Napkin Rings

I found these adorble napkin rings via Design*Sponge today. They'd be perfect for Easter. Check them out at TallulahCards.

Garden Rant

My husband and I used to watch gardening shows. We haven’t for a long time. Frankly, we got tired of the same-old same-old. There was something stale about them, and I guess we never could get past the fact that these shows would constantly use the phrase “plant materials” instead of simply saying plants or flowers or vegetables. To this day, when I come home with a pile of new plants, my husband jokingly asks, "Oh, will you working with plant material today?"

When I read about Garden Rant via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette I nearly fell off my chair when I learned that the women of Garden Rant are "turned off by any activities that involve landscaping with plant materials". I felt the bond instantly.

In addition, they are also "bored with perfect magazine gardens" "suspicious of the horticultural industry" and "flabbergasted at the idea of a no-maintenance garden." Now this is garden blog I can relate to.

This blog doesn’t give you a bunch of pretty pictures of flawless gardens and how tos that were probably done by a crew of workers. Instead, they’ll tell you it doesn’t need to cost a bazillion dollars to irrigate your vegetable garden, and they’re good at policing the unnecessary snobbery that seems to lurk throughout the garden industry. I hope you enjoy their down-to-earth style and wry sense of humor as much as I do.

Easter Entertaining and 15% Off Extended

ENTERTAIN THIS EASTER
WITH A COUNTRY FARMHOUSE STYLE.
FROM NOW UNTIL MARCH 30, 2009 RECEIVE 15% OFF ANY PURCHASE.
JUST ENTER THE CODE "spring09" UPON CHECKOUT.
(offer valid while supplies last. not valid on previous purchases. cannot be combined with other offers.)
click here to begin shopping

The Cure for Blickiness

Paul Simon - Kodachrome - Celebrity bloopers here

So I'm driving along today, still feeling blicky. I pop in my Paul Simon cd. Kodachrome comes on, and I am compelled to blast it beyond the capacity of my crappy little car speakers. Something about this song always changes my mood. It has a magic ability to snap me out of blickiness. Do you have a song that does that too?

Garden Gnome

I'm feeling blicky today. Is blicky even a word? Well, it's perfect for today. Luckily, the sun is shining and my little garden gnome is busy cleaning out the gardens, so I can rest. He just took a quick break to pose for this photo. I'm glad he's on top of it, because there's so much to do. It will be nice to take a walk later and see all that he's accomplished.

Happy Spring!

TO CELEBRATE THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING

THESE SPRING CHICKENS HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU.

FROM NOW UNTIL MARCH 27, 2009 RECEIVE 15% OFF ANY PURCHASE.

JUST ENTER THE CODE "spring09" UPON CHECKOUT.

(offer valid while supplies last. not valid on previous purchases.

cannot be combined with other offers.)

click here to begin shopping

A Timely Piece

I happen to have a thing for porcelain knobs. There's just something clean and simple about them. This Portsmouth Table Clock is accented with a porcelain finial and four porcelain feet for a charming, easy-going look. I love the aged celery green paint. It's perfect for a cottage table or nightstand. The best part is it's on sale now at Farmhouse Wares.

Bird Sanctuary

I can almost hear these little birds chirping that spring is coming. Create your own bird sanctuary with these Bird Etched Glass Votives. They'll brighten your mood instantly.

mud season

Well mud season is just getting underway here. I'd like this Wellington Boot Rack. Keeping the muddy boots outside is perfect--though I'm not going to get my hopes up that my husband would actually take them off before entering the house. One can only dream.

Snippet & Ink

Thanks to Julie and Lindsey over at Coveiter, I have a new favorite blog: Snippet & Ink. They offer a daily dose of wedding inspiration and the most amazing ideas that will work for many occassions. Given that my husband and I eloped, I'm always fantacizing about a fancy party and a re-do of the vows. This blog has all I need to make that dream a reality. Photography by W. Scott Chester.

earthy days

Just when everyone is urging you trade in your earth tones for bright colorful hues, I feel just the opposite. Blame it on my devoted love of the New England landscape, but I feel early spring is the perfect time to embrace the warmth of a neutral palette. There’s something beautiful about the browns of early spring. Like an Andrew Wyeth painting, I find it soothing. The grass isn’t yet green and the trees have yet to bud, so I have a hard time fighting nature and splashing color all over my home. It feels unnatural. I say, let the colors of the warm earth enrich you.

Top left: Wire Glassware Caddy
Bottom left: Garden Tool Basket
Top right: Vintage Fabric Pillow

For George

I know I posted this photo before, but it seems appropriate to post it again in memory of the gentle man that planted all these trees. My neighbor, George, died Sunday night. He planted this grove and many other beautiful things with meticulous care. Thank you, George. We will miss you.

Thank you apartment therapy

We heart apartment therapy. It's the go-to source for all our home decor needs. We especially heart their recent post about our Brick French Dishtowels. These french country linens are a farmhouse fave, so we're glad they got the spotlight. Thank you apartment therapy!

Celebrate Daylight Saving Time

SPRING AHEAD IN STYLE

WITH 25% OFF OUR RETRO WALL CLOCKS.
click here to change your clock

Thank you Remodelista

I just want to send a big, hearty thank you to Julie over at Remodelista for featuring our Retro Glass Cannisters and Glass Salt Cellar. We couldn't be happier. Stop by Remodelista to see the gorgeous rustic wood flooring they're featuring today.

Bring your child's art to life with Remy Friends

I don't know about you, but I have ridiculous amounts of my daughter's artwork saved in bins. I can't stand to throw any of it away. There have been a few occasions when I've slipped a stray piece or two into the recycling basket, but she caught me. Let me tell you, she can really work the guilt factor.

Remy Friends takes children's art to a new level of appreciation. Artist Kathryn Greenwood Swanson takes drawings made by kids and turns them into stuffed animals. So adorable. She offers a kit, complete with markers, paper and a stamped return envelope. In just three weeks she can have your new Remy Friend ready. Visit her etsy shop to learn more.

Now I've got to go rummage through some bins to find that one drawing my daughter did of herself when she was three. I think it will make the perfect birthday gift.

Potash Hill Farm Giveaway at dkMommy Spot

Farmhouse Wares is thrilled to have our Potash Hill Farm Goat's Milk Soap and Lotion featured on dkMommy Spot. The dkMommy Spot is a great, informative site by work-at-home mom Diane Kidman. Diane focuses on herbal wisdom and chemical free living, and she has oodles of all-natural products she reviews. Head over there today for a chance to win our Potash Hill Goat's Milk Soap and Lotion gift set.

Laundry Day

Happy weekend everyone! I'll be doing the laundry.

Products shown (clockwise): Brick French Dishtowels

Farmhouse Lavender Laundry Sachets by Sweet Grass Farm

Clothes Pin Bag

Farmhouse Lemon Laundry Powder and Farbric Softener

Watch out for Wile E. Coyote

Someone has a sense of humor. I spotted this mischievous Wile E. Coyote on the road to my sister's house. His boulder is set to land right on the street. Road Runner beware.

Printing on Vintage Hankies

I just love this idea of screen printing on vintage hankies from dani's details. It's just brilliant. Check out dani's details for lots of other gorgeous designs and inspiration.

Home for a Bunny

Easter is coming, which means my daughter will start begging me for pet bunny. She does every year, but I always say "no" because we have so many living things to take care of already. We also have an abundance of coyote and fox that could cause a problem. But being a guilt-ridden mother, I started to do a little research. Research can't hurt-right?

The Eglu, pictured above, looks like a pretty fine home for a bunny. Omlet USA offers a complete habitat for rabbits or chickens. According to the manufacturer, they are easy to clean and fully insulated. These compact little houses also come with the run, so bunny can get his/her exercise. Best of all it comes in pink. Maybe I'll start begging for a bunny.

Sweet Treats

I have a sweet tooth--always have. When I was young I would ask why we even needed dinner. Couldn't we just go straight to dessert? My husband surprised me once by making that a reality. He packed a basket full of pastries and champagne and swept me off to the beach for an unforgettable sunset meal. Unforgettable because I got very sick and quickly learned why we eat dinner first.

I learned, again, that everything is better in moderation. Still, there is one exception to this rule and that is Tartelette. No moderation required to visit this beautiful blog and absorb the most delicious pastry recipes--not to mention the amazing photography. Tartelette is the sweet creation of pastry chef Helen, a French expatriate living in Charleston, SC. and soon to be published author of her first pastry cookbook. Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams

I'm tired of seeing this.
I'm dreaming of seeing this.

Happy Weekend!

Pine Cone Hill Quilt Sale

COZY UP WITH 60% OFF OUR PINE CONE HILL QUILTS AND SHAMS.
(while supplies last.)
click here to begin shopping

Romanticizing Rodents

You’re bound to have mice when you live in a farmhouse, which is why we have three cats. Still, when one of my cats corners these little critters, like this guy here, I feel bad. You see I have come to imagine that, like a Beatrix Potter book, my mice are living civilized lives behind my walls. You know…matchbox beds and bits of insulation as blankets. I especially like to think they wear cute little outfits and keep their homes very clean, like Hunca Munca here with her dust pan.

When this guy managed to escape, which didn’t seem too hard because the cat was about as savvy as a cartoon cat, I breathed a sigh of relief. I know his friends must have cheered him on when he arrived home—in my walls.

Hatch Show Print

If you love the look of old, vintage style advertising posters then you must visit Hatch Show Print. Operating since 1879, they're the oldest working letterpress print shop in America. Over the years they've created advertising posters for country music performers such as Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. It's a small operation with about 10 employees and two cats. They've got lots of great posters at very affordable prices. Check 'em out.

Organic Solutions

Yesterday's bright sun brought me out for a tour of my gardens. Of course, they're all burried under snow still, but just seeing the basic outlines and the dried stalks of ecinachea gets me psyched. So I'm already planning ahead and looking for the best organic options to tackle some of the duanting dilemmas I faced last year. Powdery mildew really made a mess of my phlox and false sunflower and beatles ate my roses.

I recently found Pharm Solutions. They offer ready-to-use sprays formulated with eco-friendly ingredients. Products include organic fertilizers, and pest and weed control solutions. It's so nice to have healthy alternatives, especially when I spend so much time out there with my family and pets. Pharm Solutions will definately find its way into my garden tool basket before it's too late.

Our Valentine Gift For You

FROM NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 14TH, RECEIVE 20% OFF

ANY PURCHASE OF $50 OR MORE.

JUST ENTER THE CODE "heart" UPON CHECKOUT.

(offer valid while supplies last. not valid on previous purchases.

cannot be combined with other offers.)
click here to begin shopping

New at Farmhouse Wares

We just got this Provence Vase in at Farmhouse Wares, and I can't wait to fill one with lilacs or peonies. Its soft, chalky patina and flouted shape will make any flower arrangement more romantic. Hmmm, speaking of romantic, this would make a nice Valentine gift for a flower loving friend.

Lobster isn't just for summer

I'm back from my mini vacation. We went to Moosehead, Maine and enjoyed playing in the snow and the fresh air. One of my favorite nights was when we boiled some Maine lobsters outside in a fire pit. After a long day of snowshoeing and snowmobiling it was nice to just hang by the fire as we prepared to fill our bellies with the taste of summer.

If you're craving some Maine lobster then check out www.mainelobsterdirect.com. They do such a nice job shipping complete lobster dinners right to your door.