FOR THE LOVE OF HOME

As most people who know me, or have just met me, know that I am TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY in love with my home, farm, and the countryside! Like I have said on this blog, this is the life that I never knew I always wanted! :) For me, when we have a gathering or party, I want my home to show it's best side...much like putting on your church clothes....you want it to look beautiful.

I don't feel like this is in any way "showing off" or "bragging". Actually, I just want people to see why I love this place so much...I love to share my home. To me, this is one of the greatest gifts (besides my family) that God has bestowed on me....and I am constantly in awe of it.

With this being said....I think EVERYONE should have a love affair with their home. Your home IS a direct reflection of who you are....and a personal refuge for yourself and your family.

A photoshoot we had around our home a few years ago

I believe in making your home unique to you, make it reflect your personality and your life you are living.

I am starting a series that shows just that....FOR THE LOVE OF HOME.

I am going to showcase other's homes, farms, gardens, or anything else that THEY are in love with, or proud of, at their own home. And I can't wait to show you the first one.

Please come back tomorrow to see the renovated barn and home of some new friends of ours!
~Kim

Just for FUN: my sister's mantel and Quote of the Week

While I was visiting my sister one day this summer, I decided to help her do a mini makeover on her mantel.

And before anyone boos and hisses about my pics, I apologize.....poor lighting and horrible photography skills on a camera phone are not a good combo!!

My sister already had a good look, but she has also had this "good look" since she moved in over 3 yrs ago.

Time for a little change.

This is the "Before"

So I asked her where her favorite place was to travel , even though she is my sister and I kinda already knew. But I wanted this to be HER idea and inspiration, not mine! 

And, of course, she quickly piped up.... F L O R I D A.

Remembering Layla Palmer's cute summer mantel from The Lettered Cottage, 

I thought "WE can do that....do you have any driftwood?"

And my sister found me THE. MOST. PERFECT. PIECE.

So, along with a stick from the yard, and the state of Florida map from an old atlas:

THIS IS WHAT WE MADE!!!!

With a little helper named Cookie: 

I also "shopped" her home for other items that were either from Florida (sand and shells), or looked like it belonged there (palm tree). And the sign that hung in my nephew's room:

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination"

This was a fun little journey my sister and I took together, its nice to see what a quick little change can do to a room and the mood it sets!

~Kim

Recycled water trough...HELP ME FIND A HOME

Here is the story of our recycled water trough......

My son, Wyatt, made a TACK BOX from an old rusty WATER TROUGH we had here at the farm.

Before

After

Along with Daddy's guidance, he worked hard for days using everything recycled:

water trough

barn wood

powerline worker's rope

rusty hinges

our old living room carpet inside for the bottom

casters

This turned out beautiful and I am so proud to have this be added to the design in our home! And I am so excited about the storage potential!!

But I seriously need help! I need to find the perfect place to display this before Baileyhusband takes it outside to use in the garage....oh, the thought of it makes me cringe!

I know, I know....all of these items were once used outside...and it's supposed to be a farm tack box......

but my little man has made it a labor of love and I want to keep it nice forever! :)

So here is where I need help! I have drug this thing all over my home trying to find the PERFECT spot...

it was like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 

1. Living Room coffee table (too tall?)

 2. Living Room under tree mural (too short?)

 3. End of bed storage (not long enough?)

4. Back into the Living Room as side table (too long?)

5. Front room coffee table (too tall and too long?)

6. Front room under window- replacing the bookcrate (too bulky?)

7. Or should I just throw caution to the wind and put it on my front porch where my bistro table is?
Yep, I was too lazy to drag it outdoors to get a picture here.....

Please let me know where I should put this masterpiece!! Can you tell I like to display my kids' artwork?

I love to re-design, recreate, and rearrange, but this time I am at a loss. ANY HELP is APPRECIATED :)

~Kim

Blue Ribbon County Fair

Well, County Fair week is over....all the hard work and more hard work that we, as a family, put into our show cows, and the projects made, are now behind us. 4H is such an amazing organization for children. Seeing their homemade projects and all the different animals that these children are a part of is truly inspiring!

Gunnar posing with Crimson and Clover

I will show different parts of the fair in upcoming posts, I wanted to start with their homemade projects.

I love sports and school sponsored clubs, but I think the opportunities that 4H and FFA gives is just as (if not more) rewarding, educational, and important.

Our 4H Club's project booth

First, these children learn the importance of hard work. (You should have seen my little man using all these BIG MAN tools...he will make a great Baileyhusband and daddy some day:)

Second, they are learning a craft that they would otherwise probably never do on their own. (And what kid wouldn't love to learn how to do home improvement....such a valuable skill if you ask me!:)

Third, these children have to go in front of a judge and show off what they have done and have someone critique it! What a humbling lesson that can be!

(I wont post a pic of any of the judges, to spare them the embarrassment, and I didn't get their permission)

We saw so many creative projects and have tons of ideas already written down for next year....
The different types of "projects" range from homemade goodies such as cookies, muffins, etc...to photography....to horticulture.....to woodworking....to painting, sewing, anything you can dream up! I took pictures of a few of my favorites that I saw this year:

This painting is of the 4 seasons....beautiful!

Would love to learn how to do this!

Made by melting crayons!? Awesome!

A little fairy garden in a beautiful container....so adorable!

These are what my children made this year....

Wyatt won a GOLD ribbon (the best a 4th grader can get) for his burlap message board

Our new tack box...yes, made by Wyatt! (with daddy's supervision)

Wyatt's garden gazing ball

Sierra's jewelry ladder

This ladder was made for her sister's dorm room, which will involve a lot of ZEBRA pattern, so Sierra made it black and white. I think it turned out really cool!

sunburst mirror

The sunburst mirror was a neat idea, in theory. She used paint sticks that were free from the hardware store and pre-cut mirrors from the craft store. Sierra asked her dad to get adhesive for her....she wanted a silicone caulking....he got mirror glue. Without going into detail, this is the best picture I have of it....one of the judges broke off a sun-ray and it went downhill from there :(  She did get a blue ribbon, however. 

Sierra's "Hunter's Breakfast" place setting

She had to come up with a meal plan, and show pictures of the meal using this place setting. This display case was not the best way to show this off....as a mama, I wanted to "fix it" before I took a picture, but I couldn't touch it! UGH! :)

What a fun, but exhausting week we had....I am so proud of all the 4H kids, I really wish more children got involved and took advantage of this awesome opportunity to build great life skills!

Throughout the week, I will be showing more of the activities from the County Fair!

Hope everyone stays indoors as much as possible this week.....icky sticky heat!!!
~Kim

Dear Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,

          PLEASE SEND RAIN!!! Crunch, crunch, crunch is all you can hear while walking outside these days. And this awful noise is so bad that you can barely hear my peacocks hollering. And even worse, you cannot really walk around barefoot!

Water is a hot commodity these days....To keep our animals cooled, we have water stations throughout the farm.

Besides watering our animals, it has been very essential to keep all landscaping and gardens watered daily.
Especially the ones that are not quite ripe to the picking....or in there prime season yet.

I pray daily that the farmers aren't too devastated by this drought.....

It would be too expensive and a little selfish on our part to water our lawn. It has become a desolate place. And after caring so much for it in the spring..this is very sad to see.

So for now, the mowers are parked and the weed wackers aren't wacking.....and we are spending our time hauling water to everything that has a pulse or is thirsty. And this poor flower looks a little dry, don't ya think? I water it daily....but it just is not handling the heat. IT NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The only thing that makes me feel better is that everyone else's yard around here is just as UGLY! :)

I wonder what this means for the kind of winter we will have? Mother Nature, please be kind to us!!!

At your mercy,
~Kim

Our Back Porch: A Collected Look

Lately, I find myself spending more and more time on my back porch instead of my front porch swing!

The back has a wonderful view of our farm and all the sights and sounds that come with it.

The afternoon sun is not an issue and neither is ANY hint of the outside world.

This porch is directly off of my coffee room and kitchen, so this is where I grow our herbs.

And look at this twig plant stand I found at a second hand shop the other day!! My herb baskets fit PERFECTLY on it.

This stand is the finishing touch that I needed to complete my favorite outdoor sitting area.

The porch is a collected look just like the inside of my house.

 The center "coffee table" is not an ideal height, but it will have to work for now.

And those gliding chairs ,we just refinished, were my parents, and used to be green....amazing what a little spray paint, sanding, and new stain can do!

I love using inside elements, outside! This rug is an old favorite of mine, and since it hasn't rained in FOREVER, it stays out most of the time. It's a bit softer than most outdoor rugs on the market, and because  it was not expensive (and washable), no worries for me!!

Here is the opposite side....a cheap, lounge chair bought at Target for around $80, a pillow for comfort, and see that awesome twig lantern? I also snagged that at the same consignment shop I purchased the twig table ....pretty good find, huh?

I know summer is all about color....but I always sway toward outdoor colors...

Green and Brown to be exact.

Those, to me, have a soothing, calming effect. 

Now you have seen my best place to start and finish my day...if you are looking for me, you know where to find me!

~Kim

Weekly Quote 3...and my computer is fixed ya'all!

"TO SUCCEED IN LIFE, YOU NEED THREE THINGS:
a WISHBONE, a BACKBONE, and a FUNNYBONE"
-Reba McEntire

I happen to think that this is especially true for folks in the country!

images via pinterest

You plant a garden (or your crops) in the spring, wishing that the weather cooperates and harvest time is plentiful.

image via pinterst

You have to have a backbone to stand not only for what you believe in but to have a strong body to deal with all the chores and hardwork that comes with living the life of a farmer/ countrygirl!

Cover of a book my kids and BaileyHusband got me last year

And lastly, a FUNNYBONE, because if you can't laugh.....at yourself and the world you live in....then that is not a life you should be living!

These are Dixie's parents- for REAL!!

Enjoy your week friends!! We are quickly approaching the Country Fair and are in full project mode! And tonight the cows are getting their hair all professionally trimmed!
CaN'T WaIt!!!
~Kim