Pantone is the Standard for colors and every year they announce a Color of the Year. In 2017, it was Greenery. Not a friendly color in my opinion. Almost lime green. If we saw it in a seller house, we’d advise them to tone it down to something more nuetral. In 2018 – Ultra Violet. Again – probably not a great color to paint all the walls in one room. But if you think of these colors as accessory colors or pop of color in a more neutral room – you’re more apt to fall in love. For 2019 – the color is Living Coral. If you visit the Pantone site, you can actually shop for fun items in the Color of the Year, like a key chain, a journal, a coffee mug. Consider how your front door might look – changing it annually to the chosen hue. Or throw pillows on the couch, or a beautiful glass vase.
Look for this color this year – not just in home decor, but in advertising, in accessories and in fashion. And then, think how it could coordinate with other colors in your world. The Pantone site is a great resource to show this color (and others) in a color palette that may appeal to you. And if Living Coral does not ring your bell – there are other companies choosing a color for 2019. Benjamin Moore has chosen a shade of Greige – a combination of beige and grey. This has been a great neutral in homes for the past several years. HGTV with Sherwin Willliams has their color choices and trends for the new year. These sites are such good resources. On many, you can upload a photo of your room and they will show you how a new color would look before you roll up your sleeves and start painting. Now that Christmas is over and the New Year approaches, it’s a good time to think about adding color to your winter world. Would love to see (or hear about) what your color projects are for 2019.
As the clock starts for Christmas shopping – I prefer to shop small. Small boutiques, small towns, small business. What’s your favorite shopping venue? I have a few of my Favorites. Black Friday Market Day. They have these periodically during the year – but the Black Friday one is BIG. It’s held at Capital Square Atrium, 400 Locust. No admission charge. It starts at 9AM and goes till 5:00 Check out their website for info on their vendors. The Legit Local Market – located at the Lotus Event Center – 2134 E. Grand. Starts at 8:30, goes till 4:00. We found so many unique gifts at this market last year -definately put it on your schedule. New this year – a Christmas edition of the Vintage and Made Fair. This will be at the old AIB campus, 2500 Fleur on Dec 1. There are so many of these “pop-up” shopping opportunities. I would love to hear which ones you are planning to attend.
Do you have one? Is it a matter of simply asking – Do you see your life as a half full or half empty glass? November is definately a month were we tend to focus on expressing our gratitude. But, we should not limit the emotion to one month our of 12, or one day out of 365. I have a few favorite quotes regarding this topic “O Lord who lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!” William Shakespeare in his timeless wisdom. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it” by William Arthur Ward. And which of us would do that? And one I just read today by David Rast, “It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful. Autumn is such a beautiful season. I love the smell of fall, the crunch of leaves as you walk, the array of colors in the trees. As we begin the month of November, I intend to practice giving thanks. will you join me?
The Midwest is often overlooked and under-rated. And maybe that adds to the reason why we are rated in so many Top Ten Lists – Des Moines is a hidden treasure. In fact, Kiplinger named Des Moines one of “12 Surprisingly Great Places to Retire in the Midwest” And for the younger age group – Lending Tree says we are #1 Most Popular city for Millennial Homebuyers. I’ll give you my Top Ten Reasons to buy your next home in Des Moines Iowa. I’d love to hear some of yours.
#10 Easy Commute.
We have an easy Rush (quarter) Hour. You can travel across town for jobs, shopping, entertainment and not get caught in legendary traffic jams.
It was recently named #9 in the most affordable state fairs in America. And the rest of the year – amazing events are held on this 445 acre site. They just hosted the 17th World Percheron Congress!
and other festivals including Celebrasion, the Latino Festival, the Italian Festival, the OctoberFest, The Foreign Food Fair – and on and on. Expedia named Des Moines in the Top 10 Most Artistic Medium-Sized Cities.
#6. Minor league sports
Des Moines was named #1 Minor League Sports Market in the nation by SportsBusinessDaily.com. We have the Iowa Cubs, Iowa Wolves, Des Moines Menace, Iowa Wild and the Barnstormers. You have something for every season.
#5. Election Buzz
We are the center of the universe every 4 years leading up to the presidential elections. The first in the nation caucus state. You can see every news celebrity and every politician in Des Moines!
#4. We are Foodies!
Yeah – we have some of the best and most innovative restaurants in the USA. Forget the franchise food – we have chefs with imagination and talent.
#3 Job market
Because we are centrally located in the USA – major companies are locating here. i.e. Facebook! We are in the cross-hairs of east/west traffic as well as north/south (I-35 & I-80) We are a headquarters for many large insurance companies, one of the largest magazine/book publisher. We were named #7 for Place Where Jobs will be in 2018 by Forbes. ZipRecruiter named us as the #8 Best City to Find Small Business Jobs. Livability named Des Moines one of “5 Up-and-Coming Tech Hotspots.
#2. Seasonal Weather
We have 4 seasons. As much as Iowans complain about the weather, it’s so good to see the cycle of growing things all around us. And if you don’t like today’s weather – no problem, it will be something different tomorrow.
#1 Farm to City.
We are close enough to our rural heritage to see cows in the pasture, taste prize winning tenderloins, enjoy the best dairy products, eat buttery sweet corn picked the day you eat it. So many reasons I did not mention. What are your top reasons for loving Des Moines? Leave a comment below!
The list is endless, but some of my Faves… The weird stuff at Heritage Hall like – Husband-calling, kid calling, Sibling look- alikes, beard contest and so on. The Sky-Glider – not exactly a carnival ride – but so much fun to have a birds-eye view of the fair for a short time. Hokiest ride – definitely the Old Mill! The VitaMixer and the Salsa Maker are my favorite sales spiels – so much fun to listen to and pretty much the same from year to year. 4-H exhibits and demonstrations. The young people will amaze you. The talent, the leadership skills, the creativity – check it out in the SE corner of the fair grounds. Crescenti’s Sandwiches – It’s my favorite ‘only-at –the fair-food’. It’s a crispy warm disc of freshly fried bread with a sprinkling of salt on the outside, inside capicola and shredded mozzarella cheese – YUM. Or you can get the sweet version. And the Nitro ice cream under the grandstand – best with caramel topping, of course. Love going to see and hear food being judged. Not the quiet, no talking ones – but the fun judges who talk and critique and entertain. The people watching – this is the Grand Daddy place for this sport. You can look for the worst dressed, the craziest t-shirts, the couples that don’t seem to ‘go-together’, the tired babies, the tattoos, hair do’s and don’ts and so on. On our Sunday visit – saw a guy in a skirt with a t-shirt that says – ‘I know you’re watching me’. Yes, of course, you don’t dress like that and not have people watch. My favorite t-shirt was the guy wearing ‘certainly not everybody was kung-fu fighting’. Love it! What is your favorite? What do you miss that was there and now is not? What foods do you get that you won’t get until next year’s fair?
Say Cheese , the best grilled cheese EVER! The tastes and flavors of the neighborhood are on display and for sale every week at towns all across the USA. Right here, in the Des Moines area, there are more possibilities than you can imagine. Of course, the Big Kahuna in Des Moines, is the Sat morning Downtown Farmers Market. It stretches for blocks and is like the Iowa State Fair every Sat of the summer months. But there are so many others to explore and shop. Often, the smaller ones are more efficient for shopping versus entertainment. Here’s a partial list – Hope you Explore! Beaverdale– Tuesdays from 4-7:30 PM- June 5- Sept 11– 4100-4200 Urbandale Ave. We visited this one last year for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. There’s a grassy area with tables and chairs, some kids activities, music, food trucks and a variety of vendors. East Side Farmers Market – Tuesdays 3-6:00 PM 3200 Delaware (Collectamania parking lot) from May to September. 10-12 vendors each week, less of a party, more of produce market. Des Moines Capitol Complex – Tuesdays from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. June 12- to Sept 25. Located on E. 13th betweetn Walnut & E Grand. This is a great option for those working downtown or in the state buildings to shop on their lunch hour. Johnston Farmers Market – Tuesdays, 3:30-6:30, May to October, Johnston city Hall parking lot. 6221 Merle Hay Rd. About 50 vendors with a variety of foods, produce and crafts. Waukee Farmers Market – Wednesday’s 4-7:00 PM June 6-Sept 26. Located at the Triangle Park on 6th St and Ashworth. Aprox 27 vendors each week. Valley Junction Farmers Market – Thursday’s 4:00 – 8:00, May to Oct 1. 5th St. in Valley Junction. This one is definitely a party/festival with many of the stores being open and the street closed, music and a variety of food and art as well as produce. Grimes Farmers Market – Friday’s 4:30 – 7 PM, June 1 – Sept 28. Located on Main st. Great for homegrown produce and homemade preserves, baked goods and crafts. Ankeny Farmer’s Market – Saturday’s , 8AM-noon, May 19-Sept 29. 715 W. 1st St, Uptown Ankeny. About 35 vendors each week. LSi’s Global Greens, Saturdays, 9AM-1 PM, June-October. Located 3200 University. This one is unique, if offers a place for former refugees to grow and sell produce that are native to their former homeland. Features about 25 vendors from countries like Burundi, Bhutan, Burma and Rwanda. Also cultural entertainment, music and demonstrations. And of course the Big Daddy of them all – The Downtown Market . Saturday mornings from 7 AM – noon. May 5-Oct 27. With approx. 25,000 visitors each week, it’s like the State Fair every week! Although these are touted as the top – check the surrounding small communities. Some in Eastern Polk County: Pleasant Hill – Monday’s from 4-7 pm beginning June 4 in Berean Church parking lot. Altoona – Wednesdays’ from 4:30-7 pm beginning June 6 at 360 Center Place SW Bondurant – 2nd & 4th Wednesday’s from 6-8 PM through October on Main St. Prairie City – Thursdays 4:30-6:30, located in the square, thru September Carlisle- Sat. mornings, 8:30-11:30 at Wyckoff parking lot, 95 Highway 5.
For 2019 – the color is Living Coral. If you visit the Pantone site, you can actually shop for fun items in the Color of the Year, like a key chain, a journal, a coffee mug. Consider how your front door might look – changing it annually to the chosen hue. Or throw pillows on the couch, or a beautiful glass vase.
HGTV with Sherwin Willliams has their color choices and trends for the new year. These sites are such good resources. On many, you can upload a photo of your room and they will show you how a new color would look before you roll up your sleeves and start painting. Now that Christmas is over and the New Year approaches, it’s a good time to think about adding color to your winter world. Would love to see (or hear about) what your color projects are for 2019. 
For 2019 – the color is Living Coral. If you visit the Pantone site, you can actually shop for fun items in the Color of the Year, like a key chain, a journal, a coffee mug. Consider how your front door might look – changing it annually to the chosen hue. Or throw pillows on the couch, or a beautiful glass vase.
HGTV with Sherwin Willliams has their color choices and trends for the new year. These sites are such good resources. On many, you can upload a photo of your room and they will show you how a new color would look before you roll up your sleeves and start painting. Now that Christmas is over and the New Year approaches, it’s a good time to think about adding color to your winter world. Would love to see (or hear about) what your color projects are for 2019. 
New this year – a Christmas edition of the 
Do you have one? Is it a matter of simply asking – Do you see your life as a half full or half empty glass? November is definately a month were we tend to focus on expressing our gratitude. But, we should not limit the emotion to one month our of 12, or one day out of 365. I have a few favorite quotes regarding this topic “O Lord who lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!” William Shakespeare in his timeless wisdom. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it” by William Arthur Ward. And which of us would do that? And one I just read today by David Rast, “It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful. Autumn is such a beautiful season. I love the smell of fall, the crunch of leaves as you walk, the array of colors in the trees. As we begin the month of November, I intend to practice giving thanks. will you join me?
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