Sunday, June 15, 2014

barn stomping through the weekend


Man, there are just some of those magical moments in life where you feel like this is what it's all about!  
My brother lives and farms with his friend in central Illinois.  Being a musician, he thought the old barn on his friend's property would be the perfect setting for a concert.  With a lot of hard work, John and Dylan turned the upstairs hayloft into the most amazing venue.  


{me, my brother and sister}

Over 50 people were there including a crew that came down to film the event.  



The lights were strung perfectly and hay was used for benches.  


Old spools that the guys got from a company down the street were hoisted up through the barn window and used as tables for guests.



The chickens {and rooster!} ran wild as the guests all arrived.  And the sky was clear blue.



The back of the stage was framed with reclaimed wood. 




And the show begins!  John talked between songs.  There was laughter and there was emotion.  At one point he shared a story about driving through the country with Dylan watching some barns being torn down and how sad that made them both.  "Dylan's dream was to bring life back into this old barn" and bring life they did!  
  



It isn't easy being a farmer.  Dylan's farm is an organic farm.  He sells his produce at the farmers market as well as to restaurants.  They know the struggle they're up against with major corporations like Monsanto trying to regulate the way people farm.  But they keep at it with the pure intention to put good food out there.



A little of the stomping!




The weekend was finished up here on Father's Day.  This is my parents' garden.  It's a very large garden and one that we are very grateful for.  I planted the pumpkin patch for fall and weeded for my Pop.




And then it was back home to this guy
to celebrate what an awesome dad he is!



 and to the garden to check blooms


{coreopsis-Mercury Rising, Dwarf Catmint, and Spiderwort}



 Pinks are blooming



Campanula



  Alliums  "Graceful"



Being in my late 30's I get it more.  You are in charge of creating the life that you want.  With there being no guarantees,  you can bet I'm going out stomping!  

Wishing you all the best this week!  


63 comments:

  1. The barn looks magical Nicole! Ad it looks like a fun night was had :) It's really nice to see your smiling face up on your side bar xo

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  2. What a fantastic post Nicole!!!!! Firstly, your flowers! They are beautiful, especially that Allium, it is stunning!!! I love your brothers event space in his Barn!! I bet that people would pay a fortune to rent that out for things like weddings, it is so much fun and just right for a bit of music and dancing. It looks and sounds as though you all had a wonderful time!!! I love the picture of you and your brother and sister, you all look so happy together, how great that you got together and had so much fun together!! I hope that your Dad's garden grows really well, it looks as though he has a great vegetable garden - beautifully tended by you!!! xxxx

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  3. Wow - it looks like you had a fabulous time - they had the barn set up beautifully - I would love to have been there to see all the stomping. And your Dad's garden - it's huge, that's a lot to take care of - I am so envious of all that space. Your garden is looking very colourful too love the colour of that Coreopsis - I will have to put that on my list of plants to add to mine. Have a great week.

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  4. Your brother has chosen a good place for his music to be held. It would be a wonderful experience for all those who came for the music!

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  5. What a beautiful post. I could imagine that barn setting for a wedding. Love the look and sound of your parents garden, I remember my grandads garden and his potting shed that he used to hide in from my nana so he could smoke his cigars. And I totally get your last comment about being in your late 30's. I have never felt so content - I'm in charge of my own happiness and creating the life I want. I'm loving simple and growing happy kids. Have a wonderful week, beautiful friend. I sure hope we get to meet up one day for a cup of tea and a natter xo

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  6. Nicole that was a great party there on the farm of your brother and friend, so nice to see the video. We had father´s day yesterday too, so went first to my father in a nursing home and in the afternoon my children and grandchildren came to us. A nice day again. And your flowers in the garden are doing wonderful.
    Have a nice week!

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  7. Your brother sounds like an amazing man, thank goodness there are people like him in the world who believe in making it a better place. Glad you had such a good weekend, the gig looked like so much fun, I wish I'd been there! Your parents' garden looks fantastic, well done you for doing the weeding. Hope you have a nice week Nicole. CJ xx

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  8. What a lovely setting for a concert! The barn looks beautiful with lights and table settings.. The flowers in your garden are gorgeous and so cheerful, I can look at them all day :) have a great week.. Hugs :)

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  9. What a great place to gather your friends around for a bit of stomping. That barn is beautiful and so is the pumpkin patch. Mine are just starting to grow a bit - it's so exciting when they start to grow like triffids! xxx

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  10. Darling post Nicole. There is nothing like the country life. I never realize how much I miss it until I get out on the country roads and then the slower, lovely life of country living all comes back to me - wonderful childhood memories. Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend with family. Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Cindy

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  11. Wow, I love that barn. What a great idea. And your parents garden looks absolutely fantastic! Hope you have a wonderful week xxx

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  12. What a great weekend, Nicole!! Your brother's barn and concert were so cool. He seems like quite a multi-talented guy!! I know your Pop was glad to have you work in his garden. Won't your beans have fun picking those pumpkins this fall?! Your garden is looking great, too! Happy Father's Day to your 'Honey!' Enjoy your week, friend!!

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  13. What a fantastic post! I was so pleased you posted some of the music - by the time I had seen the photos of the barn, I wanted to be there too! What a talented family you are. Have a great week - keep stomping!

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  14. Wish I could dive straight into this post! How amazing is that barn venue. Great clip too - honestly that whole thing is right up my street. Well done to your brother! A great reminder that life is about choosing to be present and take charge, thanks lovely! Have a good one XX

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  15. Happy Monday-what a joyful post-loved all of it! Now i know where you get your green thumb-you are a farm girl-hugs

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  16. I love what your brother is doing. Good for him for continuing to pursue his dream. We are a family of musicians, too, so I understand the artist's heart. I hope he can continue to grow his business and feed his artistic soul, too.

    Your plants are all gorgeous and what a wonderful garden your parents have. Happy Father's Day -a day late- to your hubby- xo Diana

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  17. I see where you got your gardening passion...your family seems very creative...what a wonderful and inspiring thing..I think it so great as a young mother that you care about creating beauty with nature where you live.my daughter-in-law is not into that...my son however love to grow a garden .usually gardening and art is an old persons passion.

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  18. You are so right and I totally agree. I love my life so much more now that I'm "old." Your brother sounds like a fascinating person, it's great to see a glimpse of the things he does. Thanks for sharing.

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  19. What a kool idea. I have heard that barns have good acoustics. They did an amazing job and it looks like you had a blast. My daughter just went on a march against Monsanto in Toronto last month. It is scary how these GMO's have taken over the food industry. Your garden is budding beautifully. Cheers....

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  20. I would have loved to have been there seeing your brother play at his concert. I love a good party, and the location was a fantastic idea.I love the tables and all the fairy lights, just brilliant!!
    Your Garden is looking amazing, love your colour and planting sheme x

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  21. How perfect a night you must have had listening to your brother perform. The setting was magical! Belated Happy Father's Day to the bean's daddy.

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  22. Ahhhh, I loved this post Nicole, it made me smile! I think the barn was an amazing venue for concert. I loved everything, the lights, the hay, the tables...and how talented is your brother?!! No wonder the crowd got up stomping! Your garden, as ever, is looking fantastic, fully in bloom. I have never seen white aliums before, can you believe it, I never knew they existed! And my, oh my, how wonderful they are. Have a very lovely week, Nicole! x

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  23. What a fabulous post. The barn is simply magical, and I am so glad you included the video. What a treat to see the event take shape. I also appreciated you wish list for summer fun on your previous post. I take 5 of my local grandkids on an adventure every Thursday during the summer, so it gave me some ideas. Thank you Nicole. I always love to see what you are up to.

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  24. The barn looks awesome. What a fun thing to do.

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  25. What an awesome idea to transform a barn into an intimate concert space! Thanks for sharing a little of the good times! Love that photo of you and your siblings. I love what you said and I totally want to go out stomping as well :) Have a wonderful week Nicole!

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  26. The barn looks fantastic and what fun! Glad to hear your brother is organic, wish we had more. What a lovely weekend you had : )

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  27. What a great dream come true. You keep stomping lady!! Love Jo x

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  28. oh nicole. this is so so amazing. AMAZING! i feel like i had to say that twice! my husband and i are always saying lightly how we want to learn how to farm but know that it's a lot of hard work and not something that should be said so lightly. your brother is amazing! and i love that first picture of the siblings! you all have great smiles!

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  29. Looks like fun barn dances were more popular when I was a girl but haven't heard of one being held for a long time.
    Merle.......

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  30. What a beautiful life your brother and wife have created through dreams and hard work! I love the barn transformation - truly magical - what a wonderful night it must have been for everyone! I admire their convictions to stay organic despite the difficulties and competition from factory farming. I do think this is the hope of the future and all things unsustainable (like factory farming and genetic modifications) will prove just that. So nice to see your parent's large garden and see how they have been the influence on their children. Love seeing the sweet photos. Hugs xo Karen

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  31. Absolutely magical! What a wonderful venue and occasion - very special for you all no doubt! I love how age has so many perks - one of the best ones being that we get stuff and our priorities shift to what really matters in life. Have a wonderful week Nicole! xx

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  32. concert in a barn--how fun is that?! Love the pic of you and your siblings :) Have a great week!

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  33. The barn concert must have been magical. The guys did a great job putting it all together and from what I heard, your brother is a good musician. I think they'll be very successful farmers because there are a lot of people who pursue organic foods. Your garden is looking so bright and cheery. It is really beautiful, Nicole!

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  34. That must have been fun, thanks for sharing! Your flowers look great and the color of that coreopsis isjust too much!
    Have a great week, love reading you, Martine

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  35. It looks like you had a fabulous time, what a great venue for your brother. I hope your husband had a great Fathers Day.

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  36. What a perfect venue for a concert. I love it so much, Nicole. I wish I was there really. It sounds like a ton of fun, and I so admire your brother for his hard work in farming. I know our Aussie farmers are doing it tough too against big corporations and my family always try to support them even if it means paying more. And lastly, I LOVE that picture of you with your siblings. You all look great.

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  37. SO much fun! Thanks for sharing the video and photos. You are your brother and sister look like you're really close. xx.

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  38. What a great venue! I'd say it was picture perfect. There is something so romantic about lights strung in a barn. Man, what a great time.

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  39. Wow...a great concert! So unusual, so interesting. Your flowers too...

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  40. Your garden is beautiful and I love all the gorgeous blooms! The concert sounds most magical. Thanks for sharing!

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  41. What a full weekend. I would be exhausted. You have a great brother, so talented and idealistic.

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  42. That is SO awesome. I dream of someday having a farmhouse with an old barn that we can turn into an entertaining space. It's beautiful. And how fun to spend that time with family.

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  43. "….in central Illinois"
    O MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I the dumbest blogging friend you have or what?! Call me blonde, stupid and vague…i fit all of the above.
    For almost a year I have been following your gorgeous space and only today TODAY I realise you are American not British. It's sad and comical. I have been reading your comments on my blog with a cockney accent!! haha ( I can't believe i just told you that) haha. Forgive me?
    Love you loads, and this gig looks AMAZING. My hubby's fam are all mussos and a barn gig is the best type of gig!
    Liv xx

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  44. Thanks for sharing Nicole! I think that must have been fun! Love your pictures and impressions!!
    Did you also tell that I'm going to change my blog name and blog address in this way - I've told this today on my blog. That's why the blog was not accessible for some time because I was at the mess around. Soon no longer www.room39-blog.blogspot.de but www.helgasphotography.blogspot.de. Thanks and have a nice evening!
    Your friend Helga!

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  45. Your garden is absolutely lovely, as always! I am pretty sure you would laugh out loud if you saw my garden attempts! I like to say that my garden doesn't look that great "yet" because my plants aren't full size yet, haha. Do you use fertilizers? Thoughts on that? Anyway, back to your post. The barn and lighting make the perfect scene for an outdoor summer gig. I love the giant spools as tables! Ingenius! So hipster. :)

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  46. Hi Nicole. TY for being so faithful about visiting my blog! It looked like you had a wonderful time at your brothers! That looks like so much fun.
    I love, love love your Coreopsis! The red and yellow really pop together. What a great time of year!
    Oh yea, and you blew my mind when you said you're in your late 30's......you look so much younger! (You must hear it all the time!)

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  47. Hi Nicole,

    What a great venue the barn is for having a gig - looks like a great time was had by all.
    I enjoyed seeing all your gorgeous photos of your garden too.
    Hope you are having a lovely week
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  48. Hi Nicole, That party barn is amazing! My son got married in a repurposed barn. Very cool. Your flowers are looking great. Love those coreopsis.

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  49. Hi friend!
    That barn is dreamy! It would be one of the venues if love to decorate ;)
    You are so right. We have to create the lives we want, no one's going to do it for us! I'm starting to think about that with the impending arrival of our little one and the things I want to share and do to make her childhood magical ;)
    Xo- I hope you have a lovely summer and all is well!

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  50. Oh man, Nicole, your brother's barn looks amazing!!! He should be so proud!! my hubby would love it! Enjoy your stomping friend, and a goid weekend to you!! xxxx

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  51. Hi Nicole! This was a great post, and it looks like you all had an amazing time at the barn stompin' concert! Love the shot of you and your brother and sister ... great smiles :D I know just what your brother meant to see old barns go down. I recently drove through the area where I grew up and it used to be mostly working farms. Now sadly most of the farms and the families that ran them are gone and have been replaced by monster homes and the farm are now 'estates'. Anyway, I'm so glad you all had such a fantastic Father's Day! Wendy x

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  52. That looks AMAZING! What a perfect setting for a party!! It looks so perfect and rustic and just tons of fun! I wish I could have been there stomping with you!

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  53. barns, twinkling lights and gian spools.... just perfection! love your gorgeous plants too! wishing you some good stomping times!

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  54. My crew would fit right in here!! I am sure everyone had a grand time!

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  55. O, how lovely!! It must have been so magical. And your flowers are a dream!

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  56. I wish I'd been there! Our lives are what we make of them - pure and simple. I'd have stomped right along with you!! :o)

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  57. What a wonderful life your brother is living - organic farming, selling locally, and singing in a barn.

    Some people love the glitz of Las Vegas, but I would prefer to be sitting in the barn with you listening to your brother.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  58. What an awesome idea. I would love to have been at that concert :) I love barn stomping (and a good cause :) Love your parent's garden as well!!

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  59. STOMPING, right along with you, girl! I LOVE your brother and his music...what a PERFECT setting for him, too! A FABULOUS Father's Day weekend - seriously wish we lived closer to one another. Hope your week ROCKS - XOXO

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  60. Oh what a great life to live! your brother is awesome! Stomp away girlfriend!

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  61. It took me longer than you to realise the need to shape my life into the best plan for me. Once begun it seems other things begin to fall in place.

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  62. I love EVERYTHING about this post! Gorgeous photos! xoxoxo Jen

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