The 2020 Upside Down Tree

 Each year, I try to pick a theme for my Christmas decorations. +

Last week, while getting supplies, I saw a few tall flocked trees that I liked, but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay for new trees to go outside. After all, I’ve got about 16+ in the shed, most came from the thrift store or garage sale for $7 or less. I didn’t want to do an exact replica of last year, but I was drawing a blank, till I started dragging out the trees from the depths of my storage building. 

 

There was my silver tree that I’ve hung upside down before. It’s pretty scraggly, missing a few branches, a little (lot) wonky, but it still has potential. (wish I'd taken a before picture.) 

 

As I was hanging my tree by the camper, I got to thinking. You know, this tree is like 2020. There’s a lot that’s been upside down and crazy this year. Things are wonky... but there’s still been good things happen this year. This year lots of things have been missing, but just like adding all the tinsel, ornaments, and glitzy stems to help fill in the gaps, there’s been new and different alternatives that have came along to help fill the hole. 

 

With some effort and some creativity, this tree can be pretty, although not the norm.  It absolutely can’t stand on its own anymore, but really none of us can. Branches are tied together and there’s some gaps here and there. The top section can’t hold itself upright, but it’s not noticeable when it’s hanging upside down. With a little effort, love, lights, ribbon, garland, and ornaments, its a totally different tree. 

 

Let us remember that even though there’s been lots of craziness and ugliness in 2020, there’s still good and pretty things that have happened this year that are worth celebrating and appreciating. There’s still love, new life, weddings and new beginnings, friendships - both new and old, new and established businesses trying hard to make it and some having there best year ever, there’s new homes for some, taking time to try new things, spending more time with family, gardening, experimenting, being creative, overcoming obstacles, enjoying nature, a stronger wave of supporting our local businesses and makers...I’m sure there’s much more to add to this list. 

 

Yep, the upside down tree and 2020, they are different... but hang in there friends - just like that tree top that can’t hold itself up, we all need each other to support each other through it all. Grab a branch from the second section and tie it to one from the first section. Now, do it again. And again. And again. 

Now let your light shine. 

P.S. The rest of my "tree farm" is inspired by  my pink and aqua camper Christmas tee. Find it here. 

Miss Gussie, the Glamper, and the Tree Farm Lit Up for the Holidays!

Hey Y'all! Miss Gussie is all lit up for the holidays and we couldn't wait to share pictures! We decided to have a "Tree Farm" theme this year. Our tree farm has some fun and non-traditional colors. We have 16 trees in shades of pink, aqua, silver, white, and a couple of green ones! I already had several of the trees, since I've used them in past displays and shows, although we went thrift store shopping and found a few more to add to our collection. I've been told pink trees are supposed to be the color this year, although I didn't know that, till after I was working on my decorating. I simply decorated the trees with tinsel and lights and it's made it a fun and happy set up.

We actually lit her up one night last week on a Facebook Live Video!

 

You may remember me talking about the ugly garden makeover, earlier in the summer. There once was a garden fence and bricks outlining forgotten raised beds. The briers had taken over and it was hard to mow. I was tired of looking at the ugliness, so I pulled it all up. I never really showed the after picture of what we were planning - well the spot is now "The Campground."  The camper is closer to the house and that's the greenhouse in the background. It makes it a better place to hang out and of course I take a lot of my product pictures outside by the camper. Nothing is attached permanently in this spot, so that we can hook up and move her, if needed. (although it will take some careful maneuvering to get her out!)

All of the trees are in tin buckets, old wash tubs, milk cans, or even vintage chicken feeders - you know, the things I had flowers planted in, until frost killed them. So as we cleaned up the yard, the containers got moved to the camper for the tree farm. 

We were at the Swap Meet  in October. I ask about a couple of items and somehow I came away with a truckload of things including some porch rails / post. They were unloaded by the camper and I was trying to firgure out what to make of them. Well, I've always wanted to be able to hang a chandelier by the camper, so those three pieces were wired together, so we could hang the chandy and a sign and of course covered in grapevine and Christmas garland! 

The chenille bedspread covers the metal bench and just makes it cozier this time of year! 

The night before I was planning my photo shoot, I decided we needed a couple of flamingos. Living in a small town, I didn't know where I could find any by the next day and I really did not have time to travel to a larger city to look. So I ask my Facebook friends if they specifically knew anywhere I could buy a couple of pink birds, locally. A couple of my friends tagged the local girl scout leader and I was loaned a couple of flamingos the next morning! As one of our friends said - only in a small town can you ask for pink flamingos on Facebook and within two hours of networking find what you are looking for! (The Girl Scouts use them for a fall fundraiser flocking people's yards, so they have a lot on hand.) I would have gladly purchased the birds, but I was thankful to be loaned them on short notice. Anyways, I put Christmas wreaths around their necks and they they added a fun touch to the display! The t shirt has a couple of flamingos and deer on the front, so that was a couple of elements that tied in with the graphic.

The same day I got everything decorated on the camper, I went to sign up for the Gilmer Yulefest Christmas Show. I was planning to just use my tent, but in conversation at the Chamber Office, Miss Gussie was invited to go to town, so we will have to take it all down next week, as we prepare and go to the show. It's December 7, 2019 on the Courthouse Square in Gilmer and we will have our shirts and Christmas decor for sale. We will be open from 9:00 am till 7:30 pm and there will be vendors, food trucks, carnival rides for the kids, Candy Cane Lane crafts for the kids and the evening will end with the Christmas Parade. It's also designated as a Shop Local Day in Gilmer. We are excited for next week, so come out and see us - we will be taking some of the trees, but not all 16! 

Of course, if you aren't local, we can always ship the shirts to you. Shop online at gypsyfarmgirl.etsy.com or www.rustandromance.com

Miss Gussie the Glamper Got a NEW Look!

Whew, where has the time gone??? It's been a busy month and a hot minute since I set down to blog. 

If you've been following along on Facebook or Instagram, you know that in between everything we've been working on, I busted out the paint brushes and Miss Gussie the Glamper got a new look and she went back out on the road after a year and a half of being parked at home! 

My favorite brushes - just the cheapest straw brushes that can be found...

My sweet doggie loves the camper and insisted on being outside with me the entire time I was painting! She was upset when I left out Friday morning and she didn't get to go with "her" camper. (There's a no pets rule at the Mineola Antique Fair and honestly as cute as she is, she's not people friendly, so she would have growled at everybody who came near and we can't have that.)

I've had a sketch in my planner for a while and finally made it happen - Miss Gussie joined the cactus craze! It's been a little over 3 years since I originally painted the camper white with the turquoise lace stripe and the heart with wings. I knew at the time I painted her, that I would eventually want to repaint or add to, so we did just that! 

She's got cactus and succulents painted all over her! 

We decided that Miss Gussie would get back out on the road some this fall and her first appearance was at the August Mineola Antique Fair. We had rain and drizzle on both days, so we had to be careful with where we positioned everything and we left some items inside the camper plus we have an indoor place as well. (We will not complain about the rain though - we are in a drought situation and need every single drop we can get!) 

Her next scheduled appearance is September 7-8, once again at the Mineola Antique Fair! Come see Miss Gussie in person and get a tour! 

For those who are wondering what type of paint I used to paint the camper - originally (2015) I primed and then painted with white barn paint from the hardware store. As the lady at the paint counter told me "you are basically painting a tin barn on wheels" so we rolled and brushed barn paint. I used a good quality turquoise and brown paint, but I can't recall the exact type. This is the paint I used to add the cactus (plus a small can of red.) I simply washed the camper before painting this time and went to painting one afternoon. Concerning my original paint job and how well the DIY paint job held up - I've notice a few tiny places where the paint is chipping off, although nothing major. My original paint job cost less than $200 ($50 of that was for the lace stencil I ordered) and I simply wash and scrubbed with a sanding block beforehand. The camper has set out in the weather the entire time. Honestly, the camper skin was not smooth before painting, so I'm still tickled with how my paint has held up. I knew I would want to paint and change her up periodically, so if the paint really gets to chipping off, we will just paint a whole new scene! The local body shops all refused to even consider painting her and even if they would have, their paint job would have cost way more than I paid for the camper. I love being able to change and alter the look from time to time and it didn't break the piggy bank! 

Every artist has to sin their work, right?! JE'18

P.S. The tin signs, most of the clothes, and all the dream catchers can be found in my etsy shop and I ship worldwide! I'll be adding more clothes and new items in the coming days, as well!

GypsyFarmGirl Seven Year Anniversary with Highlights from My Favorite Projects

7... Seven years ago today, I did something

big, crazy, and scary

all while 

sitting on my couch.

So what exactly did I do? 

 I listened to the encouragement from Jeff and the friends who always said "you need your own store". That night, I opened an Etsy store, established an email account, and this blog with the name GypsyFarmGirl, but I didn't tell anyone but Jeff. Quite frankly, I didn't think it would ever work. My goal was to use my creative passions to make a little extra income on the side. 

I only went by Janice from Texas, because I didn't want anyone to know, in case I failed (or for it to interfere with my day job). I started using Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram because all my friends were on Facebook. True story- I didn't create a Facebook page for a long time! 

 Honestly, the first year was super slow and it would have been easy to give up, but I kept blogging and occasionally sharing what I was making. I got featured on some blogs, with some of my projects that weren't necessarily related to the things in my etsy shop, but it brought some exposure to my blog and in return my shop, so I continued on. 

Here are a few of my favorite projects and features from way back then.

This little vignette in our bathroom was featured by

Funky Junk Interiors.

Burlap and Belt Buckles Chair Covers  - this was inspired by The Junk Gypsies and Miranda Lambert's wedding. I still remember how I excited I was when the Gypsies tweeted me and then Tip Junkie picked this project as a Top 10 Crafts to Make This Week and claimed them perfect for a western themed party. 

It looks like I have a thing with chairs! 

Jeff and I toured the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails a couple of times and my pictures and story were included in FOLK Magazine.

 A bucket list item was to be featured in a magazine! 

The week before my one year shop anniversary, I made a burlap bouquet and things started to pick up and you started asking me for custom wedding bouquets! I found my niche and I've not quit making fabric bouquets since then! Six years ago, there was less than 10 fabric bouquets with burlap flowers in them on Etsy, so I guess you can say I'm a pioneer in the burlap and lace bouquet business! 

The Original Burlap Bouquet in my Shop! 

A few other highlights from the past seven years.

 Funky Junk Interiors, once again featured a project and y'all went crazy over my rusty bucket of flowers. My post on how to plant in a bottomless bucket is my most popular blog post ever! 

Of course, our gazebo makeover and the reveal of our "junk yard" was another fun project, a reader favorite, and featured on many Facebook pages and blogs! 

One day, I received an inquiry for turquoise burlap in a bouquet. I had no idea such colors of burlap existed, but I found the fabric, completed the order, and shipped it out for a wedding in Canada. Now I have over 40 colors of burlap in stock and have shipped to over 47 states (at last count) and several countries! Turquoise has remained one of the most popular wedding colors, along with navy.

Along the way, I found an ugly camper and turned her into 

"Miss Gussie the Glamper" and I quit my day job! 

 For years, I just knew a camper would be a part of my future. Knew it deep down in my soul and would be so upset when I couldn't find one or couldn't afford the one I found. One day, I deposited my Valentine's overtime check into my savings account (for a florist, that was the very best pay check of the entire year and I do miss that bonus.) The very next day, I withdrew it and bought a 1959 Arrowhead Camper! That was in February 2014. Little did I know at the time, I would be quitting that job before the end of the year and GypsyFarmGirl would be my full time business. Miss Gussie has found herself the backdrop for many product shoots, gone to fairs and vintage markets and even got her picture in Mary Jane's Farm Magazine!

In October 2015, Angea Howell and I teamed up to do a show together and it has led to us having a blast junkin', more shows, and now we have a year round booth in Uniques and Antiques in Mineola, Texas. 

 We went big with our first show setup! See Miss Gussie hiding back there?

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for all allowing us to be a part of your special events over the last seven years! I love helping all of you and you've all been amazing to work with! I never dreamed all of this would ever happened or that I would be celebrating 7 years with this business. I look forward to helping you for many years to come! 

Some of my friends think we won the lottery and didn't tell anyone. We did not. We hustle, we work hard, and we have faith that everything will work out some how, some way. (We may be known to stress about a few things as well, but we won't go there...)

I hope along this journey, I can be an encouragement to you to

  dream big and follow your passion!

 Warning: Some days require more strength and patience than others.

Christmas in the Camper

Miss Gussie's Christmas Decor - 

The week after Thanksgiving, I found a little pink Christmas tree, while at our favorite thrift store. I didn't know what I would do with it, but it just called out to me and I couldn't pass it up. At first I was like "Christmas show next year... or booth space next year." Later that afternoon, it hit me - the camper needed the pink tree! The quilt I have in the camper has lots of pink in it and of course all the lace... so that's where it went! It was just the right size to fit on the tray that I leave sitting on the bed.

 As I was rearranging the camper, I was reminded of the white rag / ribbon garland / bunting / whatever you want to call it and wrapped it around the tree. It instantly made the little tree fuller and give it that shabby chic look. Another white tinsel garland and a few gold ornaments (purchased at same thrift store) and I was almost done.

  For my tree topper, I gathered a few feathers from my workroom and tucked them in the branches. I already had the pink doilies and scarf on the tray and they work great to hide the tree stand. Simple and less than $5 spent on the tree (since several things where already on hand and I've already had to rob a few feathers for a wedding bouquet!)

 Now to the front of the camper  - while it still has burlap and lace, this area has a little more color. This is where the table would have been, but it was missing when I got Miss Gussie, and I've been leaving it made as a bed, instead of the two separate benches. The front quilts have more red and blue in them, so it worked with this Texas flag I found. I originally thought about hanging the flag over the back window as a curtain, but it just didn't fit back there. I finally settled on this corner and was able to drape it without having to staple or make any permanent alterations to hang it.

A few fresh cedar branches were tucked around the camper in places. (I won't be lighting this lantern with the cedar attached.)

 Miss Gussie serves as the " Gypsy Farm Girl World Headquarters!" Sometimes (OK, a lot of times) extra inventory gets stored in the camper and such is the case with the silver platter turned Christmas wall hanging.

Because we all need LOVE...

 and to DREAM...

I've failed to get good pictures of the outside lights and tree, so here's a phone snap shot. If you saw my earlier video, you know that I prefer white Christmas lights and Jeff likes colored. We compromised and I've got white in the gazebo and inside the camper, but we've got colored lights on the outside of the camper. I've been meaning to do a camper Christmas video, but haven't got around to it, yet. Maybe tomorrow... (it's raining today)

Merry Christmas Friends! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. 

I know many of you are suffering the loss of loved ones, sickness, and other problems and we send our love and prayers for all of you, that this time can be the best possible under the circumstances.