guitarist's last name was Dial). So silly.

Here are a few shots from that. I have video, but I can't bring myself to post it here. The quality is grainy, you can't here the musicians well, and I cring at hearing myself sing. Anyone else do that? I notice every little mistake or weirdness in my own voice. I also hate hearing myself on the answering machine. But thats another story......

We have begun spring planting! Onions, garlic, lettuce, spinach, and carrots are in the garden. Potatoes will be next. I have four flats of tomato plants under the grow light in the basement (looks like I'm growing something else, if you know what I mean.....). We have had some REALLY beautiful days here in WV. I am so thankful for sunshine and warm weather. My mood instantly improves when I can get outside and get dirty=).

My tulips are blooming like crazy, the tree in the front yard has pink buds...it will probably bust out this week. The birds are chirping. The breeze is warm. Hello Spring. I have missed you!

Spring Break has officially started!! I have plans of spring cleaning, sewing, playing with Kole, reading, sleeping in, shopping, valley worlds of fun, and possibly a movie afternoon.

I sooooo needed this break.



Hopefully, I will post again soon. Back to the basement for some sewing/crafting=).

Update=)

Well, I haven't done a family update in a while, so here goes.

Kole-man is growing like a weed!! He is a silly sweet boy and is really doing well this year in 1st grade. We are so proud of him!! He made straight "A's" for the semester, and his behavior has improved greatly from a year ago in school. Mom and Dad LOVE this! We get GOOD notes home now! Here is a silly picture to entertain you:

Kole is doing to do a fun new program at FSU in a few weeks called "African Adventure". He gets to go after school and do crafts and sing songs and do experiements!! It is through the science program, and he is soooo into it. I'm sure that this will only last a few more years (meaning his enthusiasum for learning) so we are going with it for now!!

This child needs to be in sports! Unfortunally, his mother is always missing the sign ups for football each summer. Hopefully this year, we will figure it out=). We were going to try wrestling this year, but we decided to give Kole another year before going down that road. So, no sports at the moment, although I wish there were SOMETHING active for him to be involved in. For now, its just kinect games (which I might add make a person sweat!!!!)

Kole has some red ear slider turtles that we keep in his room. We don't "play" with them because they carry germs, but they are really fun to watch. We recently got a new set up for them called the Turtle Tub. It is massive. But really neat! They even have an area for basking and (gulp) egg laying. I don't know what I'll do if we have baby turtles, but it could happen, as I have found out (through some research) that one is a boy and the other is a girl. We may be shipping baby turtles to everyone in the family.

We are in the process of re-doing his room, piece by piece. It's gonna take a bit to get it done, but once it is, I will feel so much better! An unorganized room drives me mentally insane. We need storage in his room as well. Any ideas? He needs one big dresser (as it is he has three small ones....ugh). We looked at a neat "cubby hole" bookcase from Ikea, and we might go with that, but I am afraid its going to be costly to get enough storage for him.

Onto my next boy, Hubby Zach. He is doing well! Z is much happier now that he has a new job (and so is his family!). He now has soooo much more flexibility in his work. He can stay home if he wants to, or go to the office if the house is driving him nuts. The organization is called "WV Coalition to End Homelessness". He likes being able to focus on the one area of homelessness instead of being pulled in several different directions, like he was in his old job. He actually ENJOYS his job. He likes doing it. He works late because it is interesting to him. So weird. I mean, I like teaching, but when I walk out the doors on the weekend, I am done till Monday morning. Now, if I farmed or crafted for a living, I probably wouldnt stop working either=)!!!!!

Zach is still trying to be "Primal" as well. Eating primally basically means eating like a cave man. It works for him, and I am sure it would work for me as well, but I love bread. And other carby things. Alot. So I only do primal on occasion.

This is the cookbook. Our favorite recipe is Primal Enchiladas. SOOOOO Delicious!

We went on a wintery hike through the woods, recently,  in DEEP snow. That was a cardio work out for sure! Here are a few pics from that.

It was soooo cold and snowy!! These two pictures are of one of our favortite places. 27 Falls (I think it's 27...maybe its 21.....I dunno, but we love it!) You have to hike quite a bit to get to it. We were out there for a good while too.

So this was probably way illegal, but we were pretending to be survivor man. We wanted to see it we could make a fire with wet stuff. We got some some smoke, no fire. We would never survive the wilderness in the winter.

Its a family affiar!

Kole was "SOOO TIRED!!" and his legs hurt, so daddy zach carried him for a short while. This child is over 70lbs. I'm not sure how he didn't throw out his back.

Now what you've all been waiting for.....an update on ME!!! Haha, j/k.

(Edited- due to recent happenings in the news....lol)

On a sadder note, I was pregnant for a little while and now I'm not=(. I was supposed to be 12 wks. and a day, on the day I miscarried. I know people don't normally blog about things like this, but I felt like putting it out there. I always like to give the pink elephant some attention before letting him loose.

We had been trying for a long while and so we were very excited when we finally got pregnant. Nervous, but excited too. We told Kole right away, and he then told his teacher, the bus driver, his 20 closest friends, and the neighbors all about the baby!! So, we had to tell lots of people about the misscarriage, which totally sucks, especially because you usually have to tell them pretty soon after it happens (to avoid embarrasment on their part) and it is still a tender subject at that point. But bless his heart, he was just so excited too! So we were super bummed for a while. There are still sad moments, but as a family we are healing well from the tragedy, and have grown closer because of it.

All that being said, I know God has a plan. He is in control and I trust Him. End of story. Without that, I think it would have been more difficult to move past the hurt than it has been.

So anyways, onto another subject. I have been crafting alot! On the side of this page, you will see some new things I posted on etsy, but I have made many other things that I'm not selling=). I am currently working on a project for my nephew, River. He will be here soon!! I don't want to give away the surprise, but its gonna be great. I have also made several aprons (and need to make several more). I have been giving these away to my friends, but I figure they will be my walking advertisements!!

I wear button earrings almost every day. I love them!! They are on my site as well.

I promise that I will post some crafty pictures soon.

So all is well with the Brown's. Just pluggin along. Ready for spring and warm breezes. I need to play in dirt. We need sunshine and fresh air. And its coming!! Can't wait!