Midwest Meet-up

Yep....I'm one of THOSE bloggers! 

Even though this is just a little blog that I use to document our life on our farm and all the fun DIY projects we do around here.....I just couldn't resist wanting. needing. begging to meet fellow bloggers.

Now I have my favorites, these lovely ladies that I stalk, I mean follow......

AND ON MARCH 16th I GET TO MEET SOME OF THEM!!! 

I have my hopes set high....I am so excited to break bread in the same room with some of my future friends ;) I just know that we will be BFFs once they get to know me! (hahahaha)

Now, I have to find what to wear, what camera to bring, what hotel to stay at....should I TRY to lose those 10 lbs that just keep coming back every winter?? Do I have time? Does anyone really even care??

If they are the wonderful women I think they are, than HECK NO!! ;)

I can't wait to share all the info and pics from my trip....and maybe some cool stuff that I might purchase on a shopping trip that my new BFFs and I will be doing! ;)

Hopeful the Chicago weather is great...after all, it will be SPRING BREAK!!

~Kim

Gentle Shepherd~and piano lessons!

This month (actually this whole WINTER) has been difficult for me to blog. I have a lot of posts in my head, and sometimes jot them down, but somehow they never make it to the computer!

The flu hit us hard, as well as the WINTER BLAHS....I'm starting to feel like myself again, the groundhog SUPPOSEDLY did not see his shadow, so impatiently waiting for our "Early Spring".  

I do still have some winter type decor around my house...and thought I would share my favorite!

This painting was originally in my grandparent's home. It brings back so many memories from my childhood. 

I recently "Googled" dog and lamb painting (don't ya just LOVE Google??)...and found out there is an arguement over it's origin. Probably around 1906, from the artist Walter Hunt. It has been called the Rescue of a Lost Friend,  Shepherd's Call, and Found.

Whatever the real name, I think it is beautiful art, simple frame and all! 

I also own a hymnal from my childhood church, where my parents were married, WE were married, I was baptized, and my children were dedicated as newborns.....so many memories while holding this book....

and my favorite hymns of all time: Gentle Shepherd. I can still hear my dad's voice singing along with the congregation. I feel so lucky to now be the owner of this book!

Wyatt is currently amusing me by learning to play this hymn.....MUSIC TO MY EARS!!! 

Our daughters tried to play the piano, and after one year of lessons, they came to the conclusion that it is NOT fun (for them). Which is why I am so excited that our son, Wyatt, has taken a huge interest in music....and I must say, he is a talented lil guy! Paying for weekly lessons is paying off, and making that huge piece of furniture Baileyhusband bought me for my 30th birthday all worth it! ;)

I had to take a picture (for documentation purposes) of his cute little hands playing.....

 Our front room wears MANY hats.....home office, library, Christmas Tree Room...

but my most favorite hat that it wears is MUSIC ROOM. 

Our piano, for the time being, proudly displays both my Hymnal and Shepherd's Call....because for me, they go hand in hand. Ahhh, memories....the best design accessory!

Happy Weekend ya'all!
~Kim

Bringing Home the Babies: my first guest blogger!

Today, I have a GUEST BLOGGER! His name is Wyatt...one of the Baileysons ;) He has some news from our farm to share....take it away Wyatt!!

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Hi, my name is Wyatt I really don't want to do this but my mom is making me......So i dont know what to say. This morning my dad got a phone call from our local post office saying that our chicks that I have been waiting for arrived. This is a 4-H project for me this year to show at the fair. Hopefully we ordered them soon enough to get them to their full potential. 

Our local post office.

The shipping box from Murray McMurray.

Our first peek inside.

A small box for 32 chicks, so they can stay warm.

The chick that my brother, Gunnar, is holding is  Golden Laced Polish.

 This chick that I am holding is a White Crested Black Polish.

 This chick that my dad is holding is a Blue Silkie.

Introducing the baby chicks to their new home out in our detached garage.

  

Once the chicks got in their new home they all huddled up 

under the heat lamp to stay warm.

This heat pad I found came underneath of the hay in the box  makes the chicks warm while on their cold ride to the  post office.

That green goo in their food is Grow Gel, it helps the chicks get off to a good start on their life.

Once my dad put the food in the brooder all the chicks ran after the food.

 The chicks that my dad and I ordered were Golden Laced Polish, White Crested Black Polish, 

Blue Silkies, White Silkies, and Buff Brahma Bantams. Murray McMurray Hatchery, the company that we ordered our chicks from gives you a free exotic chick for every order and the free chick that we got my dad thinks it is a Black Tailed Buff.

I can't wait to see the chicks grow older. My dad and I are going to build new enclosures  that we can keep all he different breeds separated.

The End

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Good job, Wyatt!( I didn't really "make him", but he WAS the one that took  pictures and it is his story to tell! :) I can't wait to see the enclosures you and Dad  make this spring...maybe i will "make you" blog about that too!? 

~Mama (~Kim)

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From the Farm Blog Hop #40

Our Valentine's Coffee Room with some help from Bee Haven Acres

Valentine's Day is almost here...and since we have a "Snow Day" here in the midwest, the BaileyFamily took full advantage and decided to get a little "crafty". I haven't decorated for this particular holiday in quite some time...but I was inspired by a quilt one of my blogging friends, Bee Haven Acres, had made.

And guess what? It is now MINE!  I knew it looked a little Valentine-y, and my mind started to think how I could use it. And why not in my Coffee Room?....It's the first room that my sweetheart and I use every day....and Feb. 14th will be no exception! 

Isn't the quilt GORGEOUS? Bev from Bee Haven is one talented lady!! 

(and she loves her farm as much as I do)

Let's face it...this is a holiday that we are allowed to be "a little cheesy". So bring on the CHEESE!!!

I left the twigs and lanterns up from our Christmas Mantel. And we made paper hearts and hung them from the branches.

These cookies will be replaced with muffins, brownies, or bagels in the mornings, I like to have something sweet with my coffee.

I don't have much red and pink around our home usually....but thought this is fun (short term). 

Every morning, this is where you find us...his and her chairs.....

Happy Valentine's Day to MY SWEETHEART.......

Hopefully when he gets home from snow-pushing he doesn't think our coffee room looks TOO cheesy!

But the kids and I had fun....now we are destroying my art room by getting a head start on their valentines for their class parties! Thanks Mother Nature for this SNOW DAY!!

~Kim

OUR COMPLETED BATHROOM...finally!

As promised, but a little late....here is our completed bathroom that I showed you a couple weeks ago:

 Just a Shower Curtain . Though it only actually took a couple weeks to install (weekends only), being the very impatient person that I am, it seemed like an eternity. I will show you on another day how much this renovation actually cost....so much less than you might think! (thanks to a very skilled and good looking contractor)

I will start with the flooring choice....After many trips trying to find EXACTLY what we wanted, we chose the brick slate:

It is so warm...feels like we installed radiant heat flooring, but WE DIDN'T! Who knew slate could feel warm??

We fell in love with the brick pattern, definitely a statement piece. And worth it's price! 

Now for the "PIECE DE RESISTANCE".....

I talked Baileyhusband my contractor into installing yet another wall of recycled barn tin 

like we did in our laundry room. Only, I really wanted rusty older looking tin....and am so happy with the look it provided for this shower. 

 

I did not want the camo to overpower this room, so I cut the shower curtain in half and installed it window-curtain-style. By switching the cut ends to the outside, they are hidden and became a NO-SEW project! But for those "perfectionists", I recommend just sewing the new ends....maybe someday I will....(probably not:)

I played around with the wall behind the door, some eye candy for the wee ones....most of these items were Christmas gifts for the boys, Wyatt and Gunnar. They had seen the turkey and moose pictures at Bass Pro when we were there visiting Santa, and fell in love with them....being that they went with the outdoor theme and camo shower curtain that I was already surprising them with....we sneakily purchased them without the boys seeing!

For the mirror, it was a no-brainer....we used some leftover wood from our home renovation projects and made our own frame....and when I say WE....I mean Baileyhusband my contractor.

LOVE THE RUSTIC WOOD....

We kept the same vanity...just made new drawer fronts, and purchased new pulls.

I think the white and wood combo is perfect while keeping this room from being too dark...

and goes with the new trim beautifully.

We kept the same light fixture, just spray painted it and changed the lights....Baileyhusband my contractor was quite pleased with himself for finding these, the picture is bad, but if you look closely, there is a leaf pattern on them.

 The walls are painted a kind of khaki, greyish color called "Family Tree". Which makes this formerly bright yellow room a little more moody. warmer. cozy. inviting. (should a bathroom BE inviting? I think so!!)

The faucet was the first thing we purchased, and looks like a water pump; perfect style, perfect color, perfectly US! The countertops are also new....I REALLY wanted concrete or black honed granite....but finally decided on this Quartz instead. Price (and being impatient) trumped everything else. But I really like it and it's still in keeping with our scheme.

And for one last look at what this room looked like before:

And after:

 Before:

After:

 Before:

And AFTER:

YEAH!!! It's done, over, finished! Now the men- of -the -house have a room that is perfectly THEM, and also one that the lady- of -the -house is not embarrassed for our guests to use! 

~Kim

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