Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 123

 Welcome to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 123! 

It's an exciting time of year on the farm and in the garden isn't it? Did you know it's just one day away from September which is National Harvest Month?  Also called Organic Food Celebration Month. Doesn't it make you feel good to know your organic gardening efforts are part of a national celebration?

Next to May, September is my all time favorite month of the year.

  Apple picking and peaches too is on the horizon for this farmgirl! The weather cools down and thoughts of nesting and snuggling in begin to take over. But not before we reap what we have sown in the garden! We've been enjoying home grown tomatoes this week and the cut flower garden is spilling over with blooms! 

 It's also Back to School or Not this month at the MJF Beach Farmgirl Blog! 

I'm busting a few myths HOMESCHOOLING myths and answering some common homeschooling question this week! 

How about you? Let the hopping begin! 

 Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  

Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 


 DON'T BE SHY~  

Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! See you on the hop! 

 

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 122 and one lucky WINNER

Welcome to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 121! 

Oh, I love it when we get to give things away! Are you ready?

Today's winner for the fabulous BAINBRIDGE FARM GOODS FARM SIGN  pictured above is Farmlife Chick from The Chickn'Coop Blog!  

Congratulations and thanks to all who entered our giveaway! 

Time to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soulfood!  

 

 Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  

Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 
 DON'T BE SHY~  

Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation! New friends and followers are ALWAYS welcome!

 DON'T BE SHY~  
Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! See you on the hop! 

Get Well Flowers FRESH FROM THE GARDEN

Is there anything better for someone who has just had surgery or is recovering from an illness than receiving flowers?  Okay, well maybe a milkshake is right up there getting a bouquet of Get Well Flowers, but not much else can top those two things when your on your back and can't do much of anything but dream of when you'll be on your own two feet again. That's my mom right now.

My mama had her hip replaced yesterday and you can bet I was there with flowers in hand when she woke up in her room yesterday afternoon. ( She wasn't ready for a milk shake yet ) 

 I knew that flowers alone in the vase wouldn't quite cut the mustard for my mom. She's a sparkly gal when she's feeling on top and she loves her bling so I gave her a little rhinestone pin on the burlap ribbon I made to hold her over until she can get gussied up again! 

I love being able to head out the garden and cut flowers for someone else to ooh and ah over them!

PS. My mom is doing great! Thanks to all for your well wishes on Facebook and my blog yesterday! 

Hugs!

Deb

My FREE Side of the Road Find

 FREE I tells ya!

 Do you swerve your vehicle with the reckless abandon of a woman on the loose when you spot one of " these " out of your window?

 

That's exactly what I did when I drove into my moms neighborhood to stay the night with her this week cuz she had hip replacement surgery today. She did great and is resting comfortably tonight. I'm a little pooped, it was a long day of sitting on my tookus waiting and reading, then waiting and reading some more. But, I'm so excited about my find ( which was still bouncing around in the back of the car on the way to the hospital this morning) I had to post tonight!

Isn't it purty? I love the industrial vibe this vintage GraybaR Rotary Sewing Machine has don't you? I'd never seen one like this before! It's not as pretty as some of the very ornate antique Singer sewing machines but it has something special none the less. What little googling I did I learned it's most likely from the 1950's. It came with all the cords and foot petal and there's not an ounce of dust or rust on the machine itself. I still need to plug er in to see if it works! Don't get your hopes up on the cabinet. It's not so pretty. Remember avocado green with antiquing stain over the top from the 1970's? I'm pretty sure my mom painted a dresser for one of my brothers in this exact color.

What do you think? Needs some love doesn't it? 

I love the vintage handles though!
Well, now you've seen the best and the worst of my latest FREE FIND!

 Help me decide what ASCP color to paint her! 

 Arles Yellow, Duck Egg Blue, Old White, Emperor Silk ( Red ) Barcelona Orange or how romantic would Scandinavian Pink be?

 You might say it was a good day all around! Mom got a new hip and I got a new piece of the past for Burlap and Bling!

Thanks for listen'n! 

Deb

Tasty Tuesday~ City Boy Hens Bread and Butter Pickles

Have you met Rick from City Boy Hens?  

Rick is a City Boy working on unleashing his inner farmboy and sharing his adventures through his blog City Boy Hens. I spent some time on his blog last week and I know you'll love visiting him too! Rick linked up with us last week on Farmgirl Friday and I wanted to give him a warm welcome!

  I love it when farmboy's  joins in to share!

It turns out that I am really a country boy who is trapped in a city boy’s body. It’s all now starting to make sense. I finally understand why I live on a ravine lot that is bordered with a split rail fence, why I made a living building reproduction furniture for 15 years, why my man cave resembles a pioneer homestead in the late 1800s, and why I choose to travel 264 km on a Friday night with wife, kids, dog and chickens in order to have a cup of coffee by “the lake” on a Saturday morning? 

~ Rick aka City Boy

 This weeks  featured Tasty Tuesday recipe City Boy Bread and Butter Pickles comes from from his homestead kitchen!

Go to City Boy Hens to read the story of how Bread and Butter Pickles got their name and take a gander at a mighty fine tutorial on how to whip up a batch for you and yorn!

Dip into The Farmgirl Friday Recipe Box when you're looking for an old fashioned favorite or a home- cooked meal made from scratch with love. You'll find recipes and tips from the best homestead kitchens. Canning, preserving, deserts, soups, stews and so much more! PLUS tips for stocking and organizing your pantry. 737 now following! 

 

Be sure to grab this button if you've been featured!

ASCP English Country Washstand in Arles Yellow

 Dear friends,

Between the garden, two teens going in opposite directions and my booth downtown I've been on the go these last few weeks and I'm excited to show you my latest furniture re-do for Burlap and Bling! I've been working with the fabulous decorative  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint this summer and I fall more and more in live with each new shade I try. So far I haven't done any color mixing, I'm enjoying each color straight out of the can. 

This piece got a make over with Arles Yellow. It's so soft and buttery you almost want to eat it, but since that's not really an option ( unless you want to be featured on that show My Strange Obsession )

I rather like the idea my friend Pam had. Imagine this piece in a small country bedroom with floral wallpaper, flowy lace curtains and fresh linens on the bed.

 Now, hold on to that image cuz here's the ugly before picture!

This little darling has great features! I think it resembles an old English Commode or wash stand which is why I chose a soft color and an aged finish for it.

 

Here's one of the legs after sanding and before I waxed it with clear wax.

 

I love how the dark wood shows through on this piece.

This piece has two drawers and a bottom shelf. It'll make a great bedside table for someone!

Here she is all done up and ready for her trip to my booth! I sure hope someone scoops her up in a hurry cuz I had a hard time letting her go!

Ain't she purty? 

Here's are some painting tips for achieving an aged finish.

• Don't apply the paint too perfectly or too heavily. If you know you want some of the wood ( or undercoat) to show through then brush the paint on lightly especially where worn spots would be likely to happen.
• Go over areas such as the top more than once for a more opaque look and leave the edges less covered. 
• You can wipe off paint as you go, to distress before it dries, or wait for it to dry ( under and hour ) and lightly sand off any places you want to see the wood underneath.
• Annie Sloan Directions for sanding say to do it after the first coat of Clear Wax, but I prefer to sand before and then apply the clear wax with a large brush and buff with a clean soft cloth.
• If you want a deeper aged finish you can add the dark wax over the clear finish or mix clear and dark together depending on the ration of dark to light that you want to achieve. 
• Most importantly, have fun and relax!

Here's the link to Annie Sloan's YouTube where you'll find an endless amount of info on working with her fine paint!

Linking to these fine blog hops!

Knick of Time Tuesday 

Elizabeth and Co. Be Inspired

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 121 and Bainbridge FARM SIGN Giveaway

Dear friends, 

Welcome to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 120! 

I'm so excited to tell you that Susan Roth ( creator and designer of Bainbridge Farm Goods ) is offering one of her fabulous all-weather colorful, farm signs to one lucky reader this week! 

Whether you're looking to spruce up your hen house, garden or chicken coop, there is a sign you'll surely fall in love with! 

Susan lives on a farm in picturesque Bainbridge, Washington. An ideal setting for her farm born business and farmgoods!I had the pleasure of featuring Bainbridge Farm Signs in MaryJanesFarm magazine a few months back and it's such an honor to be hosting this giveaway for her and you! 

The sign below is the one she is giving away!

 ENTER TO WIN THE SIGN BELOW!

 Please leave a comment on either of the three host blogs for this hop and we'll announce the winner next Friday! Good luck and Happy Farmgirl Friday!

Time to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soulfood! 

Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  

Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 
 DON'T BE SHY~  

Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation! New friends and followers are ALWAYS welcome!

 DON'T BE SHY~  
Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! See you on the hop! 

About Me, About You~ Write your own ABOUT page!

After three years of blogging it recently occurred to me that I ought to create an "ABOUT" page for my blog. And now that I have I know why I have avoided it for so long!
 It's not that easy to write a page about yourself is it?  You don't want to appear too braggy, too silly,  too stuffy, or too flaky. And if you're blog is about many things, how do you fit it all in without sounding, scattered, unfocused, and disorganized?

Like all good writing being concise is key. So I took that to heart when I created my own About page.
Here are the simple guidelines I followed.

PERSONAL PHOTO: Find a photo you love of yourself. One you'll feel good about putting out there for the world to see! My husband took this one of me last fall at a local farm. I felt might happy leanin' on that old tractor tire and flashing my pearly whites at the camera for him! Write a simple paragraph stating what your blog is about and include links to all pages in your blog that support  your key topics and your blogging passions.

DEDICATE YOUR BLOG: As I was in the process of writing my about page it occurred to me that I would not be ME if it weren't for my sweet hubby and the family we have made together.

ARE YOU PUBLISHED? It's okay to fluff your feathers here a little. Provide information and links to the places where you are published.

BLOG HOPS AND LINKY PARTIES: List any special features and hops and parties you host or participate in on a weekly basis and invite folks to join in!

SPONSORS: Write a brief paragraph about who you would like to attract as sponsors for your blog and prices.

THANK YOU:  Thank your readers for visiting your blog. Without our blogging friends, blogging wouldn't be half the fun!

  I don't have all the answers, but the best advice I can give you is to just be yourself!  I'm  pretty happy with my little ol' ABOUT page but I'd love for you to give it a once over and tell me if I left out anything important!

Whew, I'm glad that's over! Enough about me!

Tasty Tuesday~ Mini Cherry Pie Cookie Bites

I know it's still very, very hot in some places so if you're still on strike from baking be sure to  bookmark this easy recipe for Mini Cherry Pie Cookies  for a " cooler " time. 

This weeks Tasty Tuesday recipe comes from Lisa's homestead kitchen/ Feathers in the Woods Blog. 

Lisa  shares her simple recipe for  re-creating  those tasteless mini cherry fruit bites which are so tempting at the store but oh so disappointing once you get them home and bite into one. They just never taste as good as something homemade do they?

And look at the difference in appearance. Lisa's homemade Mini Cherry Pie Cookie Bites look so much better than the packaged store-bought variety. 

Do I have your attention? Good... Now get on over to Lisa's blog for her fabulous tutorial!

 I'm thinking I'm gonna make some for desert tonight!  

Be sure to grab this button if you've been featured!

Dip into The Farmgirl Friday Recipe Box when you're looking for an old fashioned favorite or a home- cooked meal made from scratch with love. You'll find recipes from the best homestead kitchens, inspiration for setting a beautiful table with all the charm of a farmhouse kitchen PLUS tips for stocking and organizing your pantry. 717 now following! 

Do you Hometalk?

 

 I admit to shying away from joining yet another online forum for a while but one day I thought, what the heck? It's too hot to garden and I'm feeling too lazy to start any big projects so I went to visit Dolly on her Hometalk page to read her 20 Beautiful Roses Post  for your garden post and decided to

sign up and post a couple of things just for fun! 

Dolly's 20 Beautiful Roses

 WOW! People are so friendly and " conversational " over there!  I guess that's the idea, right?

So, if you're feeling chatty, come over yonder and say hello here! 

I'm loving Hometalk! It's a great place to share all things home and garden! 

Do you Hometalk?  Leave me a note if you do and I'll come follow you!

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 120 and my COTTAGE KITCHEN

Dear farmgirl friends far and wide! Welcome to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 120! 

 Is it just me or does this summer feel like it's flying by? I hope each of you are enjoying the lazy days of summer wherever you are.

 We've been back and forth from our little off -grid  BEACH cottage over the last couple of weeks and I've just about gotten the sand shaken out of everything and I'm almost caught up on laundry. 

I thought you might enjoy a little peak at our HUMBLE cottage kitchen with the newly painted wood floors! Here's a snippet of Max snoozing on his little rug by the door. 

See the BEFORE FLOOR under him?

 

With some zooming and cropping, here's the after! 

 After more than 20 years, we finally ( well, I guess it was mostly me in a fit of ugly floor disgust ) ripped up the torn, vinyl flooring that had seen better days. 

My hubby( bless his heart)  came in after me and cleaned up the mess I made and proceeded to paint the floor to match the rest of the cottage floors. Ah, that's better on so many levels!  The floor looks great, it's easier to clean and I can move on to obsessing about something different that needs doing! 

That shiny wooden counter top was a gift from my BIL last Christmas. He made it to replace another tired relic from the 70's or 80's. The reclaimed laminate counter-top had started to sag like old things are prone to do. Now it's good as new!

What's been happening in your farmgirl worlds? 

Time to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soulfood! 

Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  

Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 
 DON'T BE SHY~  

Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation! New friends and followers are ALWAYS welcome!

 DON'T BE SHY~  
Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 

As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! See you on the hop! 

Confused Dahlia or a COLOR MUTATION?

 Dear sweet blogging friends,

The Dahlia's have begun to bloom in the Dandelion House garden! 

I couldn't resist sharing this very special dahlia with all of you.

 

I've never seen petals colored this way on dahlias, have you?

 The entire plant seems to be a bit confused as to which color and pattern it truly wants to be. 

Each blossom is different from the next! I've got to dig into this anomaly a bit deeper.

  

I'm popping back in to edit this post. What's happening is a color mutation! 

It is fairly common in dahlias, but it's not so common to have an entire plant sport different blooms! 

Read more here! WARNING: It's a little plant science-ish but you'll get the gist of it!

Tasty Tuesday~ Garlic Dill Pickles

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Dandelion House! Harvest season has begun and tis the season for picking your ripe pickling cucumbers either fresh from your garden, your local farmers market or your supermarket produce isle. 

Just one look at this photo of Garlic Dill Pickles took me back to my youth when my mom would pickle cucumbers for us to enjoy. They were always so crisp and delicious! 

 This weeks recipe comes from blogger Sandra and her

Clearwater Farm kitchen. She found a simple recipe for Garlic Dill Pickles. Here it is just in case you missed her entry from last weeks Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop. 
Sandra shares her homesteading life adventures and sheep tales on her Clearwater Farm Blog

Garlic Dill Pickles
7 1/2 cups Water
5 cups Vinegar
1/2 cup Pickling Salt
12 cloves garlic
6  Fresh Dill Heads
about 36 pickling cucumbers  (washed)  (3-3 1/2 inches long)

Mix water, vinegar, and pickling salt in stainless pot and heat to a boil.

 Place 2 clove garlic and one head of dill in each quart/canning jar.

Pack cucumbers in jars (whole or sliced).

Fill Jar with Brine , leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Wipe jars and rims. Put on lids.

Process for 15 minutes in a Water Bath. 

  -It is best to use cucumbers the day they are harvested. If they cannot be processed at that time, store the cucumbers in the refrigerator. -I usually leave the cucumbers whole, but will slice them if they are little larger. Cut off the blossom end of the cucumbers and wait three weeks before using the pickles says Sandra. 

 Who's pickling cucumbers this season? Any tips or tricks to share? 

  Dip into The Farmgirl Friday Recipe Box when you're looking for an old fashioned favorite or a home- cooked meal made from scratch with love. You'll find recipes from the best homestead kitchens, inspiration for setting a beautiful table with all the charm of a farmhouse kitchen PLUS tips for stocking and organizing your pantry. 700 now following!