Friday in Franklin County: Christensen Jewelry
Welcome to Friday in Franklin County! I love the place that I call home and the businesses that are here that I’ve decided to share a piece of it with you every Friday!
First up is Christensen Jewelry and owner Russell Gibson! Russ first got started in jewelry making in high school when he took a metals & jewelry class during his sophomore year at Washington High School in Washington, Iowa. The art teacher did jewelry work on the side and was very involved with everything the kids did. During the class they learned the proper techniques to hand make everything, cut and finish the stones, etc. They were required to produce a minimum of 30 designs before they were allowed to create a piece itself. One semester in this class and Russ was hooked.
I Created with Kelly Gau Studio
Last year about this time, I met up with some of the North Iowa Bloggers for one of those wine and painting parties…I’m a terrible painter! Then, I tried my hand at making my own Christmas wreath and was so in love with
the results that I ended up leaving it hanging on my house until the very end of February! So, up until this point I had faired a solid 50/50 on my DIY events/projects, so it was all up in the air when I went to the West Fork Wharf in Sheffield the other night to create a mixed media item with Kelly Gau Studio! I knew that regardless of what my piece of art looked like, I would have a great time because I was with my dear friends (Alicia of Pork Diaries, Laura of Life On Sky View Farms, Val of Corn, Beans, Pigs, & Kids, and Donna of donnahup.com)!
Live Healthy Iowa: A Challenge
I’ve heard of Live Healthy Iowa and their 10 week challenge for quite some time now, but have never actually participated until now! When Kelli of The Sustainable Couple posed the question of some Iowa bloggers partnering up with The Iowa Food & Family Project and Live Healthy Iowa…I knew I had to be all over this! This was right up my alley…fitness, health, fun, and friendly competition!
Let’s break this down now. What is the Live Healthy Iowa challenge??
“Live Healthy Iowa brings together friends, families, businesses and communities in team-based wellness challenges designed to promote positive lifestyle change. These challenges are proven to change the culture of a company or community, one team at a time!”
State Street Deli: A Delicious Stop
Recently, I was able to meet up with a couple of my friends who also happen to be North Iowa Bloggers for a quick lunch! I’m always up for trying something new and I had heard great things about the State Street Deli in Mason City, so we gave it a try!
When You Support Farming…
I’m not a farmer. My husband isn’t a farmer, but we’re impacted and have jobs because of farmers. Reality is that when you support farming, you support much more, and so many more than just the farmer!
When you support farming:
- You support the farmer who is putting his young adult child through college to become another really great adult.
- You support the salesman who is supporting his family while his wife stays home and takes care of their young children.
- You support the 20-something young man who does the application of the fertilizer as he ventures through his first full-time job and establishing himself on his own.
- You support the secretary of the seed company, chemical company, or elevator who is a single-mom just trying to do the best she can.
I Made A Wreath at Carlson Tree Farm!
I have good news and really good news! The good news is that I’m much better at making a wreath than I was at painting my own painting! The really good news is that the folks at Carlson Tree Farm, rural Coulter Iowa, make it super easy, are super friendly, and super patient!
Last year when the North Iowa Bloggers set the date for making wreaths at the Carlson Tree Farm, I was bummed to see that my schedule was already full with a basketball game (not that I would trade watching my boys for anything), but I was so happy when I didn’t have a scheduling conflict this year!! So, this past Tuesday I headed out to their farm outside of Coulter, Iowa with 4 of my fellow bloggers (Mary of Natural Plus Nursery; Val of Corn, Beans, Pigs, & Kids; Alicia of The Pork Diaries; and Donna of donnahup.com) to see what kind of wreath I could come up with. I’ll be honest that I was excited and yet hesitant because of my debacle trying to do one of those sip & paint classes. A painter I am not, but apparently (with the wonderful help of the Carlson ladies) a wreath maker, I can be!
My Christmas List
I said I wasn’t going to do it! I kind of laughed at those people who did it, but here I am doing it! I’m going to share with you my list of businesses that we are going to be using for Christmas shopping this year!
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for small, locally owned businesses since I used to manage one and that feeling towards them and wanting them to succeed is still near and dear to my heart! But, it was actually T who said to me…”I want to do as much Christmas shopping locally as possible” and I couldn’t have been more excited!! So, here are my favorite local places to buy Christmas presents…and if you live in North Iowa, I would recommend you give them a try…and if you don’t live here, you need to road trip here! 🙂
Racing for a Night of Fun at the Knoxville Raceway
T and I were lucky enough to win tickets to the Knoxville Raceway Sprint Car Nationals recently as a part of Travel Iowa‘s #HackMyHoliday contest this past winter! Thanks to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum we were gifted with 2 Clubhouse level tickets to the races Wednesday through Saturday! Honestly, we had no idea what this all involved, but T was especially excited as he’s always wanted to see the Sprint Car races.
Planning our Visit
Bob from the Hall of Fame & Museum emailed me early on to communicate with me and welcome me to the event (and when I say early, I mean in January). He gave me a run-down of how things went and graciously answered any and all questions I had…even though I’m sure he thought I was clueless at some point (which, I clearly was)! He helped point us in the direction of lodging and gave us a timeline for the events of the nights we would be attending! Unfortunately, due to lack of vacation days at work, we were unable to attend Wednesday & Thursday night, but we headed down on Friday (and had intentions of attending Saturday night, but I didn’t feel well, so we just hung in the camper)!
Continue “Racing for a Night of Fun at the Knoxville Raceway”
A Guide to the Amana Colonies
One of the greatest “hidden treasures” of Iowa is the Amana Colonies! Whether you’re looking for a girlfriends getaway or a romantic weekend away, you’ll find a great time here! Here is your guide to visiting.
Where to Stay
If you’re a camper, we recommend Amana RV Park & Event Center in Amana, Iowa! Amana is the largest colony of the Amana Colonies and where most of the action is, so it’s the perfect location to stay! When we visited, we easily made our reservation online! Upon our arrival, the employees provided us with tourist guides and coupon books, which is a great perk!
It’s easy to find your camping spot as there are members of the staff that lead you directly there. The staff will also help you get lined up correctly on our pad! Because of their facilities, they are able to host large events along with family reunions, etc!
