New Gallery & Store

The Ugly Iowan’s identity has shifted many times over the years since its inception as a road trip diary in 2008. In its current incarnation, it serves as a low-key promotional tool for area artists and organizations. It’s a mental gymnasium and laboratory. Sometimes it’s a psychological playground, and at others it’s an emotional junk…

How to Make Earrings from Old Xmas Lights

Every year, my folks put strands of those big ol’ outdoor lights on the evergreen trees in their backyard. Before the lights can go up, however, they have to be checked for shorts and burnouts. All this happens around the same time stores start filling their shelves with holiday-themed accessories, like necklaces with tree-shaped beads…

Post-Halloween Comedown

Happy Belated Halloween! I always wanted to do one of those complicated carvings. Finally tried it out with Poe, here. Yeah, I fell down on the job with the month-long Ultimate Blog Challenge. The little nephews came for a visit and I was much more interested in taking them to the pumpkin patch and reading…