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I feel like this summer is going by way too fast. I need to take a break and just swing on an old tire, drink more lemonade, read on the porch, catch fire flies, float in the water and look at the sky. To quote Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I'm going to take a good long look, but I'll be back.
I'm very pleased to report that the Vintage Style Red Striped Table Runner (one of my favorite items) is back in the shop. Whether you have a sturdy, rustic farm table or a picnic table, this French-inspired, Vintage Style Red Striped Table Runner always looks relaxed and elegant. Perfect for laissez-faire dining in any season. Vintage style farmhouse decor never looked so appealing.
I have eaten
Vintage cigar boxes had such beautiful label designs. As cigar smoking became more popular, cigar companies would fight for attention by creating more and more elaborate cigar boxes. I just love how many of the images were very feminine for something so traditionally masculine.
One of the many delights about our little farm is that it is scattered with bramble bushes. For a short period of time, these wild and thorny bushes are covered with juicy raspberries. If you want to gather enough to make a pie, the trick is to get to them before the birds do. My daughter is vigilant, and every day she'd tour the bushes to see their progress. Finally, it was time. She harvested a heaping bowl full. Still not enough for whole pie, I mixed in some local blueberries and made the most delicious crumb pie. Add a little vanilla ice cream on the side, and I do believe you have a slice of heaven. And don't worry, there were still plenty of berries to be had by those birds.
Anyone who has ever received a gift from me knows that I love to wrap, decorate and tie pretty bows around my packages. I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but sometimes I spend more time thinking about the wrapping than I do the actual gift. Problem is...I'm not very organized. I've got tons of ribbon stashed under my bed and in bins here and there. So when I found this Wooden Ribbon Rack I had to have one. Perfect for storing and dispensing ribbon, rick-rack, twine and more, it even has a drawer to keep scissors and tape in one convenient place. (My daughter has a way of never putting these two items back where she found them.) I'm excited about having something that matches my decor and functions so well. That's a wrap.
Ticking stripe fabric never goes out of style, and it has a way of instantly creating a farmhouse vibe. This past weekend I had ticking stripe fever. I went a little crazy with a few yards of blue ticking fabric. I made slip covered pillows to update my couch , made a long seat cushion for my bench, and I even made a 4th of July skirt for my daughter with ticking stripe pockets. I still have some fabric left. Hmmm....what should I make next?
I hope you all feel the joy of freedom on this Independence Day!
Our Canvas Bordeaux Buckets shown above
Don't let pesky flies bug you during your 4th of July outdoor celebrations. Our new Willow and Glass Fly Catcher takes care of these pests the old-fashioned way--without harmful toxins. This vintage style fly catcher will have guests buzzing as your garden becomes a fly free zone. It has a hole in the bottom. Fill it with something tantalizing. Flies get in but they can’t get out. A good all-natural fly catching recipe, based on the old adage, “you can catch more flies with molasses than vinegar”, is a simple mixture of equal parts molasses and water. It's especially helpful for those annoying fruit flies, too.
When the warm weather embraces us, my family does a ton of outdoor entertaining. Our patio basically becomes our daily living/dining room. I get tired of lugging things in and out of the house though, which is why our new Wire Glassware Caddy is my new best friend. Forget having glasses slip and slide all over trays. The caddy keeps them safe and sound for easy, convenient transport to our outdoor world. Available at Farmhouse Wares.
I must have this vintage style picnic tin. It comes with all the goodies you see here. Its red, white and blue colors make it perfect for a 4th of July picnic.
Some of you may recall my post last year about Mr. Fluffy's annual shave. Well, it's that time again, and he's looking smart with his new hair-do. (Many of my friends like to refer to it as a "hair-don't.)
My friend Lindsey of A Great Full Day is asking for our help. Like all of us, Lindsey is searching for a way to reach out and offer support to those affected by this devastating oil crisis. As a lifelong Louisiana resident, Lindsey's heart aches over the Gulf tragedy that is unfolding around her beloved coast. She's decided to donate 100% of the proceeds of this beatiful photo print to the Audobon Society who is helping preserve wetlands, heal animals and clean up the mess. Lindsey's seashell print is a reminder of the fragile beauty that is at risk here. Lindsey is also offering free shipping on this print when you purchase by midnight June 14, just mention this blog post in the message to seller section during checkout from her etsy shop.
Have you tried greek yogurt yet? OMG! It is pure, creamy heaven. Greek yogurt is a lot thicker than the yogurt we all know and love, and it's packed with protein. My favorite is Chobani, and they say there's "a jaw-dropping 14-18g of protein in every 6oz cup of Chobani." I like to dress mine up with Agave Nectar (known as honey water and also a very good treat). This has been such a busy week, running here and there. Greek yogurt has come to my rescue, keeping my engine running. When I'm this busy, I usually get all droopy by afternoon, with a low-blood sugar feeling, but not since I found Chobani. Sweet!
I'm pretty crazy about the casual country style of enamelware, and nothing says country living quite like our new Vintage Style Enamel Pitcher. The simple charm of this enamel pitcher fits right in with any decor, but every farmhouse needs at least one. Inspired by flea market finds, our white enamel pitcher has black trim and a generous spout.
The warm spring around these parts is bringing an early crop of fresh strawberries. This is a good weekend to find a pick-your-own berry farm and stock up on these juicy fruits before they pass. You can even freeze them for smoothies and other treats later. Support your family farms and check out Local Harvest for a farm near you. Happy weekend!
I've been eyeing this Ruby storage cube by Lexie Barnes. A great way to tote those towels out to the pool this summer, the Ruby features sturdy handles, water-resistant waxed canvas, a wipeable lining, and a durable black ballistic nylon bottom. They're 50% off, too. I love the red and white of this Kiri fabric for summer, but Lexie has other fun fabrics available. Yup, the Ruby is a real gem.
Yesterday, I whined to you all about how I miss the beach. One of the things I love most about being around the ocean is that my hair always looks fabulous. There's something about that salty air that reacts well with my hair. It gets all its bounce back and my natural waves seem to be...well, wavy again. But since this girl is too busy for the beach, with all my chickens and country chores, I found a way to get that beachy look every day. John Master's Sea Mist is a miracle product. Made with natural sea salt and certified organic lavender, Sea Mist gives me the beach hair look that I long for. I may not feel the relaxing glow from a day at the beach, but my hair looks good, and that makes me happy.
Hope you all had a lovely start to your summer with plenty of Memorial Day festivities. We were supposed to head to the beach for the weekend, but a massive storm ripped through here last Thursday night and changed everything. It was the scariest storm I had ever experienced in this house. The wind was whirling around in every direction, and all we could hear were trees cracking and glass breaking. My patio umbrella and table went flying across the lawn, smashing all my glass candle holders along the way. In the flashes of lightening, I could see that the huge tree behind our chicken coop was no longer there, but we couldn't see if the coop was damaged. I woke my daughter and brought her downstairs, because the sound of tree branches scraping against her window was too much for me. Soon after, the winds calmed and we could see through the bright strikes of lightening that our Memorial Day would consist of a lot of clean up and little relaxation. We had no power or Internet access for the following two days, so today I'm playing catch up with work, plus I'm pretty exhausted from hauling tree limbs. The good news is the tree just missed the coop, but did damage the run. I'm still in shock, and even today, I could see the sky turn black again, so I ran out to salvage some of my peonies. They're just blooming, and I knew a hard rain would destroy them. I'm so thankful everyone is OK. I would like a do-over though on this whole long-weekend thing, 'cause I sure could use that beach break.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY
Last night we were enjoying a summery dinner on our patio. I looked out to our sunny yard and realized it was raining. Our umbrella was keeping us dry, and the sun was shining, but the rain was falling all around us. The shower quickly passed and gave way to this stunning rainbow. The crazy thing is I had just been listening to Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole's Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I figure it's going to be a lucky week.
I've been obessing over finding the perfect way to display my house number ever since we painted last year. So, of course, I turned to my favorite design resource Remodelista, and voila! There it was...the porcelain enamel house number plate of my dreams. This classic design is made by Danish company Ramsign and they ship worldwide, so ciao for now, as I'm off to purchase this little gem. They've got my number!
Brighten your home with the casual, country style of Farmhouse Wares!
Sylvester (April 2009-May 11, 2010)
I had to share this picture of one of my azalea bushes. It has absolutely exploded with blossoms. She didn't look so hot last year, but many of you may recall my post about the back-breaking work of putting composted manure into my all gardens last spring. Yes, I moaned and groaned about the labor at the time, but look at the results. Very satisfying.
