A Post to Check Out

Do you go "thrifting"?  If so, check this out on Birdsong Bits and Pieces:

Thrifting Thursday

Come on Spring!

Springtime creations over at Birdsong Bits and Pieces!

Check Out This New Blog!

Birdsong Bits and Pieces

Hope you'll like it!

I'm in Business

Today was a heady day for me.

I took my creations of barn wood and old horse tack and Christmas greens, and bottles and little bits of this and that over to a local consignment shop.

I didn't even take the stuff out of the car, because I thought they might not be interested. I was already planning which shops I could get to next before it was time to pick the kids up.

Picture me walking up the steps with head hung low, with my fingers in an "L" on my forehead.

I told the ladies they should just come out to the car to take a look, rather than carry everything in and then back out again.

But when I opened the back of my little wagon?

They just about exploded with joy.

Those kind ladies from Rooted Ooohed and Aaahed. They exclaimed, they fawned. They swelled my head to about 10x its original size.

They. Took. Everything.

They helped me price everything, and I signed a contract. They asked me to bring them some tags for my items, and to set up an Instagram account.

And now? I'm in business.

Well, kinda-sorta. I just have some pieces in a consignment shop, but it was a big moment for me, let me tell you.

Here are a few pictures of some of my pieces. Hope you like them!

Having So. Much. Fun.

Maybe it's because I've recently become addicted to Flea Market Flip.

Or maybe it's because I'm sick and tired of constantly working on home improvement stuff, but yet still want to do something. Something artistic or creative or funky.

Or cash?
Could be the cash.

Anyway, whatever the reason, I've recently started making some crafty things. And selling them.

Much of it is horsey stuff, cuz, you know, Funny Farm.

For instance, I took an old stirrup and turned it into a Christmas door hanging.

I turned some snaffle bits into doorknob hangers.

And another bit into a toilet paper holder.

Spruced up a few old jars.

And a few other projects, some already sold, some still looking for buyers, some still classified as Work In Progress.

Is it wrong to enjoy myself so much when engaged in elementary school work playing with scissors and glue? Because I truly am enjoying myself. I want to do it all the time. Like quit my day job and ditch the dining room table for a proper workshop, and start an Etsy shop and become the most profitable seller Etsy's ever seen, and have Martha call me for advice and....

Huh.

Maybe I've been using a bit too much glue.

Easy DIY Fall Decor (Great Kids Project!)

A terra cotta pot.

Some black paint or a Sharpie.

Fake flowers.

Done.

Chicken-Scratch-Saturday: Holiday Pillows!

[Posted this last year on my old blog]



Last year, I read from Stacey on her blog I'm a Lazy Mom, this amazing idea of using Christmas placemats to sew together into throw pillows. She got the idea from Traci Romine at Decorating the Lazy Mom Way.

Wherever it came from, I love it.

So when I went on my annual day-after Christmas sale for next year's wrapping paper, I saw this set of two Christmas kitchen hand towels on sale for $2.50. Brought 'em home, sewed 'em up with some old pillow forms I had lying around, and voila, two of the cutest little Christmassy throw pillows you've ever seen in no time flat.
[That plain red one is one of our regular pillows]























Thank you Stacey. Thank you Traci. I love my new pillows!




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Don't forget to vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs! Just click on this brown button with the juggling chick. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


***************

In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller.

Since today is Saturday, that means I'm linking up with:

Camera Critter's Life With Dogs Pet Blogger Hop
Tutus and Tea Parties' Pinteresting Party

Check out my full schedule over in my sidebar.

Come join the fun!

*************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

Chicken-Scratch-Saturday: Guest Post on Screen-Free Activities For Kids

Today I have a guest post for you from Nancy Parker. She has written up a wonderful post on Screen-Free Holiday Crafts for Kids. Take it away, Nancy!


Mess and Screen Free Holiday Crafts for Kids

Having craft time with kids usually means a mess, and during the busy holiday season that is not something you want to spend time cleaning up after. However, it wouldn’t be the holidays without some fun themed crafts to go along with it! For mess and screen free fun with your kids, why not try:




1) Felt Tree – I know kids are always trying to play with the Christmas tree and ornaments, so why not give them their own tree to decorate? Cut out a green tree from felt and add some colorful felt ornaments and presents. Hang the tree up on the wall and let kids decorate, redecorate and have fun with that tree to their heart’s content. Nothing messy or dangerous here, just fun!

 

 

2) Finger Paint in a Bag – Finger painting is usually a messy proposition, but not this method! All you have to do is put a couple globs of paint in a large gallon Ziploc bag, get the air out, and tape down the edges. Taped to a table, kids can have fun mixing colors and painting without the paint drying out or getting all over!

3)Leaf Wind Catcher – Celebrate the fall with autumn colored leaves! You can use real laves, but that can be messy. Instead, purchase some artificial leaves, a bit of twine, and some beads for color. Have kids string the beads and leaves on the twine and hang for all to see!

4) Overnight Snowflake – This one is fun for kids to watch, though they do not get to participate as much. All you need is some borax, pipe cleaner and thread to make beautiful crystal snowflakes. Just mix borax and water and pour into a mason jar. Drop in your snowflake shaped pipe cleaner (or any shape you want, snowman would be good) and tie a strong around it for easy retrieval. Let it sit overnight and in the morning you will have a sparkly snowflake!

 

5) St. Nick’s Station – Give the kids something to focus on besides gifts! Take an empty cardboard box and cut doors and windows in it. The kids can pretend they are helping Santa make the gifts and ‘ship’ in all the parts for the toys with their trucks, cars and trains. They can even set up a reindeer landing strip!

6) Sensory Bag – This is a fun craft for the very little ones. Fill a gallon bag with hair gel and assorted small toys (no sharp edges please). Seal up the bag with duct tape and let the babies go to town! They love to feel the squishy against the hard and figure out what each shape in the bag is and how it will move. Mess free and will keep them busy!

These are just a few of the fun, mess and screen free crafts and activities you and your children can do this holiday season. Check online for more great ideas or just come up with your own. There is no limit to the fun you can have!



Author Bio
Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, parenting, child care, babysitting, nanny, etc.
You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com.



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***************************


Don't forget, I will love you forever if you throw me a vote on Top Mommy Blogs. You know the drill by now, don't you? Just click the juggling chick and you've voted. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


***************

In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller.

Here's the schedule I keep:
Monday: Homestead Revival's Barn Hop, Natural Living Mamma's Natural Living Mondays, The Chicken Chick's Clever Chicks, A Cat-Like Curiosity's Monday Mantras, Ponder Wonder's Soul Food Monday and @ Home Take 2's Mom's Monday Mingle
Tuesday: Heavenly Homemaker's Gratituesday, Crafty Garden Mama's Tuesday Greens, and The Wrinkled Mommy's Tuesday Archive Link-Up
Wednesday: My Life and Kids Finding the Funny, Tilly's Nest's Down Home, and Crafty Spices Wordless Wednesday
Thursday: A Rural Journal's Rural Thursday Blog Hop, and Two In Diapers' Mommy Brain Mixer
Friday: Deborah Jean's Dandelion House's Farmgirl Friday, Fresh Eggs Daily's FarmGirl Friday, Little Becky Homecky's Fantabulous Friday, @Home Take 2's Weekend Blog Walk, and Oh So Amelia's Friday Chaos
Saturday: Camera Critter's Life With Dogs Pet Blogger Hop, and Tutus and Tea Parties' Pinteresting Party.


Since today is Saturday, that means I'm linking up tpday's post with Tutus and Tea Parties' Pinteresting Party, and my post "Time to Say Goodbye"
with Camera Critter's Life With Dogs Pet Blogger Hop, and Country Momma Cooks Saturday Link-Up.

Come join the fun!


****************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

Tiquin'

I love window-shopping for antiques.

Otherwise known as antiquing.

Or, when I can't be bothered to form three full syllables, tiquin'.

I got the chance to go tiquin' a couple days ago, and I was in heaven.

I got to see some really cool old pieces.

Folk-art and rugs.

Creepy things that ought never to have been created.

Paintings of unfortunate looking people.

Artwork that caused a thin spittle of drool to run down from the corners of my mouth. I felt something akin to hunger pangs when I gazed upon them. It was like looking through the window of a pastry shop. I wanted to cry out, "I'll take the lot!", but alas, I have children to feed.

I don't know if you know this about me, but I am fortunate enough to live near the Brandywine Valley area of PA. Steeped in history it is.
And it is birthplace and home of the Wyeths.

You know.

Jamie.

N.C.

Andrew.




























Andrew, Andrew, Andrew.

I love you.

Will you marry me?

It won't bother me that you're dead.

It won't bother me that you would be 94 if you weren't dead.





I love you.




*************

PS: I apologize for the poor quality of these pictures.
They were taken with my phone.
I do not have an iPhone

waits for the gasps to die down

When I was in college and worked at a bank, I had an older colleague by the name of Lillian who had a phrase: "The only cloth coat in a room of furs".

That's me and my phone. The cloth coat.


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PPS: Although I am a fan of Andrew Wyeth's, I will have the honesty to admit to you that I could not be certain if he was dead or alive (if I'd had to bet, I'da put money on dead). Lucky for you, I know how to use the Google on the internet machine so I could do some fact-checking, and I learned that he passed on three years ago at the age of 91.


Integrity. It's my middle name.


*************


Don't forget, I will love you forever if you throw me a vote on Top Mommy Blogs. You know the drill by now, don't you? Just click the juggling chick and you've voted. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


***************

In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller.

Here's the schedule I keep:
Monday: Homestead Revival's Barn Hop and A Cat-Like Curiosity's Monday Mantras.
Tuesday: Heavenly Homemaker's Gratituesday
and Wrinkled Mommy's Tuesday Archive Link-Up
Wednesday: My Life and Kids Finding the Funny
Thursday: A Rural Journal's Rural Thursday Blog Hop
Friday: Deborah Jean's Dandelion House's Farmgirl Friday
Saturday: Camera Critter's Life With Dogs Pet Blogger Hop and Country Momma Cooks Saturday Link-Up

Since today is Saturday, that means I'm linking my post "Expiration Casserole" with Country Momma Cooks Saturday Link-Up, and with Camera Critter's Life With Dogs Pet Blogger Hop.
Come join the fun!

Tie-Dye 4th of July