Have a Fondue Party

For generations, a family business in a small town of France has been preparing this creamy milk chocolate treat. Fondue au Chocolat comes in a stoneware pot, which is perfect for heating up your fondue. You simply warm it in hot water or in the microwave and it's ready to serve. The stoneware pot keeps the chocolate warm and melted much longer than glass. Transform fresh fruits, such as strawberries, bananas, and apples or dip croissants and nuts for a delicious snack. The stoneware pot can be washed out, the labels removed and then re-used as mugs. Available at Farmhouse Wares.

get gardening

Add a little vintage style to your potting shed. Our wooden Seed Packet Box will help you keep your flower and veggie seeds organized, while our Rustic Watering Can will work hard to keep little seedlings happy and moist. The two together make a lovely gift for your gardening devotees. Of course, our Vintage Style Garden sign is also perfect for a garden gate. Inspired by vintage enamel signs, it's made of sturdy cast iron with raised black letters.

New: Rustic Iron Candle Chandelier

Create an enchanting, old-world feel with this Rustic Iron Candle Chandelier. Its distinctive design features a perfectly aged iron cage-like surround with a hint of country red on the center candle holder. Holds eight tealight candles and includes hook and chain for hanging. The chandelier is perfect for adding ambiance to a cottage garden party or giving your farmhouse a little rustic flair.

New Glass Hurricane with Metal Scroll Top

When it comes to refreshing my home decor with accessories, candle holders are pretty much right up there with throw pillows for me. I'm a candle addict and I keep candles going all the time--winter, summer, day and night. I just love the warm glow of candlelight and during the dark months I drive my family a little crazy because I never want the electric lights on. Needless to say, I've become quite the collector of candle holders, hurricanes and lanterns. We just got this Glass Hurricane with Metal Scroll Top. The metal top has a grey finish, so it matches all the zinc and aged galvanized items I have. The glass is nice and thick too. It fits right in with my farmhouse decor and gives me that refresh fix I was craving. Now, I can hold off on some new throw pillows until spring.

Chicken Report {crisis at the coop}

I haven’t done a chicken report in a long time, as there really hasn’t been much to report. We’re down to seven chickens and about one egg a day. The girls are getting old (and we think Hollywood is tough), so they’re just not producing eggs like they used to. We love them dearly though, so they still get treated like queens, but we hope to get some new chicks this spring.

The coop was anything but quiet last night. Just as we were all settled in to watch the big game and with 30 minutes to kick off, my neighbor came knocking on the door. He informed us that our chickens were all over the place. They were across the road and down the street. When I looked out at the coop, sure enough, there was a dog sniffing around. We all threw on our boots and immediately went looking for our girls. Before I could even set a plan for triage, my daughter was off, chasing the dog clear across the neighbor’s yard. My husband and another neighbor found two chickens across the street and carried them home to safety. Then my daughter found another one. We had three chickens out of seven. Darkness was falling quick and the game was about to begin, so my husband abandoned the project, saying they’d come home in the morning¬—if they were alive.

I stood there under the almost full moon, waiting by the coop. Like little soldiers, two more appeared in the shadows, quietly assessing to see if the coast was clear. Now we had five. The game was on. I had to quit for the night. We figured the dog must have gotten the other two. This morning, when we opened the coop, six chickens ran out. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that one smart girl must have been hiding pretty well in the coop. We figured the dog must have gotten the last one. After all the mayhem, losing one didn’t seem so bad.

This afternoon I went out for a run, when I was stretching, something caught my eye. The last Rhode Island Red was lingering around the yard by the coop. I opened the door to the run, and she calmly walked in. Most days, that chore doesn’t go so smoothly, but today, she was happy to be home again. Even though the game didn't turn out the way we wanted, we couldn't be more thrilled with the way the crisis at the coop turned out.

A Heart Wreath to Love

I've been looking for a Valentine wreath to finally replace the evergreen wreath that's been drying out on my door. This gorgeous burlap heart wreath from Choose to Thrive made my heart go pitter-patter. I just stumpled upon Choose to Thrive today and immediately became a follower. Nike gives you step-by-step instructions for this wreath and many other amazing projects.