Wooly Willy Windmills

I went to Pella last week. Pella, Iowa: founded in 1847 by 800 Dutch immigrants; home to Pella windows; Heritage Lace; the childhood home of Wyatt Earp; and site of the annual Tulip Time. It is also home to Central College - which was the reason for my visit to this fair city - to recruit at a career fair. The town was too charming not to mention in my blog. I guess I think my cards don't stand on their own so they need a little story to make them blog-worthy!

Driving or walking by ordinary things I usually have on my internal blog-worthy vision. Some people see an autumnal splendiferous tree and "have a moment with nature'. I see a tree bursting with color and ASSUME everyone I share it with will enjoy it as much as I do! Not sure what that says about me....let's just save that discussion for a sofa and a shrinks office or a booth and some drinks!

This is the view visitors are greeted with! Vintage car with potted mums and green space. Well!

Tucked in the middle of town - there is this...Some bergs have alleys...not the Dutch in Pella!

Pretty fancy "alley"! When they boast about "old world charm" they seem to be very serious!

  

Pella is home to Heritage Lace! I 'discovered' them when I realized they make Downton Abbey goodies! Yes indeedy! Heritage Lace, in Pella, is the proud owner of the Downton Abbey license.

 

My daughter is the proud owner of one of their Downton products. A gift from my sister. Both are Downton junkies! Who wouldn't want to own

a Violet Crowley quote?

One of several windmill features in town.

 

I did NOT know Pella sports an Opera House!

If you hurry you can catch "Three Men and a Tenor"! Or rent it for your next wedding!

 

Old town store fronts - well manicured and cared for. Not a Wal-Mart to be seen for miles!

And what do you find in olde-time stores? Olde-time awesomeness! I wandered into an honest to goodness Variety Store - it was so much fun!

Candy buttons! YUM! Except when you get a wad of paper with a button!

So HERE is where you can buy all things Dutch! Souvenir anyone?

I am stunned that you can still buy candy cigarettes! REALLY!? And they are 35 cents! THIRTY FIVE CENTS!?!? Where AM I? Did I drive into a time warp?

 How many hair nets can one town POSSIBLY need!? There were TWO racks of these! HAIRNETS!?  I didn't know they came in color/size choices!

 

The toy aisle is filled with good-old fashioned NON-tech selections. No batteries required.

How many of you owned one of these little guys!?

 

There must be a windmill full of people who knit and crochet in this town! Peg board!

When's that last time you saw sheets of plain peg board?

And what self-respecting Dutch community Variety Store would be complete

without paint-your-own wooden shoes in the craft aisle?

 

Okay that is enough sharing! On to my card. Thank goodness for card challenges! They keep me motivated! Thank you to the challenge blogs and their dedicated and talented designers!

The BEST!
~Base card Kraft card stock stenciled with TCW Mini Chicken Wire Template and Tattered Angels Shimmer Mist
~2 layers of The Paper Studio The Great Rock Island Route paper pack
~Office note book punch; curve punch
~Layer of cream card stock stenciled
~Sentiment stamped on olive card stock using Sizzix Word Labels stamp and die
~Brown and green punched circles
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - photo inspiration

Fusion Card - layout

Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Creative Fingers - anything no digital

Here's to Old World Charm, appreciating small towns, pondering hair nets, and acerbically wonderful quips from the Dowager Crowley!

Nancy in Iowa

Harvesting Treats

Another crazy work week ahead of me so thought I would post a quick note.

We traveled to Norfolk, NE this weekend and was thinking about all the work that farmers have yet to do! We passed field after field of crops yet to be harvested. God bless the farmers! I did manage to capture a shot of a harvested acre or two.  What a beautiful crisp blue autumn sky! Wide open space!

 

Not a bad shot, out an open window, considering we were traveling at 60 miles an hour!

 





This week I will be traveling to central Iowa - who knows what I will post next time! Maybe a shot of a windmill farm! Stay tuned...!

Tricky Stuff!
~Kraft card stock
~"Trick or Treat" is from an acetate treat bag
~Ribbon
~Pumpkin brad
~Inside layer of striped card stock
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - color challenge
Shopping Our Stash - acetate
Crafting with Dragonflies - use something not normally found on cards (treat bag)
Alphabet - R is for ribbon
Fusion - all hallows eve

Here's to a bountiful harvest, farmers, and appreciating them both!

Nancy in Iowa

Wash Your Hands!!!

What do you do when you live in a small town and want to bust a move out of town? Well...you head to an even SMALLER town so when you get back home you think you live in a vast metropolis! I even found myself horrified about our local 5 o'clock traffic jam. Yes! I was in a line of 12 - count - em'-twelve cars!

Well we traveled down the road a piece to Martinsburg, Nebraska! Yes! Not only did we journey we crossed the state line! Okay...so maybe that is not all that impressive as I do live smack dab in the vortex of the tri-state area of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.

Anyway...why Martinsberg? Well, in spite it's population of 92, it is home of the one of the largest and yummiest burgers EVER! So worth the jaunt to Bob's Bar! We highly recommend it - when you are in the area - or even if you are not!

Planning a trip to Bob's? Well you have been warned!

BOB's BAR
The ambiance is...well...small town! It was waiting room ONLY inside! Tables were filled with families and friends. Ages infant to elders. Tables were littered with long necks, baby bottles, and mountains for food. The room was saturated with country music from a good old fashioned juke box, laughter, talking, teasing, joking, the sound of pool balls (only the balls...no cues because 4 year olds were playing "kiddie-pool" using just the balls...with a little help from adults when the balls rolled to the center of the table our of reach). The wait was worth it because the wait-staff was so fun to watch! Two waitresses, one young male dish washer, and BOB! He was in the back doing all the cooking.

 This is in case you didn't believe me about Bob's claim to big burgers!

What is all that stuff above the cooler!?

Fancy bar set up! Ehhh?

Don't want to know what that is hanging from the ceiling!

That brick on the counter is from the town down the road...following

a devastating tornado.

And there it is! Bob's giant hand pressed burger! People come for the burgers of

course (price tag? $4.95) but it is the enormous side dishes come in a close second! Wait for it....

Here is a single order of onion rings.

The plate of cheese balls is a HALF ORDER! Don't look at me1 I didn't order it!
I HATE fried balls of cheese! Onion rings...I don't have the same hatred for...

 

There is a peak at the kitchen and the check out area. They are so busy they leave the cash drawer open. Wonder when this area was last cleaned off? Seriously...they don't have time for picking up! That cigarette holder is older than I am. It is labeled with cigarettes that aren't even made anymore.

Now THIS is something you don't see everywhere!

And yes...I have a thing about taking photos of some restaurant bathrooms.

I can't resist their quirkiness! But I ask you is this technically a bathroom shot?

The ONLY sink for the men's and women's bathroom

is located IN the dining area OUTSIDE both bathrooms.
So...everyone within eyeshot can see you (and IF you) wash your hands! #Speechless

 Maybe THIS is the official bathroom shot for my "Loo-Album".

It is located in a vacant lot next to Bob's.

 

 

So..that is how one escapes the grueling, rush-hour traffic, of "the big city" of Sioux City, Iowa! Next stop? Stay tuned...  Now on to the card. A fall pallet sympathy card. (Which I may need for myself if I eat at Bob's very often!)

  

 

 

With Sympathy

~Base card white card stock

~Strips of DCWV Autumn Splendor

~Sentiment die cut

~Flower die cut

~Button

~Twine

Challenges | Inspirations

Just Us Girls - word week

Retro Sketches - sketch

Fusion - photo inspiration

Time Out - autumn

Mod Squad - get your fall on

 

Here's to small towns with double digit populations with a 'destination draw', quirky bathrooms, and enjoying every autumn day!

 

Thanks for clicking by,

 

Nancy in Iowa