Farmgirlheart-farmgirlsoul

Sister

2011-12-04T19:57:00.001-06:00

I think it's a Michigan thing, this calling each other Sister than by our names, or maybe it's just a term of endearment that has been with Sister and me for years and years. I can't recall the last time I called my sister by her name - even when referring to her to others - its always Sister.

My sister is my best friend. We are separated by ten years and thousands of miles, and yet are as close as a whisper when we need each other. I swear I can hear her call to me in the rustle of the leaves on the trees when she needs me.

My Sister Bonnie

We have the same crazy sense of humor, the same passion for our sons, we each have one - who we adore, and although I like to think I’m creative, my sister is the most talented person I know!

Bonnie and her son Shannon

We are so connected that we can carry on entire conversations without ever finishing a sentence, and repeatedly, much like Name That Tune; we can finish the thought of the other often when she utters just one or two words.

I have been busy preparing for our annual Cottage Christmas Sale and must confess I have procrastinated to the last minute …… using a multitude of excuses, I’m afraid. One excuse, and I must say a very good one, was that my Sister, my nephew Shannon and his lovely wife Joann, along with babies Alivia and Grant in tow, came for Thanksgiving weekend. And as you all know, you must have a clean house when family comes, so I devoted my limited time to cleaning and shopping and preparing, and ignored the cottage and barn.

It’s been three years since my sister’s last visit, and our barn is a new addition since then. She was so eager to see it, and was a bit shocked to see the pile high of furniture and smalls stacked everywhere when the sale was but a mere two weeks away. “Don’t worry” she said, “we’ll work in here every night while I’m here” HA, well that didn’t happen. Every day was full of conversation, adoring babies, meals, and more conversation – before we knew it, our three and half days were gone – and we were saying our tearful goodbyes!

Shannon, Joann and Aliva visited

the Butterfly Place!

Her visit was over before we knew it and not only hadn’t we spent anytime working on the sale, but I hadn’t spent even a minute in the cottage or barn that entire week. Since they departed on Tuesday, I’ve made great progress all week, staging new displays, unpacking the last of the Christmas treasures, and putting finishing touches here and there.

This morning my sister called, quite early, to catch me before I headed over the barn to work to share a dream she had last night. She dreamt that we had been working in the barn together and we hung chairs and small furniture from large hooks all around the perimeter of the room. Well it is a great idea, in fact it’s such a great idea that I had sent Farmgirl Mister Jim out yesterday morning to buy large hooks so we could hang chairs and small furnishings around the perimeter of the barn! Yes, my sister and I are quite connected!

So here is a picture of the chairs some of the chairs we’ve hung from the walls, (we hung 8!) and wow, does it add more display space for all of our treasures.

Farmgirl Sisters Cottage Christmas sale is Saturday, December 10 – and a full 12 hours long 8AM – 8PM and we so hope to see you there! Check us out on facebook: farmgirl sisters or at www.farmgirlsisters.com for more information and directions! We're easy to find, right in downtown Branson, just one block off Hwy 65 and Hwy 76!

A Real Treasure

2011-11-06T21:56:00.001-06:00

Farmgirl Mister Jim clucks and sputters with every load of pickin’ treasures I bring home, always commenting as he helps unload, “this really is enough….”

Well today, FGM Jim had an epiphany! Pickin’ really can be for profit and even a good profit!

Occasionally I will visit an on-line auction site, enter a few minimum bids and then wait to see what happens. If I win it great, if not, oh well, there will be others.

Recently I happened upon what appeared to be a small vintage beaded evening bag, and the opening bid was less than $5. So I placed the opening bid and never looked back. Three days later, I received an email announcing I had won the bag. It arrived about a week later, and it really is quite lovely.

Wanting to know a bit more about the bag I started to research on the internet and was shocked what I found. First my bag is as much as 100 years old! I immediately called to Jim to come look. My little beaded bag sells for anywhere from $285.00 and up. Well Jim jumped on his computer and continued the search for an hour, pulling up every version of French steel beaded bags he could find. Some listed for as much as $400.00! Needless to say, future pickin’ is now encouraged!

The most difficult part of finding treasures like this little bag is that I find them to sell, and often I don’t want to let go of them.

This is so true of this gorgeous French Steel-cut Beaded Purse. It is a shimmery beauty with long lattice fringe, beautiful pink lining, and sewn in ribbon Made in France. Ornate detailing and a delicate button with loop closure. Beautiful bead work makes this an outstanding example of this art form, every little bead hand done, and none missing. A heavy bag, dating to the late 1800's early 1900's.

But alas, my little find is for sale, and to all you collectors out there, it is in fabulous condition, all fringe in tack, button and loop in tack, handle intact. Lining is clean and Made in France task is clean and intact.

Add this to your collection for $225.00

The Three R's - Repurpose, Recycle, Reduce

2011-10-06T21:14:00.003-05:00

Reducing our carbon footprint – it’s a catch phrase you hear on the news and talk shows, and see in the paper or magazines or the internet……and for most of us, we apply it the other guy, or the big corporate “users” and “abusers”, but me, what can I do?

The other evening, I was emptying waste baskets around the house, preparing for the morning trash pick up, and oh my, where did all the trash come from, I must have not emptied last week, surely all this trash wasn’t from one week! And even more to my chagrin I went outside to find two large trash cans full, and an extra box already filling fast! To say the least, I was appalled….how could three people, one of which is a housebound granny who generates little if any trash, have so much waste!

Now I am an avid follower of MaryJaneFarm® magazine and her rural love of life and all things good, and after completely devouring every issue of her magazine cover to cover numerous times, I always think to myself…”self” I say, “if we lived on a farm, we would be thrifty and frugal like MaryJane!” Well that pre-trash night, I had an epiphany! I don’t need to live on a farm to be thrifty, frugal and environmentally responsible, and my occasional reusing a bag or piece of foil, just doesn’t qualify.

So here is my plan – we are now a home that lives the three R’s – repurpose, recycle and reduce!

Repurposing gives life to things you may have tossed out. Jars with lids go to the garage or craft room to hold all those pesky little bits and pieces, nuts and bolts, buttons and the like. That flannel sheet that can’t be mended is cut up and hemmed for the perfect polishing cloths; our community is full of thrift stores supporting various charities, and one box a week of clothing, dishes, and other unused and stored items that have gone untouched for more than a year will leave this house!

Recycle – bins are in the carport to collect cans, papers, plastic; phone books boxed up for the annual girl scout phone book drive; cardboard now has a new purpose flattened and layered in next year’s garden bed to create the “lasagna” garden that breaks down harden ground for a perfect garden bed! Shredded junk mail and compostable food scraps to the compost bins and well, one small point for effort, we already use reusable grocery totes!

Reduce, in addition to reducing out going trash, we are reducing incoming trash by bringing less home. Making my own laundry soap eliminates all those huge plastic bottles; buying less convenience food eliminates some of the boxes, plastic wrap and little plastic dishes and an added benefit is we eat better by buying more fresh items!

And though we are just beginning we will be proficient by the end of the year so that we can save those New Year’s Resolutions for something that won’t be a shame if we don’t keep!

So today, Repurpose, recycle and reduce and

‘til tomorrow,

Stormy-

A Pickin' Diva....

2011-08-19T19:06:00.001-05:00

I just spent three days traveling through Arkansas on Highway 64 with my dear friend Sherri, in a borrowed pick up truck - so fancy it shouldn't be called a truck, and pulling a little enclosed trailer - lots of change in my purse, snacks and cooler, packing material for breakables, and high hopes for treasures. Touted to be a huge sales event, Bargains Galore on 64, with over 160 miles of sales, was our three day adventure weekend.

I must say I was a bit disappointed in the number of sales along the route. In fairness, this part of the country had been experiencing record breaking heat for nearly two months, and bizarre thunderstorms broke out both Thursday afternoon and Friday night leaving giant mud pits almost everywhere you tried to stop along the way on Saturday. So this may have dampened the selling spirit. But not this picker, we stopped and shopped all along the way.

Hug kudos to Sherri who can back up a trailer with the best of them! I was amazed....I'm a pull through picker. If I'm toting a trailer, I only park where I can pull through, this farmgirl can't back up!

Although sales were sporadic along the highway, it’s important to note that you really have to watch for signs that take you down the side roads. There are sales in the area neighborhoods too, and this narrow highway is very winding, so you can come upon a sale and pass it by before you know it.

We stayed Wednesday night in Ft. Smith, and headed out early Thursday morning looking for those "early worm" bargins....not much participation in Ft. Smith, in fact our first sales were in Aurora. Let the shopping begin.....

Rain about 2:00 ended our day, so we headed to our next motel for the night. Just because a motel is listed on Priceline doesn't mean you want to stay there. Let me just say I slept on top of the covers with my clothes on!

Friday we back tracked a few miles to check out sales we might have missed. Not much, so we had a great home cooked breakfast at the Big M Diner and headed out to shop! First stopped at the local Police Departments trailer where they had a rummage sale to help families for this coming Christmas. I bought all of their hand-crocheted items. I'm just sure some grandma made them with love!

A bit of Galore wisdom for those of you contemplating this sale for next year.

Things I learned along the way:

Fried pickles from the gas station are pretty darned good;
Just because there is stuff in the yard, doesn’t mean they’re having a yard sale;
Men selling hunting gear don’t like when you say you could turn their tree stand into a cute chair;
Little local dairy-marts have great food;
You might not want to follow spray painted arrows into the woods;
Don’t pass up the church rummage sales and always buy something from them;
Skip fast food stops and eat at the local eatery, they are a treat;
And always buy from the local Police or Firefighter’s sales, whatever they are selling it's always for a great cause.

We started in Ft. Smith and headed towards Conway and unlike the World's Longest Yardsale, you can cover great distances in a day.

I really do need to address the people we met along the way, both other shoppers and sellers alike. We met some of the nicest people. Wouldn’t trade that part of the trip for anything!

My traveling companion, and my best friend Sherri has now named me a Pickin’ Diva, altered from her first go round of Pickin’ Snob. Hahahahaha. Seems she feels I was a little too picky at my pickin’.

One thing for sure, shows like American Pickers and Pickin’ Sisters and the like, have ruined it for us local common pickers. Seems most of the sellers we came across felt like everything thing they had strewn across their front lawn and stacked in the garage was the next great collectible or treasured antique. Prices were a bit high, and the art of negotiating was lost on most sellers.

However, with effort and perseverance, I managed to come home with a small trailer full of treasures. I wonder if when I’m looking the items over and loading them into the trailer full of eclectic if not unique pieces of furniture, the sellers are wondering what the heck I buy that stuff for.

Here’s a peek at some the treasures that made their way home with me…….

One thing I thought was comical was how many of the sellers were intrigued by my Michigan accent. An accent I don't hear or realize I still have. One very nice young woman kept me talking for about 15 minutes just so she could here my accent. HA, and I was enjoying her's. I think her tip off was my saying "we've been out and about since early this morning." HA

Here’s Jim surveying my bounty and wondering “what the heck is she going to do with this junk?”

Just remember these are the before photos, and a coffee table can become a wonderful foot of the bed bench complete with custom cushion, end tables take on a new life repainted in funky colors, sewing machine cabinets are a treasure, and chairs….well chairs in my hands become works of art - just sayin'.

Watch for before and the fabulous after pics on our newest facebook page – farmhouse chic.

And be sure to join us at our next Farmgirl Sisters Cottage and Barn Sale, Sept 29 - Oct 1, where we will all have wonderful treasures for you to do your own pickin'

'til we meet again!

Stormy

Junque In Your Trunk

2011-06-12T22:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend was our Annual Summer Farmgirl Sisters Cottage Sale took place and the addition of our new barn added to the atmosphere and fun of the event.

Our cottage had new look, a little more vintage, lots more room to rummage through the fun, the antiques and collectibles. So many new pieces of furniture including a to die for butcher block that sold right away, and dozens of new shabby chic items, made it a very fun sale. We had a lot of repeat visitors who have become farmgirl friends, and many, many new shoppers, including our new friends, The Prairie Chicks who drove down from Lebanon, MO, and arrived at 7:30AM, which means they had to have left home around 5:30AM! Wow, talk about dedication to the art of Barn Sale shopping!

our Farmgirl Sister Jan brought in such cute things, and worked everyday even with her back out, I love my "sister" Jan, a friend for 15 years now....

and the added space of the new barn, allowed for more furniture and treasures

The best part of the weekend was Saturday when we hosted our first Junque in Your Trunk Sale and our friends who came to sell brought such fabulous treasures. They were shopping among themselves as they set up!

Renee and her Mom brought such cute things, and her Mom’s treasures were Country and Primitives and she told me she was downsizing and soon to switch to a Shabby Chic décor, she was so sweet and we just love Renee and all the support she gives the Farmgirl Sisters.

Our newest Farmgirl Sister Lynn was unable to participate this time around, she had a previous commitment and was missed, but oh the treasures she brought to the cottage were scrumptious. We look forward to having her touch in our October sale.

Our friends from the Memory Barn in Kimberling City loaded up their fabulous vintage farm truck with such treasures, WOW! They made a great cornerstone to the set up.

It was hot, hot, hot and we’re sure that put a little damper on shoppers, and we were all pretty wilted by 2:00PM, but what fun we had. It was great camaraderie and everyone shared such fabulous ideas for our October sale! It will surely be bigger, better, and more fun.

Here are some pictures of the fun

We are revamping our calendar for October, and our sale dates will be September 29 and 30 for the Cottage and Barn Sale, and our Junque in Your Trunk Antique Faire will be Saturday, October 1, so mark your calendars now.

Our Memory Barn friends are hosting their annual 4th of July weekend sale in Kimberling City, head out Hwy 13 to DD Hwy and follow the signs about 1.5 miles and you'll find their quaint setting on the right!

Our Prairie Chick friends are hosting their Barn Sale on Saturday, June 18, 7AM -2PM, off Hwy 32 in Lebanon, MO, follow the signs about 1.5 - 2 miles out. We'll see you there!

Those that want to participate in our Junque in Your Trunk Antique Faire on Saturday, October 1, contact us soon, space is limited, and filling fast!

'til next time,

Stormy

PS and not to be forgotten, a very special thank you to Farmgirl Mister, Jim who really stepped up and helped make this sale a success, went above and beyond the call of Farmgirl duty.

Stormy (not Julie) and Julia

2011-03-30T22:01:00.000-05:00

Long before the movie Julie and Julia, I loved Julia Childs. She was on my list of people I most wanted to meet, along with Frank Sinatra, Jackie Kennedy and Mikail Barishnikov. I can’t even tell you when that began, I’m certain it was before my ‘tween years, when I would watch her on television and wonder how this - not model perfect, Donna Reed, Father’s Knows Best Mom with perfect hair crinoline under her skirt, perfect wave in her hair - woman was on television in her own show, cooking and making me love her with each new segment in her show. Dropping a chicken, flubbing an omelet, that not so melodic voice, I loved it all!

I am 5’10” and have never enjoyed that perfect weight, and here was this woman who carried herself in such a way that you thought about her grace, but you didn’t think about her physical appearance at all, you just thought about this great woman and what she was saying.

Then came the movie, and even with a Hollywood spin, I was enamored with her even more – and Meryl Streep’s performance was so on the money. I love that Julia’s husband loved her like he did, and that everyone who knew them, knew they we so in love with each other.

So why do I bring this up? Because I love to cook, I love to put on an apron and bustle around the kitchen and create new things, bake, and good old fashioned farm fare is my passion, and yet somewhere over these past few years, I have lost my passion, my bliss.

I have dozens and dozens of cookbooks, tucked in cupboards and stacked in piles and on shelves. I can just sit a read a cookbook like others pick up a magazine. The favorite thing about my kitchen is the small corner fireplace and comfy chair. Perfect to sit and read and peruse recipes for my next creation.

I really love old cookbooks, and really get a chuckle from the illustrations and “helpful hints” these vintage gems contain.

My passion for cookbooks began when I received my first cookbook when I was about 8 or 9, and I received Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Girls and Boys. I still have it to this day.

Second to the wonderful contents of old cookbooks is the comfort of an apron. Tying on an apron somehow makes you feel like the queen of the kitchen, of the home. Perhaps it’s those old family television shows when every mom wore an apron and pearls, and that was reinforced for me by the apron and pearls worn by Julia when I stumbled upon her show one afternoon after school.

The concept of the movie, the blogging her way through Julia Child’s recipes, life, and passions opened a passion in Julie…………………….and in me. Watching the movie for my fifth or sixth time, I am consumed by Julie’s words as she blogs, and how the blog changes her life.

So where is this rambling blog going? Well, I am challenging myself, much like Julie did, and rather than working my way through someone’s cookbook, I am going to do something that I have wanted to do for years. I am going to write my own cookbook.

So I have gotten down my recipe box, laid out several spiral notebooks and pens (I work better that way than I do on a computer), picked out five fabulous vintage aprons, and put my string of pearls next to my favorite tea cup.

Six months from today, I will have 50 recipes created, tested, and ready to share in my first ebook, ready for any of you that are interested. From my fabulous stuffed meatloaf to my mixed “bumble” berry cobbler, a taste of good old fashioned farm cooking will be on-line and ready. Let the clock begin!

Bon Apetite!

Stormy

A Farmgirl Sews

2011-03-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

Farmgirls are strong, hardworking, fun-loving, friendly, and creative. We are passionate, compassionate, and we have an intensely romantic side. Whether we wear overalls and a cotton shirt, or long skirts with pantaloons, there is romance in how we live and all we do and how we live our lives.

Recently I came across a bounty of old sewing patterns and I had so much fun sorting through the bags and bags of envelopes while deciding how I would use them.

Many ended up as tissue paper to wrap treasures purchased at our Cottage Sale this past weekend, and the instruction pages were pulled to use for craft paper and fun gift wrap paper. Empty envelopes were saved for scrapbooking and tag making.

However, nearly two dozen spoke to my Farmgirl heart. Patterns of jumpers, shirts, dresses, overalls, and even nightwear - all from decades past and present - ended up in a pile that I just couldn’t bear to take apart. There are long and short skirted, jumpers that can be adapted in length or embellished, a variety of dress styles, blouses and more. There is even a fabulous Wedding dress pattern that you can just surely envision a Farmgirl Bride marrying the man of her dreams and celebrating in the best barn party ever!

Here are some of the favorites, and you’ll find them all ready for you to purchase at www.farmgirlsisters.com at our on-line Cottage store.

One or two I will keep so that I can make them up and sell the finished products for you buy and wear! I only wish I could copy the patterns so more and more of you could enjoy them, however, remember Farmgirl Sisters respect copyright laws! But I promise to search them out where ever I go, and will keep adding them to our store.

To see them all, visit our website at www.farmgirlsisters.com, they will all be posted in our on-line Cottage Store over the next few days.

Happy sewing…………..

Bumble Bees and Pecans

2011-03-25T01:06:00.002-05:00

It's Spring and our Spring Cottage Sale is in full swing, and here I am at 12:25 a.m. making bumble garland to put out for tomorrow's sale. Still going strong Friday and Saturday, hundreds of great Spring and Easter Decorations, gift items, collectibles, antiques and so much more, but that's for another blog.....

I haven't ever posted about one of my craft projects before, but I think this garland is quite clever, and takes a little time, but is fairly easy.

What you'll need:
Pecans
Black Spray Paint
Yellow craft paint
Cordless drill and small drill bit
16 gauge black wire
Window screen
Heavy duty scissors
Glue gun
Needle nose pliers

Drill holes through pecans either end to end or through the middle depending on how you prefer to hang your bees; spray them all black;

Using bright yellow craft paint - I used Daffodil - add your bumble bee stripes;

Using heavy duty work scissors, cut modified heart shapes for your wings from the window screen;

With a drop of hot glue add your wings to the top center of your bee. If you have drilled the holes through the middle for vertical hanging,be sure to not glue your wing over the hole. I simply cut a deeper v into my heart shape so the wings go "around" the pre-drilled hole.

I like to leave my wire on the spool until I have completed my garland because I kind of "free hand" my curls and spirals, so I never know how much wire I will actually use. For garland, feed the horizontal drilled "bees" onto the wire.

Curl the cut end of the wire into a loop for hanging, the add a few spirals. Move a bee that you previously fed onto the wire up to the spiral, and add another spiral, move the next bee up the wire, and continue for length of garland you wish. I use about 7 "bees" per strand. Once you've completed getting the "bees" into place and your final spiral, leave a length of wire, and clip the garland from the spool, with your needle nose pliers, curl the end into a loop for hanging.

I like to use a wooden spoon to wrap my wire around for my spirals.

I like to make vertical "bees" to hang from pots or garden hooks. Use the same technique above, but use the bees you drilled through the middle.

and there you have a garden of bumble bee garland from pecans...........buzz! I think I shall try some Lady Bugs from walnuts next!

Ghost words on a page

2011-01-15T09:09:00.002-06:00

Yates Center Kansas
January 28, 1891

Dear Miss Ridgeway,

Remember me and bear in mind a
True young friend is hard to find
But if you find one good and true
Change not the old one for the new.

Your true and every loving friend
Montie Cannady

A most recent eBay treasure is a most fabulous autograph book from 1891. Only a small portion of the pages are signed, but each with the loving and painfully perfect script of young writers to what appears to be to their departing teacher, who seems to be leaving perhaps to marry. Reading them - like ghost words on a page - bring back the memories of a long ago time, an era of refinement, when with pen in hand you put your thoughts to page. Each page of this aging record of thoughts and wishes, contains young prose and a marvelous Victorian scrap piece pasted to the page with great care and show of fondness.

I sit here looking out the window at the empty winter branches of the trees that surround my home, thinking of Spring to come, knowing that I still have a bit of wait. I’m anxious for Spring this year. I think I need the signs of new life. I feel bleak today, like the branch with one hanging leaf clinging on although the life from it is long gone.

I play many roles in my life, an Army Mom of a son, who will deploy on his fourth mission in the coming week; a caregiver for an aging parent as well as a chronically ill partner; one of millions struggling in today’s economy –

and then I remind myself, I have other roles as well – an incredibly proud and blessed Mom to a marvelous son, Aunt to a nephew and niece expecting their second miracle baby, sister to the best sister ever, best friend, and good friend to my circle of farmgirl sisters.

So today I will run my errands, be sure Mom is doing better, and go up to the craft studio and work on my organizing opportunity (if you saw my before pictures, you know it's more than just an opportunity HA!), craft a bit, and in the solace of my workspace, remind myself of my many, many blessings.

So look for the beauty today my farmgirl friends, look for the beauty and have a marvelous day!

'til next time,
Stormy

Crafting Havens From Clutter Comes Creative!

2011-01-12T18:54:00.001-06:00

or•gan•ize [awr-guh-nahyz] verb, -ized, -iz•ing. –verb (used with object)

1. to form as or into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, esp. for united action: to organize a committee.
2. to systematize: to organize the files of an office.
3. to give organic structure or character to: to organize the elements of a composition.
4. to enlist or attempt to enlist into a labor union: to organize workers.
5. to enlist the employees of (a company) into a labor union; unionize: to organize a factory.
6. Informal . to put (oneself) in a state of mental competence to perform a task: We can't have any slip-ups, so you'd better get organized.

           There are articles and even entire magazines and books dedicated to organizing your home, your workspace, your craft area………….I’ve bought them, I’ve read them, some of them I truly covet, like the magazine Where Women Create………..but how do I get from where my space is now to that heavenly, organized, welcoming, creative inspiring space? I think I have finally found the answer, good old fashioned competition. Our farmgirl sister Joyce told us that she and another friend have agreed to photograph their crafting spaces now, “before” and at the end of the month, be prepared to photograph them again as “after”. Well of course sharing that with four other women, we were all inspired and took up the challenge. So here we are posting our “before” pictures, the only constraint placed by some of us was that no names could be tagged to the picture, HA! So here are our before pictures, and our challenge is to create welcoming, work inspiring spaces that we will photograph and share at the end of the month! Some of us have rooms, some a space in the garage or other outbuilding, some of us are blessed with entire studio space………..each has a personality, even in the clutter, and some of us, well actually one of us, already has a place of perfection, the rest, well let’s just say we participate only because of the promise of anonymity!

      What do these farmgirls make? Shabby chic treasures, painted furnishings, gifts and florals, tags and paper treasures, aprons, totes, fluffs and flourishes, soaps and candles, and well, just too much to name – but all goodies you will find at our Cottage Sales, soon on our farmgirlsisters.com website store, and three of us have fabulous flea market booths filled to the brim with treasures and delights!

      Once my space is a tad more welcoming and ready for visitors, we will all enjoy a weekly crafting night where we can gather, work on projects, share ideas, test new techniques, and just be together and enjoy our farmgirl camaraderie.

       So here are our “before” pictures, and at the end of the month……….we are all committed to sharing our “after”! Maybe we’ll let you match the farmgirl to the workspace ……..and give prizes to the first 10 who match them correctly! Watch for details!

2010-12-01T22:42:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe it is December 1st! Oh my and what a day, it was first day of our Christmas Cottage Sale and an incredibly hectic day all around. First I want to thank all of the Farmgirl Sisters for their support and help to make this sale possible, the Cottage looks amazing............and what a great turn out. All of our Facebook postings, our blogging, Craigslist, newspaper ads, and post cards paid off - we had shoppers lined up, and all through the evening, actually sold out of some things, but no worries, we're restocking tomorrow.

A very special thank you to Tina and Kailie, who stepped up and just pitched in helping with that initial rush, when I was late to the party! ha!

Miss Olivia took some amazing pictures, and as fab as they are, they don't do justice to how spectacular everything looks.

The sale continues Thursday evening, 5PM -9PM and Fri/Sat 9AM- 3PM, so be sure to stop by, and tell your friends. We are at 606 Kingsway, downtown Branson, follow 6th Street past the old schools to Kingsway, and the cottage is the second house off the corner on the right!

Remember, only 23 more days until Christmas, so come shop with us! Decorations, gift items, and well, just about everything you can imagine!

There is a map on our website, http://www.farmgirlsisters.com/, on the contact page.

Thank you Miss Olivia for the wonderful pictures below.......................they are maaaavelous!

OUR WONDERFUL LITTLE COTTAGE

A porch full of rustic and lodge decor!

Kitchen treats and sweets for the tree!

A little Country, A little Primative, this and that

A bedroom of pinks and pretties

Ornaments and gift items

Shabby Chic and Victorian delights

....a few more Shabbies

My Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T00:55:00.000-06:00

I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I think it’s for many reasons. I love the Fall, the colors, the cool crisp days, wool plaids and bulky sweaters, and there is something about cooking in the Fall, that first big pot of chili, baked apples, and of course Thanksgiving dinner. The more people around my table the better, family and friends, maybe a new acquaintance that doesn’t have someone to share the day with…..it is my day to be thankful so many things, and to share my table and cook like crazy. This year we will have nearly 20 around our table(s) – four to be exact, and included in our gathering is my son, an Army medic (need I say how thankful I am that he is once again home safe from deployment!); my mother, who just celebrated her 87th birthday; my very dear friend Sherri; adopted and extended family with our youngest guests age four, Hailey and Skylar to Mom, 87.

It could only be more perfect if my sister Bonnie and her family in California could be with us too.
My pantry list of menu items includes two 23 pound turkeys, two hams, 30 pounds of potatoes, 3 quarts of mixed berry compote, yams, 2 pounds of buttered carrots, apple sausage dressing, corn soufflé, Italian pasta salad, dinner rolls, and a dessert table that rivals any bakery window.

Amidst all of this cooking preparation, my Farmgirl Sisters and I are still busy readying for our Cottage Christmas Sale beginning December 1 and running through Dec 4 and what a amazingly fabulous sale this will be. Thousands of ornaments from over 30 theme Christmas trees, holiday décor items, collectibles, gift items, antiques, home décor, furniture and so much more.

For more information on our sale and a map to 606 Kingsway at 6th, downtown Branson, visit our website at http://www.farmgirlsisters.com/.

So, I will post a few more pictures to tantalize you with what awaits at our sale, and then I’m going to return to the kitchen to finish up the oatmeal raisin cookies for our dessert table – my son’s favorite!

I encourage you to take a moment of quiet time and make a mental list of all of your blessings; you will be amazed at how long this list is…..its easy to forget in our day to day living.

I wish each of my Farmgirl Sisters a wonderful and thankful filled Thanksgiving and I thank all of my family and friends for filling my life with love and laughter.

‘til next time, Stormy

Meet my friend Olivia

2010-11-17T19:54:00.000-06:00

The very best way to describe our Farmgirl Sister Olivia is to introduce you to her wonderful blog and Etsy Store, she gives all new meaning to girly girl and you will fall in love with her too! http://shabbychictreasures.blogspot.com/ and http://www.etsy.com/listing/61582289/shabby-white-glittery-sand-dollar

2010-11-16T19:35:00.000-06:00

2010-11-16T19:32:00.001-06:00

Farmgirl Sisters Cottage Christmas Sale

2010-11-15T23:44:00.000-06:00

It's Our Cottage Christmas and Everyone is Invited!

Oh my, oh my, oh my…we are all so busy preparing for our Cottage Christmas Sale, December 1 through 4, and these amazing “sisters” that are working with me on this are incredible! Wow, it’s going to be the most fabulous Christmas sale of the Season and I can hardly believe it’s just 2 ½ weeks away! There are new gift items, hand crafted beauties, furniture, collectibles, antiques, home décor and more!

Our lovely little cottage is evolving, and looks better than ever, and there are still lots of remodel touches to come, however, we look amazing for this our first annual Cottage Christmas sale. Every time you visit us you will see improvements some big, some small – be sure to note our 2011 schedule of cottage and tag sales so you visit us again and again!

This December sale promises something you won’t likely see any where outside of a full blown Christmas store -

In a past life I had a small museum featuring the history of the American Presidency, and sadly, lack of funding and support caused it to close. One of my favorite seasonal exhibits was Christmas at the White House where we replicated 30 First Lady and periods of history Christmas trees! 30 trees ranging from 7 feet to 12 feet filled this museum with beautiful themed decorations. Nancy Reagan’s Antique Toy Tree featured more than 400 ornaments on her tree alone! All those ornaments, thousands of them, will be on sale in the Cottage. Pricing starting at only 20 cents, many 3 for $1.00! This is the time to buy fabulous decorations to theme the tree of your dreams.

Themes include Frosty the Snowman complete with a giant top hat for the tree top, Jackie Kennedy’s Nutcracker theme, trees from the 40’s, the Blue Room and many, many more. Boxes of Thomas Pacconi hand painted glass ornament sets – retired designs still in the original wooden crates are included in the ornament collections.

But don’t be fooled, it’s not just a cottage full of ornaments - Olivia, our girly sister is filling a room with her very own created Shabby Chic treasures and Victorian delights; Sheri has the most beautiful gift items including tea sets, cake servers, home décor items and more – and her keen eye for display will be seen throughout the cottage; Jan our crafty sister is bringing some very special one of kind home décor pieces and Joyce will have jewelry “bling” and a fabulous assortment of community cookbooks from farmgirl sisters across the Country! And our California sister, and my actual sister, Bonnie may surprise us with a few of her bits and pieces, including her wonderful embroidery work. Wow, you really don’t want to miss this!

The sale runs Wednesday, December 1 through Saturday, December 4. Wednesday and Thursday sale hours are 5PM – 9PM and Friday and Saturday sale hours are 9AM – 3PM. For more information and a map, visit our website at http://www.farmgirlsisters.com/ , the map is located on our contact page.

Well, I must close for now, as I need to put in a couple of hours yet tonight on unpacking and displaying ornaments.

We all truly hope to see you in December and bring a friend or two or three – make it an outing for you and your “sister” friends. When you have moment, visit our site http://www.farmgirlsisters.com/ , drop us a line and be sure to join our mailing list. Visit our FaceBook page, Farmgirl Sisters, and “like” it to keep current with all of our fun postings!

‘til next week, Stormy

Cottage Facelift - Phase 1

2010-09-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

So we have this quaint little cottage next to our home, and it is a simple cinderblock building with kitchen, dinette, living room and one bedroom with bath. Not quite suitable to use as a residence due to age and deterioration, it is, however, the perfect setting for our three times a year cottage sales! So we will cram every corner and bit of wall and floor space with wonderful collectibles, furniture, a smattering of antiques, some great flea market finds, and of course all those seasonal treasures!

This little rag tag cottage, was in need of a little curb appeal, and some interior work to make it more “friendly” for our upcoming sale, and to make it a more welcoming spot in the neighborhood.

Our exterior facelift began this week end with some much need yard work and a coat of Misty Harbor, a very pale blue, which really brightened up the entire exterior. This weekend we’ll paint the trim colors – a surprise for you next week - put up the shutters, finish the yard and stage the porch as we prepare for our Oct 7 – 9 Annual Fall Cottage and Yard Sale.

And this labor intensive facelift is courtesy of my son Jason, an Army dude stationed in Colorado Springs, who provided all of the paint as a birthday gift, and his fabulous friends Ben and Mark, and their wonderful kids who were our painting and yard laborers. Wow, we got so much done on one Sunday afternoon. Here are a few pics to show you the before and in progress, and I can hardly wait to capture the “after” and post for your comments next weekend.

Be sure to mark your calendars to see it first hand October 7 - 9…………and don’t tell anyone, but all you Farmgirls are invited to our very special Open House event Wednesday, Oct 6, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM (and of course I was just kidding, tell your friends!)

Hope to see you soon!
Stormy

Skip to My Lou - What a Darlin'

2010-09-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

I love this site, and the blog is wonderful, I really do look forward to the ideas she sends.....from recipes to crafts, its just cute, and its usable! So I'm back, and you can count on regular posts my friends,enjoy this little teaser, and a full blown blog post with pics coming tomorrow. 'til then, Stormy

When Life Interferes with Living

2010-02-11T15:42:00.000-06:00

What do you do when all of a sudden, you find that Life has started to interfere with living? When those daily problems and occurrences start to keep you from doing the things you love to do, or from being with the people you love to be with, or from just enjoying the simple pleasures.

That is where I have been these past few weeks, life – in the form of family illness, unexpected bills, and job stress have kept me from the things I love………………..including posting to my blog. So today, I have pulled my self up by my boot straps, and tied on my favorite apron, and have jumped back into living, not just existing.

So last night I visited numerous farm girl blogs, and even made a new friend, Wende from Kansas City, and wrote copy for my upcoming radio show – the draft for the segment, I fondly call “coop chat”, and worked on several patterns for my new line of aprons……………………oh and developed a new recipe for crock pot meat loaf………………look out farmgirls, I’m on a roll!

www.farmgirlsister.com will launch in the next few days, and the radio show should go into production in the next two weeks.

In the meantime, it’s time to get out our graph paper and plot our garden layout – it will be time to start our seeds before you know it. Remember to rotate where you place your crops this year, and a good rule of thumb if you want to go bigger, is not to grow to fast……………….do you have a neighbor who might want to share the work and share the harvest? What a good way to add to your plantings. This year I am looking at heritage seeds, our local Amish store has a wonderful variety. In my next post I’ll share a bean trellis made from an old door to give your garden that cottage chic look.

If you aren’t already signed up, visit www.maryjanesfarm.com and join one or more of the forums, and be sure to order her magazines, they are fabulous!

‘til tomorrow, Stormy

Wash Day Woes

2010-01-13T22:13:00.000-06:00

Oh my, it is easy to get busy, and think that “I can Blog tomorrow”, and before you know it, days have gone by, and you realize that if you don’t “just do it”, you will not get back to it, and another project started will fall by the wayside, unfinished. It is the same way with resolutions, or life changing determinations that we make, whether as we start a new year or a new chapter in our life.

Our brutal weather seems to have dissipated, at least for the time being, and the frozen pipes that kept me from the chore of laundry have thawed, only to reveal that my old washer has given up the ghost, and we were off to find its replacement.

After weighing our options, a little wheeling and dealing, and diligently looking at energy and water efficiency levels, we arrived at the choice of a front loading machine without all of the fancy bells and whistles which kept it within budget.

So now a good reason to clean out the laundry room, as it will be delivered on Saturday, so I can check off another “to do” on my get organized list, by completing the laundry room task out of necessity.

Have you every watched the TLC show, “19 Kids and Counting?” a lovely family named the Duggars, out of Arkansas share how they live their lives with a family brood of 19 children! They have no debt, and have a wonderful philosophy, don’t buy new, buy used and save the difference……………..I am trying that as my new shopping mantra, maybe not on everything, but on many things.

On a past episode they shared that they make their own laundry soap, so I’m am searching out their formula and shall give it a try. I just hate paying so much for laundry soap filled with chemicals I can’t even pronounce that I know hurt the environment, and in containers that are mostly not recycled. So I shall attempt my hand at soap making, and will share the recipe and results in a future blog!

If you happen upon my blog, and you like what you read, please share with a friend, and as always, feel free to leave your comments.

‘til tomorrow, Stormy

2010-01-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

So this is the view this morning from my front porch, and though you can't see it well, it is snowing, really snowing! None of the weather personalities predicted this morning's snow................but the Farmer's Almanac did! In fact, the ol' reliable alamanc has been on the money for what this winter would bring our part of the Country. In fact if you look at where this winter storm has been this past week, you will see the map in the almanac and it is almost exact!

Had a client in the office this week who told me all of the persimmons he opened had the spoon shape, and sign of winter snow and bad weather, and there are so many other 'farmstyle' signs................all point to snow, and lots of it as we welcome in 2010.

So as we end this first week of the New Year, I hold out hope that it is to be better than 2009 in many ways, that it will a fresh start to those who had troubles, and that it will a good year for all!

Tonight I am dog-sitting for a friend, and will take a sewing project along, and my snuggie! If I keep my hands busy, it may be easy to keep to my healthy eating and not sit with snacks and watch tv!

'til tomorrow, Stormy

The Resolution Hiccup.............

2010-01-07T09:15:00.000-06:00

The Resolution Hiccup………………….ahhhh, six days into the new year, and already I find myself struggling with old habits, but in true farm girl style, I will pick myself up by my boot straps (if my boots actually had straps), and forge ahead. I look at my resolutions as an evolving process, not something that overnight I can just change or become, after all it took years to make these habits, so it will take time and determination to change them.

I find that it is easy for me to become discouraged, there is so much I need to get done, so much I want to accomplish, that in a state of being overwhelmed, I have a very, very, bad tendency to just do nothing, but go from project to project and finishing none! Oh my, and I wonder why I have such clutter…………

So today, I will use my lunch break at work to make a three item list of things to accomplish when I get home. Just three small tasks, that I will complete…………I know that, that small sense of accomplishment will strengthen my resolve to move on to more things, longer lists and bigger projects. So for the rest of this week, I will take those baby steps. Three things on a short list for each evening after work, and perhaps three small things, and one larger project for Saturday……and since this is already Thursday, I will adopt that same approach next week, because you know the experts say, it takes the repetition of 45 consecutive days to change or alter a habit.

As for our weather here in SW Missouri, it is frigid! I mean really frigid…………………last night we added an fourth bale of straw to our kennel for “the boys”, which they really love….it’s play time to romp through new mounds of fresh straw, we raised the heated water bucket off of the ground, and wrapped their dog house ………….it’s an 8ft x 8ft outbuilding…………in plastic weather sheeting to help against the predicted blizzard condition winds. They of course took it all in stride, knowing that whatever I was doing, it must be needed, or I wouldn’t have been out there doing it.

So as I jump into this busy Thursday and head off to work, I wish you all of my fellow Farm Girls, a great day, stay warm, and just for the heck of it, make yourself that short list of things you will accomplish today!

‘til tomorrow, Stormy

Another Life Lesson Learned - Farm Girl Hospitality

2010-01-06T09:46:00.000-06:00

Another frozen day in the Midwest, I feel guilty complaining when I hear how others are fairing even worse with record breaking cold in the minuses……………………oh my.

Well I learned a self taught life lesson in humility last night. . . . , I have a very bad tendency to resent when people just drop in. My mother was a firm believer in being invited, or at the very least calling ahead to see if now would be a good time to come by………………… anyway, a lovely friend dropped in, and I was very put out……………, shame on me.

She came bearing bags of clothing that she had wanted to share as we are both losing weight and our sizes are shifting fairly quickly. Three large bags of clothing she came bearing in the frozen darkness of night, with children bundled in the car. She was so incredibly gracious and giving, and her usual wonderful self, that once she left I was really consumed by guilt for my un-neighborly thoughts……………

Why shouldn’t friends be welcome to just drop by, in true farm girl spirit, I should welcome any and all, and if my place is a bit messy, so what! If I was in the middle of putting in laundry, get them comfy, and finish throwing in the load. I always have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot cider and other beverages to offer, I have a plethora of mugs and dainty cups to suit most any mood or season, I have a lovely dining room complete with a sitting area, perfect to sit and chat as farm girls love to do.

So today I put out there, that yes my house is always a bit cluttered, and there are always numerous projects underway, but then my friends already know that about me – so on this 6th day of this wonderful New Year, I am adding another resolution to my growing list of self-improvements I will make - to take on this New Year, this new refreshing decade – friends are welcome, and in my Farm Girl Heart I will be more neighborly, more tolerant, and more welcoming to all who come to my door!

Stay warm my farm girl friends! ‘til tomorrow, Stormy

2 Degrees

2010-01-05T09:38:00.000-06:00

Two degrees, oh my gosh, two degrees, I forgot just how cold that could be. The snow from yesterday has frozen over and under, so from a fluffy white blanket, we are now a treacherous skating rink. But off to work we go!

Before I left this morning, "Big Boy" our old Tom Cat that has been adopted, came up to the porch begging for breakfast, and I felt so bad, he had ice on his whiskers! So dry food topped with a can of his favorite moist food was hustled to the porch followed by a dish of warm milk with an egg whisked into it. And I wonder why he keeps coming back to our house..................yes, all are welcome here. Needless to say, the dishes were empty, and I watched him amble off to the place he hides and calls home, but the ice on his whiskers were gone, and his belly was full.

Today will be my day to organize my work space, get rid of those scraps of papers with notes, and start my year off in a more orderly fashion! I have a large desk calendar to keep my To Do's posted and more importantly checked off. Is there anything more satisfying than checking off items on a list, such a sense of self accomplishment it gives us........I love it. I'm into making lists, a Honey Do for the guy at the house, my to-do for housework and organizing, a craft to-do to help keep me on project and not jumping around to more than a dozen I have going, a shopping list for the grocery so I spend less, a daily "get this accomplished" list so when I put head to pillow, I can tell myself well done, and of course the work to-do list, as this is a very busy little office, and my tasks are many. This is a great use for those small journal books you find at the dollar stores, keep all your lists handy.

Brought my healthy lunch with me, and the lovely tea pot my Mom gave me for Christmas - a square desk style, and a bunch of the delicious teas it came with. So I am back to work, after I go make some tea.

Have a wonderful day my Farmgirl Friends, 'til tomorrow, Stormy

Snow Day

2010-01-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

So it’s the first work day of the New Year, and we have a grown-up SNOW DAY! Five inches of fluffy white flakes have fallen since Saturday night through late last night, and here in our part of the Midwest, everything comes to a close!

Albeit I preferred to remain under the layers of warm toasty covers, I was a good Farm Girl when I rose at the appointed hour, prepared to head off to work, and even allowed an appropriate amount of time to go out and shovel the snow from the kennel walk, and check on the “boys”. Buff, Rock and Baby are our three beloved dogs, each weighing in at the 90 pound plus mark and very spoiled. You’ll meet them individually in future blogs, I promise.

So the kennel is shoveled, water and food levels checked, chewies distributed to all, and I headed out to dig out my car and begin the warm up for the trek, short as it is, to work. Back inside gathering my stuff, I received a call from the Boss, who spent the previous week out of town, and was calling for a road conditions check. She pronounced, that officially, we were to have a Snow Day……………Wahoo!

What to do with my day? I don’t want to squander it watching television – another New Year’s resolution is to limit the amount of wasted time spent in front that squawking box – so I made myself a cup of hot cider – sugar free – got Granny settled in for the morning, started a load of laundry, and pondered my morning.

I have already cooked up my chicken breasts for my lunches for the rest of the week, portioned out my salad into individual lunch containers, loaded the dishwasher, fed the cats, cleaned the litter box, and changed all my holiday red candles out to my winter whites, and now I seek the guilty pleasure of doing something just for me.

I have decided to spend my grown up snow day sewing aprons, so I am heading off to my craft room, a pot of hot water and my favorite tea bags in tow, and I will make aprons. I have dozens of pieces of fun fabrics laid out and ready for picking. Oh and let me share my most fabulous resource for inexpensive, all right I’ll say it ‘cheap’, fabric. I scour the thrift stores for curtain panels and valance panels, that’s right, for a dollar each, I find wonderful fun patterns and textures, and once you take out the hems both top and bottom with a seam ripper, you have well over a yard and often much more of great fabric. Many have great ruffles and trims perfect for the bottom edge of your apron creation! I feel good that I have been budget minded, and feel even better about repurposing discarded fabric.

So on this snow covered day, I bid you, my fellow Farm Girls a warm Good Day, and I will sign off, and go indulge myself with yardage and trims and buttons galore.

‘Til tomorrow, Stormy

A City Girl with a Farm Girl Soul

2010-01-04T12:55:00.000-06:00

These are the ruminations of a city girl with a farm girl soul, not just a farm girl heart mind you, but a farm girl soul. I know that deep down somewhere my destiny took a turn and left that country road that led to a farm filled with animals, numerous children, and the perfect garden, and took me to suburbia somewhere south of the Motor City where I grew up in the 60’s.

While the little girls I played with had their one or two dollies, their pretend husbands went off to the office to work, and they tended in their pretend kitchen - my “husband” was a farmer, and all of my dollies and stuffed animals made up my “brood” of the ten children I was sure I would have one day, once I became a mommy for real.

Alas, I had no farmer husband, not for the lack of trying-on more than one husband to find the right fit, and although I do not have a brood of ten children, I am the Mother of one perfect son.

I have lived in cities my entire life, though moving to a small town in Missouri a little more than a decade ago, hoping to find that small town rural life. . . with out much success. I find that my farm girl soul has been screaming a little louder for recognition as of late.

Perhaps with my discovery of Mary Jane Butter’s wonderful books and magazines, the silly Farmville game tens of thousands of become addicted to on Facebook, or just looking for a simpler more fulfilling life as I have topped the peak of 50 and moving towards yet another birthday.

I come from a very small, and I mean very small family. As a child I was a voracious reader, and loved books about family, especially big families. I remember reading a story about a wonderful Jewish family with many, many children and cousins and aunts and uncles, and how they coped with life during the Depression. I must have reread that book several times, and somewhere convinced myself that I had a secret Jewish family looking for me, waiting to welcome me into their loud, laughing, large family.

I read dozens of stories of pioneer families, and families making their homes in the Appalachian Mountains, all with that common thread of a large loving family, and looking to the earth to give them their livelihood and their home.

So now as we enter this new decade, I have my list of resolutions readied, and as always, it includes all of the same ones from years past ….lose weight, become more organized, do something I really love to do………….I have given them a new look………….losing weight will come with living and eating healthier, and the garden I am already planning for our first sign of Spring; becoming more organized will go hand in hand with my looking to make do with what I have and no more shopping as a matter of convenience, only out of necessity. I will de-clutter and donate, I will have yard sales to pass along my treasures to fill the need or become the treasure of someone new, and I will take and make the time to do the things I really, really love to do. I will sew and craft, and garden, and care for my animals…………….and if the City Ordinances allow, this year I will have chickens. Three lovely bantam chickens housed in a delightful all-weather chicken coop!

So here you have the beginning of my Blog. The blog of a City Girl with a Farm Girl Soul, the blog of a romantic who formed her image out of the hundreds of books she read as a child; the wild ramblings of a 52 year old woman, who this year, this new decade, will finally decide what she wants to be when she grows up!

I hope that you decide to come along for the ride, I promise it will be one that will make you laugh, make you take pause, make you remember, and even once in a while it may make you cry……………………but no matter what road we travel, it will be a great ride!