Four Fanciful Things: Cuff Me

Face it kids... Cuffs are Cool.  Not the kind you wear when you get in trouble... the fashion statement kind.  Or maybe just state of mind kind.  I have a dark navy beaded cuff that I call my "power bracelet."  It reminds me of Wonder Woman and can be used to block unwanted criticism or whatever.  The right cuff needs to be comfortable and not too tight.  I like cuffs because they don't move around like bangles.  Not that I have anything against bangles... they're cool too.  But in more of a jingle-jangle way... not so much female super hero.  Which is necessary at times.

 

 

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Planting Seeds

I have found that I house quite the plethora of seeds, from veggies to flowers.  I decided instead of over-planting the garden with flowers, I would plant seeds in pots outside.  I really eased up on flower purchases this year and can't stand it I guess.  And it is not too late in the season to do this.  Some of these will flower on up until frost unless I move them onto the covered porch and then they may flower longer.  So I have orange cosmos and assorted dahlias coming up and have other seeds that I just planted over the weekend that will hopefully pop their heads above dirt line soon.

 

It seems too easy to be true.  I simply took several of my enamelware pots and buckets that have holes in the bottom, put in rocks and dirt, then laid the seeds scattered on the surface and dusted them with soil.  I just have to make sure they get a sprinkling of water until they come up and care for them normally after they are here.  Color is what I am after and hopefully is what I will get in a rustic enamel sort of way... like I like.  Plus if we went camping or something I reckon I could take along a pot or two for color.

 



Weekend Finds

From the writer (me) who brought you Weekend Finds from the Historic District in Springfield Tennessee sale last week, we have.... week two.  Because sometimes I don't want to spoil all the fun in one blog post.  And sometimes I want more stuff to post on.  Either way my main goal is sharing with you!  xoxo 

 

This is the darker colored items that I bought a couple of weekends ago. 

 

I am really liking the long braided trivet on our table.  It still had the tags on it.

 

 I am more than halfway through this book right now.

 

 I am currently using this crock-spittoon on the back porch for a water bowl for Miss Kate.

Collecters would be shocked I'm sure.

 

 

Hog Painting: $3.00

Old Crock Spittoon: $1.00

Braided Trivet: $1.00

Wildlife Refuge Sign from the 50's: $4.00

Child's Rocking Chair: $3.00

The Secret Life of Bees book: $1.00



Polly and Jerry

I am so excited to announce that we have two precious new piglets.  Before you ask, no these are not pets, even though I have named them.  This is our fourth set of pigs to raise for food.  Our stash in the freezer is getting mighty low and these two pigs will be ready to be processed in December.  We got them from a fella in Portland, TN.  I was seriously relieved to find them on a nice farm in very nice conditions quite like our own... or our own dreams.  We don't have cows yet.  We initially wanted two sows but ended up with a boy and a girl so we had a teeny job to do on him before putting him in the pen.  We did not cut their tails which we have done on all our pigs in the past. 

 

I am thankful to not have to throw any scrap of food away in our house for a while.  Granny and I make this a little side hobby since neither of us like to see our hard kitchen work go to waste. 

 

I don't normally name animals that we plan to eat.  These two are just too cute to not have names.  I think I'm toughening up that I can name and eat.

 

 

Meet Pretty Miss Polly Pockets and Jerry.

 

 Miss Polly's curly tail.

 Polly on the right, Jerry on the left.  He has more black than she does and is a tad smaller.

Jerry.

 Jerry likes to wag his tail a lot.



Flowy Summer Tanks

Howdy all!  It is HOT outside right now and it is going to stay this way for a while.  I'm not complaining!  I would much rather be wearing sunscreen and bug spray than long johns and thick coats!  Being the day care owner that I am, we have a lot of outside time and for some reason my tops are not cutting it this summer.  I don't want even a tank top clinging to me when it's hot much less a t shirt that has any thickness to it what-so-ever.  So... this puts me in search of a good, lightweight, flowy, tank top that "fits" me in the top section as, modest me, I don't want to show the girls every time I bend down to pick up a kid or toys for crying out loud.  (p.s. I can so tell by choosing comfort over fashion that I am turning 40 this year... and I love it) Plus I do a lot of garden work during the summer and am outside most of the time.

 

I have ordered two of the tanks below to give them a shot.  I ordered numbers three and four, both from amazon dot com although I have included links to the original website because that's where the pictures came from.. get it.  I was able to get them a little cheaper and one with no shipping.  PLUS I love the fact that I can use my rewards points off my one and only credit card, for online purchases only, on amazon.  I will update and voice my reviews of the two tanks once they arrive.

Some people are in search of the perfect cheer... I am in search of the perfect flowy tank.
And the perfect cheer.

 

 

 

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INSTANT UPDATE!  OK obviously I blog post ahead of time.  Since I originally typed this post I have received one of the shirts by mail AND found these tops at Wal-Mart.  The ones at WM were pretty cheap.  I paid $3.96 for a couple and $5.96 for a couple, depending on desired dryness.  I LOVE... repeat LOVE these tanks.  I worked in the garden in my white one yesterday and didn't get near as hot as usual.  I love that they fit up top and don't so much around my middle.  My DC wardrobe has seriously changed and I am not near as hot playing outside with the kids.  I am enjoying the ones from WM.  I recevied the navy yoga top above yesterday and can already tell I will love the light weight fabric.  The WM ones are all cotton.  My bra straps do show but I'm not one that really cares.  You could get a criss cross sports bra and solve that issue if it bothers you.

By the way y'all, the street class truck pull is tonight in Springfield and since our out-of-town plans got cancelled due to a family illness we will be having a little in-town fun.

By the way-way, I will not be hookin Black Rose to the sled... I repeat... will NOT be hooking Black Rose to the pulling sled.  As fun as it sounds.  We tried that one night at the Stone's when we hooked her to Carey Dale to pull him out of the mud and she did not like it.  Matter of fact she threw a fit and spit out a fuse and we had to ride home with the Davis'!

Baby Tears

I am a plant girl with a pretty green thumb.  I like having plants indoors and out of doors.  I like bringing outdoor plants indoors for the winter and to see how happy they are when placed back outside.  Recently I found a plant that I had never seen while looking through a home decorating book and the more I saw it used throughout the book the more I wanted it.  I looked and looked online and at local nurseries and finally bought a plant from a dealer on Amazon. 

 

I have also, this Spring, been scouring yard sales in search of the perfect pot to house my new friend.  I first thought that I could place it in something that would fit in a crystal cake stand with lid that I have but have decided, after reading reviews, that it needs oxygen.  I wound up with four different vessels for my plant and couldn't decide which one to use.  This past Saturday it occurred to me that maybe I could divide the plant.  So I looked up videos on youtube and found one that made it look very simple.  Simple enough for me to roust up the courage to do it. 

 

I gathered my four dishes on a tray along with my plant, dirt, rocks, gloves and water bottle and headed out to the picnic table to give it a whirl.  After all, if it didn't work I might cry a little but all I could do was order another one.  I gave it my best shot and it actually was pretty easy.  I placed rocks for drainage in the bottom of my pots then potting soil on top of that.  I then pulled my Baby Tears plant apart with utmost ease and care and placed each piece in it's new home.  They are all doing great so far.  I am keeping them semi-moist and out of full window sun until they settle in good. 

 

I absolutely cannot wait to see the little plants with tiny leaves spilling over the sides and up the glass of my chosen homes. 

 

 The first four pics shown are the images from the decor book that inspired my new found desire for this precious little plant.

And this is my repotting station.  At this point my stomach was in knots.  I get a tinch nervous when repotting plants I've never dealt with before.  But it gives me a good feeling when I've done it.

My old style sprinkler and bottle.

Hard to believe it was all in that one pot! 
 

 

I bought my plant HERE.

 

 

The helpful video I found is here.
 

 

The fabulous home decor book I found this plant displayed in is HERE.

Checked Out: Found Style

My fantastic book this week is:

 

Found Style

Vintage Ideas for Modern Living

 

By: David and Amy Butler

 

Checked Out Rating: 10

 

I seriously do not want to take this book back to the library.  I have had it in my possession for about five weeks and it is due back yet again this Saturday.  I will probably wind up buying it for my own library.  I have here a wonderful home decorating book where they use vintage and old items displayed in tons of pictures throughout the book.  I have been from inspired to drooling by something every time I have opened it.  I even let my sister borrow it for a day or two. 

 

 

I will say that these are not the best pictures from the book.  Sometimes I will take pictures of pictures in books that I like for ideas.  And these are examples of that as well as looks in the book.

 

Scary but this page has me all over it, with the feathers, bones, nests and antlers.



Sweet Kate Update

Oh our sweet little girl.  Katie Bird is growing like a weed!  I reckon they all do.  When we got her at seven weeks old she weighed three and a half pounds.  Friday, at ten weeks old, she was almost twelve pounds.  Not bad for just three weeks.  She also started going to work with Shaun and riding in his truck with him more.  She enjoys being a working girl!  On the job site, she got to meet and hang out with her buddy Opie who is a few weeks older than her, so she got to play a lot too.  Our friends also brought him over to play over the weekend.  Even though he is bigger than her she holds her own.  Must be from all her brothers and sisters.  She actually put herself to bed in her crate Saturday.  What a cutie. 

 

This is her first morning going with Shaun.

She must have got pretty comfortable in the truck.  By Thursday she was jumping from the front to backseat and looking out the windows.  Queen of the truck!

She gets along very well with the chickens.  She pecks right along with them.

Under cover Gardner and Katie Bug.

This is Opie.  Handsome fella huh?

Mean girl!  jk

Check out the karate chop from Opie.