luna acres

the office studio corner of the room is set up The walls are painted. Furniture is moved in. Artwork is hung. Bookshelves filled. Desks set up.  I am very excited. three painting my sister did are the centerpiece of the room - i love the color the little ducky I got for my birthday peaks down from the bookshelf a basket for sketchbooks, pencils and markers - another basket for painting supplies bookshelf and my little cow creamer jar office setup - organized and convenient another one of Amy's paintings I turned into a key holder <3 It is still very much a work in progress, mudroom shelving to be painted and organized, another storage cabinet for craft and office supplies, moving the cat crate outside (a few more weeks it will be warm enough,) setting up the pot and pan wall. This corner is finished though, and I love it. There are two desks, one with the computer and office stuff, and another with art supplies. Everything I need is handy,...

a summer picture, i know i needed it!  It has been coming to mind quite often recently how lucky I feel to live where we do. It seems the world is falling apart. Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, fires, flooding. Extreme summer heat.  Just last week I saw on the news that a town not too far from here had their water source contaminated with coal ash or something dumped by a local company. Right now temperatures across the country are miserable and frigid, negative 30 and 40 degrees in some places! The weather here is beautiful. In the summer we usually have just a handful of 100 degree days, even 90 degrees. This winter we have had a few single digit days at the worst. We worry about a lot of things living here. We already dealt with the realities of having a well, which we know can't be contaminated by others ignorance, but can certainly still cause issues. We also have to worry about septic tanks, electric lines, and lots more. Still, watching the...

After yesterday's pouring rain it was nice to wake up to sunshine filling the bedroom. I think the white sheer bed canopy really brightens it up too. It seems wrong, but we spent the majority of the day inside. We had to put together my mom's new kitchen island, which was tedious but well worth it. It's beautiful. Bamboo wood with a stainless steel countertop, with a drop down on one side. After getting it together we took to re-organizing the cabinets, cleaning as we went. It is absolutely fabulous now, we managed to get all of the appliances off the top of the cabinets so we can reach them easier, hung most of the pots and pans on the wall, and made the cabinet space much more efficient. I love it. I can't wait to do more cooking. Until next time, Angela Kelly

the first storm of the season  I made a list full of changes to the blogs today. After a lot of consideration, I have imported all of the farm blogs into this one, and changed the name, domain, look and feel of this site to incorporate them both. The truth of the matter is, I can't keep them separate. The farm is our life. They are too connected. I am more drawn to the animals lately than ever before. Inspired by the blog and books of Jon Katz, I have been noticing more about their personalities and habits on a daily basis. Watching them more, paying attention.  I'm excited about this space. Until next time, Angela Kelly

  Christmas brings up a roller coaster of different emotions for me. I love getting together with my family, near and far. I love the food! I love decorations and making things and having apple cider and peppermint bark. I love eating waaaay too much and sleeping for ages. I love focusing on what's really important, like each other. But I hate the materialism. Everyone spends so much time and energy and money on elaborate gifts, some thoughtful and sweet, others unnecessary and useless. I grew up in a family that overdid it for Christmas. We always had a huge pile of presents under the tree, even if it meant months of my dad working overtime, struggling to get caught up from the financial hole they had fallen into once again. I hate that we always receive so much more than we can give. I hate that I always seem to be broke during the holidays, which is probably because I work for tips, and mid-November through New Years is slow in every restaura...

I wanted to share a wrap around view of our home, mid summer green and beautiful. It feels like a rainforest. Each season offers different views to enjoy, and I want to cherish these days before they are gone. Until next time, Angela Kelly

Jonathan made the decision to cut his dreads off. We worked at it for about three months, and they are just so much work . Anyone who thinks they are a mess, or people neglecting their hair, are incredibly off. They need constant attention, hours every day. I think they were on their way to looking really sweet, but we just don't have enough hours in the day. Goodbye dreadlocks. Until next time, Angela Kelly

I stumbled upon a website last week about low impact woodland homes, essentially: hobbit houses. Dug into a hillside and covered with earth to create an efficient and beautiful house. They are made with roundwood framing, using oak trees left whole as the timbers. Straw bales are used for insulation in the walls and under the floor. They used a natural lime plaster on the walls, recycled materials for everything possible, thrifted doors and windows. All together this husband/father and his father in law built a house for under $4000 in about four months.  I have been blown away by the ideas and resources available on the subject. We have spent hours already discussing the outbuildings we will need in the future, such as barns, root cellars, storage sheds, animal shelters, and well we could definitely use a few cabins around. If we can utilize the materials around us in this way, it's possible for us to create an incredible farm, beautiful, efficient, and sustainable....

hello there a jacket I made after Ian Curtis of Joy Division, in the movie Control (old school) I haven't fully explained the living situation we moved home to. Since Jonathan and I left for the farm we have had two additional house guests. Wanda, the first, has been a life long friend of my mother, and after being thrown some of life's unexpected curves, she needed a place to stay, and my parents opened their arms. She has been incredibly helpful while we were away, taking the pressure off my mom with the cooking and cleaning. The second is my cousin, Billy, who came to stay about 50 days ago. We were reconnected after my grandfather's passing, when he was first trying to escape a bad relationship fueled by alcohol, while still caring for his two sweet children. What started as a weekend retreat away from the pressure of city life grew into an opportunity to become a family, despite being out of touch for years. He immediately showed his appreciation for stayin...

our view of fall Hello there! This a pretty big step, the first post of a real blog, for something tangible. I'm Angela, and my boyfriend Jonathan and I, along with some help from our families, are working to create a beautiful and sustainable homestead in the mountains of Virginia. We just returned home from spending seven months on a livestock farm outside of Richmond. We learned about raising sheep, cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs and rabbits, plus even more about sustainability, taking care of the land, and eating fresh local food. It opened our eyes to the things we eat, and more importantly the alternative choices that are available. Farmers markets are everywhere, it's a little bit more expensive, but the quality is worth it. We love knowing where our food comes from, and even more so eating produce that we grew and meat that we raised. It's an incredible lifestyle, a simple and frugal one, that we have fallen in love with. We want to mold and shape this little piece o...