Just had to load some pics before bedtime.
The kids with uncle and grandma.
We wish to welcome you to Munchkin-Land!
Boy, this is a blustery day!
Aftermath!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Chicken Coop Catch All
Chickens are HOT!
So one of my entries for the WhisperWood Cottage
Cottages and Bungalows Scouting Talent Party
had to revisit this favorite post of mine.
People want chickens in their backyards,
they want *chicken decor* in their kitchens,
and they want repurposed farm novelties
to give an every day living space more character.
An old nesting box apartment complex is a great way to bring
*rustic*chicken*love*
into your home.
I have a very generous farmer-neighbor who was so kind
as to let me have some of his old farm objects. Here is a photo
from inside one of the barns. So inspiring...
One of the objects I brought home with me
was this old nesting box from his chicken coop.
Country Living Magazine once had an image a few years ago that I
was really drawn to-- they used a nesting box for magazines.
Once painted, my nesting box can be used for seasonal decor
(outdoors OR in),
to organize winter hats and gloves- sorted per person,
and to organize children's school and art supplies.
Everyone can have an assigned cubbie!
I painted the nesting apartment with two coats of Valspar Signature.
Then, I penciled in the letters and painted over them with an aqua blue.
I also added little numbers to the fronts of the bins.
And styled outdoors for fall...
I do appreciate autumn's assistance with photography.
The colors and textures are so vivid and crisp!
Pretty soon we will all be holed up for winter
and these types of painting projects won't come so easily.
I love the idea of incorporating unconventional pieces
into the home to serve as furniture or storage solutions.
But large nesting boxes are very expensive at flea markets.
I've seen them marked as high as $500 for older wooden antiques.
Galvanized ones can be had for a cheaper price- $50 and up.
Soooooo.....when this one was offered to me, I couldn't pass it up!
This one is a keeper for me for sure!!
Linking up with:
Monday, October 24, 2011
Painting
Just wanted to share a painting I've been working on of my daughter. It's been on-going for months and remains undone. I really need to finish it. I hope to complete it this winter.
It's an acrylic wash on raw linen.
It's not done yet.
Basing it off some old photos.
I also did pastel portraits of the boys when they were two years old when I was on bed-rest with this one.
I would share, but they are framed under archival glass and it's kinda hard to photograph.
You would think I have tons of time to paint these, but I really don't. Composition takes a lot of planning. That was only a portion of her portrait. In the final image, there will be lots of little satellite baby girls floating around her, sketchy style.
Wishing you a happy Monday!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thank You All!!
I have hit some milestones in the blogland, and thank you-s are an order. XOXO!!
First, I want to thank Helen of Helen's Decor and Devon of Ironstone and Pine for recently honoring me with the Versatile Blogger Award.
It has not been the first time I have received the pear icon. Barb and Dell of Barb and Dell Designs first bestowed this honor on me when I first started blogging.
I also would like to thank the authors of the blogs that have featured me:
Katie, at Craptastickatie, who featured me in a shout out on Grace!
Debbie of Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing- who featured my Swedish trunk make-over. She also gave all of us newbies a chance with her Monday Newbie party. I have now officially hit 100, so I have been ousted! Thank you Debbie, for your kind support these past few months.
Lauren, of West Furniture Revival, who featured "Betty" my china cab this past summer, along with the Swedish trunk, and also "Sir St. Joseph." Lauren is such an inspiration to me. Her posts keep me on my toes and this girl knows what's hot in furniture!
Cassie of Primitive and Proper, who graciously featured "Grace's Debut." Cassie has a renowned blog that has a huge following; it was truly fantastic to be singled out by her for my peacock-colored re-do.
I would also like to thank Andrea at Faded Plains. She was my VERY FIRST follower to sign up when I was desperate for attention. Andrea has inspired me for a few years, before I even started blogging. She has a wonderful blog at Faded Plains, and also an etsy, where she sells marvelous vintage and country wares. Thank you for your support, Andrea! You gave me faith that night you signed on that this would work out after all!
I would like to thank a few fellow bloggers whom I consider to be my blog buds because they signed on pretty early and are faithful bloggers. These women are GOOD EGGS:
*Pam, of House of Hawthornes
*Elizabeth, of Blue Clear Sky
*Barb and Dell, of Barb and Dell Designs
*Fiona, of Raindrops and Daisies
*CarolAnne, of Use the Good Dishes
*Robyn of The Farmer Family
I would also like to give a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Emily of Lovely Beasts. She is my BBFF. She and I have bonded over grainsacks and old newsprint. I am pretty sure she and I have also been separated since birth and have reunited online. I really feel a connection with you Em, and you are special. You and I are going to go places here in blogland when we get the details ironed out of our stinky grainsacks. I tell Em all my deep dark blog- author secrets and she listens with patience to my ramblings.
I would also like to thank some big time bloggers who continue to inspire me everyday. I have been reading their blogs for years, before I actually started blogging myself. I can honestly say I probably would have never started blogging if I hadn't been inspired by these women:
*Andrea, of Faded Plains
*Anne, of Fiona and Twig
*Melaine, of My Sweet Savannah
*Mary, of Urban Farmgirl
(some of them probably don't know me, as they have followers in the thousands, but I love them and their style all the same).
I would also like to thank all 100 FOLLOWERS (!) who have helped push me and get me to this point. Thank you for signing on to be a chicken on the prairie!
(I know this chicken head is a tad out of focus, but it's too hilarious not to re-post).
Finally, I will leave this post with a big XOXO to Dan, my man, who is the operating self-titled QC (quality control) around here and my hub of 12+ years. He understood my need and desire to start this, with my unfulfilled artist's soul yearning, and he started the blog for me, figured out and taught me how to do things when I was/still am confused and slow about computers, and helps me hunt out and repair prairie doves (he handles operational rehabbing and I handle cosmetics). Without him, I am lost in this world, in more ways than I care to imagine. Also, he is in charge of transportation ( as part of his family obligation) so he plays an important role in this. (In case you were wondering, he is also in charge if recreation. I am in charge of fashion and sanitation. We both take turns on nutrition).
We are a team, always have been a team, and always will be a team. If you want a solid marriage, go to church together every Sunday and your reasons to be thankful will be continuously revealed to you.
God Bless, and may you all have a great week!!
Regards, Andrea
Linking (for the last time!) to:
Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing
First, I want to thank Helen of Helen's Decor and Devon of Ironstone and Pine for recently honoring me with the Versatile Blogger Award.
It has not been the first time I have received the pear icon. Barb and Dell of Barb and Dell Designs first bestowed this honor on me when I first started blogging.
I also would like to thank the authors of the blogs that have featured me:
Katie, at Craptastickatie, who featured me in a shout out on Grace!
Debbie of Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing- who featured my Swedish trunk make-over. She also gave all of us newbies a chance with her Monday Newbie party. I have now officially hit 100, so I have been ousted! Thank you Debbie, for your kind support these past few months.
Lauren, of West Furniture Revival, who featured "Betty" my china cab this past summer, along with the Swedish trunk, and also "Sir St. Joseph." Lauren is such an inspiration to me. Her posts keep me on my toes and this girl knows what's hot in furniture!
Cassie of Primitive and Proper, who graciously featured "Grace's Debut." Cassie has a renowned blog that has a huge following; it was truly fantastic to be singled out by her for my peacock-colored re-do.
I would also like to thank Andrea at Faded Plains. She was my VERY FIRST follower to sign up when I was desperate for attention. Andrea has inspired me for a few years, before I even started blogging. She has a wonderful blog at Faded Plains, and also an etsy, where she sells marvelous vintage and country wares. Thank you for your support, Andrea! You gave me faith that night you signed on that this would work out after all!
I would like to thank a few fellow bloggers whom I consider to be my blog buds because they signed on pretty early and are faithful bloggers. These women are GOOD EGGS:
*Pam, of House of Hawthornes
*Elizabeth, of Blue Clear Sky
*Barb and Dell, of Barb and Dell Designs
*Fiona, of Raindrops and Daisies
*CarolAnne, of Use the Good Dishes
*Robyn of The Farmer Family
I would also like to give a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Emily of Lovely Beasts. She is my BBFF. She and I have bonded over grainsacks and old newsprint. I am pretty sure she and I have also been separated since birth and have reunited online. I really feel a connection with you Em, and you are special. You and I are going to go places here in blogland when we get the details ironed out of our stinky grainsacks. I tell Em all my deep dark blog- author secrets and she listens with patience to my ramblings.
I would also like to thank some big time bloggers who continue to inspire me everyday. I have been reading their blogs for years, before I actually started blogging myself. I can honestly say I probably would have never started blogging if I hadn't been inspired by these women:
*Andrea, of Faded Plains
*Anne, of Fiona and Twig
*Melaine, of My Sweet Savannah
*Mary, of Urban Farmgirl
(some of them probably don't know me, as they have followers in the thousands, but I love them and their style all the same).
I would also like to thank all 100 FOLLOWERS (!) who have helped push me and get me to this point. Thank you for signing on to be a chicken on the prairie!
(I know this chicken head is a tad out of focus, but it's too hilarious not to re-post).
Finally, I will leave this post with a big XOXO to Dan, my man, who is the operating self-titled QC (quality control) around here and my hub of 12+ years. He understood my need and desire to start this, with my unfulfilled artist's soul yearning, and he started the blog for me, figured out and taught me how to do things when I was/still am confused and slow about computers, and helps me hunt out and repair prairie doves (he handles operational rehabbing and I handle cosmetics). Without him, I am lost in this world, in more ways than I care to imagine. Also, he is in charge of transportation ( as part of his family obligation) so he plays an important role in this. (In case you were wondering, he is also in charge if recreation. I am in charge of fashion and sanitation. We both take turns on nutrition).
We are a team, always have been a team, and always will be a team. If you want a solid marriage, go to church together every Sunday and your reasons to be thankful will be continuously revealed to you.
God Bless, and may you all have a great week!!
Regards, Andrea
Linking (for the last time!) to:
Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Pumpkin Farm Fun
Lewis' Pumpkin Farm in New Era, Michigan offers all the family traditions you're looking for in a family pumpkin farm.
Acres of pumpkin farm surrounded by loads of family fun.
Pedal cars and pumpkin jumps...
...pumpkins everywhere.
This was our second year in attendance.
Lots of cool things to climb on,
a kids' train through the orchard,
a lengthy haunted hay ride through an orchard --complete with pumpkin chucker,
and hands down the best petting zoo around.
The goats were able to climb over us in this crazy goat apartment complex.
Someday,
if our ten acre small farm is ever realized,
we will definitely have some of these.
And maybe a few of these, too, because I really love the fiber.
Alpacas are so darn cute.
We still talk about maybe adding a few turkeys to our yard next year.
This place had chickens, pea fowl, a camel, a donkey, two ponies... the kids were very excited.
They also had a great market with fresh apples as big as a doorstop, breads, pies, toys, ice cream, apple juice, etc. Just delightful.
All very reasonably priced, too, I would say. Much more affordable than the over commercialized pumpkin farm back by our hometown where they ship the pumpkins in overnight on a flatbed (so fake).
Bee, the camel, was very up close and personal! A very friendly camel.
The sun was bright, the air was warm, and you couldn't ask for better weather for fall.
(Can you tell they just wanted to run around and do stuff?? No more pics, Mom!!)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Isn't It Romantic?
For a fall entry at the WhisperWood Cottage Talent scouting party, I am featuring
one of my most popular posts...an outdoor tablescape and makeover.
I first posted this table in fall of 2011.
A joy to rehabilitate...St. Anthony's Table.
You can see my statue of St. Anthony in the background here...
patron saint of lost items, holding the baby Jesus.
I knew this was exactly where I wanted this table photographed.
This antique table was reclaimed as a lost and found item.
Or rather, discarded and found. So pretty, such detail.
Found on the streets of town... AGAIN!!
Where is the ingenuity in common folk? Where's the resourcefulness?
This table has much more character than the canned manufactured look
available in Any Store, Any Town, USA.
Time for a PRAIRIE DOVE makeover!
Just needed to have it's legs tightened a bit.
All the supplies (paint, sandpaper, wax) I already had.
Some initial sanding,
two coats of Valspar signature in white
(this paint is great because it has the primer built right into it and provides supreme coverage - you just have to sand very well prior to painting if the piece is stained wood to prevent the stain from bleeding through),
some distressing (which I *love*),
and then two coats on Minwax Wipe On Polycrylic
(to protect the tabletop for eating purposes).
This table has a neat little leaf that collapses and stores right underneath the table.
Here's my table with the leaf extension.
And here with some fall romance!
Fabulous farmstyle inspiration for your little cottage home.
Bring your furniture OUTSIDE for a smashing fall party.
Natural materials and linens--such as potato sacks and fabric remnants--
keep a table scape rustic.
Beautifully turned legs on these old tables add unmatchable charm!
Fall textures in the yard around the table setting help to unite the scene
and set the tone.
Ready to celebrate fall romance?!
This post has been linked up with:
And last year's linky parties included:
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