DIY

from Sioux Falls Woman Magazine - October/November 2022

by Sioux Falls Woman, LLC

Wellness

DIY Faux Concrete Pumpkin Vases

Story & photos by Emily Olson

SUPPLIES

• Foam pumpkins

• Artificial or dried floral stems

• White spray paint

• Gray and off-white chalk paint

• Paintbrush

• Old sock

• Plastic plates

• X-ACTO knife (or pumpkin carving knife) Concrete has become increasingly popular in home design from flooring to countertops. Its ability to be both rustic and modern also makes it appealing for all types of home decor. Create your own faux concrete pumpkin vases that are less messy than making real ones, less expensive than store-bought, and light as a feather. Smaller pumpkins also work great as succulent planters.

DIRECTIONS

1. For mini pumpkins that will be used as a bud vase with a single flower, remove the plastic stem.

2. Paint the pumpkins with a solid coat of white spray paint.

3. Use an X-ACTO knife to cut openings in the tops of pumpkins that will hold a larger floral arrangement. For smaller bud vases, the hole left behind from the stem is likely the perfect size for an individual stem. 4. Paint the surface of the pumpkins with a medium gray chalk paint, making sure to cover the deep crevices. Chalk paint will give the authentic texture of concrete.

5. On a plastic plate, combine the gray and offwhite chalk paint to create a light gray that will provide a subtle contrast to the original gray.

6. Turn a sock inside out and dab lightly into the light gray paint. Then dab the sock onto a clean part of the plate to remove excess. The sock should have a small amount of paint.

7. Lightly dab the sock onto the raised surface of the pumpkin to create the natural contrast found in concrete. Avoid getting the lighter paint in the deep groves. Continue this process until the entire pumpkin has contrasting layers. If it ends up getting too light, complete the same dabbing process with the darker gray over the light gray.

SAVING SUBY

THE STORY OF THE RESCUE CAT THAT LIVES AT SCHULTE SUBARU

If you have visited the showroom of Schulte Subaru, you may have noticed a curious cat roaming around like he owns the place. That is because he sort of does. Suby the tabby cat lives full time at the Schulte Subaru Dealership. Suby came to be a permanent resident at the dealership thanks to the generosity of Mike Schulte, owner of Schulte Subaru, and Jen Kolb, Service Advisor, and known animal lover.

Jen has worked for Schulte Subaru for 8 years and many of the repeat customers have learned small things about her, including her love for animals. In the winter of 2018 multiple customers told us of a black striped cat that they saw running around our lot. “I took it upon myself to then let all employees know (in my crazy cat lady way) that they needed to tap the hoods of each car they start, so the cat doesn’t get harmed if it had climbed underneath one for warmth,” recalls Jen “A few employees looked at me like I was crazy while others admitted that was a smart idea!” One cold afternoon, Jen got a phone call from a parts guy who was outside on break and saw the mysterious cat run into the fenced-in garbage/recycling area. He said, “If you wanted to catch him now is your chance.” Jen grabbed her coat and ran out there. After many failed attempts, we decided to contact our Marketing Manager Lisa Mannes, to see if she had tips for us. She came out with some tuna and lured him right into the box. Once in the box, we brought him inside and placed him in our Parts Manager’s offi ce. We kept him there until he was taken to the Humane Society. While at the Humane Society, a vet took a look at his paws and tail that were frost bitten and got him on some medications for his respiratory issues, worms, and mites. After no one had claimed him, the Human Society contacted Mike Schulte to let

him know he was available for adoption. “I will never forget that day, smiles Jen “I got a call from Mike asking me if I was able to come back to the offi ce and when I walked in there was that cat we rescued!” Mike named him Suby and let Jen know that he brought him back to live at the dealership full time. Four years later and the staff can barely remember a time without him. A day in the life of Suby starts at 7 am when the fi rst employee arrives to work. He likes to cuddle with whoever is feeding him that morning. Once fed, he sits on the showroom fl oor watching the employees come in for the day and soaking up as much attention and affection as he can. In the late morning to early afternoon, he can be found in the offi ce of his favorite person, Marketing Manger Lisa Manne, napping on her keyboard. Once his nap is fi nished, he will mosey out to the showroom fl oor to play with the sales guys before settling into the backseat of a car or his basket on the receptionist’s desk for another nap. Around 4 pm, Suby arouses from his second nap and makes his way down to the customer lounge to greet everyone and look for loose popcorn. For the remainder of the day, Suby can be spotted walking between vehicles or with a customer or an employee to get some playtime in. He is served dinner just before the dealership closes. It’s anyone’s guess what this curious kitty does after hours when he has the dealership all to himself.

Suby has become the unoffi cial mascot of the dealership. He is loved by employees and customers alike. His adorable face has adorned many marketing campaigns as well as social media posts. You can follow Suby on Instagram at SubySchulteSubaru. Suby has become so popular that he even has his own drink! As a board member of Great Bear Ski Valley, Sarah Schulte came up with the idea to sell Suby Smoothies at Great Bear Ski Valley with a portion of the proceeds benefi ting The Sioux Falls Humane Society. Every smoothie sale gives Suby the chance to help other pets get rescued just like he was! Suby is more than just a rescue cat, he represents the culture of Schulte Subaru. The owner could have let him go to the shelter and not thought twice about it, but instead, he brought Suby back to the dealership to bring happiness to everyone he meets. Customers of Schulte Subaru can trust that like Suby, their needs will be met, handled with care, and treated like one of the family.