The Things Farm Girls Do...

On Black Friday

It was a low key Thanksgiving weekend at the Starr House. You see, we celebrated the weekend prior when both my sisters were home. That meant spending Thanksgiving Day resting up and energizing for the Black Friday door busters. We aren't your typical hard-core shoppers. For us it meant getting up 9am and eating pumpkin pie & ice cream for breakfast. Because why not, it's still technically a holiday. Splurge one last time and have dessert for breakfast. Such rebels! We were fairly certain our Black Friday deal would still be there when we got to town. Where at? Wal-Mart. Best Buy. Target. None of the above. Stine's Garden and Gifts was where it was at for the Starr ladies and where we would brag about the best deal we got on...

Yep! $15 dollars a piece and the high school boy even loaded them in the bed of the truck. A STEAL! Why so many? Well, get this: None are the Starr Family Christmas Tree. These didn't make the cut to be "the one" in which we put presents under or sit by while watching Hallmark movies (FYI-- we don't really do that! :))

Once again putting the cows before ourselves. These trees are for in front of the barn. This wasn't all glitz and glamour. Only half the strand of lights were working and the second string was blinking. We had more extension cords out than what you'd need on show day. And of course they were found at the bottom of the show box in a tangle mess, completely stiff from the cold. COLD! Yes, we were cold, fuses were being blown, our lives were risked being electrocuted from changing out so many bulbs. Finally we removed ourselves from the situation and blamed it on the fact that maybe we were pulling too much power with the dryer going on the corn. Turning the corn dryer off wasn't an option, can you imagine how thrilled my Dad would have been the next time he went to check the moisture?! But hey-- we get so many complements from friends when the barn is decorated for the holidays. The thought crossed our mind to get the generator out. But that's where it ended. With blinking lights. Until the corn is dry.

 

It'll get done. Because when it is its' picture is going straight to Pinterest and everyone will think 'well why didn't I think of that'. And everyone will be running to Stine's for the Christmas tree deal, but wait oh.... that's right it was a Black Friday special and they'll all be paying full price! Totally joking.
Want to know the real reason we're the crazy people in BFE who decorate their barn? Because it make a perfect Christmas photo-opp for our Red Healer.

 What was the Black Friday door buster you bragged about today?
N.Starr

Great Pumpkin

Happy Halloween

Call me a Halloween Grinch but I'm just not huge on this holiday. I like pumpkins and everything else that comes with fall (the colors, Starbuck's pumpkin spice latte, cattle sales). As you've seen, I fully embrace decorating pumpkins with fancy prints or an etched cowboy boot, I guess it's the dressing up part that's just not my thing. Luckily I had a good group of coworkers that put their creative juices to the works to come up with the group costume. Do you think it was as good as last year's cast of Guess Who?

The Running of the Bulls!! Three bulls and a crew of runners.
We even got a cash prize at the BR party. Lucky for us it paid for the pizza we ordered for lunch! 

So as you can imagine I'm not out on the town in a scanky costume getting sloshed. I've gone to boot camp, packed my bag for this week's wedding (last one of the season) and now watching Charlie's Brown The Great Pumpkin show. You're never too old, it brings back childhood memories. We always know who they'll end, but the shows never get old. In fact most of you are probably doing the same but won't admit it. Maybe you've even gone as far as updating your Facebook status to make it seem like you're having the wildest Halloween yet?!
What got me thinking as the show started was Charlie Brown's shirt. CHEVRON!! Who knew all these years later Charlie's shirt would be fashionable. Proof that everything comes back in style.

What Halloween traditions do you have?
Happy Halloween, everyone!!

N.Starr

Happy Fall Y'all

It's been another busy summer and fall kicked off to a busy start. So busy that I haven't had time to make the decoupage pumpkins that I made the past couple falls. This weekend was a perfect couple days at home to get the fall creative juices flowing. While this is no decoupage pumpkin, I certainly enjoyed not having to peel modge podge out of my nails and hair.

Barn jeans, old t-shirt and no make-up. My kind of weekend.

DRIVE is having a pumpkin decorating contest. All you have to do use upload it to Instagram or Facebook using #drivepumpkins. Here's a close up of my entry. If you're on Instagram, you can find me at: starrnicole

Contest ends October 31. Get to decorating :)

N.Starr

A pumpkin continuation

Showcase the best.

My Kansas City sister is also becoming quite the crafty lady. Who would have thought the Starr Girls would turn into such domestic ladies!? Mom sure didn't have high hopes for us when we were "required" to master making one meal each summer (rise crispy bars didn't count). Our poor Dad, he's suffered through his fair share of burnt, entertaining meals. Apparently it didn't hurt him too bad, he's still in good condition.

Keeping with the Halloween theme for the week. Tonight, I'm showcasing my KC sister's carved pumpkin. What an artist, huh? How many times did she cut herself? Well, that's a good question! She has a real knack for drawing a show heifer on the profile. She's even made a Hereford cake. Who would have thought all the blood, sweat and tears that went into learning to cook as a teenage would actually come in handy!

 N.Starr

Leaf Peeper

Fall is here.

It's officially fall......I wore a jacket, drank a pumpkin spice latte, updated my hairstyle for the new season and helped my mom cover her flowers. I think the cool weather is here to stay. Fall is the best time for road trips. My favorite fall trips consist of going to cattle sales, football games or getting that one last girls trip in before the frozen tundra takes over the land. When driving from point A to point B it's interesting to see how the colors of the leaves change. Ever wonder if your destination has hit their color "peak"? If so, I found a new (and free) app that's a must-download: Leaf Peeper.

I used a picture of the NE part of the country, because some day
 I hope to go out there in the fall. I hear the falls are beauteous!!

  
Find the brightest colors with the Leaf Peeper foliage map. You can also take, upload and rate pictures in your hometown or where ever your fall road trip takes you. I have a couple mini trips coming up and look forward to putting this to use.

Where is your fall road trip taking you?

Safety First

Harvest 2012

It's that time of year when farmers are in the field harvesting crops that will someday and somehow feed you and your family. The next time you're stuck behind a tractor, combine or manue spreader think of this:

Take a deep breath, enjoy the view and eventually you'll get to where you need to be. Safe & sound.