Monday, February 21, 2011

country girl

Some of you may already know this, but, I grew up on a farm. Not a working farm, per say, but rather a lovely tree farm. You may be asking, what's a tree farm? Well, that's even kind of hard to explain. We didn't grow trees for sale, like Christmas trees. We didn't harvest lumber or really have any cash crops. I grew up on a 135 acre piece of land with rolling hills, a small garden to feed our family, a huge red barn, a pond and a creek that ran on 2 sides of the property. If you would have asked me about 10 years ago what I thought about growing up on a farm I would have said (and I quote) "Psshhh. I would rather live in New York City. It takes so long to get anywhere from the farm and it's SO quiet!". Now that I am creeping ever so close to the three-oh mark I may have changed my tune a little bit. It's the small things about farm life that I know I took for granted growing up in Walton, KY. I'm hoping that Kate will always enjoy visiting her grandparents on the farm.
(My lil farm girl driving granddaddy's tractor at my parent's farm)

Although our little piece of land that we are planning to build on can't be considered "farm land" by any stretch of the imagination (it's like a 1/4 of an acre) but the parcel is technically located on a farm and still considered rural according to our Farm Credit Services loan. But, just the thought of being away from the bustle and hustle, even if just a little bit, warms my heart. We will still benefit from the interstate being only about 2 miles away, but out there in Union things seem to move a tiny bit slower and the stars are a little bit brighter than they are the closer you get to the city. While this is sort of a random post, I am drawing inspiration from the new Country Living (which I am an AVID fan of and have been for years). I love the caption on the front cover "What's Country Now?".

It made me think about the country house that I grew up in and my parents love for antiques and "country" things. Back then it was the mauve and country blue, my mom's enormous collection of Longaberger, the roosters, the ducks, the strawberry motifs. Since having the chance to decorate my own house now, my interpretation of "What's Country Now" is quite different, but it all has the same message. COMFORT! I love the way an old quilt wraps you in warmth, I love the way an old piece of furniture looks so worn, but yet so comfortable, I love the way my grandmothers aprons tell a thousand tales of messy kitchens and hours of cooking. I also love incorporating country pieces with more modern textiles and colors. I absolutely can't wait to get into our new house and start working on the hundreds of projects I have in mind making it a modern country haven!
And don't you think I need an old farm truck to go tooling around to antique shows and farmer's markets? (Seriously, when the need for car seats is gone, I'm getting one!)
So, to me, being a farm girl wasn't always the most glamorous of titles to have, but I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to grow up in such a beautiful place. I am ready to don my country girl sash once again...bring it on Union, bring it on!
P.S. Update on our current "city" house. We have contacted a few realtors to schedule interviews. We are giving up on the FSBO and going to give the realtor route another go. This time around we are going with completely different real estate firms than before. Please say a little prayer that our house sell quickly!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Update! Birds of a Feather Fair!

I'm blaming my lack of blogging on the fact that it has been so COLD in Kentucky! But, the show must go on, so I'm very excited to announce some updates for the first ever Birds of a Feather Fair!

Misty and I have been working hard to nail down the best location for this modern handmade show. We had to think of a place that would best fit our type of show, so not any place would do. We took into consideration the ease of the location, the amount of space we could use to bring the most vendors to you and most importantly FREE PARKING! So, without further ado, we are pleased to announce that the location for the first annual Birds of a Feather Fair is.....

The Hilton at Turfway Road!!!!

The show will be on Sunday, November 6, 2011 from 11 am to 4 pm!

We fell in love as soon as we met our rep. Could she have been any more helpful? She almost made it too easy! We have rented the ENTIRE ballroom which can accommodate up to 57 vendors!

We have also created a Facebook fan page, twitter account and blog. I will post the links to all of these pages as soon as our logo is created. This will be the best and easiest way to keep in touch with updates regarding the show. We will have applications ready to go on our blog and facebook page within the next several weeks. Start spreading the word because we are hoping for epicness!!!!

Peace. Love. Craft.


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

DIY valentine treats for your sweetie

Now that the secret is out that I adore the Dollar Tree, I thought I would entertain you all with a few quick projects that would be perfect for Valentine's Day. The best part? They all come from the Dollar Tree so don't be afraid to try a few of them out!

I know that I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I'm going to challenge myself (and my sis in law, which doesn't know yet, so SURPRISE Susan!) to create an entire Easter party for our girls using a little creativity and stuff from the Dollar Tree. But, until the air gets a little warmer, enjoy these fun and easy Valentine's DIYs.

Matchbox Treat Boxes:
Supplies:
these matchboxes come in packs of 10 at the Tree or you could use 1 large matchbox
scrapbooking paper
double sided tape
ribbon
embellishment

Step 1: Empty matches from box

Step 2: Cut strip of scrapbooking paper (or even wrapping paper) and wrap around box with double stick tape

Step 3: Add ribbon and any embellishments on top

Small boxes will fit 2 Tootsie Rolls, a small handful of plain M&Ms or a few conversation hearts. A large matchbox could hold a few larger treats for your sweetie :)

Doily bunting banner
I'm having a small obsession with bunting banners right now. I love the way they evoke happiness and fun with or without a party! I've seen this banner done several times but I love the varying sizes of the doilies. So pretty it may make another apperance at Kate's 2nd birthday party!
Supplies:
various sizes of paper doilies
ribbon
glue dots
Step 1: fold doily in half
Step 2: Place doily over your length of ribbon and secure with a glue dot
Step 3: Hang up and enjoy! Could it get any easier?
Flower Corsage Brooch

Supplies:
pretty headband from the Tree
pin back
hot glue

There really aren't steps to this, I just ripped the flowers off of the headband and hot glued them onto the pin backs (which I found at Hobby Lobby). A set of two are just lovely on a cardigan or maybe on a tote bag?
Heart Doily Kitchen Towels

Similar to Ashley Ann's tutorial on the canvas doily tote, I'm using the same technique only with a heart shaped doily and a kitchen towel instead of a bag.
Supplies:
heart shaped doilies
plain kitchen towels
fabric paint
foam brush
spray adhesive

Step 1: Make sure that your doily doesn't have any "hanging chads" otherwise your paint will not soak through

Step 2: Spray the back of your doily with a touch of adhesive and place on to towel
Step 3: Carefully dab your foam brush with the fabric paint onto the kitchen towel
Step 4: Remove the paper doily
Step 5: Gift these cute towels with a fun spatula for your favorite cook!

On another note...I have updates for the first Birds of a Feather Fair that I will post soon! Hope you all are staying warm!